RAIN came to Yorkshire Phoenix's rescue at Headingley yesterday just when it appeared as if they were in for a thrashing from Nottinghamshire Outlaws which would have put paid to their totesport League promotion hopes.

Chasing a revised target of 180 in 25 overs, Yorkshire went and lost three wickets to the first 16 balls of their innings and they were floundering on 9-3 in four overs when the weather closed in.

Had they been able to resume and bat the six further overs required to make a game of it they would have to rattle up another 84 runs to win the match - an almost impossible task.

The abandonment left both sides two points adrift of the third promotion spot along with Leicestershire and Sussex - and Yorkshire meet Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road in a floodlit match tomorrow.

Despite two stoppages in their innings which each reduced the number of overs bowled, Notts still managed a creditable 141-4 and Yorkshire needed a good start.

But Ian Harvey slashed at the second ball from Mark Ealham and was brilliantly caught at slip by Jason Gallian, the Australian ending his home season with Yorkshire on a depressing note and with only tomorrow's game left in which to make amends.

Worse followed as the first ball of the next over from Andrew Harris pinned Andy Gale lbw and then Ealham claimed his second Australian victim as Darren Lehmann drove him hard and low to Greg Smith at mid-off.

Matthew Wood, who had slapped Harris for the only boundary, was joined by McGrath but he managed only a single before the match came to an abrupt end.

Winning the toss, Notts made smooth progress with an 85 opening stand in 15 overs between Gallian and Anurag Singh, the pair being aided by loose bowling from Steve Kirby.

Harvey ended the stand when Gallian wafted outside off-stump to give Richard Dawson a catch at point, the Notts' captain having struck six boundaries in his 48-ball innings of 39.

Singh moved on to 45 with five fours before being well caught at long leg by John Blain, who pulled off an even more stunning catch at long off to send back Kevin Pietersen. The fifth wicket went down to the penultimate ball of the final over, Ealham smacking Lehmann to Harvey.

Updated: 11:06 Tuesday, August 17, 2004