The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day two of round 13 of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Chester-le-Street (day two of four): Lancashire 228, Durham 367-4 - Durham lead by 139 runs with 6 wickets remaining
David Bedingham made his third Championship century of the season against Lancashire and also passed a thousand first-class runs for this campaign to help Durham take control of their Vitality County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.
Having restricted Lancashire to 228 all out in their first innings, the home side were 367 for 4 at the close, a lead of 139, with Bedingham on 177 not out and Colin Ackermann unbeaten on 111.
The pair's unbroken stand of 268 has already set a new fifth-wicket record for Durham in first-class cricket.
The one positive aspect of the day's play from a Lancastrian perspective was the bowling of the Trinidadian, Anderson Philip, who took 2 for 86 on his debut, but it now looks as though the visitors will face a battle to avoid a third Championship defeat in succession.
Chelmsford (day two of four): Essex 457, Nottinghamshire 37-1 - Nottinghamshire trail by 420 runs with nine wickets remaining
Michael Pepper continued a rich vein of form that has now brought him centuries in successive Vitality County Championship matches to sit alongside two T20 Blast centuries as he helped Essex tightened their stranglehold over Nottinghamshire.
The wicketkeeper-batter's 115 from 147 balls eclipsed his previous best score against Worcestershire last week by three runs as he built on Tom Westley's 122 to take Essex to a formidable 457 in their first innings.
After putting on 69 with his captain, Pepper joined forces with Simon Harmer in a stand of 133 for the seventh wicket that threatened to pile further pressure on the relegation-haunted visitors. Pepper seasoned his innings with12 fours and a six while Harmer's 51 was his highest score of the season.
Nottinghamshire had reduced the deficit to 420 for the loss of captain Haseeb Hameed in the 10.5 overs possible before play on day two was curtailed by bad weather with the visitors on 37 for 1.
Canterbury (day two of four): Hampshire 403, Kent 64-5 - Kent trail by 339 runs with five wickets remaining
Kent's Division One status was dangling by a thread after a dismal second day against Hampshire in the Vitality County Championship at Canterbury.
The hosts slumped to 64 for 5 for in reply to Hampshire's first innings total 403, Kyle Abbot claiming 3 for 23.
What had looked like an even contest at the end of day one tilted drastically in Hampshire's favour during the morning session.
Tom Prest hit a majestic 102 and Brad Wheal chipped in with his highest first-class score of 61 as Hampshire were finally dismissed for 403. Kent could be relegated this week if they lose and results elsewhere go against them and they still trail by 339 at stumps.
David Bedingham made another century (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Taunton (day two of four): Somerset 317, Surrey 169-3 - Surrey trail by 148 runs with seven wickets remaining
Ryan Patel led a solid Surrey batting effort to defy nearest challengers Somerset on the second day of the top-of-the-table Vitality County Championship First Division clash at Taunton.
The 26-year-old allrounder was unbeaten on 61 in a first innings total of 169 for 3 when rain ended play for the day at 3pm, with a minimum of 26 overs remaining. Ben Geddes made 50, while all three wickets fell to 18-year-old off-spinner Archie Vaughan.
Surrey trailed by 148, but with seven wickets in hand will be confident of at least getting close to Somerset's first innings total of 317, knowing that a draw will be sufficient to make them red hot title favourites with only two more games to play.
The visitors went into the match 24 points clear of their second placed opponents and, with both sides having so far taken three bonus points, the advantage remains the same.
Worcester (day two of four): Worcestershire 307, Warwickshire 112-4 - Warwickshire trail by 195 runs with six wickets remaining
Warwickshire captain Alex Davies became the first player to score 1,000 runs in Division One of the Vitality County Championship this summer on a severely truncated second day against local rivals Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
He eventually fell to Ethan Brookes who delivered an impressive nine over spell which yielded two wickets before bad light and rain ended play for the day at 2.15pm after 37 overs were possible.
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