Time to get lucky

Martyn Moxon hopes that his luck is about to change in the second half of the summer with Ian Pattison now recovered from a serious shoulder injury, Gavin Hamilton on the road back and the emergence of the 20-year-old Scot Kyle Coetzer, who made an impressive debut against Glamorgan.

"Ian will take time to start firing after a very serious injury but it will be good to have some depth in the bowling when both are back in form," the coach says. "Kyle played a very encouraging innings in Cardiff.

He was recommended to us as a youngster and was one of our academy players who is now on the staff. He stayed in, which isn't as daft as it sounds, and showed he can build an innings. He has good balance, sound temperament and went on to show he wasn't afraid to use his feet to the spinners."

Moxon is not so happy at losing Shoaib Akhtar who has been recalled to train with the Pakistan side after initially being told he could stay until late August. Another setback was suffered when the fast bowler Liam Plunkett went down with a swollen disc which could keep him out for some time. More trouble followed with Nicky Peng missing for some time with a very bad dislocation of his shoulder.

Though they were bottom of the heap in the Championship at halftime, the one-day form has been better.

Moment of the month A black one, losing to Scotland