Maynard's century in vain as Glamorgan taste rare defeat

Matthew Maynard's brilliant century proved in vain as the National league leaders, Glamorgan, lost by 17 runs to Northamptonshire at Wantage Road yesterday.

Matthew Maynard's brilliant century proved in vain as the National league leaders, Glamorgan, lost by 17 runs to Northamptonshire at Wantage Road yesterday.

The former England batsman Maynard hit 117 from 108 balls, but he did not receive enough support from elsewhere as the Dragons lost for only the second time this season.

Rob White had put the Steelbacks on course for victory with a fine 101 after sharing in an opening stand of 124 with Tim Roberts (68).

Lancashire got back to winning ways in the competition by holding off Hampshire to claim a nervy one-run win at the Rose Bowl.

The Lightning seemed to be heading for another defeat after slipping to 79 for 6 but Dominic Cork (57) and captain Warren Hegg (37) helped them to 182 for 8. All-rounder Shane Watson then cracked an unbeaten 54 in 60 balls, but Lancashire, for whom James Anderson took 3 for 26, held on in the last over.

Australian Brad Hogg took 5 for 23 as Warwickshire recorded a 54-run win over Essex at Edgbaston. The Eagles could not get near the Bears' 223 with Andy Flower, one of Hogg's victims, top-scoring with 32.

Nick Knight led the way for the Bears with 51 while Dougie Brown weighed in with a quickfire 41 and Hogg hit 33.

Matt Windows hit 63 as Gloucestershire claimed an important win in their bottom-of-the-table meeting with Surrey at The Oval. Windows shared in a third-wicket partnership of 106 with Phil Weston (40) to lay the foundations of Gladiators' four-wicket success. Player-coach Mark Alleyne earlier took 4 for 39 to restrict the Lions to 176.

In Division Two, Paul Weekes (80 not out) and England's Andrew Strauss (59 not out) guided the leaders, Middlesex, to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Derbyshire at Southgate. Nantie Hayward had earlier taken 4 for 21 to limit the Scorpions to 182 for 8, Hassan Adnan top-scoring with 57.

Kevin Pietersen carved out an unbeaten knock of 82 to lead Nottinghamshire (208 for 7) to a three-wicket win over Somerset (204-9) at Trent Bridge. James Hildreth's 85 had helped the Sabres, but Pietersen shared stands of 61 with Mark Ealham and 40 with Paul Franks as the Outlaws claimed victory.

Charles Dagnall took 3 for 21 and Claude Henderson and Jeremy Snape also took three wickets each as Leicestershire bowled Sussex out for 186 to win by 48 runs at Grace Road.

* Surrey confirmed yesterday that they are interested in signing the Australian Brett Lee.

The fast bowler would replace Zaheer Khan, who had been playing instead of the injured Saqlain Mushtaq, but he has now been drafted into India's Asia Cup squad.