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Champions in trouble

Thursday, April 22 2004

Rain was also in evidence here, but it wasn't enough to stop Lancashire making a serious early bid for the title at Hove.

Kent vs. Worcestershire

The visitors opted to bat, and by the early close, honours were fairly even, although Kent's bowlers yet again did their best to give the game away, conceding 40 extras (inclding 34 in no balls)

Only opener Stephen Peters scored more than extras with a solid 76 from 160 balls as wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the day and a lot will be asked of not-out batsmen Vikram Solanki and Andy Bichel on Thursday, with just Steve Rhodes and the bowlers to come.

WORCESTERSHIRE 212-5 (Peters 76)


Surrey vs. Middlesex

In the 33.3 overs possible, Surrey took the upper hand in this all-London clash.

Scott Newman laid the ghost of Ian Ward well and truly to rest with a blistering knock of 86 from 78 balls, no fewer than 66 of the runs coming in boundaries, as he and his skipper Jon Batty shared an opening stand of 119.

Batty fell for 35 shortly after, but Mark Ramprakash and James Benning survived the next half an hour before rain claimed the rest of the day.

SURREY 164-2 (Newman 86)


Sussex vs. Lancashire

Only 2 sessions were payable here, but a disciplined effort from the Lancashire seamers saw the county champions skittled out for 195, despite the best efforts of opener Richard Montgomerie, who carried his bat for just 60 in 4 hours.

The wickets were shared by the 4 seamers, 2 each for the seemingly never-ending opening bowling pairing of Peter Martin and Glen Chapple, and 3 each for change bowlers Sajid Mahmood and Dominic Cork, who combined his first wickets for his new county with 3 sharp catches.

In reply, Mark Chilton fell early for 5 to Pakistani-Englishman Mohammad Akram, but Iain Sutcliffe and Mal Loye batted till tea, and the heavens opened.

SUSSEX 195 (Montgomerie 60*, Mahmood 3-41, Cork 3-61)
LANCASHIRE 51-1


Posted by Marc