Find out what happened across the County Championship on the second day of the fifth round of the 2021 competition
Group 1
Warwickshire v Worcestershire
Edgbaston (second day of four): Warwickshire 343, Worcestershire 198-4 - Worcestershire trail by 145 runs with six first-innings wickets remaining
Warwickshire and Worcestershire look set for the 101th draw in their long County Championship rivalry after dogged resistance from the visitors on the second day at Edgbaston.
In reply to 343, in which Michael Burgess struck 101 from 173 balls with nine fours and a six, Worcestershire closed on 198 for 4, thanks principally to Jake Libby (74, 124 balls, 13 fours) and Jack Haynes (a career-best 52 not out, 131 balls, six fours).
With the match less than halfway through its second innings at its halfway stage and bad weather forecast for tomorrow, some spectacular cricket will be needed to force victory for either side.
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Nottinghamshire v Essex
Trent Bridge (second day of four): Essex 99 & 129-3, Nottinghamshire 323 - Essex trail by 95 runs with seven second-innings wickets remaining
A century from skipper Steven Mullaney made it advantage Nottinghamshire on day two of their County Championship match against Essex as they seek a second win in Group One.
Mullaney made 117, the 16th hundred of his career and his first since September 2019, as Nottinghamshire totalled 323, giving them a lead of 224 after bowling Essex out for 99 on Thursday.
Essex’s Zimbabwe-born Netherlands seamer Shane Snater took a career-best 7 for 98 in only his sixth first-class appearance but 34-year-old Mullaney shared partnerships of 123 with all-rounder Lyndon James (51) and 66 with England fast bowler Stuart Broad (41) to put his side in control.
Essex were still 95 behind at 129 for 3 at the close, with opener Nick Browne unbeaten on 60.
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Group 2
Leicestershire v Surrey
Grace Road (second day of four): Leicestershire 496, Surrey 146-0 - Surrey trail by 350 runs with 10 first-innings wickets remaining
England opener Rory Burns passed 50 for the fourth time in seven innings this season as Surrey made a strong reply to Leicestershire’s big first innings score on the second day of the LV Insurance County Championship fixture at the UptonSteel County Ground.
Burns finished the day unbeaten on 74, having taken full advantage of the flat pitch to hit eight boundaries in reaching his half-century off 81 deliveries, and in so doing passing a personal landmark of 10,000 career first-class runs.
It was also a day to remember for 22-year-old Leicestershire wicketkeeper Harry Swindells, who made his maiden first-class century, and for Surrey off-spinner Amar Virdi, who picked up a six-wicket haul from 44.2 overs bowled.
Swindells, who hit 13 fours in going to his hundred off 148 deliveries, became the third centurion of the Leicestershire first innings, but there were some nervous moments, most notably when the persevering Virdi picked up two wickets in two balls to leave the Foxes nine down with Swindells still on 95.
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Middlesex v Gloucestershire
Lord's (second day of four): Middlesex 210 & 26-3, Gloucestershire 273 - Middlesex trail by 37 runs with seven second-innings wickets remaining
James Bracey gave the England selectors a timely nudge in front of the Sky TV cameras as Gloucestershire tightened their grip on their clash with Middlesex on day two at Lord’s
Bracey, a reserve on England’s tours of Sri Lanka and India this last winter, passed 50 for the fifth time this season in making 75 to stake a claim for a place in next month’s first Test against New Zealand.
The hero of last week’s successful run chase against Leicestershire, Ian Cockbain made 51, sharing a stand of 91 for the fifth wicket with Bracey, while former Middlesex all-rounder Ryan Higgins bludgeoned 49 as the visitors totalled 273 for a lead of 63.
James Harris claimed his 500th first-class wicket among figures of 2 for 49, while Martin Andersson returned three for 64, but Middlesex’s fragile batting saw them collapse to 26 for three by the close, still 37 behind.
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Hampshire v Somerset
The Ageas Bowl (second day of four): Hampshire 79 & 92-3, Somerset 336 - Hampshire trail by 165 runs with seven second-innings wickets remaining
A Craig Overton-inspired put Somerset in full control against Hampshire as the visitors dominated the second day at the Ageas Bowl.
Overton - the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship - demonstrated his batting credentials by top-scoring with 74, then starred with the ball as his side opened up a 165-run lead as Hampshire closed on 92 for 3.
The England paceman hit 10 fours on his way to his 13th first-class 50 before he removed opener Ian Holland, Tom Alsop and nightwatchman Kyle Abbott during a hostile spell of bowling late in the final session.
Alsop and Weatherley had dug in admirably in a 56-run stand before the left-hander fell for 32 five overs from the close when he lobbed an easy catch to Josh Davey.
Overton struck again in the penultimate over of the evening when he trapped Abbot lbw for a duck for his 30th wicket of the campaign.
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Rory Burns went past 10,000 first-class runs on a better day for Surrey at Grace Road
Group 3
Lancashire v Glamorgan
Old Trafford (second day of four): Glamorgan 344, Lancashire 22-0 - Lancashire trail by 322 runs with 10 first-innings wickets remaining
Dan Douthwaite and Callum Taylor each made half-centuries to help Glamorgan repel James Anderson and Lancashire on day two of their County Championship match.
Having dismissed Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne on a rain-shortened opening day, England’s record Test wicket-taker Anderson claimed two more at Old Trafford as Lancashire pushed for the ascendancy.
But Glamorgan battled hard in the afternoon session to reach a solid total of 344 all out before Lancashire closed on 22 without loss.
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Northamptonshire v Sussex
Northampton (second day of four): Sussex 106 & 154-4, Northamptonshire 441-9d - Sussex trail by 181 runs with six second-innings wickets remaining
Saif Zaib posted a wonderful maiden first-class century before Ben Sanderson and Gareth Berg once again knocked over the Sussex top order in the County Championship.
Talented left-hander Zaib, who has been at Northamptonshire since he was 15, collected a commanding 135 as he and Adam Rossington, 87, put on 198 together to help the hosts to a massive 335-run first-innings lead.
Sanderson and Berg, who shared all 10 of the first innings wickets, then claimed two scalps apiece to leave Sussex 68 for 4.
But Stiaan van Zyl’s stylish 71 not out helped Sussex recover to 154 for 4 at the close at Wantage Road, still 181 runs behind Northants.
It was a far from ideal day for Joe Root
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Yorkshire v Kent
Headingley (second day of four): Kent 305, Yorkshire 240-5 - Yorkshire trail by 65 runs with five first-innings wickets remaining
Joe Root was caught behind down the leg-side for 41 as Gary Ballance’s polished 91 not out led a commanding Yorkshire response to Kent’s 305 on day two at Emerald Headingley.
Well set Root fell to on-loan Essex seamer Matt Quinn nine balls after tea.
He shared a serene third-wicket partnership of 83 inside 21 overs with former England colleague Ballance, who underpinned Yorkshire’s 240 for 5 from 77 overs at close.
In what is expected to be his penultimate County Championship fixture before England’s June series with New Zealand, Test captain Root fell to an Aucklander.
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