Yorkshire Phoenix ran out of steam in the closing overs of a tightly contested totesport League game at Grace Road yesterday when they lost by seven wickets to Leicestershire Foxes with 17 balls still remaining.

It was Yorkshire's second defeat in the competition this season but they still hold on to the third promotion place in the table although defeat against the lowly Foxes came as a big disappointment.

Yorkshire were weakened with Phil Jaques out with a hamstring injury and Matthew Hoggard (painful ankle) but they were still outsmarted on a slow pitch.

Tight bowling restricted Yorkshire to 172 for nine but their own attack also showed great accuracy and when Leicestershire were 132 for three with only seven overs remaining they still required a further 41 runs.

But captain Craig White gambled in taking off Anthony McGrath and bringing on off-spinner, Richard Dawson, for a second stint, and the move did not pay off because Indian left-hander Dinesh Mongia twice found the boundary in a 13-run over.

John Sadler tortured his former county by slapping consecutive fours through the covers off Tim Bresnan who conceded 15 runs in the 42nd over as Leicestershire levelled the scores, Sadler then hitting the winning boundary to take the side to 176 for three.

Mongia finished unbeaten on 46 and Sadler 23, the fourth wicket pair adding 58 off 37 deliveries.

Australian trialist, Adam Warren, bowled extremely well in his first competitive match to return figures of one for 35, his wicket coming when he had opener Darren Maddy smartly stumped by Ismail Dawood after he had put on 46 with young left hander, Tom New, who calmly hit 47 before being bowled by McGrath.

It may have been an even closer match if White had been able to bowl, but Yorkshire's leading wicket-taker was unable to enter the attack because of a sore knee.

Winning the toss, Yorkshire found runs hard to come by after Ian Harvey and Matthew Wood had made a positive start with 31 from nine overs before Harvey drilled back a catch to Ottis Gibson and Wood was caught behind in the next over from Charl Willoughby.

McGrath and Michael Lumb applied themselves well to repair the situation but progress was slow.

The third wicket pair had accumulated 67 from 20 overs when McGrath had his middle stump removed for 30 and the responsibility then rested upon Lumb's shoulder to make sure Yorkshire did not fold completely.

Lumb made his way to his second half century of the season and although Yorkshire lost further wickets he remained unbeaten with 66 from 107 deliveries.