David Warner on Yorkshire Cricket

Yorkshire committed suicide in a rain-hit AXA League match at Scarborough yesterday, Nottinghamshire winning by four runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method when Richard Stemp failed to hit the last ball of the game for a boundary.

Chasing a revised target of 124 in 21 overs, Yorkshire looked to be cruising home at 108 for three in the 17th over but then panic set in and they lost six wickets for 12 runs in 26 balls to end on 120 for nine.

It was bitter disappointment for the 4,500-strong holiday crowd which braved almost continuous light rain for much of the match, and a massive blow to Yorkshire's chances of staying in the thick of the title race.

The defeat also meant that a superb innings of 57 by opener Michael Vaughan, who survived until the final over, was in vain.

Rain delayed the starting time by 50 minutes and Yorkshire inserted their opponents in what had become a 33-overs-a-side game.

Nottinghamshire got to 169 for seven almost entirely through the sterling efforts of their captain Paul Johnson who plundered an unbeaten 88 after coming in with his side struggling on 30 for two.

Johnson was particularly harsh on Ryan Sidebottom, who gave away 42 runs in six overs, and his dashing innings came off only 76 balls with 13 fours and a six.

Only two overs were possible at the start of Yorkshire's reply before rain caused a 45-minute break and on the resumption David Byas immediately fell to a well-judged overhead catch by Tim Robinson off Paul Franks who went on to claim four for 21.

But Yorkshire were in no trouble at all as Darren Lehmann joined Vaughan and the pair destroyed the Notts attack with a 77 stand which used up only 11 overs.

Lehmann thrashed both leg spinner Paul Strang and Mathew Dowman for big sixes over mid-wicket while hurrying to 39 off 35 balls. In trying another pull at Strang however he top-edged the ball straight into the air to give a return catch.

Although Anthony McGrath was lbw second ball from Strang, Yorkshire we still well ahead of their required par score and Vaughan seemed to have finished off Notts with two sixes in one over from Strang.

It was Bradley Parker's catch to slip which triggered off the collapse which saw Richard Blakey caught first ball by Chris Read diving far to his right.

Gavin Hamilton also steered Franks to slip and Darren Gough was brilliantly caught left-handed by Jason Gallian at cover to leave Yorkshire on 113 for seven and wanting six off the final over from Kevin Evans.

Vaughan, having faced 58 balls, was caught on the cover boundary by Graeme Archer off the third delivery and Chris Silverwood was held at long-off by Mark Bowen trying to hit the fifth ball out of the ground for a winning six.

Stemp, having crossed to the striker's end, needed to whack the last ball for four but he failed to make contact and the seaside festival ended on a damp and dreary note for Yorkshire.

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