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CC1: Key stars but Warks stay top

Sunday, June 6 2004

Tunbridge Wells: Kent v Lancashire
Key passes 1000 as Kent's run continues

Robert Key became the first batsman to pass 1000 First Class runs in the 2004 English season after he hit a boundary-filled 180 at Tunbridge Wells and despite Lancashire's lower-order resistance, Kent cruised to victory.

Ed Smith (116), Matt Walker (72) and Michael Carberry (85) also contributed to Kent's mammoth first-innings 615, despite Glenn Chapple's 5-136. Six Lancashire batsmen passed twenty, but Iain Sutcliffe's 50 was the highest as they fell just short of half Kent's total, before Andy Symonds' 5-140 second time around set Kent just 88 to win, despite Glenn Chapple (102) and Stephen Crook (68) adding 133 for the sixth wicket.

Key raced to another 44, but was bowled by Kyle Hogg nine short of the target, and Symonds and David Fulton also fell in the chase - there was never any doubt as to the winner, however.

Kent 615
RWT Key 180, ET Smith 116
G Chapple 5-136
Lancashire 307
IJ Sutcliffe 50, A Symonds 3-51
Lancashire 395
G Chapple 102, A Symonds 5-140
Kent 91-3
RWT Key 44, KW Hogg 2-16

Kent (22pts) beat Lancashire (4pts) by 7 wickets

Lord's: Middlesex v Warwickshire
Knight shines as Middlesex vanquished

Nick Knight struck a massive 303* - the fifth highest score at Lord's - and Ian Bell added 129 as Warwickshire racked up 608-7 at HQ. Neil Carter (4-50) then tore the heart out of Middlesex's top order before Ian Bell (4-4) despatched the tail, despite Phil Weekes' 70.

Middlesex fared better second time out, Ben Hutton hitting 126 and Sven Koenig, Ed Joyce and Weekes all adding fifties, but Dewald Pretorius and Mark Wagh took three wickets each as Middlesex were dismissed eight short of making the leaders bat again.

Warwickshire 608-7
NV Knight 303*, IR Bell 129
Middlesex 163
PN Weekes 70, IR Bell 4-4
Middlesex 437
BL Hutton 126, MA Wagh 3-85

Warwickshire (22pts) beat Middlesex (1pt) by an innings and 8 runs

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Surrey
Problems mount as Surrey crushed again

Mark Alleyne took 5-71 on his Championship return as Surrey only managed 298 - thanks to Rikki Clarke's 62 and contributions from Nadeem Shahid and Martin Bicknell. Philip Weston hit a patient 135 in the hosts' reply, ably supported by fifties from Matt Windows and Alleyne as Gloucester recored a 108-run lead.

Jon Lewis then took 7-72 to reduce Surrey to 75-7 and then 109-9 before James Ormond (57) and Mark Ramprakash (64*) bludgeoned 104 for the last wicket. Martin Bicknell and Nayan Doshi took two each for Surrey in the chase, but 106 was never a big enough target.

Surrey 298
R Clarke 62, MW Alleyne 5-71
Gloucestershire 406
WPC Weston 135, MP Bicknell 4-107
Surrey 213
MR Ramprakash 64*, J Lewis 7-72
Gloucestershire 106-4
CM Spearman 28, ND Doshi 2-10

Gloucestershire (22pts) beat Surrey (5pts) by 6 wickets

Northampton: Northamptonshire v Worcestershire
Ten-wicket Batty out-spins hosts

Gareth Batty took a career-best 7-52 on the opening day at the County Ground as Northamptonshire collapsed in the face of well-bowled off-spin on a co-operative pitch. Only Tom Huggins passed 500 and five men fell for less than three.

Graeme Swann and Jason Brown took six between them in the Worcestershire innings, but contributions from each of the top eight meant that a 115-run lead was the result. Batty collected another three in the second innings, as the seamers also contributed on a pitch cleared by ECB inspector Phil Sharpe.

Set 150 to win, Stephen Moore and Graeme Hick added an unbroken 130 for the second wicket as Worcestershire esased home to stretch away from the relegation zone.

Northamptonshire 177
TB Huggins 51, GJ Batty 7-52
Worcestershire 292
SD Peters 63, GP Swann 4-111
Northamptonshire 264
U Afzaal 57, GJ Batty 3-61
Worcestershire 152-1
SC Moore 66*, GA Hick 63*

Worcestershire (19pts) beat Northamptonshire (3pts) by 9 wickets

Posted by Neil