Cricket Round-Up: Mighty Fairbrother hammers Middlesex

NEIL FAIRBROTHER ensured Lancashire dominated proceedings at Old Trafford. After Middlesex lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs, Fairbrother cracked an unbeaten 198 off just 188 balls. While he was at the crease, hitting 21 fours and seven sixes, 270 runs were scored.

With Ian Austin's career-best 5 for 23 and Mike Watkinson's 4 for 26 taking Lancashire to an unexpected lead of 62, their batsmen made the pitch look from another square as Steve Pritchard (76) and Nick Speak (82) laid the foundations for Fairbrother's rapid effort to take Lancashire to 414 for 4.

Dropped for the Test against his place of birth Robin Smith went to town against Worcestershire, hammering 13 fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 99. Earlier, Winston Benjamin took 6 for 46 - his best figures for Hampshire.

Curtley Ambrose took five wickets and three catches to leave

Derbyshire in a mess at Northampton. Replying to Northamptonshire's 529, Derbyshire slumped to 196 for 8 - still needing 184 to avoid the follow on. In his opening spell Ambrose dismissed Dominic Cork, Chris Adams and Tim O'Gorman in seven balls and returned to collect the wickets of Mohammed Azharuddin and Kim Barnett.

Glamorgan managed to save the follow-on thanks to a championship-best 67 from Ottis Gibson. Kent's 408 was kept manageable when Roland Lefebvre took 4 for 9 in 38 deliveries as Kent's last five wickets fell for 21. But Glamorgan were in trouble at 180 for 7 before Gibson hit 12 fours off 81 balls.

James Whitaker's second century in successive matches gave Leicestershire the upper hand against Durham.