CHAMPIONSHIP DIGEST: Round five, day three reports from around the counties

The Cricketer sums up the action from across the County Championship on the third day of the current round of matches

^{Hashim Amla scored important runs for Hampshire against Somerset}

Division One

Somerset vs Hampshire

Hashim Amla and James Vince gave Hampshire a fighting chance of saving their Specsavers County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.

Things looked bleak for the visitors when the home side extended their first innings total from an overnight 324 for seven to 506 all out, James Hildreth making 184 and Dom Bess 92. Gareth Berg claimed five for 130.

That gave Somerset a lead of 275 and they pressed home the advantage by reducing Hampshire to 39 for two in their second innings before Amla and Vince launched a stubborn third-wicket stand.

By the close they had added 139, Amla unbeaten on 86 and Vince 63 not out. With the pitch showing little sign of turning for Somerset’s two spinners, the hosts faced the prospects of a tough final day to force their third win of the season.

Surrey vs Yorkshire

Joe Root was out twice in a day at the Kia Oval, dismissed both times by 19-year-olds as Sam Curran and Amar Virdi underlined their huge potential to sweep Surrey towards victory against Yorkshire.

Curran took 6-54 in Yorkshire’s first innings, when even a scintillating 95 by Jonny Bairstow off 94 balls could not prevent them from being bundled out for 229 in reply to Surrey’s 414.

When Yorkshire followed on, Root’s bid to repair the second innings from 10 for two was cut short when off spinner Virdi drew him forward with a beautiful delivery that drifted away and then turned back through the England Test captain’s gate to bowl him for 23.

Yorkshire finished day three on 142 for five following on, still 43 behind.

Division Two

Derbyshire vs Durham

Stuart Poynter and Michael Richardson demolished Derbyshire’s attack on a record-breaking day for Durham in the Division Two County Championship match at Derby.

Poynter made his maiden championship century and Richardson scored his first in nearly four years as the pair shared Durham’s highest ever sixth wicket stand of 278.

Poynter was eventually out for a career-best 170 but he and Richardson had completely transformed the game as Durham ended on 520, a lead of 93, and at the close Derbyshire were one without loss from two overs.

- this article is updated as reports are submitted

- compiled in association with the ECB Reporters Network