Cricket: Atherton revels in displaying best form

MIKE ATHERTON hit an unbeaten 95 to lead Lancashire Lightning to a four-wicket win over Hampshire Hawks at Southampton, again advertising his fine form to England's selectors. With England's captain, Nasser Hussain, doubtful for the third Test against New Zealand at Old Trafford because of a broken finger, Atherton could be the man to step in following yesterday's Test defeat.

The former England captain sealed Lancashire's fifth win of the National League season by driving Peter Hartley through the covers for the winning boundary with four balls remaining. Hampshire had managed only 210 for 7 with Ian Austin taking 2 for 40.

Jacques Kallis made his long-awaited debut for Glamorgan Dragons and played a leading part in the rewriting of records at Pontypridd. The South African Test all-rounder scored 155 not out as the Welsh side claimed a 71-run win over Surrey Lions in the Second Division.

Kallis's 155 was the highest individual score by a Glamorgan batsman in one-day league cricket - beating Matthew Maynard's 132 against Surrey in 1997 - and Glamorgan's 294 for 4 was their best in league cricket.

Michael Cawdron, a 24-year-old right-armer who has been at Gloucestershire for five years without playing a first class game, swept through Warwickshire Bears at Cheltenham, taking 4 for 17 in eight overs to set up Gloucestershire Gladiators for a thrilling First Division win. The Gladiators scrambled past Warwickshire's 198 for 8 with one ball and three wickets to spare.

Mark Ealham steered Kent Spitfires to a three-wicket win over Yorkshire Phoenix with 14 balls to spare at Scarborough, hitting an unbeaten 34 from 63 balls as Kent reached their target of 179 on a testing pitch.

Marcus Trescothick's Sunday-best 110 was not enough to preserve Somerset Sabres' 100 per cent record. They lost to Middlesex Crusaders, who reached their target of 219 with Mike Roseberry making 91 not out.