Sam Northeast and James Fuller give Hampshire edge at Headingley

Sam Northeast and James Fuller both scored half-centuries to give Hampshire an edge at the halfway stage of their Specsavers County Championship Division One clash against Yorkshire at Headingley.

In bowler-friendly conditions, the second-placed visitors replied to a first-innings 181 with 235 to take a lead of 54.

Yorkshire, for whom Ben Coad claimed four for 41, closed on five without loss from three overs in their second innings.

In-form Northeast and Fuller posted 50 and 54 not out respectively, the latter’s coming on his first-class debut for Hampshire and after taking three wickets with his seamers on day one.

Captain Jeetan Patel’s marathon bowling spell put Warwickshire on top against Surrey at Edgbaston, with Patel taking four for 53 from 31 overs across more than two sessions.

It helped reduce Surrey to 188 all out, trailing by 105 on first innings, before Warwickshire moved to 26 for no losses by the close.

Essex took command against Kent in Chelmsford, claiming a 131-run first-innings lead after dismissing their opponents for 182.

Kent found scoring difficult all day in reply to Essex’s 313, creeping along at little more than two runs an over.

Peter Siddle and Simon Harmer each took three wickets, while five Kent batsmen were dismissed for between 20 and 28.

Already armed with a first-innings lead of 234 after they had been bowled out for 420, the hosts seemed to be in control when Mir Hamza had Charlie Hemphrey lbw in the first over without a run on the board.

But the two Australians played with increasing authority during the final session, with Labuschagne 77 not out and Selman 45 at stumps.

Earlier, Sussex skipper Ben Brown made 131 – his 17th first-class century – as he backed up his 156 in last week’s drawn game against Northamptonshire with another chanceless hundred.

Middlesex paceman Tom Helm returned career-best figures before skipper Dawid Malan’s 23rd first-class hundred established a position of strength against Worcestershire at New Road.

Helm finished with five for 36 from 19 overs to earn Middlesex a first-innings lead of 65 as Worcestershire were dismissed for 156 in 63.5 overs shortly before tea.

Then skipper Malan and Nick Gubbins cashed in during a marathon final session of 51 overs with an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 175.

Malan is 107 not out and Gubbins 72 not out, with Middlesex on 195 for two.

Leicestershire picked up eight wickets in the final session of the day to leave their clash against Derbyshire at Grace Road finely poised.

The visitors, at 160 for eight, ended the day leading by 179 runs after losing six wickets for 54 runs.

Tony Palladino earlier picked up five for 29 as Derbyshire, having made just 139, secured an unlikely first-innings lead by bowling the hosts out for 120.

No play was possible, meanwhile, on day two at Cheltenham between Gloucestershire and Lancashire.

Players arrived at the College Ground to find that a fierce storm on Monday night had caused some water to penetrate the covers, and play was eventually abandoned for the day just before 2pm, with Lancashire 47 for two in reply to Gloucestershire’s 205.