User:Sam Vimes/Sandbox2

See also: 2005 English cricket season

The period of the 2005 English cricket season between 1 and 14 May started with one-day games played on the 1 and 2 May. Middlesex established themselves at the top of Division One after winning their first three matches. Yorkshire and Durham were the unbeaten sides in the Second Division. This was followed by the first round of the C&G Trophy, which for the last time included the minor counties and Scotland, Holland, Denmark and Ireland. However, there were no upsets. Durham lost to Derbyshire by 1 wicket, and Leicestershire beat Somerset by 3 wickets in the only all first-class county fixtures.

The fourth round of the Championship saw Gloucestershire sent Glamorgan down for another heavy defeat, as title contenders Hampshire and Nottinghamshire win against Middlesex and Surrey respectively. Surrey were found guilty of ball-tampering in this match, which later led to all their cricketers being fined by Surrey, and to the loss of 8 Championship points. The Second Division saw wins for Durham, Essex, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Whilst these games were being played Loughborough UCCE chalked up the second victory for a UCCE side this season by thrashing Worcestershire by 8 wickets in a game the students dominated in throughout.

On 10 May the Bangladeshis got their tour off with a three-day game against the British Universities, which was drawn. The fifth round of the Championship saw Surrey dish out another defeat to Glamorgan as Middlesex and Sussex won. The Second Division saw Durham maintaining their lead at the top with a 9 wicket win against Lancashire. Worcestershire overcame bottom club Derbyshire, with Yorkshire beating Leicestershire in the only other decided game.

Middlesex v Worcestershire (1 May)
Middlesex (4pts) beat Worcestershire (0pts) by 3 wickets (D/L method)

The Worcestershire Royals put on 201 for 7 in their 44 overs, with David Leatherdale making 72 from 83 balls in an innings in which Graeme Hick became the heaviest scorer in the Sunday League's history. New Zealander Scott Styris took 3 wickets for Middlesex Crusaders, and kept the visitors from scoring freely. Middlesex made heavy work of overturning this total, even though they had 104 on the board before the first wicket fell. But ultimately they retained their 100% Sunday League record with 3 wickets and 1 over left. (BBC scorecard)

Lancashire v Nottinghamshire (1 May)
Lancashire (4pts) beat Nottinghamshire (0pts) by 1 run (D/L method)

Lancashire Lightning held on to win by 1 run after Nottinghamshire Outlaws needed 7 to win off the last over. Earlier new Englishman Stuart Law made 52 as the Lightning got to 178 for 8 off their 43 overs. England fans would have been pleased to see James Anderson take 3 for 18 from his 8 overs in reply as the Outlaws went to 170 for 6 with 12 balls to go, needing 9 to win. But Sajid Mahmood (who only conceded 2 from the penultimate over) and Dominic Cork saw Lancashire win a nailbiter. (BBC scorecard)

Northamptonshire v Hampshire (1 May)
Northamptonshire (4pts) beat Hampshire (0pts) by 98 runs

At Northampton, Northamptonshire Steelbacks' Bilal Shafayat struck a career-best 74 from 82 balls as Northants stormed to 266 for 9. Shafayat was dropped on 11 and 56, but congratulated by Hampshire captain, Shane Warne, who was taken for 53 in nine overs. Hampshire fell to 44 for 4 in reply and, despite 42 from Shaun Udal batting number eight, were never in the game as the Hawks were all out for 168. Northamptonshire seamer Ben Phillips took his second List A four-wicket-haul, removing Kevin Pietersen, John Crawley, Warne and Chris Tremlett on his way to four for 48. (BBC scorecard)

Somerset v Leicestershire (1 May)
Somerset (4pts) beat Leicestershire (0pts) by 8 wickets

The Leicestershire Foxes were restricted to 211 for 8 at Taunton, with Aaron Laraman the pick of the Somerset bowlers - his bowling analysis read 9-2-17-2. Four Leicestershire batsmen passed 30, yet the highest score of the innings was Paul Nixon's 41. John Francis and Keith Parsons then completed the win for the Sabres with 73 and 91 respectively, sharing a third-wicket partnership of 157. This gave Somerset their first win in any competition this season, and meant that the Foxes were still waiting for their first win. (BBC scorecard)

Scotland v Durham (1 May)
Match abandoned - Scotland (2pts), Durham (2pts)

This match, which was due to be played at the Citylets Grange, Edinburgh, was rained off without a ball being bowled. (BBC news)

Warwickshire v Kent (1 May)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Kent (0pts) by 19 runs

Nick Knight scored 122 off 125, the highest score of the National League season thus far, to boot the Bears up to 279 for 7 off their 45 overs. A spirited fightback from the Spitfires saw them hang in until the 44th over, but eventually, despite 82 from Martin van Jaarsveld and a 40-run last wicket stand between Simon Cook and Martin Saggers, they perished for 260 all out with 11 balls to go. (BBC scorecard)

Yorkshire v Sussex (1 May)
Yorkshire (4pts) beat Sussex (0pts) by 3 wickets

Richard Dawson and Craig White took 3 wickets apiece to help dismiss the Sharks for 157, as Sussex lost the last 7 wickets for 55 runs. Despite tight bowling from Mushtaq Ahmed on a damp pitch, the Phoenix eased to a win with 3 wickets and 27 balls remaining. Anthony McGrath (37) and Ian Harvey (30) shared a fifth-wicket stand of 63. (BBC scorecard)

