The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day four of round nine of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Cardiff (day one of four): Northamptonshire 279, Glamorgan 36-0 - Glamorgan trail by 243 runs with 10 first-innings wickets in hand
A well-constructed half-century from Emilio Gay was the mainstay of Northamptonshire's batting efforts in the first day of their Vitality County Championship match in Cardiff.
Having won the toss and elected to bat first Northamptonshire reached 279 all out with runs for Luke Procter and Gus Miller helping them to recover from a middle-order collapse.
Three wickets a piece for Timm van der Gugten, Andy Gorvin and James Harris were the highlight for Glamorgan with the ball but with Northamptonshire having been 195 for 7 they will feel they let their opponents back into the game.
Glamorgan had seven overs to face before the close and they reached 36 without loss, 243 behind on first innings.
Timm van der Gugten took three wickets as Northants were bowled out cheaply (Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
Lord's (day one of four): Middlesex 342-7, Derbyshire -
Ryan Higgins again proved the saviour of Middlesex as the hosts fought back from early trouble to post 342 for 7 against visitors Derbyshire on day one at Lord's.
The Zimbabwean-born all-rounder battled to a fourth century of the season from 152 balls, reaching his ton in the grand manner with a six into the Mound Stand as the hosts recovered from 189 for 6.
Higgins and Seaxes skipper Toby Roland-Jones, whose 51 not out was his first championship half-century for 21 months, rewrote the record books with their unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 112 eclipsing that of 95 by Wilf Slack and Colin Metson set at the County Ground Derby in 1981.
The late plunder was harsh on a Derbyshire attack who were excellent for much of the day, spinner Alex Thomson the pick of the bunch with 2 for 43.
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Hove (day one of four): Sussex 431-7, Leicestershire
Sussex captain John Simpson scored his third century of the season as he took control of a difficult situation against Leicestershire on the opening day of this second-division County Championship match at Hove.
Leicestershire must be sick of the sight of Simpson, whose other two hundred came at Leicester, an unbeaten 205, and at his former home ground of Lord's (167), so this was his first big score in front of his new supporters – and it was a crowd boosted by the club's decision to grant spectators free admission.
This time, coming in at 34 for 3, he scored a chanceless 180 not out in a Sussex total of 431 for 7, batting almost all day and hitting 29 fours from his 251 deliveries.
But Oli Carter was arguably the real Sussex hero of the day. A gifted ball-striker but one whose keeping skills are not as good as Simpson's, he lost his place in the side with the latter's arrival, and this was his first appearance since the opening match of the season.
He came in to open the batting for the injured Daniel Hughes and put on 156 with Simpson for the fourth wicket in just 34 overs. His 96 came off 142 balls, with 15 fours and a six off Scott Currie, flicked off his legs and onto the east-side scoreboard. He was caught and bowled by Currie attempting a hook that would have given him only his second first-class century.
Oli Carter opened with 96 fro 142 balls (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Scarborough (day one of four): Yorkshire 348-3, Gloucestershire
Adam Lyth continued his Scarborough love affair with a fourth Vitality County Championship hundred on his home ground as he and opening partner Fin Bean shared 307 to ensure Yorkshire dominated day one against Gloucestershire.
Lyth, 36, is seemingly getting better with age, the former England opener also scoring his fourth hundred of the ongoing campaign. He was helped along by fellow centurion Bean as Yorkshire closed on 348 for 3 from 96 overs.
Lyth, from the nearby Whitby, learnt his cricket on this ground and walked off with 129 from 243 balls to his name. Bean actually bettered him with 164 off 250 with six leg-side sixes included.
Lyth's quartet of Championship centuries here - where he has also scored two in List A cricket - now includes one in each of the last three seasons.
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