NEIL CARTER, an ebullient all-rounder, showed yesterday exactly why Warwickshire Bears are striving to retain his services. His innings of 65 at Scarborough, with five fours and six sixes, from 38 balls against Yorkshire Phoenix in a totesport league second division match launched his team to a victory target of 202 which was achieved with 7.3 overs to spare.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Carter, 30, was awarded his cap earlier this month and has been offered a new two-year deal that he is considering. Other counties, including Northamptonshire, are interested in signing him.

Carter dominated an opening partnership of 82 in 13 overs with Nick Knight, and Jonathan Trott added a half-century in response to a Yorkshire innings that Ian Harvey had launched with 47 at a run a ball. Alex Loudon restrained the Phoenix with an economical spell in mid-innings after Carter had taken the wickets of Harvey and Phil Jaques.

Some excellent batting in what was reduced to a 22-over affair helped Sussex Sharks to return to the top of the second division with victory by 50 runs over Surrey Lions at Guildford. The Sharks batsmen reverted to Twenty20 mode to set a weakened Surrey side ten an over and, had it not been for Mark Ramprakash’s 42-ball 63, Sussex would have won by a distance.

Several fine cameos were played in the Sussex innings. Matt Prior smashed three fours and a six off successive balls from Jade Dernbach to scorch to 37 from 18 balls; Ian Ward was no slouch with 32 off 21 before Murray Goodwin topscored with 44 off 34. Luke Wright was quickest of all with 35 off 14 balls.

At Canterbury, early rain cleared to glorious late afternoon sunshine and a Kent Spitfires team that still cannot get to grips with the shorter forms of the game. Considering their hapless attempts to play Twenty20 cricket, the last thing the county championship leaders needed was a match reduced to 16 overs per side.

Losing the toss, and having to bat first against Somerset Sabres on a pitch favouring the seamers did not help the Kent cause either — and so it was no surprise when Somerset reduced them to 38 for five as Andrew Caddick and Richard Johnson bowled beautifully. Only three late sixes gave Kent some respectability. Graeme Smith, however, struck the first ball of the reply for four and led a stroll to victory.

Leicestershire Foxes restored their promotion hopes as Darren Maddy steered them to a thoroughly efficient win over Scottish Saltires in Edinburgh. At the break, the hosts paraded the ICC Trophy they won last week, but even that proof that they are the best of the international second division was not enough to inspire them.

Maddy helped restrict the Scots to a dispiriting 166 for nine, with only Ryan Watson showing any resistance. Maddy duly steered the Foxes home, his 95 not out in 100 balls ending with a flourish as he hit successive balls for six and four.

The vibrant manner in which Vikram Solanki can launch an innings was evident in such play as the weather permitted at Bristol. When the inevitable Duckworth/Lewis judgment came, he and Stephen Moore had done enough to bring about victory for Worcestershire Royals over their fellow first division stragglers, Gloucestershire Gladiators.

Solanki struck 45 off 41 balls with seven fours, mostly in his characteristically stylish way. He may be pigeon-holed as a one-day batsman but there are worse things to be. In a match initially reduced to 30 overs a side, Gloucestershire’s 168 for nine never appeared quite sufficient, despite Matt Windows making a half-century in which his first seven scoring shots went to the boundary. There were useful innings, too, by Mark Hardinges and Craig Spearman.

Worcestershire have been buoyed by the news that they are to have discussions with Glenn McGrath about rejoining them when the Australians play at Worcester at the end of this week. His wife is from the Midlands and he has expressed a keenness to return to New Road if there is a suitable break in his international schedule.

Younis Khan, the Pakistan batsman who makes his Nottinghamshire debut against Surrey tomorrow as a six-week locum for Stephen Fleming, had longer to bond with his colleagues in the Trent Bridge dressing-room than expected. No sooner had Fleming decided to field against Northamptonshire than rain set in. The Steelbacks reached 25 without loss from 26 balls before play was abandoned. Fleming flies out this evening to lead New Zealand on their controversial tour of Zimbabwe.