Cricket: Bicknell's best wasted

SURREY'S bid to keep their 100 per cent Sunday League record fell foul of the weather, as did most of the rest of the programme, writes Richard Wetherell. It would have been especially galling for Martin Bicknell. He whipped out the first five Northamptonshire batsmen at a cost of 12 runs to record his best Sunday figures. But two prolonged heavy showers rescued Northamptonshire, having reached the giddy heights of 53 for 7.

It was a strange day for Allan Lamb who, after attending the christening of a nephew of the Princess of Wales, took a helicopter back to London for the sake of six runs.

Dermot Reeve took advantage of the early abandonment of the Texaco Trophy and a delayed start at Taunton to lead Warwickshire to a five-wicket victory. Chasing Somerset's 105 off 20 overs they lost Brian Lara for just 11 but Paul Smith recovered from that shock to score 41. With his team behind the run-rate Reeve hit Mushtaq Ahmed for two sixes in three balls.

Mike Atherton, the England captain, also made the dash from Lord's. He went down the A2 to turn out at Canterbury. No personal success came from this trip - he made two - but Lancashire recorded their first victory over a county this year. John Crawley hit 91, a personal best, as Kent could make no inroads. He put on 157 with Graham Lloyd to guide the visitors to an eight-wicket win.