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See also: 2005 English cricket season

The period of the 2005 English cricket season from 1 to 14 June started with the eighth round of the Championship. In the first division Hampshire beat title rivals Nottinghamshire and Kent beat Gloucestershire over three days, and then lost 8 points for the poor quality of the Maidstone pitch. The other First Division matches were draws, with Glamorgan avoiding defeat after following-on against Sussex. The Second Division saw four draws. Meanwhile, the students of Cambridge UCCE edged past Middlesex by 2 wickets. The Second Test between England and Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street was another one-sided affair. 5 wickets from Steve Harmison, on his home ground, helped dismiss the Bangladeshis for 104. Trescothick's 151, Ian Bell's 162 not out and Graham Thorpe's 66 not out saw England to 447 for 3 declared. Although Bangladesh did better in their second innings, their 316 saw them lose by an innings and 27 runs.

After another totesport League round, the top division of the Championship continued with Kent thrashing Glamorgan, Warwickshire thrashing Gloucestershire and local rivals Surrey and Middlesex drawing. In the Second Division, Durham pulled away further at the top with another win, this time against Essex, with Worcestershire also scoring a win against Somerset. However, the main focus was on the warm-up games for the NatWest Series and the first ever Twenty20 International between England and Australia. The only surprise in the warm-ups was a welcome win for Bangladesh over Worcestershire, the first Bangladeshi victory of the tour, which provided a welcome confidence boost to the Bangladeshis before they took on England and Australia in the NatWest Series.

The Twenty20 International on 13 June saw England score 179 for 8, a total probably 20 above the par score at the Rose Bowl. The Australian innings was a dream for the English bowlers, as Darren Gough took 3 wickets and Jon Lewis 4, and the Australians were reduced to 31 for 7. Ultimately they were dismissed for 79, and the first skirmish of the Australian tour was won by the English by 100 runs. Lord's hosted a 50-over match between the next day as part of the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal to raise funds to help countries hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December. A Marylebone Cricket Club side including Shaun Pollock, Sourav Ganguly and Stephen Fleming beat an International XI that included Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Shane Warne and Graeme Smith by 112 runs.

Glamorgan v Sussex (1-4 June)
Sussex (12pts) drew with Glamorgan (8pts)

Glamorgan avoided defeat again despite following on at Swansea, mainly thanks to the first day being rained off. On the second day, which was also shortened, Sussex scored 225 for 2 after Glamorgan won the toss and put them in. Two Sussex batsmen reached their highest scores of 2005 on the third morning, as Richard Montgomerie ended with 184 not out - 12 off his career best - and Murray Goodwin reached 158. Sussex finally declared on 497 for 5, and in reply Matthew Elliott made 85 and David Hemp 128 and Glamorgan reached 301, which was not enough to avoid the follow-on. The experienced fast bowler Jason Lewry took six for 77 for Sussex, while the Welsh team's new import, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, scored a duck in his first innings. However, Glamorgan comfortably achieved a draw with Matthew Elliott striking 162 in the second innings. When time was called, Glamorgan were on 354 for 3. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Kent v Gloucestershire (1-3 June)
Kent (18pts) beat Gloucestershire (3pts) by 7 wickets Kent deducted 8pts because of the poor quality of the pitch

Kent may have some cause to regret playing this match in their outground at Maidstone even though they secured a comfortable victory against Gloucestershire, as they ended up being fined 8pts for the poor quality of the pitch. Gloucestershire could only manage 183 in their first innings, and only 98 in their second, while Irish wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien held nine catches. Kent's bowlers all contributed, as Simon Cook, Andrew Hall and Amjad Khan took five wickets each. Kent made 204 in their first innings despite Mark Hardinges 5 for 51, and lost only 3 wickets in reaching their second-innings target of 78. No batsman made 40 in the entire match, and despite some overs on the first day being lost to rain, the game was over in 3 days. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Nottinghamshire v Hampshire (1-4 June)
Hampshire (17pts) beat Nottinghamshire (4pts) by 14 runs

