Nottinghamshire’s Olly Stone, whose fragile body has broken with heartbreaking regularity, blew away Leicestershire in their East Midlands derby. His bowling, fierce and with chopstick-sharp accuracy, torpedoed stumps and tortured batters. Figures of five-for-41 were his best for Notts, a first five-wicket haul since 2019. Earlier, Ben Green had finished with seven for 112 as Notts’ innings ended on 490.
At Taunton, Somerset’s innings subsided much as Yorkshire’s had. Jack White collected four for 41 as Somerset lost their last seven wickets for just 73. The in-form Tom Abell reached 50 and Will Smeed, easing his way into red-ball cricket, was left unbeaten on a careful 36. Thomas Rew, brother of James, was out for a duck on Championship debut, before rain wiped out much of the day after lunch.
With an England opener slot potentially up for grabs, Durham’s Emilio Gay didn’t fluff his lines, 75 not out at quite the lick at Lord’s. Ben McKinney, also mentioned in dispatches, delivered a more sedate 46. Earlier, Ryan Higgins collected his first century for nearly two years, and Zafar Gohar added 56 as Middlesex passed 400. Ben Raine was the pick of the Durham bowlers with five for 58.
But if Brendon McCullum decides to change tack, he need glance only over to the Oval, where the stolid and steady Dom Sibley finished unbeaten on 116 for Surrey, his second hundred in successive games. Rory Burns and Ryan Patel collected more rapid half-centuries, and Sussex’s Henry Crocombe, who hit Burns on the hand before dismissing him, zipped through an impressive spell.
Luis Reece played an innings to remember at Canterbury, thrashing five sixes to get Derbyshire closer to Kent’s first innings score of 352 than looked likely. He and Shoaib Bashir (12) added 56 for the last wicket as the visitors reached 304, much to Kent’s frustration. Rain stopped play, but not before Rory Haydon had spoilt Zak Crawley’s afternoon, trapping him lbw for 15.
Ricardo Vasconcelos’ second century of the season was an entertaining one, hauling Northamptonshire in front of Worcestershire at Wantage Road. Saif Zaib, whose outstanding form last year won him several awards, danced to a quick 75.
At Southampton, there was a first Championship double century for Kiran Carlson, and a career-best 143 for Zain ul Hassan, before Glamorgan declared and the rain rolled in to stall Hampshire’s reply.
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