Derbyshire, playing for the first time as the "Phantoms" lost the toss and were put in to bat at Derby. Opener Jonathan Moss made free at the start of the innings with 79 off 81 balls before he was bowled by Robert Ferley. His team-mates struggled, with only captain Luke Sutton, with 46, adding much to the score. Derbyshire scored 197 for 8 in their 45 overs. Only 5 overs of Kent Spitfires' innings were possible, in which time they made 9 for no loss. Rain then meant the match was abandoned. (BBC scorecard)
Leicestershire v Durham (17 April)
Durham (4pts) beat Leicestershire (0pts) by 9 runs (D/L method)
At the Oval, Yorkshire Phoenix won the toss and batted. Matthew Wood anchored the innings with 111 off 127 balls, Australian Ian Harvey plundered 69 from 48, and Harvey's compatriot Phil Jaques took 49 from 39. Yorkshire ended on 334 for 5, a record score for them in the Sunday League against Surrey Lions. In reply Surrey tried to knock off their target in sixes, with 9 coming in their innings. Ali Brown scored 5 of them as he plundered 86 off 46. But wickets fell, and Surrey's specialist bowlers were not renowned for their batting abilities. When Brown was out, Surrey were 261 for 6, and still leading on Duckworth-Lewis. However, with no recognised batsmen left, only a Yorkshire victory was likely. When Mohammad Akram was stumped off a no-ball, Surrey were 291 all out, 43 runs in arrears. The pick of the Yorkshire bowling was captain Craig White with 4 for 14 in 4 overs. (BBC scorecard)
Warwickshire v Somerset (17 April)
Match abandoned – Warwickshire (2pts), Somerset (2pts)
Warwickshire won the toss at Edgbaston and put Somerset in to bat. Mike Burns dominated proceedings with his 107 from 134 balls, supported by Keith Parsons' 51 and James Hildreth's 54, as Somerset scored 254 for 5 in their 45 overs. However, then bad weather put an end to the day's play before Warwickshire had a chance to bat.
(BBC scorecard)
Durham Dynamos continued their perfect start to the season with an emphatic win at Chester-le-Street. Surrey Lions chose to bowl first, and Tim Murtagh with 3 for 12 performed well. But Dale Benkenstein and Gordon Muchall put on 100 together to help the Dynamos to 224 for 8. For the Lions it all went wrong between the sixth and eighth overs, during which they lost four wickets for two runs to plummet to 27 for 4. Liam Plunkett and Benkenstein took 4 wickets each as Surrey were dismissed for 86 in 30.1 overs. It's early in the season, but already Surrey are looking weak after their fourth successive match without a victory. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Kent v Leicestershire (24 April)
Kent (4pts) beat Leicestershire (0pts) by 6 runs (D/L method)
Sussex (4pts) beat Derbyshire (0pts) by 2 runs (D/L method)
Derbyshire batting at Hove
A close game at Hove saw the Sharks defeat the Phantoms by 2 runs, after Tom Lungley went for, and failed to get, a six of the last ball to win the game. It was a high scoring affair, and halfway through their overs Sussex looked on target for a big total approaching 300. However, Derbyshire did well to peg them back to 254 to 8.
Rain delayed the restart, and left the Phantoms with 205 to win off 32 overs. They were always behind par, but never quite gave up. Indeed, Graeme Welch nearly won it for them with 42 off 24 balls, which included three huge sixes. However, wickets tumbled, leaving Tom Lungley with the last ball to score six. To his credit, he went for it and could have won, but fell short and was run out. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Yorkshire v Somerset (24 April)
Yorkshire (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by 5 wickets
This match, which was due to be played at The Grange, Edinburgh, was rained off without a ball being bowled. (BBC news)
Somerset v Leicestershire (1 May)
Somerset (4pts) beat Leicestershire (0pts) by 8 wickets
The Leicestershire Foxes were restricted to 211 for 8 at Taunton, with Aaron Laraman the pick of the Somerset bowlers – his bowling analysis read 9–2–17–2. Four Leicestershire batsmen passed 30, yet the highest score of the innings was Paul Nixon's 41. John Francis and Keith Parsons then completed the win for the Sabres with 73 and 91 respectively, sharing a third-wicket partnership of 157. This gave Somerset their first win in any competition this season, and meant that the Foxes were still waiting for their first win. (BBC scorecard)
Warwickshire v Kent (1 May)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Kent (0pts) by 19 runs
Nick Knight scored 122 off 125, the highest score of the National League season thus far, to boot the Bears up to 279 for 7 off their 45 overs. A spirited fightback from the Spitfires saw them hang in until the 44th over, but eventually, despite 82 from Martin van Jaarsveld and a 40-run last wicket stand between Simon Cook and Martin Saggers, they perished for 260 all out with 11 balls to go. (BBC scorecard)
Somerset (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 99 runs (D/L method)
Surrey Lions were never in this game, which was played at Taunton. The Sabres totalled a mammoth 325 for 6 in their 44 overs, with Sanath Jayasuriya (61 off 49), Marcus Trescothick (52 off 43) and Keith Parsons (85 off 75) doing most of the damage. The Lions were never in the hunt in reply. Whilst Ali Brown top-scored with a 37-ball 65, including seven fours and three sixes, wickets fell at regular intervals, and they finally finished on 226 for 9, 99 behind. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Kent (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 93 runs (D/L method)
Kent Spitfires demolished the Scottish Saltires at their home ground in a rain-haunted match. Winning the toss and bowling, Scotland did not quite get the wickets they wanted, the South African Martin van Jaarsveld top-scoring for Kent with 57 while Darren Stevens smashed 51 off 30 balls towards the end. Scotland's innings was frequently interrupted by rain and Darren Stevens' bowling – he took five for 32, his first career five-for, as Scotland crawled to 134 all out in 32.2 overs – 94 short of the adjusted target, coincidentally exactly the same as Kent had made, but shortened by seven overs.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Sussex v Warwickshire (8 May)
