THE incentive to play any kind of game at Edgbaston yesterday was a share of the AXA League leadership, and in a madcap dash of 27 overs a side, Warwickshire moved into territory already occupied by Essex and Middlesex.

Warwickshire's commitment to a result was to roll out the recently redundant Brumbrella cover on Saturday night. Without the extra protection, it is doubtful the match would have beaten the weather.

Kent's objective was to exorcise an embarrassingly heavy NatWest Trophy defeat here last week, but when their fifth wicket fell at 106, after the usual frenzy of an abbreviated contest, they were in danger of another demise.

Only five overs remained when Mark Ealham transformed a bleak situation. The end product was quite eye-catching. Ealham added 40 to reach 55 from 33 balls and put on 43 in four overs with Matthew Walker. He fired a salvo to midwicket for three sixes, two off successive balls by Ashley Giles, but still it was not sufficient to stretch the champions.

Nick Knight provided the initial impetus and in gathering darkness and renewed dampness, Neil Smith triggered a partnership of 60 with Brian Lara. Warwickshire were even able to survive the loss of four wickets in as many overs.