The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day one of round four of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Bristol (day one of four): Middlesex 203, Gloucestershire 82-3 - Gloucestershire trail by 121 runs with seven wickets remaining
Gloucestershire seamer Marchant de Lange notched his 350th first class wicket in claiming six for 49 to skittle Middlesex for 203 on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division match at Bristol.
The 33-year-old South African only took six Championship wickets in the whole of last summer, his first with Gloucestershire, which saw his season ended in early June by a thigh injury that required surgery.
Now fit and firing again, de Lange bowled 16 rapid overs from the Ashley Down Road End and ripped through the heart of the Middlesex batting, only Josh De Caires (37) and former Gloucestershire allrounder Ryan Higgins (30) showing much resistance.
By the time bad light ended play 6.2 overs early, the home side had replied with 82 for three, Ollie Price making 33 and Miles Hammond 25 not out.
Marchant de Lange took six wickets for Gloucestershire (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Leicester (day one of four): Northamptonshire 337-6, Leicestershire
Half centuries from Emilio Gay, George Bartlett and skipper Luke Procter enabled Northamptonshire to shade the opening day of their Vitality County Championship match against Leicestershire, where they finished on 337 for 6.
Gay's 88 from 110 balls was the day's most eye-catching batting performance but Bartlett's unbeaten 71 and Procter's 64 from 164 had much to commend them for grittiness as the home side's bowlers, while expensive in the morning, did eventually make them work hard for their gains.
Scott Currie and Tom Scriven finished with two wickets each but on-loan seamer Ben Green was unlucky not to have any success, while England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, returning to county duty for his second appearance of the season, was impressively difficult to score against.
Emilio Gay was in the runs again for Northamptonshire (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Headingley (day one of four): Yorkshire 276-3, Derbyshire
England duo Joe Root and Harry Brook shared an entertaining and unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 71 as Yorkshire dominated Derbyshire on day one of the Vitality County Championship clash at Headingley.
Root and Brook came together during the afternoon with the score at 205 for 3 after Yorkshire had been inserted at the start of this Division Two fixture, and they built on the early good work of in-form opener Adam Lyth, who made 97, to help their county close the day on 276 for three from 59 overs.
When bad light intervened just before 4pm – there was no further play as rain followed – Root was 65 not out and Brook 44.
Root was accumulative in 99 balls and Brook much more aggressive – savage even – in 37 against a wilting Derbyshire attack, frustrated by four dropped catches either side of lunch, including Lyth on 22 and 80.
Join The Cricketer's brand new Whatsapp channel for the latest breaking news, comment and features - click here to become a member
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.