The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day four of round eight of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Bristol (day four of four): Derbyshire 526 & 166-4, Gloucestershire 530 - match drawn
Beau Webster completed a Gloucestershire home debut to remember before the rain-ruined Vitality County Championship Division Two match with Derbyshire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol petered out into a predictable draw.
The Australian allrounder, recruited primarily for T20 cricket, followed up his six-wicket haul in Derbyshire's first innings of 526 by smashing 76 off just 79 balls as Gloucestershire extended their reply from an overnight 399 for 4 to 530 all out, Zak Chappell claiming five for 58.
James Bracey was dismissed for 144 and Graeme van Buuren 187 after extending their record-breaking fifth-wicket stand to 277. But too much time had been lost to the weather and the players shook hands at 4.53pm when Derbyshire declared their second innings on 166 for 4, with a lead of 162.
Brooke Guest contributed 57, his second half century of the match. The visitors took 15 points from the game and Gloucestershire 14.
Adam Lyth drove Yorkshire's victory effort (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Grace Road (day four of four): Glamorgan 387 & 157-4, Leicestershire 343-9 - match drawn
Leicestershire remain the only side in either division of the Vitality County Championship to neither win a match nor suffer a defeat after their match with Glamorgan at the Uptonsteel County Ground ended in an almost inevitable stalemate, with Glamorgan 157 for 4 in their second innings, 201 runs in front with Sam Northeast 41 not out.
No team has been promoted with fewer than five wins since the two-division system was introduced in 2000, yet after seven of the 14 fixtures in this season’s competition Leicestershire's unbeaten record has been enough to keep them in third place in the Division Two table, despite a zero in their wins column.
The wet spring has led to a scarcity of positive results across the board and rain took its toll on this match, too, particularly on day three, although periods of stultifyingly low scoring on a slow pitch did not help.Five wickets each for Glamorgan's Timm van der Gugten and Leicestershire's Scott Currie and a century for Currie's teammate Peter Handscomb were the highlights.
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Lord's (day four of four): Sussex 554-9 dec, Middlesex 613-9 - match drawn
Middlesex and Sussex maintained their status as Vitality County Championship Division Two promotion front-runners as their match at Lord's petered out into a draw.
It looked inevitable that the spoils would be shared once the home side had avoided the follow-on early on the final day and they went on to post 613 for 9 declared in reply to Sussex’s total of 554 for 9.
Nathan Fernandes missed out on a century by nine runs, while Jack Davies struck a career-best 68 and Henry Brookes registered his first half century as a Middlesex player, with off-spinner Jack Carson taking 4 for 166.
Captains Leus du Plooy and John Simpson shook hands at 4.50pm, with the draw enabling Sussex to increase their advantage at the top to eight points over Middlesex, who remain in second place.
Graeme van Buuren and James Bracey shared a record stand during Gloucestershire's draw with Derbyshire (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Related: Ryan Higgins: "Perception is always going to be there, but I am less fussed about it now"
Wantage Road (day four of four): Yorkshire 362 & 264-6, Northamptonshire 301 & 254-8 - match drawn
Ricardo Vasconcelos hit a valiant 129 not out as he attempted to power Northamptonshire to an unlikely victory over Yorkshire in this Vitality County Championship match which ended in high drama on a seesaw final evening at Wantage Road.
Yorkshire had set up a tantalising run chase of challenging 326 to win in a little over two sessions, and when Vasconcelos warmed up for the T20 Blast game with 17 boundaries all around the ground, a home win looked a possibility.
But a dramatic clatter of wickets as Yorkshire's attack staged a late fightback set nerves jangling in the home dressing room, Vasconcelos had to switch gears to ensure his side held out for the draw, eight wickets down, in an innings full of character and maturity.
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