Will Young marked his Nottinghamshire debut with an unbeaten century to anchor the visitors’ response on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against leaders Surrey at the Kia Oval.
The New Zealand international, who is on a three-match contract with the Trent Bridge outfit, provided immediate value with a fluent knock of 106 not out that guided them to 248 for five at the close, trailing Surrey by 107.
Young shared a second-wicket partnership of 134 with Haseeb Hameed, who hit 67, while Surrey’s Jamie Overton took two wickets on his return to bowling action for the first time this summer after recovering from a back injury.
Surrey had earlier posted 355 all out in their first innings, with Nottinghamshire all-rounder Lyndon James picking up the last two wickets to register career-best figures of six for 74.
Tom Westley’s 28th first-class hundred and his century partnership with Paul Walter rescued Essex from a poor start at Blackpool before a late fightback by Lancashire saw the visitors bowled out for 282.
Skipper Westley made 135, his third century of the season, with Walter eventually out for 76.
Tom Bailey, with six for 59, led a good reply by Lancashire, who closed on 37 for one to be 245 behind.
Rob Yates compiled a double century to put Warwickshire in a commanding position against Kent at Canterbury.
The visitors declared their first innings on 549 for seven, a lead of 378, before reducing Kent to 55 for one.
Yates hit his highest first-class score of 228 not out, with 23 fours and a six, having batted for nearly nine hours, while Australia’s Glenn Maxwell made 81 in his first Championship appearance for four years.
Chris Rushworth bowled Tawanda Muyeye for a duck early in Kent’s second innings, with the hosts ailing 323 runs adrift.
Ryan Higgins struck a sixth half-century of the season to guide Middlesex to only their second batting bonus point of the campaign and a first-innings lead over Northamptonshire in the Division One basement battle at Merchant Taylors’ School.
Higgins made 64 not out to steady the ship from 127 for five to a total of 277, which edged them 58 in front. Mark Stoneman contributed 51, while Northamptonshire off-spinner Rob Keogh returning three for 52 and Ben Sanderson three for 77.
Returning to make an impact with the ball when Northamptonshire batted again, Higgins removing both Ricardo Vasconcelos (22) and Justin Broad (five) as the visitors finished on 55 for two.
James Rew became Somerset’s youngest double-centurion in first-class cricket as Somerset took control against Hampshire at Taunton.
The 19-year-old extended his overnight score of 77 to 221 before being last man out in his side’s first innings total of 500.
Kasey Aldridge (88) and Dom Bess (54) also contributed to Somerset’s impressive recovery from 80 for five before Hampshire limped to 58 for two at close.
In Division Two, Alex Lees scored his third century in as many innings to guide leaders Durham into a strong position against Gloucestershire at Chester-le-Street.
Lees anchored the innings with a flawless 195, his highest score as a Durham player, while Graham Clark made 82 after the hosts were reduced to 109 for four in reply to Gloucestershire’s 316.
Brydon Carse finished the day unbeaten on 60 in Durham’s 433 for eight, which gave them a 117-run lead.
Opener Finlay Bean hit a career-best 135 to consolidate Yorkshire’s position against Worcestershire at a showery New Road.
The 21-year-old, dropped twice on the opening day, put on 177 with Adam Lyth (79) – Yorkshire’s best opening stand for seven years.
Worcestershire fought back, with seamer Adam Finch taking five wickets for 100, but Yorkshire maintained their grip after Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad dismissed both openers as the hosts finished 46 for two.
On another rain-affected day in Cardiff, Glamorgan lost captain David Lloyd for six on his return to action, but steadied the ship to reach 54 for one at close against second-placed Leicestershire.
Lloyd – soon to be leaving the Welsh capital – was bowled by Matt Salisbury before 32 from Zain-ul-Hassan as part of a 44-run partnership with Sam Northeast restored the hosts’ composure.
Derbyshire wicketkeeper Brooke Guest hit an unbeaten 80 to frustrate Sussex’s promotion hopes at a rain-hit Hove as his side reached 212 for three in reply to Sussex’s 402, trailing by 190.
