Vitality County Championship Round 8, Day 2 - 25th May - Live Cricket Streaming, Latest Scores, Match Reports – All Matches – Division 1 and 2

Here are all the latest scores, match reports and news for the Vitality County Championship Round 7, Day 2, May 24th – 27th 2024.

Saturday 25th Day Two#

DIVISION ONE

Durham vs Somerset, Vitality County Championship Division One

Ben Stokes performed impeccably with the ball once again as Durham took only five sessions to beat Somerset by an innings and six runs in their Vitality County Championship clash at the Seat Unique Riverside.

Stokes, who claimed figures of four for 23, was backed up by Ben Raine, Peter Siddle and Paul Coughlin as they skittled a rejigged Somerset batting line up who were battling illness and injury, however the visitors were on top in the early stages of day two.

Concussion substitute turned five-wicket hero Jake Ball took the prized wicket of Division One’s leading run scorer David Bedingham early on and had the hosts 199 for nine at one point, but lower order runs from the impressive Raine and Siddle got the hosts to a total of 265, a first innings lead of 94.

Durham’s bowling attack have struggled at times this season but they were all singing from the same hymn sheet here, with Stokes the pick of the bowlers once again, the all-rounder was back to his best with the ball as he led his side to a vital win and claimed match figures of eight for 77.

The win sees Durham climb to fourth and Somerset remain in second in the Vitality County Championship Division One table.

It was vital for either side to have a good start with the match firmly in the balance after an eventful first day.

It was Somerset who got the upper hand early on as Ball grabbed his fourth of the innings when overnight centurion Bedingham, who became the first ever Durham player to score four consecutive hundreds on day one, edged behind to James Rew for 101, only adding one to his overnight score.

Craig Overton then continued the visitors’ perfect start as he removed Coughlin for two, before Ball secured his seventh First Class five-wicket haul with the scalp of Callum Parkinson.

Durham fought back through their final pair as Raine came out and played positively while Siddle played shots that any number 11 would be proud of including a crunching straight drive for four off the bowling of Josh Davey.

Raine was the last man to go at the hands of Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory for 46, after putting on 66 with Siddle, a record tenth wicket partnership in this fixture, and the Australian was left unbeaten on 31.

The final pair helped Durham reach 265 all out, handing the hosts one batting bonus point and a sizeable first innings lead on a pitch that offered plenty for the bowlers.

Raine then quickly switched focus to his bowling as he removed Tom Abell for the second time in the match, with the opener edging behind to Ollie Robinson for two.

Siddle then got in on the action as he bowled fellow Australian Matt Renshaw for six with one that kept low to leave Somerset 12 for two. 

Tom Lammonby and Andy Umeed looked to steady the ship after lunch, but Stokes struck in the first over of his spell, removing Lammonby for the second time in the match after he feathered one behind to Robinson.

Stokes struck again in his next over to remove Umeed for 16 when he edged to Colin Ackermann at second slip.

Josh Davey, who received a promotion up the order due to Tom Banton being unwell, gave Coughlin his first of the match when he edged to the safe hands of Ackermann.

England Test captain Stokes then got his third of the afternoon when Rew departed for seven after he edged one to the dependable Robinson. 

Stokes continued his remarkable spell when Overton edged to Ackermann to depart for six, then Raine continued his good day when he got Gregory LBW for seven, leaving Somerset staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

Raine then claimed the final wicket as Banton was too unwell to bat, bowling Jack Leach for 13 to give Durham a second win of the season.

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: 

“On day one, I think par was probably over 200 and Migael played well but I knew we had to bowl well and I think we did that. 

“Obviously Bally came in (for Pretorius) and was absolutely outstanding but we couldn’t support that from the other end during that last wicket partnership.”

“We were massively in the game this morning and we talked about that first hour and making opportunities and trying to have parity in the game. We knew that once the ball gets to 20-30 overs old, it becomes a different surface and that last wicket partnership made a significant difference in the game.”