Hampshire v Gloucestershire (2 May)
Gloucestershire (4pts) beat Hampshire (0pts) by 60 runs

Jon Lewis won the game for Gloucestershire Gladiators with 40 runs off 28 balls with the bat, and then taking out the Hampshire Hawks top order by taking 5 for 19 with the ball. Lewis had come in as a pinch hitter at number four after Matthew Windows retired hurt. It was the Gladiators won the toss at the Rose Bowl, Southampton and, thanks to Lewis and 63 from Phil Weston, they scored 210 for 9. Hampshire's innings was stopped by Lewis, and despite a 55-run partnership between John Crawley and Nic Pothas, it was never enough, and they finished on 150 all out. (BBC scorecard)

Nottinghamshire v Glamorgan (2 May)
Glamorgan (4pts) beat Nottinghamshire (0pts) by 4 runs (D/L method)

Glamorgan finally managed to record a win at Trent Bridge after two "no results". In an innings that turned out to be restricted to 38 overs, they scored 204 for 4, which by the Duckworth-Lewis method was converted into a target of 222 for the Nottinghamshire Outlaws. In reply the Outlaws were 52 for 4 before rearguard actions by David Hussey (68) and Chris Read (47) lifted them to a challenge. Despite two sixes from Samit Patel in his 40, Nottinghamshire fell 4 runs short of par to end on 217 for 8. (BBC scorecard)

Durham v Sussex (2 May)
No result - Durham (2pts), Sussex (2pts)

At Chester-le-Street Durham Dynamos won the toss and put Sussex Sharks in to bat. Steve Harmison bowled well for his 1 for 24 off 9 overs, though it was Michael Lewis who took the wickets, ending with 5 for 48. For the Sharks, Johannes van der Wath top scored with 80 and shared a 110-run partnership with Robin Martin-Jenkins to pull Sussex out from 60 for 5 to a final total of 182 for 7 in 45 overs. In reply the Dynamos slumped to 9 for 2 off 7.3 overs, losing both openers for ducks before rain came and finished the match 15 balls before Duckworth-Lewis could be applied. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Somerset v Surrey (2 May)
Somerset (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 99 runs (D/L method)

Surrey Lions were never in this game, which was played at Taunton. The Sabres totalled a mammoth 325 for 6 in their 44 overs, with Sanath Jayasuriya (61 off 49), Marcus Trescothick (52 off 43) and Keith Parsons (85 off 75) doing most of the damage. The Lions were never in the hunt in reply. Whilst Ali Brown top-scored with a 37-ball 65, including seven fours and three sixes, wickets fell at regular intervals, and they finally finished on 226 for 9, 99 behind. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Berkshire v Gloucestershire (3-4 May)
Gloucestershire beat Berkshire by 85 runs to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Berkshire did well at their home ground in Reading. Despite 80 from Phil Weston, Gloucestershire only made 223 from 49.3 overs. Apart from a second-wicket partnership worth 118 between Weston and Chris Taylor, wickets fell regularly, leaving the minor county in with a clear chance. Berkshire progressed well in reply, reaching 69 for 2 off 14 overs when rain halted play for the day. On the second day, however, Berkshire soon capitulated to 138, as Sri Lankan spinner Upul Chandana took 4 for 27. The last eight wickets fell for 26 runs. (BBC scorecard)

Buckinghamshire v Lancashire (3-4 May)
Lancashire beat Buckinghamshire by 51 runs (D/L method) to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Andrew Crook scored freely for Lancashire at Sir Paul Getty's Ground at Wormsley as he broke Lancashire's one-day record with his 162 not out. Glen Chapple gave support as he scored the competition's fastest ever half-century, making 55 in just 16 balls as the first-class team finished on 370 for 4. They were denied the chance to wrap up the win on the first day though, as rain halted play with Buckinghamshire on 39 for 2. No play was possible on the second day, and with 10.3 overs of Buckinghamshire's innings bowled, a decision was possible on the Duckworth-Lewis method.(BBC scorecard)

Denmark v Northamptonshire (3 May)
Northamptonshire beat Denmark by 8 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Northamptonshire's Charl Pietersen took 7 for 10 at Brøndby as Denmark fell to the competition's second lowest score in its history, for 56 all out. 24 of those runs were extras, with no Dane scoring more than 8 with the bat. Pietersen, who was playing in his debut match for the Northants first team said, "The ball was swinging about and they were perfect conditions for bowling. I just concentrated on getting the ball in the right areas and the conditions did the rest. I'm grateful for the opportunity I've been given by Northants. I'm here to learn and try to get myself in the first team on a regular basis. No cricketer wants to play second-team cricket and I'm no different. But one performance won't get me in, I've got to be consistent with my wicket-taking and my economy."

