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County Championship round-up
Bad light ruins Warne's sporting declaration
Cricinfo staff
May 27, 2006
Division One
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Dougie Brown pulls through mid on during a curtailed last day at Lord's
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A sporting declaration at the Rose Bowl from the Hampshire captain, Shane Warne, set up the possibility of an exciting finish in their match against Kent before bad light forced a draw. Kent were bowled out for 223, giving Hampshire a 48-run first-innings lead. The hosts then rattled up 176 for 6, with John Crawley smashing 83 at a run-a-ball, to set Kent 225 from 48 overs. Kent never had a realistic hope of victory, falling to 94 for 4 before bad light ended the day's play and the match. Warne made clear his feelings after Robert Key refused to agree to a fourth-innings target to try to engineer a result.
Dougie Brown added a further 15 runs to his overnight 54, and Daniel Vettori struck a typically gritty 27 for Warwickshire before rain forced their match against Middlesex at Lord's to peter out into a draw. Warwickshire reached 401 for 9 in reply to Middlesex's declaration on 520 for 9.
At Old Trafford, Lancashire drew with Nottinghamshire when the drizzly inclement conditions forced yet another draw. In Notts' second innings, Tom Smith and Oliver Newby picked up a couple of wickets each as Lancashire took 4 for 8 in quick succession, reducing Notts to 102 for 4, but the draw was the only likely outcome.
Division Two
Persistent rain prevented any play on the final day between Northamptonshire and Derbyshire at Northampton, as the game ended in a draw.
Leicestershire added a further 109 runs to their second innings in another weather-interrupted match against Somerset at Taunton. Paul Nixon remained unbeaten on 71 from 92 balls as Leicestershire reached 254 for 5.
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