Hampshire pulled off a close win on the final day against their title rivals. There was no play on the first day at Trent Bridge because of rain. When play did get underway, Hampshire batted first, making 277 as Andrew Harris took 6 for 83. Nine Hampshire batsmen made double-figure scores, with only Kevin Pietersen (two-ball 0) and No. 11 Richard Logan dismissed for a one-digit score. More rain meant that Nottinghamshire were only on 222 for 5 in reply by the end of the third day. With both teams eager for the 14 points on offer for an outright victory, terms were agreed to between the two sides. Nottinghamshire declared overnight, and Hampshire replied by hitting 220 for 4 off 28.3 overs. These overs were bowled by Jason Gallian, David Hussey and Darren Bicknell - players who on average bowled a couple of overs a match, but who now bowled as Hampshire were invited to score quickly. Hussey got career best figures of four for 105. Nottinghamshire were set 276 to win, and a century from Stephen Fleming saw the hosts to 227 for 3, but after that they collapsed, losing their last five wickets for three runs, with Chris Tremlett taking 5 for 80, including a hat-trick as Hampshire edged the victory. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Surrey v Warwickshire (1-4 June)
Surrey (10pts) drew with Warwickshire (8pts)

Surrey had the better of the first three days at Whitgift School, which is located in Croydon and is now in its fifth year as a festival venue. Richard Clinton and Jonathan Batty both made 84 to bring up a first innings total of 340 for the hosts, and Mohammad Akram then took 5 for 51 as the defending champions were all out for 209 on the second day, and Scott Newman survived five overs with Clinton, adding 14 runs. Surrey declared on 310 for 7, which gave them just over a day to bowl out Warwickshire. Despite fine bowling from Harbhajan Singh, who was making his Surrey debut, the Warwickshire batsmen held up well with Michael Powell and Alex Loudon putting on an unbeaten partnership of 131 to see them safe on 222 for 3 at close. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Essex v Derbyshire (1-4 June)
Derbyshire (11pts) drew with Essex (9pts)

Derbyshire batted first at Chelmsford, and they put on a commanding 462 with Stephen Stubbings making 92 and Graeme Welch 112. Essex lost quick wickets in reply, going to 34 for 4, but the tail wagged greatly with Ronnie Irani, James Foster and James Middlebrook all getting half-centuries as the hosts made 320. Derbyshire, who were without a win all season, probably erred in delaying their declaration to lunchtime on the fourth day, at 236 for 3, with Michael Di Venuto making 110. A half-century from Alastair Cook and a maiden first-class century from Ravinder Bopara saw Essex through to the draw on 245 for 5, well short of their theoretical target of 379. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Northamptonshire (1-4 June)
Lancashire (7pts) drew with Northamptonshire (7pts)

There was no play on the first day at Old Trafford because of rain. The weather on the second day allowed only 54 overs, and in that time Northamptonshire made 148 for 5. They were all out for 175 on the third day, after James Anderson took 3 and Muttiah Muralitharan 4 wickets. Lancashire fared worse in reply, slumping to 27 for 5 and 35 for 6, before recovering slightly to 149 all out thanks to 48 from veteran wicket-keeper Warren Hegg. Northants lost 2 quick wickets in their second innings, before ending the third day on 94 for 3. This left a small chance of victory on the final day, but it wasn't to happen. Muralitharan took 4 quick wickets, but the visitors still made 225, a target of 252 runs. Lancashire were saved by captain Mark Chilton who kept his wicket as all about were losing theirs. The opener finished on 113 not out, as Lancashire saved the match ending on 188 for 8. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Somerset (1-4 June)
Leicestershire (10pts) drew with Somerset (7pts)

Rain prevented any play on the first day at Oakham. The second day saw Leicestershire score 294 for 7, with HD Ackerman striking a century. They finished their innings on 338 a few overs into the third morning. Somerset did not apply themselves well in their reply, as they were dismissed cheaply for 105, and Leicestershire enforced the follow-on with a lead of 233 and just over a day still to play. John Francis scored a battling century as Somerset worked hard for the draw on the last day. They lost only 3 wickets as they effectively put up shop, scoring 225 in 100 overs to get the 4 points. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Worcestershire v Durham (1-4 June)
Worcestershire (9pts) drew with Durham (9pts)

The first day at Worcester was washed out by rain. Durham batted to 256 when they finally got a chance to bat on the second day, but more rain meant Worcestershire could only get to 226 for 7 at close on the third day, and a draw was a formality. This was confirmed with the innings closing at 267 all out, and Durham chose not to chase a victory, declaring on 180 for 2 with Paul Collingwood on 103 not out when stumps were drawn on the final day. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Cambridge UCCE v Middlesex (1-3 June)
Cambridge UCCE beat Middlesex by 2 wickets