(on sickness bug in camp) “A few of the guys have got it. Lewis (Gregory) has been struggling with it throughout the game and he’s just been vomiting as we speak so its not ideal.”

(On Tom Banton) “Bants was slightly different and he’s got a neck injury, which he sustained this morning. Initially we were optimistic that he was going to play some part in the game and towards the end, we thought it wasn’t worth the risk.”

 

Durham centurion David Bedingham said: 

(on four consecutive centuries) “It’s quite cool but the main thing after this game is that we got a win, I don’t want to make it about me.

“The way our bowlers bowled the whole game was quite special and I’m glad we could come away with a win.”

(On 10th wicket partnership between Raine and Siddle) “Cricket’s all about momentum and I think if they had broken that partnership early then they’d have taken some momentum into their innings, but I think the way Sidds and Rainey batted obviously gave us the momentum and plenty of energy and the way we bowled was just special.”

(On Ben Stokes) “I think I’d almost hate to be captain as after six over Scott (Borthwick) was wanting to take him off, but Stokesy was just like ‘no’. 

I think the effort Ben gives to any team he’s played for is probably the reason why he’s a world class player, so we’re really lucky to have him.”

(On his own performance) “I just try to go out there and score runs, I don’t try to over-complicate things and I think the way we all played was pretty special. I’ve worked hard for a long period of time, I don’t expect it to happen because you can’t guarantee runs. 

To have that hard work pay off is really cool.”

Hampshire vs Surrey, Vitality County Championship Division One

Toby Albert grabbed his chance to score his maiden Vitality County Championship century and Nick Gubbins plundered his first as a father as Hampshire took complete control over Surrey.

Homegrown batter Albert took advantage of Ali Orr’s back problems to grind out a ton on his sixth first-class appearance as he and Gubbins knocked up Hampshire’s highest second-wicket stand against Surrey.

After the 201-run partnership had ended, Gubbins raised his bat on his second century of the campaign in his first innings since daughter Ottilie was born two weeks ago.

James Vince, Ben Brown and Liam Dawson also grabbed half-centuries as Hampshire piled on 495 for four to boast a huge 368-run lead over the champions. 

Albert had ended last season opening the batting with Fletcha Middleton, but his unsteady performances saw him lose his place when Orr was signed from Sussex in the winter.

A couple of multi-day fifties had kept the pressure on Orr and Middleton, but the incumbents’ centuries meant there was no place for Albert.

He had begun last week pumping the Royal Air Force for an outrageous 86 off 31 balls before taking apart Sussex’s Second XI with 51 off 33 balls, as he prepared for the Vitality Blast.

But back spasms for Orr meant he was given a fresh chance in the Championship side, and gave head coach Adi Birrell and Co a massive future selection headache.

Albert, the son of two Olympic equestrians, had ground out 34 in 139 balls on the first evening to make sure Hampshire didn’t follow Surrey’s 127 collapse – during which he and Middleton scored Hampshire’s first fifty opening stand of the season.

He and Gubbins trotted through into a lead within half an hour on a more proactive second morning, with their fifties coming in 173 and 109 deliveries.

Albert was completely chanceless in his century, which came in 280 deliveries, despite a strong Surrey attack bowling accurately, but ineffectually. He top-edged to fine-leg on 114 to end his mammoth innings and end a record alliance against Surrey – beating the 180 Roy Marshall and Henry Horton put on at the Oval in 1961.

Gubbins had started his season in good form, with 50, 69 not out, 119 and 45 the shining lights in his six innings. But he had missed the second innings versus Durham and the victory over Nottinghamshire when on paternity leave.

Ottilie got her first taste of Utilita Bowl on the first evening, as she posed with a padded-up Gubbins at the end of the day – which was posted on his Instagram Story with the caption “introducing Ottie to the bowl.”

Her late-night feeds haven’t impacted Gubbins’ batting, with the left-hander as assured as ever for his 18th first-class century.

