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Knight's day puts Hick in the shade

Warwicks (210-4) bt Worcs (206-6) by 6 wkts

This result served one Midlands interest without necessarily jeopardising another. Warwickshire improved their prospects of avoiding relegation and Worcestershire would still become National League champions by winning their last three games.

In the end, Nick Knight's second league century of the season, an unbeaten 106, outweighed Graeme Hick's 89 for Worcestershire and enabled Warwickshire to break a stranglehold of 16 overs for 44 runs by Gavin Haynes and Stuart Lampitt.

As Knight's second fifty required 33 more balls than the first, victory could not have been achieved without substantial assistance from Michael Powell. In only his third one-day innings after six seasons on the staff, he accepted heavy responsibility with 45 of the last 74 runs.

On the day England announced their touring squad, South Africa's No 1 strike bowler began his recuperation from an ankle injury, in opposition to a batsman who averaged 48.83 in the last series in the Republic in 1995-96.

Donald v Hick has an authentic ring of Test cricket, if now only for Worcester devotees who enthusiastically applauded their man's recognition for this winter's one-day internationals. Hick, as he often does at the moment of rejection for the Test team, imposed superiority over county bowling.

Dougie Brown's first ball to him flew back past the bowler, and when Donald appeared, after 5.5 weeks' rest, it was not long before he conceded three fours in an over.

Estimations of a winning total increased with a partnership of 142 for the second wicket. Elliott Wilson's part became increasingly influential with his first league fifty and then his highest score in all county competitions.

Yet Donald ensured that Warwickshire restored a measure of control. Full-length deliveries bowled Wilson and Vikram Solanki and a return catch from David Leatherdale was held in the follow- through.