Cricket: Overdue home win for champions

Warwickshire achieved their first home Championship victory of the season yesterday as they edged out Nottinghamshire by 85 runs with Ashley Giles taking 5 for 70 - his best figures of the season - after the visitors had been set a target of 297 in 81 overs.

He was well supported Shaun Pollock, who took 3 for 19, as Warwickshire triumphed with 14.1 overs to spare and took the defending champions to fifth place.

Pollock trapped Tim Robinson lbw for nought in his first over but Paul Pollard and Ashley Metcalfe looked to have given Nottinghamshire a solid base with a stand of 91 in 35 overs. After a wayward opening spell, Giles switched to the City End and had Metcalfe caught behind for 44 and in his next over Paul Johnson perished at mid-off for two.

Wickets then fell at steady intervals and the only resistance came from Kevin Evans, who made 60 before he was last out caught hooking at Pollock.

Glamorgan's Steve Watkin broke into Gloucestershire's tail with a spell of three wickets in seven balls without a run being scored, but the Welsh side still had to settle for a draw. The home side held on with two wickets remaining and nine fielders around the bat for Watkin's final over.