Sussex (4pts) beat Warwickshire (0pts) by 44 runs (D/L method)
Sussex Sharks had England wicket-keeper Matt Prior and former Zimbabwe batsman Murray Goodwin to thank for their imposing win over the Bears. Prior scored 144 – a career best score – and Goodwin 79 to lift Sussex to a massive 283 for 7, Zimbabwe all-rounder Heath Streak the only bowler with reasonably respectable figures of three for 39 off 9 overs. The reply was shortened by rain, setting Warwickshire 198 to win off 30 overs, but after 48 from Neil Carter there was little left in the Warwickshire reply as they finished on 153 for 7.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Somerset Sabres won thanks to a slogging effort by all-rounderIan Blackwell who rescued them from a potentially dangerous position at Edinburgh. Winning the toss and batting, Scottish Saltires' bowlers Asim Butt, Majid Haq and Paul Hoffmann (who bowled 9 overs for 14 runs) tied the visitors down to 145 for 5 before Blackwell came on. Blackwell then proceeded to slam everything out of sight, smacking six sixes and seven fours in his 86 and lifting Somerset to 264 for 7. Colin Smith was the star of Scotland's reply, making 67, but they were never seriously in the chase, especially after Andy Caddick removed Pakistani all-rounder Yasir Arafat and Smith. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Durham continued their fine start to the season with a comfortable win at Chester-le-Street. They started slowly, making only 60 (for no loss) after 20 overs. But helped by Mike Hussey they picked up the pace, ending on 256 for 4. Yorkshire's reply started quicker, but the Dynamos kept taking wickets, finally dismissing the Phoenix for 205. Paul Collingwood and Gareth Breese took 3 each. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Leicestershire v Surrey (15 May)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 60 runs
Surrey Lions continued their miserable form in the Sunday League, as they went down to their fourth defeat in four matches to be at the very bottom of the National League table. Leicestershire Foxes batted first, making 194 for 9, as almost all of their batsmen scored below their batting average, apart from Dinesh Mongia, who made 67. Mongia followed this up with 4 for 15 with the ball, dismissing Surrey for 134, after Scott Newman and Mark Ramprakash had taken them to 55 for 1. A total of 10 maiden overs were bowled in the Surrey innings. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Derbyshire (0pts) by 52 runs
Derbyshire Phantoms suffered another drubbing at Derby after Warwickshire Bears raced past 200 thanks to half-centuries from Nick Knight and Jim Troughton. Although 6 wickets fell in the last 10 overs, they still made 260, with Troughton top-scoring with 73. In reply, Derbyshire lost wickets regularly, and although Jonathan Moss scored 65, no-one was able to stay with him as the hosts were all out for 208. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Scotland v Surrey (20 May)
Surrey (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 5 wickets
Scottish Saltires batted first at The Grange in Edinburgh. Jonathan Beukes, their South African import put on 91 from 86 balls as Scotland scored 252 for 7, their highest score of their National League season. Surrey had lost all 4 one-day league games before this match, and when they were reduced to 90 for 3, another defeat seemed on the cards. However, Graham Thorpe took 69 from 89 balls and Ali Brown 65 from 45 to give Surrey their first points with 6.3 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Durham Dynamos extended their unbeaten run in National League games to six games as they pulled off a remarkable comeback at Kent Spitfires. Having won the toss and batted, Durham made 189 after having been pegged back by South African Andrew Hall who took 3 for 17 off 8.5 overs. In reply, Hall made 72 as Kent cruised to 128 for 2 and 170 for 3, but Durham's players fought back. With the main damage coming from their internationals Ashley Noffke (three for 33) and Nathan Astle (two for 21), Kent lost six wickets for 17 runs, and Kent were tied down to such an extent that they needed three runs off the last ball to win – Martin Saggers could only scrape the one bye.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire v Scotland (29 May)
Scotland (4pts) beat Warwickshire (0pts) by one wicket
A poor pitch at Stratford-on-Avon, and some lacklustre batting saw the Warwickshire Bears record their second loss in the National League, as they crumbled to 113 all out on their home ground. Australian-born Paul Hoffmann took three for 19 for Scotland Saltires, but all the Scottish bowlers chipped in with wickets, and it was in fact a good recovery from Warwickshire as they were 17 for 5 and 48 for 7. In reply, Dougie Lockhart and South African Jonathan Beukes recorded good partnership to lift Scotland to 70 for 1, but a burst of wickets from Heath Streak turned the match again, as Scotland lost four wickets for 20 runs. However, Hoffmann saw Scotland across the line, smashing a six off Neil Carter to win the match by one wicket. Extras were the second-highest scorer, with 28, as Warwickshire conceded 20 wides.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Leicestershire by 6 wickets
Derbyshire'sKevin Dean took 5 for 45 in his comeback match after suffering chicken pox in the week. Dean's effort helped reduce Leicestershire Foxes to 55 for 6 at the end of the fifteenth over at Derby. John Sadler came in and made 50 before he was stumped off Ant Botha's bowling, but he could only help Leicestershire along to 146 all out. Derbyshire took their time in trying conditions, but still made their target with 4 wickets down and 21 balls to go, as Michael Di Venuto top-scored with 48. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Somerset v Sussex (30 May)
