CHAMPIONSHIP DIGEST: Catch-up with Saturday's action from around the country

Ahead of the World Cup final, The Cricketer looks at the action in Division One and Division Two in the four-day game

DIVISION ONE

The Ageas Bowl (first day of four): Hampshire 340-6 v Kent

Scorecard

Felix Organ celebrated his maiden first-class century as Hampshire ended day one of their Specsavers County Championship fixture with Kent slightly on top.

Academy graduate Organ, on just his third Championship appearance, showed a delightful mixture of defensive resolve with a pinch of flair to score exactly 100.

The 20-year-old Sydney-born Organ, part of Hampshire’s fresh opening partnership, enjoyed sizeable partnerships with fellow opener Ian Holland and middle-order Rilee Rossouw – who both collected half centuries of their own.

But despite Hampshire bossing the day, evening wickets with the second new ball gave Kent rewards for their toils – as the hosts ended the day on 340 for 6.

Trent Bridge (first day of four): Surrey 240, Nottinghamshire 20-1

Scorecard

Trent Bridge seems to have undergone a makeover, of late. Once regarded as a seam-bowler’s paradise, the signing of Indian spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin has changed all that.

On the same strip that hosted two matches in the ICC World Cup recently, Nottinghamshire’s trio of slow bowlers – led by the mercurial Ashwin - dismantled the Surrey batting line-up on the first day of their Specsavers County Championship meeting.

The 32-year old international, with 11 wickets from his first two outings for his new county, claimed figures of 6-69 as the defending county champions were bowled out for 240. 

Liam Patterson-White, who claimed five wickets of his own during an eventful debut at Taunton earlier in the week, bagged three more and Samit Patel made his own mark by dismissing Scott Borthwick before tea.

Notts, bottom of the table and without a win in any of their last 16 championship matches, reached the close on 20 for the loss of Ben Slater.

^{Felix Organ hit his first century at The Ageas Bowl}

Chelmsford (first day of four): Essex 245 v Warwickshire

Scorecard

Will Rhodes sliced through the Essex batting with four wickets in 26 balls either side of tea to claim career-best bowling figures of 5-17.

Sir Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence had put on 116 for the third wicket before Rhodes came on for his first prolonged spell and had both batsmen back in the pavilion in quick succession to precipitate a major collapse from 157 for 2 to 171 for 6.

Essex revived belatedly but were dismissed for 245 just before the close.

Headingley (first day of four): Yorkshire 282-3 v Somerset

Scorecard

Yorkshire’s batsmen, led by centurion Gary Ballance and third-wicket partner Tom Kohler-Cadmore, secured the early advantage during a hard-fought opening day against league leaders Somerset at Emerald Headingley.

A day played out on a good pitch started with Somerset captain Tom Abell opting for an uncontested toss and to bowl first, a decision which looked a questionable one at the close.

Yorkshire ended the day on 282 for three from 96 overs, with Ballance and Kohler-Cadmore batting from late morning until late evening as they shared 199 inside 62 overs.

Somerset, searching for their eighth win in 10 games this season, did not bowl badly at all and went without luck against a Yorkshire side third in the table but realistically with too much to do to be in title contention.

But the hosts batted with great caution, especially Ballance and Kohler-Cadmore, who finished with 111 off 212 balls and 77 not out off 180.

VISIT THE COUNTY HUB: Your one-stop shop for English domestic cricket

DIVISION TWO

Chester-le-Street (first day of four): Durham 122-6 v Worcestershire

Scorecard

Worcestershire are narrowly on top after a rain-affected day one of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Durham, although late resistance guided the home side to a total of 122 for 6 at the close at Emirates Riverside. 

Joe Leach and Charlie Morris were on point with the ball in the morning session, taking two wickets apiece reducing Durham to 47 for 6.

The afternoon and evening sessions were blighted by poor weather, but the breaks in play gave Ned Eckersley and Ben Raine time to settle. The two players put on a partnership worth 75 to stem the tide and hand the hosts a decent platform for day two.

Sophia Gardens (first day of four): Middlesex 384, Glamorgan 25-4

Scorecard

Dawid Malan, the Middlesex captain, again led from the front as Middlesex recovered from 131 for6 to reach 384 in their first innings.

Malan scored 166 of those runs – his fourth championship hundred this summer, his third score over 150 and taking his season’s tally to 933 runs.

He was well supported by the tail, with Toby Roland Jones scoring a half-century and Nathan Sowter a career-best 57 not out batting at No 10.

In reply, Glamorgan were in disarray on 25 for 4 at the close on a day where the seamers obtained plenty of movement from a well-grassed Sophia Gardens pitch, but apart from Michael Hogan and Lukas Carey the other Glamorgan bowlers were wayward and failed to advantage of the conditions. 

^{Glenn Maxwell took four wickets following Australia's World Cup exit}

Old Trafford (first day of four): Sussex 127, Lancashire 149-1

Scorecard

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

For more outstanding county coverage, try The Cricketer for three issues free this summer. Click here to sign up today