The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day two of round 12 of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Taunton (day two of four): Somerset 492, Durham 272-6 - Durham are 200 runs behind with four first-innings wickets remaining
Jack Leach claimed three wickets as Somerset built a strong position on the second day of the County Championship First Division game with Durham at Taunton.
The home side began by extending their first innings score from an overnight 395 for 6 to 492 all out, James Rew dismissed for 103, having set out on 89, and Kasey Aldridge making 44. Callum Parkinson finished with 4 for 136.
By the close, Durham had replied with 272 for six, left-arm spinner Leach taking 3 for 103. Alex Lees hit a solid 59, but it was an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 102 between Brydon Carse (59 not out) and Ben Raine (51 not out), which kept the visitors in the game after they had slumped to 170 for 6.
At the age of 20, Rew already his eight first-class centuries to his name, the latest completed with a streaky edged boundary between wicketkeeper and slip off Carse early in the morning session. He had faced 112 balls and hit 12 fours and a six.
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Edgbaston (day two of four): Kent 156 & 157-3, Warwickshire 420 - Kent are 107 runs behind with seven second-innings wickets remaining
Will Rhodes marked his penultimate home game as a Warwickshire player with a double century to put his side in total command of Kent in the County Championship at Edgbaston.
Rhodes struck a chanceless 201 (295 balls, 32 fours) to lift Warwickshire to 420 and a first-innings lead of 264. Such a high-class innings from the former captain suggests that Durham, for whom he has signed a three-year contract, will welcome a player heading into his peak as a player.
Rhodes' six-and-a-half hour marathon laid a foundation for his side to press hard for their first championship win of the season. Needing 264 to avoid an innings defeat, Kent closed the second day on 157 for 3 as Olly Hannon-Dalby (3 for 26) took his championship wicket tally this season to 43.
Kent's multitude of problems continues to mount. Their bowling attack, nobly led by George Garrett (3 for 76) and Matt Parkinson (3 for 94), was deprived of Grant Stewart by a shoulder injury while Tawanda Muyeye could not open the batting as he was unable to field due to a knee injury.
Related: Kookaburra ball returns for next two County Championship rounds
It was a big day of celebration for Somerset (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Chelmsford (day two of four): Worcestershire 266 & 2-0, Essex 404 - Worcestershire are 136 runs behind with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
Michael Pepper added a maiden first-class century to two hundreds in this season's T20 Blast to put Essex in command of their Vitality County Championship match against Worcestershire.
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman had only passed fifty once before this summer, and his previous highest red-ball score of 92 came three years ago at Durham, but his unbeaten 125-ball 112 turned the tide in Essex’s favour as they seek to end a run of three games without a win.
Pepper was joined at 227 for 7 by Shane Snater (53) and the pair put on 136 in 26 runs to not only overhaul Worcestershire’s 266 but lay the foundations for a 138-run first-innings lead.
Tom Westley had set the ball rolling with 68 from 126 balls before he became the first of Amar Virdi's three wickets for 126 in a marathon 37.4-over spell. Ethan Brookes also picked up three wickets before Worcestershire reduced the deficit by two runs without loss in five overs in the evening.
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Old Trafford (day two of four): Hampshire 389, Lancashire 193-8 - Lancashire are 196 runs behind with two first-innings wickets remaining
A superb display by all-rounder Liam Dawson has left Hampshire in a dominant position after two days of their County Championship match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.
After making an unbeaten 104, his second century of the season, and putting on 71 for the last wicket with Muhammad Abbas, Dawson bowled 28 overs unchanged from the James Anderson End, taking 4 for 46 as the home side replied to Hampshire's 389 with 193 for 8.
Related: Ahmed shines on debut as 16-year-old leads Notts fightback against Surrey
Michael Pepper took his T20 Blast form into the County Championship (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Trent Bridge (day two of four): Surrey 525, Nottinghamshire 144-3 - Nottinghamshire are 381 runs behind with seven first-innings wickets remaining
Spin bowling prodigy Farhan Ahmed continued his extraordinary entrance into County Championship cricket with figures of 7 for 140 but may find his efforts to have been in vain as Surrey's first-innings 525 left Nottinghamshire fighting an uphill battle on day two at Trent Bridge.
Having become the youngest player to appear in a first-class match for Nottinghamshire at 16 years 189 days on Thursday, Ahmed gained another record as the youngest to take five wickets or more in an innings in first-class cricket in England.
However, after captain Rory Burns had struck 161 on day one, Indian international Sai Sudharsan (105) took the opportunity to make an impact with an impressive first hundred in Surrey colours, putting his side in a commanding position as they push towards a third consecutive Championship title.
Nottinghamshire, who lost by an innings against Durham last week, finished 144 for 3 in reply as they seek to avoid a similar fate, with skipper Haseeb Hameed (68) and nightwatchman Brett Hutton out just before the close after Hameed and 19-year-old Freddie McCann (69 not out), had shared a 136-run second-wicket partnership, with another 232 runs needed if they are not to be asked to follow on.
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