Ryan Sidebottom was sent off for treatment after one legitimate ball had cost him 11 runs in Yorkshire Phoenix's National League match against title-holders Glamorgan Dragons at Headingley.

Gary Fellows conceded a further nine runs in completing the over at a crucial stage in the game and Glamorgan went on to win by four wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis method for calculating rain-hit matches.

The result maintained Glamorgan's 100 per cent winning record, but a third consecutive defeat for Yorkshire plunged them deep into relegation trouble.

Sidebottom, brought on to bowl the 11th over with Glamorgan just in front as they chased a revised 164 target in 32 overs, began with two legside wides to Matthew Maynard, who then hit a massive six before the left-arm seamer bowled a further three wides down the legside.

As Sidebottom trudged back to his mark, Yorkshire's acting captain Matthew Wood took the bowler's sweater from the umpire and indicated that he should leave the field to prevent any further damage to a tight hamstring which had affected him during the Championship game.

Unfortunately for Yorkshire, Fellows also began loosely and a free hit resulting from a no-ball brought Maynard another boundary.

Even the return from a hamstring strain of Darren Gough could not halt Yorkshire's run of dismal form and Gough had little impact as he eased himself back with six overs which cost 32 runs.

Chris Silverwood was the pick of the bowlers, firing out openers Robert Croft and Ian Thomas in his first two overs, Croft slashing hard to Fellows at point and Thomas being brilliantly caught by Tim Bresnan diving low to his left at gully.

Silverwood was later brought back for his final over in a last gasp effort to turn the tide and he responded with two wickets in three balls, Powell being yorked for 47 from 59 deliveries with six boundaries, and Adrian Dale falling lbw.

But wicketkeeper Mark Wallace calmly pulled Vic Craven over mid-wicket for six and he then took two boundaries to long leg off Gough in an over which cost 13, the first of them just dropping over Craven's head as he walked too far in from the rope.

Rain before the start reduced the game to 40 overs-a-side and it came down a further eight overs because of an interruption when Yorkshire were 94 for three in the 22nd over.

Silverwood, who had a fine game all round, was in good pinch-hitting form, making 37 from 40 balls with four fours, all of them at the expense of Australian paceman Michael Kasprowicz.

Yuvraj Singh, still coming to terms with the English climate, showed plenty of class with a good-looking 34 before his one wild stroke caused him to lose his middle stump to Dale who accounted for Fellows in similar style.

Richard Blakey (26 not out) and Craven (26) were the other main contributors in Yorkshire's 153 for seven.

Updated: 09:49 Monday, May 26, 2003