200-up Broad is off to a flyer
STUART BROAD played his first County Championship match of the season yesterday and took three wickets as Notts assumed command against Worcester at New Road. The England paceman shared the new ball with Jake Ball and quickly bagged the 200th Championship wicket of his career — trapping Tom Fell lbw for nought — as Worcester slumped to 3-3. But it was Luke Fletcher, who suffered severe concussion last season after being struck on the head in a T20 Blast match, who took the bowling honours with best-ever figures of 5-27 as the home side were dismissed for 110. New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor then showed his class in making 50 as Notts built a lead of 94 in reaching 204-6 . England opener Mark Stoneman’s poor start to the season shows no sign of ending as he was bowled round his legs for a duck by Graham Onions as Lancashire seized control against Surrey at Old Trafford. Lancashire took seven wickets after tea to reduce Surrey to 231-9, still requiring 59 runs to avoid the followon. The highlight for Lancashire was a ninth-wicket stand of 118 between Australian Joe Mennie and Tom Bailey which beat the county record of 96 runs set by Alex Watson and John Crossland in 1882 as well as Ian Greig and Nick Kendrick’s record ninthwicket stand for either side in this fixture from 1990. Tom Abell, 24, produced a captain’s innings of 82 to guide Somerset into a strong position against Yorkshire at Taunton. Abell rescued his team from 24-4, making 82 off 137 balls, with eight fours and a six, as they recovered to 200 all out. That set Yorkshire a target of 321 and they finished the day on 49-1, still 271 runs adrift.