Harris dances to double ton as England duo struggle again
Dukes balls seemed to have lost much of their power overnight, with batters finding yesterday far more palatable than day one.
Essex built up an imposing lead against Lancashire at Chelmsford, led by Tom Westley, who played himself into form with 81. Chief irritant, though, was Sam Cook, who came in on Friday night as the nightwatcher, was dropped twice, and made his highest first-class score of 49. Lancashire’s bowlers plugged away, Nathan Lyon wheeling through 24 overs for his two wickets, but Essex closed with a 231-run first innings lead. Lancashire then lost Keaton Jennings, lbw to Jamie Porter, as they crawled along at one an over.
It was a slow-go day at the pastry-flat Rose Bowl, where the ball repeatedly went out of shape, and Warwickshire were finally dismissed for 455, with Liam Dawson collecting his 10th first-class five-wicket haul. In reply Hampshire’s Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins dawdled to half centuries apiece.
It was another dog day for Harry Brook and Joe Root as Yorkshire wobbled at Lord’s. Brook came in immediately after tea and was out first ball to Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins while Root, who had become becalmed in the 20s, was a third salmon in the net for Toby Roland-Jones. He grinned merrily as Root trudged away and a man in the stands in a woolly hat slowly chewed on his frozen crisps. Yorkshire gave themselves something to bowl at thanks to a half century from George Hill and some late biffing by the tail.
Nottinghamshire’s season continued to get stuck in the machinery of the blocks as Somerset ran up 454, a lead of 261, at Taunton. Tom Banton looked in sparkling form with his 83, helped by a useful forty from nightwatcher Josh Davey. But the final blows came from a blockbuster ninth-wicket partnership between Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius (77). Overton was stranded on 95 when the No 11, Shoaib Bashir, took a meaty and ill-advised slog on nought. Overton was so incensed, he charged off the field without acknowledging the crowd. As the sun started to drop, Notts then lost an early wicket.
A bubblegum century from David Bedingham, five sixes and 11 fours, powered Durham towards their first win of Division One. He and Scott Borthwick dealt runs as if they were buttons in a third-wicket partnership of 195 as Worcestershire’s bowlers searched for a breakthrough. By stumps the Durham lead was already 379, with five wickets remaining. Earlier, a half century from Jake Libby and 33 not out from Nathan Smith ensured Worcestershire avoided ignominy. There were three wickets each for Matthew Potts, Ben Raine and Paul Coughlin.
The Australian opening batter Marcus Harris danced to a double century at Derby, celebrating by splatting six down the ground. With power to add from the late middle order, Leicestershire finally declared on 574 for seven. Needing 425 to avoid the follow on, Derbyshire then collapsed in the early evening, losing four quick wickets. And Northamptonshire’s Ricardo Vasconcelos hit his first century for two years, tucking into Glamorgan’s bowlers with a dazzling 166. Earlier Mason Crane had celebrated his maiden first-class fifty to inch Glamorgan to a batting point.
Cheteshwar Pujara (75 not out) and Tom Alsop (84) ensured that Sussex didn’t falter in the face of Gloucestershire’s 417, on a pudding of a pitch at Hove, where both teams found it tricky to up the scoring rate. Gloucestershire’s last two wickets added 109 in the morning, as Ollie Robinson went wicketless from his 21 overs. And it was a long day for Kent who were bowled out for 244, then had to watch Surrey shimmy to 185 for one, Dom Sibley unbeaten, 13 short of his century.
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Have a lovely Saturday night, bye!
