Yorkshire all-rounder Gavin Hamilton has still not regained sufficient self-confidence to bowl for his county after his nightmare performance against Sussex at Headingley on June 12 when he withdrew from the attack after sending down five wides and a no-ball in his solitary over.

Since then, Hamilton has turned out for Yorkshire Seconds and Bradford League club East Bierley solely as a batsman and he does not yet know when he will feel up to bowling again.

Hamilton, who only a couple of winters ago played for England against South Africa in Johannesburg, is currently seeing a psychologist in an attempt to overcome a problem which could threaten his first-class career if he is unable to resolve it.

"I think this is helping me but at the moment I cannot envisage bowling in a match," said Hamilton.

"People who have suffered from the yips, however, have told me that something will just click and that my bowling will be back to how it was.

"Perhaps I am just a bowling spell away. I have got to believe that I am not going to let this ruin me."

Hamilton first had problems in the opening match of the season against Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Excellence at Headingley and they recurred in the Sussex match when he had to tell acting captain Richard Blakey that he could not face bowling a second over.

"I just wanted somebody to take the ball out of my hand and I couldn't sleep after that," said Hamilton.

"It affected the way I am as a person. Normally I am quite bubbly and like to get involved but this is like the cricketing version of depression."

Yorkshire Second XI's three one-day matches last week were all washed out and they are now without a match until Wednesday week when they play Nottinghamshire Seconds over three days.

* Gloucestershire Gladiators stayed on course for a place in the Norwich Union First Division yesterday after a nail-biting seven-run win over Derbyshire Scorpions but they left it late in a low-scoring affair against their promotion rivals.

Chasing 162 for victory, the Scorpions required 14 runs with five wickets and ten balls remaining and the in-form Dominic Cork unbeaten on 43.

But the Derbyshire skipper was bowled by Gladiators' counterpart Mark Alleyne and the Scorpions snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as the home side lost four wickets in the space of nine balls for the addition of just five runs and finished on 154 for nine.

Scorpions all-rounder Graeme Welch grabbed five for 18 as the Gladiators were restricted to 161 all out.

* Graeme Hick produced another batting masterclass to guide Worcestershire Royals to a comfortable eight-wicket Norwich Union League Division One win over Somerset Sabres at Taunton. The skipper led the way with a chanceless 141no.