Cambridge UCCE's last game against county opposition of the season was against Middlesex at Fenner's, and the students recorded their first first class victory of the year. In 45 overs of possible play on the first day, Middlesex amassed 182 for 2, with Benjamin Hutton making an unbeaten century. They lost Hutton for 111 on the second morning, but pushed onward to 273 for 3 before declaration, and then dismissed Cambridge UCCE for a sorry 151 before reaching 101 for 3 by close on the second day. On the third day they sportingly declared on 154 for 3, leaving Cambridge UCCE to get 277. Despite 75 from Thomas Webley, they looked down and out at 182 for 7. But Garry Park and Tony Palladino, who also played first-class cricket for Essex in 2005, stayed in shared a 76-run partnership before Palladino was caught behind for 30. The remaining runs were then knocked off by Park, who finished on 48, and Philip Edwards, leaving the students narrow victors. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Yorkshire v Bradford/Leeds UCCE (1-3 June)
Yorkshire beat Bradford/Leeds UCCE by 5 wickets

Bradford/Leeds UCCE's last game against first-class opposition of the season was against Yorkshire at Headingley. The first day was washed out by rain, before both teams subsided for low scores on the second day. First Bradford/Leeds UCCE were all out for 105 with Yorkshireman David Lucas taking 6 for 20 off his 9 overs. In reply Yorkshire managed only 151, despite Simon Guy adding 51 for the sixth wicket with Lucas, and there was still time for Bradford/Leeds to lose 3 wickets for 12 runs before close on the second day. On the third day there was some resistance from James Duffy (49, the highest score of the match) and Mohammed Ali (47), but the students could only make it to 161, leaving Yorkshire a target of 116. They lost 5 wickets in knocking off the runs. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Second Test: England v Bangladesh (3-5 June)
Michael Vaughan won the toss again, just like in the first Test, and put Bangladesh into bat. A thoroughly professional bowling performance from the England bowlers followed, with Harmison, playing at his home ground, making the most of the conditions to take 5 wickets as the clearly outclassed Bangladeshis succumbed for 104. Only Javed Omar and Khaled Mashud made it into double figures. In reply, England quickly overcame the deficit for the loss of just Andrew Strauss, the only English batter who averaged less than 80 in this Test series. By close on the first day England were 269 for 3, with pundits reckoning the game would not reach the third day.

On the second day, Ian Bell became the first Englishman to score 100 before lunch in a Test match for 70 years, the last one being Les Ames, as both Bell and Thorpe hit out ahead of the predicted lunchtime declaration, which happened with England on 447 for 3. What followed was what the series had been crying out for earlier: a spirited Bangladeshi performance with proper cricketing shots. Whilst some Bangladeshis did get out to wild shots, the senior players got behind the ball, selected which ball to play, and made the most of the aggressive field placings chosen by England to make partnerships and build innings.

First out was Nafees Iqbal, caught behind for 15 with the score on 50. Iqbal was unlucky, as the video replays suggested the ball had bounced before going into Geraint Jones's gloves, but despite returning to the pitch to appeal to the umpires, Iqbal had to go. Opener Javed Omar, captain Habibul Bashar and Aftab Ahmed all made half-centuries as it was touch and go as to whether England would wrap it up in the two days. When the seventh wicket fell at 245 in the last over of normal play, it allowed England to claim the extra half-hour. But only one more wicket fell as Bangladesh restored some pride. England wrapped up the game within 20 minutes on the third day, but Bangladesh, albeit against an attacking field had made 316, 27 short of making the hosts bat again.

England therefore won the two Test series 2–0, taking both matches by more than an innings. This was their fifth successive Test series win, and the first time that the English had won five successive Test series since 1971. With their first three innings all being over before the Bangladeshis made 200, the series was clearly England's, who consolidated their position at second in the ICC Test Championship table. Bangladesh remain bottom in tenth place. Afterwards England captain Michael Vaughan said, "It's difficult to judge how much we've got out of these games because we've won so easily. We've not had those real tough-in sessions and fight-through sessions where we've lost a batch of wickets. We have had stages when we had to knuckle down but it has been easier than I expected. To win two Test matches in almost two days each is obviously quite an easy series victory." (Cricinfo scorecard)

