The biggest cheer from the 4,000 crowd at Scarborough yesterday for Yorkshire Phoenix's totesport League match against Derbyshire Phantoms came when England won the fourth Test at Trent Bridge.

Otherwise there was little for the home fans to enthuse about as Yorkshire lost by five wickets with 15 balls remaining, which ends hope of an Indian summer and promotion.

After winning their first three games of the season, Yorkshire have not beaten a county side in the competition since overcoming Sussex Sharks at Headingley on May 1. They are lacking flair and sparkle in this brand of cricket.

Yorkshire, who won the toss, were without their Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey, whose young son was rushed to hospital on Saturday after swallowing a small ball and almost choking.

Batting first, Yorkshire made a modest 219-8 and although they had Derbyshire on 119-5 at one stage they could not part Graeme Welch and Ant Botha, who added an unbroken 102 in 17 overs.

Welch finished with 58 from 68 deliveries, with six fours and a six, and Botha made his best one-day score for his county with 56 off 60 balls, with seven fours and a six.

Off-spinner Richard Dawson took 2-29 from his nine overs but Derbyshire were under little pressure.

Although Michael Lumb is out of favour in Championship cricket, he continues to be Yorkshire's most successful batsman in this competition and he weighed in with a season's best 69 off 77 balls, with nine fours and a six.

He leads the way with 468 totesport League runs and his fifth half-century of the season helped Yorkshire recover from a shaky start in which they lost openers Phil Jaques and Craig White to Welch, who found himself bowling into a gale force wind.

Both got out to lazy shots, Jaques cutting straight to Tom Lungley at point and White driving a swinging delivery to Travis Friend at mid-off.

McGrath struck his first ball from Welch through mid-on for four but it was Lumb who dominated their 85 stand for the third wicket and he raised the 50 by picking up a ball from Welch and slamming it high over mid-wicket and into a boarding house garden.

Soon after Lumb had reached his half-century he lost McGrath, who flicked Jon Moss to mid-wicket and was out for 29. Lumb became the second victim for Moss.

Wood and Joe Sayers put on 66 in 12 overs before Wood, hitting out at Lungley, was caught on the mid-wicket boundary.

Updated: 11:04 Monday, August 29, 2005