National League round-up

Leaders Essex and Sussex slip up

Cricinfo staff

August 14, 2005

Division One

Essex remain hot favourites to win the National League Division One, but they squandered a chance to increase their eight-point advantage as they let Gloucestershire off the hook at Cheltenham. Gloucestershire were bowled out for 182, with Darren Gough and Grant Flower sharing six wickets, but even then they were let off the hook - they had been 118 for 6 before Malinga Bandara and Martyn Ball put on 59 for the ninth wicket. On a dry and crumbling track, Essex lost their way from the first ball when Flower was bowled by James Averis. At 49 for 7 a three-figure score seemed unlikely but Andre Adams, batting with a runner because of a toe injury, clubbed 46 to see them to 122.

At Colwyn Bay, Lancashire moved into fourth spot with a convincing eight-wicket win over Glamorgan, with Dominic Cork doing the bulk of the damage with four wickets - all lbw - for 37. Set 174 to win, Lancashire eased home with nearly 14 overs to spare, Mal Loye hitting an unbeaten 79 off 95 balls.

Division Two

It was a bad day for the division leaders as Sussex suffered a three-run defeat at the hands of Derbyshire, a result which will give Warwickshire renewed hope. Michael di Venuto's unbeaten 129 off 131 balls formed the basis of Derbyshire's 232 for 3, and Sussex's chase appeared well on course as they started briskly, but they lost their last three wickets for six runs as time ran out.

The match of the day came at Taunton where Yorkshire came within two runs of an astonishing victory. Somerset had looked odds-on winners after posting 345 for 4, Matthew Wood smashing a 105-ball 129 off 105 balls and Ian Blackwell 114 off 61. Yorkshire set off at a pace, with Matthew Wood (52), Phil Jaques (66) and Ismail Dawood (57) all keeping them in the hunt. With 38 to win off two overs and 25 off one, the game seemed over, but a brutal 27 off 10 balls from Deon Kruis took the match to the wire with five needed off the final ball - Kruis could manage only two.

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Players/Umpires

Ian Blackwell

Dominic Cork

Michael Di Venuto

Matthew Wood

Series/Tournaments

National League Division One

National League Division Two

Teams

Derbyshire

England

Essex

Glamorgan

Gloucestershire

Lancashire

Somerset

Sussex

Yorkshire