County Championship: Glamorgan win on a day for the old boys - Amla, Stevens & Hogan shine
- Published
Darren Stevens had a mixed day on his 45th birthday - a 'five-for', a third-ball duck and a two-day Kent defeat
Darren Stevens' 45th birthday turned out to be a real day for the old boys in the County Championship.
The oldest current cricketer in the English county game celebrated his big day by completing the 46th five-wicket haul of his first-class career to bowl Kent back into the game against Glamorgan in Cardiff and limit their first-innings lead to just 59.
But then Michael Hogan, a mere stripling at just 39 years of age, stole the show.
The long-serving Australian took 5-28 in 10 overs - Stevens was bowled by David Lloyd for the second time in the match for a third-ball duck - and it was all over inside two days at Sophia Gardens.
Meanwhile, South Africa Test legend Hashim Amla, the baby of the day's three heroes at 38, stroked an unbeaten 215 from 367 balls, bolstered by 131 from England's Ollie Pope as Surrey steamrollered their way to 513-3 against Group Two leaders Hampshire at The Kia Oval.
Group One
Fresh from his first-innings second-ball duck, Haseeb Hameed just missed out on a third ton in four innings for Nottinghamshire but they still hold the upper hand in the derby with Derbyshire at Derby.
Hameed made 94, backed by 87 from another England discard Ben Duckett and a second half-century of the match for Joe Clarke as Notts reached 318, setting Derbyshire an unlikely 470 to win.
The hosts have two days to get those runs, however, and they made a solid start: 23-0 from 10 overs at the close.
The 208-run stand between Durham openers Will Young (left) and Alex Lees was the county's highest against Warwickshire, beating the 202 put on by Graeme Fowler and Wayne Larkins at Feethams, Darlington in 1993
Essex continued to pile on the runs on the New Road flat track against Worcestershire, declaring on 561-8 after captain Tom Westley followed 36-year-old Alastair Cook's first-day century.
Dan Lawrence, Paul Walter and Simon Harmer hit half-centuries as Essex set up a potential two days for the prolific Harmer to spin his side to victory. But taking 20 wickets on a ground that has only yielded eight in its past three days of cricket might be a tall order even by the South African's standards.
Group One leaders Warwickshire also face a battle to save the game after Durham openers Alex Lees and Will Young hit tons to help their side build a 200-run lead, on 287-4.
Group Two
Amla and Pope stole the honours with their stand of 257 in 62 overs for the third wicket, a Surrey home record against Hampshire.
James Hildreth only made 39 for Somerset but that was enough to take the 36-year-old past the late Bill Alley's haul of 16,644 runs for the county as their fourth highest all-time run-scorer - he now only has Harold Gimblett (21,142), Marcus Trescothick and Peter Wight ahead of him.
Ollie Pope, who already has a double century to his name this season, played a chief supporting role to Hasim Amla, making 131 at The Oval
That helped Somerset reach 178-4 against Middlesex, who had earlier totalled 357, claiming a fourth batting point thanks to 92 from the luckless Robbie White, still seeking his first century, and two Tim Murtagh boundaries in the 110th over.
Lewis Hill hit 121 for Leicestershire to manoeuvre the Foxes into a strong position against Gloucestershire.
After totalling 421, 35-year-old Chris Wright then took 4-24 to reduce Gloucestershire to 176-6, still needing 96 more to avoid being asked to follow on.
Group Three
Glamorgan got the job done inside two days at Sophia Gardens, their 10-wicket victory against hapless Kent being their first red-ball win since beating Leicestershire in September 2019.
Michael Hogan has now taken 24 five-wicket hauls in his career - 18 of them for Glamorgan and six for Western Australia
Meanwhile, Group Three leaders Lancashire were stung as Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson continued his impressive start to the season with four wickets at Hove.
The 20-year-old from Northern Ireland took 4-50 in 28 overs as, after 60 from England's Keaton Jennings, Lancashire slumped from 137-1 to 193-6 in reply to Sussex's 328.
Northamptonshire pair Saif Zaib and Tom Taylor both hit rearguard fifties to help claim the advantage against Yorkshire in Leeds.
The seventh-wicket pair put on 92 in 41 overs either side of lunch as Northants reached 234 - a 28-run lead before the Tykes then slumped to 43-3, just 15 ahead.
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