Sussex (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by 2 wickets
Sussex edged past Somerset with 2 balls and 2 wickets remaining. Somerset won the toss, batted, and fell to 88 for 5 against Sussex's tight bowling before Ian Blackwell smashed 10 sixes and 10 fours as he made 134 not out off only 71 balls. 4 of his sixes came in the 40th over, bowled by Mushtaq Ahmed: the first three balls went for six, then there were two singles, before Blackwell smashed the last ball out of the ground into the car park. His quickfire innings helped Somerset to 297 for 6 off their 45 overs. In reply Matt Prior made 77, but Sussex looked like a defeated side after 4 wickets from Keith Parsons sent them to 201 for 7, but Johannes van der Wath smashed 73 off 43 balls to sneak the victory, sharing an 82-run ninth-wicket stand with Jason Lewry. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Surrey v Durham (30 May)
Surrey (4pts) beat Durham (0pts) by 43 runs
Durham fell to their first defeat of their totesport League campaign at the Oval as Surrey's youngsters rescued them from what could have been yet another Surrey batting collapse – they had lost 9 or 10 wickets in 4 of their 5 League matches so far, and had made 2 scores below 140. The hosts batted first, and their position looked dire as they were soon on 26 for 4, with Liam Plunkett and Neil Killeen taking two wickets each. James Benning, with 66 off 84 balls, and Rikki Clarke, with 54 off 67 balls, then put on 129, a record for Surrey against Durham. In the 38 overs the weather allowed, Surrey made 219. Tim Murtagh then took 3 wickets without conceding a run in his first 3 overs to knock Durham back. Whilst they threatened for a while thanks to a 95-run partnership between Nicky Peng and Dale Benkenstein, they never fully recovered and were finally all out for 176. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Yorkshire v Scotland (30 May)
Yorkshire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 60 runs
Despite four Yorkshire Phoenixrun outs, and four maidens from Paul Hoffmann, the hosts still managed to score 214 all out in the first innings at Headingley, Anthony McGrath making 57 from number five. Scotland Saltires then crumbled to 154, former England all-rounderCraig White taking three Scottish wickets as only the hired-in man from Durham, Gavin Hamilton, managed some resistance with the bat. Hamilton, who had played ODI cricket for Scotland at the 1999 World Cup, made 60, but he was one of only two Scots to pass 20. Yorkshire continued their promotion charge, however, as they jumped ahead of Somerset in the table and into second place. However, after this match, Yorkshire only won one of their remaining fourteen games.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by 71 runs
Leicestershire Foxes moved out of the bottom place with a comfortable win over Somerset Sabres at Oakham School. With Dinesh Mongia top-scoring with 75 as no Somerset bowler dug into the Leicestershire innings, they made 217 for 4 with relative ease, before crumbling to the left-arm spin of Mongia, as he took four wickets for 12 runs including captain and top-scorer Graeme Smith. Smith made 61 in a Somerset innings were only four batsmen made it into double figures, and the visitors crumbled to 146 all out.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Kent v Derbyshire (5 June)
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Kent (0pts) by 90 runs
Derbyshire Phantoms came to Maidstone and Kent Spitfires with only one win in their first four games. However, the way in which they won this one was emphatic. Kent captain David Fulton won the toss and chose to field, and Australian Michael Di Venuto ridiculed his choice with an 80-ball century with twelve fours and a six. In the end, he was out for 116 off 90 balls, but when everyone else hit at nearly a run a ball and Kent could only take three wickets, Derbyshire amassed 304 for 3. Kent gave it their best shot in the chase, Andrew Hall making 61 from the top of the order, but despite late order smashing from Justin Kemp (27) and Amjad Khan (33), Kent ended all out for 214, 91 runs short with 38 balls remaining.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Surrey v Warwickshire (5 June)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 49 runs
At Whitgift School, Warwickshire Bears recorded a massive 309 for 8 in 45 overs to bat Surrey Lions out of the game. Neil Carter opened the innings with a typical 58 off only 36 balls, smashing four sixes and five fours in the process, while James Troughton scored 69. Only medium-pacer Neil Saker, playing in his seventh List-A game, avoided the routing as he was hit for 17 off five overs, taking the wicket of Jonathan Trott for 9. In reply, Mark Ramprakash and Ali Brown looked to take Surrey to the target, but when Brown departed for 52 off 34 balls, the air went out of Surrey's balloon. Ramprakash scored 89 not out, and became Surrey's top scorer, but Surrey finished all out for 260 with 22 balls remaining in their innings as Carter took three for 37 while Heath Streak and Dougie Brown snared two wickets each.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Scotland had a bad week. First, Asim Butt, the leading Scottish seam bowler was banned for a year after testing positive for ecstasy. They then went down heavily to Sussex Sharks at The Grange in their last home game before the 2005 ICC Trophy in three weeks' time. The Saltires batted first and lost wickets regularly. Only Colin Smith, with 61, made any sort of score as they were dismissed for 172. The Sharks chased down the target easily, as openers Matt Prior and Ian Ward put on 108, and whilst Scotland were able to take two wickets, Sussex sped home with 16.3 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by 7 wickets
