Find out what happened across the County Championship on the second day of the second round of the 2021 competition
Group 1
Derbyshire v Worcestershire
Derby (second day of four): Derbyshire 390, Worcestershire 243-7 - Worcestershire trail by 147 runs with 3 first-innings wickets remaining
Matt Critchley enhanced his growing reputation with a three-wicket haul as Derbyshire continued to dominate.
The 24-year-old followed his century on day one by snaring three wickets with his leg spin to leave Worcestershire on 243 for 7 at the close, still 147 runs behind.
Tom Fell scored 69 and Riki Wessels 60 after Derbyshire had been bowled out for 390 with Ed Barnard taking 4 for 67.
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Essex v Durham
Chelmsford (second day of four): Essex 96 & 208-6, Durham 259 - Essex lead Durham by 45 runs with 4 second-innings wickets remaining
Scott Borthwick and Brydon Carse took two wickets apiece for Durham to leave Essex facing a first home LV= Insurance County Championship defeat for almost three years.
Legspinner Borthwick, who had handed the visitors the advantage with a first-innings 100, claimed Ryan ten Doeschate and Adam Wheater in quick succession, after quick Carse had broken a 103-run stand between half-century maker Dan Lawrence and Tom Westley.
Essex, who last lost at the Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford in June 2018, ended the day on 208 for 6, with a slender lead of 45.
Earlier, Stuart Poynton scored 52 not out, Matt Salisbury made his highest first-class score and Simon Harmer produced his 21st five-wicket haul for Essex as Durham boasted a 163 run first-innings lead.
NICK FRIEND: Few teams have Essex in this position, so can Durham finish the job?
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Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire
Trent Bridge (second day of four): Nottinghamshire 273 & 128-2, Warwickshire 201 - Nottinghamshire lead by 200 runs with 8 second-innings wickets remaining
Nottinghamshire built on a handy first-innings lead to put themselves in a strong position after day two as they seek a first win in first-class cricket since June 2018.
Joe Clarke, who made a century in each innings when these sides last met in 2019, looked in ominous form and both he and Haseeb Hameed posted half-centuries as they built on a 72-run advantage to stretch Nottinghamshire’s lead to exactly 200.
Earlier, Warwickshire confirmed that England opener Dom Sibley suffered a small fracture to the second finger of his right hand when he put down a catch at first slip on Thursday and in his absence they were all out for 201.
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Group 2
Hampshire v Middlesex
Southampton (second day of four): Hampshire 319 & 204-2, Middlesex 79 - Hampshire lead by 444 runs with 8 second-innings wickets remaining
A stunning spell of bowling from Mohammad Abbas has put Hampshire on track for victory over Middlesex at the Ageas Bowl.
The Pakistan quick ripped through the Middlesex top order with a brilliant hat-trick, bowling full and fast to expose the poor footwork of the visiting batsmen.
Abbas struck with his fifth, sixth and seventh deliveries en route to figures of 6 for 11 from 11 overs to leave the 2016 champions staring down the barrel of a second successive LV= Insurance County Championship defeat following last week's dispiriting loss to Somerset.
Seamer Brad Wheal chipped in with 3 for 4 as Middlesex were bowled out for 79 - their lowest score against Hampshire for 65 years - in response to Hampshire first innings total of 319.
But perhaps mindful of losing to Essex four years ago after enforcing the follow-on, skipper James Vince opted to bat again as the hosts closed the day 444 runs in front with Sam Northeast, 99, and Ian Holland, 90, unbeaten at the close following a 202-run stand.
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Somerset v Gloucestershire
Taunton (second day of four): Somerset 312, Gloucestershire 301-8 - Gloucestershire trail by 11 runs with 2 first-innings wickets remaining
James Bracey’s sixth first-class century led Gloucestershire to 301 for 8 in reply to Somerset’s 312 on the second day at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Combining solid technique, sound shot selection and a high degree of concentration, 23-year-old Bracey enhanced his England prospects by contributing 118 in an innings spanning 12 minutes short of six hours.
Chris Dent made 50 and Matt Taylor a career-best 53 not out, while Craig Overton (3 for 60) was the pick of the Somerset bowling attack.
SAM DALLING: Bracey produces timely hundred on competitive day between local rivals
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Surrey v Leicestershire
The Oval (second day of four): Leicestershire 375, Surrey 253-3 - Surrey trail by 122 runs with 7 first-innings wickets remaining
Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes spared the blushes of the rest of Surrey’s Test-class top order with an unbroken stand of 160 that prevented unfancied Leicestershire from taking control at the Kia Oval.
Surrey had slipped to 93 for 3 in reply to Leicestershire’s 375 before England pair Pope and Foakes rallied them to 253 for 3 following the dismissals of Mark Stoneman for 24, Hashim Amla for 22 and Rory Burns for 36 on the stroke of tea. Pope is on 92 not out from just 117 balls, and Foakes is unbeaten on 68.
Stoneman flicked at a legside ball from Gavin Griffiths to be caught behind, and Amla was undone by an inslanting yorker from the same bowler that hit him on the boot. Burns, having just skipped out to drive slow left armer Callum Parkinson wide of mid on for four, was then leg-before sweeping.
Pope batted with great style, stroking 13 fours, but Foakes was badly dropped by keeper Harry Swindells off seamer Ben Mike on 33 with Surrey’s total 171 – a moment in the game that Leicestershire might end up regretting even more than losing their last seven wickets for 77 runs in 24 overs.
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Group 3
Lancashire v Northamptonshire
Old Trafford (second day of four): Lancashire 305 & 60-0, Northamptonshire 177 - Lancashire lead by 188 runs with 10 second-innings wickets remaining
A strong display from Lancashire's bowlers put the home side in complete control after a second day which saw 12 wickets fall and the Red Rose compile a healthy lead of 188 runs by the close of play.
Only a late rally from Adam Rossington and Simon Kerrigan, who put on 82 for the ninth wicket, halted the tumble of Northamptonshire batsmen, as they found themselves struggling on 87 for 8 following a miserable afternoon session where they lost six wickets for just 42 runs before recovering to post 177 all out.
Earlier in the day, the visitors had endured a frustrating first hour as both Tom Hartley with 25 and Matt Parkinson with an unbeaten 21 made their highest First Class scores and helped extend Lancashire's first innings total to 305, before Hartley holed out to Ben Curran at deep square leg to leave Kerrigan with figures of four for 60 off 34 overs. Tom Taylor's four for 91 was the the other stand out performance.
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Kent v Yorkshire
Canterbury (second day of four):
Yorkshire lead Kent by 120 in the second innings of their LV= Insurance County Championship game at Canterbury.
The visitors had made 379 in their first innings, Steven Patterson adding 38 before claiming three for 43. Duanne Olivier also took three wickets for 55 to leave Kent in danger of following on in the Group Three match, but they recovered from 156-6, as Darren Stevens, who had earlier taken 4-60, top-scored with 52 and Ollie Robinson made 44.
At the close of play Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were not out on 6 and 0 respectively.
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Glamorgan v Sussex
Cardiff (second day of four):
A hundred from Stiaan van Zyl and a career best 97 from George Garton led the way for Sussex who recovered from a middle-order collapse to lead Glamorgan by 196 runs at the end of day two.
Sussex continued their excellent start to their first innings with Aaron Thomason and Tom Haines setting a platform for Sussex, who were 211 for 1 at lunch.
Three wickets for seven runs meant that Glamorgan had given themselves an opening to get back into the match but first van Zyl and then Garton took Sussex up to their opponents' total and beyond.
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