Cricket / NatWest Trophy: Long shots gun for glory: Derek Hodgson on the prospect of the outsiders emerging victorious in today's quarter-final ties

THE ODDS against a new name appearing on the NatWest Trophy this year are, curiously, only 3-1. Just two of the clubs figuring in today's quarter-finals, Warwickshire and Essex, are previous winners.

The catch is that the 60-over competition has been sponsored by the bank only since 1981. But if the Gillette Cup results were included, dating back to 1963, there are still three of today's eight clubs without a final victory. Glamorgan, Leicestershire and Durham.

The second round this year proved the undoing of the regular favourites such as Lancashire, (five wins) and Middlesex (four). Also departed are the three-times winners, Sussex, and Yorkshire and Somerset, who have won it twice each. This could be the year of the long shot.

However, before you rush out to the bookies, think on this: Warwickshire (three wins), face Kent (two), while Essex, who have won just about everything in the last decade, including the most-jokes contest, meet Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College where earlycomers will book both a seat and one of those wonderful cakes from the county caterers.

Essex will be watching the weather (forecast: dry and sunny) because Neil Foster is due to have an exploratory operation in Cambridge on a knee tomorrow and can play only if the match will be completed in a day. Gloucestershire were reassured that Courtney Walsh had recovered from a side strain but Dean Hodgson and Andy Babington face fitness tests.

All the matches have an intriguing element: can Ian Botham spur Durham to their first semi-final by winning against the country's most improved team, Leicestershire, at Grace Road? Durham had thought that they would be without Dean Jones, who has a broken finger, but the Australian had a 20-minute net at Grace Road yesterday.

Should Jones miss out, their 40- year-old director of cricket, Geoff Cook, will step in for only his second senior game of the season after warming up with a 49 against Middlesex last Sunday.

Leicestershire will have Phil Robinson, the exiled Tyke with a point to prove, in their batting order, but David Millns, who leads their attack, is carrying a slight foot injury but is expected to play.

Northamptonshire who virtually buried Yorkshire at Wantage Road are playing like a team who have already been to three finals (they lost all three) and have the power and the capacity to do it again. They do have to contain Viv Richards and Matthew Maynard at Swansea but are unlikely to have to face Steve Bastien who has a cut hand.

Warwickshire, still chagrined yesterday after their brave but futile attempt to score 347 in 56 overs to beat Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston, are steamed up and at full strength to face Kent, the beaten Benson and Hedges finalists of a fortnight ago.

How Kent's batting fares against the potent bowling of the Bears is the key question. Richard Ellison and Jon Longley added to the normal Kent XI. The semi-final draw today should feature Northamptonshire, Essex, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.