YORKSHIRE Vikings were beaten by 36 runs yesterday when they took on Gloucestershire in the YB40.

Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field, but the home side put up 229-6 at Bristol, thanks largely to 56 from Chris Dent and 46 not out from Ian Cockbain.

Iain Wardlaw with three for 44 was the best of the Yorkshire bowlers.

In reply, Yorkshire made steady progress with Daniel Hodgson proving their best batsman with 76.

Richard Pyrah also contributed 34 but the tail didn’t wag and Yorkshire were all out for 193.

Kevin Pietersen has confirmed his own comeback date, for Surrey against Yorkshire at Headingley this week.

Pietersen, who has not played any cricket since March because of a knee injury, is on a tight schedule to prove his match fitness in time for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Surrey’s LV= County Championship fixture against Yorkshire on Friday has long been identified as the mercurial batsman’s likely return.

It will give him two matches to demonstrate his form and fitness, and Pietersen made it clear that is currently still the plan.

In a Twitter interaction, he was asked by a follower if he will be playing at Headingley, and replied: “YES I AM!”

Surrey will not officially announce their team until Thursday. But as long as Pietersen does take part, he will then have a second opportunity – for England against Essex at Chelmsford – for match action before the five-Test series against Australia.

Durham bowled Scotland out for 91 before wrapping up a seven-wicket Yorkshire Bank 40 triumph at Chester-le-Street, as the visitors’ miserable form in the competition continued.

It was seven losses in seven for the Scots, while Durham continue to look well-placed in Group B after recording their fourth win.

Durham needed just 12.5 overs to wrap this one up as five Scotland batsman went for ducks.

Skipper Preston Mommsen and ex-Warwickshire player Calum MacLeod both went first ball and the only resistance came from New Zealander Tom Latham.

The left-handed opener made 30 before he was sixth out, lofting a catch to extra cover when clearly in danger of running out of partners.

He had seen three wickets go down in five balls with the total on 39.

MacLeod gloved a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard while Mommsen hooked straight to long leg.