It took Northamptonshire one ball less than 17 overs to make 59 for 2 to win the match just before lunch as the Danes were humbled. Afterwards the Danish coach said, "We knew it was going to be difficult. We are short of money but we are trying to develop every time we play against different opposition. We have a lot of young players and it was good for them to test themselves against the professionals." (BBC scorecard)

Devon v Essex (3-4 May)
Essex beat Devon by 180 runs to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

No play was possible on the first day at Exmouth because of rain. When play started on what was a wettish pitch with a slow outfield Essex hit over the top and ended on 264 for 5 off their 50 overs, with Andy Flower and Ravinder Bopara recording half-centuries. Devon were not competitive in reply and soon succumbed, making only 84, although that could be seen as a recovery from 23 for 6 - a position they were in thanks to Essex pacers Andre Adams and Darren Gough, who shared three wickets each with the new ball. Neil Hancock, who turned out in two Twenty20 games and one National League match for Somerset in 2004, top scored with 40 despite batting at seven. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Holland v Warwickshire (3-4 May)
Warwickshire beat Holland by 23 runs to progress to the Second Round of the C&G Trophy

Nick Knight made 108 in Rotterdam to take Warwickshire to 237 for 5, despite five maidens being bowled by the Dutch. In reply Holland were 101 for 4 off 27 runs when rain prevented play for the first day, leaving them 137 to win off 23 overs on the second day. Daan van Bunge was doing well with 37 off 37 balls at close. Van Bunge was the mainstay of the reply on the second day, and the Dutch looked good as long as he and Billy Stelling were at the crease, and they led the way to 205 for 5 before Stelling was caught off Neil Carter. That precipitated a collapse, as the last 4 wickets went for 9 runs, and Warwickshire saved a 23-run victory. (BBC scorecard)

Ireland v Yorkshire (3-4 May)
Yorkshire beat Ireland by 6 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Ireland, trying to emulate their success in this competition against Surrey last year, fared poorly on the first day at Belfast. After being put into bat by Yorkshire, the visitors' fast bowler Matthew Hoggard took two wickets to help reduce them to 33 for 3 when rain put an end to proceedings for the day after 12.3 overs. After the play that was possible, Irish vice-captain Kyle McCallan said, "It was disappointing losing our top three batsmen so early on. But our strength is in our depth of batting. It's not the end of the world at the moment and we're still hoping to post a total of around 200."

On the second day they achieved this, reaching 201 thanks to half-centuries from Eoin Morgan and Peter Gillespie, but it was never going to be enough against Yorkshire. Half-centuries from Ian Harvey, Michael Vaughan and Phil Jaques saw the visitors home with 15 balls to spare as they made 202 for 4.(BBC scorecard)

Northumberland v Middlesex (3-4 May)
Middlesex beat Northumberland by 10 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Rain meant there was no play on the first day at Jesmond. On a second day where plenty of runs were available, Northumberland put on 206 for 8 with Stephen Humble making an unbeaten 88 from number 8 in the batting order. Middlesex in the shape of Ed Smith and Paul Weekes knocked them off in just 31.3 overs. Weekes ended up with 106, Middlesex' first List A century of the season. (BBC scorecard)

Wiltshire v Kent (3 May)
Kent beat Wiltshire by 9 runs to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Kent came close to being humiliated by the minor county Wiltshire at Salisbury as they were bowled out for 160, with Kevin Nash taking 4 for 46. In reply, Wiltshire were always in with a chance, but lost wickets regularly, with Simon Cook taking 4 for 22. However, with 10 runs needed off the last over, Nash was run out to seal a Kent win. (BBC scorecard)

Bedfordshire v Sussex (4 May)
Sussex beat Bedfordshire by 8 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Bedfordshire batted first at Luton. They progressed slowly, making their first 50 in the 23rd over. Whilst they improved to 143 for 9 in their 50 overs, it was never going to be enough. By way of comparison, it took Sussex six overs to reach their first 50, with Ian Ward (65 off 44) scoring most of the early runs, although admittedly batting was easier on the drying pitch. Sussex overhauled their modest target with 31.3 overs to go - almost two thirds of their allotted quota. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Durham v Derbyshire (4-5 May)
Derbyshire beat Durham by 1 wicket to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Durham put on 234 in their 50 overs at Chester-le-Street, mostly thanks Paul Collingwood, who scored 82 from 83 balls. Spin bowler Ant Botha took 4 for 44. In reply, Steve Harmison performed well, trapping Michael Di Venuto lbw with his third ball and, in a hostile and accurate spell, had Hassan Adnan caught at first slip. He ended with three for 45. Derbyshire were wobbling, but anchored by Chris Bassano who eked out 57 from 104 balls. This, along with 50 from Graeme Welch, kept Derbyshire in the game, but it needed a tenth wicket partnership of 16 between Botha and Kevin Dean to see them through on the last ball of the game. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Somerset (4 May)
Leicestershire beat Somerset by 3 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

It was an unusual game at Grace Road, which was all done by 3.30pm. The ball swung greatly, and there was seam movement, and Charl Willoughby of Leicestershire made the most of them first, taking 6 for 16 as Somerset were dismissed for 94 - though it could have been much worse, as they were 58 for 9 before Ian Blackwell and Simon Francis attacked and added 36 for the last wicket. Marcus Trescothick, the Somerset captain, who only made 11 said, "Conditions were not conducive to one-day cricket, that's for sure. Unfortunately, we lost the toss and had the worst of it, but we still thought we could win because we have more consistent length bowlers. Even 130 or so could have been a great score."

