Yorkshire Phoenix skipper David Byas made sure his side marred the centenary celebrations at New Road yesterday with a commanding innings of 87 which brought victory by three wickets against Worcestershire Royals.

But it was a desperately close call with Yorkshire overhauling Worcestershire's 212 for five with just four balls remaining and for the second week running it was left to 20-year-old Gary Fellows to smack the winning runs while under extreme pressure.

Time seemed to be running out on Yorkshire when they wanted nine off two overs, but Fellows calmly drove Alamgir Sheriyar through extra cover for four and in the last over he settled the issue by hammering Matthew Rawnsley just wide of cover where Paul Pollard slipped and fell while attempting to reach the ball.

It was almost 100 years to the day that Worcestershire played their first championship match. Their opponents were Yorkshire, who beat them on that occasion too, but only by 11 runs - and in white rather than bright orange clothing.

Yorkshire have an excellent record in one-day games at New Road and Phoenix's win gave them two wins from two matches in Division One of the new CGU National League.

A blistering opening stand of 72 in 13 overs between Byas and Australian Greg Blewett got Yorkshire off to the perfect start. The pair blazed the trail with a string of fiercely struck boundaries, nine of them coming by the time the 50 was reached inside nine overs.

Blewett was hitting the ball handsomely off his hips and it came as something of a surprise when he was comprehensively bowled by Gavin Haynes for 27.

Craig White and Michael Vaughan perished to the left-arm spin of Richard Illingworth and Rawnsley but Byas remained in charge until he cut at Duncan Catterall and was caught behind, his 87 coming off 104 balls with ten fours.

Anthony McGrath (26) and Richard Blakey (21) batted steadily together but when both fell in the same over from Sheriyar, it was left once again to Fellows to demonstrate his ice cool nerves.

Put in to bat, Worcestershire owed their score almost entirely to Haynes and Bradford-born David Leatherdale who took part in an exciting 133 stand in 24 overs for the fourth wicket.

Haynes thrashed his way to 66 off 93 balls with six fours before skying a catch to Byas at mid-on and Leatherdale finished unbeaten on 70 from 82 deliveries with six fours and a six.

It was an unhappy stint in the field for Fellows who bowled a no-ball to Leatherdale which gave away the first free hit by Yorkshire in the new competition. The batsmen ran a single from the no-ball but Haynes managed only another single off the free hit.

Leatherdale pulled Fellows for a big six and after both batsmen had reached their half-centuries, Haynes slogged Gavin Hamilton to mid-wicket where Fellows dropped the spiralling catch.

Chris Silverwood was the pick of Yorkshire's bowlers with three for 30, getting Phil Weston, a century-maker last week, caught behind in the first over and forcing Vikram Solanki to drive gently to Ian Fisher.

White struck a useful blow by bowling Pollard and left-armer Fisher bowled tidily but Hamilton went for 45 in his nine overs and seems to have run out of steam in his build up to the World Cup with Scotland.

Before yesterday's match the crowd was entertained to a 20-overs game for the Lexion Challenge Trophy between Yorkshire Ladies and Worcestershire Ladies in the first women's county match to be held on the ground.

Yorkshire were easy winners with Bev Nicholson hitting 49, including four fours and two sixes, in their 126 for five. Tight bowling then restricted Worcestershire to 47 for six.

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