COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO ROUNDUP: The league leaders enjoyed another stellar opening day to bowl Middlesex out cheaply, while Northamptonshire collapsed to open the door for Glamorgan
Cardiff (day one of four): Northamptonshire 185, Glamorgan 82-3 - Glamorgan trail by 103 runs with seven wickets remaining
Bowlers dominated the opening proceedings between Glamorgan and Northamptonshire as 13 wickets fell in a slow-scoring day one at Sophia Gardens.
Northants fell from 99 for 1 at lunch to 185 all out, including a period of 35 runs for six wickets being shared around by the Glamorgan seamers, Luke Procter the only batter flying the flag for the visitors as has been the story all season with 61.
Overseas seamer Asitha Fernando continued his form, as did Andy Gorvin, taking three wickets apiece. In reply, it was a similar story with a steady, watchful start to take the hosts to 82 for 3.
Marnus Labuschagne made a disappointing return to his two-match stay at the Welsh County in preparation for the World Test Championship final. The Australian fell for a duck from his fellow countryman Harry Conway, while Glamorgan's top run scorer for 2025, Colin Ingram, is rested.
Related: Derbyshire's big tease keeps everyone waiting
Glamorgan's Andy Gorvin continued his fine start to the season with three wickets on a helpful day one pitch (Huw Evans Picture Agency)
Bristol (day one of four): Kent 386-6 v Gloucstershire
Grant Stewart posted a brilliant swashbuckling hundred to inspire a notable Kent fightback on the opening day of the County Championship match against Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.
Their backs firmly against the wall after being reduced to 137 for 6, the visitors were indebted to the seventh wicket pair of Stewart and Chris Benjamin, who staged a revitalising unbeaten stand of 249 in 56 overs to rescue a parlous situation.
Stewart registered a career-best score of 173 not out from 174 balls with 19 fours and 5 sixes, while Benjamin contributed a cautious yet chanceless 82 not out, hewn from 212 deliveries with 5 fours, as Kent reached the close on 386 for 6.
Lord's (day one of four): Middlesex 232, Leicestershire 22-1 - Leicestershire trail by 210 runs with nine wickets remaining
Ian Holland underlined his status as Division Two's leading wicket-taker with figures of 5 for 35 to give Leicestershire the upper hand on the opening day of their County Championship clash with Middlesex.
The 34-year-old medium-pacer took his wicket tally to 26 for the season, returning 3 for 9 during a relentlessly accurate opening eight-over salvo to reduce the home side to 19 for three at Lord's.
Middlesex gradually rallied, with Jack Davies top-scoring on 49, before Holland completed only the second five-wicket haul of his first-class career to dismiss them for 232.
Although Leicestershire reduced the arrears by 22 before the close, they lost Rishi Patel to the final ball of the day, leg before to Ryan Higgins.
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.