Middlesex v Essex (5 June)
Essex (4pts) beat Middlesex (0pts) by one wicket

Essex Eagles won the top of the table clash in the National League against Middlesex Crusaders at Lord's, a match which the visitors looked certain to lose many times. Middlesex' innings opened slowly, as Paul Weekes and Ed Smith paired up for 101 for the first wicket but not scoring many runs in the process. A burst of wickets followed, which reduced Middlesex to 144 for 5, but a massive cameo from Scott Styris - who scored 71 from 43 balls, including seven sixes - wrested the target up to 244. In reply, Essex scored quickly enough, but lost many wickets, being 182 for 7 with Ryan ten Doeschate and former England all-rounder Alex Tudor at the crease. Tudor went quickly, as did No. 10 Andre Adams, and Essex required 26 for the last wicket. But ten Doeschate, who had earlier been smashed for 25 in his only over, now made up for it with a stunning display of hitting as the South African recorded a career highest score of 51 not out off 41 balls, to take Essex to the target with three balls and a wicket to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Lancashire v Hampshire (5 June)
Hampshire (4pts) beat Lancashire (0pts) by 79 runs

Despite an economical bowling performance from England prospect James Anderson who took two for 18 off 7.5 overs, Lancashire Lightning imploded with the bat at home against Hampshire Hawks who moved out of the relegation zone as they took a 79-run win at Old Trafford. Hampshire batted first, and Derek Kenway top-scored with 65 as they were bowled out for 200, but Lancashire could only muster 121 against Hampshire's strong bowling attack, Chris Tremlett taking three for 30 while off-spinner Shaun Udal took three tail-enders for 11. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire (5 June)
Match abandoned - Glamorgan (2pts), Nottinghamshire (2pts)

This match, which was due to be played at Swansea, was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Somerset (5 June)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by 71 runs

Leicestershire Foxes moved out of the bottom place with a comfortable win over Somerset Sabres at Oakham School. With Dinesh Mongia top-scoring with 75 as no Somerset bowler dug into the Leicestershire innings, they made 217 for 4 with relative ease, before crumbling to the left-arm spin of Mongia, as he took four wickets for 12 runs including captain and top-scorer Graeme Smith. Smith made 61 in a Somerset innings were only four batsmen made it into double figures, and the visitors crumbled to 146 all out. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Kent v Derbyshire (5 June)
Derbyshire (4pts) beat Kent (0pts) by 90 runs

Derbyshire Phantoms came to Maidstone and Kent Spitfires with only one win in their first four games. However, the way in which they won this one was emphatic. Kent captain David Fulton won the toss and chose to field, and Australian Michael di Venuto ridiculed his choice with an 80-ball century with twelve fours and a six. In the end, he was out for 116 off 90 balls, but when everyone else hit at nearly a run a ball and Kent could only take three wickets, Derbyshire amassed 304 for 3. Kent gave it their best shot in the chase, Andrew Hall making 61 from the top of the order, but despite late order smashing from Justin Kemp (27) and Amjad Khan (33), Kent ended all out for 214, 91 runs short with 38 balls remaining. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Surrey v Warwickshire (5 June)
Warwickshire (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 49 runs

At Whitgift School, Warwickshire Bears recorded a massive 309 for 8 in 45 overs to bat Surrey Lions out of the game. Neil Carter opened the innings with a typical 58 off only 36 balls, smashing four sixes and five fours in the process, while James Troughton scored 69. Only medium-pacer Neil Saker, playing in his seventh List-A game, avoided the routing as he was hit for 17 off five overs, taking the wicket of Jonathan Trott for 9. In reply, Mark Ramprakash and Ali Brown looked to take Surrey to the target, but when Brown departed for 52 off 34 balls, the air went out of Surrey's balloon. Ramprakash scored 89 not out, and became Surrey's top scorer, but Surrey finished all out for 260 with 22 balls remaining in their innings as Carter took three for 37 while Heath Streak and Dougie Brown snared two wickets each. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Glamorgan v Kent (8-10 June)
Kent (21.5pts) beat Glamorgan (6pts) by 10 wickets

Glamorgan went down to another heavy defeat at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. After winning the toss and losing two wickets for 16, Kent fought back to make a mammoth 568, thanks mainly to 262 not out from Martin van Jaarsveld - the highest score of the English county season so far - with Darren Stevens (80) and Min Patel (87) offering valuable support. Although Glamorgan didn't collapse, it was clear they were not going to threaten their visitors' score. A number of batsmen got in with David Hemp and Sourav Ganguly both making 69, but the innings ended on 358. The follow-on was enforced, and Glamorgan went into freefall when they had to bat again. Amjad Khan ripped out three early wickets - for which Glamorgan only scampered five runs, and Kent took the next two wickets for 29 runs, leaving the Welsh team precariously placed at 34 for 5, before Ganguly saved the innings with a thumping three-hour 142. The late rally, however, was only enough to force Kent to make 51 runs in their second innings, which they achieved without loss of a wicket to win inside three days. Kent were deducted half a point for a slow over rate. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Middlesex v Surrey (8-11 June)
Middlesex (12pts) drew with Surrey (12pts)

