Championship: Notts race to victory while bad weather claims early casualties

(ADAM DAVY/EMPICS)

The rain stayed away from Canterbury long enough for Nottinghamshire to knock off the 24 runs they needed to complete a 10-wicket victory over Kent in the County Championship First Division match on Saturday. It took Notts 22 minutes and 5.4 overs to seal the win with Will Jefferson and Matthew Wood seeing them home.

Champions Sussex were denied the chance to press for points as their game against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl fell victim to the weather as did the match between Surrey and Lancashire at The Oval.

The same fate befell the match between Gloucestershire and Derbyshire at Bristol in the Second Division.

Essex completed a nine-wicket win over Northamptonshire at Chelmsford. Resuming after lunch on 147 for 6, Northants moved on to 195 then lost the wickets of Steven Crook and David Wigley.

Shaun Bailey and Lance Klusener were the last men out as Northants reached 237 all out – Klusener the top scorer on 92 as David Masters finished on 4 for 69. Essex reached their target of 15 for the loss of Jason Gallian.

Leicestershire started the season with a win, beating Middlesex by six wickets. Resuming on 253 for 8 after lunch, the visitors were all out for 258 . At Edgbaston, Warwickshire hung for a draw against Worcestershire.