Kyle Abbott’s four-wicket burst put Hampshire on top in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Nottinghamshire at the Ageas Bowl.
England batter Ben Duckett made a quickfire 51 from 58 balls for the visitors after Hampshire had made 231 to establish a first-innings lead of 46.
Duckett and Haseeb Hameed (27) put on 53 for the opening wicket to wipe out the home side’s advantage.
But Abbott’s four for 30, which included three wickets in eight balls, saw newly-promoted Nottinghamshire fall to 146 for six, a lead of 100 going into day three.
Elsewhere in Division One, Surrey strengthened their grip against Lancashire as Sean Abbott took four wickets at Emirates Old Trafford.
Replying to Surrey’s 442, in which Cam Steel made an unbeaten 141 – his first first-class century since September 2018 – Lancashire reached 233 for eight.
Australian paceman Abbott was responsible for most of the damage, finished with four for 42 and taking two catches.
Keaton Jennings battled his way to 76 and Lancashire’s best hope of avoiding the follow-on target rests with Colin de Grandhomme, who is unbeaten on 29.
Wickets fell at regular intervals at Lord’s as Middlesex were dismissed for 170 – 96 short of Essex’s first innings 266.
After Toby Roland-Jones’ seven-wicket haul for Middlesex, Jamie Porter wrecked the home side’s middle order.
Porter, operating in tandem with seam partner Sam Cook, ended the day with six for 35 and looked virtually unplayable as the pair ripped out Middlesex’s first four batters – all for ducks.
Middlesex were reduced to a perilous four for four, but Ryan Higgins (70) and John Simpson (63) oversaw a spirited recovery with their sixth-wicket stand of 127.
Zak Crawley’s 91 from 171 balls gave Kent the edge against Northamptonshire at Canterbury.
The visitors were reduced to 47 for two in their second innings, still trailing by 58 at stumps after the hosts secured a first-innings advantage of 105.
Chris Tremain took five for 44 and Jack White four for 57 as Kent were all out for 222, while earlier Matt Quinn took four for 24 as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 117 in their first innings.
The Somerset-Warwickshire game finally got under way after the opening day at Taunton had been wiped out because of a wet pitch.
Somerset were 269 for eight at the close as acting skipper Lewis Gregory top scored with an unbeaten 65 from 105 balls.
Gregory’s recovery powers were needed as Somerset slumped to 136 for seven shortly after tea, with Ed Barnard (three for 54), and Hasan Ali (two for 62).
Josh Davey (42) and Gregory shared an entertaining eighth-wicket partnership of 105 in 25.1 overs.
England white-ball star Dawid Malan made a hundred for Yorkshire against Leicestershire in Division Two.
Malan’s 154-ball 132 – added to his previous scores of 219, 199 and 152 at Headingley since the start of 2020 – helped Yorkshire to 517 all out.
Nightwatcher Matt Milnes also contributed 75 on debut and number nine batter Dom Bess made 49 before Leicestershire scored 201 for five in reply. Colin Ackermann (67) and Peter Handscomb (62 not out) provided stiff resistance.
Cheteshwar Pujara scored his sixth hundred in only his ninth game for Sussex to frustrate Durham.
The 35-year-old India batter, who has taken over as captain at Hove this season, dominated Sussex’s reply to Durham’s 376 all out with 115.
Oli Carter was the next highest scorer with 41 as Sussex closed on 332 for nine – 54 adrift.
Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira led the Worcestershire fightback against Derbyshire.
Skipper D’Oliveira scored an unbeaten 87 and Haynes made 62 as Worcestershire reached 331 for six, a lead of 10 runs after Derbyshire had earlier made 321.
Glamorgan built a commanding lead of 223 against Gloucestershire in Cardiff after closing day two on 388 for eight.
Kiran Carlson (106) and Billy Root (104) made centuries as Marchant de Lange returned figures of three for 72 against his old club.