In a low-scoring match at Grace Road, Yorkshire recorded 172 for 9, despite Anthony McGrath and Michael Lumb pairing up for 67 for the third wicket. Apart from those two, though, none of the Yorkshire batsmen could contribute, and slow accumulation from the Leicestershire batsmen was the key to reaching the target. Dinesh Mongia then took on Yorkshire's bowlers, adding 46 off 38 balls, as singles were taken near the end to see the hosts to the target with seventeen deliveries left in the match.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Durham (4pts) beat Derbyshire (0pts) by five wickets
A dismal batting performance from Derbyshire Phantoms, as they crumbled to 82 all out at Riverside Ground, gave Durham Dynamos yet another victory in the National League. Dale Benkenstein took four for 17, including two wickets in his first over, and Australian Ashley Noffke showed good bowling form with three for 16 and three maidens in seven overs. Despite losing wickets early in the chase, crumbling to 36 for 4, Gordon Muchall and Gary Pratt added 40 for the fifth wicket to send Durham to a five-wicket win with just under 10 overs to spare.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Only a couple of days ago, the lads from Somerset had beaten Australia's finest by five wickets, chasing the highest score in one-day matches. Now, they failed to chase down 233 set by the Scottish Saltires, after Jonathan Beukes smashed 92 and Yasir Arafat supplied with a 20-ball 32 including two sixes. It started well enough for Somerset, Graeme Smith continuing his fine form with 74, leading his team to 158 for 4. But then, the wheels fell off. Paul Hoffmann snared the important wicket of James Hildreth for 49, the lower order rolled over meekly to Arafat (who got 3–33), and with Jon Francis injured, the Sabres managed to lose the match by 15 runs as they were all out for 218.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire v Leicestershire (19 June)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Warwickshire (0pts) by seven wickets
The most striking feature of this match would be Ashley Giles returning to bowl for Warwickshire Bears after a hip injury, replacing Heath Streak, who had been injured in the groin in the previous match. However, it couldn't help them against Leicestershire Foxes. The hosts won the toss and batted first, and promptly crumbled to 43 for 4, after good new-ball bowling from Ottis Gibson and Charl Willoughby. Jonathan Trott hit 93, however, as the Bears recovered to 217 for 6. Their innings included three run outs. Leicestershire were always on target and won with eight balls to spare, Darren Maddy recording a 114-ball century and ending with 107 not out as Leicestershire reached 218 for 3.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Sussex v Durham (19 June)
Sussex (4pts) beat Durham (0pts) by seven wickets
Durham Dynamos sorely missed their two international stars, Steve Harmison and Paul Collingwood, as they whimpered to a seven-wicket defeat in the top-of-the-table clash at Arundel against Sussex Sharks. Dale Benkenstein won the toss and chose to have his Durham side bat first, as he made 57 not out from number five, but there was woefully little support as Durham collapsed from 129 for 3 to 195 all out. James Kirtley was the main culprit with four for 29 but every Sussex bowler except Robin Martin-Jenkins got among the wickets. In reply, Ian Ward blitzed 93 off 75 balls, Chris Adams was just as punishing with 58 off 49, and Liam Plunkett was plundered for 46 off only four overs – including nine wides. In only 29.3 overs, the match was over, Sussex getting a bit of Twenty20 practice in as they closed the gap at the top of the table to two points.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Derbyshire v Scotland (19 June)
Derbyshire (2pts) tied with Scotland (2pts)
The first tie of the National League season at The County Ground, Derby was another positive experience for the Scottish Saltires a week before they travelled to Ireland to participate in the ICC Trophy. Derbyshire Phantoms won the toss and batted, and it was only thanks to a century from Australian import Michael Di Venuto that they passed 200 and ended up with a final total of 220 for 8 – along with 33 not out from Andre Botha. Scotland's reply was hampered by Kevin Dean who took three early wickets to reduce the Scots to 31 for 3, but Douglas Lockhart made his highest career score with 88 not out to set Scotland back on track. On the last ball, Scotland needed two runs to win with South African-born number 11 Dewald Nel on strike – he could only scamper one with Lockhart, and the teams shared the spoils.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Leicestershire v Scotland (20 June)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 20 runs
The Scottish Saltires threw away a good bowling performance at Grace Road against Leicestershire Foxes. Winning the toss and batting first, Leicestershire only made 208 for 7, none of the batsmen passing fifty but seven finishing in double figures. Dewald Nel took three for 39 for the Scots, but nine overs of Charl Willoughby was evidently too much for the Saltires. He conceded 12 runs, taking two wickets and bowling three maidens in the process, and was a major factor as Scotland imploded to 78 for 6. Despite number 10 Greg Maiden making 35, Scotland were all out for 188 with an over remaining.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Sussex Sharks regained the lead in Division Two of the National League with a win over Kent Spitfires in a low-scoring match at The County Ground, Hove. Sussex' Pakistani cricketers Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mushtaq Ahmed took three and two wickets respectively, reducing Kent to 106 for 7, before James Kirtley mopped up the tail with three balls remaining of Kent's innings, for 155. Then, a fiery opening spell from Simon Cook, who had hit an unbeaten 28 with the bat, resulted in three quick wickets (he ended with excellent figures of three for 15 off nine overs) and sent Sussex down to 22 for 4. However, Michael Yardy and Carl Hopkinson paired up for 103 for the fifth wicket, and Yardy's 65 anchored a nervy chase as Sussex reached the target with 3.3 overs remaining.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire v Derbyshire (9 July)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Derbyshire (0pts) by five wickets
