Yorkshire Phoenix crashed to their seventh consecutive totesport League defeat at Edgbaston yesterday where they received a 102 run mauling from Warwickshire Bears after England's Ian Bell had blasted them for a magnificent 137.

Jonathan Trott also weighed in with an unbeaten 94 as Warwickshire raced to 309 for three and although Matthew Wood hit back with 80 in his 100th match, Yorkshire could still only manage 207 for nine.

Yorkshire now have only Sussex Sharks to play on Sunday and even a win will leave them next to the bottom of the second division table at the end of their worst-ever season.

With Deon Kruis, Tim Bresnan and Ian Harvey rested, Yorkshire's bowlers struggled in the face of a terrific onslaught and acting captain Anthony McGrath used eight of them, including himself, in a vain attempt to stem the runs.

Put in to bat, Warwickshire started as they meant to go on, Neil Carter blasting the first 25 runs with two sixes off Mark Cleary and two fours before his stumps were knocked back by John Blain who finished with two for 40 and was the only bowler to emerge unscathed.

Captain Nick Knight chased a wide ball from Blain and was caught behind to make it 30 for two, but Trott and Bell then pulverised Yorkshire with a stand off 216 in 33 overs which was only 12 short of the League record for the third wicket.

The barrage started when leg-spinner, Mark Lawson, came on and was hit for three massive sixes and a four off consecutive balls by Bell who drove Richard Pyrah for two more sixes over cover on his way to a blistering century off 84 balls with eight fours and five sixes.

Bell soon charged past his side's previous best knock against Yorkshire of 104 by Alvin Kallicharran at Headingley in 1989. Their best stand of 175 between MJK Smith and Denis Amiss at Edgbaston in 1970 also went by the board.

At 216 the partnership was Warwickshire's highest in one-day cricket but, without addition, Bell was stumped by Simon Guy off Joe Sayers, his 137 coming off just 105 balls and containing 11 fours and seven sixes.

Jamie Troughton then assisted Trott in racking up an unbroken 44 together in four overs, Trott ending unbeaten after facing 121 balls and hitting eight fours and a six.

Yorkshire began at a cracking rate but left-handers Sayers and Michael Lumb both fell lbw in Dougie Brown's first two overs. There was still the chance of an upset, however, as McGrath joined Wood to put on 95 together in 17 overs, Wood flogging ten boundaries in his half-century and totting up his 2,000th run in the competition when he had made it to 40.

McGrath hit 36 from 35 balls with five fours when he tried to lash Alex Loudon over long off and into the crowd but was caught on the boundary edge by Adam Shantry.

A lifting delivery was fended off to gully by Andrew Gale and Yorkshire's last hope disappeared in Carter's next over when Wood was bowled for 80 from 84 balls with 14 boundaries.

Mark Cleary belted a six off the last ball of the match but it was no more than a distress signal from beleaguered Yorkshire.