The Yorkshire Phoenix went down to their second National League defeat in two days when they lost to the Northamptonshire Steelbacks

Neil Whittaker26-Jun-2000The Yorkshire Phoenix went down to their second National League defeat in two days when they lost to the Northamptonshire Steelbacks. On Saturday they lost by 51 runs to the Gloucestershire Gladiators and on Sunday they lost by 60 runs with six overs left.However when the Steelbacks were 34 for three after 13 overs it looked like the Phoenix were on course for an easy victory. Matthew Hoggard celebrated his call up to the test squad with two early wickets. In his first over he had Rollins caught by Byas at second slip. Then he had Steelbacks’ captain Matthew Hayden caught behind by stand in stumper McGrath. The Steelbacks only added another 11 runs when they lost their third wicket. Loye was caught by Fellows in the covers off Gavin Hamilton.David Sales and Jeffrey Cook put on 70 on for the fourth wicket. The fifty partnership came up in 14 overs. Cook a 28 year old Australian in his second season with the Steelbacks, had a life early in his innings, when Middlebrook drooped him at point. Jeff Cook who has lived in this country since 1993 and is now qualified for England was eventually out when he holed out to Hamilton at long on from the bowling off Darren Lehmann for 33.Sales now began to push the score along. He hit Middlebrook for two sixes in two overs over long on. Then he hit him for a huge straight six. Together with Penberthy the pair added 60 in ten overs before Penberthy was bowled by a slower ball from Gough.Hoggard came back into the attack and dismissed Graeme Swann, who was caught by Fellows. However, Hoggard’s last two overs cost him 24 runs. In the last over of the Steelbacks innings Gough bowled Ripley for a duck and the Steelbacks closed on 189 for seven. Sales remained unbeaten on 71.Vaughan and Fellows got the Phoenix off to a confident start before Vaughan was caught by a diving Ripley off Devon Malcolm. Fellows and Byas upped the scoring rate, but after hitting two fours Fellows lofted first change Brown to Sales at deep mid on. Opening bowler Strong was brought back into the attack and had immediate success. He bowled Lehmann with an inswinger which came off his pad. Byas swept Brown and was out LBW for 21. The Phoenix had slipped from 50 for one to 69 for four.Hamilton was in for six balls for his five before he clipped Penberthy to Hayden at mid wicket. McGrath and Blakey added 35 for the sixth wicket but they could not find the boundary. The last four in the Phoenix innings came in the 15th over. Blakey had a wild swipe at Swann and was bowled for 16. Middlebrook scored one then he clipped Hayden to Swann at mid wicket, to give Hayden his first wicket in the National League this season.McGrath became the eighth man out when he lofted Swann to Cook at long on for 32. It was an eventful day for Anthony McGrath. He top scored for the Phoenix in his first National League match of the season. He also kept wicket for the first 13 overs of the Steelbacks innings because Blakey did not start the match due to a migraine attack.The last two Phoenix wickets added another nine to the total. Both Sidebottom and Hoggard were bowled by Swann for three and a duck respectively. Gough was not out on six and the Phoenix were all out for 129. Swann finished with four wickets for 14, his best figures in the National League this season.