NatWest Trophy - Absorbing cricket in spite of rain

Although the triangular international NatWest Series gets under way today at Bristol with West Indies and Zimbabwe facing each other in a day/night match, the focus of attention has much been on the fourth round of the NatWest Trophy games on the domestic scene.

With counties continuing to be affected by the wet conditions this summer, three matches will resume today.

The worst of the rain was in the south where matches at The Oval, Southgate and Canterbury go into the second day.

Having got underway late in the afternoon, Surrey could only bowl two overs from which Sussex openers Chris Adams and Richard Montgomerie took five before bad light saw out the rest of the afternoon.

Across London, Middlesex were able to complete their innings of 223 for 4 but Somerset's reply will come today. Paul Weekes was in fine form, remaining unbeaten with 71 and Mark Ramprakash with 42, must have wished his form with the bat had come a little earlier, last weekend, when all he could contribute in England's extraordinary victory was two in two innings.

Kent, at home to Glamorgan, having been put in to bat may well find today that their 121 from 48.4 overs may not be quite enough. Paul Nixon top scored with 38 not out but their overseas signing, top batsman Rahul Dravid could manage only 22. He has been in excellent form though, missing a century in each innings of the match, with 88 and 95 last week in the championship match against Somerset. It's of no surprise to see him heading the first-class averages with 82. Glamorgan have made a promising start with 65 for 1 in thirteen overs.

There were results in all the other matches with five teams booking their places in the quarter-finals.

In a low scoring game, Durham were dismissed in only 42.4 overs, from which they could manage just 91 and 29 of those came from 'extras' which was the highest contribution in the innings. Hampshire reached the target for the loss of five wickets from half the alloted overs.

A magnificent opening stand between Michael Atherton, 70 and their Indian signing Saurov Ganguly 97, saw Lancashire reach 251, which was enough to bring them victory over Essex by 68 runs. England selectors will note that Andy Flintoff, who missed the last Test through back injury, batted at No.3 and hit 43 before being run out.

Holders of the trophy, Gloucestershire, hoping to make this year's final their fourth consecutive appearance in a limiited-overs final, took another step towards it at the expense of Leicestershire ( at home ) who scored 200 and went down by ten runs. Veteran batsman, Kim Barnett had top scored with 86 for the visitors and their Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey later claimed four wickets.

Australian left-hander, Matthew Hayden, 63 and David Sales, 65, saw Nothamptonshire to a winning 252. The county maintained their 100% record in NatWest matches against Yorkshire who could only reply with 183.

Derbyshire had an unsuccessful visit to Edgbaston where their 217 were 40 runs to few despite a fine knock of 84 from Tasmanian, Michael Di Venuto, who was one of four victims of Allan Donald. For Warwickshire, Ashley Giles had hit 107 from 97 balls, his first century in One-Dayers.

The quarter-finals will be played on the 25th. and 26th. of this month and in the meantime the focus shifts to the championship programme which continues from tomorrow.