REPORTS of the death of Gloucestershire as the kings of one-day cricket have been greatly exaggerated, as Yorkshire found to their cost on Saturday when they were soundly beaten by five wickets in the semi-final of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

Once again, Fortress Bristol lived up to its name as Mark Alleyne and his team of limited over specialists made light work of below-par Yorkshire while cantering to their seventh Lord's final in six years.

Yorkshire believed their score of 243-6 could be defended on a slowish pitch but such optimism soon proved to be unfounded as New Zealander Craig Spearman played a near perfect innings to make an unbeaten 143.

The right-handed opener faced 122 balls without ever giving the slightest chance and he added four big sixes over mid-wicket to his 14 other boundaries.

Spearman's epic innings was the biggest ever compiled against Yorkshire in the competition's 39-year history, beating the previous best of 135 not out by Darren Bicknell for Surrey at the Oval in 1989.

Matthew Hoggard opened up with a maiden from the pavilion end but that sort of pressure soon fizzled out as Spearman tore into Tim Bresnan by picking him up for consecutive sixes into the crowd off an over which cost 21 runs.

Spearman then struck Hoggard over the rope with another sweetly timed legside blow and when Ian Harvey came on to bowl against his former team-mates he was smacked for a boundary apiece by Spearman and Phil Weston in his first over, the Kiwi reaching his 50 out of 68 with five fours and three sixes.

The openers were making full use of the early fielding restrictions and they had put on 73 in 13 overs when Weston drove Hoggard off the middle of the bat to Darren Lehmann, who scooped up a great catch from around his ankles at silly mid-off.

The wicket proved of little significance, however, as Gloucester-shire's newly-signed Australian Michael Hussey settled in quickly with Spearman, who cast a further shadow over Yorkshire by cracking three boundaries in Chris Silverwood's first over.

Only Hoggard of the pace bowlers was up to the job and with both Bresnan and Silverwood having to be withdrawn prematurely from the attack, Yorkshire's bowling lost its shape and Spearman continued to pick up runs whenever and wherever he wanted them.

Lehmann was spot on with his left-arm spin but Spearman toyed with four overs from Richard Dawson and, although Anthony McGrath caused Hussey to edge into his stumps, he was never going to worry Gloucestershire too much.

Hoggard produced a great ball in the first over of his second spell which nipped back to bowl Matt Windows and, although Chris Taylor ran himself out and New Zealander James Franklin fell lbw to Harvey, there was no stopping gold award winner Spearman, who hit the winning boundary with 23 balls remaining.

The only stage that Yorkshire looked like controlling the match was in the early part of their innings after Matthew Wood had won the toss and chosen Michael Lumb as his opening partner in place of Craig White, who is expected to be out for the remainder of the season following an operation on his damaged cartilage.

Wood attacked strongly with some fierce pulls and hooks and there was the rare sight of both openers being caught off consecutive deliveries from Franklin without being out because the false strokes came off free hits following no-balls.

The pair had put on 47 in ten overs when Wood misjudged another intended hook and skied Jon Lewis to Martyn Ball at slip for a breezy 32 off 38 balls with seven boundaries.

Lumb had one or two pleasant drives in his 34 before being caught behind trying to force Alleyne through the off-side and Yorkshire's problems began to mount as England captain Michael Vaughan spent too much time trying to work his way carefully out of his run of poor form.

It took Vaughan 24 overs to make 30 and after putting on 63 in 14 overs with the amazing Lehmann, who showed few signs of fatigue after jetting back from Australia just two days before the match, he lost patience and was bowled by Lewis attempting a wild legside hit.

Lehmann had little option but to anchor the innings down and he did it perfectly but, with Dewsbury-born veteran paceman Mike Smith and spinner Ball both bowling a tight line, there were only seven overs remaining when Harvey strode in at 184-4.

Having no time to settle in, Harvey thrashed 20 from ten balls with three fours before cutting Franklin savagely to point where he was caught two-handed diving to his right by Hussey.

Lehmann continued to wage his own war, flicking Lewis for six over mid-wicket and cutting him for four, and when the overs ran out he was still there with 80 from 90 balls with seven fours and a six.

Updated: 09:27 Monday, July 19, 2004