Tim Bresnan gave the best all-round performance of his career as Yorkshire Phoenix cut Somerset Sabres to pieces to win by 145 runs in the totesport League at Taunton on Sunday.

The England Under-19s player first blasted 49 off only 27 balls with seven fours and a six to rush Yorkshire on to a formidable 284-9 and he then snuffed out any hopes Somerset had of making a respectable reply by claiming 3-31 in nine overs with the new ball.

With Matthew Hoggard and Chris Silverwood also keeping Somerset on a tight rein they were bowled out for 139 with 11.1 overs remaining.

It was Yorkshire's best display of the season so far and it gave them their first win against county opponents in the totesport League, the other victory coming against Scotland.

Somerset were quickly made to regret putting Yorkshire in first because Matthew Wood and Craig White set off at a cracking pace against Andy Caddick and Simon Francis.

White began with a scorching boundary off his first ball from Frances, while Wood hammered Caddick for three consecutive boundaries as the 50 stand came up off 51 balls.

There was some consolation for Caddick when he bowled White for 41 but by then Yorkshire had raced to 68 by the 11th over and they maintained a healthy rate of scoring throughout their innings.

Chris Silverwood enjoyed a brief moment as pinch-hitter by smacking Caddick over extra cover for six before giving a simple catch off Nixon McLean but Wood continued to bat with confidence.

He reached his first half century of the season off 67 balls with six fours before falling to Blackwell and Yorkshire's only moment of self doubt came when Blackwell deceived Darren Lehmann to have him caught behind for only two in his final game before leaving for Zimbabwe with Australia.

Yorkshire at that stage were 134-4 in 24 overs but a patient half-century from Anthony McGrath and Bresnan's flashing blade made sure there were no wobbles.

McGrath, who had only arrived back from the Caribbean a couple of days earlier, showed admirable restraint and although he had only two fours and a glorious straight six in his 58 he rarely looked in any trouble.

He enjoyed an escape on 16 but otherwise his only other blemish was when he pushed forward defensively and set off for a suicidal single which resulted in the running out of Ian Harvey for 17.

McGrath departed to a boundary catch by Parsons off Francis but Bresnan tore into McLean by striking consecutive balls for a six and two fours and he was denied a richly deserved half-century when he holed out to Caddick off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Somerset were doubly handicapped by a blow on the side of the head which Francis received early in the Yorkshire innings which caused concussion and led to him playing no further part in the game and then by a pulled muscle which captain Jamie Cox received soon after opening the Somerset innings.

Cox, batting with a runner, still battled away bravely, but with wickets toppling at the other end he had little chance of reviving his side's fortunes.

He looked like carrying his bat until he was eighth out at 136, caught on the boundary edge having a big swing at Richard Dawson for 69 from 83 balls with six fours.

Somerset's difficulties began when Carl Gazzard was forced into a false shot by Hoggard in the fifth over and it soon became 30-3 as Bresnan struck twice in three balls, getting Rob Turner caught behind and yorking Matthew Wood.

Bresnan was on target again to have Parsons lbw and so well did Yorkshire contain Ian Blackwell that the powerful left-hander never looked like blazing the trail in the manner needed to pull off a shock result.

Updated: 10:58 Monday, May 10, 2004