Sunday 22 July 2018 21:31, UK
Rory Burns hit an unbeaten 97 to ensure Division One leaders Surrey took complete control of their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge as the opener continued to knock on the door of a Test call-up.
Surrey's impressive bowling quartet of Jade Dernbach, Sam Curran, Morne Morkel and Rikki Clarke were on song once more - former South African seamer Morne Morkel took 4-60 and the remaining three picked up two scalps apiece to bowls Notts out for 210. SCORECARD
In reply, Mark Stoneman (86) and Burns shared a 147-run opening stand with Stoneman - who is hoping to force his way back into the Test side ahead of the India series which begins on August 1 - hitting 17 boundaries as he struck his first half-century of the season.
Jake Ball had Stoneman caught behind 14 short of his century but Burns continued to bat fluently, hitting 13 fours and a six in his 136-ball innings as Surrey closed on 223-1, a lead of 13 runs.
Meanwhile, Jordan Clark took a sensational hat-trick for Lancashire in the Roses derby against Yorkshire as he trapped Joe Root and Kane Williamson lbw before having Jonny Bairstow caught at third slip to cue wild celebrations at Old Trafford. SCORECARD
The Red Rose seamer picked up 5-58 as the visitors were bowled out for only 192 but Ben Coad took three wickets in an over, having Alex Davies (51) caught behind and bowling Tom Bailey and Graham Onions for ducks as the White Rose county fought back.
Jos Buttler was one of six Lancashire batsmen to fall for single figures, being caught behind off Tim Bresnan for three, as the home side were bowled out for 109 - captain Liam Livingstone unable to bat through injury.
Captain Tom Abell and wicketkeeper Steven Davies shared a 126-run fifth-wicket partnership to help put Somerset in a strong position against Worcestershire at New Road.
The visitors were put into bat and lost openers Marcus Trescothick (6) and Eddie Byrom (5) within four balls of each other but half-centuries from James Hildreth (75), Abell (70) and Davies (72) saw Somerset recover. SCORECARD
Spinner Moeen Ali picked up three wickets, including trapping Peter Trego lbw for one, as the away side closed day one on 324-9.
In Division Two, leaders Warwickshire enjoyed a fruitful day against Middlesex at Lord's as opener Will Rhodes' unbeaten half-century put them on top.
Chris Wright, Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Ryan Sidebottom all took three wickets as the hosts' lower-order were once again called on to prop up a poor batting effort, with James Fuller's 71 helping Middlesex to 236 all out.
Dominic Sibley (14) and Ian Bell (8) fell cheaply for the visitors but an 85-run third-wicket stand between Rhodes and Jonathan Trott (47) ensured the away side shaded the day as they closed 152-4, trailing by only 84 runs. SCORECARD
Ryan Higgins' maiden first-class century helped Gloucestershire come back well against Durham and end the day on top at Cheltenham as Ben Stokes picked up 3-40.
England all-rounder Stokes was at the heart of the action early on, trapping hosts' captain Chris Dent lbw for 19 before having Benny Howell caught for four.
However, Higgins (105) and wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick (67) put on a 107-run fourth-wicket stand as Higgins went on to reach three figures in the County Championship for the first time with consecutive boundaries before being removed caught-and-bowled by Stokes. SCORECARD
Ben Sanderson picked up his ninth first-class five-wicket haul with the Division Two match against Derbyshire and Northamptonshire nicely poised at Chesterfield.
Sanderson ripped through Derbyshire's top order, trapping Billy Slater lbw for a second-ball duck, before bowling Wayne Masden and having Billy Goodleman caught behind.
Half-centuries from Harvey Hosein (58) and wicketkeeper Gary Wilson (66) took Derbyshire to 260 all out but Northants were pegged back early in response as ony Palladino removed Ben Duckett (29) and Ricardo Vasconcelos (0) to leave the away side 74-3, trailing by 186 runs. SCORECARD
Wickets tumbled between Kent and Leicestershire at Canterbury as Ned Eckersley's unbeaten 45 saw the visitors edge day one.
Ben Raine and Zak Chappell each took three wickets as hosts were bundled out for just 104 but an all-round bowling effort from Kent helped them peg back the away side to 149-6 at the close of the first day, to contain the Foxes lead to just 45 runs. SCORECARD
Finally, in the day-night fixture at Hove, Sussex were bowled out for 327 by Glamorgan - opener Luke Wells top-scored for the hosts with 71, while veteran Glamorgan seamer Michel Hogan bagged 4-39 from 25 overs.
Sussex slipped to 171-6 but captain Ben Brown (49), plus lower-order runs from Chris Jordan (46) and Danny Briggs (46) lifted the home side above 300. SCORECARD
