With only four matches in the championship this week, I’ll review them all. My roundup begins at Southampton.
Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat against Somerset. They made their way to 112/4 at lunch with Tony Albert making 42. Once he was dismissed, Jake Lehmann played a lone hand with 76 to get Hampshire up to 238. Only Eddie Jack, making 38 at number 10, gave him any support.
Somerset started their reply poorly, slipping to 25/2. James Rew again played another impeccable innings of 77* to guide Somerset to 154/3 at the close. Rew fell quickly on the second morning, only adding another 9 runs before he was caught at backward point by Albert off the bowling of Codi Yusuf. The innings unravelled from this point, and Somerset collapsed to 288 all out from 175/3 when Rew departed.
Hampshire began their second innings strongly, closing on 146/1, a lead of 96 runs on a pitch which looks to have flattened out. The only blip for Hampshire is that Tony Albert had to retire hurt after pulling up when completing a quick single. Nick Gubbins will return on day 3, 70* alongside Jake Lehmann on 16*.
Warwickshire vs Essex.
Essex won the toss and chose to bowl at a gloomy Edgbaston, and when Jamie Porter pinned Dan Mousley in front with a wicked inswinger, Warwickshire were reeling at 25/3. Sam Hain played a lone hand in getting Warwickshire to 190 all out. His innings of 88* contained eleven 4s and two 6s, and was the backbone of the innings. Jamie Porter finished with figures of 4/59 from 20 overs.
Essex began their innings after lunch on the second day, and were 110/3 at the close with most of the evening session being lost to the weather. Charlie Allison will resume 40*.
Gloucestershire vs Lancashire.
Sir James Anderson won the toss and elected to bowl on a grey morning at Bristol.
Lancashire were struck an early blow when Ajeet Singh Dale pulled up with a hamstring injury after only bowling two overs. He was replaced by Ollie Sutton after Lancashire’s request for Tom Bailey was strangely denied by the ECB.
Gloucestershire started well, reaching 80/1 just before lunch, when Ollie Price was bowled by George Balderson. This triggered a catastrophic collapse, and Gloucestershire were bowled out for 136 with Balderson ripping through the middle-order and Anderson cleaning up the tail on the second morning. Balderson claimed 5/34 and Anderson 3/12.
Lancashire looked to put themselves in a position of strength, and they reached 73/1 at lunch on the second day. Keaton Jennings struck 70, which included nine 4s, as Lancashire couldn’t make the most of things and slumped to 240 all out. Matt Taylor bowled a terrific spell after lunch to keep Gloucestershire in the game. He finished 6/43 from 18.2 overs.
Gloucestershire’s 2nd innings began with a deficit of 104 runs, Balderson removed Cameron Bancroft early, and Anderson then removed Price LBW as Gloucestershire limped to 58/3 by the close.
Northamptonshire vs Middlesex.
Middlesex won the toss and chose to bat at Wantage Road, and they were quickly in trouble when they were reduced to 20/3. Leus Du Plooy then struck a composed 51 to rebuild the innings. A crucial stand of 140 between Joe Cracknell, 79, and Zafar Gohar, 83, pushed Middlesex up to 341 before they were bowled all out. Evergreen seamer Ben Sanderson claimed 5/62 off 19 overs.
Northants found themselves in trouble at lunch on the 2nd day. Toby Roland-Jones had reduced them to 42/3, but Australian Nathan McSweeney found a partner in James Sales after Saif Zaib was dismissed with the score on 98. The pair remained unbeaten to guide Northants to 229/4 at close. McSweeney unbeaten on 87, and Sales on 78.
