Surgery means Blackwell may miss rest of season

News of a serious injury to England's Ian Blackwell overshadowed Somerset's tame draw with Leicestershire at Taunton. The spinner, who injured his shoulder yesterday, learned he requires surgery after a scan. The all-rounder will require at least three or four months rehabilitation and is likely to miss the rest of the season.

Shane Warne turned a sure-fire stalemate at the Rose Bowl into a thriller by declaring when Hampshire reached 176 for 6, This left Kent needing 225 to win from a minimum of 48 overs. After 17 overs Kent were 55 for 3, but the game ended in a frustrating draw despite Warne's attacking tactics.

Middlesex's First Division match against Warwickshire was abandoned after only 18 overs were bowled. The result meant that Middlesex remain bottom of the table.

At Old Trafford, Nottinghamshire saw off the challenge of Lancashire to register a draw despite conceding a first-innings deficit of 55 runs.

The Second Division match at Taunton between Somerset and Leicester also ended in a draw. Paul Nixon ended on 71 not out and the former Test player Hylton Ackerman scored 64.