An absorbing day at the Oval, where the sun smiled on Dom Sibley, who stabilised the Surrey motorcade with an unbeaten 74 after Essex had reduced them to 29 for two.
Ollie Pope also worked hard for his 69, a third consecutive score of over 50, largely disciplining himself against tight bowling. But just after tea Tom Westley brought Jamie Porter back into the attack and Pope popped him back an easy catch. He sloped off like a man made of jam. Earlier, Dan Lawrence was the surprise assassin, polishing off the Essex ininings with three for 18 against his old club.
Elsewhere, it was a tale of what might have been. Mason Crane became the third Glamorgan player, and one of eight players in the round, to be removed in the nineties, after being left only with the company of the last man, Ryan Hadley. Crane crawled towards three figures until on 99 he swung at Ajaz Patel and was stumped, slumping over his bat like a fed-up gentil knight. Leicestershire’s openers then enjoyed the generous Cardiff pitch, Jake Weatherald going five better than Crane, retiring hurt on 104.
Gloucestershire’s Will Williams was run out for 98 at Derby despite a hurdy-gurdy dive, scampering for a second. He and Henry Brookes (89) had frustrated Derbyshire with a ninth-wicket stand of 191. Shoaib Bashir wheeled through 31 overs and finished with three for 116.
At New Road, Brett D’Oliveira gave catching practice to second slip as Worcestershire tormented Kent, kicking the turf in frustration as he walked off for 90. Matt Milnes, hero of Kent’s first innings, finished with four but 81 Worcs had a lead of 245 at stumps.
With just two overs of the day to go at Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke paddled Michael Booth (three for 59) to deep square leg to perish for 94, which precipitated a flurry of wickets and left Warwickshire on top. Ben Duckett (62) had earlier been lured to his doom by the part-time spin of Rob Yates. Earlier Josh Tongue’s figures had taken a pounding.
Runs galore at Headingley, where John Simpson went on to 136, before holing out to Joe Root, and Sussex passed 500. Yorkshire’s Finlay Bean reached his own hundred as the shadows lengthened.
Lancashire’s Jimmy Anderson ruined any hopes Ben McKinney might have had of an eye-catching innings, sending his off stump tumbling towards the slip cordon after eight balls. Anderson also removed Alex Lees cheaply, but Durham’s tail, shepherded by Matthew Potts (66), ensured the first-innings deficit was only 75. The new cricket substitute rule continued to raise eyebrows as Lancashire were refused their choice of replacement for the second time, on the basis that Tom Hartley was too experienced to replace Arav Shetty. Lancs had to plump for George Bell instead.
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