COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE ROUNDUP: Paul Walter's third first-class century has Essex in a commanding position against Worcestershire, while Hampshire continue to get the better of Somerset
Chester-le-Street (day two of four): Yorkshire 307, Durham 264-1 - Durham are 43 runs behind with nine first-innings wickets remaining
Alex Lees excelled against his former county as he and fellow centurion Emilio Gay ensured Durham dominated day two of their County Championship clash with Yorkshire at the Banks Homes Riverside.
At the halfway stage of this Division One fixture, Durham have control having replied strongly to a first-innings 307 with 264 for 1 from 63.2 overs, bad light curtailing the day just before 5pm.
Yorkshire had seemingly enjoyed a healthy day one as they compiled 295 for 8 in challenging batting conditions. But, in easing batting conditions, Durham pressed ahead to give themselves a great chance of ending a two-game losing streak at the start of the summer.
Lees led the way with 148 not out off 194 balls, while Gay's unbeaten 105 off 168 represented an expert supporting role. They shared an unbroken 242 - a Durham second-wicket partnership record in first-class matches against Yorkshire.
Related: Surrey's title credentials come into question again as Sussex make dominant start
Chelmsford (day two of four): Essex 179 & 233-6, Worcestershire 202 - Essex are 210 runs ahead with four second-innings wickets remaining
Paul Walter scored his third career first-class century to steady a listing Essex ship and help towards setting up a run chase for Worcestershire at Chelmsford.
The 30-year-old left-hander has been auditioning in the first three County Championship matches for the vacant opening spot alongside Dean Elgar when the South African returns for paternity leave at the end of the month. Walter has already accumulated 317 runs in five innings this season at an average of 79.25.
His 104 from 154 balls guided Essex from 128 for 5, and a lead of just 105 at that point, to a more comfortable 211 for 6 when he was eventually out following a stand of 83 with Noah Thain. At the close, Essex were 233 for 6 with a lead of 210, and Thain had reached a career-best 49 not out.
Worcestershire's first-innings total of 202 was built largely on a 102-run fifth-wicket partnership between the not-out overnight pair of Adam Hose and Brett D'Oliveira, who both departed for identical scores of 48 from 78 balls. Both also fell victim to Essex's Sri Lankan debutant Kasun Rajitha, whose pace helped him finish with 4 for 52.
Related: Somerset indebted to Migael Pretorius as they cling on to passive Hampshire
Durham centurions Emilio Gay and Alex Lees (Getty Images)
Utilita Bowl (day two of four): Somerset 184, Hampshire 193-3 - Hampshire are 10 runs ahead with seven first-innings wickets remaining
Nick Gubbins continued where he left off at the Kia Oval as his unbeaten 58 put Hampshire in the box seat of their County Championship clash with Somerset.
Top order batter Gubbins struck a century against Surrey in the previous round to save a draw, having scored 43 in the first innings.
He played the anchor in stands of 80 and an unbeaten 76 with Tom Prest (42) and Liam Dawson (50 not out) as Hampshire wiped out Somerset's 184 to take their lead to 10 by close.
Brad Wheal and James Fuller had ended up with four wickets each, but Migael Pretorius bolstered Somerset's meagre score with 47 not out in a 48-run partnership for the 10th wicket.
Hove (day two of four): Sussex 435, Surrey 90-1 - Surrey are 345 runs behind with nine first-innings wickets remaining
Tom Haines, one of the better opening batsmen in the country for many years, has been unable to prove himself in the first division of the County Championship. Now he has done so most emphatically.
Haines batted for seven and a half hours against the best seam attack in the land, scoring 174 runs to anchor the Sussex first innings of 435 against Surrey. This followed his 141 in his side's resounding victory over Somerset last week.
When he was bowled, getting an inside edge onto his leg stump from a delivery from Gus Atkinson, bowling round the wicket, this compact, neatly acquisitive left-hander had faced 286 balls and struck 18 fours, adding 180 for the third wicket with Tom Alsop (63). In doing so, he pushed himself into the England reckoning, for the Lions side at least.
But for all his great efforts on the second day of the match between the county champions and the current joint leaders, it was Surrey who reached the close of play the happier side. On their travels, they have become accustomed to being presented with flat pitches, and this was another one, a slow, low piece of turf that drew the teeth from the fast bowlers.
Related: The accuracy of Fergus O'Neill leaves Warwickshire on their knees
Haseeb Hameed helped Notts into a commanding position (Getty Images)
Edgbaston (day two of four): Warwickshire 93, Nottinghamshire 204-3 - Nottinghamshire are 111 runs ahead with seven first-innings wickets remaining
Top-drawer seam bowling by Fergus O'Neill and Brett Hutton put Nottinghamshire in command against Warwickshire on the second day of their Rothesay County Championship at Edgbaston.
Aussie import O'Neill took 5 for 19 and Hutton 5 for 38 as the home side floundered to 93 all out. Only Sam Hain (43, 81 balls) offered sustained resistance as the visitors rapaciously made up for time lost on the first day when just 56 balls were bowled.
Nottinghamshire than advanced to 204 for 5 by the close of the second day, with captain Haseeb Hameed carrying his team’s reply with an adamantine unbeaten 75 (136 balls).
When they passed Warwickshire's total for the loss of just one wicket, a mighty lead beckoned and, though the home bowlers struck back with four wickets in the last session, Hameed's side remains very strongly placed.
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