Date-stamped : 12 Aug97 - 10:30
Warwicks back at the top

By Barrie Fairall at Old Trafford

Warwickshire (219-9) bt Lancashire (198-9) by 21 runs

SUNDAY`S   fancy  dress  parade gave way to the fancy footwork of
Neil Fairbrother who scored 79 at Old Trafford  yesterday.   War-
wick-  shire, though,  kept cool in the heat to move clear at the
top of the league table and closer to the title they last won  in
1994.

Warwickshire,  who  have  a NatWest Trophy semi-final with Sussex
coming up  at  Edgbaston on Wednesday, were level on points  with
Lan-  cashire  before  the start here and with Fairbrother at the
crease there was every chance of a one-day double evading them.

Fairbrother  had  been  averaging  50  with every  visit  to  the
crease  in  the competition this summer and again the left-hander
did not disappoint in chasing a target of 220. In the 34th  over,
how-  ever,  a 90-ball  innings containing seven boundaries ended
when an at- tempted pull off Gladstone Small skyed  towards point
and  into  the gloves of Keith Piper.

It   was   the   second  wicket to fall with the score on 166 and
from six down, Warwickshire took advantage of every  opportunity.

Lancashire  still  have  a match in hand over Warwickshire but if
Warwickshire secure victories in their  remaining  three  matches
against  Worcestershire,   Essex   and  Gloucestershire  then the
title should be heading  their  way again. As yesterday`s contes-
tants  came  to- gether, however, such thoughts appear to be pipe
dreams.

For Warwickshire were struggling from the start,  much  as   they
had  in  the   championship match which concluded in Lancashire`s
favour last Friday afternoon. From Anurag Singh`s point  of  view
this  was  especially  depressing,  his one and a duck at Stanley
Park  was followed by another duck yesterday.

Peter  Martin was the bowler and when Singh  attempted  to  drive
the sixth ball of the innings, Jason Gallian clung on to a flying
thick edge in the gully. Singh, though, was not the only  one  to
fail  to trouble the scorers, Dougie Brown driving Martin`s  11th
ball straight to mid-off.

Two  down  for 13 then became three for 24 when  David  Hemp  was
caught  behind driving at Ian Austin. It was then a case of  War-
wick- shire repairing  the  damage  as best  they  could  and  in
that  depart- ment, Dominic Ostler and Trevor Penney did not dis-
grace  themselves.

After  Neil  Smith  had  been  bowled by  Darren  Shadford,  both
scored  half  centuries  and  the  pair put on a crucial 82 in 14
overs for the fifth wicket.   Ostler,   though,   was   run   out
brilliantly  by  Graham  Lloyd`s throw from the long-on boundary,
while Penney  played  over  a slower ball from Austin.

What  seemed  a  slender  total to defend on  these  vast  acres,
however,  turned  into  a  stroll.Brown playing an important role
with  his seamers in steamy conditions to emerge with  three  for
33.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

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