Leicestershire themselves struggled in reply, and Somerset took wickets regularly, reducing the hosts to 70 for 7. However, they were not able to take another, as Leicestershire ended on 96 for 7 - Otis Gibson and Claude Henderson adding 26 for the eighth wicket, Leicestershire's highest partnership of the match. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Scotland v Worcestershire (4-5 May)
Worcestershire beat Scotland by 10 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

The first day at the Citylets Grange saw no play because of rain. After losing the toss, Scotland were put in, and the bowlers immediately made it very difficult for Scotland. It took them six overs to make their first ten runs, and every time they tried to accelerate, they lost wickets. In the end, they could only muster 134 all out in 46.5 overs. Vikram Solanki and Stephen Moore made this target look easy, passing the required 135 runs without losing a wicket in 5 balls fewer than 20 overs. Both batsmen made half-centuries. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Shropshire v Hampshire (4 May)
Hampshire beat Shropshire by 7 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Shropshire batted first at Whitchurch, making only 132 as Shane Warne and Richard Logan took 3 wickets each. This was never a big enough target to hold off Hampshire. The crowd were treated to a powerful innings by England's new star one-day performer, Kevin Pietersen, who had been promoted to No. 1 in the batting order. He scored 76 off 49 balls in an innings that included six sixes and seven fours as Hampshire racked up 133 for 3 off 21.1 overs. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Staffordshire v Surrey (4 May)
Surrey beat Staffordshire by 3 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

Last year, Surrey were knocked out in Round One of this Trophy by Ireland, and so they would have come to Leek determined to avoid the same ignominy this time round. Staffordshire did push them hard, however. Staffordshire batted first, and made 186, with 23 wides showing how inaccurate the Surrey bowling was. In reply, ex-Middlesex bowler, David Follett, took 3 for 13 to reduce Surrey to a worrying 47 for 4. Then Mark Ramprakash came in, who steaded the Surrey ship with 49, before he was run out, leaving Surrey 45 to win off 62 balls with 4 wickets left. Rikki Clarke and Martin Bicknell got most of them, as Surrey won with 192 for 7 with 7 balls to go, Bicknell winning the game with a six. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Suffolk v Glamorgan (4 May)
Glamorgan beat Suffolk by 143 runs to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

After rain, play only began at 3pm at Bury St Edmunds with Glamorgan batting first. The highlight of their innings was an undefeated 100 from Matthew Elliott in 104 balls, with his partners contributing usefully as the visitors racked up an imposing 320 for 5. Suffolk were never in contention, and to spare the need for the match going into a second day, play continued in near-darkness to 8.40pm, with Glamorgan bowling their last 32 overs (all with spin, in order to make conditions playable for batsmen) in 80 minutes. Staffordshire finally finished on 177 for 8 off their 50 overs, recovering from 69 for 6. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Wales Minor Counties v Nottinghamshire (4 May)
Nottinghamshire beat Wales Minor Counties by 6 wickets to progress to Round Two of the C&G Trophy

After a four-and-a-half hour rain delay, Wales Minor Counties batted first at Swansea, and fared poorly. The only score of any note came from Willy Bragg, an 18-year-old left-hander, currently in the middle of his A-Level exams. He made an undefeated 41 runs, as Wales Minor Counties were dismissed for 119. Mark Ealham took 4 for 28 and Andrew Harris 3 for 31. Nottinghamshire were never really threatened, but did lose 4 wickets in making 121 off 26.2 overs. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Glamorgan v Gloucestershire (6-9 May)
Gloucestershire (22pts) beat Glamorgan (4pts) by 7 wickets

Gloucestershire batted first at Cardiff and didn't regret it. With the top four all making good contributions and the three first partnerships all accounting for more than fifty runs, Chris Taylor smashed his way to 176 off 185 balls with four sixes, letting himself loose after getting his century and hitting over 70 runs with the last 43 balls he faced. By [|stumps], Gloucestershire were 439 for 8, and well in control of the game. England ODI bowler Alex Wharf did the brunt of the bowling effort with 30.1 overs, getting Taylor out eventually, and finishing with three wickets for 127 as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 466 early on the second day.

Matthew Elliott and Ian Thomas started the reply well for the hosts Glamorgan, putting on 40 for the first wicket before Thomas departed, but the Gloucestershire seamers Jon Lewis and Alex Gidman utilised the conditions well to reduce Glamorgan to 48 for 4. Healthy and quick contributions from the lower order, led by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace, who made a half-century to lift Glamorgan to a slightly respectable 239. Following on, Glamorgan played more sensibly, and stumps were drawn when Glamorgan lost their first wicket of their second innings, Ian Thomas for 40.

The third day, however, was the day of the spinners. After Matt Elliott (123), David Hemp (57) and Michael Powell (39) lifted Glamorgan to 274 for 2 and a lead of 47, Sri Lankan leg-spinner Upul Chandana and all-rounder Ian Fisher shared the last eight wickets between them for 71 runs, Chandana finishing with five for 117 and Fisher with four for 89, and resulting in a target of 119 for Gloucestershire to win. Glamorgan had some hope when their spinners, Dean Cosker and Robert Croft took three wickets of their own to see Gloucestershire to 59 for 3 at close on day 3, but on the morning of day 4, there just wasn't any help left and Gloucestershire's experienced batsman Tim Hancock could guide the visitors to the target with a fine 41 not out. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Hampshire v Middlesex (6-9 May)
Hampshire (19pts) beat Middlesex (5pts) by 64 runs

Hampshire won a closely-fought match at the Rose Bowl by 64 runs despite the efforts with the ball by New Zealand and Middlesex all-rounder Scott Styris, who took his first ten-wicket haul of his career on a pitch that quickly deteriorated and in Styris' own words was "junk". With former England wicket-keeper John Crawley starring in the first innings, making a controlled 84 before being ninth out to Alan Richardson. There were disappointments for England fans, though, who had hoped that Kevin Pietersen would find some form - instead, he was out for a 10-ball duck in the first innings. Hampshire made 275 in their first innings, Alan Richardson and Scott Styris taking four wickets each.

