YORKSHIRE'S high hopes of becoming the first team to beat Worcestershire in the Championship this season took a sharp downward spiral after lunch at New Road yesterday and they ended up losing by 71 runs.

Salt was further rubbed into their wounds by having a full point docked for bowling their overs too slowly which meant they came away from the game with just seven points instead of what at one stage had looked like a maximum 22.

It all adds up to Yorkshire having to defeat Gloucestershire in the last match of the season which starts at Headingley tomorrow if they are to clinch that third promotion place.

Worcestershire began the final day of a gripping contest on 208-6 which gave them an overall lead of 192 but a dynamic burst from Chris Silverwood meant they could only reach 251, leaving Yorkshire to make 236 for victory off a minimum of 76 overs.

In a fiery spell of eight overs in which he conceded only 19 runs, Silverwood flattened James Pipe's middle stump before gaining lbw decisions against Gareth Batty and Kabir Ali, who was struck so painfully on the left instep that he was unable to take any further part in the match.

Silverwood finished with figures of 5-63, his first five-wicket haul since Yorkshire played Glamorgan at Swansea in late May and early June, 2001.

The absence of Kabir Ali from Worcestershire's attack should have proved greatly to Yorkshire's advantage but it only made South African Nantie Hayward bowl with even greater determination and his linking up with Batty's off-spin proved a lethal combination as each claimed four wickets.

Things began to go wrong off the last ball before lunch from Hayward which trapped Chris Taylor lbw and in the space of four balls after the interval, Anthony McGrath was lbw pushing forward at Hayward and Matthew Wood edged David Wigley to Pipe.

Left-handers Michael Lumb and Vic Craven tried hard to pull Yorkshire round and when Lumb reached 20 he completed 1,000 first class runs for the first time but three runs later he spoiled himself by attempting an ungainly paddle at Batty and was plumb lbw.

Craven rarely looked comfortable against the turning ball and he eventually nudged Batty to Justin Kemp at silly backward point and the score was still on 98 when Hayward returned and straight away dismissed Craig White lbw.

Yorkshire were 113-6 at tea and the crisis deepened as Richard Dawson took a spiteful delivery from Hayward on the glove and the catch was held at second slip by Graeme Hick, who then took a sprawling catch in the same position to bring Batty the wicket of Silverwood.

Richard Blakey and Steve Kirby gamely tried to hit Yorkshire out of trouble and they succeeded in rushing up 26 from six overs before Kirby went to a skidding delivery from Batty, the end coming in the same over when Matthew Hoggard was run out going for a quick single in response to Blakey's call.

Updated: 11:12 Tuesday, September 16, 2003