White runs hot

Rob White © Getty Images

Rob White hit his highest one-day score as Northamptonshire downed Warwickshire to grab their first Friends Provident Trophy win in a thrilling encounter.

The 28-year-old struck 111 to guide Northants to an unlikely victory at Wantage Road.

All-rounder Neil Carter picked up 3-49 but it was not enough as South African Lance Klusener’s 26 saw the Steelbacks home with an over to spare.

Darren Maddy earlier hit a run-a-ball 77 in Warwickshire’s total of 293 for five. Northants skipper Nicky Boje was the pick of the bowlers with 3-54.

Former England batsman Maddy was in fine form, hitting David Lucas for successive fours in the third over.

But Klusener made the breakthrough after Maddy and Carter had put on 55 for the first wicket, the latter edging to Niall O’Brien for 30.

Lucas finally removed Maddy in the 25th over, again courtesy of a catch behind.

Panesar’s disappointing game began when he dropped Jonathan Trott on 11 at deep mid-on off Boje.

But Boje shook it off and trapped Ian Westwood leg before for 65 attempting to reverse sweep two overs later.

England wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose hauled Boje straight to White, and, though Nick James was dropped by O’Brien off Panesar before he had scored, he managed just three before falling to Boje.

However, Trott (60 not out) and Michael Powell (45no) shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 85 to guide the Bears to a daunting total.

Wicketkeeper Riki Wessels was the first man to depart as Northants replied, lbw for 14 to Lee Daggett, and in the next over Daggett sprinted in from the boundary to catch Stephen Peters for seven off Carter.

O’Brien hit 23 from 20 balls - he was bowled by Carter attempting to drive him back down the ground - and David Sales also helped stop the decline.

He brought up his fifty by cutting Tim Groenewald through point for four, only to be bowled by Ant Botha as he attempted to sweep shortly after.

Though South African Boje fell for 23 when he found Groenewald off Carter, White refused to give up hope and brought up his century by pulling South African Monde Zondeki for four.

White fell to Botha the ball after hitting him for a straight six, but, with the light fading fast, Klusener and Lucas kept their cool to knock off the winning runs and exact revenge for Northants’ LV County Championship defeat this week.