AFTER being given a rough baptism, Ryan Sidebottom dished out a crushing double blow against his native county as Yorkshire Phoenix tumbled to defeat by 104 runs against Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the totesport League at Trent Bridge yesterday.

It was Yorkshire's second substantial defeat in consecutive matches from the start of the season and they need to pull themselves together quickly if they are to climb out of Division Two at the first attempt.

Once again, their pace bowling was well below the required standard, allowing Nottinghamshire to make 291-6 - a county record against Yorkshire - and it put pressure on the batsmen which they were unable to sustain.

Even the return of their star England bowler, Matthew Hoggard, did not help, the paceman being flogged for 62 off eight overs while conceding five no-balls and a wide.

Skipper Craig White and Matthew Wood made a great start to the Yorkshire reply with White playing a succession of glorious shots and when Sidebottom was introduced with the score on 60, White picked up his first ball and planted it over square leg for six before leg-glancing another boundary to rush him to his half-century.

Paul Franks joined Sidebottom in the attack and after dismissing Wood in his first over he knocked back White's middle stump to end a rousing knock of 59 from 52 balls with eight fours and two sixes.

While all of this was going on, Michael Lumb drove Sidebottom for three fours as the left-armer leaked 23 runs from his first 15 deliveries but he then made amends in dramatic style by hitting Lumb's middle stump and a couple of overs later beating Darren Lehmann off the pitch with one which moved away.

At 113-4 the hill was too steep for Yorkshire to climb and they dipped to 187 all out with 10.2 overs remaining, Aussie leg-spinner Stuart MacGill and Mark Ealham doing the damage with three wickets apiece.

Winning the toss, Nottinghamshire lost two early wickets to Chris Silverwood but Russell Warren and Kevin Pietersen soon sent the score soaring with an 83 stand in 14 overs before Pietersen was caught low down at short mid wicket by Craig White off Richard Dawson.

Warren, however, went to make 81 from 105 balls with seven fours, and Australian David Hussey, younger brother of Michael, enjoyed himself on his home debut in front of 3,000 fans with an unbeaten 87 from just 75 deliveries with ten fours and a six.

Dawson was the best of Yorkshire's bowlers, giving away only 34 runs in his nine overs to check Nottinghamshire's progress in the middle of the innings, but they quickly broke free again with the pacemen back on and 57 runs gushed from the last four overs.

Yorkshire need to do much better against Scotland at Headingley today, otherwise they are in serious trouble with the season barely yet under way.

Updated: 11:31 Monday, May 03, 2004