Yorkshire Phoenix carried out an astonishing batting revival at Grace Road yesterday but it was still not quite enough to stop Leicestershire Foxes from achieving a thrilling five-wicket victory in the Norwich Union League

They got there with just two balls to spare when 36-year-old Phil DeFreitas blasted a mighty six over long on off 17-year-old Tim Bresnan.

Winning the toss, Yorkshire plumbed the depths by losing their first four wickets for only one run to the new ball attack of Jamie Grove and DeFreitas.

There were fears that they would finish well below their lowest score in the competition of 56 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 1995, but new Australian signing Matthew Elliott and Anthony McGrath transformed the situation with a sparkling stand of 181 for the fifth wicket.

Elliott, in his first coloured clothing innings, marked his debut with a rugged 109, Yorkshire's highest individual knock of the season, while McGrath was also as solid as a rock in compiling 78.

Yorkshire's total of 229-6, however, was not enough to worry Leicestershire too much on a good batting track and they powered their way home with telling contributions from Darren Stevens (85) and young Indian Mohammad Kaif (60 not out), who is only at Grace Road for a week until Javagal Srinath arrives for the remainder of the season as Michael Bevan's replacement.

The early Yorkshire collapse was the result of some wild strokes.

Vic Craven and Matthew Wood both went in the second over, Craven getting a massive top-edge off Grove for wicketkeeper Neil Burns to take the catch half way down the pitch and Matthew Wood smearing a ball to straight to Kaif at square leg.

Then Richard Dawson was lbw rashly at DeFreitas who bowled Michael Vaughan middle stump as the England opener attempted a frenzied pull which he will not wish to repeat in the Headingley Test this week.

As in the Roses match, Elliott soon showed off his excellent temperament, moving easily from defence to attack as when he drove Charlie Dagnall for a towering straight six, and McGrath was just as convincing at the other end.

McGrath finally fell to a poor stroke when he hit a Dagnall full toss to mid-wicket after making his runs off 104 balls, with eight fours.

Elliott completed a faultless century before being taken on the mid-wicket boundary by Rob Cunliffe, his 109 containing a dozen fours and a six and coming off 114 deliveries.

Leicestershire quickly showed they meant business and Stevens was the driving force in a second wicket stand of 92 with captain Iain Sutcliffe who fell lbw to McGrath for 36.

Stevens had plundered 11 fours and a six off 71 balls when he was sensationally caught on the long on boundary by Craven who carried on running as he plucked the ball out of the air with his left hand at full stretch.

Even then, Leicestershire looked firm favourites and at 169 for four Kaif, on 34, survived an easy chance to McGrath at mid-on.

Yorkshire kept plugging away, however, and it seemed as if they were going to pull it off until DeFreitas's big drive which left Kaif unbeaten with four boundaries in his 60.

Norwich Union League

Division One

Leicestershire Foxes v Yorkshire Phoenix

(at Grace Road. Leicester)

Yorkshire Phoenix won toss

Yorkshire Phoenix Innings

Craven c Burns b Grove 1

Wood c Kaif b Grove 0

Dawson lbw b DeFreitas 0

Elliott c Cunliffe b Grove 109

Vaughan b DeFreitas 0

McGrath c Maddy b Dagnall 78

Fellows not out 24

Blakey not out 11

Extras lb1 w5 6

Total (6 wkts, 45 overs, innings complete) 229

Fall: 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 5-182 6-204

Did not bat: Kirby, Hoggard, Bresnan.

Bowling: DeFreitas 9-2-32-2 Grove 9-2-32-3 Maddy 9-0-57-0 Dagnall 9-0-46-1 Crowe 5-0-37-0 Stevens 4-0-24-0 .

Leicestershire Foxes Innings

Ward c Blakey b Hoggard 5

Sutcliffe lbw b McGrath 36

Stevens c Craven b Dawson 85

Kaif not out 60

Maddy run out 0

Burns c Blakey b Hoggard 26

DeFreitas not out 8

Extras (lb2 w9) 11

Total (5 wkts, 44.4 overs) 231

Fall: 1-8 2-100 3-162 4-163 5-217

Did not bat: Cunliffe, Crowe, Grove, Dagnall.

Bowling: Hoggard 9-1-28-2 Bresnan 6.4-0-39-0 Kirby 9-1-50-0 McGrath 9-0-42-1 Dawson 9-0-58-1 Fellows 2-0-12-0.

Umpires: M J Harris and A A Jones.

Leicestershire Foxes (4pts) beat Yorkshire Phoenix (0pts) by 5 wkts.

Other Norwich Union scores and league tables: Page 19.

Updated: 11:30 Monday, August 19, 2002