There was no play at Edgbaston in the only championship game
scheduled for yesterday, thanks to the overnight rain that had
thoroughly saturated the square.
Northamptonshire captain Matthew Hayden spent much of the day asleep
under the dressing-room table, eventually venturing forth to
supervise the last rites at 3.45pm.
Warwickshire deserved better than the nine points they got, but coach
Phil Neale struck an optimistic note: ``The players did well, and
there will be plenty of competition for places this year, with people
like Dominic Ostler and Anurag Singh becoming available.'' - not to
mention Allan Donald, after the World Cup.
Indeed, Neale is facing competition for his own place, as Bob Woolmer
could yet return to Edgbaston in 2000 if the England and Wales
Cricket Board don't get him first.