Jack Leach spins Somerset to three-day victory over Notts as Essex ease to win over Yorkshire
Tuesday 9 July 2019 21:13, UK
Somerset retained their lead at the top of the Specsavers County Championship with a 132-run victory over Nottinghamshire at Taunton.
Jack Leach (4-42) and Jamie Overton (4-24) both claimed four wickets each as the visitors - set a target of 255 to win - were bowled out for 122, Ravichandran Ashwin producing some resistance with 41.
Somerset had resumed day three 7-1 in their second innings, but were dismissed for 169, with Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali having battled on to 65 not out. Nottinghamshire left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White took 5-73 on his first-class debut and Ashwin 5-59.
Essex defeated Yorkshire by eight wickets, also with a full day to spare, to maintain their 100 per cent home record and keep pressure on the leaders.
Having been set a victory target of 92, former England captain Sir Alastair Cook (6) and Tom Westley (31) were both dismissed, but Nick Browne's unbeaten 33 and Dan Lawrence's 18 not out saw Essex to a comfortable victory.
Earlier, Keshav Maharaj added an entertaining 85 off 71 balls after Yorkshire had slumped to 81-6. Australian Peter Siddle finished with 4-32 as the visitors were bowled out for 211.
Sam Hain's second century of the match, supported by a battling innings from Ben Mike (72) and captain Jeetan Patel (70), secured Warwickshire an unlikely draw against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.
Hampshire had needed seven wickets on the final day, but Hain - who had not scored a Championship hundred for three years - added 104 to his first-innings unbeaten 129 and was ably partnered by Mike, who claimed his maiden half-century in any format.
Patel led another long partnership of almost two hours with fellow tailender Henry Brookes (36no) as Warwickshire saw out the match at 347-8. Kyle Abbott finished with 5-78.
At The Oval, Kent took command against Surrey as veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens secured season-best figures of 4-46.
Surrey were reduced to 179-6 in their second innings when bad light stopped play, the hosts only 81 runs ahead overall.
In reply to Kent's 369 all out, Surrey had wiped out the 98-run first-innings deficit before Stevens and Matt Milnes (2-38), who took two wickets, shifted the momentum after Dean Elgar had made 65.
In Division Two, a five-wicket haul from 37-year-old seamer Tim Murtagh (5-44) helped clinch a 78-run victory for Middlesex over Gloucestershire inside three days at Merchant Taylors' School.
Chasing 216, Gloucestershire were all out for 137 as Middlesex secured only their second Championship win of the campaign.
Graeme van Buuren finished 57 not out, while Toby Roland-Jones - who was unbeaten on 51 in Middlesex's second innings of 244 - claimed three wickets to finish with match figures of 10-79.
At Grace Road, Nathan Rimmington made an early breakthrough after Durham had set Leicestershire a formidable victory target of 393.
Rimmington, who contributed 92 after being sent in as nightwatchman, snared Foxes captain Paul Horton (30), caught behind, as the home side closed 58-1.
Alex Lees (92) and Liam Trevaskis (64) had helped Durham build on a century from captain Cameron Bancroft to declare at 487-7.
Callum Ferguson and Ben Cox stabilised Worcestershire to frustrate Derbyshire's hopes of a three-day win at Kidderminster.
The hosts had looked in disarray at 48-5 just before tea, but by the close had reached 156 without further loss - Ferguson unbeaten on 71 and Cox 44 not out - requiring another 217 runs for victory.
Derbyshire resumed on 272-6, but were all out for 377, Tom Lace finishing unbeaten on 132. Ed Barnard took 4-48 and Joe Leach 3-73.
Finally, Rob Keogh hit 74 as Northamptonshire closed day three against Lancashire at Wantage Road on 210-6 in their second innings, a lead of 341.
The hosts had slumped to 14-3 ahead of Keogh's steady intervention, passing fifty in 97 balls before he was run out after tea.
