Yorkshire threw away their Benson and Hedges Cup match against Leicestershire at Headingley yesterday after being in a position from which it seemed almost impossible to lose.

Craig White and Darren Lehman were steaming along in a fourth wicket partnership which took Yorkshire to 185 for three, and left them needing 36 in eight overs.

But Lehmann then slashed hard at a wide ball from Matt Whiley to be caught at backward point and panic set in as wickets toppled.

Requiring 14 off the final over from Yorkshire's former overseas star Michael Bevan, all hope vanished when White was bowled for a B&H career best 93.

Yorkshire came off the field stunned to lose by six runs under Duckworth/Lewis calculations after chasing a revised target of 221 from 45 overs in the rain-affected match.

The gold award was snatched from White's hands by Bevan who besides grabbing a vital wicket in his solitary over took two boundary catches and also scored 48 in Leicestershire's 221 for seven.

Yorkshire's defeat puts added pressure on them to beat Durham at Riverside today, particularly after Durham's excellent win over Lancashire by 16 runs.

Matthew Wood and Chris Silverwood soon fell when Yorkshire began their reply but White and Michael Lumb calmly put Yorkshire in charge with a sensible 110 stand in 24 overs during which White cruised past his previous best of 57 not out against Nottinghamshire at Headingley in 1996.

But Lumb then lofted an off-drive at off-spinner Carl Crowe to be caught on the boundary by Bevan for 43, although his dismissal did not seem significant at the time.

Lehmann was quickly into his stride, striking Vince Wells over backward square leg for six, and he and White had dashed up 51 in eight overs when Lehmann was caught for 25 from 28 balls.

Yorkshire would still have won if they had kept their cool but Anthony McGrath, Gary Fellows and Richard Blakey all got out trying to knock the cover off the ball while White looked on helplessly.

Winning the toss, Leicestershire also lost a couple of early wickets before Leeds-born Iain Sutcliffe was joined by Bevan and the pair put on 97 in 22 overs - then Lehmann triumphantly dismissed his fellow countryman leg before.

The Leicestershire innings was given late impetus by Neil Burns, 44no from 29 deliveries, with Fellows emerging as Yorkshire's most successful bowler with three for 31 but the tidiest spell came from 17-year-old paceman Tim Bresnan.