Openers Knight and Singh lead Warwickshire formidable total

A record-breaking opening partnership between Nick Knight and Anurag Singh left the odds in favour of a Warwickshire victory in their NatWest Trophy semi-final against Hampshire today.

Knight made his fourth NatWest hundred - his second this season - as the openers established a new record for the county with an entertaining stand of 185 paving the way for a daunting Warwickshire total of 262 for four.

It was not until the 39th over of Warwickshire's innings did Hampshire, who earlier took the decision to bowl first, make their first breakthrough when Singh, who this season has made just 45 from two Norwich Union National League matches, was eventually out for 85 from 113 balls.

Playing in place of out of form David Hemp, Singh, a 24 year-old Cambridge Blue who has been on Warwickshire's books since 1995, holed out to Jason Laney on the square leg boundary after a superb innings, in which he exhibited a wide variety of strokes and an ability to pick out the bad ball.

After a patient start, he hit ten boundaries and one huge six over mid-wicket and by the time he departed off Alan Mullally's bowling, he and Knight had exceeded the county's previous one-day best - of 180 by Dennis Amiss and John Jameson at Trent Bridge back in 1973.

Knight's century came from 127 balls and was a typically stylish and hard-hitting display, with 11 boundaries. His demise at the hands of Alex Morris, who ahd earlier received two warning from the umpire for running on the wicket, came without addition to his score when he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Will Kendall with the score 212 for two.

Hampshire picked up another two wickets in the last five overs as Warwickshire attempted to force the pace in the final stages and after Dominic Ostler was lbw for 20, to Hampshire's most economical bowler Dimitri Mascarenhas, having scored at a run a ball, Michael Powell was bowled by Mullally in the 48th with the total on 242 for four.

Trevor Penney was unbeaten with 29 at the end, Dougie Brown was not out six and Warwickshire, who at one point had looked like making over 300 from their 50 overs finished with 262, at a run rate of 5.24.