Key event
At Canterbury, Worcestershire, playing for the first time since the death of their young spinning all-rounder Josh Baker, lined up on the boundary edge alongside their opponents, Kent, before play for a minute’s applause in memory of the 20-year-old.
On a beautiful day, with the ice-cream van happily doling out cones, Gareth Roderick completed back-to-back centuries, gently tapping the embroidered 33 (Baker’s number) on his shirt with his bat, as he did so. Kashif Ali made 72 as Worcestershire ended an emotional day on 308-5.
Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings was furious with himself after top-edging to slip on 91 at Trent Bridge, while Tom Bruce collected his first half century in what has been a tough early summer, a rock-about innings containing ten fours and one six.
Nottinghamshire’s Dillon Pennington spoilt the visitors’ day with three quick wickets towards the end. Jimmy Anderson who, it was revealed, will step away from Test cricket at the end of this summer, was watching from the sidelines.
After a slow start to his Hampshire career since moving from Sussex this winter, Ali Orr made his first century for his new side. His steady 126 was brought to an end by Peter Siddle, pulling on county cap number five, this time running in for Durham. Callum Parkinson took three wickets and Tom Prest bish-bashed 65.
Surrey’s Jordan Clark kept tabs on Warwickshire on a queasy-green Oval pitch, with four for fifty, but Ed Barnard stitched together a lower-order recovery, 96 not out at stumps.
Division Two leaders Sussex were picked apart by Glamorgan’s James Harris (4 for 93) and Mir Hamza (4 for 70), though some clever accumulation by the tail added 138 from the depths of 140 for seven.
Siddharth Kaul, the Indian seamer called up for three Championship matches with Northants, picked away at Gloucestershire, but Miles Hammond steadied nerves with 112, reaching his first ton for two years with a six.
And that’s it for today, on an afternoon when the first pencil of a faint line was drawn under Jimmy Anderson’s long and lustrous Test career. Jim Wallace will be here tomorrow, to guide the blog with style. Have a lovely Friday night!
