The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day two of round three of the Vitality County Championship in 2024
Derby (day two of four): Leicestershire 574-7d, Derbyshire 54-4 - Derbyshire are 520 runs behind with six first-innings wickets remaining
Marcus Harris entered the Leicestershire record books with a double century that gave his team complete control of the County Championship match against Derbyshire at the County Ground.
The Australian opener plundered 214 from 303 balls, the highest score by a Leicestershire player at Derby, as the visitors racked up 574 for 7 declared on the second day of the Division Two game.
Harris shared a fourth-wicket stand of 153 with fellow Australian Peter Handscomb who scored 68 before Ben Cox tucked into a tiring attack with 69 from 76 balls.
Needing 425 to avoid following on, Derbyshire slumped to 12 for 3 and closed on a precarious 54 for 4.
Ricardo Vasconcelos made a timely return to form (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Lord's (day two of four): Yorkshire 159 & 216-7, Middlesex 246 - Yorkshire lead by 129 runs with three second-innings wickets remaining
Ryan Higgins struck twice in successive balls, including the scalp of Harry Brook for a golden duck, while Toby Roland-Jones also captured three wickets as Middlesex maintained the upper hand in their County Championship game against Yorkshire.
Medium-pacer Higgins, who picked up four wickets in the visitors' first innings, dismissed Finlay Bean and Brook either side of tea at Lord’s, while Roland-Jones' three victims included Joe Root as Yorkshire slumped to 83 for second time around.
George Hill led the White Rose fightback in the evening session with a patient unbeaten 52 to lift them to 216 for seven at stumps, an advantage of 129.
Earlier, Jordan Thompson’s five-wicket haul and an impressive spell by Ben Coad, who took 4 for 59, had bowled Yorkshire back into the game, slicing through the middle order as Middlesex posted 246 despite half-centuries for Leus du Plooy and Josh de Caires.
***
Northampton (day two of four): Glamorgan 271, Northamptonshire 314-2 - Northamptonshire lead by 43 runs with eight first-innings wickets remaining
Ricardo Vasconcelos hit a magnificent unbeaten 166, his ninth first-class century and his first in two years, as he indulged his liking for Glamorgan's bowlers on day two of this County Championship match at Wantage Road.
He shared a partnership of 191 in 52 overs with his captain Luke Procter (65) and a stand of 103 with Karun Nair (55), who passed 7,000 career first-class runs in the process as Northamptonshire closed on 314 for 2 in reply to Glamorgan’s 271, a lead of 43 runs.
Playing his first game for the Steelbacks this season since recovering from injury, Vasconcelos put a lacklustre 2023 behind him to register his first century since scoring 156 at Warwickshire in May 2022.
It was also his highest score since the 79 he made against Surrey in September that year, although he did make 106 against Glamorgan in the One Day Cup last season.
Tom Alsop led the Sussex fightback (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Hove (day two of four): Gloucestershire 417, Sussex 267-5 - Sussex are 150 runs behind with five first-innings wickets remaining
Tom Alsop's 84 and an unbeaten 75 from Cheteshwar Pujara formed the backbone of Sussex's solid response to Gloucestershire's 417 on an attritional day at Hove.
Sussex reached stumps at the 1st Central County Ground on 267 for 5 – trailing by 150 – after Gloucestershire enjoyed some late success when left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar took two wickets in two balls four overs before the close.
A slow pitch has neutered the seamers with very little movement on offer and only slow turn for the spinners, while batters on both teams found it difficult to increase the scoring rate even when they got themselves established.
Join The Cricketer's brand new Whatsapp channel for the latest breaking news, comment and features - click here to become a member
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.