County Championship Division Two roundup: Emilio Gay makes 261, Yorkshire on top against Gloucestershire

The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day two of round two of the Vitality County Championship in 2024

Cardiff (day two of four): Glamorgan 237 & 74-4, Derbyshire 198 - Glamorgan lead by 113 runs with six second-innings wickets in hand

Spin continued to dominate proceedings on the second day of the Vitality County Championship match between Glamorgan and Derbyshire in Cardiff.

Mason Crane took four wickets on his Glamorgan debut as Derbyshire were bowled out for 198, 39 runs behind on first innings. Wayne Madsen top scored for Derbyshire with 63 but his departure brought about a collapse of five wickets for 33 runs.

Alex Thomson was once again the star man with the ball for Derbyshire as he secured his first 10 wicket haul in first-class cricket as Glamorgan reached 74 for 4 at the close, a lead of 113 with six second innings wickets in hand.

With the pitch offering significant assistance to both seam and spin bowlers the destination of this game will depend on how well Glamorgan bat in the first session of day three.

Ben Coad picked up three wickets for Yorkshire [Nathan Stirk/Getty Images]

Bristol (day two of four): Yorkshire 326 & 57-0, Gloucestershire 263 - Yorkshire lead by 120 runs with 10 second-innings wickets in hand

Cameron Bancroft announced his return to Gloucestershire by scoring a much-needed half century on day two of the County Championship Division Two match against Yorkshire at the Seat Unique Stadium.

Returning to the club he last served in 2017, the 31-year-old Australian batter made a good first impression, top-scoring with a patient 70 and sharing in a stand of 98 with Miles Hammond for the fourth wicket as Gloucestershire recovered from 28 for 3 to post 263 in their first innings.

Ben Charlesworth weighed in with an unbeaten 52 to keep the home side afloat, but frontline bowlers Ben Coad and Matt Fisher found reward for their persistence by returning figures of 3 for 44 and 3 for 65, respectively, as Yorkshire forged a useful first-innings advantage of 63.

Openers Adam Lyth (39 not out) and Finlay Bean (15 not out) then further improved their position, safely negotiating 11 overs beneath lowering skies to reach 57 without loss, a lead of 120, on a day when five overs were lost to bad light.

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Leicester (day two of four): Leicestershire 338, Sussex 282-6 - Sussex trail by 56 runs with four first-innings wickets in hand

Sussex opener Tom Haines posted his second century of the season after allrounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice had taken a career-best 5 for 50 as their County Championship match against Leicestershire remained nicely balanced at the halfway stage.

The visiting side closed on 282 for 6 in reply to Leicestershire's 338 all out, trailing by 56.

Haines, who toured with England Lions the winter before last but had a relatively lean season in 2023, followed his 133 against Northamptonshire in the opening round with 108 here, hitting 14 fours and a six. As Sussex dominated the first half of the day, Haines shared a second-wicket partnership of 168 with his fellow left-hander Tom Alsop, who made 49. 

But Leicestershire's bowlers performed better as the afternoon progressed and earned a significant late breakthrough when Tom Scriven produced the ball of the day to bowl Cheteshwar Pujara for 38 before Matt Salisbury (3 for 43) dismissed Hudson-Prentice with the last ball of the day.

^{Fynn Hudson-Prentice picked up a five-for against Leicestershire [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

Northampton (day two of four): Northamptonshire 552-6d, Middlesex 128-1 - Middlesex trail by 424 runs with nine first-innings wickets in hand

Emilio Gay and James Sales both set new landmarks as Northamptonshire continued to dominate on day two of their County Championship clash with Middlesex at Wantage Road.

Day one centurion Gay forged on to post 260 - the highest ever individual Championship score for the county against Middlesex, while Sales brought back into the side for this game, made his maiden first-class hundred with his father David and mum Abigail in attendance to mark the moment. The pair set a new fifth-wicket record against the Seaxes of 181 before the hosts declared on 552 for 6.

For Middlesex, who conceded 620 in the first innings against Glamorgan last week, it was another case of much leather chasing, Toby Roland-Jones their only bowler to take more than one wicket (2 for 81).

There was still time in the evening session for two young debutants to make an impression, Raphael Weatherall capturing his maiden first-class wicket, while Middlesex teenager Nathan Fernandes (65 not out) reached an impressive half-century before stumps were drawn with the visitors 128 for 1, still 424 in arrears.

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