A CENTURY from Leicestershire Foxes' Australian batsman Brad Hodge condemned Yorkshire Phoenix to their fifth consecutive National League defeat at Headingley yesterday and left them embedded at the foot of the Division One table.

The defeat meant Yorkshire had conceded the double to their opponents, Hodge playing a part in his side's earlier win at Grace Road with 47 and then causing Phoenix more pain last week with 97 in the Twenty20 Cup competition.

Hodge's 104 off 119 balls with 13 fours enabled Leicestershire to reach a competitive 251-8 which proved too stiff for Yorkshire although 18-year-old paceman Tim Bresnan made a brave attempt to turn the tables with a fiercely struck 61 that narrowed Leicestershire's victory margin to 18 runs.

Yorkshire received a setback before the start when New Zealander Stephen Fleming had to pull out because of a bruised big toe, but he should be fit for tomorrow's Twenty20 Cup game against Nottinghamshire at Headingley.

Ryan Sidebottom and Chris Silverwood both made good use of the new ball and, at 18, Phil DeFreitas had his leg stump plucked out by Silverwood but it was Yorkshire's last success for a while. Indian Virender Sehwag and Hodge then piled up 126 together in 24 overs which was Leicestershire's biggest stand for any wicket between the sides and beating the previous best of 117 between James Whitaker and Darren Maddy at Leicester six years' ago.

Sehwag punished Bresnan with five fours in two overs as both batsmen cruised past the 50 mark but when Sehwag had reached 65 off 80 balls with 11 boundaries he clipped Silverwood to Vic Craven on the square leg fence.

Hodge went on to slam five consecutive boundaries off Yuvraj Singh's left-arm spin before blocking out the final delivery of the over and his century came off 116 balls out of 223-3. After adding one further four he was bowled by Bresnan swinging to leg, his century being the first against Yorkshire in a coloured clothing match since Nasser Hussain's 122 for Essex at Headingley in 1999.

Silverwood failed in his pinch-hitter's role, giving catching practice to Darren Stevens at slip in the first over from Charlie Dagnall but Matthew Wood and Yuvraj both profited from being dropped at backward point by Jeremy Snape and went on add 80 in 13 overs.

The Indian completed a stylish 50 off 44 balls with seven fours and a six but had not added to his score when Snape finally made amends at backward point with a brilliant one-handed catch diving to his left.

Yorkshire lost further wickets as Leicestershire tightened their grip and it seemed all over until Sidebottom joined Bresnan in a ninth-wicket stand of 53 in seven overs, Bresnan flexing his arms to hit Snape high over mid-wicket for six and rapping three fours in an over off Maddy to take the total to 200.

Even when Sidebottom was bowled heaving at DeFreitas, Bresnan refused to give in and after completing his maiden half-century in any competition he plundered 17 from another Maddy over with two sixes, a four and a single.

Pieter Swanepoel gave good support but the target was just beyond Yorkshire and Bresnan was caught on the boundary with only two balls remaining for 61 from 51 deliveries with five fours and two sixes.

Yorkshire's Division One rivals Warwickshire Bears beat second-placed Glamorgan Dragons by two wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis method after rain interrupted play.

In Division Two, Lancashire Lightning moved up to second with a three-wicket win against Durham.

Middlesex Crusaders are third after they Nottinghamshire Outlaws by one run at Trent Bridge.

Updated: 10:28 Monday, June 23, 2003