Middlesex' reply would have been a sorry one but for a big partnership between Owais Shah (83) and Irish left-hander Ed Joyce (70), who continued his great form in the Championship, passing 400 runs in his third match of the season. The pair were the only ones who passed 35, but their fourth-wicket partnership of 166 was the highest in the match. However, leg spinner Shane Warne got the better of both of them in the end, as Joyce gave a return catch and Shah was stumped off the bowling of the Australian. With Hampshire losing two quick wickets to be 28 for 2 at the close, the match hung in the balance, with nightwatchman Billy Taylor on 0 and Australian batsman Simon Katich on 1.

Billy Taylor, however, played a special knock. Lasting 116 balls, he scored only 9 runs, but his stamina proved invaluable. He forged good partnerships with Katich and Crawley, giving Hampshire a good platform to hit loose from. Wicketkeeper Nic Pothas was top-scorer with 65, but Zimbabwe all-rounder Sean Ervine (30) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (44) also chipped in to lift Hampshire to 304. A spirited reply from Middlesex was always tampered by the Hampshire bowlers chipping away at their line-up patiently, and despite 52 from former Kent batsman Ed Smith, Middlesex were defeated as Chris Tremlett ripped out the tail, ending with four for 59 - just outperformed by Warne, who took four for 58. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Surrey v Nottinghamshire (6-9 May)
'Nottinghamshire (22pts) beat Surrey (3pts) by an innings and 71 runs

Nottinghamshire routed Surrey at the Brit Oval after Surrey self-destructed to Mark Ealham in the first innings. Surrey were looking for quick runs and got that, but didn't last fifty overs as Ealham took four of their men for 53 runs. James Benning was top-scorer with 56 runs off 43 balls, with nine fours and a six, and Surrey finished with 217 in 49.1 overs. By contrast, Darren Bicknell and Jason Gallian scored at a more sedate pace for Nottinghamshire, plodding along at 3.5 runs an over - but got the runs. An opening partnership of 178 gave Nottinghamshire the edge, and despite losing Anurag Singh for a duck, they were only trailing by thirteen runs at stumps.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming then had a blast for Nottinghamshire. With everything going wrong for Surrey, they just couldn't find any bite, conceded 26 runs off no-balls, and were penalised five runs for ball-tampering, while Fleming smashed 238 runs for his third double-century of his career. With partnerships of 150 runs or more with both Gallian and Australian David Hussey, all the Surrey bowlers were smashed, as Nottinghamshire eased their way to 580 for 4 at stumps on day 2 and eventually 692 for 7 declared. Despite Surrey batting with more composure in the second innings, surviving for 141 overs, the damage was done, and even a two-hour break for rain couldn't save them as they were bowled out for 404, Graeme Swann taking four for 94 with his off-spin while the former England batsman Mark Ramprakash scored his third century of the Championship season with a six-hour 107. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Durham v Somerset (6-9 May)
Durham (19pts) beat Somerset (5pts) by four wickets

Durham saw off the Andrew Caddick scare against Somerset to win a close match by four wickets. Somerset chose to bat after winning the toss at Stockton-on-Tees, in the first match at this ground in six years. England fast bowler Steve Harmison continued his return to form, removing both Somerset openers, but conceded many runs in the process, and it was England ODI all-rounder Paul Collingwood who was the star, taking the wickets of the Somerset top-scorers James Hildreth (caught by Gareth Breese for 70) and Ian Blackwell (bowled for 48) in addition to the three last lower-order wickets. Somerset were all out for 252 in just 63.3 overs.

In reply, Durham struggled with playing Andrew Caddick, as he removed four Durham batsmen for single-figure scores. Only Liam Plunkett (74 not out) and Mark Davies (62) managed to play Caddick with some success, and that was on the second day - at stumps on day one, Caddick had taken five wickets and reduced Durham to 141/7. Plunkett and Davies, batting at 8 and 10 respectively, saved the innings to 298 all out and a lead of 46 runs - while Caddick was taken around to end with six for 106.

