Former New Zealand Test and one-day batsman Craig Spearman has prospered again in the English county championship.

In his county Gloucestershire's match with Nottinghamshire at Bristol, the visitors were dismissed for 197 and in reply at stumps, Gloucestershire were 165/2.

Spearman was 99 not out having hit 15 fours and a six in his 134-ball innings.

At the end of play today Spearman was averaging 60.8 in the county championship with 304 runs from five innings. With the first-class, but non-championship match against Oxford University his total first-class runs for the year are 360 at 60.0.

Added to that is 82 he scored in Gloucestershire's only Norwich Union match so far while in five Benson and Hedges matches he has scored 122 runs at 24.4 with a best of 73 against Glamorgan.

And in Yorkshire league cricket, Matthew Bell had another good day last weekend when scoring 100 for his side New Farnley in their match against Hunslet.

New Farnley scored 236/5 with Bell 100 while Hunslet could managed only 178/9.

Bell did have a little luck. He was bowled on 90 but it was a no-ball.

In the Liverpool and District league's premier division, Canterbury player Peter Fulton has been playing for Lytham with some outstanding results. He scored 101 not out and took three for 17 against Wigan, scored 74 and took four for 29 against New Brighton and in the knock-out semi-final scored six and took three for 18. A date hasn't been set for the final against Ormskirk.

Neal Parlane, not wanted by Northern Districts this year, has been playing for Fleetwood Hesketh in the first division of the league and in his first game featured in a 291-run opening stand against St Helens. He scored 158 not out and then saw St Helens rolled for only 68.

In another game against St Helens he scored 116 while he has also scored a 50 and 44 in other games.

Northern Districts opener James Marshall's bowling skills have been put to the test for his club Formby. He took five for 49 against Newton le Willows, and also scored 69. He had returns of two for 37 in two other matches while also scoring 72 not out and 56 respectively. He also has a score of 71 in another game.

New Zealand players have made a slow start to their seasons in the Netherlands this year.

Darron Reekers has done best with the bat for his Quick Haag club, scoring 79 in his first game but only eight in his second. However, in the two rounds players he has taken three for 27 and two for 37 with the ball.

Paul Hitchcock playing for the VCC club has had scores of 37 and 59 while taking one for 43 and one for 58 when bowling.

Also in his club is former Auckland and Northern Districts player Alex O'Dowd who has scored 24 and 18.

Former Test batsman Darrin Murray had 30 not out in his only innings while the New Zealand Under-19 World Cup team member this year Peter Borren has taken three for 36 and one for 39 in his two outings with the HCC club. He scored a duck in his first game and 29 in the second.

Playing for Rood en Wit, Jarrod Englefield has had two innings for four and 32 while former Central Districts batsman Gavin McRae scored 39 not out and nine for Hermes DVS in his two appearances.

© CricInfo