Once that milestone was hit the target for Hampshire was bonus points, which Vince’s aggressive approach was perfect for. He secured a second batting point with 40 in 37 balls, before heading to fifty in 49, as Hampshire cantered.

Ben Foakes remained off the field due to his own back spasms throughout the day, with Jamie Smith taking the gloves. And he ended Vince’s onslaught on 52 when the home skipper was strangled down the leg side by Dan Worrall, with Gubbins previously well caught at gully off the Australian-born quick.

Brown and Dawson reached their half-centuries at a gallop during an unbroken 157-run partnership - with the former unbeaten on 99 overnight.

Kent vs Essex, Vitality County Championship Division One

Jordan Cox hit a double hundred for on his return to Canterbury as Essex dominated on day two of their Vitality Championship game, declaring on 591 for seven before they reduced Kent to 118 for four in reply.

Cox made 207 on his first game back at the Spitfire Ground, in a 255-ball innings that included 21 fours and five sixes.

Shane Snater hit a career-best 83 not out and Michael Pepper made 82 before Matt Critchley took two for 19, including the key wicket of Kent’s top scorer Ben Compton, who made 41.

Joe Denly and nightwatcher Matt Parkinson were not out on four and 10 at stumps, with the hosts still trailing by 473.

With Essex on 287 for four overnight both sides felt the first hour would be crucial and it unfolded exactly as the majority of the crowd feared it would. It quickly became obvious this was going to be exactly the sort of day Kent supporters have endured too often this season and the news that Wes Agar was unable to bowl after injuring his shoulder yesterday did nothing to improve morale.

Cox had averaged just 24.06 in 2023, his final season for Kent, but he was averaging 66.66 coming into this game and having already scored a century in the fixture at Chelmsford there was an air of inevitability about his march to three figures this time round.

There was polite applause when he reached the landmark with a cover-driven four off Parkinson and he celebrated by gyrating his hips like a middle-aged uncle who’d accidentally wandered into a rave.

Kent then enjoyed a spasm of hope when they took two wickets in nine balls. The breakthrough came when Pepper slashed at Arafat Bhuiyan and was caught by the sub fielder Jaydn Denly at slip.

Simon Harmer then holed out to Parkinson for six, caught at the second attempt by a juggling sub fielder Joe Denly on the deep cover boundary, only for Snater to come in and joined Cox for the biggest partnership of the innings, taking Essex to 449 for six at lunch.

Cox took a single off Bhuiyan to reach 150, then hit the same bowler for successive sixes, before Snater reached 50 with a single off Denly.

As Cox neared 200 Kent put every single fielder on the boundary, but he still found the backward square leg boundary to get to 199. The field duly came in and he drove Evison for a single, also bringing up Essex’s biggest seventh wicket partnership against Kent, beating the 152 set by Nadheem Shahid and Derek Pringle in 1992.

When Cox was finally bowled by Marcus O’Riordan Essex immediately declared and as much as it must have hurt the home fans to see a homegrown talent torment them, he walked off to applause from every section of the ground.

Zak Crawley immediately went on the attack, but he’d made just 16 from 12 balls when he edged Sam Cook to Dean Elgar at first slip.

Daniel Bell-Drummond was on 0 when he was dropped by Aaron Beard, but the fielder atoned when strangled Bell-Drummond for 16 in the penultimate over before tea, leaving the hosts on 48 for two at the end of the session.

Cook limped off injured after pulling up during a run-up and O’Riordan seemed to be coping well until he was lbw to Critchley for 30, the bowler celebrating the wicket with a Cristiano Ronaldo like leap.

Ben Compton was perhaps unlucky to be lbw for 41, trying to sweep Critchley, leaving Matt Parkinson to come in as the nightwatcher with over five overs left, a dangerous spell which he just about survived.

Lancashire vs Warwickshire, 34th Match, Vitality County Championship Division One

An unbeaten century from Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies helped his side reach 284 all out and a first innings lead of 218 against Lancashire on the second day of this Vitality County Championship Division One game at Emirates Old Trafford.

