AFTER plumbing the depths in their two previous Twenty20 Cup matches, Yorkshire Phoenix scaled the heights at Headingley last night by amassing 198-4 -- the biggest score in the competition.

They went on to overpower Durham Dynamos by 55 runs.

The victory left them with a slight chance of making it to the semi-final stages of the competition if they can beat Nottinghamshire in their last group match on Tuesday.

The 9,000-plus crowd enjoyed some exhilarating batting by Stephen Fleming and Michael Lumb for Yorkshire but the game never turned into a real contest because Durham slumped to 17-4 and could only manage 143-8.

The man-of-the-match award went to New Zealand captain Fleming who shook off the miserable form which has seen him score four runs in his first three innings since joining Yorkshire by blasting 58 from 35 balls.

But the most dynamic batting came from fellow left-hander Michael Lumb who hammered off-spinner Nicky Phillips for five sixes, four of them off successive deliveries.

Lumb also included two fours in his 31-ball half-century being caught at mid-off off Ashley Torpe

Yorkshire made one change from the side which received a Roses mauling, Vic Craven replacing Gavin Hamilton, and Yuvraj Singh got the innings off to the right start after Matthew Wood had won the toss by slamming the first ball from Ian Hunter for four.

Yuvraj, who began the match as Twenty20s third highest scorer with 128 runs in three games, matched Fleming shot for shot until he was caught at long off for 22 from just nine balls with three fours and a six.

Fleming then took charge of a 60 stand in six overs with Lumb with the Kiwi smacking four boundaries in one Mark Davies over and he was limping for the latter part of his innings after being struck on the right big toe. He later did not come out to field but it was thought the injury was no more serious than bruising.

The end for Fleming arrived when he sliced Phillips to Martin Love at backward point but Lumb quickly took control with the biggest hitting of the match. Wood also batted well to make an unbeaten 37 from 28 deliveries and he failed only by inches to clear the rope off the final ball.

There was no way back for Durham as Ryan Sidebottom grabbed three wickets for one run in four balls early on.

He bowled Phil Mustard off-stump in his first over and soon afterwards had Nicky Peng caught at cover and two balls later dismissed Vince Wells to a catch behind the stumps.

Chris Silverwood chipped in by taking a low return catch from Gary Pratt and Yuvraj scooped up three wickets for 20 runs as Durham went to pieces, the only innings of substance coming from Love (51).

Yorkshire were rewarded for their win by receiving the Durham Light Infantry Cup, the trophy now being competed for in the Twenty20 instead of the Championship - a sore point with Durham who would have scooped it earlier this summer for the first time.

Updated: 11:01 Saturday, June 21, 2003