Today’s County Championship was dominated by Simon Harmer as he took 7 wickets today to stick Essex in a dominating position at Chelmsford while there were plenty of runs at the other end of the country as two centuries were scored at the Riverside.
Group 1: Durham vs Worcestershire
Resuming on 79/1, Durham would lose Scott Borthwick caught behind off Joe Leach’s bowling with 3 runs added to the overnight score for 27 before David Bedingham would score 33 before also being caught behind off Josh Tongue. Centuries from Will Young (103) and Jack Burnham (102) and a quick-fire 86 off 57 from Ned Eckersley saw Durham to 389/5 before the declaration after Burnham’s ton was brought up.
Chasing a target of 423, Worcestershire got off to a decent start with both openers Daryl Mitchell (45 off 44 balls) and Jake Libby (14 off 40 balls) there at the close of play with the score on 60 without loss.
DUR 246 (82.2 overs) & 389/5 dec (110.5 overs), WOR 233 (69.4 overs) & 60/1 (14 overs)
Bonus points: DUR 4, WOR 4
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Group 1: Essex vs Derbyshire
There’s no doubt who the man of the day has been in this game today and that’s South African Harmer. Derbyshire, resuming on 35/3, saw Alex Hughes stumped off the bowling of Harmer with the score on 71 before Wayne Madsen would also go in his twenties. Matt Critchley and Harvey Hosein would both go for single-figures before Brooke Guest, who top-scored with 49, was dismissed. Billy Stanlake was bowled by Harmer without scoring before Dustin Melton smashed 15 off 6 balls before giving Harmer his second return catch of the innings, the bowler finishing with 9/80 off almost 26 overs.
Following on, Luis Reece was bowled by Jamie Porter in the third over of the innings with Billy Godleman and Guest not out at the end of the day with 39 and 56 respectively.
ESS 412/3 dec (76 overs), DER 146 (56.5 overs) & 97/1 FO (32 overs)
Bonus Points: ESS 8, DER 1
Group 2: Middlesex vs Hampshire
The one game that did finish was the Group 2 game at Lord’s. Hampshire, who started the day at 131/7, would add 12 runs to their total before Kyle Abbott was bowled by Blake Cullen for 6 before Keith Barker (84) would add 44 runs added with Brad Wheal and 31 with Mohammad Abbas with Hampshire finishing on 208.
Openers Sam Robson and Jack Davies would both fall to the internationals Abbas and Abbott respectively in successive overs before Nick Gubbins would fall in the following Abbott over for 2. Robbie White would become Abbas’ second victim, caught and bowled by the Pakistan paceman, for 5 before Peter Handscomb (who top-scored with 24) was LBW to Abbott with the hosts just 13 ahead. Barker would dismiss James Harris for 16 with both Cullen and Bamber going cheaply, Abbott finishing with another 5-fer and Abbas with 3/24.
Needing 66 to win, Joe Weatherby would be LBW to Bamber for 7 before Liam Dawson (7) and Ian Holland (22) were both LBW off the bowling of Tim Murtagh with Tom Alsop (9) and Sam Northeast (18) seeing them win effectively inside 2 days after Day 1 was completely washed out.
MID 172 (68.1 overs) & 101 (29.5 overs), HAM 208 (73 overs) & 66/3 (15.3 overs)
Points: MID 3, HAM 20
Both teams are back in action this week as Hampshire host Leicestershire starting on Wednesday with Middlesex making the short trip to the Oval the following day.
Group 2: Somerset vs Surrey
Just 9 overs of play happened at Taunton today with Surrey adding 15 to their overnight score, Jamie Smith scoring a boundary in successive Josh Davey overs. Smith ended the day with 27 with Ben Foakes at the other end on 16 when play resumes tomorrow.
Bonus points: SOM 1, SUR 1
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Group 3: Glamorgan vs Yorkshire
Resuming on 69/4 at the start of play, Yorkshire would lose Dom Bess in the sixth over of the day for 20 followed by wicket-keeper Harry Duke the following ball, both to Australian Michael Neser. Jordan Thompson and David Willey would also go for cheap to Michael Hogan and Dan Douthwaite respectively before Yorkshire captain Steven Patterson (47 not out) would join England captain Joe Root (99) for a century stand before the latter was bowled by Douthwaite with Ben Coad dismissed the following over to end the innings at 230.
Joe Root top-scored for Yorkshire as wickets fell around himJoe Cooke was the first Glamorgan player to be dismissed as he was caught behind off the bowling of Coad before Marnus Labuschagne was bowled the following over by Patterson without troubling the scorers. Billy Root, Joe’s brother, was out LBW for 13 with the score of 43 before opener David Lloyd and Kiran Carlson both finished the day’s play unbeaten in their forties.
GLA 149 (53.5 overs) & 108/3 (27 overs), YOR 230 (75.3 overs)
Bonus points: GLA 3, YOR 4
Group 3: Sussex vs Kent
In a day that was disrupted by rain (only 24 overs were possible), Zak Crawley would be dismissed for 85, caught by Aaron Thomasson off the bowling of Jack Carson, with Jack Leaning (61) and keeper Ollie Robinson (11) not out at the end of the day, the lead being 109 runs.
KEN 145 (54.3 overs) & 138/2 (44 overs), SUS 256 (76.3 overs)
Bonus points: SUS 5, KEN 3
