County Championship Division One: Yorkshire close to defeat
Tuesday 13 September 2016 19:37, UK
Yorkshire continued their struggles against Somerset on day two at Headingley, closing on 57-3 in their second innings, still 188 runs behind.
The two counties are looking to edge out Middlesex in the race for the Specsavers County Championship title, but Yorkshire's hopes of a third straight title are fading.
Following a first innings 145, Yorkshire fared little better in the opening 22 overs of their second innings with Alex Lees (9), Gary Ballance (1) and Andrew Gale (2) all falling for single-figure scores - Tim Groenewald (2-20) bowling the last two.
Somerset had earlier posted 390 in their first innings with Marcus Trescothick (73), Jim Allenby and Lewis Gregory (73no) all notching fifties on day two, though Ryan Sidebottom pitched in with 5-51 for Yorkshire.
Current table-toppers Middlesex strengthened their title bid by reducing Lancashire to 6-4 at one stage on day two at Old Trafford, though the hosts did rally somewhat to 102-5 by stumps.
Middlesex - who had resumed the day on 258-3 - were rather swiftly bowled out for 327, but a devastating spell by Toby Roland-Jones kept them in full control of the contest.
Roland-Jones took 4-24 from 10 overs, including the wicket of England hopeful Haseeb Hameed for a duck. He later added the wicket of Jos Buttler (16) - playing in his first Championship match since September 2014.
Rob Jones (42no) and Liam Livingstone (31no) were unbeaten at the close having added 70 for the sixth wicket to give the hosts - who are battling to avoid relegation - some hope.
Jason Roy cracked 120 off 165 balls for Surrey on day two of their match with Durham at Emirates Riverside.
Roy fell in the final 10 overs to Graeme Onions (4-68), who also added the late strike of Tom Curran (9) as Surrey closed on 299-7 in reply to Durham's first-innings 401.
Keaton Jennings was left stranded on 201, able to add only one run to his double-hundred overnight before Mark Footitt (5-90) took the final Durham wicket of Onions to claim his five-for.
