The Cricketer rounds-up all the events from the second day of this latest round of red-ball fixtures
Taunton: (second day of four): Somerset 199 & 269-5, Yorkshire 103
Somerset boosted hopes of a first ever title with a dominant display on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
The hosts bowled out their opponents for 103, from an overnight 70 for 3, to lead by 96 on first innings. The last six wickets fell for just 17 runs, with Ben Coad unable to bat because of illness, as Roelof van der Merwe finished with 3-14 and Josh Davey 3-30.
Then, after slipping to four for two in their second innings, Somerset recovered in style, thanks largely to James Hildreth (58) and Tom Abell (62), to reach 269 for 5 and extend their advantage to 365 on a turning pitch.
Trent Bridge: (second day of four): Nottinghamshire 124, Kent 304 & 236-8
Darren Stevens continued to roll back the years with another remarkable performance on the second day of Kent’s Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Notified last week that he won’t be offered a contract extension by Kent, the 43-year old followed up his first-day score of 88 with a sublime spell of swing-bowling to accelerate Nottinghamshire’s relegation towards Division Two.
Stevens claimed figures of 5-39 as the home side were bundled out for just 124 in their first innings, a deficit of 180.
Essex struggled against Warwickshire
Ageas Bowl: (second day of four): Hampshire 149, 296-6 v Surrey 162
James Vince completely changed the complexion of Hampshire’s Specsavers County Championship clash with Surrey with an outrageous 59-ball 91.
A green-tinged Ageas Bowl wicket had seen 23 wickets fall in a day and a half before Vince arrived at the crease to flail the ball to all points of the Ageas Bowl.
Vince, whose efforts may have caught the England selectors’ eyes ahead of tours to New Zealand and South Africa this winter, smacked 18 boundaries in his exceptional knock.
The Hampshire captain had moved down to No.5 in the batting order for this match, with a decision to protect him from the new ball.
He was guided through his swashbuckling innings by Sam Northeast, who scored 73, while Felix Organ had earlier recorded his third half-century of the season.
Edgbaston: (second day of four): Warwickshire 517, Essex 31-1
Essex's title challenge encountered a major obstacle in the form of a marathon maiden century from Warwickshire batsman Matt Lamb on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston.
The 23-year-old Edgbaston academy product, playing his 15th first-class match, batted exactly seven hours for 173 (371 balls, 25 fours) to lift Warwickshire to 517 all out.
His implacable concentration meant the innings hoovered up almost all the first two days of the match and steered the home side a long way towards securing the draw which would take them to the brink of safety from relegation.
Essex, meanwhile, who reached 31 for 1 in reply by the close, will need to produce something remarkable over the remaining two days to achieve the win they need to keep pace with Somerset, who are strongly-placed against Yorkshire at Taunton, at the top.
Blackfinch New Road: (second day of four): Worcestershire 205 & 153-2, Glamorgan 193
Paceman Charlie Morris and openers Hamish Rutherford and Daryl Mitchell have left Worcestershire daring to dream of a first Specsavers County Championship win for four months after a day of dominance against Glamorgan at Blackfinch New Road.
Paceman Morris earned Worcestershire a narrow first-innings lead with his third five-wicket haul of the season.
Morris finished with figures of 5-73 from 17.5 overs as the visitors were dismissed for 193 in 65.5 overs to give Worcestershire a 12-run advantage.
Rutherford then raced to a 51 ball half-century and, with Mitchell digging in for an unbeaten 52, Worcestershire closed day two on 153-2.
VISIT THE COUNTY HUB: Your one-stop shop for English domestic cricket
Bristol: (second day of four): Gloucestershire 200, Sussex 313-7
David Payne claimed 3-58 to keep promotion-chasing Gloucestershire in contention on day two of the Specsavers County Championship match against Sussex at Bristol.
Philip Salt top-scored with 64 and Luke Wells made 42 as Sussex, at one stage handily-placed on 151 for 1, threatened to establish a decisive first-innings advantage.
But Payne inspired a recovery of sorts, cutting a swathe through the top order to restrict the visitors to 313 for 7 by the close of a stop-start day on which 23 overs were lost to bad light despite the County Ground floodlights being turned on throughout.
Sussex boast a useful lead of 113 at the halfway stage, but Gloucestershire can take some encouragement from a pitch which is already flattening out and an improved weather forecast for the next two days.
Lord's: (second day of four): Middlesex 142 & 21-0, Durham 147 & 191
Angus Robson’s first Durham half-century enabled the visitors to set Middlesex a tricky target of 196 for victory in their low-scoring County Championship clash at Lord’s.
Robson – the younger brother of Middlesex opener Sam – is making only his second appearance for Durham after impressing in their second XI earlier this summer.
The 27-year-old’s gritty knock of 64 from 156 deliveries anchored Durham’s second innings as they posted 191 all out to set up the prospect of a fascinating finish on the third day.
Darren Stevens came to the fore once again
Grace Road: (second day of four): Leicestershire 308, Northamptonshire 325-7
Three late wickets ensured Leicestershire remained in the game after a century from Rob Keogh had threatened to leave Northamptonshire firmly in control of the Specsavers Division Two county championship match at the Fischer County Ground.
Adam Rossington, Luke Procter and then Keogh all fell in the final hour as Northants, having been 304 for 4, closed on 325 for 7, a lead of just 17 with three wickets in hand.
Old Trafford: (second day of four): Lancashire 269-2, Derbyshire 244
Courtesy of the ECB reporters network
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.