Clark’s hat-trick uproots top trio
JORDAN CLARK took a remarkable hat-trick during an exhilarating first day of the Roses match at Old Trafford.
Lancashire’s seam bowling all-rounder trapped England and New Zealand Test captains Joe Root (22) and Kane Williamson lbw before having Jonny Bairstow caught at third slip to leave Yorkshire 59-4 just before lunch.
Between them, the trio have scored 14,639 Test runs and over 30,000 in first-class cricket. It was the first hat-trick in first-class cricket in which all three victims had each made more than 3,000 Test career runs.
Yorkshire were bowled out for 192 as 27-year-old Clark went on to claim a career-best 5-58 and also effected the run-out of Tim Bresnan for a duck. Jimmy Anderson, on his return from injury, chipped in with the wicket of opener Adam Lyth for 70.
Nineteen wickets fell in the day as Lancashire crumbled to 109 all out in reply, giving Yorkshire a lead of 83.
Surrey strengthened their position at the top of Division One with a
dominant performance with both bat and ball at Nottinghamshire.
The unbeaten league leaders bowled out their hosts for just 210 in only 54 overs and then built a lead of 13 in the remainder of the day, thanks to their opening batsmen Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman.
Morne Morkel did most of the damage, picking up 4-60. Jade Dernbach, Sam Curran and Rikki Clarke shared the remainder of the wickets.
Burns and Stoneman then put that score into context by rattling their way to an opening stand of 147 as Surrey reached 223-1 at stumps.
Visiting captain Burns closed on 97 not out, with Stoneman having made 86 from only 83 balls, his highest score of the summer.
Moeen Ali took three wickets on his return to Championship cricket to claim first blood in a battle with Somerset’s England spin contenders Jack Leach and Dom Bess, but Steven Davies top-scored against his former county as Somerset twice fought back from testing situations against Worcestershire.
The wicketkeeper-batsman hit a fluent 72 and there were also half-centuries from Tom Abell and James Hildreth as Somerset recovered from 11-2 and then 115-4 to reach 324-9 from 96 overs by the close at New Road.
In Division Two, a maiden first-class century from Ryan Higgins put Gloucestershire in a strong position against Durham at Cheltenham.
The 23-year-old former Middlesex all-rounder was out in the last over of the day for 105 as his side ran up 315-7 after winning the toss.
Chris Rushworth and Ben Stokes each claimed three wickets, Stokes beginning with a seven-over spell that brought him 2-10. But Durham’s other England bowler Mark Wood was off the field for physiotherapy during the afternoon and, although he returned to the field, he bowled only six overs in the day.
HEATHER KNIGHT made a match-winning 97 as Western Storm launched the defence of their Women’s Kia Super League crown with a seven-wicket win against Yorkshire Diamonds.