Harmison and Collingwood continued in the style of the first innings, although this time it was the real pace bowler who took the most wicket. On the afternoon of the second day, he again took both openers - including England opener Marcus Trescothick, and when Ian Blackwell (87) and Andrew Caddick threatened to run away with it with their partnership of 78 for the last wicket, it was Harmison who got Blackwell out, caught by Liam Plunkett. Durham were set a tricky target of 243, but the Jamaican-born all-rounder Gareth Breese saw off the challenge of Caddick, who took yet another six-for - this time for 98 - to end with match figures of 12 for 104. Unfortunately, he was the only bowler to dig in, and Michael Hussey (51), Dale Benkenstein (51) and the aforementioned Breese with 79 not out saw Durham reach the target to preserve their unbeaten run in the Championship. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Leicestershire (6-9 May)
Essex (21pts) beat Leicestershire (3.5pts) by six wickets

In a relatively closely fought game at Chelmsford, the Essex team showed more resilience than the visitors, with nearly everyone chipping in to give the hosts a relatively comfortable victory. It started with a good bowling effort on the first day, after Ronnie Irani had chosen to put Leicestershire in. It nearly backfired, Darren Robinson and Darren Maddy easing their way to 98 for no loss, but the part-time medium pace of Essex number three Ravinder Bopara got Maddy out, resulting in a mini-collapse to 167 for 8. David Masters (27) and Phil DeFreitas (20) saved the innings somewhat, but Leicestershire's final total of 220 off 81 overs meant that Essex looked like being in the drivers' seat. Dale Steyn, the young South African pace bowler with three Test caps, took three for 69 on Essex debut, but Darren Gough was the pick of the bowlers with three for 46 - including Robinson, Paul Nixon for a golden duck and DeFreitas.

With every Essex batsman except number 11 Steyn (run out for 0) scoring in double figures, Essex showed a real team effort, with in-form opener William Jefferson top-scoring with 93 as Essex got into a relatively comfortable lead of 142. Leicestershire fought back well on the third day, though, having lost Maddy before stumps on the second day to be 57 for 1. Robinson, Dinesh Mongia, Aftab Habib and HD Ackerman all passed 30, and Claude Henderson chipped in with a fine 55 from number 9, as Leicestershire made their way to a lead of 190. Only Gough showed consistent threat, taking four wickets for 60, while Steyn again became too inconsistent - he conceded 102 runs in his 21-over effort, although he did get the wickets of Robinson and Otis Gibson.

Essex had the entire fourth day to secure their victory, but didn't slouch - their 191 runs were up inside 44.2 overs, England A left-hander Alastair Cook the fastest scorer with 59 off 69 balls while Zimbabwean keeper Andy Flower finished with 74 not out to lead Essex to their target. To compound Leicestershire's misery, they were deducted half a point for a slow over rate. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Derbyshire (6-9 May)
Lancashire (22pts) beat Derbyshire (3pts) by an innings and 72 runs

Derbyshire batted first at Old Trafford, but fared poorly, being dismissed for 215, with Luke Sutton top-scoring with 95. No one else passed 40, however. James Anderson took 4 for 62, and was the pick of the Lancashire bowlers. In reply, Lancashire made 65 for no loss at stumps on the first day.

Lancashire continued their dominance on the second day, although only 40 overs were possible as they progressed to 175 for 1. The third day saw them finally dismissed for 469, with Mal Loye (101) and Stuart Law (112) making centuries. By close Derbyshire had progressed to 81 for 1, leaving them at least the possibility of a draw. However, that wasn't to be as they plummeted to 182 all out. Spin bowler Gary Keedy was the hero for the home side, taking 6 for 60. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Yorkshire v Northamptonshire (6-9 May)
Yorkshire (20pts) beat Northamptonshire (5pts) by 10 wickets

Northamptonshire were dismissed for 281 on the first day at Headingley, with Deon Kruis taking 5 for 59. It was a recovery of sorts, as Ben Phillips and Johann Louw put on 95 for the eighth wicket, but Anthony McGrath ended the visitors' resistance with three wickets. Yorkshire were 30 for 0 in reply at the end of the first day. Phil Jaques dominated the second day, with his 176, which helped Yorkshire to an all out total of 328, a small lead of 47. His fellow Australian Damien Wright recorded what turned out to be Northamptonshire's best bowling figures, ending with eight for 60. Northants were 9 for 0 at stumps on the second day.

On the third day, ten-man Northamptonshire capitulated. They lost their first wicket without a run being added, and never really got going, being 115 for 7 at close on the third day, and being dismissed for 175 and setting a target of 129 on the fourth. It was clear they were not going to win, and Yorkshire gave them no chances, winning by 10 wickets. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Worcestershire v Loughborough UCCE (8-10 May)
Loughborough UCCE beat Worcestershire by 8 wickets

Loughborough UCCE had a good firsdt day at Kidderminster, putting on 233 for the loss of 4 wickets. Loughborough's Richard Clinton, who also played thirteen first class games for Surrey this season, made 106, and put on 197 for the first wicket with Edward Foster. They then went on to dominate Worcestershire on the second day. After declaring on 304 for 6, Steven Clark took 5 for 29 as the county team was dismissed for a miserly 133 - with four batsmen, including both openers, making ducks. Only two Worcestershire players, Zander de Bruyn (81) and Jamie Pipe (23) reached double figures. Worcester made 68 for 2 following-on by stumps on the second day.