Surrey edged the first day against Middlesex at Lord's. Initially Surrey reduced their hosts to 148 for 5, but then Jason Dalrymple rescued the innings with 77, supported by Irfan Pathan and Ben Scott. The first day ended with them on 319 for 7. They improved that greatly to 437 on the second day, as Pathan and Scott both made scores in the 60s. Surrey started slowly, moving to 18 for 1 after 15 overs of quality bowling from Pathan and Alan Richardson, but the stranglehold was eased with Richard Clinton scoring freely as he made his way to 73. At close, which came 18 overs early because of bad light, Surrey were 157 for 2, with Mark Ramprakash having retired hurt. Bad light claimed the last 29 overs of the third day too, but an unbeaten 152 from Ali Brown and a Surrey debut score of 81 from New South Wales recruit Dominic Thornely saw Surrey through to 460. The fourth day was always likely to meander into a draw, and exactly that happened; Surrey were simply unable to take wickets quick enough as the hosts were content to bat to 353 for 6 declared. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Gloucestershire v Warwickshire (10-13 June)
Warwickshire (22pts) beat Gloucestershire (4pts) by an innings and 2 runs

A massive batting effort from Warwickshire compounded with a remarkable second-innings bowling spell from Heath Streak and a spineless Gloucestershire effort in general, saw Warwickshire move to the top of the Division One table. It started all right enough for the hosts at Bristol, as a marathon three-hour fifty from James Pearson and 23 extras sent them to 254 on the first day. However, a partnership of 151 between Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott lifted Warwickshire into the ascendancy, as no Gloucestershire bowler found the required bite, and everyone of the top ten except Michael Powell went into double figures as Warwickshire amassed 473 in nearly 150 overs. Then, Streak stole the show. As Streak grabbed four wickets in the first hour, Gloucestershire were quickly 20 for 5, and despite a rescuing effort from Mark Alleyne and Ian Fisher, Gloucestershire were all out for 217 - two runs short of making Warwickshire bat again. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Somerset v Worcestershire (8-11 June)
Worcestershire (22pts) beat Somerset (8pts) by eight wickets

Having won the toss and chosen to bat first at Bath, Somerset made 408 in the first innings including 127 by Matthew Wood and 55 by South Africa's Graeme Smith, captaining the side. Worcestershire put on 423 in reply, Ben Smith going on to make 140 and Stephen Moore 86 after both were dropped at slip in double figures by Ian Blackwell. Andrew Caddick took five for 132 in a 31-over effort for Somerset. Worcestershire then cemented their control over the game by dismissing Somerset for 152 in the second innings, with Matt Mason taking 5 for 34. The Worcestershire batsmen achieved the target of 138 for the loss of just 2 wickets, Moore making his second fifty of the match with an unbeaten 66. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Yorkshire v Lancashire (8-11 June)
Yorkshire (10pts) drew with Lancashire (11pts)

Lancashire batted first in the Roses match at Headingley and though opening batsman Mark Chilton was out first ball to Matthew Hoggard his partner Iain Sutcliffe made a free-scoring 153 including 26 boundaries. Former England U-19 pacer Tim Bresnan then struck back with three wickets in four balls to leave Lancashire all out for 379 at stumps on the first day. Yorkshire's 335 in reply included solid innings from Phil Jaques, Craig White and Michael Lumb, while Lancashire's James Anderson took four wickets. Lancashire declared their second innings at 337 for 5, built around a patient 112 from Chilton, and that set Yorkshire 382 for victory. Yorkshire fell to 182 for 8 before a resistant 64 not out from Matthew Hoggard (only his second half-century of his career) saved the draw, as he shared partnerships of 45 for the ninth wicket with Richard Dawson and 46 for the tenth with Deon Kruis. (BBC scorecard)

Durham v Essex (9-11 June)
Durham (22pts) beat Essex (3pts) by an innings and 19 runs

