LONDON. May 4: County champions Glamorgan conceded 45 runs from the final four overs to lose their English one-day AXA League match against Middlesex at Lord's on Sunday, reports Reuters.

Even without skipper Matthew Maynard, who pulled a muscle while warming up. the Welsh county were clear favourites to win after scoring 218 for eight and reducing Middlesex to 89 for five.

At 174 for seven with only four overs left. Glamorgan still held the whip hand. But talented young Owais Shah and Richard Johnson reduced the target to 20 from two overs and they were knocked off from the bowling of Darren Thomas and Pakistan's Waqar Younis with three balls to spare.

The match finished in anticlimax as Waqar bowled a wide. Shah was unbeaten on 88 and Jonson on 22. having put on 45 from 22 balls.

Earlier. Glamorgan's England off-spinner Robert Croft continued his outstanding run as an opening batsman in one-day cricket, adding a third half-century to scores of 77 and 67 in Benshon and Hedges Cup ties.

Hampshire became joint league leaders, beating Sussex by 70 runs for their second victory in two matches. Sussex, who finished bottom of the table last season, lost their third match out of three.

In Sunday's only other match Worcestershire beat Durham by 24 runs, Australian Tom Moody hitting 80 in an opening stand of 110 with Vikram Solanki.

Durham fought well to match Worecestershire's 235 for seven but a target of 30 from the last three overs proved too much, their last three wickets falline in eieht balls.