And that’s it for this evening… back tomorrow!
Emma John's county roundup
Two double centurions shone on day two of the latest round of games. Nick Browne’s 234 not out was a 10-and-a-half-hour marathon for Essex, who declared on 505 for nine; their Division One opponents Somerset finished the day 99 for one. Meanwhile, Michael Jones racked up his maiden double-century as Durham posted 421 for seven declared in Division Two against Middlesex, who were 43 without loss at stumps.
Elsewhere in Division One wickets crashed in noisy clumps, no fewer than nine falling in the opening session at Old Trafford. Matt Henry had picked up two by the time he completed his over from the previous evening and finished with five for 45 as Lancashire added a measly 33 for their final six wickets. Kent were then 12 for three before a Joe Denly‑Jack Leaning rescue mission, and a cavalier half-century from Grant Stewart, saw them to 270, a lead of 125.
At Scarborough, Hampshire only gained a footing when Ben Brown and Keith Barker came together at 72 for six; Barker’s run-a-ball 52, and similarly entertaining cameos from the tail, inspired a 59-run lead. Yorkshire finished 23 for one in reply.
The Surrey bowlers Conor McKerr and Jamie Overton contributed valuable runs at The Oval, where a sparkling 65 from Ollie Pope was the top score for the home side. Their 316 gave them a 63-run lead against Warwickshire, who negotiated the final two overs of the day without loss.
Gloucestershire’s bowlers fought back to keep themselves in the game after Northamptonshire’s Ryan Rickelton and Luke Procter put on 111 for the third wicket; Rickleton was out just five short of his century to Zafar Gohar, who took four in the innings. Northants finished 353 for seven, a lead of 36.
In Division Two, Anuj Dal top-scored for Derbyshire for the second time in two days. His 85 not out in a seventh-wicket partnership with Mattie McKiernan helped his side to turn a 55-run deficit into a 231-run lead, after they had bowled Worcestershire out for 185 earlier in the day.
And Ollie Robinson took four for 44 as Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 240 on the first day of their match against Sussex at Trent Bridge, before James Pattinson and Dane Paterson proved equally destructive, leaving the visitors 94 for five at the close.
