Cricket: Kasprowicz boost for Leicestershire

MIKE KASPROWICZ and James Ormond took four wickets apiece at Grace Road as Leicestershire served notice that they will not surrender their County Championship crown without a fight. They beat Gloucestershire by 225 runs as tomorrow's NatWest Trophy finalists were dismissed for 170 in their second innings.

The Australian paceman snapped up 4 for 15 in an eight-over spell, taking three wickets in one over, while Ormond claimed 4 for 34, including two wickets in two balls. It was hardly a morale-boosting batting performance from Gloucestershire ahead of their Lord's date as they collapsed from 137 for 2 just after lunch.

Durham lifted some of the gloom over Tyneside by moving into seventh place in the table and eight points clear of the relegation zone after beating Middlesex by six wickets at the Riverside.

Resuming on 59 for 3, Middlesex compiled just 180, with Neil Killeen (5 for 50) and Steve Harmison (4 for 49) doing the damage. Needing 113 runs off 37 overs, Durham lost four wickets but got home with 6.5 overs to spare.

Andy Caddick and Adrian Pierson, Somerset's last-wicket pair, held out for the final 62 deliveries to earn a draw against Essex at Chelmsford. The England captain, Nasser Hussain, used four bowlers in an attempt to remove them, but they survived to steer the visitors to 256 for 9 at the end.

Warwickshire's Michael Powell scored a career-best 136 off 259 balls in 375 minutes, the second Championship century of his career, as the rain-ruined match against Glamorgan was drawn. Powell received support from Nick Knight (64) and David Hemp (73).

The Worcestershire paceman Alamgir Sheriyar took another step towards his 100-wicket target in the tame draw with Lancashire at New Road. The 25-year-old left-armer raised his total to 86 for the season by accounting for Michael Atherton, Neil Fairbrother and Graham Lloyd as Lancashire were dismissed for 217 after resuming at 19 for 2.