NUL Roundup - Division One

Kent and Warwickshire won to edge clear of the relegation battle, whilst Kent's defeated opponents saw Surrey open a 6 point gap at the top of the table.

Kent v Glamorgan

Robert Key was given permission by England to play for his county today, and responded with a solid 40 from 65 balls as Glamorgan put Kent in at Maidstone. Key's innings allowed Ed Smith to hammer a superb 122 from 107 balls, and the carnage didn't end when he was dismissed, as Mark Ealham smashed his way to 50 from just 22 balls, with 7 fours and 2 sixes. The resultant total of 291-4 immediately put the Welshmen on the back foot.

When it came to the reply, Mohammed Sami was in fine form, picking up 3 quick wickets to help reduce the Dragons to 55-4, and despite a defiant 72 from 76 balls from the evergreen Matthew Maynard and a spirited 35 not out from just 23 balls from Michael Kasprowicz, the target was always going to be too many, and the end came in the 42nd over for 239.

KENT - 291-4 (Smith 122, Ealham 50*, Symonds 45, Key 40)
GLAMORGAN - 239a/o (Maynard 72, Sami 3-30, Ferley 3-59)


Surrey v Yorkshire

Captain Matt Wood won the toss, elected to bat, faced Martin Bicknell's first delivery, and returned to the pavilion caught by Graeme Thorpe. It didn't get much better for the Tykes, as only New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, with 90 from 107 balls, showed any real staying power, and they tumbled to be all out for 199, Adam Hollioake ripping out the last 3 wickets to finish with 3-7 from 1.5 overs.

It was never likely to be enough and, encouragingly for England, Mark Butcher was the star when Surrey came to bat. He notched a fine 104 from 107, his 2nd century in a week, and with Mark Ramprakash scoring an unbeaten 60, the match was won with 7 wickets and more than 6 overs to spare.

YORKSHIRE - 199a/o (Fleming 90, Hollioake 3-7)
SURREY - 200-3 (Butcher 104, Ramprakash 60*)


Worcestershire v Warwickshire

The relative positions of the 2 counties meant it was more than just local pride at stake here, with a win crucial to lift themselves a little bit away from the relegation zone.

Worcestershire won the toss and took first knock, a decision which looked to be inspired as Stephen Peters and former-Warwickshire man Anurag Singh added 96 for the first wicket, but once Graham Wagg dismissed Peters for 26, the middle order failed, and when Singh was finally removed for a fine 97 from 110 balls, they'd plummeted to 175-6. Gareth Batty smashed 5 fours in a 24-ball 31, but the twin spin attack of Collins Obuya and Neil Smith gave up just 64 runs from their 18 overs, and the innings closed at 218-8.

Pinch-hitter Neil Carter opened up with Nick Knight, and they added 61 in just 46 minutes before both falling at that score, Carter for 33 and Knight 24. that was to be Worcestershire's only joy of the afternoon, as the 2 Ians, Trott and Bell, first rebuilt the innings, and then powered their way to the target, Trott finishing on 56 from 102 balls, and Bell agonisingly short of his second NUL ton of the season after blitzing 97 from 79 balls. Still, the Bears took the 4 points wih 23 balls to spare, and that was the main aim of the afternoon.

WORCESTERSHIRE 218-8 (Singh 97)
WARWICKSHIRE 219-2 (Bell 97*, Trott 56*)

Written by Marc

Posted by Richard