Cricket: No escape from Wasim

NOT all was well with the leaders yesterday. Kent lost to Derbyshire and Sussex, in second place, fell in familiar fashion against Lancashire, writes Richard Wetherell. Wasim Akram took 4 for 20, reducing Sussex to 118 all out and then halted any chance of a Lancashire defeat when they were wobbling at 70 for 4. With Steve Titchard he added 52 to take his side to victory.

Glamorgan are in fourth place with much thanks to Adrian Dale, although his hat-trick in a career-best 6 for 22 proved less than totally necessary as Durham capitulated to lose by 166 runs. With the last ball of his third over Stewart Hutton was caught behind while John Glendenen and Anderson Cummins were bowled with the first two balls of his fourth.

Surrey are no strangers to dramatic slumps these days and Warwickshire were yesterday's fall guys. Needing 67 from the last 10 overs they found Waqar Younis and Martin Bicknell too much to handle, losing their last seven wickets in six overs and the match by 18 runs.

Paul Prichard has two things to remember from Essex's 75-run victory. During his second Sunday League century he passed 2,000 runs in the competition. John Childs then spun Nottinghamshire out of the game with four wickets.

Allan Lamb celebrated his 39th birthday with an unbeaten 96, taking Northamptonshire to a four-wicket win with two balls left against Hampshire. It all looked a tad unlikely when they needed 111 off 15 overs but Lamb did the rest.