The third day saw the students wrap up a convincing victory, dismissing Worcestershire for 209 before rattling off the winning runs to finish on 41 for 2. This gave Loughborough UCCE their first first-class win since they were given first-class status three years ago, and represents the second win for a student side of the season (after Bradford/Leeds UCCE beat Surrey). (Cricinfo scorecard)

Scotland v Kent (8 May)
Kent (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 93 runs (D/L method)

Kent Spitfires demolished the Scottish Saltires at their home ground in a rain-haunted match. Winning the toss and bowling, Scotland didn't quite get the wickets they wanted, the South African Martin van Jaarsveld top-scoring for Kent with 57 while Darren Stevens smashed 51 off 30 balls towards the end. Scotland's innings was frequently interrupted by rain and Darren Stevens' bowling - he took five for 32, his first career five-for, as Scotland crawled to 134 all out in 32.2 overs - 94 short of the adjusted target, coincidentally exactly the same as Kent had made, but shortened by seven overs. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Sussex v Warwickshire (8 May)
Sussex (4pts) beat Warwickshire (0pts) by 44 runs (D/L method)

Sussex Sharks had England wicket-keeper Matt Prior and former Zimbabwe batsman Murray Goodwin to thank for their imposing win over the Bears. Prior scored 144 - a career best score - and Goodwin 79 to lift Sussex to a massive 283 for 7, Zimbabwe all-rounder Heath Streak the only bowler with reasonably respectable figures of three for 39 off 9 overs. The reply was shortened by rain, setting Warwickshire 198 to win off 30 overs, but after 48 from Neil Carter there was little left in the Warwickshire reply as they finished on 153 for 7. (Cricinfo scorecard)

British Universities v Bangladeshis (10-12 May)
British Universities drew with the Bangladeshis

The Bangladeshis started their tour of England with an easy warm-up game against British Universities. The Bangladeshis batted first at a chilly Fenner's, but with an unbeaten century from Javed Omar they finished the rain-affected first day on a comfortable 238 for 3, after being reduced to 99 for 3. The second day was also a successful one for the tourists. Omar finished on 167 and Mohammad Ashraful scored 102 as the Bangladeshis finished on 381. In reply, British Universities stuttered to 82 for 5, before Luke Parker and Josh Knappett steadied the ship, leaving the students on 190 for 5 at close, with a draw the most likely result on the third day.

The students finished their innings on 238 on the final day, and the Bangladeshis opted for batting practice, finishing on 246 for 4 declared. Overall, a pleasing first game for the Bangladeshis. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Sussex v Warwickshire (10-12 May)
Sussex (21pts) beat Warwickshire (2pts) by an innings and 87 runs

Michael Yardy (88) and Murray Goodwin (108) as Sussex made 282 for 6 on the first day at Hove. Batting was not easy, with Heath Streak, Dewald Pretorius and Neil Carter all swinging the ball. On the second day, Sussex moved to 412 all out, and in reply, defending champions Warwickshire made 141 for 5. There was worse news for England cricket fans as Ashley Giles was unable to field because of a strained hip flexor muscle. Giles said, "It's a shame because it's been going really well. It's the best start to a season I've had but the hip was a bit stiff last week and it got worse yesterday. I haven't had this kind of injury before so, even without the England situation, it would be stupid to make it any worse."

On the third day, Sussex completed the match. Warwickshire were all out for 179, and then, following-on they were dismissed again for 146. Fifteen wickets fell in 64 overs as the Sussex bowlers made the most of an erratically bouncing pitch. It was Warwickshire's first Championship loss since the last day of the 2003 season. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Kent v Hampshire (11-14 May)
Kent (10pts) drew with Hampshire (10pts)

Hampshire put on 328 in only 73.3 overs on the first day at Canterbury, helped greatly by a maiden 72-ball first-class century by Shane Warne, who came in with the score on 130 for 7. First class debutant wicket-keeper Tim Burrows scored 42, sharing a 131-run stand with Warne. In reply, Kent were 135 for 3 at stumps, with David Fulton scoring a half-century.

On the second day, Kent were all out for 305, Hampshire making 191 for 2 in reply, putting them firmly in the box seat. The day's honours went to Simon Katich, who was on 125 at close, and with Kevin Pietersen also scoring a century on day three, Hampshire were able to declare on 461 for 9, setting a mammoth target of 485. Kent were 121 for 2 in reply when time was called.

The fourth and final day saw Kent pull off a draw after they attempted to win. When the eighth wicket fell at 370, the tailenders looked for the draw, which they achieved as Kent reached their highest-ever fourth innings total of 447 for 9. Kent's innings featured 77 from Martin van Jaarsveld as six other batsmen scored more than 35. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Middlesex v Gloucestershire (11-13 May)
Middlesex (21pts) beat Gloucestershire (4pts) by 340 runs

Middlesex won convincingly at Lord's. Ed Joyce continued with his good form, top-scoring with 75 as Middlesex made 390 all out, their highest score of the season so far, on the first day. Gloucestershire faced out a maiden over before the close of play. On the second day, in conditions still favouring the batsmen, 5 wickets from Alan Richardson and 4 from Melvyn Betts saw the visitors crumble to 232. Only Craig Spearman passed 30 for Gloucestershire, as he spent 144 minutes making 69. Middlesex were 93 for 3 in their second innings at stumps.

