County Championship: Luke Fletcher puts Nottinghamshire on top against Worcestershire
Surrey's Mark Stoneman dismissed for duck at Lancashire; Sussex versus Gloucestershire in the balance at Hove
Sunday 29 April 2018 20:28, UK
Luke Fletcher claimed five wickets as Nottinghamshire skittled Worcestershire for 110 as play finally got underway in the Specsavers County Championship Division One clash at New Road following two days of foul weather.
Fletcher (5-27) accounted for Worcestershire's middle order, including Joe Clarke (42) and Travis Head (33) - the Pears pair having put on 65 for the fourth wicket after their side had tumbled to 3-3.
Jake Ball (2-25) bowled Daryl Mitchell (0) in the first over and had Brett D'Oliviera (3) caught behind in the third, while Stuart Broad (3-28), in his first game of the season for Notts, trapped Tom Fell (0) lbw in the second.
Worcestershire collapsed once Clarke snicked Fletcher behind, before Notts closed on 204-6, with a lead of 94, although their progress was stalled briefly when they lost 3-16, including Ross Taylor (50) lbw.
Mark Stoneman failed to press his England claims as he was bowled by Graham Onions (3-45) for a fourth-ball duck as Surrey stuttered in reply to Lancashire's 439-9 declared at Old Trafford. SCORECARD
Stoneman, who has recorded just 28 runs in three innings to start the campaign, fell in the second over as Surrey laboured to 231-9 by stumps to trail by 208, Lancashire seamer Tom Bailey scooping 4-54.
Scott Borthwick (79) and Rory Burns (28) shared a stand of 98 for the second wicket but the London team lost wickets at regular intervals once Burns was caught behind off Bailey, and with Surrey still needing 59 runs to avoid the follow-on, Lancashire will fancy a victory push on day four.
Bailey (66) and Joe Mennie (68no) had frustrated Surrey early on by taking their ninth-wicket stand to 118 - Lancashire declaring once off-spinner Amar Virdi (4-80) had Bailey caught in the deep by Matt Dunn.
Lancashire's Roses rivals Yorkshire need a further 272 runs, with nine wickets remaining, to win at Somerset after reaching 49-1 in pursuit of 321 - Harry Brook (15) the man to fall, edging Josh Davey to slip. SCORECARD
Somerset had slipped to 24-4 in their second innings - first-innings centurion Matt Renshaw and James Hildreth bowled by Jack Brooks for eight and 10 respectively - but skipper Tom Abell (82) lifted the total up to 200 before he was last man out, bowled by Ben Coad (4-61).
Jimmy Adams (87) and Hashim Amla (52) extended their third-wicket partnership to 93 as Hampshire reached 241-4 at home to defending champions Essex on a day interrupted by bad light. SCORECARD
In Division Two, Sussex's game with Gloucestershire at Hove looks poised for a thrilling finish with the visitors needing 59 runs to win with four wickets in hand after a topsy-turvy day three. SCORECARD
Gloucestershire looked overwhelming favourites when they dismissed Sussex for 204 and reached 69-1 chasing 167 to win, before losing four wickets for two runs once Stiaan van Zyl (3-16) removed Gareth Roderick (10) and James Bracey (0) from successive deliveries.
However, the Bristol-based side edged to 108-6 by stumps - Ryan Higgins (18no) and Kieran Noema-Barnett (6no) the unbeaten batsmen - to reignite their hopes of recording a second win in three games.
Middlesex were bundled out for 194 by Glamorgan at Lord's - Stevie Eskinazi (94) scoring almost half his side's runs as Michael Hogan (5-49) and Timm van der Gugten (4-63) impressed with the ball - before Tim Murtagh (4-12) reduced the Welsh county to 38-4 on an action-packed day.
Murtagh trapped Jack Murphy (4) and Shaun Marsh (4) lbw and then bowled Nick Selman (21) and had Aneurin Donald (0) caught behind from successive deliveries during a brilliant eight-over spell prior to rain and bad light ending play prematurely with Glamorgan trailing by 156. SCORECARD
Leicestershire's Midlands encounter with Derbyshire finally got underway at 1.45pm on day three with the Foxes progressing to 267-5 by the close - Paul Horton (66) and Colin Ackermann (65) passing fifty for the hosts and Luis Reece snaring three wickets for the away side. SCORECARD
Northamptonshire's clash at home to Durham is now the only game with no play, with rain wiping out proceedings for the third day running.
