County Championship: Leaders Surrey hit back against Yorkshire as Tom Hartley dazzles for Lancashire
Rounding up Thursday's County Championship action as Tom Hartley dazzled with the ball in hand for Lancashire, taking six wickets to follow up his century in the first innings; Rehan Ahmed also took his tally to 10 wickets in Leicestershire's match against Derbyshire
Thursday 24 July 2025 20:42, UK
Leaders Surrey's Rothesay County Championship Division One clash with Yorkshire is heading towards a draw after the visitors hit back strongly at Scarborough.
Surrey are just 179 runs adrift of Yorkshire's first-innings 517-6 declared - which featured Matthew Revis' unbeaten ton - as they ended day three on 338-4.
Revis completed his century on the third morning, hitting 110 runs from 134 deliveries as he was supported with an unbeaten 45 from Dom Bess.
Bess then starred with the ball to dismiss Dom Sibley - who became the first player to reach 1000 County Championship runs this season - for 52 and Will Jacks for 17, while Surrey skipper Rory Burns scored 78.
The Yorkshire spinner also claimed the scalp of Dan Lawrence, who fell for 78, but Ryan Patel ended the day unbeaten on 86 and the chances of a winner appear slim.
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Tilak Varma scored 112 as Hampshire dashed title-chasing Nottinghamshire's hopes of victory.
In response to Notts' first-innings 578-8 declared, Hampshire reached 367-6. Joe Weatherley and Fletcha Middleton both scored 52 before being dismissed by Mohammad Abbas but Varma led the fightback for Hampshire, while Felix Organ finished the day not out on 71.
Essex are closing in on victory at Sussex despite James Coles' unbeaten 99.
Sussex are 245-7 in their second innings and still 55 runs behind Essex, who posted 504 at the start of the third morning.
Sussex's pursuit got off to a poor start when Tom Haines was dismissed for one in the second over and fellow opener Daniel Hughes fell shortly afterwards.
Tom Alsop led the fightback with 72 and was aided by Coles' 99 not out but Matt Critchley finished with figures of 3-33 as Sussex's middle order were restricted to single scores.
Warwickshire require another 338 runs with eight wickets remaining in a mammoth chase as their derby clash with Worcestershire hangs in the balance.
Ethan Brookes scored 87, backing up a career-best 140 from the first innings, as bottom-of-the-table Worcestershire set the hosts 393 to win.
Warwickshire lost both openers inside the first four overs and they ended the day on 55-2, with both sides harbouring hopes of a win on day four.
Hartley stars again for Lancashire
In Division Two, Rehan Ahmed's stunning match continued as leaders Leicestershire look to clinch victory at second-placed Derbyshire.
Ahmed made it 10 wickets in the match by taking the hosts' first four wickets in their second innings, with Derbyshire still 348 runs behind.
Ian Holland starred with the bat, scoring 90 before being caught and bowled by Alex Thomson - who finished with four wickets - and Luis Reece took 5-64 as the visitors declared on 236-9.
Derbyshire's pursuit of 446 was plunged into trouble as Ahmed - who also hit a century in the match - claimed 4-41 runs as they tumbled to 98-4 at close.
Glamorgan's chase of 189 to beat Kent got off to a shaky start as both openers departed.
The hosts still require 164 to take victory after Asa Tribe and Zain-ul-Hassan were dismissed in the opening 10 overs.
Kent duo Harry Finch and Grant Stewart had earlier both scored half-centuries to set Glamorgan their target of 189.
Tom Hartley followed up his maiden first-class century by taking six wickets as Lancashire forced Gloucestershire to follow on at Cheltenham.
Left-arm spinner Hartley claimed 6-116 as the hosts were dismissed for 381, with Ben Charlesworth's brilliant 160 a lone hand.
Charlesworth continued to star in the second innings, hitting an unbeaten 61 as his side closed on 98-0. They still trail Lancashire, who made 557 in their first innings, by 78 runs.
Northamptonshire were also forced to follow-on as Middlesex closed in on victory, leading by 300 runs and requiring seven more Northants wickets.
Saif Zaib scored 82 for the visitors at Merchant Taylors' School but Ryan Higgins and Noah Cornwell finish with four and three wickets respectively, as Northamptonshire fell for 261 in response to Middlesex's 625.
After enforcing the follow-on, Higgins struck twice in the same over to dismiss Ricardo Vasconcelos and Aadi Sharma as Northants closed day three on 64-3.
