YORKSHIRE could not have chosen a worse way to prepare for tomorrow's Benson and Hedges Cup semi-final against Essex. Starting the day as AXA League leaders, they were comprehensively outplayed by a Leicestershire side with B & H ambitions of their own.

Yorkshire lost Matthew Wood for a duck in James Ormond's second over and when David Byas, Craig White, Michael Vaughan and Anthony McGrath also went cheaply, they had plummeted to 25 for five in the 12th over.

Ormond had claimed three for 12 from 5.2 overs at that stage and his miserly example was followed by Chris Lewis, Vince Wells, Phil Simmons and Dominic Williamson.

Richard Blakey, in partnership with Bradley Parker and Gavin Hamilton, engineered a minor recovery before Parker was caught in the gully.

Phil Simmons and Vince Wells did not waste any time in reply, racing to 50 in 8.4 overs. And while Yorkshire applied the brake after Wells' departure, Leicester still eased home with 17.4 overs to spare.