Ryan Patel’s career-best 134 guided leaders Surrey to a 153-run first-innings
lead against Durham while Somerset face a big chase at Lancashire.
Patel’s knock took the game away from Durham along with an eighth-wicket stand of 92 with Tom Lawes to help Surrey finish 415 all out in their Vitality County Championship Division One clash.
Relegation-battling Lancashire built a 292-run lead in their clash with second-placed Somerset, who started the round just eight points behind Surrey.
Josh Bohannon’s 60 and Luke Wells’ unbeaten 78 enabled Lancashire to reach 298-7 in their second innings in a game of high stakes, as Lancashire aim to avoid relegation while Somerset push Surrey at the top of the table.
Essex claimed a crushing innings-and-40-run victory over Warwickshire inside two days.
Shane Snater’s 69 helped Essex finish their first innings on 232, securing a lead of 154 after bowling the hosts out for 78 on day one, and Warwickshire were plunged into trouble after falling to 3-4 and then 38-6.
Jamie Porter took 6-36 as he passed 500 first-class wickets and Sam Cook claimed 3-36 as the hosts crumbled to 114 all out.
Liam Dawson claimed another five-wicket haul and hit a century as Hampshire dominated against Worcestershire.
Nick Gubbins reached a joint career-best 201 as Hampshire posted 462 before Dawson earned his fifth five-wicket haul of the summer, aided by Mohammad Abbas who took four for 27 to dismiss the visitors for 273.
Worcestershire’s Division One safety was confirmed as Ethan Brookes notched a maiden century alongside Gareth Roderick’s 94.
Nottinghamshire took charge against Kent, who were forced to follow-on at Canterbury.
The visitors were all out for 433, with Nathan Gilchrist finishing with 4-101, but Farhan Ahmed then claimed 4-37 to dismiss Kent for 225.
After following-on, Kent reached 85-0 at stumps, but are still 123 behind.
Zafar Gohar claimed his 300th first-class wicket in taking 6-76 as Gloucestershire bowled Sussex out for 311.
However, the Division Two leaders remain on top after taking a first-innings lead of 202 as Jack Carson top-scored with 71 and shared a 112-run partnership with skipper John Simpson, who made 61.
At stumps, Gloucestershire were 140-3 in their second innings – still trailing by 62.
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Yorkshire took a step towards a return to Division One, despite a late fightback from Glamorgan.
Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad took four wickets each to dismiss Glamorgan for 239 and establish a first-innings lead of 122 before half-centuries from Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean saw Yorkshire close on 116-1.
Middlesex kept their promotion challenge alive by maintaining their dominance over Derbyshire.
After Derbyshire were bowled out for 173, Middlesex responded with 358 as opener Mark Stoneman made 115, Josh De Caires matched his career-best 80 and Max Holden scored 68.
Derbyshire lost two wickets in the first five overs of their second innings and another from the last ball of the day to close on 74-3.
James Sales hit a career-best 135 as Northamptonshire piled on the runs in their meeting with Leicestershire.
Sales and Rob Keogh (49) extended their overnight partnership to 117 before the latter was trapped lbw by England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and Saif Zaib’s 71 helped Northamptonshire reach 383.
Leicestershire trail by 111 runs after leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets as the Foxes closed on 69-4.
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