Durham continued their impressive form in the 2005 season by defeating Essex in just three days at Chester-le-Street. A hefty 506 in the first innings, with Gordon Muchall and stand-in captain Dale Benkenstein both making centuries, provided the basis for Durham's attack to see off the Essex batsmen in just 55 overs to leave them 106 all out and following on, Ashley Noffke and Mark Davies taking four wickets each. Essex fought back in their second innnings but their 380, including 82 from Dale Steyn (initially sent in as a nightwatchman) and 103 from tail-end all-rounder Andre Adams, was not enough to catch up with Durham's 399-run first innings lead, and Durham recorded an innings victory. (BBC scorecard)

PCA Masters XI v Australians (9 June)
The Australians beat the PCA Masters XI by 8 wickets

The 2005 Ashes tour started with the Australians taking on a Professional Cricketers Association eleven at the picturesque ground at Arundel in a Twenty20 game. A crowd of 11,000 turned up to see the tourists win with one ball to spare, although in practice the result was always clear after an opening partnership of 131 between Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. The Aussies got an ideal start as Stephen Fleming edged Brett Lee's first delivery to the slips and the Masters XI were 0 for 1, having been put in to bat by Australia. Darren Maddy made 70 in 57 balls and Paul Collingwood (38) and Mark Ealham (39) also scored runs, but the rest of the team made little impression as the PCA Masters XI made 167 for 6. The Aussies lost only two wickets in making their target. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Derbyshire v Bangladeshis (10 June)
Derbyshire beat the Bangladeshis by 6 wickets

Derbyshire easily overcame the Bangladeshis in a day-night match at Derby. The Bangladeshis won the toss and chose to bat first against a Derbyshire side that was full-strength except for the injured Michael di Venuto. When Javed Omar, Nafees Iqbal and Rajin Saleh were out cheaply the tourists had fallen to 19 for 3. Tushar Imran and Habibul Bashar then gave some hope that a genuine target might be set when they put on 80 for the fourth wicket, a partnership that included 2 sixes from Tushar Imran. After that, the Bangladeshis lost wickets at regular intervals, finally being all out for 189 with 3.5 overs to spare. Just as Bangladesh's bowling lacked penetration in the Tests, so it lacked penetration against Derbyshire, with Jonathan Moss's 72 helping the hosts home with 11.5 overs and 6 wickets to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Australians (11 June)
The Australians beat Leicestershire by 95 runs

The Australians put in a strong performance at Grace Road, with Matthew Hayden making 107 off 96 balls, Damien Martyn 85 off 103 and Andrew Symonds 92 off 59 as they made a huge 321 for 4 off their 50 overs. 72 of their runs came off the final 5 overs. Leicestershire never threatened in reply, with Ottis Gibson, who came in at 8, the only man to make 50. Gibson had earlier taken two wickets for Leicestershire, who finished well short of the target on 226 for 8. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Hampshire v England (11 June)
England beat Hampshire by 153 runs

England warmed-up for the one-day NatWest Series that started on the 16th with an emphatic win in a 50-over game against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl, Southampton. England batted first, and disappointly Geraint Jones failed once again as an opener, leaving after facing two balls for a duck. Marcus Trescothick also fell cheaply. The innings was steaded by Andrew Strauss, who made 85 off 108 balls, and local hero Kevin Pietersen, who made 77 off 80 balls, which included 2 sixes. In reply Hampshire were reduced to 14 for 6, with Darren Gough picking up a hat-trick. Simon Jones also picked up 3 wickets as Hampshire were all out for 85. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Hampshire v England (11 June, 12-over match)
England beat Hampshire by one wicket

In a bonus 12-over match, arranged in haste as Hampshire were bowled out for 85 in the first match, Hampshire - led by hired-in Vikram Solanki who made 41 - scored 110 for 4, but were still beaten by a massive smash from Kevin Pietersen for England, as he scored 46 from 15 balls. However, that was not all - Chris Tremlett's three wickets threatened to ruin England's chase, but Simon Jones and Darren Gough saw them to the target on the last ball. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Worcestershire v Bangladeshis (12 June)
The Bangladeshis beat Worcestershire by four wickets

Bangladesh recorded their first victory of their tour of England when they beat Worcestershire at The County Ground, Worcester. In a disciplined bowling effort, Nazmul Hossain took two early wickets, Worcestershire collapsed to 168 (despite Bangladesh giving up 33 wides and 6 no-balls), and in a slow, gritty chase, the Bangladeshis - guided by Habibul Bashar's 26 not out and 43 from Javed Omar, made it to the target with 14 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Scotland v Sussex (10 June)
Sussex (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by 8 wickets