Warwickshire Bears squeezed to a five-wicket win at Edgbaston thanks to good bowling and a quickfire innings from wicket-keeper Trevor Penney. Derbyshire Phantoms batted first, losing wickets regularly, with only Steve Stubbings making over 25 with his 108-ball 69. Neil Carter excelled with the ball, taking three for 28, although four of six Warwickshire bowlers took part in Derbyshire's collapse to 201 for 9. Warwickshire's reply was haunted by wickets taken by Jonathan Moss – who ended with three for 32 – however, Jonathan Trott and Trevor Penney added 38 for the last wicket, and Warwickshire passed the target with five balls to spare.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Yorkshire Phoenix failed to convert a good position against Surrey Lions, who moved off last place in the table with a win. Having initially been placed in the field by Surrey's captain Mark Ramprakash, they conceded 111 for the first wicket, James Benning and Jonathan Batty making 72 and 41 respectively. A burst of three wickets from Richard Dawson's off-spin sent Surrey struggling at 127 for 4, but Ramprakash paired up with Rikki Clarke to recover, and Clarke then unleashed a late cameo off Ian Harvey to end with 90 not out off 71 balls to see Surrey to a final total of 264 for 7. In reply, Yorkshire looked confident at 222 for 2, recovering from the early shock of losing Matthew Wood for a golden duck. However, a couple of run-outs and a wicket from Tim Murtagh saw Tim Bresnan face the last ball with Yorkshire needing four to win – he was bowled by Nayan Doshi, and Surrey won by three runs, despite conceding 15 wides.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Durham (0pts) by five wickets
Durham Dynamos were to regret their decision of batting first against Warwickshire Bears. On a poor pitch, Warwickshire bowlers Heath Streak, Dougie Brown and Neil Carter took full advantage – the latter two bowling a total of nine maiden overs, while Streak took three for 13 before breaking down with an injury. Durham were 49 for 8 before Liam Plunkett and Neil Killeen chipped in with low but sensible scores, while Dale Benkenstein made 90 at the other end – over sixty per cent of Durham's total of 147. Despite Ashley Noffke taking two early wickets, Alex Loudon anchored the chase with 51 off 61 deliveries, and Warwickshire batted to 148 for 5 with over ten overs remaining.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Surrey v Derbyshire (17 July)
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by five wickets
Surrey Lions' dismal one-day season continued. Despite innings between 39 and 46 from the men batting from one to four, and a quickfire 29 from spinner Nayan Doshi which led to a defendable total of 260 for 8, the track at The Oval still yielded many runs, and Steve Stubbings and Michael Di Venuto slashed boundaries at will – a total of 27 were noted, including two sixes from Stubbings, and the boundaries were worth 112 of the pair's 196 runs. To add to that, Surrey bowled 24 extras, so their partnership had yielded 217 runs before Mohammad Akram broke through their defences – as both were dismissed two runs short of a century. The damage was done, however, and Derbyshire Phantoms ended on 264 for 5 with nearly six overs remaining.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
The match between Kent Spitfires and Somerset Sabres at St Lawrence Ground was shortened to 16 overs owing to bad weather. Kent were sent in to bat, and lost three early wickets, two to Andy Caddick and one to Richard Johnson, for only 11 runs. Rob Key and Justin Kemp both made 17, and James Tredwell smacked two sixes for his nine-ball 22 as Kent came back to 90 for 6, which was still below six runs an over. Tredwell also took two for 19 with his off breaks, but Graeme Smith hit nine fours as he made his way to an unbeaten 56, and James Hildreth won the match for Somerset with a six off Tredwell, with 20 balls potentially remaining in their chase.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Scotland v Leicestershire (24 July)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by seven wickets
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by seven wickets
Yorkshire Phoenix were tied down by Warwickshire Bears bowlers Dougie Brown and Alex Loudon, as the Phoenix only managed to post 201 for 7 at Scarborough. Brown took one for 32 and Loudon one for 23 off nine overs each, Michael Lumb being restricted to 57 off 86 balls as top scorer for Yorkshire. Two early wickets from Neil Carter also helped the Warwickshire fielding effort. In reply, Carter smacked six sixes and five fours, taking 38 balls to make 65, and Jonathan Trott and Jamie Troughton took Warwickshire to the target with seven wickets and just over seven overs to spare, as Yorkshire's losing streak in the National League was extended to three matches.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Kent (0pts) by three wickets
In a day/night match at St Lawrence Ground, Warwickshire captain Nick Knight sent Kent in to bat, and his South African pace bowler Dewald Pretorius took a flurry of wickets in good bowling conditions. Ending with five for 32, he took the first five wickets of the innings as Kent collapsed to 29 for 5, but South Africans Justin Kemp and Martin van Jaarsveld rebuilt quickly. Despite little support – no batsman apart from himself passed 25 – Kemp made his way to 84 off 93 balls, as Kent scrambled 177 for 9. In reply, Warwickshire got to 19 for 0, but a fiery spell from Martin Saggers yielded three wickets, as Nick Knight, Ian Bell and Jamie Troughton were all dismissed in single figures. Warwickshire's fifth-wicket partners saw off the opening bowling, however, and went after the part-timers instead, in chase of what suddenly looked like a big target of 178.
