County Championship Division One: Yorkshire thrash Warwickshire
Wednesday 8 July 2015 23:00, UK
Yorkshire looked every inch a team destined to retain their County Championship title as they beat Warwickshire by 174 runs at Edgbaston.
Ryan Sidebottom took 5-42 to complete match figures of 11-76 as Warwickshire were dismissed for 259 in their second innings, although it was their first-innings dismantling - when they were skittled for 69 - that did the damage.
Only Sam Hain, returning after a two-month absence due to a shoulder injury, showed the technique and resolve to defy high-quality bowling, scoring a defiant 106 from 195 balls as others in the top order fell meekly.
Resuming the day on 43-1 in pursuit of an unlikely 434, wickets fell regularly for the hosts with Ian Westwood (40) and Jonathan Trott (29) both falling to Sidebottom's swing either side of Laurie Evans - who was lbw second ball to the left-armer - to leave them 109-4.
Peter McKay's nick to the slips off Steven Patterson prompted Hain and Rikki Clarke to add 47 before Clarke fell to an astonishing catch, turning James Middlebrook off the full face of the bat and Jack Leaning, at short leg, somehow clung onto the ball as he fell backwards.
Jack Brooks (2-72) then got involved, taking a catch at extra cover to remove Jeetan Patel and hitting Chris Wright's middle stump.
And with Warwickshire 217-8 at tea, Yorkshire took the second new ball, allowing Sidebottom to remove Oliver Hannon-Dalby's middle stump with his third delivery with the new cherry - Hannon-Dalby bizarrely stepping away and watching his stumps get destroyed.
Hain then completed a richly-deserved century before becoming the last wicket of the match - and Tim Bresnan's first.
Nottinghamshire and Middlesex shook hands on a draw at Trent Bridge as a combination of rain and bad light on the final day ended slim hopes of a positive result.
Having started the day 7-0, still 38 runs adrift of Nottinghamshire's first innings 419-9, the visitors added another seven runs before persistent drizzle forced an early lunch.
Once the rain cleared, Sam Robson and James Harris pushed on, Robson capitalising on being dropped second ball to reach his 50 off 101 balls as they added 83 for the opening wicket before Harris was trapped in front by Harry Gurney for 44.
Nick Compton joined Robson to see Middlesex to tea at 139-1 and although Compton should have been stumped by Chris Read off Samit Patel after the break, it mattered not as bad light forced an early end to the game.
Peter Trego hit his second half-century of the match to save Somerset from defeat on the final day of an absorbing Division One match with Sussex at Taunton.
Chasing an unrealistic 425 to win, the hosts crashed from 69-0 to 84-5 - leg-spinner Luke Wells and slow left-armer Ashar Zaidi sharing the wickets - after a solid opening stand between Marcus Trescothick (33) and Tom Abell (36).
Sussex then had a further 42 overs in which to take the remaining wickets, but were frustrated by Trego (95no) and Lewis Gregory (32), who produced a stubborn stand of 120 as Somerset moved to 208-6 when the players shook hands on a draw.
Earlier in the day, the visitors had taken their second innings score from an overnight 311-2 to 490-4 before declaring. Matt Machan was dismissed for 192, while Chris Nash finished unbeaten on 142.
Luke Wright smashed Abdur Rehman for three sixes in an over during a 12-ball cameo that reaped 39 runs before skipper Ed Joyce, seemingly erring on the side of caution, declared nine balls after the lunch interval.
Somerset looked in little danger when Trescothick and Abell were together, but Wells bowled Trescothick on the sweep with his first ball to spark five wickets in as many overs and at tea Somerset were 88-5 and in deep trouble.
But the final session belonged to Trego and Gregory as Joyce switched his seamers and spinners around in a desperate bid for another breakthrough.
Hampshire are staring at defeat to Worcestershire after reaching stumps on day three on 164-6 - still 131 runs from making their opponents bat again having been asked to follow-on.
Resuming the day 86-3 in their first-innings at New Road, the visitors were undone by a magical stint from Saeed Ajmal, who claimed 5-28 in 17 overs to race through the middle and lower order.
Once James Vince was bowled by Joe Leach for 56 early in the day, only Will Smith provided any resistance with an unbeaten 51 as Ajmal cast his spell.
Forced to bat again, Hampshire lost their top six with Jack Shantry (3-33) trapping Jimmy Adams early before a 65-run stand between Sean Terry and Michael Carberry was ended when the former was caught behind off the same bowler.
Smith was again defiant with an 89-ball 29 before he handed Brett D'Oliveira a return catch to put Hampshire on 138-6 and leaving Joe Gatting and Gareth Berg to see them to the close without further setback.