Davies’ 127 off a mammoth 296 balls saw the opener carry his bat against his former county and while Warwickshire were reluctant to score quickly on a used pitch, their total could yet prove to be a useful one after two wickets for Olly Hannon-Dalby and one for Jake Lintott left Lancashire 66 for three at the close of play.

Hopes were high in the Red Roses camp that the visitors might fold quickly after George Balderson got Dan Mousley to edge to Keaton Jennings at first slip for two in the third over of the day to leave Warwickshire 93 for four.

But, as if inspired by their captain’s belligerence, the Bears’ middle order came to the rescue, offering support and defiance to Davies as Warwickshire slowly clawed their way back into the game.

Jacob Bethhell hit 40 before he was trapped in front by the returning Jack Morley before Balderson dismissed Michael Burgess the same way for 24. Even Lintott’s nine eat up 43 balls as Davies’ nudged and nurdled his way towards his tenth first class century.

While it was effective there was little for the crowd to saviour until Lintott’s dismissal, caught behind reverse sweeping Nathan Lyon, brought former Lancashire fast bowler Hassan Ali to the crease.

A born entertainer, Ali slog swept Lyon into The Point stand for six while also hitting four boundaries before he was acrobatically caught on the boundary by Tom Bruce off Wells, who had earlier dropped a regulation catch at slip to give Lintott a life.

After Ali’s cameo there was little resistance with both Michael Rae and Hannon-Dalby departing for ducks lbw to Luke Wells and Morley.

Lancashire began their reply at 5pm and two balls later Wells was on his way back to the dressing room after edging Hannon-Dalby to Rob Yates at second slip without scoring.

The usually reliable Josh Bohannon followed soon after in identical fashion to depart for 11 and with Jennings struggling to get off the mark, the Red Rose were suddenly in trouble at 12 for two.

It took the Lancashire skipper 32 balls and 45 minutes to finally get a run but by this time George Bell was proving a willing partner as he began to construct a lovely little knock of his own as the pair rebuilt and passed the half-century partnership for the third wicket.

But it was the visitors who would have the last say of the day when Bell swept the first ball of the last over from Lintott to a diving Hannon-Dalby for 40, leaving Jenings unbeaten on 12 and Lancashire 66 for three.

 

Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire, Vitality County Championship Division One

Nottinghamshire skipper, century-maker and long-time Manchester United fan Haseeb Hameed had an all-round day to remember as Worcestershire were outplayed on an unhappy return to action at Visit Worcestershire New Road in their Vitality County Championship encounter.

Worcestershire, back at their headquarters after flooding led to the first two games with Durham and Somerset being moved to Kidderminster, were bowled out in just 31.1 overs.

A combination of a bowler-friendly wicket, a probing performance from the four-pronged seam attack and one or two undistinguished strokes enabled Nottingham to seize the initiative with the ball.

Then Hameed heard of the Red Devils triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final before pressing home Nottinghamshire’s advantage with Joe Clarke during the evening session during a partnership of 147.

Hameed reached three figures shortly before the close from 214 balls with nine fours before he was dismissed shortly before the close to leave Clarke unbeaten on 73.

But Worcestershire were left to rue dropping Hameed on 36 and Clarke before he had scored, the latter off Nathan Smith who was the pick of the home attack, just as they threatened to keep Nottinghamshire’s advantage in check at what would have been 90-4 had the chances been taken.

Groundstaff worked through the night to ensure play could get underway on time after yesterday’s wash-out.

Both teams and staff lined up for a minute’s applause before the start of play in honour of Worcestershire spinner, Josh Baker, who passed away aged 20 three weeks ago.

Worcestershire opener, Ed Pollock, came in for his first appearance of the season in place of Kashif Ali who was taking a break from the game.

Nottinghamshire pace bowler Luke Fletcher was recalled in place of Olly Stone – and was soon making his mark after Hameed won the toss and chose to bat on a green pitch.