Alex Loudon rebuilt well, however, with just 20 of his 73 runs coming in boundaries, while his first partner Jonathan Trott failed to hit any runs and probably did the team a favour when he edged a ball from Robert Joseph – cousin of West Indies batsman Sylvester Joseph – behind, gone for 10 off 40 balls. The wicket looked like it was the first of a collapse, however, as Trevor Frost departed shortly afterwards with Warwickshire on 62 for 6. However, Trevor Penney made 42 – including just the one four – in a 77-run partnership with Loudon, and Dougie Brown made an unbeaten 16 at the end to lead Warwickshire home with five balls to spare.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
In the mid-table battle in Division Two, Yorkshire Phoenix went down despite an unbeaten 116 from England captain Michael Vaughan. Yorkshire were missing Ian Harvey for this game, and it showed, as no other batsman passed 30 and Vaughan was woefully alone in getting the target up. It was eventually set at 217 for Kent Spitfires, and as Matthew Walker found his rhythm to hit seven fours in an unbeaten 56, Kent got to that target with five wickets and four balls to spare, despite Vaughan's off-breaks yielding two wickets for 42 runs.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Derbyshire Phantoms jumped into fifth in the table thanks to their win over Somerset Sabres, who for the second time in that week conceded more than 260 in 45 overs. Michael Di Venuto slashed 11 fours on his way to 87, and despite two maiden overs from Andy Caddick, Derbyshire made 277 for 5. Carl Gazzard and Malaysian Arul Suppiah gave Somerset a chance of chasing the big total with their 125-run second-wicket stand, but Jonathan Moss took four for 60 with his medium-pace and Andy Gray three for 47 with off breaks. That plunged Somerset to 241 for 9 before Wes Durston made 24 not out to see Somerset to the end of 45 overs – still 16 runs short of victory.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Surrey Lions recorded only their fourth win in the National League system this year with a five-wicket win over Kent Spitfires at St Lawrence Ground. Kent, having chosen to bat first, were dismissed by medium-pacer Neil Saker, who took four for 43, and Tim Murtagh, who joined in with three for 28. Jade Dernbach, Ian Salisbury and Nayan Doshi also took a wicket each as Kent finished on 211, with Irish wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien top scoring with 43 – his innings tugged Kent back from 124 for 6. Andrew Hall took three quick wickets as Kent fielded, reducing Surrey to 25 for 3, but Ali Brown's quickfire 65 and Jonathan Batty's 82 turned the match around, and Rikki Clarke hit 35 to take Surrey to the target with nearly four overs to spare.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Scotland v Yorkshire (7 August)
Yorkshire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by five wickets
Scotland Saltires ran Yorkshire Phoenix close in the National League game at Edinburgh, but failed to capitalise on a good start and were eventually beaten by five wickets. Having been put in to bat, Fraser Watts and Jonathan Beukes paired up for 77 for the first wicket, and Beukes went on to make 78. However, six Scottish batsmen were dismissed in single figures, Deon Kruis took three for 27, and the Scots were limited to 203 for 9. John Blain, who have played internationals for Scotland, turned out for Yorkshire, but conceded 34 runs in five overs. Yorkshire lost an early wicket in Craig White, who was bowled by Yasir Arafat for 2, but with five batsmen going into double figures and Phil Jaques recording 57, the Phoenix made it to the target with 21 balls to spare, despite good figures of two wickets for 23 from Beukes.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Sussex v Leicestershire (7 August)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Sussex (0pts) by six wickets
Leicestershire Foxes eked out a last-ball victory over Sussex Sharks to tighten up the title battle in Division Two of the National League. Batting first, Sussex were tied down by Ottis Gibson, as the Barbadian seamer took four for 37 with three maidens in his nine overs. Chris Adams top-scored with 78, while Rana Naved-ul-Hasan blasted 45 off just 31 balls to propel Sussex to a competitive 223 for 8. Sussex fast bowler James Kirtley then bowled a maiden to begin Leicestershire's innings, and had Tom New caught for an eight-ball duck later. However, Darren Maddy and HD Ackerman added 185 for the second wicket, and despite wickets tumbling around him, Ackerman finished on an unbeaten 114, hitting the winning four off the last ball.
(Cricinfo scorecard)[permanent dead link]
Surrey (4pts) beat Leicestershire (0pts) by six wickets
HD Ackerman lifted Leicestershire Foxes to a big target against Surrey Lions at The Oval, having opted to bat first after winning the toss. His 78 gave Leicestershire a good platform after losing the first three wickets for 85, and Paul Nixon and Jeremy Snape both scored with a batting strike rate above 150 to get Leicestershire to 258 for 5. Leicestershire dug out three Surrey wickets early, but a massive partnership between Mark Ramprakash and Ali Brown worth 166 runs turned the match around, and despite Charl Willoughby having Ramprakash caught behind, Brown paired up with Azhar Mahmood to hit Surrey to the target with more than five overs to spare. Brown's 108 not out was off only 63 balls, including sixteen boundaries.
(Cricinfo scorecard)[permanent dead link]
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Sussex (0pts) by three runs
Michael Di Venuto made 129 not out, his third one-day century this season, to lift Derbyshire Phantoms to a final score of 232 for 3, which would turn out to be just enough to win the game. Sussex Sharks were looking to win and open a gap at the top of the league, and with ten runs needed with three wickets in hand and at least two overs remaining, it looked like they would coast to victory. However, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan holed out a catch to Jon Moss, Mushtaq Ahmed could add no run from three balls, and in the end, James Kirtley was bowled by Moss on the last ball, with Kirtley needing to hit a boundary to win the game.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Somerset v Yorkshire (14 August)
Somerset (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by two runs
In a high-scoring match at The County Ground, Taunton, Matthew Wood and Ian Blackwell both cracked centuries as Somerset Sabres made their way to 345 for 4. Blackwell's 114 came off just 61 balls, with a total of 74 runs in boundaries. Paul Jaques, Ismail Dawood and Michael Wood all made half-centuries, but in the end Yorkshire Phoenix needed 23 to win off the last over, number 11 Deon Kruis facing Blackwell. The first ball was a dot ball, but a six and three fours followed – however, Kruis needed four for the tie and six for the win on the last ball. He couldn't get the ball to the boundary, and Somerset prevailed by two runs.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Sussex (0pts) by five wickets
Leicestershire Foxes recorded their second win over Sussex Sharks in two weeks to close the gap at the top of Division Two of the National League to two points. Having been put in the field by the Sussex captain Chris Adams, Leicestershire grabbed the first four wickets for 44 runs, and despite a 72-run fifth-wicket partnership between Michael Yardy and Carl Hopkinson, Sussex could only muster 186 all out – Dinesh Mongia taking the last two wickets, while conceding 17 from two overs. Mongia also contributed with the bat – after the Sussex bowlers had made things tricky for Leicestershire's top order, reducing them to 27 for 2 and then 103 for 5, Mongia remained at the crease to make 92 at just under a run a ball to see Leicestershire past the target with seven balls to spare.
