Cricket: Smith plays games

Hampshire 225; Leicestershire 44-2

MONOPOLY was Robin Smith's unwitting game as he made a fifth hundred this summer, past 10,000 Championship runs and damaged Leicestershire's chances of finishing second in the table, along with increased prize money.

Currently fourth with a game in hand, they were powerless to prevent Smith from scoring all except 86 runs from the bat during the innings on a pitch of disconcerting and uneven bounds.

Smith, omitted from England's forthcoming tour of Australia, made 123, including 18 fours and a six, from 187 balls. His six off Adrian Pierson flew over the pavilion stand and landed near an adjacent underwear factory. The employees might dispute the long-held theory that Smith cannot play spin bowling.

David Millns, with 5 for 59, had his vociferous say in the day's proceedings, terminated prematurely by rain. With 73 wickets, he has 31 more than his nearest Leicestershire challenger, Gordon Parsons. Millns captured all the first four: Paul Terry being caught at the wicket off a snorting lifter, newcomer Paul Whitaker saw his off-stump cartwheel, Giles White was leg- before, pushing, and Mark Nicholas caught at the fourth attempt by Parsons at first slip.

Parsons returned the remarkable figures of eight maidens in 12 overs, which cost 27 runs and included the wicket of Smith, well caught on the run by Phil Simmons on the cover boundary.

As for Smith, this was his second hundred against Leicestershire and by far his biggest score at Grace Road, exceeding his 40 nine years ago.