League Round-up Jason Gee

Gloucestershire 's acting captain Craig Spearman led his side to a 78-run First Division victory over Warwickshire with a spectacular career-best 153 at Archdeacon Meadow yesterday. The New Zealander struck 16 fours and five sixes in his 123-ball innings, which was also the highest by a Gloucestershire batsman in the competition.

Spearman and Phil Weston, who contributed 61 to an opening stand of 171 in 27 overs, laid the foundations for them to post 307 for eight in their 45 overs. Half-centuries from Nick Knight (70), Ian Bell (50) and Jim Troughton (53) led a spirited reply, but the visitors were eventually bowled out for 229 in the 41st over.

Glamorgan maintained the pressure on the leaders Surrey with a 31-run win over Worcestershire after Alex Wharf's four for 24 helped dismiss the visitors for 184. Adrian Dale (60), David Hemp (59) and Mike Powell (46) had earlier contributed to Glamorgan's 215 for nine off 39 overs.

Yorkshire slipped to their fourth defeat in five matches after failing to reach a target of 209 at Kent . Michael Lumb (77) and Richard Blakey (41) were the top scorers for the visitors but Ben Trott's three for 19 in nine overs and two wickets for the Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds helped dismiss Yorkshire for 186.

Kent's total was a real team effort with another Aus tralian Greg Blewett top-scoring with 46, as well as significant knocks from Matthew Walker (31), Peter Trego (23) and the England batsman Robert Key (22).

The Second Division leaders Northamptonshire disposed of struggling Somerset easily with a seven-wicket victory at Bath - their fifth in six matches.

The home side were soon in trouble at 35 for five as Mike Cawdron ran through them with four for 31. Keith Dutch made 50 from 55 balls and 32 from Keith Parsons helped push the total up to 143. But that was hardly likely to challenge the leaders and, when the target was reduced to 131 because of rain, Mike Hussey (54) and David Sales (33) helped make short work of it.

An aggressive 43 off 31 balls from Andy Flintoff saw Lancashire comfortably beat Nottinghamshire , who could post only 100 in 17 rain-affected overs. The home side's target was adjusted to 112 under the Duckworth-Lewis method but that did not concern Flintoff, who, with the West Indian Carl Hooper (40 off 39 balls), shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 88.