An innings of grace and power from Michael Lumb gave Yorkshire Phoenix a winning start to their National League season at Edgbaston yesterday when they crushed Warwickshire Bears by six wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis system.

After a short break for a heavy shower early in the Warwickshire innings, the game was reduced to 42 overs a side with Yorkshire needing just 158 for victory.

The result was never in any doubt as the left-handed Lumb, relishing his role as opener, reeled off a series of stunning strokes.

Matthew Wood was virtually a sleeping partner while Lumb blazed the trail, starting with three fours off Neil Carter to get off the mark and continuing with a lofted straight six against Dougie Brown.

Lumb then pulled Carter for six and when he was replaced by Nick Warren the new seamer was roughed up with three fierce fours in one over as Lumb charged to 52 from only 34 balls, 48 of the runs coming in boundaries.

Acting captain Ashley Giles came on to try to stop the carnage and Lumb heaved at his second ball and was bowled for 61 off 40 balls with ten fours and two sixes. He had put on 76 with Wood, who had also faced 40 balls at that stage for his 15.

Wood quickly followed Lumb back to the pavilion, well caught in the slips by Nick Knight in Mo Sheikh's next over, but skipper Anthony McGrath and Richard Blakey made rapid progress after a careful start to keep Yorkshire in the driving seat.

McGrath helped himself to three fours in a Warren over with nicely timed strokes and he had contributed 41 to a stand of 64 in 13 overs when he was lbw to Giles' final delivery.

Blakey also departed seeking to maintain the momentum, but Vic Craven and Gary Fellows saw Yorkshire home with seven overs remaining.

Winning the toss, McGrath shrewdly chose to field first in helpful conditions for his bowlers and Knight was soon in all sorts of trouble against Darren Gough and Chris Silverwood on the day he announced his retirement from one-day international cricket.

The England left-hander survived a very difficult chance to Tim Bresnan diving to his left at second slip and a much simpler one to Wood at first slip before Silverwood had him caught behind.

Silverwood bowled Brown in his next over and although he was struck for three fours in an over by Mark Wagh there were relatively few scoring opportunities.

Wagh was soon bowled by the best delivery of the innings from Ryan Sidebottom, the ball nipping back sharply and surprising the batsman with its pace.

With Bresnan also dropping on a good line, Warwickshire slumped to 96 for seven, but they were rescued by a bold innings from Giles who did the bulk of the scoring in a 57 stand in ten overs with Keith Piper.

Giles hit off-spinner Andy Gray over mid-wicket for six and took consecutive boundaries off Gough to sprint to his 50 off 57 balls with eight fours.

Gough gave away 14 runs in the over - which was only three fewer than in his previous seven put together - but he made amends by finishing with a double wicket maiden in which he removed Piper's leg-stump with an in-swinging yorker and deceived Carter into giving an easy catch to McGrath at short mid-wicket.

Gough, Silverwood and Sidebottom all ended with two wickets each and Giles remained unbeaten on 61 from 66 deliveries with eight fours and a six.