Sunday League Roundup (16 Sep 1996)

16 September 1996

Sunday League Round-Up: Maddy sets pace for Leicestershire

LEICESTERSHIRE made the second-highest score in 27 years of 40-over cricket when they amassed 344 for four in the 130-run win against Durham at Chester-le-Street, despite hitting only one six. They fell 19 short of Somerset`s total at Neath six years ago.

Phil Simmons followed Friday`s championship hundred with 115 off 95 balls, and Darren Maddy struck the fastest Sunday century of the season off 54 deliveries against disinterested opponents.

Warwickshire`s hopes of a share of the prize money were ended by an eight-wicket defeat at Derbyshire, whose County Championship ambitions they had wrecked the previous day.

Put in on a slow pitch, Warwickshire never recovered from 72 for six, though Nick Knight`s 44 and Ashley Giles`s 36 lifted their total to 156 for nine.

Lancashire, already victorious over Northants in the NatWest and Benson & Hedges finals, ended their hopes of Sunday prize money at Wantage Road, winning by seven wickets with 14 balls in hand.

Lancashire`s first Liverpudlian player for 10 years, Paddy McKeown, who attended Rossall School`s sixth form with Liam Botham, led the charge with 69 off 73 balls.

Gloucestershire won the toss at New Road, asked Worcestershire to bat, and were duly pulverised by Tom Moody (100 off 109 balls), Tim Curtis (77) and Graeme Hick, who romped to a half-century off 27 balls with two fours and four sixes.

Gloucestershire were still ahead on points when Dawson holed out for a stylish 85. But when David Leatherdale bowled Mark Alleyne and Andrew Symonds, Worcestershire were on the way to a 14-run victory.

A crisply struck 42 from 48 balls by Peter Wellings gave Middlesex the impetus to overhaul Somerset`s 194 at Uxbridge, but their victory would not have come without a measured innings from Mark Ramprakash, who placed the ball intelligently in an unbeaten 80.

Hampshire lost a game it looked easier to win, going down by one run against Kent at Canterbury.

Cruising at 130 for seven - after Jason Laney (57) and Giles White (56) had posted their first century stand of the season - with seven overs left in pursuit of Kent`s 172, they then lost their way to allow the home side their second win in eight attempts.

Stuart Law was at his majestic best as Essex ended on a winning note after nine successive defeats.

He destroyed the Sussex attack with 120 off 82 balls as Essex made light of the visitors` 215 for eight total to win by seven wickets with 12.4 overs to spare.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)