Vikram Solanki and Stephen Moore made this target look easy, passing the required 135 runs without losing a wicket in 5 balls fewer than 20 overs.

Winning the toss and bowling, Scotland didn't quite get the wickets they wanted, the South African Martin van Jaarsveld top-scoring for Kent with 57 while Darren Stevens smashed 51 off 30 balls towards the end.

Winning the toss and batting, Scottish Saltires' bowlers Asim Butt, Majid Haq and Paul Hoffmann (who bowled 9 overs for 14 runs) tied the visitors down to 145 for 5 before Blackwell came on.

Scotland Saltires then crumbled to 154, former England all-rounder Craig White taking three Scottish wickets as only the hired-in man from Durham, Gavin Hamilton, managed some resistance with the bat.

The Sharks chased down the target easily, as openers Matt Prior and Ian Ward put on 108, and whilst Scotland were able to take two wickets, Sussex sped home with 16.3 overs to spare.

Paul Hoffmann snared the important wicket of James Hildreth for 49, the lower order rolled over meekly to Arafat (who got 3-33), and with Jon Francis injured, the Sabres managed to lose the match by 15 runs as they were all out for 218.

Derbyshire Phantoms won the toss and batted, and it was only thanks to a century from Australian import Michael di Venuto that they passed 200 and ended up with a final total of 220 for 8 - along with 33 not out from Andre Botha.

On the last ball, Scotland needed two runs to win with South African-born number 11 Dewald Nel on strike - he could only scamper one with Lockhart, and the teams shared the spoils.

The top 5 teams win places in the 2007 cricket World Cup and official One Day International status from 1 January 2006 until the 2009 ICC Trophy.

Scotland won their first five games, against Oman, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Namibia and the Netherlands saw them through to the semi-finals, the World Cup and ODI status.

Leicestershire (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by seven wickets The Scottish Saltires, playing their first National League match following their ICC Trophy victory, fell down to earth brutally at The Grange.

Despite Ryan Watson scoring 70 and Dougie Lockhart 42, there was little support, and the Scots only mustered 166 for 9 in 45 overs - Claude Henderson taking three for 25 for Leicestershire Foxes.

Scotland had been put in to bat by Derbyshire captain Luke Sutton, and crashed to 42 for 4 after two wickets from new-ball bowler Graeme Welch, but Watts paired up well with the lower middle order before rain set in.

Watson then got three wickets and Cedric English two, as the visitors collapsed to 147 for 7, but Stubbings, still at the crease, held his head calm and ended on 75 not out to guide Derbyshire past the target with three balls to spare.

Batting first, Durham made 227 for 7, Gordon Muchall top-scoring with 79 and Gareth Breese upping the scoring-rate with two sixes in an unbeaten 47 off 39 balls near the end.

(Cricinfo scorecard) Sussex (4pts) beat Scotland (0pts) by seven wickets Rana Naved-ul-Hasan's pace bowling was too much to handle for the Scottish Saltires, as they whimpered to 132 all out despite Jonathan Beukes making 51.

Sussex Sharks strolled to the target in just over half the allotted time, Matt Prior smashing 13 fours and one six in a fifty-ball 69, while Sean Weeraratna took two for 20 for the Scots.

Lacking all-rounder Ryan Watson and economical bowler Paul Hoffmann, Scotland were in trouble from the outset, and Kent made 259 for 4 in their 45 overs.

Jonathan Beukes offered some resistance with 35 for the Scots, but once he was caught and bowled by James Tredwell Scotland lost the last six wickets for 32 runs, ending all out for 115.

Fraser Watts and Ian Stanger both hit half-centuries for Scotland, as the Saltires made their way to 177 for 1, and despite two wickets from Jamie Anyon and the golden duck from West Indian Vasbert Drakes, the Scots ended on 220 for 5.

Surrey's opening bowlers Tim Murtagh and Mohammad Akram reduced them to 40 for 5, but 21-year-old Omer Hussain made 52 in his first List A innings, adding 125 for the seventh wicket with Craig Wright, who ended unbeaten on 88.