His former Trent Bridge colleague Jake Libby fell to a stunning low catch at second slip by Calvin Harrison away to his left.

Dillon Pennington, on his first return to New Road since leaving Worcestershire last summer, then knocked out Pollock’s middle stump after he pushed forward.

Harrison held onto another smart catch at slip to account for Gareth Roderick off Fletcher who then had Rob Jones, after he went for an expansive drive, caught by Tom Moores who had replaced Joe Clarke behind the stumps.

The procession of wickets continued with Lyndon James’ angled in delivery trapping Worcestershire Club captain Brett D’Oliveira lbw.

Fletcher was rested after a spell of 9-5-18-3 but there was no let-up for the home side.

Matthew Waite flicked at James and was taken by Moores diving to his left at full stretch and Adam Hose went to pull Pennington and top edged a return catch.

Nathan Smith came down the wicket to Paterson and was lbw and the same bowler had Joe Leach pouched at backward drive.

Adam Finch showed some defiance in striking Pennington for six over mid wicket before caught behind off his ex-team-mate.

When Nottinghamshire batted, openers Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater looked comfortable and scored freely as the 50 came up in the 17^th over.

There were few alarms for the duo although Hameed on 26 edged left armer Ben Gibbon just short of second slip.

But a breakthrough finally came with Nottinghamshire just three runs in arrears when Slater on 41 pulled Smith straight to Gibbon at fine leg.

There was more joy for Smith when Will Young tried to get his bat out of a way of a delivery but only deflected the ball onto his stumps.

Smith should have had a third wicket in three overs but Roderick dropped Joe Clarke before he had scored – a rare let-off by the consistent keeper.

Hameed also had an escape on 36 at first slip immediately after tea off Finch before going onto complete a 50 from 110 balls.

Clarke followed him to that milestone from 86 balls as the pair gradually accelerated during the final session.

Hameed went to three figures but did not add to his total before he was trapped lbw by Waite after striking nine fours in his 219 ball innings.

 

 

DIVISION TWO

Gloucestershire vs Derbyshire, Vitality County Championship Division Two

Derbyshire’s Matt Lamb and Gloucestershire’s Beau Webster set memorable personal milestones on the second day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

Unbeaten on 186 overnight, Lamb completed his maiden first class double century before falling for 207 in a Derbyshire total of 526 all out. Anuj Dal contributed 62 as the visitors bagged maximum batting bonus points.

Webster’s six for 100 from 26 overs was a career-best on his home debut for Gloucestershire. The 6ft 7ins Australian seamer had never before taken even five wickets in a first class innings.

By the close, the home side had responded to Derbyshire’s huge total with 243 for four, James Bracey leading the way with an unbeaten 87 and sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 112 with skipper Graeme van Buuren, who was 61 not out

Derbyshire began the day on 434 for five. Lamb and Dal batted with few alarms and an edge wide of the slips for four off Ajeet Singh Dale took Lamb to his double ton off 254 balls, with 30 fours and a six.

His innings spanning six hours and 19 minutes ended when he edged a short of a length delivery from Singh Dale through to wicketkeeper Bracey to make the score 487 for six. The stand with Dal had added 78 runs in 27.2 overs.

Alex Thomson quickly fell lbw to a Webster yorker. But Dal was looking well set and brought up the 500 by clipping Ollie Price through the leg side for two in the 118th over before going to an elegant half-century off 113 balls, with 6 fours.

It was 520 for eight when Zak Chappell drove a catch to cover to give Webster his fifth wicket. He quickly added another, bowling Sam Connors for a second ball duck.

Dal was last man out, caught behind looking to attack Singh Dale, having produced some wristy shots on both sides of the pitch. Webster led Gloucestershire off to warm applause from team-mates and lunch was taken.

The home side’s reply got off to a poor start when, with the total on 15, Cameron Bancroft shouldered arms to a ball slanted into him by Connors and had his middle stump knocked back.

