Championship Digest: Friday, May 14, 2021

Find out what happened across the County Championship on the second day of the sixth round of the 2021 competition

Group 1 

Essex v Derbyshire

Chelmsford (second day of four): Essex 412-3d, Derbyshire 35-3 - Derbyshire trail by 377 runs with seven first-innings wickets remaining

Scorecard

Dan Lawrence turned on the style with a jaw-dropping unbeaten 152 as Essex pummeled Derbyshire’s bowlers in the County Championship.

Lawrence is aiming to maintain his place in the England Test side after a successful debut winter and gave the selectors a jolt with his first century of the season - the fastest and the 11th in his first-class career.

Tom Westley also smashed 106, in a 221-run stand with Lawrence, while Nick Browne and Sir Alastair Cook also picked up half-centuries.

Essex eventually declared on 413 for 3, after Lawrence had dispatched Matt Critchley for three consecutive sixes, before Derbyshire slumped to close on 35 for 3.

***

Durham v Worcestershire

Chester-le-Street (second day of four): Durham 246 & 79-1, Worcestershire 213 - Durham lead by 112 runs with nine second-innings wickets remaining

Scorecard

Chris Rushworth joined Graham Onions as Durham's highest first-class wicket-taker after notching a five-wicket haul to dismiss Worcestershire for 213 in their County Championship clash at Emirates Riverside.

Rushworth was at his imperious best to claim figures of five for 56 to put the hosts in a strong position and move level with his former team-mate with 527 first-class strikes for Durham. Brydon Carse and Ben Raine were also on point, although late resistance from Joe Leach kept Worcestershire in the game.

Although the home side lost Alex Lees early in their second innings, Scott Borthwick and Will Young held firm to leave the north-east outfit in control of the contest with a lead of 112 runs.

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Group 2

Middlesex v Hampshire

Lord's (second day of four): Middlesex 172, Hampshire 131-7 - Hampshire trail by 41 runs with three second-innings wickets remaining

Scorecard

James Vince and Nick Gubbins produced dogged half-centuries for their respective sides as wickets clattered around them on a gloomy day two at Lord’s.

Gubbins’ resisted for more than three hours to make 51 and scramble the hosts to 172, despite Kyle Abbott’s 6 for 44.

Hampshire were in the mire at 9 for 3 in reply thanks to three wickets for Ethan Bamber, but Vince’s uncharacteristically dogged 62 saw the visitors reach 131 for 7, when bad light drove the players from the field.

***

Somerset v Surrey

Taunton (second day of four): Surrey 191-4

Scorecard

A Rory Burns half-century laid the foundation for Surrey’s total of 191 for 4 on the second day of the County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.  

After the first-day washout at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Burns, looking to reclaim an England place, had to fight hard for his runs in bowler-friendly conditions before falling for 55.  

Ollie Pope contributed 33 and Hashim Amla 29, while Lewis Gregory claimed his 300th first-class wicket in taking 2 for 60 from 18 overs before bad light ended proceedings eight overs early. 

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^{It was a landmark day for Lewis Gregory, who reached 300 first-class wickets}

Group 3

Sussex v Kent

Hove (second day of four): Kent 145 & 138-2, Sussex 256 - Kent lead by 27 runs with eight second-innings wickets remaining

Scorecard

Zak Crawley passed 3,000 first-class runs in his unbeaten half-century as Kent fought back against Sussex in the County Championship at Hove. 

After making 90 against Yorkshire last week – his highest score of the season so far – the 23-year-old England batsman again looked in good touch, reaching 61 not out including seven fours, three of them in an over from off-spinner Jack Carson, as Kent closed day two on 138 for 2, a lead of 27.

Sussex had earlier taken a first-innings lead of 111 after being bowled out for 256 with on-loan seamer Matt Quinn picking up four wickets. 

Kent lost two wickets in clearing their arrears with Jofra Archer and Ollie Robinson taking one each. Archer struck in the fifth and final over of his only spell when a big inswinger accounted for Jordan Cox (12) while Robinson had skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond (27) caught at third slip. 

Quinn had earlier taken 4 for 54 with all four of his wickets coming during an excellent afternoon spell as Kent chipped away after Sussex had passed their first-innings 145 with four wickets down.

***

Glamorgan v Yorkshire

Sophia Garden (second day of four): Glamorgan 149, Yorkshire 69-4 - Yorkshire trail by 80 runs with six first-innings wickets remaining

Scorecard

The County Championship match between Glamorgan and Yorkshire moved on at a rapid pace on day two with 14 wickets falling to increase the likelihood of a result despite no play on day one.

Glamorgan only had brief glimpses of solidity as they struggled to 149 all out in their first innings with David Lloyd’s 31 the top score.

In reply, Yorkshire found batting on this pitch just as challenging as they reached the close at 69 for 4 with only Joe Root looking comfortable on 34 not out.

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