As England ended 34 years of pain after securing a maiden World Cup title at Lord's, The Cricketer looks at the action in Division One and Division Two in the four-day game
The Ageas Bowl (second day of four): Hampshire 409-9 dec v Kent 319-3
Joe Denly brilliantly scored a century for Kent against Hampshire on an intriguing day of County Championship action.
Batsman Denly showed all his class by reaching his second Specsavers County Championship hundred of the season, and eased to 138 at stumps, with captain Heino Kuhn partnering him with 28 – as Kent closed on 319 for three, trailing by 90 runs.
The 33-year-old had also put on 206 with Daniel Bell-Drummond, who scored a magnificent 94 of his own, as Kent approached first-innings parity.
Trent Bridge (second day of four): Surrey 240 & 184-7 v Nottinghamshire 116
Career-best figures of eight for 61 from Amar Virdi has put Surrey into a near-impregnable position against Nottinghamshire at the halfway stage of their Specsavers County Championship match at Trent Bridge.
Virdi, playing his first championship match of the summer, opened the floodgates as Notts slid dramatically from 35 for one to 116 all out, a first innings deficit of 124.
Batting for a second time, Surrey reached the close on 184 for seven, with Jamie Smith having made 57.
Denly hit another brilliant century
Chelmsford (second day of four): Essex 245 & 73-1 v Warwickshire 161
Peter Siddle took his second five-wicket haul this season to help Essex put Somerset under serious pressure at the top of the Specsavers County Championship.
The pace man recorded figures of five for 33 against Warwickshie as Essex looked to reduce the 15-point deficit to the Championship leaders and take advantage of Somerset's travails at the hands of Yorkshire at Headingley.
Siddle took his season's tally to 32 wickets in the Championship at a cost of 19.87 each, and in removing four of the last five batsmen, helped Essex dismiss Warwickshire for 161 and gain a first-innings lead of 84.
Essex then reached 73 for one at the close with Nick Browne the man out.
Headingley (second day of four): Yorkshire 520 v Somerset 76-4
Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Harry Brook posted their first Specsavers County Championship centuries of the season during a dominant second day for Yorkshire against Somerset at Emerald Headingley, with the hosts well placed for victory.
The pair hit 102 and 101 respectively, adding to Gary Ballance’s 111 on day one, as the White Rose advanced from 282 for three overnight to reach 520 at tea.
Somerset’s reply started with 31 overs of the day remaining, and they closed on 76 for four.
Yorkshire posted 500 in a Championship innings at Headingley for the first time since 2016, the same season they last had three centurions in an innings - Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett against Hampshire.
South African Test spinner Keshav Maharaj also added a more aggressive 72 off 81 balls.
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Chester-le-Street (second day of four): Durham 212 & 26-0 v Worcestershire 151
Durham are in a strong position after day two of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Worcestershire, holding an 87-run lead over the visitors at Emirates Riverside.
The home side added 90 runs to their overnight total courtesy of an unbeaten innings of 78 from Ben Raine, with Ed Barnard leading the way for Worcestershire with impressive figures of 4-42. Durham were relentless in their bowling effort, refusing to allow the visitors to get a foothold in their innings.
Chris Rushworth led the way claiming 4-28, dismissing Worcestershire for 151. Durham's openers were unbeaten at the close, handing their side a solid platform to build on their innings on day three.
Sophia Gardens (second day of four): Middlesex 384 & 189-5, Glamorgan 171
Middlesex are currently well placed to defeat Glamorgan over the next two days after another good outing in the County Championship.
They closed on 189 for 5, a lead of 402, and are likely to bat until shortly before lunch in the third day and leave Glamorgan a mammoth target in the remaining day and a half.
Toby Roland-Jones has played a large part in his team’s resurgence, taking ten wickets in the match last week, and four in the first innings here and on a lively Sophia Gardens pitch, will be looking to add to his tally in Glamorgan’s second innings.
Toby Roland Jones was in thw wickets
Old Trafford (second day of four): Lancashire 494-6 dec v Sussex 127 & 15-0
A superb century from Temba Bavuma put Northamptonshire in a strong position on the first day of the match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.
The South African Test batsman scored 134, his second hundred in consecutive games, as the visitors recovered from 126 for 4 to reach 342.
Matt Critchley took 4 for 107 but Northants scored 189 in 35 overs in the afternoon and then removed Luis Reece as Derbyshire closed on 34 for 1.
It was a day of contrasts with Derbyshire’s bowlers turning the screw in the morning before the batsmen dominated between lunch and tea.
Courtesy of the ECB reporters network
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