Rory Burns and Dean Elgar score hundreds as Surrey start strong against Somerset
Tuesday 14 May 2019 20:36, UK
Centuries from Rory Burns and Dean Elgar put Surrey in a strong position before a determined Somerset fightback on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton.
Having won the toss, the visitors ran up 330-6, with skipper and England Test hopeful Burns contributing 107 and Elgar making 103 against one of his former clubs.
But, Surrey were 265-2 at one stage, only to lose four wickets for 30 runs as the current Championship leaders fought back late on day one. Lewis Gregory (3-44) was the pick of the bowlers.
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Jamie Porter impressed on day one at Chelmsford, taking 4-75 as Essex bowled out Nottinghamshire for just 187 before closing the day in a strong position at 67-0 in their first innings - Alastair Cook 29 not out.
Porter has enjoyed hauls of over 50 wickets in the previous four Championship campaigns, but has accumulated figures of 2-276 from Essex's opening two games of 2019, before bursting into life against Notts.
Sam Cook (2-49), Peter Siddle (2-31) and Simon Harmer (2-20) all chipped in with two wickets apiece, while Joe Clarke top-scored for the visitors with 48.
Yorkshire, too, endured a disappointing opening day with the bat against Kent in Canterbury, being bowled out for 210.
Harry Brook (29), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (28) and Jonny Tattersall (29) all got starts, but no Yorkshire batsman managed a score of 30 or more as they were bundled out in 56.2 overs.
Zak Crawley (73no) then struck an unbeaten half-century to put Kent in a strong position at 130-4 by stumps, trailing by 80 runs.
Tom Alsop's second first-class century rescued Hampshire and lifted them to 291-6 on the opening day of their match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
After Hampshire chose to bat, Alsop compiled a career-best unbeaten 131 to steer his side away from uncertain positions at 44-2 and 171-5.
A depleted Warwickshire attack missing the injured Olly Stone, Liam Norwell and Ryan Sidebottom and the unavailable Chris Woakes were led well by Olly Hannon-Dalby (4-58). But Hampshire got away from them in the final session when Alsop was joined by the aggressive Aneurin Donald, who struck 75 from just 56 balls.
In Division Two, Worcestershire paceman Charlie Morris continued his fine form, taking 6-53 against Durham at New Road.
Morris followed up his career-best 7-45 against Leicestershire with six-for to bowl Durham out for 273, though captain Cameron Bancroft (70) and Jack Burnham (76) helped rescue the visitors from 14-3.
In a tricky two-over spell with the bat before stumps, Worcestershire were reduced to 1-1 as Daryl Mitchell departed lbw second ball to Chris Rushworth.
Pakistan's Mohammed Abbas claimed four wickets on a topsy-turvy first day of Leicestershire's clash with Middlesex at Lord's.
Abbas looked a class above as he returned 4-57 from his 26 overs, helping restrict the hosts to 325-8 on a decent batting surface.
Nick Gubbins (75), debutant Tom Lace (51) and George Scott (52no) - the latter's highest first-class score - all hit half-centuries for Middlesex.
Richard Gleeson took five wickets against his former county as Lancashire had the best of the opening day against Northamptonshire.
Gleeson finished with 5-63 as Northamptonshire were dismissed for 230 - Luke Wood, on loan from Notts, top-scoring with 66 - before Lancashire reached 29-1 by the close.
Haseeb Hameed was the solitary wicket to fall for Lancs, caught behind off Ben Sanderson for seven.
Finally, James Bracey's 152 helped Gloucestershire to a commanding 360-6 on day one against Glamorgan. Bracey shared as stand of 199 for the fourth wicket with Gareth Roderick, who made 88.
