Leaders Middlesex and chasing Yorkshire struggle with bat on day one

31 August 2016 07:23

Division One leaders Middlesex and second-placed Yorkshire both struggled with the bat on the opening day of the latest round of Specsavers County Championship matches.

Warwickshire leg-spinner Josh Poysden claimed career-best first-class figures of five for 53 and seamer Chris Wright took four for 41 as Middlesex, five points clear at the top, were dismissed for 242.

Only Dawid Malan and Stevie Eskinazi offered any resistance for the visitors, hitting 57 and 49 respectively, after they won the toss at Edgbaston, where the hosts closed on one without loss.

Gareth Berg took five for 54, his first five-wicket haul of the season, to leave relegation-threatened Hampshire in control against Yorkshire at the Ageas Bowl.

Jake Lehmann and Tim Bresnan struck half-centuries, the former's first in the Championship, to keep the White Rose afloat before an unbroken 41-run last-wicket partnership between Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom lifted the champions to 275 for nine when bad light stopped play.

Bottom-placed Nottinghamshire's bid to avoid relegation was boosted when Harry Gurney's career-best first-class figures of six for 61 triggered a Durham collapse at Chester-le-Street.

The hosts sli pped from 115 for one to 244 all out and, despite reducing Notts to 16 for two, half-centuries from Jake Libby and Michael Lumb helped Chris Read's side close 115 runs behind on 129 for two.

Tom Abell compiled a third century for Somerset but Tom Bailey's three-wicket over dragged Lancashire back into the clash at Old Trafford.

Abell struck 135 and shared an opening partnership of 134 with Marcus Trescothick, who contributed 60, before Bailey removed Jim Allenby, the century-maker and Lewis Gregory in the space of five balls to limit Somerset, for whom Peter Trego is unbeaten on 49, to 339 for seven.

Division Two leaders Essex took a step closer to promotion after David Masters claimed seven for 52 at Chelmsford.

Worcestershire recovered from 48 for five following Masters' early burst to post 230 courtesy of half-centuries from George Rhodes and Ben Cox.

But, despite losing Nick Browne in the second over, Essex remained in the driving seat with England Test skipper Alastair Cook (43) and half-centurion Tom Westley taking the score to 111 for one.

Derbyshire collapsed to 242 all out after Ben Slater compiled his first Championship century in almost two years against Gloucestershire at Derby.

The hosts, having lost their last seven wickets for just 67 runs, then reduced Gloucestershire to 27 for one.

Fifteen wickets fell at Hove as Kent, boosted by Sam Billings' 64, closed on 211 for five in reply to Sussex's 180 all out.

Kiran Carlson claimed his maiden first-class five-wicket haul as Northamptonshire collapsed from 140 without loss to 269 all out against Glamorgan, who reached 23 for no wicket, at Wantage Road.

Source: PA