Tawanda Muyeye sparkles, Derbyshire respond and depleted Lancashire stay in touch

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO ROUNDUP: The opening day of the county summer in the second tier is dominated by the bowlers as 50 wickets fall

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Northampton (day one of four): Kent 231, Northamptonshire 118-7 - Northamptonshire are 113 runs behind with three first-innings wickets remaining

Tawanda Muyeye struck a sparkling 72 on an opening day marked by batting collapses as Kent were bowled out for 231 in this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Muyeye scored fluently all around the wicket, hitting nine boundaries as Kent dominated either side of lunch in a fourth wicket stand with Jack Leaning (40) worth 104.

But young Northamptonshire paceman Raphy Weatherall set off a procession of Kent wickets, snaring three in three overs. His additional pace posed real problems during an impressive spell which accounted for Muyeye and Leaning as Kent lost 5 for 33 in 9.5 overs.

Grant Stewart and Jas Singh then took two wickets each as Kent turned the screws in a testing evening session. Northamptonshire lost five early wickets, closing the day on 118 for 7, trailing by 113. Rob Keogh's battling unbeaten 53 held the innings together, offering some hope going into day two.

Related: Adam Hollioake: "I just love competing; it's a sickness, isn't it?"

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It was an impressive day with the ball for Leicestershire (ECB)

Derby (day one of four): Gloucestershire 222, Derbyshire 127-2 - Derbyshire are 95 runs behind with eight first-innings wickets remaining

A six-wicket haul from Luis Reece and four from Anuj Dal got Derbyshire's season off to an impressive start on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire at Derby.

Reece claimed his 150th first-class wicket for Derbyshire to finish with 6 for 52 while Dal had figures of 4 for 38 from 16 overs as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 222 shortly after tea.

Only Graeme van Buuren, with 67 and 48 from skipper James Bracey, offered any prolonged resistance, and in reply, Caleb Jewell plundered 61 from 48 balls with Derbyshire closing on 127 for 2. 

Related: Liam Guthrie impresses as host of naturalised Aussies do battle at Wantage Road

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Tom Aspinwall was the pick of the Lancs' bowlers with 4 for 32 (ECB)

Lord's: Middlesex 260, Lancashire 68-0 – Lancashire trail by 192 runs with 10 wickets remaining

Rookie seamers Tom Aspinwall and Ollie Sutton launched Lancashire's bid for an immediate return to the top flight in positive fashion by bowling out Middlesex for 260 on the opening day at Lord's.

Relegated to Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship last season, the Red Rose began the campaign without injured ex-England veteran James Anderson and West Indies paceman Anderson Phillip, unavailable due to a visa issue.

But 21-year-old Aspinwall, with figures of 4 for 32, and left-armer Sutton, who took 2 for 57 on his first-class debut, swung the game in their side's favour after a century stand between Sam Robson (70) and Max Holden (69) had given Middlesex a strong platform.

Having reached 215 for three in front of an impressive Lord's crowd of 4,257, the home side stumbled, losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs – and Lancashire's openers shaved 68 off the deficit before the close.

***

Cardiff (day one of four): Glamorgan 229, Leicestershire 65-1 - Leicestershire are 164 runs behind with nine first-innings wickets remaining

Leicestershire took control on the opening day of the 2025 Rothesay County Championship against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens, bowling the hosts out for 229.

Ian Holland and Ben Mike took three wickets apiece for the visitors after putting Glamorgan into bat while Chris Cooke's half-century was in vain after a series of starts in the top order.

Three-match loanee and debutant, Shoaib Bashir participated in a 53 partnership for the ninth wicket with Cooke as the pitch became easier to bat on, although the England international went wicketless from his solitary over bowled.

Despite the success with the ball, concerns were for Rishi Patel who left the field and didn't return after just 16 balls with a dislocated finger fielding a ball in the slips. As a result, Holland came and went as the Foxes ended the day strongly, returning for day two on 64 for 1 with Sol Budinger and makeshift number three, Mike at the crease.

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