His debut yesterday as a player was marked by some stunning at times unplayable pace

His debut yesterday as a player was marked by some stunning, at times unplayable, pace bowling in the first half of the day as Middlesex struggled, but he ended it as a spectator, watching Mark Ramprakash compile the 31st hundred of his first-class career.That century, his first against Warwickshire, was made at the expense of Pollock’s colleagues, as only two of Ramprakash’s 17 boundaries came off the young South African bowler. Their indefatigable captain, Tom Moody, is the Tykes’ target today.. DAVID LLEWELLYN

reports from Lord’s
Middlesex 311-5 v WarwickshireShaun Pollock’s first (and only previous) visit to Lord’s was as a spectator when South Africa thrashed England two years ago. His patient innings (55 overs) was ended with what might have been a debatable decision before Craig White, who has been bowling well enough to return for England, scored a second fifty of the summer.Worcestershire were also without both Phil Newport and their long-term casualty Gavin Hayes. He swept past 50 with four boundaries in two overs and another three- figure score looked likely. Despite punishment, the 20-year-old Ellis kept the ball up and was rewarded when Bevan essayed another of his powerful off drives and lost his off stump.McGrath is aptly nicknamed “Gripper” and in application and tenacity he resembles another Yorkshire opener without, fortunately, exciting the same controversy. David Byas was missed twice, at slip and square leg, before being trapped; Martyn Moxon, 274 not out here in 1994, was going confidently until he reached to drive Moody and was taken at slip.That left Bevan and Anthony McGrath to rebuild Bevan was soon accelerating.

The bat is swinging.Richard Illingworth has the assistance this time of an off-spinner, Vikram Solanki, a finger spinner the selectors will want to keep an eye upon. Bevan, seven fifties and three hundreds in 16 innings, was gathering speed when he was bowled by the tiro Scott Ellis.Yorkshire began on a still, hazy morning at four runs an over, their first misgiving coming when Michael Vaughan was taken aback by late bounce. One Worcestershire member said he would demand a rebate on his subscription. Britannic Assurance, the Championship sponsors, might ask why England players cannot be rested during one-day games.The chairman of selectors, Ray Illingworth, is reported as having asked Gooch to check on candidates in this match but Essex wanted him to play. Darren Gough, on the evidence of the last match, is not bowling well enough to return.

It gave a little variable bounce and slow turn, it seamed, it cheered the bowlers and it made the batsmen think.Hick was rested after “discussions with the England management”. DEREK HODGSON

reports from Worcester
Yorkshire 312-7 v WorcestershireThis was a tale of the unexpected. The pitch was not flat, Graeme Hick did not play, the selector Graham Gooch was not here, Worcestershire bowled two spinners and Michael Bevan scored only 61.Heartbreak Square’s reputation was dented by the simple expedient of using a pitch that had already borne two one-day games. Kevin Curran, playing some resounding drives and cuts, stayed to the end, by which time Northamptonshire led by 112 That should be enough to bring that elusive first victory.. It was now that Cork was warned for intimidation after bowling three successive bouncers to Bailey who in the next over drove at DeFreitas and Adams held the best of his catches, diving to his right. Richard Montgomerie departed lbw playing no stroke at Phillip DeFreitas, before Bailey and Mal Loye began to drive well through the covers in between surviving some concerted and deafening Derbyshire appeals.They had put on 52 when Loye was lbw playing forward to Cork and, four runs later, Russell Warren gave Adams the first of three good catches at second slip, off Cork.Capel then helped Bailey add 57 for the fifth wicket before he was also caught at second slip, trying to run Cork to third man. In his second over, he had Andy Roberts leg before trying to play to mid- on.

It was 33 when Dean Jones edged David Capel into his stumps, pushing defensively from the crease.When Ambrose returned for a second spell, it was little more than a formality, and he finished with 5 for 15 in 11 overs and was well supported by Capel, who had 3 for 31 from eight overs.Dominic Cork was not going to let Ambrose have it all his own way. The score was 10 when Chris Adams was bowled, driving across Ambrose, and eight runs later Kim Barnett drove furiously at a wide one from Paul Taylor without much footwork and was caught behind. Eleven wickets fell to edged catches and lbw decisions, evidence of movement, but it was mostly in the air. Perhaps the main problem for the batsmen, however, was the bounce, not least because it played on their minds.Northamptonshire found it rather better when their turn came, mainly because they did not have to face Ambrose. There was also an innings of splendid and vibrant determination from Rob Bailey, Northamptonshire’s captain, who faced 113 balls and hit six fours, mostly from powerful drives, in an innings of 68.Derbyshire started badly, losing Adrian Rollins in Ambrose’s second over when he pushed forward and was caught at second slip. After one day at Wantage Road on a distinctly awkward pitch, it is Northamptonshire who are much the more likely of the two to further their cause.After winning the toss and batting on a surface which had been used for the NatWest Trophy game against Shropshire on Tuesday, and had a green tinge to it, Derbyshire were bowled out principally by Curtly Ambrose, who revels in uneven bounce, 10 minutes after lunch.For some strange reason, pitches here look greener from the stand than they do under closer inspection. Cricket

HENRY BLOFELD
reports from NorthamptonDerbyshire 98 & 7-0 Northamptonshire 210A year ago Northamptonshire were giving Warwickshire a run for their money at the top of the table; now, they are at the bottom without a victory to their name while Derbyshire are lying third.

His view, however, does not square with the position in individual purchasing authorities where shortfalls of pounds 20m-pounds 30m are currently being identified or in Trusts which are so well funded that they have to stop elective surgery completely.
In truth, as Mr Timmins must know, the level of the deficit is difficult to estimate to a high degree of accuracy. For years, however, the recurring indications have been that it is around five per cent – pounds 2bn on the pounds 40bn currently expended.It is depressing and demoralising that the NHS, which overall delivers an outstandingly effective and economical service to the nation, should be prevented from realising its full potential for the benefit of the public by virtue of such a proportionally small deficit.RONALD M POLLOCKInternational HealthPlanning ConsultantLondon, NW1. It would be a great comfort to those of us concerned with health services if he could share his arithmetic with us. Sir: Nicholas Timmins has been a distinguished and admired contributor to your columns for many years, but he has now reached a new peak in his understanding of the National Heath Service in being able to rap the silly doctors’ knuckles for their gross exaggeration of NHS funding needs, and to assert, with absolute confidence, that the funding deficit is “at most a few hundred million”. What the Government does expect is that publicly funded medical training should teach him how to carry out a range of operations.