A second century in four days at Scarborough for Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting, counted for nothing yesterday as Yorkshire Phoenix kept on the promotion trail by beating Somerset Sabres by six wickets.

Needing to make 254 runs to win - two more than their opponents' scored - Yorkshire got there with 14 balls remaining in the 41-overs game and so completed the double over Sabres.

The men to see them home were Andrew Gale, who lashed a career-best 70; captain Matthew Wood with his third consecutive half-century on the ground, and Michael Lumb, whose powerful 71 was his highest score in the totesport League since the opening match of last season.

Gale was due to play Bradford League cricket for Cleckheaton yesterday, but he received an early morning call instructing him to dash to Scarborough in order to replace Darren Lehmann, who could not play because of a stiff back.

Hours of torrential rain cleared in time to make a prompt start, but two stoppages for showers during the Somerset innings caused Duckworth-Lewis Method to come into play although it made very little difference.

As in the Championship match, Ponting was in complete control at the crease. He barely played a false stroke in compiling an exquisite 113 off 107 balls, with ten fours and three sixes, after Somerset had been put in to bat.

Ponting came in at the fall of the first wicket, in the sixth over, and he was not dismissed until the final over when he was stumped by Ismail Dawood, the ball after smacking a delivery from Anthony McGrath on to the roof of the Trafalgar Square stand.

It was only Somerset's second century in the competition against Yorkshire, the first having been scored by the exiled Brian Close at Bath in 1974 when he made 131.

Ian Harvey was the pick of Yorkshire's bowlers. His final figures of 1-44 in nine overs would have looked much better had he not gone for 22 off his last two overs.

With rain threatening early in their reply, Yorkshire were anxious to keep up with the required rate but Harvey fell to the second ball of Simon Francis's opening over when he carved a catch to Gareth Andrew at third man.

Wood was the dominant partner in a blistering 99 stand in just 12 overs with Lumb, who completed 1,000 runs when he had reached 11, the left-hander celebrating with a steepling six over mid-wicket off Aaron Laraman.

Andrew joined the attack but was immediately smashed for four consecutive boundaries by Wood and it became 31 off two overs as Lumb on-drove Laraman for six and hit his next ball to the mid-wicket fence.

The spree continued until Wood was caught round the corner sweeping at Ian Blackwell for 56 off 39 balls, with nine fours and a six.

Lumb went to his half century by sweeping Keith Dutch for six, but after scoring at almost exactly a run a ball he drove Keith Parsons to long on where he was held by Simon Francis.

Gale had batted quietly while in his 61 stand with Lumb but he blossomed during a 79 partnership in 14 overs with McGrath and his maiden half-century came from a six into the West Stand off the expensive Andrew.

McGrath was run out for 39, the ball after planting Simon Francis over long on for six.

Vic Craven came in to hit the winning runs and make sure that Yorkshire left North Marine Road in a much happier frame of mind than when Somerset crushed them in the Championship encounter on Friday.

Updated: 09:56 Monday, July 26, 2004