Price suffered a blow on the helmet from a short ball by Daryn Dupavillon and took 28 balls to get off the mark as Derbyshire’s bowlers gave the Gloucestershire attack a lesson in accuracy, sending down four successive maidens.

Frustration cost Price his wicket on three. Having aimed two big shots at Chappell deliveries, he perished attempting a big drive in the same over, edging a straightforward catch to third slip.

When Miles Hammond, on 18, had his middle stump ripped out of the ground by a Dal delivery that went between bat and pad, Gloucestershire were in peril at 63 for three. But opener Ben Charlesworth was set and Bracey helped add 57 before tea, which was taken at 120 for three off 34 overs.

Bracey had moved smoothly to 40, with Charlesworth on 35. The two left-handers were parted in the final session with the total on 131 when Charlesworth, who has batted consistently well this season, edged a defensive shot off a good length Chappell delivery through to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest.

That brought van Buuren to the crease with his side still 395 runs behind and he survived a confident Chappell appeal for lbw before he had scored, the ball striking his back pad.

Bracey went to an assured fifty off 72 balls with his eighth four, sweetly struck through the covers off Chappell, who was working up a head of steam from the Pavilion End. Then van Buuren went on the counterattack, hitting successive fours of Dal and dominating the strike.

Bracey greeted Alex Thomson’s return to the attack at 190 for four by launching the off-spinner’s sixth delivery back over his head for six before van Buuren went to a 76-ball half-century, with 7 fours.

By stumps Bracey had faced 131 deliveries and struck 12 fours and a six. With rain forecast tomorrow and the pitch looking very flat, a draw appears the most likely outcome.

 

Leicestershire vs Glamorgan, Vitality County Championship Division Two

Peter Handscomb’s second century of the season helped Leicestershire reach 280 for five in reply to Glamorgan’s 387 on day two of their Vitality County Championship match at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

The Australian Test batter finished unbeaten on 102 after sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 141 with captain Lewis Hill, who made 92, although Glamorgan remain in a strong position in the match with a lead of 107 and the chance to bowl with a new ball only five overs old when they resume on day three.

Earlier, Leicestershire seamer Scott Currie had recorded the first five-wicket haul of his first-class career, finishing with five for 64.

Handscomb, who signed a two-year contract last year after a successful first season with Leicestershire, has started the season in impressive form, with 547 runs already to his name after scoring 51 or higher in six of his eight innings so far in the first half of the Division Two programme.

He reached today’s hundred from 160 balls with his 12th four, driven down the ground off James Harris.

Currie needed just one delivery at the start of the second morning to claim the fifth wicket he had hoped might come his way after Glamorgan resumed on 352 for eight.

Straying down the leg side, it was hardly the best ball Currie bowled in his 26 overs but it brushed Sam Northeast’s glove on the way through to ‘keeper Ben Cox and umpire Neil Bainton raised the finger. Four for 109 for Hampshire against Surrey in April 2021 was the 23-year-old’s previous best.

A fourth batting point eluded Glamorgan, but not until Mir Hamza had provided some entertainment on his way to an unbeaten 24.

The Pakistan Test bowler’s vigorous hoicking at anything on the leg side brought him a four and two sixes - one off a top edge - and a moment of comedy when he mistakenly thought he had hit Currie to the midwicket boundary, unaware that the ball had hit part of his body padding and was trickling along the pitch just a few feet from him. Fortunately for him, after setting off nonchalantly for a presumed unnecessary run, Currie’s shy at the stumps missed.

He and Harris thus added 35 for the last wicket before Harris was caught behind.

It left Leicestershire needing first to reach 238 to avoid the follow on, which looked a long way off when Marcus Harris and Louis Kimber were out in consecutive overs to leave them 38 for two.

Australian international Harris - like Hamza in the last match of his county stint - was leg before to a full-length ball from the Pakistan left-armer before Louis Kimber edged behind off Timm van der Gugten. When Rishi Patel perished in similar fashion after lunch - a second wicket for the Netherlands international seamer on his first appearance of the campaign - Leicestershire were in difficulty at 65 for three.

