Warwickshire gain upper hand against fellow title chasers Yorkshire

Warwickshire took three wickets late in the day to gain the upper hand in their crucial LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash against fellow title chasers Yorkshire.

With a lead of 224, Warwickshire reduced Yorkshire to 50 for three before the close of day two at Emerald Headingley as Tim Bresnan returned to haunt the county with which he won two Championship titles in 2014 and 2015.

The veteran all-rounder contributed a valuable 36 in Warwickshire’s second-innings 176, then took three catches in the slips as Yorkshire lost Adam Lyth, George Hill and Dawid Malan before stumps – the latter off the last ball of the day.

It leaves Yorkshire needing to score 174 with seven wickets in hand, knowing that the loser of this match is almost certainly out of the title running.

Third-placed Hampshire hold the edge over leaders Nottinghamshire after opening up a 204-run led at the Ageas Bowl.

Keith Barker took a career-best seven for 46 as Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 155 in response to Hampshire’s first innings score of 226.

Momentum swung again as Hampshire were reduced to 28 for four at the start of their second innings before James Vince and Liam Dawson combined to add 82 runs for the fifth wicket, though late wickets fell to leave Hampshire on 133 for seven at stumps.

Jack Blatherwick got to bowl for Lancashire for the first time in the County Championship on Monday and made the most of the opportunity as he took four wickets to help punish Somerset.

After the visitors finished their first innings all out for 373, Blatherwick took four for 28 and Tom Bailey claimed three for nine as Somerset slumped to 90 all out.

Forced to follow on, things did improve as Tom Lammonby made 100 off 103 balls to help them to reach 226 for four by the close, though they still trail by 57.

In Division Two, Surrey captain Hashim Amla put up some lone resistance as Essex took complete control of their match at the Kia Oval.

After racking up a total of 439, built on a superb 165 from Sir Alastair Cook, Essex set about dismantling their visitors, who finished the second day on 107 for seven despite 58 not out from Amla.

Matty Potts and Liam Trevaskis both collected half-centuries in a record-breaking ninth-wicket stands for Durham as they gained complete control of their match against Northamptonshire.

Potts (81) and Trevaskis (77no) put on 149 for the penultimate wicket, a record against Northants and only one shy of the record against any county.

That gave Durham a first-innings lead of 217 before the hosts knocked off 10 runs without loss before stumps.

Cooke dived full length to his left to take out Miles Hammond for 34, then full length to his right to claim Tom Lace for 12.

Gloucestershire reached the close on 224 for four in response to Glamorgan’s 309.

In Division Three, Kent all-rounder Grant Stewart took four for six in nine overs to rip through Derbyshire’s top order, finishing with figures of five for 23 as the hosts were bowled out for 156.

That left Kent with a lead of 129, and they led by 276 when bad light stopped play after Zak Crawley and Jordan Cox each had half centuries in a score of 147 for one.

John Simpson led a Middlesex fightback against Worcestershire as they ended day two on 233 for six in their second innings, a lead of 206.

Things had looked very different when three quick wickets from Charlie Morris had left them on 39 for four, but Simpson finished the day unbeaten on 58 after Max Holden had made 46 and Martin Andersson 45.

Hassan Azad and Lewis Hill both scored centuries as Leicestershire made a strong response to Sussex in their first innings.

After bowling the visitors out for 359, Leicestershire reached stumps on 291 for two after Azad made it to the close unbeaten on 122 and Hill was 109 not out.