Yorkshire reject John Sadler came back to haunt his native county with a career-best one-day knock of 88 which set up Leicestershire Foxes for a crushing 145 runs victory over Phoenix in the opening totesport League match of the season at Headingley yesterday.

Dewsbury-born Sadler featured in a record-stand of 165 in 25 overs with Jeremy Snape, who made 69.

The pair came together with Leicestershire 44 for four after being put in to bat and their partnership was the county's best for any wicket against Yorkshire, beating the 126 by Virender Sehwag and Brad Hodge at Headingley last year.

Yorkshire at one stage staggered to 22 for five as they chased a 257 target and they crashed to 112 all out with 17 overs remaining, South African left-arm spinner Claude Henderson grabbing five for 25 to overhaul Leicestershire's previous best figures against Yorkshire of five for 31 by Ray Illingworth at Bradford Park Avenue in 1977.

There was more gloom for Yorkshire when their Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey stumbled and hurt his knee trying to regain his crease and had to bat with a runner until he became one of Henderson's victims.

Sadler and Snape began to repair Leicestershire's innings by carefully accumulating ones and twos, but once Sadler was well set he also struck the ball high and hard, thrashing three legside sixes, one of them off Tim Bresnan clearing the new North East enclosure.

Yorkshire were made to regret letting Snape escape on nine when he was dropped at slip by Bresnan at 71 for four.

It was 138 runs later before he was run out by Chris Silverwood's direct hit on the stumps, after striking six boundaries and facing 84 balls.

Sadler followed soon afterwards, denying himself a century by stepping out of his crease to Harvey and being unable to get back before Simon Guy whipped off the bails.

He had received 81 deliveries and had six fours to go alongside his sixes.

Yorkshire lost Matthew Wood and pinch-hitter Silverwood in Ottis Gibson's second over.

Michael Lumb and Lehmann were both caught behind in the space of an over from South Australian Mark Cleary to make it ten for four.

Skipper Craig White lost patience after batting 12 overs for 13 before slapping Cleary into the covers to pave the way for Henderson to scythe his way through the second half of the batting, only Craven and Guy making any sort of impression. Guy hit two sixes and a four in his 29 from 20 balls.

Before the start of yesterday's match both teams lined up for a minute's silence as a mark of respect following the death, as reported in late editions of Saturday's Evening Press, of Willie Watson, one of Yorkshire's finest batsmen from 1939-57. He was 84.

Updated: 11:09 Monday, April 26, 2004