Yorkshire Phoenix hoisted themselves off the bottom of the First Division table by completing the double over Worcestershire Royals at New Road yesterday to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation in the National League.

They won by seven wickets with eight balls to spare and may still avoid the drop if they come out top in their last two games against Essex Eagles and Gloucestershire Gladiators.

Chasing a 224 target, Yorkshire were given a rapid start with a 75 stand in 12 overs between Craig White and Matthew Wood but it was Wood's third-wicket partnership of 114 with Michael Lumb which put them firmly in control.

Wood slammed 91 with 12 fours and a six off 128 balls while Lumb finished unbeaten on 64 from 72 deliveries with eight boundaries.

Yorkshire received assistance from Worcestershire's Bradford-born pair, Gareth Batty and David Leatherdale, who each put down a vital catch.

Wood was dropped low down at cover by Leatherdale when he was only 26 and Lumb had an escape on 34 as he dragged Matt Mason to mid-wicket but Batty could not hold on to the ball.

Although Kabir Ali was a menace later on, he was punished for 22 in his first two overs by White and Wood and had to be temporarily removed from the attack before coming back at the other end.

The openers struck the ball so well that 60 of their 75 runs together had come from boundaries when White spooned Mark Harrity to Leatherdale at cover.

Anthony McGrath never really settled in and he departed to a vicious delivery from Kabir which brushed his glove on its way through to Bradford-born wicketkeeper, James Pipe, playing for the first time against his native county, but Wood and Lumb quickly took charge and Wood drove Batty over long on for six.

Wood moved smoothly past his previous best this season of 65 and a big pull which landed just inside the rope brought Lumb his half century but he then lost Wood who was comprehensively bowled by Kabir.

Vic Craven eased the tension by coming in and getting off the mark with a straight six off Kabir and Lumb settled the issue with consecutive boundaries off the same bowler, despatching a full toss to long leg and thrashing a no-ball through extra cover.

A disciplined bowling performance by Yorkshire restricted Worcestershire to 223 for seven after they had won the toss with Matthew Hoggard turning in the best figures of three for 28 from nine accurate overs.

Hoggard got rid of Anurag Singh, undone by extra bounce, and Batty, hitting out rashly, in his opening seven-over spell which gave away only 23 runs, and he later returned to have Leatherdale skying a catch to Richard Dawson at mid-on.

Darren Gough bowled tightly in the main, conceding just 16 runs in seven overs, but his final figures were marred by his last two overs which cost 29, including a big six by Leatherdale off a free hit.

The best of Worcestershire's batting came from Graeme Hick who dashed to his 50 off 66 balls with eight fours but was stopped from doing further damage by Vic Craven who had him well caught by the tumbling McGrath at short extra cover.

Hick put on 56 for the third wicket with opener Vikram Solanki (32) and once Hick was out, Justin Kemp and captain Ben Smith pulled Worcestershire round from 122 for four with a 63 stand, Kemp driving Ryan Sidebottom for a straight six before he aimed a big swing at the left-armer and was bowled leg stump for 46.