Hill and Handscomb were then thoroughly tested with the ball by Hamza, whose growing frustration as a string of appeals were turned down led umpire Bainton to speak to his captain.

Leicestershire’s fourth-wicket pair weathered the storm and, with the pitch seeming to flatten out somewhat, Hill completed his second half-century of the season off 98 balls and had progressed to 66 out of 161 for three at tea.

Handscomb followed suit soon afterwards, his coming off 90 balls just after he had glanced Van der Gugten to the fine-leg boundary for his seventh four.

The pitch was looking increasingly unhelpful to the bowlers, and Harris’s tactic of banging the ball in short did not look to be working until it suddenly did, in a less conventional way, when Hill played a deliberate uppercut to a delivery from round the wicket and was caught by Billy Root, scampering in from third man.

Within reach of a first hundred of the season, the Leicestershire captain’s dismay was palpable in every movement of his body as he trudged back to the pavilion.

Nonetheless, his 141-run stand with Handscomb had taken his side much of the way towards the follow-on point, which was passed, in the event, when new man Ian Holland cut Zain Ul-Hassan through backward point for his first boundary as a Leicestershire player.

In the event it was his only boundary of a debut innings that ended when he followed one down the leg side to be caught behind soon after Glamorgan had taken the new ball.

Middlesex vs Sussex, 27th Match, Vitality County Championship Division Two

John Simpson and Cheteshwar Pujara completed centuries on a day when Sussex re-wrote their record books not once but twice as they continued to dominate this Vitality County Championship clash with hosts Middlesex at Lord’s.

Simpson, who made 10 centuries in 15 years with the Seaxes, got the second of his short tenure as Sussex skipper, eventually making 167 and Pujara posted 129 in a score of 554-9 that eclipsed their previous best against the hosts of 550-9 at Hove in 1980.

Simpson and Pujara shared a stand of 223 for the 5^th wicket to erase the previous best against Middlesex of 216 by Kepler Wessels and Colin Wells in that same match 34 years ago.

Middlesex for whom Ethan Bamber took 3-114, lost Mark Stoneman early in their reply, but Sam Robson, unbeaten on 40 and Max Holden saw them through to stumps at 62-1 without further alarm. They will require a further 343 on day three to avoid the follow-on.

Resuming on 295-4, Sussex were obviously conscious of head coach Paul Farbrace’s words at close the night before about not undoing the good work of day one as Pujara and Simpson adopted a cautious approach, so much so, only eight runs came in the first 10 overs.

Pujara, in the last game of his latest stint at Hove, 91 not out overnight, took 43 minutes to add to his score, though in truth  he never looked ruffled by his lack of progress.

The Indian Test veteran won the race to 100, pulling a short ball from Henry Brookes to the fence behind square, but with three overs to go until the 110-over cut-off for bonus points, the visitors were still some way short of 350.

The fact they got there was down to Simpson, who skated through the 90s with a trio of boundaries, two back passed the bowler and a third caressed deliciously through extra cover to take him to his 12^th first-class century. Even so, Sussex needed a no-ball from Brookes off what should have been the final ball of the 110^th to glean the third batting bonus-point.

The efforts of Wessels and Wells were consigned to history shortly before lunch, but the stand ended within four balls of the resumption, Pujara hitting a filthy full toss from Nathan Fernandes straight into the hands of Stoneman at mid-wicket.

If we were expecting a full-on push towards a declaration it didn’t materialise in an afternoon which meandered along with a distinct lack of tempo.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice tried to press the go button only to get too far leg-side of a long-hop from Luke Hollman and feather it through to Jack Davies.

As Middlesex adopted a defensive pose in the field, daring Sussex to force the pace, Simpson, who survived playing a Hollman delivery into his helmet, continued his steady accumulation to pass 150.

