The Cricketer wraps up events from across Division One and Division Two of the County Championship
Kent v Yorkshire
Canterbury (third day of four): Yorkshire 210 & 469, Kent 296 & 34-3 - Kent need 350 runs to win with seven second-innings wickets remaining
Former England batsman Gary Ballance dominated centre stage for almost six-and-a-half hours to put Yorkshire in total control.
In ideal batting conditions at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and on a pitch deadened by third-morning use of the heavy roller, the 29-year-old left-hander hit 25 boundaries in a season’s best 159 from 291 balls as Yorkshire amassed 469 for a lead of 383 runs.
In the day’s 10 remaining overs, the hosts lost Sean Dickson only eight balls into the reply. Having been hit on the bicep by a fierce no ball bumper from Duanne Olivier, Dickson turned the next delivery to Harry Brook under the helmet at short leg.
In the fifth over Zak Crawley, on nine, pushed half-forward and outside the line of a Ben Coad off-cutter to go lbw, then in his next over, Coad ripped out the off and leg stumps of Matt Renshaw with another low-bouncing off-cutter to end the Australian Test batsman’s final innings of his disappointing Kentish stay.
The hosts suffered no further alarms and went in at stumps on 34 for 3 with Daniel Bell-Drummond yet to get off the mark and nightwatchman Fred Klaassen unbeaten on three. They will require a further 352 for victory on the final day but, with the pitch showing signs of variable bounce, their target already seems highly improbable.
Somerset v Surrey
Taunton (third day of four): Surrey 380 & 152-5, Somerset 398 - Surrey lead by 134 runs with five second-innings wickets remaining
Lewis Gregory’s second County Championship century gave Somerset the upper hand on the third day of the match with Surrey at Taunton.
The 26-year-old allrounder made an unbeaten 129, from 153 balls, with 10 fours and five sixes, as his side were bowled out for 398, from an overnight 243 for 5.
That gave Somerset a first-innings lead of 18 and Gregory was soon in the thick of the action again, claiming two wickets as Surrey, without illness victim Dean Elgar, struggled to 152 for 5 at the close.
The hosts were also without a key player in seamer Jack Brooks, sidelined by a calf problem. First-innings centurion Rory Burns again held Surrey together with 78 to guide them from a perilous 43 for 3 just before tea.
Warwickshire v Hampshire
Edgbaston (third day of four): Hampshire 354 & 302-5d, Warwickshire 233 & 44-2 - Warwickshire need 382 runs to win with eight second-innings wickets remaining
Warwickshire batsman Dominic Sibley scored his sixth century in successive first-class matches but could not prevent Hampshire taking total control at Edgbaston.
Sibley carried his bat through the Bears' first innings for 109 (263 balls, nine fours) to add another to the three-figure scores he recorded in his previous five first-class games, against Leicestershire, Sussex, Kent, Surrey (for MCC) and Kent again.
The 23-year-old almost single-handedly staved off the follow on for Warwickshire, but Hampshire will still enter the final day well-placed to harvest their second Championship win of the season.
They secured a first-innings lead of 121 and then batted aggressively second time round to pile pressure on the injury-ravaged home side. Rilee Rossouw (76), Oliver Soames (62 on his Championship debut) and Sam Northeast (55 not out) enabled Hampshire to declare on 302 for 5, setting the beleaguered home side 424 to win.
Glamorgan v Gloucestershire
Newport (third day of four): Gloucestershire 463, Glamorgan 250-9 & 359-1 - Glamorgan lead by 146 runs with nine second-innings wickets remaining
Both Nick Selman, with a career best 148 not out, and Marnus Labuschagne (128 not out) posted centuries in a second-wicket stand of 226 in Glamorgan’s second innings, as they looked to rescue the game at Spytty Park.
It was Selman’s first Championship century since he scored his previous career best 142 not out against the same opposition at Sophia Gardens in 2017.
He had shared an opening stand of 133 with Charlie Hemphrey.
Following on with a first-innings deficit of 213, the Welsh county reached 359 for 1 by the close of play, a second innings lead of 146.
Lancashire v Northamptonshire
Old Trafford (third day of four): Northamtonshire 230 & 200, Lancashire 415 - Lancashire need 16 runs to win with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
Richard Gleeson took 10 wickets in a match for the first time in his career and finished with 10-113 against his former club to leave Lancashire’s cricketers on the verge of victory.
Having posted 415 in their first innings, thereby establishing a lead of 185, Lancashire made good use of the new ball to reduce the visitors to 87 for 4 before Rob Keogh and Josh Cobb put on 53 for the fifth wicket.
However Gleeson dismissed both batsmen in successive overs and Northamptonshire were bowled out for 200 an over before close of play, leaving Lancashire needing 16 to win on the final day.
Middlesex v Leicestershire
Lord's (third day of four): Middlesex 349 & 223, Leicestershire 268 & 38-0 - Leicestershire need 267 runs to win with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
John Simpson’s first County Championship half-century for two years kept Middlesex in contention on a riveting third day against Leicestershire at Lord’s.
It was 2017 the last time the doughty wicketkeeper reached such heights willow in hand, but here he was at his obdurate best, dragging his side from the mire of 114 for 8 in the wake of superb bowling from Seaxe old boy Chris Wright (3-51) and Tom Taylor (3-74).
His more than three-hour vigil saw him finish 59 not out and left Leicestershire a target of 305.
However, the Foxes survived unscathed to the close, reaching 38 without loss and raising hopes of a first win for the county at Lord’s since 1980.
Worcestershire v Durham
New Road (third day of four): Durham 273 & 197, Worcestershire 390 - Worcestershire need 81 runs to win with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
Paceman Josh Tongue propelled Worcestershire towards victory.
England director of cricket, Ashley Giles, saw Tongue dismiss Australian batsman and Durham captain Cameron Bancroft for the second time in the game and then make inroads into the middle order as he completed a five-wicket haul.
He had been picked for the England Lions trips to the West Indies in early 2018 and then the ‘Test’ against Pakistan A in November but had to withdraw from both through injury.
But Tongue started the 2019 campaign with six wickets in the innings victory at Leicestershire and has made another significant contribution in this match.
He finished with figures of 5-37 as Durham were dismissed for 197 to leave Worcestershire needing 81 to win tomorrow.
Reports courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network
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