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CC1: Draws across the board

Tuesday, June 22 2004

The Oval: Surrey v Gloucestershire
Gloucester guts it out

Craig Spearman came back to earth with a bang after last week's 341, as he lasted all of five balls before being trapped in front by James Ormond without scoting. Chris Taylor (177) made his second successive century, adding 121 for the eighth wicket with James Averis (48*), who was stranded two short of a maiden fifty when ten and eleven Jon Lewis and Shabbir Ahmed added none to the total of 368.

Surrey stumbled to 138-4 until Jon Batty and Ali Brown united, both making centuries to add 243 for the fifth wicket before Batty fell for 106. The hosts' lower order then stuck by Brown, who made 170, to record a 230-run first innings lead.

Gloucester in reply collapsed to 110-5 and then 191-8 before Ian Fisher (38) led a rearguard action and ten and eleven made up for their first innings failures as Lewis (34*) and Shabbir (10*) erased the deficit and inched to stumps to ensure the draw.

Gloucestershire 368
CG Taylor 177, TJ Murtagh 5-74
and 255-9
ID Fisher 38, J Ormond 3-53
Surrey 598
AD Brown 170, JN Batty 106

Surrey (12pts) drew with Gloucestershire (11pts)

Stratford: Warwickshire v Lancashire
Loye and Wagh trade tons in draw

Mark Wagh crunched thirty boundaries in his 167 as Warwickshire ran up 499 at almost five an over in their first innings at Stratford-upon-Avon, with Nick Knight, Jonathan Trott and Brad Hogg also contributing fifties.

Lancashire then surpassed the hosts' total despite scoring at a whole run per over more slowly than the bears, thanks to Mal Loye's 184, which included 27 boundaries. Dinesh Mongia, standing in for Carl Hooper, added 89 and Warren Hegg 54, as Warwickshire's bowlers shared the wickets to dismiss the Red Rose county nine runs ahead.

The elements then stole the show as only 35 overs of play were possible in Warwickshire's second innings, Nick Knight making an unbeaten 67 as the game meandered towards a draw.

Warwickshire 499
MA Wagh 167, PJ Martin 4-81
and 124-2
NV Knight 67*, G Keedy 1-31
Lancashire 508
MB Loye 184, D Mongia 89

Warwickshire (11pts) drew with Lancashire (12pts)

Lord's: Middlesex v Worcestershire
Rain the winner as Worcester bore

Middlesex, like Lancashire, racked up 508 in the first innings, but were unable to do so at a similar rate despite centuries from Sven Koenig and Paul Weekes before Vikram Solanki took 5-40 as the lower order gave their wickets away.

Worcestershire then concentrated all their efforts on saving the game, with Stephen Moore taking six hours and nearly 300 balls over his century to ensure that they progressed past the follow on mark, as rain reduced day three to less than forty overs and Worcester finally subsided at the end of the final day to 399 before Andy Bichel trapped Ben Scott LBW in the five overs possible of Middlesex's reply.

Middlesex 508
SG Koenig 104*, PN Weekes 102
and 8-1
OA Shah 5*, AJ Bichel 1-6
Worcestershire 399
SC Moore 111, L Klusener 3-60

Middlesex (11pts) drew with Worcestershire (9pts)

Posted by Neil