Yorkshire Phoenix eased their relegation worries with a sparkling victory by 32 runs over title contenders Somerset Sabres yesterday in the Norwich Union National League when an overseas player led them for the first time in the club's history.

Australian Darren Lehmann took charge in place of the injured David Byas and Yorkshire responded by rattling up 249 for three, their highest score since the two divisions were set up a couple of years' ago.

They then held their nerve in the field as Somerset made a determined attempt to reach their stiff target on a good batting pitch but the task was too great for them and they were bowled out for 217 with nine balls remaining.

It was a splendid return to form by Phoenix after losing four of their previous five matches and the star of the show was Anthony McGrath, who played some dazzling strokes in a career best 85 not out off 77 balls with seven fours and a six.

McGrath gave a pasting to former Yorkshire paceman Paul Jarvis and in one over he lashed him for 19 runs, including a towering straight six which hit the top of a stand with the ball ricocheting into the crowd.

This was McGrath's tenth half-century in county league cricket and his previous best score was 75 against Hampshire at Basingstoke last summer.

He guaranteed Yorkshire a big score by putting on an unbeaten 124 in 18 overs for the fourth wicket with Gavin Hamilton who overcame an uncertain start to strike some fine blows himself and his unbeaten 43, also a career-best knock, contained four boundaries and came off 54 deliveries.

Winning the toss, Yorkshire were given an encouraging start by their uncapped openers Simon Widdup and Harrogate's Vic Craven who put on 46 together in 12 overs before Craven was caught behind cutting at Steffan Jones for 24.

Widdup continued to strike the ball well on his way to 38 when he was bowled off his pad by Jarvis and Lehmann's nimble innings of 38 came to an end with a dab at left-arm spinner Ian Blackwell which finished up in wicketkeeper Rob Turner's gloves.

With Chris Silverwood standing down because of a knee injury, 19-year-old seamer Chris Elstub shared the new ball with Matthew Hoggard and Yorkshire quickly knew they had a fight on their hands as Mark Lathwell and Turner punished anything loose.

The breakthrough did not come until 47 when Lathwell, in attempting to steer to third man, played Hoggard into his leg-stump.

Somerset's innings followed on similar lines to Yorkshire's for a while with batsmen very much in charge but McGrath's Bradford League team-mate Ian Fisher checked their advance with a couple of crucial wickets.

He had Australian Jamie Cox caught by Richard Blakey aiming to cut and in Fisher's next over Turner ruined an impressive innings of 44 by reverse sweeping straight into the waiting hands of Gary Fellows at backward point.

Fisher also went on to have Keith Parsons superbly caught in the deep by Craven but his final figures were marred by a six apiece for Peter Bowler and Michael Burns, who was celebrating the birth of a son over the weekend.

Somerset faded away after Bowler had patted back a gentle catch to Fellows to make them 190 for six and when Burns went to another well judged catch by Craven in the next over from Hamilton it just left Hoggard to mop up the tail by bowling both Jarvis and Steffan Jones in the space of three balls.

SCOREBOARD

Norwich Union National League

Somerset Sabres v Yorkshire Phoenix

(at Taunton)

Yorkshire Phoenix Innings

Widdup b Jarvis 38

Craven c Turner b Jones 24

Lehmann c Turner b Blackwell 38

McGrath not out 85

Hamilton not out 43

Extras lb6 w13 nb2 21

Total 3 wkts Innings Complete (45 overs) 249

Fall: 1-46 2-90 3-125

Did Not Bat: R J Blakey, G M Fellows, C J Elstub, J D Middlebrook, I D Fisher, M J Hoggard.

Bowling: Rose 9-0-47-0 Jones 9-1-51-1 Jarvis 9-0-67-1 Trego 8-0-39-0 Blackwell 9-0-37-1 Burns 1-0-2-0

Somerset Sabres Innings

Lathwell b Hoggard 27

Turner c Fellows b Fisher 44

Cox c Blakey b Fisher 18

Bowler c & b Fellows 40

Blackwell c Widdup b Middlebrook 23

Parsons c Craven b Fisher 12

Burns c Craven b Hamilton 22

Rose b Hoggard 9

Trego b Hamilton 14

Jarvis b Hoggard 2

Jones not out 0

Extras b1 lb4 w1 6

Total (43.3 overs) 217

Fall: 1-47 2-91 3-94 4-125 5-152 6-190 7-190 8-213 9-216

Bowling: Hoggard 8.3-1-32-3 Elstub 7-0-36-0 Hamilton 6-0-35-2 Middlebrook 9-0-37-1 Fisher 9-0-53-3 Fellows 4-0-19-1

Yorkshire Phoenix (4pts) beat Somerset Sabres (0pts) by 32 runs