Leaders slide to first defeat

Hampshire's Winston Benjamin condemned Sunday League leaders Northamptonshire to their first defeat of the season in any limited-overs competition with a blistering assault at Basingstoke yesterday.

Benjamin, playing only as a batsman because of a shoulder injury, hit an unbeaten 104 from only 71 deliveries. He ensured Hampshire's victory by hitting fellow Antiguan Curtly Ambrose back over his head for six as Hampshire won by seven wickets in the 33rd over.

Benjamin's innings included three other sixes and 13 fours and overshadowed another Sunday-best performance from Cardigan Connor, who took 5 for 25 from his eight overs as Northamptonshire slumped to 169 all out after being put in.

Gloucestershire raced to their first Sunday League victory of the season by 119 runs at Trent Bridge yesterday and inflicted a severe dent in Nottinghamshire's title challenge in the process.

The home side suffered a dismal collapse as all five Gloucestershire seamers claimed two wickets, Nottinghamshire slumping to 101 all out in the 27th over as they chased 220 for 8. Only robust hitting from Andy Pick (22no) and Mark Bowen (15) ensured that they reached three figures.

Andrew Symonds provided most of the fireworks in Gloucestershire's innings, hoisting three sixes and hitting five fours in his 76 off only 63 balls.

The pace bowler Owen Parkin claimed 5 for 28 on his Sunday League debut to help Glamorgan to a resounding 124-run win over Sussex at Hove. The hosts, set 184 for victory, were routed for 59 on a pitch of uneven bounce to give Glamorgan their second Sunday win of the season.

The Sussex total was their lowest in the competition, their previous worst being 61 at Derby in 1978. The 23-year-old Parkin removed Peter Moores, Alan Wells and Keith Greenfield as Sussex plunged to 16 for 4. Steve Watkin then trapped Neil Lenham lbw before Parkin bowled Danny Law and claimed his fifth wicket by bowling Vasbert Drakes.

n The fast bowler Ray Lindwall, one of the dominant forces in Australian cricket since the Second World War, has died aged 74. Lindwall, who claimed 228 Test wickets in 61 matches, was admitted to hospital in Brisbane last Monday following a stroke and deteriorated quickly after contracting pneumonia. He took 794 first-class wickets and in Tests five wickets in an innings 12 times and hit two centuries.

Obituary, page 12