Carter the unstoppable six machine earns record

<preform>Warwickshire 343-4 Northamptonshire 270</br> <i>(Warks win by 73 runs)</i></preform>

One over does not make a cricket match yet if ever six deliveries foretold a result then they can rarely have done so with greater authority than the seventh over here yesterday, in which Warwickshire's Neil Carter biffed his way to a recordand launched his side towards the semi-finals of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

One over does not make a cricket match yet if ever six deliveries foretold a result then they can rarely have done so with greater authority than the seventh over here yesterday, in which Warwickshire's Neil Carter biffed his way to a recordand launched his side towards the semi-finals of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

More effective than elegant, Carter subjected Steffan Jones, the Northamptonshire strike bowler, to an extraordinary assault that yielded four-four-four-six-four-six. Only Viv Richards (34 off Gloucestershire's David Graveney at Taunton in 1977) and Ian Botham (30 off Derbyshire's Roger Finney on the same ground five years later) have scored more heavily in a single over in English one-day cricket and Carter's 28 is the highest single-over tally in this competition since it began as the Gillette Cup in 1963.

That two of the boundaries, including the first of the sixes, were edged hardly mattered. The previous record of 26, shared by David Hughes (for Lancashire against Northamptonshire's Bishan Bedi in the 1976 final) and Graeme Hick (off Essex's Paul Grayson at Chelmsford in 1997), was eclipsed and Warwickshire were set fair for a victorious total.

Much to the embarrassment of David Sales, the visiting captain, it came after he had won the toss and decided to field, although it must be assumed it was out of a preference for chasing rather than any suspicions about the pitch on a breezy but hot day. In those conditions, Warwickshire revelled.

Indeed, Carter's contribution - 43 from only 18 balls - was a mere eighth of the total, captain Nick Knight and Ian Bell adding 114 for the third wicket before an unbroken partnership of 159 over the final 20 overs between Jonathan Trott (65 from 68 balls) and Bradley Hogg (94 from 61).

Hogg's effort, finished in style when he scooped the last ball of the innings, off Johann Louw, over deep backward square for six, rightly earned the man-of-the-match award, although Carter and Dougie Brown (five wickets for 43) were contenders.

Northamptonshire chased well enough, Jeff Cook, Martin van Jaarsfeld, Sales, Graeme Swann and Ben Phillips all scoring quickly. Had they not run out of wickets in the 44th over, they were on course to go close.

However, after eight wins in 11 matches in all cricket before yesterday, Warwickshire's confidence was high and their fielding enthusiastic. Bell's catch on the run at wide long-on was critical, halting Sales on 52.