Key events
Roundup: Leicestershire canter to first top-tier win in 23 years
On the day the England and Wales Cricket Board whisked Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson away from County Championship action, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Hampshire and Derbyshire stole the show, tucking wins under their belt within three days.
At Grace Road, Leicestershire, without a win this summer, rolled over Yorkshire by an innings and 39 runs – their first victory in Division One since 2003. Dan Moriarty (51), with Dom Bess (40) and then Jack White (21), bashed 95 for the last two wickets, but it was too little, too late.
Hampshire’s dreadful season also had a timely fillip, beating Sussex by 118 runs in front of a large and vocal crowd let in for free on Father’s Day. Sussex needed 253 for victory and Dan Hughes and Tom Alsop sailed them safely to lunch but things hit choppy waters from there as Sussex lost seven for 26, with Eddie Jack grabbing a career-best four for 36.
Essex were undone by Nottinghamshire on a turning Chelmsford pitch that had been designed for Simon Harmer. Instead, it was Notts’ spinner Liam Patterson-White who finished with career-best match figures of nine for 109 as Essex were bowled out for 221 to lose by an innings. Fergus O’Neill pocketed five for 39.
It was another miserable day for Lancashire, who were dismissed before lunch at Chesterfield to tick off a fourth defeat of the season. Derbyshire’s Ben Aitchison completed a happy match with five for 49. Seventeen-year-old Joe Moores biffed a maiden first-class 50, clonking four sixes along the way.
Stokes warmed up with Durham and there was some dismay that his substitute Colin Ackermann would not be allowed to bowl. Stokes also had a hand in Northamptonshire bringing in substitute Gus Miller, called up to replace Luke Procter, whose finger had got in the way of a Stokes straight drive.
Miller top-scored in Northants’ second innings with a pretty 61, becoming the second Augustus to play for Northants after Richard Augustus Agincourt Beresford, whose niece Elisabeth wrote The Wombles. At stumps the Northants lead was 245, the game nicely in the balance. Matthew Potts again bowled with verve to pick up three for 58.
While there was no place for James Rew in England’s squad for the third Test, his brother Thomas stroked a second century for Somerset in eight days. His A-levels done and dusted, he hit an unbeaten 133 in an enterprising fightback against Warwickshire alongside Craig Overton (89 not out) to take the match into a tantalising fourth day.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Chelmsford: Nottinghamshire 457 BEAT Essex 184 and 221 by an innings and 52 runs
Sophia Garden: Glamorgan 358 v Surrey 105 and 398-9
Grace Road: Leicestershire 453 BEAT Yorkshire 185 and 229 BY an innings and 39 runs.
Taunton: Somerset 208 and 341-6 v Warwickshire 330
Hove: Hampshire 191 and 220 BEAT Sussex 159 and 134 by 188 runs.
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 364 and 25-1 BEAT Lancashire 161 and 226 by nine wickets
Chester-le-Street: Durham 405 v Northants 450 and 200-6
Canterbury: Kent 416 and 233-7 v Middlesex 443
New Road: Worcestershire 388 v Gloucestershire 289 and 59-1
Good morning from beautiful Chester le Street and welcome to the final day of Championship cricket until August 20. Only five games to keep an eye on today after Notts and the unlikely trio of Leicestershire, Hampshire and Derby won in three days, but still plenty to enjoy especially at Taunton, where young princeling Thomas Rew and old hand Craig Overton have given Somerset something to bowl at. Amid the chaos, play always starts at 11am. Do join us.