(Cricinfo scorecard)[permanent dead link]
Somerset v Durham (21 August)
Somerset (4pts) beat Durham (0pts) by five wickets
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by three wickets (D/L method)
The Scottish Saltires gave Derbyshire Phantoms a good fight at The Grange, but despite three wickets from Ryan Watson and an unbeaten 71 from Fraser Watts Derbyshire still came out on top. Scotland had been put in to bat by Derbyshire captain Luke Sutton, and crashed to 42 for 4 after two wickets from new-ball bowler Graeme Welch, but Watts paired up well with the lower middle order before rain set in. Seven overs were cut off the Scottish innings, leaving them with 38 overs to play, and a bit of hard hitting from Pakistani all-rounder Yasir Arafat lifted them to 179 for 7. More rain cut Derbyshire's chase to 32 overs, and under the Duckworth–Lewis method they were set 161 to win. They looked to be cruising at 120 for 2 after Steve Stubbings had put on 70 with Sutton. Watson then got three wickets and Cedric English two, as the visitors collapsed to 147 for 7, but Stubbings, still at the crease, held his head calm and ended on 75 not out to guide Derbyshire past the target with three balls to spare.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Durham v Scotland (28 August)
Durham (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 93 runs
Harare-born all-rounderRyan Watson put in the best all-round effort for Scotland all season, recording Scotland's fourth-highest score of the season with 86 and the best bowling analysis with four for 36, but none of the other players save Paul Hoffmann (conceding 21 runs in nine overs) made any significant contribution, and Durham Dynamos ran away with a 93-run victory. Batting first, Durham made 227 for 7, Gordon Muchall top-scoring with 79 and Gareth Breese upping the scoring-rate with two sixes in an unbeaten 47 off 39 balls near the end. The Scots then lost wickets left, right and centre, crashing to 54 for 6 before Watson and Craig Wright added 77 for the seventh wicket. The run out of Wright precipitated the final collapse, though, as the last four wickets fell for three runs and Scotland were all out for 134.
(Cricinfo scorecard)[permanent dead link]
Surrey v Somerset (28 August)
Somerset (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by five wickets
Kent Spitfires made their way to a fairly comfortable victory against Yorkshire Phoenix, who had opted to bat first after winning the toss. However, all the Kent bowlers got at least one wicket, and the Yorkshire batsmen couldn't convert their starts, as six batsmen were out with scores between 10 and 25. Kent's Andrew Hall bowled three maiden overs and took two wickets to end with the best figures of two for 19, but four bowlers grabbed two wickets each as Yorkshire were bowled out for 164. Kent were never seriously threatened in reply, as Hall put on 64 with Darren Stevens for the third wicket, and Justin Kemp had fun at the end to hit 42 not out off just 25 balls and take Kent to victory in just over two thirds of the allotted overs. Yorkshire medium pacer Ian Harvey suffered the most from Kemp's blade, conceding 40 runs in four overs. (Cricinfo scorecard)
Sussex v Scotland (30 August)
Sussex (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by seven wickets
Mushtaq Ahmed sealed a last-ball victory for Sussex Sharks in a closely fought match at The County Ground, Hove, against mid-table languishers Surrey Lions. The visitors had opted to bat first, and lost three early wickets for 40 runs, but a calm rearguard from Mark Ramprakash set the stage for some fours from Azhar Mahmood near the end. Surrey finished on 230 for 6, and got a good start when Azhar dismissed Robin Montgomerie for 0. A quick 42 from Matt Prior, however, gave Sussex hope of chasing the target, and despite wickets falling regularly Sussex kept the required rate below seven an over, with captain Chris Adams keeping the innings together with his unbeaten 110. Mushtaq eventually faced the final ball of the match, and he hit it to the boundary, which gave Sussex the win and extended their Division Two lead to ten points.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by five wickets
Yorkshire Phoenix won the toss and chose to bat, and immediately lost both openers at Derby. That set the pace of the innings, and seven maiden overs were bowled out of the total of 45. Jonathan Moss got the best bowling figures for the hosting Derbyshire Phantoms, removing Richard Pyrah and Simon Guy in successive balls and ending with bowling figures of 9–2–27–3. Moss' two wickets set Yorkshire back to 66 for 7, and only a rearguard between Joe Sayers, who made 54 not out in two hours, and David Lucas saw them bat out the allotted overs. The pair added 65 for the ninth wicket as Yorkshire closed on 171 for 9. Derbyshire lost Michael Di Venuto for 1 early on, but despite Anthony McGrath removing Hassan Adnan for 57 and Luke Sutton for 34, Derbyshire made it to the target with fourteen balls. Extras were the second-highest scorer, with 43, including 31 wides.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire v Surrey (14 September)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 68 runs
