up for Essexpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Essex 255-5 v Kent 207
First batting point on the board for Essex.
Adam Rossington has joined Matt Critchley, on 36, and Essex will hope to push their lead well into three figures.
Summary
Day two of eight games in County Championship
Div One: Essex v Kent, Middlesex v Surrey, Northants v Somerset, Notts v Hants, Warwickshire v Lancs
Div Two: Derbys v Durham, Leics v Worcs, Yorkshire v Sussex, Gloucs v Glamorgan (day one)
up for Essexpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Postpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 180-9 v Somerset 351
Saif Zaib, come on down!
He's not going to die wondering, and pulls Kasey Aldridge for two mighty sixes over the leg-side, one either side of a sumptuous cover drive that whistles away for four.
Just the 17 runs from the over.
WICKET Brown c Hameed b Hutton 16published at 14:59 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Notts 100 v Hants 166 & 89-4
Ben Brown charges at Brett Hutton, giving himself room to hit over the off-side, and nails it, but can't get the required elevation to clear Haseeb Hameed at mid-off.
The Nottinghamshire captain takes the catch and Brown has to go. He can't quite believe it.
WICKET Sanderson c Rew b Overton 5published at 14:57 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 159-9 v Somerset 351
It's the same combination that did for Tom Taylor that now does for Ben Sanderson.
Sanderson had just been struck by a short ball from Craig Overton, and when the full ball comes, he's on his heels, and can only feather one through to the gloves of James Rew.
WICKET Taylor c Rew b Aldridge 1published at 14:51 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 150-8 v Somerset 351
Another Northants batter bites the dust.
Tom Taylor tentatively pushes forward, and that lack of conviction is his downfall, as he nicks through to young James Rew behind the stumps.
WICKET Walter b Arshdeep Singh 45published at 14:49 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Essex 241-5 v Kent 207
Essex had enjoyed a great hour after lunch and the fifth-wicket stand was just beginning to take the game away from Kent.
But the visitors have taken the second new ball and broken the stand with a third wicket for Arshdeep Singh.
And it's a beauty that's swung back sharply at the left-hander to clip the top of Paul Walter's middle stump.
The footwork wasn't the best but regardless that would have taken some keeping out.
WICKET McManus b Overton 4published at 14:45 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 147-7 v Somerset 351
It's lovely bowling from Craig Overton, just shaping away a touch, and Lewis McManus' off-stump goes flying.
Somerset are eyeing a mammoth first-innings lead here.
WICKET Stoneman c Foakes b Clark 11published at 14:40 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Middlesex 21-1 v Surrey 433
So right on cue...
Jordan Clark gets one to nibble down the slope a fraction and draws a thin edge behind from Mark Stoneman playing forward.
Postpublished at 14:36 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Middlesex 21-0 v Surrey 433
Steady away for Middlesex here as they begin their reply to Surrey's big total.
The Middlesex top order have struggled this season and this is another huge task against perhaps the most potent attack in the country.
Kemar Roach is away playing for West Indies against India but still plenty of threat, and pace, in the Surrey attack.
For now, Mark Stoneman and Pieter Malan are solid for the hosts at Lord's.
Image source, Rex FeaturesDivision Two latestpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Worcestershire are collapsing again at Oakham School! Leicestershire have taken four quick wickets to leave the Pears 132-7. They're probably still on top with a lead of 200 and whatever the tail can add.
Alex Lees and David Bedingham have steadied things for leaders Durham. 8-2 has become 50-2, but they still trail Derbyshire by 393.
Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean have just brought up their fifty stand against Sussex. Yorkshire are in command on 51-0 in reply to Sussex's 216.
They're off for rain at Cheltenham with Glamorgan 120-1 against hosts Gloucestershire.
WICKET Keogh c Aldridge b Overton 21published at 14:28 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 137-6 v Somerset 351
Rob Keogh plays at a ball he didn't have to from Craig Overton, and gets a thick outside edge to Kasey Aldridge in the slips.
Lewis McManus joins Saif Zaib in the middle with his side in desperate need of a score.
WICKET Vince c Harrison c Paterson 15published at 14:23 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Notts 100 v Hants 166 & 66-3
Three wickets now for Dane Paterson, and James Vince has to go!
It's a superb catch from Calvin Harrison, low down away to his right, and Nottinghamshire are just about clinging on in this game.
