Somerset stun Kent, wins for Leicestershire and Derbyshire and runs for Root and Malan
Monday 8 April 2019 17:44, UK
Kyle Abbott took 5-77 as Hampshire secured an innings victory over Essex in Specsavers County Championship Division One.
Having been asked to follow on, Essex began day four on 132-4, needing another 230 just to make Hampshire bat again and, due to an injury to Adam Wheater, only five wickets remaining.
However, just one wicket went down before lunch as Ravi Bopara (107) led the rearguard action and reached his century late in the morning session at the Ageas Bowl.
The Essex No 5 put on 111 with Simon Harmer for the sixth wicket but when he edged Abbott behind, the end came quickly. Fidel Edwards (3-49) removed Harmer (62) and Abbott took the final two wickets to seal a win by an innings and 87 runs for Hampshire. SCORECARD
Lewis Gregory (5-18) produced an incredible spell to help Somerset bowl Kent out for 131 and claim a remarkable 74-run win at Taunton.
Kent looked well set for victory in their first game back in the top flight with Somerset starting the final day 171-7 in their second innings, a lead of just 133.
That became 181-9 but a last wicket stand of 62 between George Bartlett (63) and Jack Brooks (35no) gave Somerset a real chance, with Kent set 206 to win.
Gregory then dismissed Sean Dickson with the first ball of the Kent innings, Brook removed Matt Renshaw in the next over and the visitors never recovered, eventually succumbing midway through the afternoon session, well short of their victory target. SCORECARD
Notts declared overnight, leaving debutant Joe Clarke three runs short of a second hundred in the match, to set Yorkshire a highly improbable 477 to win.
The White Rose were reduced to 24-2 as Jake Ball struck twice but that brought Root and Ballance together and the pair saw their side to safety before hands were shaken once Ballance had reached three figures. SCORECARD
In Division Two, Leicestershire chased down 230 for a seven-wicket victory over Sussex at Hove, with Paul Horton (61), Hasan Azad (59) and Mark Cosgrove (53no) scoring half-centuries.
Needing another 131 to win at the start of the day, Leicestershire lost Horton early on but a 61-run partnership between Azad and Cosgrove took the visitors to within sight of victory by lunch.
Ollie Robinson (2-28) removed Azad immediately after the restart but Cosgrove and Colin Ackermann (24no) got Leicestershire over the line without any further blemishes. SCORECARD
Derbyshire completed a comfortable 125-run win over Durham at the County Ground.
Durham opening pair Alex Lees and Gareth Harte had got the visitors off to a good start, taking them from their overnight 10-0 to 83-0, chasing 361, before stand-in skipper Lees (59) was dismissed by Matt Critchley (3-54).
Harte got to 69 before he was bowled by Logan van Beek (2-43) and Ravi Rampaul (2-43) also claimed two wickets as Durham was bowled out for 235 midway through the evening session. SCORECARD
Dawid Malan hit a superb 160 not out to help Middlesex secure a draw away to Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
The left-hander began the day on 55 with Middlesex, following on, still needing 66 to make the hosts back again.
By the time the declaration was made late in the evening session, Malan was added another 105 to his total and Middlesex were 317-4, leading by 143.
There was never any prospect of Northants trying to chase it down with so little time left and they were 10-0, the openers having survived three overs from Eoin Morgan and one from wicketkeeper John Simpson, when the players shook hands. SCORECARD
