The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action during day four of the first round of Vitality County Championship matches in 2024
Derby (day four of four): Derbyshire v Gloucestershire - match abandoned without a ball bowled
The start of the new season at Derby ended in anti-climax and frustration when the Vitality County Championship match between Derbyshire and Gloucestershire was abandoned without a ball bowled.
Weeks of rain leading up to the match followed by more bad weather over the four days left the County Ground outfield saturated and unfit for first-class cricket.
After more rain on Sunday night, umpires Ian Blackwell and Neil Pratt called the match off after an inspection at 9.45am on Monday morning.
It is the first time a County Championship game at Derby has been abandoned without a ball bowled since the match against Nottinghamshire was completely washed out in May 1981.
Both teams take eight points from the abandonment and will now hope for better weather in their next fixtures with Gloucestershire hosting Yorkshire at Bristol and Derbyshire facing Glamorgan at Cardiff on Friday.
Ryan Higgins scored a career-best 221 [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]
Lord's (day four of four): Glamorgan 620-3d & 31-2, Middlesex 655 - match drawn
Middlesex allrounder Ryan Higgins recorded his highest first-class score of 221 as his side's County Championship opener against Glamorgan at Lord's drifted to an inevitable draw.
Higgins' epic effort, which contained 21 fours and two sixes, was his first double hundred and featured a ninth-wicket partnership of 114 with Tom Helm, who also posted a career-best 64.
Middlesex's total of 655 was the second largest in their history, with Glamorgan off-spinner Kiran Carlson taking 3 for 147 while Craig Miles and Colin Ingram claimed two wickets apiece.
But a share of the spoils had always seemed virtually guaranteed on a batting-friendly pitch where only 15 wickets fell in the course of four days and Glamorgan reached 31 for 2 in their second innings before the captains shook hands.
Related - Nick Friend: Ryan Higgins and Sam Northeast profit as April throws up runs – not rain – at Lord's
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Hove (day four of four): Northamptonshire 371 & 170-9, Sussex 478-9d - match drawn
Bad light and determined resistance by Lewis McManus frustrated Sussex's bid to pull off an unlikely victory over Northamptonshire on a gripping final day at Hove.
McManus batted for an hour as four partners came and went and Northants lurched to 170 for 9 before umpires Paul Baldwin and Surendiran Shanmugam decided it was too gloomy even for spin with Northants ahead by 63.
The loss of more than 100 overs eventually proved decisive but Sussex will have drawn a lot of encouragement after making most of the running, especially on the last two days. They took 15 points and Northants 13.
Having established a first-innings lead of 107, they reduced Northants to 57 for 4 at the 1st Central County Ground. Skipper Luke Procter (41) settled the nerves before left-arm spinner James Coles revived Sussex hopes with three of the four wickets that fell in 7.1 overs after tea that left them 152 for 8.
McManus and Ben Sanderson resisted for eight overs until the light improved sufficiently to enable Sussex skipper John Simpson to bring back his quicks Jayden Seales and Ollie Robinson for two overs each. Robinson responded with an unplayable yorker to uproot Sanderson's middle stump – a fitting way to celebrate his 400th first-class wicket. Spinners Jack Carson and James Coles returned before the light didn't improve and the players shook hands shortly after 6pm.
Lewis McManus frustrated Sussex [David Rogers/Getty Images]
Headingley (day four of four): Leicestershire 354 & 26-0, Yorkshire 264-6d - match drawn
England star Harry Brook hit a stunning final day 100 not out in his first competitive innings since December as Yorkshire and Leicestershire had to settle for an opening round County Championship draw at Headingley.
Brook arrived at the crease four balls into day four of this weather-ravaged Division Two fixture, overnight rain and a wet outfield once again delaying the start of play.
Yorkshire started, at 1.35pm, on 72 for 2 in their first-innings reply to Leicestershire's 354. George Hill was caught off a miscue in the day's opening over, paving the way for Brook to come in and royally entertain the hardy 178 spectators who had waited patiently for play.
He smashed 14 fours and two sixes in 69 balls, Yorkshire declaring immediately on 264 for 6 just before tea in order to improve a slow over-rate from the first innings.
They did this successfully as spinners Dan Moriarty and Adam Lyth raced through 7.2 overs before the rain arrived at 4pm with Leicestershire on 26 without loss in their second innings. No more play was possible.
Yorkshire take 12 points and Leicestershire 13.
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