Saturday 16 August 2014 19:16, UK
Monty Panesar recorded his third five-wicket haul of the season as Essex put themselves in a winning position against Glamorgan on the second day at Swansea.
The former England slow left armer took 5-50 to help bowl out Glamorgan for only 161 in reply to Essex's first innings of 286.
Only Jim Allenby offered any resistance as Essex put themselves well on top. They toiled to 131-5 in their second innings, but go into the third day holding an overall lead of 256.
After Glamorgan had resumed day two on 27-1 Graham Napier sparked a dramatic start to the morning taking three wickets in the space of 12 balls.
Glamorgan's fortunes failed to improve as Panesar, who had bowled unchanged from the Mumbles Road end since the start of play, trapped Murray Goodwin leg before attempting to cut.
And 25 minutes before lunch Panesar struck again to claim his third wicket of the innings with Mark Wallace going to a bat and bad catch to Ryder at backward short leg. It left the home side 104-6.
On the stroke of lunch Panesar had a fourth wicket when Graham Wagg was caught at slip by Tom Westley. It left Panesar with figures of four for 26 from 20.1 overs as Glamorgan reached the interval at 110-7 with only Allenby (32) showing any resistance.
Five overs after lunch Panesar completed his five wicket haul having James Harris caught at slip by Westley.
Worcestershire's hopes of setting an early date for a promotion party took a knock as Alex Gidman's second century of the season put Gloucestershire in a powerful position at New Road.
Yet all may not be lost for the Second Division leaders. Their bowlers found a better line on the second day, Joe Leach's spell of 4-23 wrapping up Gloucestershire's first innings for 378 before opener Richard Oliver continued the fightback with his second half-century of the game in a total of 154-2.
Batting again with a deficit of 184 after Gidman's punishing knock of 146, Worcestershire could easily have folded when Daryl Mitchell gloved a lifter from Craig Miles and Tom Fell edged a drive off David Payne inside nine overs.
Gidman held both chances at first slip, but Oliver's response was in trademark style, going for his shots at every opportunity.
The left hander reached a career-best 84 not out from 111 balls and Alexei Kervezee also played a key role with 50 as an unbroken stand of 122 cut the gap to only 30.
Hampshire all-rounder Chris Wood followed his opening day half-century with a 5-39 haul on day two against Kent at Canterbury.
The Kent middle order struggled to cope as the England Lions left-armer bowled with both accuracy and hostility on a seemingly docile pitch as the visitors continued to command events.
Wood joined forces with James Tomlinson and Matt Coles to form a three-pronged pace threat that the hosts never mastered as they were shot out for 191 in reply to Hampshire's battling first innings total of 380.
Despite claiming a lead of 189, Hampshire's skipper Jimmy Adams decided against enforcing the follow-on and in the 24 overs remaining through to stumps, hit an unbeaten 26 to see his side go in at stumps on 57 without loss - a lead of 246 runs at the midway point.
Stand-in captain Niall O'Brien led the way as Leicestershire staged a spirited fightback in a bid to avoid the follow-on against Surrey on the second day at Grace Road.
Having posted a formidable total of 480, Surrey had the hosts struggling at 146-4 but an unbeaten 62 by O'Brien and half-centuries from Dan Redfern and Rob Taylor helped Leicestershire to 303-7 by the close and needing another 28 runs to make Surrey bat again.
Veteran off-spinner Gareth Batty ensured the day ended on a high note for Surrey however, claiming two late wickets in two overs for four runs to check Leicestershire's recovery.
Taylor, having made 54 and shared a stand of 99 with O'Brien was bowled by a quicker delivery and in Batty's next over Jigar Naik fell in similar fashion as the home side slipped from 292-5 to 298-7.
Earlier in the day Steven Davies had hit his best score for Surrey with 174 off 210 balls.
