Find out what happened across the LV= Insurance County Championship on the second day of the eighth round of the 2021 competition
Group 1
Worcestershire v Derbyshire
Worcester (second day of four): Worcestershire 421, Derbyshire 91-3 - Derbyshire trail by 330 runs with seven first innings wickets remaining
Ed Barnard demonstrated more excellent form with the bat before the Worcestershire bowlers made inroads on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Derbyshire at New Road.
The allrounder is keen to bat higher than No.8 and further strengthened his claims with a fine knock of 90 to take his run tally for the county this summer past the 400 mark.
It is a figure only surpassed for Worcestershire by Jake Libby, with Barnard having now put together a maiden century and three fifty plus innings in scoring 414 runs at an average of 51.75.
His efforts helped Worcestershire total 421 all out and then Dillon Pennington, Joe Leach and Barnard picked up a wicket apiece as Derbyshire ended on 91 for 3.
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Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire
Edgbaston (second day of four): Warwickshire 341, Nottinghamshire 173-3 - Nottinghamshire trail by 168 runs with seven first innings wickets remaining
A fascinating LV=Insurance County Championship game is evolving at Edgbaston where Group A leaders Nottinghamshire closed the second day on 173 for 3 in reply to the home side's 341.
Despite the loss of most of the second session to bad light and drizzle, all results remain possible in a compelling contest between two sides in the thick of the quest for the top two spots.
Nottinghamshire seamer Dane Patterson finished with 5 for 90 but shared his side's frustration at a merry stand of 52 between Bears last-wicket pair Liam Norwell (30 not out, 37 balls, three sixes) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (26, 42 balls, five fours). They built on the diligence of Matt Lamb (67, 147 balls, seven fours) to assure Warwickshire a third batting point.
Norwell then troubled Nottinghamshire with the ball, taking all the three wickets to fall, including Ben Slater for an authoritative 77 (160 balls, 11 fours, one six).
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Durham v Essex
Chester-le-Street (second day of four): Essex 182 & 263-8, Durham 99 - Essex lead by 346 runs with two second innings wickets remaining
A century stand between Adam Wheater and Ryan ten Doeschate manoeuvred Essex into a match-winning position in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Durham at Emirates Riverside.
The visitors skittled the home side for 99, handing them an 83-run lead to take into their second innings.
Durham did make early inroads, reducing Tom Westley's men to 53 for five. However, Wheater and Ten Doeschate combined to take the game away from the hosts with a partnership of 125, building a substantial advantage worth 346 runs in their bid to claim their third win of the campaign.
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Group 2
Surrey v Gloucestershire
The Oval (second day of four): Surrey 473, Gloucestershire 45-1 - Gloucestershire trail by 428 runs with nine first innings wickets remaining
Gloucestershire, unbeaten leaders of the LV= Insurance County Championship’s Group 2, face a long weekend struggle to avoid defeat at the Kia Oval after reaching 45 for 1 in reply to Surrey’s 473.
On a used pitch expected to turn on days three and four, off spinner Amar Virdi removed Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent for 14, pulling to mid wicket, soon after opening partner Kraigg Brathwaite survived a straightforward caught and bowled chance to slow left armer Dan Moriarty on 24.
Brathwaite remained, on 27, when rain ended play 15 overs early but Surrey will surely be confident they can force a victory that would haul them into contention for Division One qualification, with games against Hampshire and Somerset still to come.
Earlier Hashim Amla’s 173 from 347 balls, with 16 fours, and a powerful 65 from Rikki Clarke, with two sixes and eight fours, had kept Gloucestershire in the field for five sessions.
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Leicestershire v Middlesex
Leicester (second day of four): Middlesex 295 & 57-1, Leicestershire 136 - Middlesex lead by 216 runs with nine second innings wickets remaining
Seamer Martin Andersson returned his best first-class figures for Middlesex as his side took a firm upper hand on day two of the basement battle in Group Two of the LV=Insurance County Championship.
The 24-year-old right-armer, part of a Middlesex bowling attack with an average of 23, took 4 for 27 as Leicestershire were bowled out for 136 in reply to 295 by the visitors, for whom wicketkeeper John Simpson finished on 95 not out.
Ethan Bamber, the 22-year-old quick, claimed 3 for 36 with Callum Parkinson and Lewis Hill top scoring for Leicestershire with 41 and 39 respectively.
After captain Peter Handscomb declined to enforce the follow-on, Middlesex stretched their lead to 216 for the solitary loss of opener Sam Robson, leg before to Chris Wright.
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Keaton Jennings made his first first-class hundred since 2018
Group 3
Sussex v Northamptonshire
Hove (second day of four): Sussex 175 & 142-4, Northamptonshire 256 - Sussex lead by 61 runs with six second innings wickets remaining
Veteran Gareth Berg made crucials contribution with bat and ball to leave Northamptonshire well placed to record their second LV= County Championship win of the season against Sussex.
After conceding a first-innings deficit of 81, Sussex all but cleared their arrears for the loss of one wicket before Northants wrested back the initiative after tea on the second day at Hove.
Left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan picked up Stiaan van Zyl (17) and Travis Head (0) in successive overs as the runs dried up and when Tom Clark (13) followed Berg’s away-swinger and was held at third slip, Sussex were effectively 17 for 4.
But opener Tom Haines dug in with an unbeaten 64 and Ben Brown (34 not out) counter-attacked in the last hour as they added 44 for the fifth wicket. Sussex closed on 142 for 4, a lead of 61.
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Lancashire v Yorkshire
Old Trafford (second day of four): Yorkshire 159, Lancashire 350-6 - Lancashire lead by 191 runs with four first innings wickets remaining
Keaton Jennings scored his first first-class century since November 2018 as Lancashire strengthened their grip on the Roses clash at Emirates Old Trafford during a dominant second day.
The opener’s fourth LV= Insurance County Championship hundred for Lancashire was his first against the red ball since England’s Test series victory in Sri Lanka two winters ago.
The Red Rose started day two on 95 for 1 from 31 overs replying to Yorkshire’s first-innings 159, and they went on to reach 350 for 6 from 127 overs, a lead of 191.
Jennings posted 114 off 260 balls and shared 175 inside 67 overs for the second wicket - from late evening on day one to mid-afternoon on day two - with fellow left-hander Luke Wells, who made a 201-ball 60.
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