Cricket / Round-Up: Kent's pitch condemned

KENT beat Somerset in the Championship at Canterbury yesterday then discovered their pitch had been declared unsuitable for first- class cricket by a Test and County Cricket Board panel. But Tim Lamb, the cricket secretary of the board, said: 'We've decided not to deduct 25 points from Kent.'

The three-man panel spoke to the umpires, Kent officials and the deputy pitch inspector, Peter Eaton. Lamb said: 'We are in no doubt the pitch was not a suitable one for first-class cricket. However, we feel that in the circumstances it was probably prepared as well as it could be in view of the very severe water shortage problems that Kent have encountered.'

Nottinghamshire, bolstered at the crucial moment by Greg Mike, snatched a win off the last ball against Surrey at The Oval.

Coming to the crease with 25 required from 11 balls, Mike clubbed three successive sixes before being caught attempting the winning hit, which was left to Chris Cairns from the last delivery.

Peter Bowler took his tally of runs for the season to 1,505 in Derbyshire's rain-affected draw with Middlesex at Derby.

Durham's journey to Leicestershire ended in a 10-wicket defeat as the fast bowler David Millns took his match total to 10 for 87 by taking 5 for 46 in the second innings.

Durham's hopes of salvation ended when their captain, David Graveney, was hit on the left hand and had to go to hospital for X-rays with a suspected fractured finger.

Dean Jones will not play for Durham again this season after fracturing a finger last Saturday. He will return to Australia to prepare for the tour of Sri Lanka.