Scotland had a bad week. First, Asim Butt, the leading Scottish seam bowler was banned for a year after testing positive for ecstasy. They then went down heavily to Sussex Sharks at the Citylets Grange in their last home game before the 2005 ICC Trophy in three weeks' time. The Saltires batted first and lost wickets regularly. Only Colin Smith, with 61, made any sort of score as they were dismissed for 172. The Sharks chased down the target easily, as openers Matthew Prior and Ian Ward put on 108, and whilst Scotland were able to take two wickets, Sussex sped home with 16.3 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Northamptonshire v Middlesex (12 June)
Middlesex (4pts) beat Northamptonshire (0pts) by 2 wickets

In a close match at The County Ground, Northampton, Middlesex stole a victory thanks to intelligent running from Melvyn Betts and big scores from Jamie Dalrymple, who made a run-a-ball 76, and Irishman Ed Joyce who made 74 off 78 balls. Earlier, Australian overseas player Martin Love (111 not out) and Usman Afzaal (122 not out) had occupied the crease for Northamptonshire, sharing a 227-run partnership as the hosts made 283 for 1. In the end, however, Betts scampered the winning three on the last delivery, and stole victory from the jaws of defeat. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Nottinghamshire v Lancashire (12 June)
Nottinghamshire (4pts) beat Lancashire (0pts) by 61 runs

Lancashire crumbled in chase of Nottinghamshire's big target of 250 at Trent Bridge. Winning the toss and fielding, Lancashire got wickets at crucial moments, and had Nottinghamshire at 77 for 5 at one point. However, former England wicketkeeper Chris Read contributed with 68 not out - including five fours and four sixes - and with Mark Ealham scoring 35 as well, only James Anderson managed to stop the rot slightly by removing Ealham. Lancashire's bowling was at times wayward, and 26 wides were noted down in the extras column. In reply, Lancashire sold their wickets all too cheaply, as starts were made but not converted and number nine Dominic Cork top-scored with 40. Lancashire crumbled to 188 all out in 41.3 overs, well short of the target. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Leicestershire v Yorkshire (12 June)
Leicestershire (4pts) beat Yorkshire (0pts) by 7 wickets

In a low-scoring match at Grace Road, Yorkshire recorded 172 for 9, despite Anthony McGrath and Michael Lumb pairing up for 67 for the third wicket. Apart from those two, though, none of the Yorkshire batsmen could contribute, and slow accumulation from the Leicestershire batsmen was the key to reaching the target. Dinesh Mongia then took on Yorkshire's bowlers, adding 46 off 38 balls, as singles were taken near the end to see the hosts to the target with seventeen deliveries left in the match. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Somerset v Kent (12 June)
Kent (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by 74 runs

Martin van Jaarsveld continued his stunning form for Kent Spitfires with 114 against Somerset Sabres which lifted the visitors to a massive 319 for 5, as the bowlers were smashed to all corners of the Recreation Ground in Bath. In reply, Ian Blackwell smashed 57 off 42 balls, but it was never enough as Somerset were all out in 37.3 overs - with 45 balls potentially remaining of their innings - for 245. (Cricinfo scorecard)

Durham v Derbyshire (13 June)
Durham (4pts) beat Derbyshire (0pts) by five wickets

A dismal batting performance from Derbyshire Phantoms, as they crumbled to 82 all out at Riverside Ground, gave Durham Dynamos yet another victory in the National League. Dale Benkenstein took four for 17, including two wickets in his first over, and Australian Ashley Noffke showed good bowling form with three for 16 and three maidens in seven overs. Despite losing wickets early in the chase, crumbling to 36 for 4, Gordon Muchall and Gary Pratt added 40 for the fifth wicket to send Durham to a five-wicket win with just under 10 overs to spare. (Cricinfo scorecard)

England v Australia (13 June)
England started cautiously in the only Twenty20 International against Australia at the Rose Bowl, only hitting six runs off the first two overs as they saw off the bowlers, but Geraint Jones then decided to have fun with Brett Lee. Hitting two boundaries off the next over, Lee was hit for 14, and England moved rapidly to 28 for no loss before Jones cut McGrath to deep third man, where Kasprowicz took a catch on the boundary - out for 19 with four fours. Marcus Trescothick hit a single to end the over, but England were happy enough with 29 for 1 after four overs. Lee's next over was, again, hit for 14, as Lee served up one wide and a no-ball to end with three overs for 31 as singles were taken off every ball. That prompted a bowling change, with Michael Kasprowicz coming on for Australia, and with good reward, as the penultimate ball of his over was caught by Symonds at midwicket - Andrew Flintoff out for 6. Kevin Pietersen managed to scamper a single, and after six overs, England were 50 for 2.

