Find out what happened across the LV= Insurance County Championship on the third day of the eighth round of the 2021 competition
Group 1
Worcestershire v Derbyshire
Worcester (third day of four): Worcestershire 421, Derbyshire 270 & 112-6 - Derbyshire trail by 39 runs with four second innings wickets in hand
Dillon Pennington produced his career best performance with the ball as Worcestershire closed in on victory after enforcing the follow-on against Derbyshire on day three of the LV=Insurance County Championship match at New Road.
The paceman bowled a series of excellent spells from the New Road End and was rewarded with figures of 4 for 44 from 19.4 overs.
Club Captain Joe Leach, Ed Barnard and Alzarri Joseph all picked up two wickets as Derbyshire were bowled out for 270 – despite a fine unbeaten 81 from Matt Critchley - in reply to Worcestershire’s first innings total of 421.
Leach asked the visitors to bat again 151 runs in arrears half an hour before tea and they again ran in trouble with Pennington again shining with three wickets as they closed on 112 for 6.
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Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire
Edgbaston (third day of four): Warwickshire 341 & 201-6, Nottinghamshire 297 - Warwickshire lead Nottinghamshire by 245 runs
Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire exchanged blows throughout an engrossing third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship tussle at Edgbaston.
A terrific match will enter the final day with all results still possible after the home side, leading by 44 on first innings, closed the third day on 201 for 6 - 245 ahead overall.
In reply to 341, Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 297 (Joe Clarke (61, 99 balls, six fours, one six) by a solid collective bowling effort led by Liam Norwell (4for 64).
Bears captain Will Rhodes (63, 99 balls, nine fours, one six) then led his side to a promising 95 for one before Zak Chappell and Luke Fletcher shared five wickets in 18 overs to leave their side scenting a fourth successive victory.
That left Warwickshire 134 for six but the last twist of a compelling day was an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 67 between Michael Burgess (61 not out, 101 balls, seven fours) and Danny Briggs (16 not out, 58 balls, two fours).
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Group 2
Surrey v Gloucestershire
The Oval (third day of four): Surrey 473, Gloucestershire 158 & 124-5 - Gloucestershire trail by 191 runs with five second innings wickets remaining
Spinners Dan Moriarty and Amar Virdi proved too hot for Gloucestershire to handle in the Kia Oval sunshine as Surrey closed in on a crushing innings victory in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Virdi and Moriarty shared 11 wickets on day three as Gloucestershire were bundled out for 158 in their first innings in reply to Surrey’s 473 – losing the final nine wickets for 74 runs in 41 overs – and then, following on, struggling to 124 for 5.
Slow left-armer Moriarty took a career-best 6 for 60 in Gloucestershire’s first innings in his first appearance of the season, while off spinner Virdi picked up 3 for 46 from 26 equally probing overs.
Only Miles Hammond, last out for a four-hour 77 and adding a defiant unbeaten 38 later in the day, stood out in a supine Gloucestershire batting effort.
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Leicestershire v Middlesex
Leicester (third day of four): Middlesex 295 & 218, Leicestershire 136 & 75-1 - Leicestershire trail by 302 runs with nine second innings wickets remaining
Veteran pace bowler Chris Wright took six for 48 as Leicestershire fought to keep themselves in contention against Middlesex on the third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship Group Two match.
The 35-year-old’s third haul of five wickets or more this season was key to Middlesex’s dismissal for 218 in their second innings, in which opener Steven Eskinazi top-scored with 46.
But Leicestershire still face a daunting task in trying to score 378 to win their first match of the season on a pitch starting to take spin, having won only two matches in their Championship history chasing higher targets.
At the close they had trimmed 75 off that target in 32 overs, with Australian Marcus Harris on 41, having lost opening partner Hassan Azad in the third over when he top-edged a pull against Ethan Bamber to be caught at deep backward square.
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Josh Bohannon on his way to scoring his second first-class century
Group 3
Sussex v Northamptonshire
Hove (third day of four): Sussex 175 & 298, Northamptonshire 256 & 131-2 - Northants trail by 86 runs with eight second innings wickets remaining
Northamptonshire are poised to go second in Group Three in the LV= Insurance County Championship after they closed in on victory against Sussex at Hove.
Left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan continued his good start to the season with 5 for 70 and despite Tom Haines’ second hundred of the season Sussex were bowled out for 298 in their second innings.
That left Northants more than four sessions to score 218 and they were 131 for 2 at stumps on day three, needing another 87.
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Lancashire v Yorkshire
Old Trafford (third day of four): Yorkshire 159 & 85-2, Lancashire 509-9d - Yorkshire trail by 265 runs with eight second innings wickets remaining
Josh Bohannon’s unbeaten 127 gave Lancashire a first-innings lead of 350 as they chase a first Roses LV= Insurance County Championship win at Emirates Old Trafford since 2000.
Bohannon’s second career Championship century was secured during the afternoon session on day three as Lancashire, replying to a first-innings 159, advanced from 350 for 6 overnight to 509 for 9 declared.
Yorkshire started their second innings with 47 overs remaining in the day and, despite reaching close in reasonable health at 85 for 2, still have an uphill task to secure a draw.
If successful, it would extend their unbeaten start in 2021 to seven games and prevent Lancashire, also unbeaten, from claiming a fourth win.
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