Floodlit fantasy cricket in store – or just flooding

The inability of Yorkshire and Surrey to contest their Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy semi-final at Headingley during three days last week because of appalling weather showed the dangers of staging short-duration competitions amid the vagaries of an English summer. The match will be played today in Leeds, following the England and Wales Cricket Board's unprecedented decision to abandon the competition's rules, which demand the last resort of a dreaded bowl-out.

Bowling at stumps constitutes the most abbreviated form of cricket, but next season the ECB will introduce their brave new world of short-form cricket, 20-over matches to be contested in a supposedly balmy fortnight in midsummer when the evenings will be long and light, the fish jumping and the cotton high. But with all 18 counties taking part, a spate of poor weather could lead to a heavy backlog of matches prior to the finals day.

The prospect of such a shorter format having to be further reduced because of rain interruptions may make for some fascinating, if not farcical, equations generated by the Duckworth/Lewis method.

The new competition replaces the Benson & Hedges Cup, which traditionally kickstarted the season in April. The group games prior to the knockout stage were often afflicted by the weather, to the point that sides found themselves incapable of qualifying for the latter stages because they simply could not get on the pitch.

The decision to exchange one limited-overs competition for another at a more clement time of year has everything to do with marketing and nothing to do with the weather. Indeed, the ECB will also cram an extra three one-day internationals against the season's first tourists into the early-season schedule, in addition to the triangular NatWest Series. This is surely tempting the weather gods.

Andrew Hignell, in his recent book Rain Stops Play, called for the authorities to invest in a squad of weather-busters who would be able to notify grounds of impending gloom in time for the covers to be readied, cutting down on the time it takes to restart the match. It may take a few revolutionary techniques to ensure that the ECB's brave new world does not find itself submerged by a flood.

The Norwich Union League reaches its zenith with midweek floodlit evening fare but yesterday it was given a showcase Saturday which was, needless to say, plagued by rain, Duckworth and Lewis.

In Division One, the Durham Dynamos were pegged back to 153 for 8 in 37 overs at the Riverside by Kent Spitfires' James Golding, with 3 for 23, and Mark Ealham, who took 3 for 18. Kent replied with 154 for 5 in 31.1 overs despite Nicky Phillips' 3 for 38, and move into second place.

At Headingley, bottom-placed Notting-hamshire Outlaws made 124 for 1 in 35 overs against Yorkshire Phoenix, skipper Jason Gallian making 63 not out. But the hosts reached a revised target of 143 for the loss of six wickets in 25 overs.

In Division Two, Hampshire Hawks were reduced to 50 for 7 by Derbyshire Scorpions at Derby until South African one-day specialist Nic Pothas scored 50 not out to help his side to 143 for 9 in 40 overs, extras providing 44. Derbyshire scrapped their way to their target of 137 to win by two wickets in 39 overs.

At Bristol, Lancashire Lightning stumbled to 49 for 6 as Gloucestershire Gladiators' Ian Harvey took 3 for 36 and Mike Smith 4 for 41, but 55 by Stuart Law and captain Warren Hegg's 54 saw them to 183 for 9. Craig Spearman hit 54 and Harvey 56 as the hosts made 185 for 5 in 35 overs and extended their lead at the top.