Close of play scores
Division One
The Rose Bowl: Notts 185 and 146-6 v Hampshire 231
Canterbury: Kent 222 v Northants 117 and 47-2
Old Trafford: Surrey 442 v Lancashire 233-8
Lord’s: Essex 266 v Middlesex 170
Taunton: Somerset 269-8 v Warwickshire
Division Two
The County Ground, Derbyshire 321 v Worcestershire 331-6
Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165 all out v Glamorgan 388-8
Hove: Sussex 332-9 v Durham 376
Headingley: Yorkshire 517 v Leicestershire 201-5
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Roundup: Steel's 141 for Surrey frustrates Lancashire
On a Good Friday at Old Trafford, the spring sunshine tempting spectators nervously out of their coat sleeves, Surrey showed just why they won the Championship last year. First Cameron Steel crushed Lancashire hopes of wrapping up the tail quickly with 141 not out, his first first-class century since September 2018, an innings full of sparkle that at one point saw Matt Parkinson bowling with nine men on the boundary. Then a hungry attack, led by Sean Abbott’s four for 42, tickled away at Lancashire, who lost five for 38 after tea. Keaton Jennings’s 76 was the shining light.
Hampshire and Nottinghamshire continued their hand-to-hand fighting at the Rose Bowl. The hosts hauled themselves past Nottinghamshire’s 185 to a lead of 46, three wickets each to Dane Paterson, Luke Fletcher and Olly Stone. Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett made light work of the deficit, but Kyle Abbott grabbed three wickets for no runs to gut the middle order.
At Lord’s, Middlesex’s batters made the stage entrance of the season – four for four after three and a half overs; Sam Robson, Pieter Malan, Stevie Eskinazi and Mark Stoneman all in, and out, for ducks – against Essex. John Simpson and Ryan Higgins hauled Middlesex towards respectability but they were all out by stumps, trailing by 96. Jamie Porter took six for 35. At Taunton, Warwickshire’s winter signings – Ed Barnard, Hasan Ali and Chris Rushworth – were making short work of Somerset until an eighth-wicket stand between Lewis Gregory and Josh Davey restored some equilibrium.
An uncharacteristically pressed and folded 91 from Zak Crawley, over 171 balls, carried Kent past Northants. He muttered unhappily into his collar after giving a dolly with three figures in sight, and the Kent tail promptly collapsed; Chris Tremain taking five for 44.
At Headingley, Dawid Malan cantered to the second century of Yorkshire’s innings, finally out for 132 against Leicestershire, caught off England teammate Rehan Ahmed. Ahmed pocketed another couple, including Dom Bess for 49, as Yorkshire posted an intimidating 517.
As cream follows jam, Cheteshwar Pujara slipped into his Sussex whites and rolled out another century, his sixth in eight games, reaching it with three fours off Brydon Carse. Durham’s tail hadn’t lasted long, Nathan McAndrew finishing with five for 85. Glamorgan cantered past 300, a sprightly hundred for Kiran Carlson followed by a thoughtful one by Billy Root, Gloucestershire’s 165 disappearing through the back window. Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira pushed Worcestershire stoutly past Derbyshire’s 321.
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