ALREADY short in confidence and self-esteem, Yorkshire Phoenix went and committed suicide in their totesport League match against Worcestershire Royals at Headingley yesterday which they lost by 39 runs.

Everything was in their favour as openers Matthew Wood and Craig White piled up 65 together off the first ten overs and a target of 239 seemed well within reach.

But Yorkshire suddenly had a bad attack of the jitters with two unnecessary run-outs and a series of silly shots which caused them to plunge to 136 for six and in the end they were all out for 199 with nine balls remaining.

Only the seventh-wicket pair of Richard Blakey and Tim Bresnan showed the self-restraint which should have been there much earlier and when Bresnan's dismissal ended a stand of 48 in nine overs defeat was inevitable.

Yorkshire's injury crisis resulted in first-team debuts for left-hander Andrew Gale and fast bowler, Ajmal Shahzad, and although Gale could only manage nine in as many overs, 18-year-old Shahzad had every reason to feel proud of his performance.

Despite his youth and inexperience, he shared the new ball with Tim Bresnan after Worcestershire had won the toss and he showed signs of genuine quickness in six overs which cost 35 runs which was good going with two such experienced batsman as Vikram Solanki and Stephen Peters taking full advantage of the fielding restrictions.

With Yorkshire's attack tightening up after the initial onslaught, thanks to a tidy seven overs from White, Shahzad was wisely not brought back for his final three overs when the slog was on.

Nick Thornicroft made the breakthrough at 79 in the 13th over by getting Peters lbw for 29 with a well pitched up delivery but Solanki went on to make the day's top score of 68 from 71 balls before stepping out of his crease to Richard Dawson and being stumped by Blakey who was back in the side to lend experience.

Although a brake had been put on Worcestershire's gallop they still made reasonable progress as Kadeer Ali and Graeme Hick both added half centuries of their own, Hick on his 38th birthday grafting a careful 54 from 65 balls and Kadeer 51 from 44 deliveries.

Both fell to Bresnan, Hick being caught behind hitting across the line and Kadeer driving high to Gale at long off.

Wood slammed the first two balls of Yorkshire's innings for boundaries on either side of the wicket and with White on-driving Nadeem Malik for six everything appeared to be going nicely until White misjudged a hook at Matt Mason and gloved a catch to Hick.

There had already been some frenzied running and very close calls by the time Wood could not beat Gareth Batty's smart pick up and there was further folly when Lumb could not regain his crease and was run out by Ben Smith's underarm throw on to the stumps.

The slide continued as Anthony McGrath top-edged a sweep at Batty to give a legside catch to Steve Rhodes, Phil Jaques ruined a promising start by pushing gently to mid-wicket and Gale dragged a ball into his leg stump.

The crowd warmed to two big sixes from Bresnan who departed for 29 off as many balls, Blakey surviving until being last out, well caught on the boundary edge by birthday boy Hick.