With Jason Gillespie coming on, England continued to take the singles, although the fielding restrictions were off and Australia could stop more of those. However, Michael Clarke at deep backward point handed England three runs in the seventh over with a misfield. Pietersen continued to dominate the Australian bowling, smashing a four and a two off Gillespie, as England took ten runs off the eighth over. Australia looked clueless - a rare sight - as they continued to give runs away through misfields, and Kevin Pietersen smashed his way to 33 not out off 16 balls - after ten overs, England were 93 for 2, and looking to set a massive target.

The Australian captain Ricky Ponting brought on part-time spinner Michael Clarke to bowl the eleventh over, and got immediate success, when Pietersen launched him to Matthew Hayden on the fifth ball, but England were still 101 for 3 after eleven overs. In the next over, the new batsman Michael Vaughan edged Andrew Symonds' ball to midwicket, and the pressure was suddenly on the English. With Trescothick out for 41 a bit later to an attempted sweep off Symonds, England were suddenly looking down a hole after a fine start, and Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood slowed the scoring, to see England 111 for 5 with six overs to play. However, a slog sweep from Collingwood to end the fifteenth over turned the match again, as it went away for six and England moved to 124 for 5. With Jason Gillespie being brought back, Collingwood led the charge, as England stole seventeen runs off the seventeenth over and wrought control of the game again. Despite Andrew Strauss being bowled by Gillespie for 18, Collingwood hit another two boundaries towards the end of the over, to move onto 42 not out and the team score to 167 for 6. Vikram Solanki was out in the next over for 9, caught by Hussey off McGrath, and on the last ball, Collingwood was caught by for 46. Still, England would be pleased with 179 for 8, the highest score on the Rose Bowl in Twenty20 matches.

Australia started shakily, with Adam Gilchrist playing-and-missing and edging one shot over Andrew Strauss at third man, who miscued the path of the ball, as the Australians got eight off the first over bowled by Darren Gough. With Gilchrist finally taking one liberty too many, an easy catch was given, and Kevin Pietersen took it to remove arguably the most dangerous batsman in this format. On the next ball, Hayden was out, caught by Pietersen for 6. Symonds survived the next ball, but odds had improved for England, as the visitors were now 23 for 2. What followed was an Australian collapse - Michael Clarke went for a golden duck to Lewis, a slightly dubious decision, but that gave the English the needed momentum. Within the next four overs, Australia had lost four more wickets for eight runs, Symonds for 0, Hussey for 1, Ponting for 0, Martyn for 4, and despite a recovery from Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, the required run rate ran away to 12 an over from the last eleven overs. Jonathan Lewis finished his spell with four wickets for 24 - a special international debut, even though it was only in a Twenty20 game. Despite a good recovery and a partnership of 36, Gillespie eventually holed out a catch to Marcus Trescothick off the hero of the match, Paul Collingwood, and England headed even further towards a victory. Eventually, McGrath was bowled by Harmison, ending the innings for 79 all out - exactly the same score that England succumbed to in the fourth innings chase against the Australians in the first Test of the last Ashes. (Cricinfo scorecard)

MCC v International XI (14 June)
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) won by 112 runs

In a charity match at Lord's, Brian Lara came to regret the decision to bowl first, although the match was hardly to be taken seriously. Andy Flower, the old Zimbabwe stalwart, made a quickfire 55 near the end of the innings, Stephen Fleming smashed some lovely cover drives on his way to a 46-ball fifty before edging Makhaya Ntini to third man for 62, and Jacques Kallis also made 62 as he paired up well with VVS Laxman. The deep batting order, aided by Lara's willingness to utilise his bowlers - the pick of the International XI, Chaminda Vaas, who utilised the English conditions as he took two for 19, only got to bowl seven overs, while Lara himself bowled two and the International XI used all their available bowlers - and the MCC made 327 for 7.

In reply, the International XI got off to a blazing start, as Sanath Jayasuriya and Graeme Smith lifted them to 65 for 1 after ten overs. With Lara coming in at four and looking settled, things looked good, but the wheels fell off in their chase of the massive total. Lara charged Anil Kumble to Shoaib Akhtar for 42, no other International batsman passed 20, and the team crumbled to 189 for 7 - Smith stumped for 68. Chris Gayle redeemed his poor batting effort by removing the tail, and the International XI were all out for 215. (Cricinfo scorecard)