County roundup by Tanya Alred
Surrey closed in on victory as Somerset faltered to the county champions’ spinners – not the usual turn of events in April. Dan Lawrence grabbed three with his flat-footed whirlygigs from the Vauxhall End, and there were two for Cameron Steel. Surrey had added 70 in the morning, with Kasey Aldridge picking up the second five-fer of his career. Despite fifties from Tom Lammonby and Lewis Goldsworthy, Somerset finished the day just 61 runs ahead with only four wickets in the bank.
Jordan Cox rolling-pinned 116 from 89 balls against his old county as Essex built up a stout second innings lead; Ben Compton had been last man out for 165 as Kent limped past the follow-on target.
Nottinghamshire once again suffered calamitous subsidence, losing six for 19 in the evening session – this after mislaying six for 34 in their first match. Ben Duckett had skipped to 63 before being the first of Nathan Smith’s four wickets in seven balls. Earlier, Smith had shepherded Worcestershire’s lower order with 58.
Despite knocking up 517, Durham failed to avoid the follow-on against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, and lost two second-innings wickets in the evening gloom. Lancashire were on top against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl thanks to 172 from Keaton Jennings and 99 from George Bell, run out itching for the golden single.
In a round notable for hundreds by captains, Sussex’s John Simpson flashed an unbeaten 205 against Leicestershire which, alongside 134 from Danny Lamb, allowed him to declare on 694 for nine. Chris Cooke’s 126 put Glamorgan in the box seat against Derbyshire at Sophia Gardens.
Idiosyncratic fifties by Joe Root and Harry Brook, alongside 113 from Adam Lyth, helped Yorkshire plunder the Gloucestershire attack before pulling the rug away from their second innings.
Nathan Fernandes became the youngest man since 1862 to make a century on first-class debut for Middlesex. He was joined in three figures by Max Holden (211 not out) and Leus du Plooy (196 not out), the two plundering Northants for an unbeaten 350 for the third wicket.
As the groundstaff peg out the covers at The Oval, and the light starts to dip, time for me to go home. We’ll be back tomorrow with a result or three in sight. Have a lovely evening, good bye!