Middlesex batted for another 62 overs, allowing Owais Shah to make his century, and Ed Joyce 93, before declaring on 342 for 6, leaving Gloucestershire a theoretical 501 to win. Their batting was worse than in their first innings as another 3 wickets from Richardson and 4 from Betts saw them all out for a miserable 160. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Surrey v Glamorgan (11-14 May)
Surrey (22pts) beat Glamorgan (6pts) by 276 runs

Glamorgan went down to another heavy defeat, this time to Surrey, who were themselves humbled by Nottinghamshire in their previous game. There was a short boundary towards the Harleyford Road, over which Scott Newman (117) and Ali Brown (122) hit plenty of runs to take Surrey to 441 for 7 on the first day. They lost their final three wickets on the second day for just 3 more runs. Glamorgan then failed to show the right application, being dismissed for 345 with Martin Bicknell taking 6 for 74. The last 3 Glamorgan partnerships added 154 runs, with No. 9 David Harrison top-scoring with 75 not out. Such was the high-scoring at the Oval that Surrey were 66 for no loss at stumps on the second day.

On the third day, Newman (219) became the first man to make both a century and a double century in a game for Surrey as they finally declared on 425 for 4, leaving a theoretical target of 525. Bicknell then took his 1,000th wicket for Surrey as Glamorgan battled to 177 for 2 at close, with David Hemp and Mike Powell on 77 and 80 not out respectively. The game was over before lunch on the fourth day, with Rikki Clarke and Mohammad Akram got reverse swing to take 3 and 4 wickets respectively, as Glamorgan were reduced to 248 all out. Their last 7 wickets fell for 28 runs. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Durham (11-13 May)
Durham (20pts) beat Lancashire (3pts) by 9 wickets

Durham recorded another comprehensive win, this time at Old Trafford. After winning the toss, Lancashire were skittled out for 199, and with Durham making 92 for 2 by close on the first day, they were well on top. This continued on the second day, with Michael Hussey making 144 and wicket-keeper Philip Mustard 77 before they were all out for 338. Muttiah Muralitharan took 5 for 107, bowling 39 of Lancashire's 107 overs. Lancashire were struggling again at 135 for 5 at close, and only managed to make it to 173 on the third day, as Andrew Flintoff was the only Lancashire batsman to pass 20. Durham knocked off the 35 runs required for the loss of one wicket. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Yorkshire (11-14 May)
Yorkshire (17pts) beat Leicestershire (5pts) by six wickets

Yorkshire made an epic comeback against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Leicestershire won the toss and batted, scoring 278 with HD Ackerman top-scoring with a quick 85 not out - forging partnerships with everyone from 6 to 11, who were asked to block at the other end and thus were all out in single figures. After the Barbadian pace bowler Ottis Gibson had reduced Yorkshire to 151, getting Matthew Wood, Phil Jaques and Ian Harvey out in his 6-56, Leicestershire began the task of assembling a big lead. Everyone made some sort of contribution, but the most intriguing decision of the day was captain Ackerman's - with the lead of 403 and well over a day and a half left to play, he decided not to send fellow countryman Charl Willoughby in to bat and declared instead, thinking he would be more use with the new ball.

It backfired spectacularly. Wood (48), Jaques (37), Michael Vaughan (53) and Harvey (47) all made entertaining knocks, but it was Anthony McGrath who stole the show with a five-and-a-half-hour 165 not out - the grindstone of Yorkshire's amazing runchase, the highest in the Championship this season - indeed, the highest fourth-innings run chase in the club's history. Leicestershire's bowlers were smashed to all corners, Phil DeFreitas the only one who escaped with some respectability as he took two for 50 in eleven overs. Gibson, Leicestershire's best performer of the first innings, conceded 124 for no wicket the second time around. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Northamptonshire v Essex (11-14 May)
Northamptonshire (12pts) drew with Essex (6pts)

At Northampton the home side batted first. Bilal Shafayat (153) and Usman Afzaal (168) scored two huge centuries to help Northamptonshire to 552 for 7 declared. When Essex finally got to bat, it was a different story, with the batsmen, particularly the tail, struggling. Johann Louw took 6 for 51, as Essex subsided to 178. The follow-on was enforced, and from then on the bat dominated again. Alastair Cook made a career-best 195 in 513 minutes, supported by Zimbabwean Andy Flower, who made 142 not out, as Essex eased to the draw at 495 for 6 declared. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Worcestershire v Derbyshire (11-14 May)
Worcestershire (22pts) beat Derbyshire (5pts) by 9 wickets

Worcestershire's Stephen Moore dominated the first innings, making 246 as they climbed to 478. The score would have been a lot less if it weren't for Jamie Pipe, who came in with the score on 300 for 8 and put on 80, sharing a 173-run stand with Moore - eight short of the county ninth-wicket record from 1907. In reply Derbyshire were bowled out for 263, with no player making a half-century. The follow-on was enforced and Derbyshire did do better, but their 314 set Worcester a target of 100, which they easily knocked off for the loss of one wicket. Derbyshire's second innings included 7 lbws. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Scotland v Somerset (11 May)
Somerset (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 16 runs

Somerset Sabres won thanks to a slogging effort by all-rounder Ian Blackwell who rescued them from a potentially dangerous position at Edinburgh. Winning the toss and batting, Scottish Saltires' bowlers Asim Butt, Majid Haq and Paul Hoffmann (who bowled 9 overs for 14 runs) tied the visitors down to 145 for 5 before Blackwell came on. Blackwell then proceeded to slam everything out of sight, smacking six sixes and seven fours in his 86 and lifting Somerset to 264 for 7. Colin Smith was the star of Scotland's reply, making 67, but they were never seriously in the chase, especially after Andrew Caddick removed Pakistani all-rounder Yasir Arafat and Smith. (Cricinfo scorecard)