Date-stamped : 23 Jun97 - 06:17
Northants v Hampshire

By D J Rutnagur at Northampton

Northants (174-6) bt Hampshire (159-2) by 4 wkts

RUSSELL WARREN heaved John Stephenson for two sixes and a four in
the final over to give Northamptonshire, who  were  given  up for
dead  half-way  through  their innings, a remarkable victory in a
rain-affected  match settled under  the  Duckworth-Lewis  system.
Their  target  of  171 was 12 runs in excess of Hampshire`s score
from the same number of overs - 23.

Jason  Laney and Matthew Hayden both  scored  half-centuries  and
put  on  105  in Hampshire`s first 15 overs while  Northants lost
both openers, Mal  Loye  and   Tony   Penberthy,  for  only  four
runs.  They were still in desperate need of momentum when, in the
11th over, Tim  Walton was caught at deep midwicket.

Kevin  Curran scored 41 from 42 balls before failing to middle  a
lofted  drive  to extra-cover. Two overs later, David Sales holed
out and with 88 wanted from 11 overs, Northants looked out of the
race.

In   the   19th  over, Bailey plundered 18 off Simon Renshaw, and
hit two more fours in the next two overs. Warren and Jeremy Snape
took  10  runs from  the penultimate over then Stephenson, in his
first over, saw his first two balls hit for  six  with  13  still
needed.

Warren,  who  finished  with  43, and scored 24  of  the  last 30
runs, then struck a four to win  the  match  with  two  balls  to
spare.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

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