Warwickshire Bears hammered the Surrey Lions' bowlers at Edgbaston, which resulted in the Bears recording 292 for 8 batting first. Neil Carter set that pace, taking eleven fours in a blitzing thirty-ball 51 – his fourth half-century in List A cricket. Jade Dernbach had him caught, however, but that did not stop Warwickshire, as Jamie Troughton slashed five sixes and six fours before brothers Tim and Chris Murtagh combined to remove him for 82 – caught Chris, bowled Tim. However, Troughton had added 144 with Jonathan Trott, and not even four late wickets from Rikki Clarke could stop the flow of runs, and both Jade Dernbach and Azhar Mahmood conceded 61 in their nine overs. Surrey had six batsmen going into double figures in their reply, but no partnership was worth 50, as Jamie Anyon and Trott got three wickets each. Extras were the second highest scorer, with 32, behind Clarke's 42.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Table at 14 September 2005
totesport League – Division Two at 14 September 2005
Durham (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by five wickets
Durham Dynamos bowled first and used the ball to good effect against the Somerset Sabres at the Riverside Ground, with Neil Killeen and Paul Collingwood getting three wickets each. Seven Somerset batsmen were caught, as Somerset lost their first nine wickets for 94, before Wesley Durston and Simon Francis added a 46-run last-wicket partnership. Killeen conceded only 15 runs in his nine overs. Durston also took two for 21 following his 46 with the bat, but 40 from Gordon Muchall saw Durham to the target with nearly 15 overs to spare, giving them promotion in the National League as well – their second promotion of the week.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by five wickets
Warwickshire Bears kept their promotion hopes alive with a win over Scottish Saltires, although the Scots kept them at bat for 41.4 overs at their home ground, The Grange. Fraser Watts and Ian Stanger both hit half-centuries for Scotland, as the Saltires made their way to 177 for 1, and despite two wickets from Jamie Anyon and the golden duck from West IndianVasbert Drakes, the Scots ended on 220 for 5. However, Jonathan Trott and Nick Knight shared a swift 109-run stand for the second wicket to see Warwickshire to 151 for 1, and Knight made his 29th List Acentury as Warwickshire won by five wickets. Drakes, playing in his first match for Scotland, got two wickets for 30 on Scotland debut, while Ian Stanger got two for 26.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Warwickshire v Yorkshire (20 September)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by 102 runs
Yorkshire Phoenix conceded 309 for 3 after winning the toss and fielding first at Edgbaston despite ScotsmanJohn Blain taking two early wickets to leave the hosts Warwickshire Bears at 49 for 2. Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell struck 216 runs together, with Bell being the most destructive – he hit eight fours and five sixes in an 84-ball century, and added a further 37 before Yorkshire wicket-keeperSimon Guy finally had him stumped. With Jamie Troughton smacking three sixes and two fours in a 13-ball 34, Warwickshire made 309 for 3 in their 45 overs, the sixth highest total in Division Two this season. Yorkshire attempted the chase, with Michael Wood and Anthony McGrath hitting at just under a run a ball, but after McGrath's dismissal Yorkshire lost five wickets for 34, and only just managed to bat out their 45 overs, scoring 207 for 9. Alex Loudon and Neil Carter took three wickets each.
(Cricinfo scorecard)[permanent dead link]
Table at 20 September 2005
totesport League – Division Two at 20 September 2005
Somerset (4pts) beat Derbyshire (0pts) by 135 runs
Derbyshire Phantoms failed to carry their momentum from the Championship match earlier in the week, and fell to Somerset Sabres and the all-round effort of Ian Blackwell to lose all hopes of promotion. The Sabres were put in to bat, and after Matthew Wood and James Francis added 100 for the first wicket, Blackwell stepped in to bat. He hit 75, the same number of runs as Keith Parsons from number 5, and Somerset closed on 300 for 6. Derbyshire batsmen Ben France and Hassan Adnan started to build towards the target of 301 to win with an 81-run partnership for the second wicket, but both of them were stumped off Blackwell, and he also had three men caught off his bowling to end with five for 26. Malaysian Arul Suppiah also took two for 23, and two run outs left Derbyshire all out for 165.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
The Scottish Saltires' bowed out of the National League with a loss, to end their three-year spell in the English domestic competition with eight wins, four no-results, one tie and 41 losses. Surrey's opening bowlers Tim Murtagh and Mohammad Akram reduced them to 40 for 5, but 21-year-old Omer Hussain made 52 in his first List A innings, adding 125 for the seventh wicket with Craig Wright, who ended unbeaten on 88. Jade Dernbach took the four last wickets, ending with four for 36, while Akram took two for 19 in his nine overs as Scotland posted 212 for 9. Surrey's innings was shortened by three overs, and their target by nine runs, and thanks to 80 from Scott Newman and 51 from Jonathan Batty they got 204 for 2 after only 30.3 of the allotted 42 overs.
(Cricinfo scorecard)
Sussex v Yorkshire (25 September)
Sussex (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by eight wickets
Sussex Sharks sealed the National League Division Two title by fielding first and bowling Yorkshire Phoenix out for 99. Only wicket-keeperSimon Guy passed 20, as Yorkshire fell in two periods – first to 37 for 5 thanks to three wickets from Luke Wright, and then, after Guy, Anthony McGrath and Mark Cleary had taken them to 90 for 6, they lost their last four men for nine runs. Sussex captain Chris Adams took his time in the reply, using 83 balls to hit 49 as Sussex' batsmen rode home to an eight-wicket victory.
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