Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and Sussex in charge after dominant day twos

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE ROUNDUP: Chris Rushworth and Chris Woakes impressed on their respective returns while Ben Slater and Joe Clarke scored their second half-centuries of the match

Worcester (day two of four): Warwickshire 227 & 53-1, Worcestershire 181 - Warwickshire lead by 99 runs with nine wickets remaining

Chris Rushworth and Chris Woakes bowled Warwickshire into the ascendancy over Worcestershire on the second day of the County Championship Division One derby at Visit Worcestershire New Road

Rushworth (4 for 37) and Woakes (3 for 34) exploited perfect seam-bowling conditions to bowl the home side out for 181. That gave Warwickshire a first innings lead of 46 - small but potentially decisive in a low-scoring game.

The visitors closed the second day on 53 for 1 - 99 ahead overall. It was an encouraging day for Warwickshire and also for England as Woakes safely came through his first first-team bowl after an ankle injury.

Related: The story of left-handers as Essex scrap back into contest

^{Chris Rushworth took four wickets on his Warwickshire comeback (ECB Reporters Network)}

Headingley (day two of four): Nottinghamshire 228 & 227-3, Yorkshire 159 - Nottinghamshire lead Yorkshire by 296 runs with 7 wickets remaining

A superb six-wicket return from Mohammad Abbas and second half-centuries in the match for Ben Slater and Joe Clarke helped Division One leaders Nottinghamshire seize control of this County Championship clash with Yorkshire on day two at Headingley.

Pakistan Test seamer Abbas was the chief protagonist with 6 for 45 from 17.3 overs - four of his wickets coming either side of lunch to secure a 49th career first-class haul of five wickets or more - as Yorkshire were bowled out for 159 in reply to a first-innings 228. 

Former England batter Dawid Malan impressed with a counter-attacking 64 off 45 balls as second-bottom Yorkshire, who started the day on 10 for 2, lost regular wickets. But it wasn't enough.

From early afternoon onwards, Nottinghamshire's pursuit of a fourth win gathered even more steam, with opener Slater top-scoring with 78 off 125 balls in 227 for 3 from 61 overs, a lead of 296. Clarke provided important support with a fluent unbeaten 72 not out off 92. 

Related: "Initially, horrendous": How Henry Crocombe and John Turner belatedly found their rhythm

^{John Simpson and Fynn Hudson-Prentice shared a mammoth partnership for Sussex (Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket)}

Utilita Bowl (day two of four): Hampshire 154 & 114-6, Sussex 297 - Hampshire trail by 29 runs with 4 wickets remaining

John Simpson's 18th first-class century put Hampshire on the ropes before a batting collapse put Sussex on the brink of a County Championship victory at Utilita Bowl.

Skipper Simpson was superb to record back-to-back centuries, and third of the campaign, as he scored 106, which included a 173-run stand with Fynn Hudson-Prentice (78).

Sussex claimed a 143-run first-innings lead before six evening wickets tore through Hampshire – as they closed on 114 for 6, still behind by 29.

Related Topics

• Key absences hurting Essex as longtime contenders forced to look downwards
• "Initially, horrendous": How Henry Crocombe and John Turner belatedly found their rhythm
• Henry Crocombe returns from injury to produce match-altering spell