County Championship Division One roundup: Keaton Jennings and James Vince pile on runs

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action on day two of the third round of LV= Insurance County Championship matches in 2023

Lord's (second day of four): Nottinghamshire 364 v Middlesex 111-2 - Middlesex trail by 253 runs with eight wickets remaining

Mark Stoneman struck a classy unbeaten half century as Middlesex's under pressure top order produced defiant resistance on a truncated second day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire.

The former England opener had endured a tough start back in Division One with only 27 runs in four innings, but played confidently from the get-go, his 60 not out containing 10 fours.

Pieter Malan though fell lbw to Stuart Broad from what proved to be the last ball of the day as Middlesex closed on 111 for 2, still 253 behind.

Keaton Jennings piled on the runs for Lancashire (Getty Images)

Taunton (second day of four): Somerset 441 v Lancashire 302-1 - Lancashire trail by 139 runs with nine wickets remaining

Keaton Jennings piled more agony on Somerset’s bowlers with a flawless century as Lancashire hit back strongly on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Taunton.

Having notched a triple hundred against the same opponents at Southport last season, the experienced opener cruised to 124 not out, off 174 balls, with 19 fours, in a total of 302 for one. Luke Wells made 82 and Josh Bohannon an unbeaten 73.

Somerset started the day by extending their first innings score from 311 for four to 441 all out, overnight centurions Tom Abell and James Rew falling for career best scores of 151 and 117 respectively, while James Anderson finished with five for 76 from 28 overs.

That total was soon made to look below par on a pitch offering nothing in the way of uneven bounce, seam movement or spin.

Northampton (second day of four): Hampshire 482-8 v Northamptonshire 95-5 - Northamptonshire trail by 387 runs with five wickets remaining 

James Vince's classy knock of 186 guided Hampshire into a commanding position against Northamptonshire on a stop-start second day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Wantage Road.

The Hampshire captain spent almost six and a half hours at the crease, sharing a century stand with Ben Brown for the sixth wicket and underpinning his side’s total of 482 for eight declared.

Vince’s seamers immediately capitalised on that advantage as Mohammad Abbas claimed the wicket of Ricardo Vasconcelos with the first ball of Northamptonshire’s reply.

A spell of three wickets in five deliveries – one for Kyle Abbott and two for James Fuller – left the hosts deep in trouble, with Abbas picking up another as they clambered to 95 for 5 at stumps.

Mark Stoneman dug in for Middlesex (Getty Images)

Canterbury (second day of four): Essex 289-1 v Kent

Tom Westley and Nick Browne both hit centuries as Essex advanced to 289 for 1 on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.

Westley scored a swashbuckling, unbeaten 138, which contrasted with Browne's more measured 105 not out, but for the second day running conditions halted Essex's progress, with just 32 overs possible.

Kent's bowlers toiled again and Westley and Browne have now put on an unbeaten 246 for the second wicket.