A dominant performance with bat and ball over two days carried Nottinghamshire into a strong position to end a run of back-to-back Specsavers County Championship defeats and leapfrog opponents Essex in the table.
However, after dismissing the reigning champions for 206 to lead by 174 runs on first innings, Notts decided against enforcing the follow-on. By the close at Chelmsford, their advantage had been extended to 209 in 12 overs in the evening sun, though they lost captain Chris Nash to a catch behind from a tentative prod to Matt Quinn.
Matt Carter, the 22-year-old off-break bowler, spun the web that led to Essex’s downfall inside two sessions with four wickets for 34 from 15.3 overs, of which eight were maidens.
Surrey vs Somerset
Ryan Patel produced a remarkable burst of six wickets for five runs in 23 balls as Surrey made Somerset follow-on in the battle of the County Championship’s top two at Guildford.
The 20-year-old had only taken two wickets in his career, but Somerset had no answer as he swung the ball late at gentle medium pace after coming on in the 56th over with Somerset 169 for 4. Less than 30 minutes later they had subsided to 180 all out and were following on.
Following on, Somerset closed on 18 for 0 – still 261 behind – and they face an uphill battle to prevent Surrey deposing them as first division leaders.
Worcestershire vs Lancashire
Lancashire suffered a day of misery after a startling first innings collapse in which 10 wickets went down for 53 runs in 22.2 overs as they were bowled out for 130 – a deficit of 117.
Then Daryl Mitchell completed two hundreds in the match as he and fellow century-maker Guptill – on his debut – put on 215 for the first wicket in 33 overs.
New Zealand star Guptill smashed four sixes and 10 fours in his 97-ball century – the first time a Worcestershire player had scored a Championship century on their debut since Phil Jaques against Surrey at The Oval in 2006.
Mitchell went onto make 163 from 221 balls with 20 fours before he was dismissed by Jordan Clark.
He added a further 137 with Tom Fell (62) as Worcestershire closed on 361-4 a lead of 478.
Hampshire vs Yorkshire
Jimmy Adams battled to his first Specsavers County Championship century for almost a year as Hampshire fought back into a strong position against Yorkshire.
His runs backed up Dale Steyn’s first five-wicket haul since August 2016 as Yorkshire were bowled out for 350 – their highest total of the season.
He ended the day unbeaten on 132, with Alsop on 62, having shared a 177 for the unbroken fourth wicket.
Earlier, Hampshire wrapped up the Yorkshire tail – although the visitors managed to grab a fourth bonus point for the first time this season.
Division Two
Sussex vs Durham
Will Smith was cast in the role of match-saver as Durham replied to a massive Sussex score of 552.
This is a transitional Durham side and their target to avoid the follow-on, 403, looked improbable as they slid to 96 for three in the 36th over.
Sussex broke through in only the third over of the innings when Tom Latham fended a rising ball from Jofra Archer to Harry Finch in the slips. Then, at 43, Cameron Steel cut Danny Briggs to Archer at point for 20. Earlier in the day Steel had been removed from the attack after being no-balled for his second delivery above waist height.
Graham Clark was third out when, attempting to pull, he had his off-stump knocked back by Luke Wells for 27.
But then the experienced pair of Smith, 35, who is in his second spell with the club, and Paul Collingwood, 42, pulled the innings round with a stand of 82 in 28 overs.
Collingwood, returning to the side after a calf injury, hit eight fours in his 81-ball 44 and played with confidence against the spin of Briggs and Wells. He appeared a little surprised when he was given out lbw to one from Wells that hit him high on his front pad.
But Smith’s vigil continued and he had batted for four hours for his unbeaten 90 from 216 deliveries, with ten fours.
Durham are halfway to ensuring Sussex bat again.
Kent vs Warwickshire
Second-innings centuries by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly helped Kent to build a potentially game-defining lead of 431 runs as the hosts closed on day two of their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship clash with Warwickshire on an impressive 359 for six.
In a complete volte face to the opening day when 20 wickets fell, Kent’s third-wicket pairing found batting at The Nevill in Tunbridge Wells a pleasurable pastime once the shine went off the new ball and the wind and sunshine took effect in helping to harden the top surface.
Leicestershire vs Middlesex
Leicestershire's bowlers drove home the advantage after their batsmen, led by a first-class career best 196 not out by Colin Ackermann, posted an imposing first innings score in their Specsavers County Championship match against Middlesex at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.
Young seamers Zak Chappell and Gavin Griffiths picked up six wickets between them as the visitors subsided from 200-4 to 233 all out.
South African Ackermann's only disappointment was not getting the chance to reach the double century he deserved, after the Foxes had resumed on their overnight score of 353-8.
Northamptonshire vs Gloucestershire
Derbyshire, in reply to Glamorgan’s first innings total of 283 all out, ended the second day of the Specsavers Division Two County Championship match at St. Helen’s in Swansea on 207 for three, a deficit of 76.
Glamorgan were indebted to Andrew Salter and the tail enders, who added 108 in the pre-lunch session, with Salter scoring an unbeaten 72, and the debutant Prem Sisodiya a useful 38. Sisodiya should have been dismissed on 24, but Alex Hughes dropped a simple catch at short leg.
The eighth wicket pair put on 56 – the third successive half century stand in the innings – before Sisodiya was bowled by Tony Palladino, giving the Derbyshire seamer figures of 5-69, his third five for against the Welsh County.
Alex Hughes, unbeaten on 67, and Billy Godleman (8 not out), saw Derbyshire through to the close, 76 runs behind Glamorgan.
Reports courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network
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