The Cricketer rounds-up all the scores and headlines from around the country as the weather plays havoc...
Emirates Riverside (third day of four): Durham 337-9 v Derbyshire 355-4
Derbyshire’s batsmen kept the North Group leaders in contention for a place in the Bob Willis Trophy final on the third day of the match against Durham at Emirates Riverside.
A century for Luis Reece and 50’s from skipper Billy Godleman and Wayne Madsen helped Derbyshire pocket four batting points as they closed on 355 for 4 in reply to Durham’s 337 for 9 declared.
Godleman passed 9,000 first-class runs and some late acceleration from Leus du Plooy, 40, and Matt Critchley, 46 not out, completed a productive day for Derbyshire.
Grace Road (third day of four): Leicestershire 222 & 143-3 v Nottinghamshire 343-8
Captain Colin Ackermann led Leicestershire's resistance after Nottinghamshire looked to complete a quick victory by declaring at lunch on the third day of the Bob Willis Trophy match at the Fischer County Ground.
Ackermann finished the day unbeaten on 58, the South African's fourth half-century in eight innings in the competition this season, as the Foxes finished the day leading by 22 runs with seven second innings wickets intact.
Headingley (third day of four): Yorkshire 260 v Lancashire 195-5
Adam Lyth completed his first century across all formats since September 2018 before Lancashire’s response to Yorkshire’s first-innings 260 was mixed on day three at Emerald Headingley.
This penultimate round Bob Willis Trophy North Group fixture is heading for a weather-affected draw given 122 overs were lost to rain on days one and two and the likelihood of play on day four is minimal due to an adverse forecast.
Northampton (third day of four): Glamorgan 259 & 261 v Northamptonshire 332 & 62-1
Marchant de Lange blitzed the fastest first-class century for Glamorgan in only 62 balls as he made a career best 113 with six fours and nine sixes.
He and Dan Douthwaite, who began the revival and struck three sixes of his own in making his highest score for Glamorgan - 86 from 92 balls - shared a ninth-wicket record partnership for Glamorgan against Northamptonshire of 168 in only 118 balls. This was after their record 10th wicket stand was made in the first innings.
It again saved them from humiliation and this time from a laughable innings defeat having trailed on first-innings by 73 after Ricardo Vasconcelos made 58 as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 332.
But again, Northamptonshire seemingly had no reply when the batsmen turned to all-out attack. They were en route to a thumping win inside three days after reducing Glamorgan to 16 for 5 and then 60 for 8.
Yet the tide once more turned quickly against them and they are now hostage to the weather on the final day and the forecast is not promising.
Luis Reece reached three figures for Derbyshire
Taunton (third day of four): Somerset 237 & 223-1 v Gloucestershire 76 & 63-8
Craig Overton and Josh Davey continued to wreak havoc with Gloucestershire’s batting as Somerset were defied by the weather on the third day of the Bob Willis Trophy match at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
What little play there was saw the visitors stumble from 14 for three at the start of play to 63 for eight, chasing an unlikely 385 to win.
Overton and Davey ended the day with identical figures of four for 25 and their team were clearly unhappy when umpires Ian Blackwell and Paul Baldwin deemed the light too pour to continue with a possible five overs remaining.
Worcester (third day of four): Warwickshire 355-9 & 68-0 v Worcestershire 410-7
Daryl Mitchell completed his first century against visiting Warwickshire in first class cricket as Worcestershire secured four batting points to boost their hopes of qualifying from the Bob Willis Trophy Central Group.
The veteran opener has now scored first class hundreds for Worcestershire against all other counties except Surrey as his side eked out a first innings lead of 55 with their third 400 plus score in four matches in the competition.
Their solid performances with the bat have been in stark contrast to their failings with the bat in the County Championship last season.
Only once did they top 400 – in the opening game against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground – and this was another indication that the extra work put in during the winter to improve at red ball cricket is paying dividends.
Half centuries from Jack Haynes and Tom Fell plus late momentum provided by Ben Cox and Ed Barnard built on the efforts of Mitchell and fellow opener Jake Libby and enabled Worcestershire, who are vying with Somerset for top spot, to total 410-7 in their 120 overs.
Arundel (third day of four): Hampshire v Essex 249-3
Sir Alastair Cook continued to write himself into English cricket’s mythology but rain looks set to force Essex and Hampshire towards a draw.
Former England captain Cook now has 66 first-class hundreds, having struck a near-flawless three figures at Arundel, before reaching his 24,000th run in first-class cricket – something only 146 men have done beforehand.
He ended on unbeaten 129, with Essex on 249 for 3, with play concluding at lunch due to torrential rain making an already wet outfield sodden.
George Hankins was comprehensively bowled at Taunton
The Kia Oval (third day of four): Kent 342 & 118-9 v Surrey 278
Rikki Clarke took three wickets for just one run in his first three overs, and 5-13 overall in an outstanding and dramatic afternoon spell, to bowl Surrey back into their Bob Willis Trophy clash with Kent at the Kia Oval.
At 118 for 9 in their second innings, Kent lead by 182, but the third day of a fascinating contest was turned completely on its head by veteran all-rounder Clarke – with help from Sam Curran and Matt Dunn – and Surrey will now fancy their own chances of a first win the competition, following three defeats in their first three games.
Clarke, who will be 39 at the end of next month, had final figures of 12-7-15-5, while Curran took 3 for 35 as Kent collapsed initially from 63 for 1 to 69 for 5 in mid-afternoon, and then again from 100 for 5 after a mini-recovery was staged by Grant Stewart, who hit Dunn for two lovely off driven fours, and Marcus O’Riordan.
By tea Kent had slid to a shell-shocked 102 for 8, and after a short rain shower delay Curran had Matt Milnes leg-before for 7 with a superb inswinger. Rain, however, then returned and allowed just 5.1 overs to be bowled after the tea interval. Kent will start the final day with both Nathan Gilchrist and Hamidullah Qadri, the last pair, on four.
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