GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND WARWICKSHIRE THWARTED BY THE RAIN

The visitors, set 239 to win in a minimum of 42 overs, were 113-2 in the 22nd over when they came off and in a reasonable position to claim their fourth CricInfo Championship Division Two success of the season.

Discarded England opener Nick Knight was well set on 47 not out, while David Hemp was unbeaten on five.

Michael Powell fell for 16 when he was well caught by Jeremy Snape, running back from cover, off strike bowler Ben Gannon.

Mark Wagh, playing with the confidence which brought him 89 in the first innings, had scored a brisk 37 when he was caught at midwicket by Mark Alleyne from the bowling of spinner Martyn Ball.

Earlier, Jack Russell and Jeremy Snape had been largely responsible for extending Gloucestershire's second innings to 297 and into early afternoon.

The pair shared a sixth wicket stand of 136 before Snape was caught and bowled by Neil Smith for 89.

Russell, in a typically obdurate innings, occupied the crease for 275 minutes and 240 balls for his 91 not out.

Smith finished as Warwickshire's most successful bowler with 3-57 from 24 overs.

Gloucestershire, meanwhile, have confirmed that their England A pace bowler Jon Lewis, out of action for the past month, will miss Saturday's Benson & Hedges Cup final with Surrey at Lord's amid fears that he has a stress fracture of the back.

The county learned on Friday that vice-captain and opening batsman Tim Hancock would be sidelined for the final after he broke a bone in his right hand during fielding practice.

WARWICKSHIRE MAKE BRISK START IN PURSUIT OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE TOTAL

The home side were bowled out for 297 in their second inning and, with a minimum of 42 overs available to Warwickshire, an exciting finish looks in prospect.

Warwickshire lost Michael Powell in the sixth over when he was well caught by Jeremy Snape, running back from cover, off Ben Gannon for 16.

But Nick Knight, with an unbeaten 24, and Mark Wagh, on 6, had taken the score to 54-1 at tea from just ten overs.

Earlier, Jack Russell had been in typically defiant mood as he struck 91 not out from 240 deliveries.

He and Snape put on 136 for the sixth wicket before the latter was caught and bowled by spinner Neil Smith for 89.

Smith finished as the most successful of the bowlers with 3-57 from 24 overs.

SNAPE AND RUSSELL STAGE RECOVERY FOR GLOUCESTERSHIRE AGAINST WARWICKSHIRE

Snape was on 89, his second half-century of the game, when he drove a return catch to spinner Neil Smith in the 98th over. His 156-ball innings contained 12 fours.

Martyn Ball followed in Smith's next over for a duck when Michael Powell claimed a bat-pad catch.

But there was no removing Russell, who was unbeaten on 55 at lunch in a Gloucestershire total of 251-7.

Gloucestershire's lead is now 192 and Warwickshire will need to claim the last three wickets quickly to retain hopes of victory.

Russell's innings has been a predominantly defensive one, but the former England wicketkeeper did break free to strike successive fours off Mark Wagh just before the interval, the first of which brought him his half-century.

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Date-stamped : 07 Jul2001 - 22:34