Rain stops play at Edgbastonpublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Warks 43-2 v Lancs 327
The rain is tumbling down in Birmingham, and the players and umpires hurry for shelter.
up for Essexpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Essex 200-4 v Kent 207
Image source, Rex FeaturesEssex would have lunched a little annoyed that their position wasn't stronger.
So some work to do this afternoon, first here by Matt Critchley, 17, and Paul Walter, 18, to get them ahead.
First little target achieved in bringing up the 200 and the hosts will soon be into the lead at Chelmsford.
They will be targeting a match-winning lead on first-innings.
Division Two latestpublished at 14:03 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Leaders Durham are in a spot of bother at Derbyshire. Sam Conners has just picked up the wickets of Michael Jones and Scott Borthwick in the sixth over to leave them 8-2 in reply to Derbyshire's 443 all out.
Gloucestershire have finally made the breakthrough against Glamorgan - Zain ul Hassan the man to go to Zafar Gohar. But David Lloyd is looking good on 80 in their 120-1 at Cheltenham.
Worcestershire are building a decent lead against Leicestershire at Oakham School. They're 104-3 in their second innings and 172 ahead.
Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Fin Bean have made a solid start against Sussex at Headingley. The hosts are 20-0 and trailing by 196.
WICKET Vasconcelos b Gregory 78published at 14:00 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 117-5 v Somerset 351
That's the wicket Somerset wanted!
It's a peach from Lewis Gregory, just nipping away enough to beat the outside edge and hit off-stump.
Ricardo Vasconcelos was the one Northants batter to offer any firm resistance, but he has to go for 78.
up for Northantspublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 108-4 v Somerset 351
Rob Keogh flicks a leg-stump half-volley from Matt Henry to the square leg boundary to start proceedings after lunch and take Northants into three figures.
In the next over, Ricardo Vasconcelos punches Lewis Gregory down the ground for four more - lovely shot.
'Lloyd determined to finish on a high'published at 13:36 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Gloucestershire v Glamorgan 100-0 - lunch, day one
Nick Webb
BBC Radio WalesGlamorgan captain David Lloyd may be heading for pastures new next season after the announcement of his move to Derbyshire, but he looks determined to finish on a high after reaching his first 50 of an injury-hit season.
His half-century came off just 57 balls and included 10 fours, though he was dropped by Tom Price at point off Dominic Goodman on 44, and also needed a concussion check after being whacked on the helmet by Paul van Meekeren
Zain Ul Hassan was content to play the support role as Glamorgan reached their first century opening partnership of the campaign just before lunch, when the scoreboard sprung back into life after being stuck for most of the session.
Gloucestershire may have found it an unwelcome reminder of a mostly unthreatening start with the ball.
Kent fight back with ballpublished at 13:34 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Essex 178-4 v 207 - lunch, day two
Don Topley
BBC EssexKent bowled extremely well this morning taking four Essex wickets whilst the home side only added 72 from their overnight score.
Grant Stewart and Arshdeep Singh really troubled Essex as Robin Das (concussion replacement for Nick Browne) and Tom Westley fell for just four.
Alastair Cook looked a different man today despite making a calm and defining 64 overnight and was dropped at second slip before stuttering to 87 and falling lbw.
The third Essex lbw of the morning was Dan Lawrence (who returned from Old Trafford).
The England man looked set before attempting a sweep to the Kent off-spinner, Hamidullah Qadri, for 25.
Paul Walter survived a stumping off the temporary wicket-keeper, Harry Finch, although some thought he should have been given out. Jordan Cox is off the field with a precautionary strain.
'Decisively Somerset's morning'published at 13:31 British Summer Time 20 July 2023
Northants 97-4 v Somerset 351 - lunch, day two
Anthony Gibson
BBC Radio SomersetA wicket to the last ball before lunch - Luke Procter smartly snapped up by Tom Abell at first slip - made this decisively Somerset's morning.
It was Matt Henry's third of the morning, in another impressive display of accurate, probing fast bowling.
For Northants, Ricardo Vasconcelos has played almost a lone hand, taking full toll of anything loose served up by Henry's fellow seamers, one or two of whom seemed to be feeling the after effects of the week-end's excitements.
With the pitch still offering plenty to the quicker bowlers, Somerset are well placed.