Knight knocks theory on the head

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Warwickshire 263-4 Hampshire 145 Warwicks wi o higher ru rate

The first Eglad selectio of the summer was barely dry o the page before the outstadig iigs of a ihospitable day here yesterday suggested oe oteworthy omissio.

Nick Kight's absece from the Texaco Trophy squad, assumig it is based o the horses for courses theory, does ot prejudice his chaces of playig i the Test series agaist Idia that begis o this groud ext moth. What it does do is overlook his curret form i limited-overs cricket.

The left-hader's 104-ball 134 yesterday, the foudatio of a comfortable Warwickshire victory i a rai-iterrupted match, ufolded with timig that might have bee calculated to cause maximum embarrassmet.

It was too late, of course, to be take ito accout. However, the same caot be said of the 252 rus he accumulated i five other oe-day iigs, amog them a cetury ad a score i the 90s. Perhaps Kight's worth, uderestimated by his previous employers at Essex, has bee wrogly assessed agai.

Kight's itetios were obvious from the start yesterday as Warwickshire raced to 72 from 10 overs before the first stoppage for rai. Whe play re-started, Neil Smith survived oly oe more ball before beig stumped, but there was o holdig Kight, whose half-cetury arrived off 45 deliveries. Domiic Ostler's was eve brisker, from 40 balls, i a partership for the secod wicket that put o 104 i 15 overs.

By the time Kight was out, to a catch take o the ru by Keva James at mid-o, he had overtake Asif Di's 1993 mark of 132 i establishig the highest idividual score for Warwickshire i the Suday competitio.

Aother heavy squall restricted Warwickshire's efforts to 35 overs. The rai ever cleared completely, ad whe the teams re-emerged there was time oly for 30 more overs, withi which Hampshire eeded to score 226 to wi o faster scorig rate.

With Robi Smith ruled out, it seemed a tall order ad, as wickets fell at regular itervals, it became clear oly the weather could dey Warwickshire victory. Shau Pollock's eight overs reduced Hampshire to 85 for 3 i the 16th over, ad the Dougie Brow, called up whe Graeme Welch tured his akle o the wet turf, set to work, fiishig with a Suday-best 4 for 47.

Warwickshire's catchig was impeccable, Ashley Giles holdig three o the square-leg boudary. Hampshire were all out 81 short of their target.