He fell to almost his first attempt at something unorthodox, Bamber pegging back his leg stump after he missed an attempted scoop.

Danny Lamb tried nothing as extravagant in a painstaking 49 before chipping one back to the persevering Hollman an act which finally provoked a declaration.

Middlesex dragged tired bodies and minds off the field and the suspicion was England seamer Ollie Robinson, who’d made a sprightly unbeaten 22 and Division Two’s leading wicket taker at the start of the round, Jayden Seales may be a tricky prospect in the 19 overs that remained. Robinson, under pressure for his Test place against the West Indies in July didn’t wait long to make his case.

The seamer, bowling from the Pavilion End beat the outside edge of Mark Stoneman’s bat four times in one over before getting the nick in his next set of six to send the former England opener packing for four.

 

Northamptonshire vs Yorkshire, 28th Match, Vitality County Championship Division Two

Northamptonshire captain Luke Procter marshalled his side’s fightback in their Vitality County Championship game against Yorkshire with a tenacious unbeaten century – his first in almost two years.

Procter, who had already passed 50 five times this season without converting any of those knocks into hundreds, remedied that as he sparked Northamptonshire’s recovery from 181 for seven on day two at Wantage Road.

The skipper finished 116 not out, sharing stands of 50 and 58 respectively with tailenders Ben Sanderson and Jack White to ensure the home side totalled 301, a deficit of 61 on Yorkshire’s first-innings 362.

Sri Lankan left-armer Vishwa Fernando took four for 48 on his debut for the visitors, who lost nightwatchman Dom Leech to the final ball of the day without extending their lead any further.

Yorkshire began the day on 312 for seven and, despite a scare when Jordan Thompson edged onto his pad and just wide of the slips, they launched an early assault to secure another batting bonus point.

Thompson thumped Sanderson over extra cover for six, following it with another boundary to bring up his first half-century of the season as he and Matthew Revis plundered 42 from the first five overs.

The partnership reached 80 before the last three White Rose wickets went down in the space of nine balls, with Sanderson removing both Revis and Thompson leg before and Leech castled by Rob Keogh for a second-ball duck.

Fernando almost made a dream start to his three-match stint with Yorkshire, his second delivery finding the edge of Ricardo Vasconcelos’ bat but the ball whizzed past George Hill at first slip.

Vasconcelos settled down to share a lively opening stand of 56 with Emilio Gay, who struck a series of sweet off-side boundaries and caressed Hill’s first delivery through midwicket for four more.

Two balls later, Gay was out for 32, prodding to second slip but – after a brief but bizarre stoppage when a swarm of wasps descended, prompting several fielders to fling themselves full-length on the turf – Northamptonshire reached lunch at 84 for one.

However, Vasconcelos fell soon after the interval, with wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall taking a skier to give Fernando his 300th first-class wicket and Yorkshire looked very much in the ascendancy when Revis claimed his first and second scalps of the season in quick succession.

Karun Nair, who never looked settled at the crease, was neatly taken at first slip off a rising delivery and George Bartlett departed for a duck, hanging the bat out to the jubilant Revis just four balls later.

Rob Keogh threatened to redress the balance with a bristling knock of 28 but, when he flicked Leech tamely into the hands of deep square leg, Northamptonshire’s reliance on their skipper intensified.

Having lost both Lewis McManus and Justin Broad before tea, Procter needed Sanderson’s shrewd display with the bat to shepherd his side past the follow-on target.

The 35-year-old looked accomplished for his 25 until he was trapped in his crease by Fernando, who also dismissed Siddharth Kaul to leave Northamptonshire nine down.

But last man White proved obdurate, blocking 14 deliveries before emerging from his shell to bludgeon Thompson for three quick fours as Procter progressed to his ton from 183 balls by shovelling Hill to the midwicket boundary.

The pair steered their side to a third batting bonus point before White holed out to long leg for 21, leaving Yorkshire to negotiate a single over in which Sanderson had Leech caught at fourth slip.

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