Friends Provident Trophy (at Edgbaston):
Northants 297-6 (U Afzaal 87, DJ G Sales 56)
lost to Warwickshire 298-4 (I J L Trott 125no, T R Ambrose 111no) by 6 wickets.

Jonathan Trott and Tim Ambrose were unaffected by a scoreboard blackout as they made undefeated centuries in guiding Warwickshire to a six-wicket win with one ball to spare against Northamptonshire in the Friends Provident Trophy at Edgbaston.

In a high-powered chase to a target of 298, Trott made 125 from 126 balls and wicketkeeper Ambrose, who hit 11 fours and two sixes, was even quicker with 111 from 83 in a spectacular recovery from a rocky 96 for four in the 24th over.

For a large part of their unbroken partnership of 205 - a Warwickshire record for the fifth wicket in all one-day cricket - the public address announcer had to keep the crowd updated with the match position because of faults with the score display systems.

The new computerised board at the City End was out of action all day because of "minor teething problems" with the software and there were intermittent problems with the alternative at the Pavilion End.

Apart from Ambrose giving one chance at long leg off to Richard Dawson on 92, the Warwickshire pair were faultless in scoring at a breathtaking eight runs an over for a sustained period. It was particularly sweet for Trott who bagged a pair in just four balls during Warwickshire's opening County Championship match last week.

Warwickshire were unlikely winners for the first phase of their reply to Northamptonshire’s 297 for six. Darren Maddy, on his one-day debut after a winter move from Leicestershire, was out first ball, losing his leg stump to a Steven Crook yorker.

Opener Ian Westwood created a new platform in a stand of 57 with Trott but the young left hander was bowled for 29 by Brown’s third ball.

Trott continued to make steady progress after starting the season with a "pair" in the Championship match with Lancashire but two more partners fell to Richard Dawson, before completing a half-century from 70 balls. Jim Troughton (19) was bowled, attempting to sweep, and Stephen Peters did well to hold a skier from Alex Loudon (seven) at deep mid-wicket.

Northamptonshire lost their first eight matches before registering their only win in the North Conference last year but their batsmen were quicker in getting up to speed in the second season under a new format.

Peters was the only top-order batsman to fail, edging a good ball from Dale Steyn behind the wicket, but Usman Afzaal made a stylish 87 and featured in three half-century standards

Heath Streak had Chris Rogers caught behind for 47 after the Australian had hit seven fours and the rate increased when David Sales romped to 56 from 63 balls with five fours and a six. A leading edge to short extra cover off Steyn put paid to the Northants captain but Rob White (34) was equally destructive until mistiming a big shot off Maddy.

Afzaal picked up 10 fours and a six from 110 balls before Loudon held a neat catch at long off in an otherwise costly spell by medium-pacer Tim Groenewald. The last five overs of the innings then yielded 48 thanks to bold hitting by Riki Wessels (30 from 17 balls) and Johan van der Wath, who needed only nine deliveries to make an unbeaten 23.