Cricket: Rose blooms in benefit

Round-up

Somerset's Graham Rose tookthe lead role in his benefit match as Lancashire suffered their first defeat of the Sunday League season by five wickets at Taunton yesterday.

The 33-year-old Rose inspired the visitors' downfall as he took 3 for 15 as Lancashire finished on 141 for 8, but two stoppages for rain left Somerset needing a revised target of 105 off 22 overs to win under the Duckworth-Lewis method. With his side wobbling as they approached their target on 87 for 5, Rose, who scored an unbeaten 20, calmly stroked the winning runs with three fours to give Somerset their third win of the season with an over to spare.

Shaun Young recorded the best score by a Gloucestershire batsman in the League as his side defeated Yorkshire by 44 runs at Headingley. The Tasmanian all-rounder hit nine sixes and nine fours in 105 balls as he threatened to beat Graham Gooch's League record of 176 for Essex at Southend in 1983. But he had to settle for 146 not out as the rain cut short Gloucestershire's rampage at 252 for 3 with 5.2 overs remaining.

Yorkshire, set a revised target of 250 in 30 overs, limped to 82 for 5 in reply at one stage before finishing on 206 for 8.

An incident involving a spectator marred Surrey's first defeat at The Oval for two years against Essex. Chris Lewis, the former England pace bowler, was allegedly accosted as he left the field by a drunken spectator after his final over cost the champions 15 runs and the match.

Danny Law hit an unbeaten 55 from 42 balls to help Essex recover from 97 for 4 in their chase for a revised victory target of 184. Surrey were all out for 176 after two interruptions through rain.