Yorkshire Phoenix saw their last seven wickets topple in the space of 24 balls for only 12 runs at Scarborough yesterday as they lost to Kent Spitfires by 62 runs.

At 172 for three, their young side still had a chance of overtaking Kent's 244 for six but once Richard Pyrah departed for a hard-hit 32, the rest of the batting subsided rapidly in the search for quick runs.

Director of cricket David Byas left several senior players out of the side in order to run the rule over some of the youngsters.

As well as their three leading fast bowlers being rested, Yorkshire also left out Darren Lehmann and Craig White.

Anthony McGrath took over as captain and he and Joe Sayers put on 27 together before departing in quick succession, Sayers being caught behind and McGrath falling to a brilliant catch at wide mid-on by the leaping Neil Dexter.

Michael Lumb and Andrew Gale retrieved the situation with a fluent stand of 84 in 16 overs, during which Lumb moved to his first half-century of the season off 63 balls, but he then swept at spinner James Tredwell and was caught on the mid-wicket boundary.

Yorkshire's chase was still on as Gale and Pyrah plundered 53 in six overs before the latter batsman was caught by Matt Walker running in from long on.

In the next over from Rob Ferley, Gale was bowled for 46 from 67 balls and the remainder of the batting just collapsed.

In the absence of some of his more illustrious seniors, Ajmal Shahzad had been given the new ball and he responded with an eight-over spell which earned three for 30, the best figures by a Yorkshire bowler in the competition this season.

Shahzad was making his first Sunday League appearance since his debut over two years ago, when he became the first player from an ethnic background to turn out for Yorkshire.

He claimed a maiden wicket with his second delivery, which lifted sharply off a length for Darren Stevens to edge to Simon Guy, and he struck again in similar style when Martin van Jaarsveld was also caught behind after 38 from 36 balls.

A cleverly-disguised slower ball from Shahzad knocked back Tyron Henderson's stumps - and it became 80 for four when Steven Patterson, bowling well in his first spell, had Geraint Jones taken in the slips.

Lawson and Adil Rashid both bowled creditably but only Rashid managed a wicket with the prize scalp of Robert Key, who drove a towering catch into Lumb's safe hands at long off to end a fourth-wicket stand of 89 in 18 overs with Walker.

The stocky left-hander helped to move Kent forward with some powerful shots in his unbeaten 74 from 70 balls but it was West Indian Dwayne Bravo who was mainly responsible for the slaughter in the closing overs.

Bravo blasted his way to a 21-ball half-century and it was in the last over of the innings that he stepped down the track to the expensive Nick Thornicroft and was stumped, his stand with Walker bringing 79 runs from only five overs as Kent totalled 246 for six.