Eventful day for the up and coming stars
MORNING IS LOST – BEFORE HOSTS EAT INTO RIVERSIDERS’ LEAD
GLAMORGAN cut Durham’s firstinnings lead to 117 runs, finishing the second day of their County Championship Division Two match on 225-6.
A combination of rain and bad light ensured there was no play was possible before lunch.
But when play got under way just before 2.30pm, Glamorgan’s openers Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman came out showing attacking intent, reaching 23-0 inside three overs.
Things quickly changed, however, when Selman played a loose shot to Cameron Steel at point off Chris Rushworth’s bowling and the home side found themselves 28-1.
The Australian-born youngster was unable to rediscover the form which led to his first first-class century at St. Helen’s last year on his way to 122 against Northamptonshire.
A second wicket soon followed, Rudolph finding Paul Collingwood in the slips, Glamorgan finding themselves 39-2.
Colin Ingram joined Will Bragg at the crease needing just 39 to reach 1,000 runs for the season.
But the South African fell 21 runs short of the milestone, giving Collingwood a second catch at slip off Paul Coughlin for 18 as Glamorgan lost their third wicket at 76.
More composure was evident with Aneurin Donald and Bragg at the TEENAGER Dan Lawrence produced an encouraging response to Kumar Sangakkara’s double hundred as Essex fought back in their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship clash at Surrey.
The hosts posted 369 after their Sri Lankan left-hander reached 200, but a confident start by Nick Browne (52) and Alastair Cook (36) was built on by the 19-year-old Lawrence, who scored an unbeaten 78 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 89 with Ravi Bopara.
Essex reached stumps at 215 for three, just five short of the follow-on mark, and 154 runs behind with seven wickets in hand.
An eventful day at Taunton saw 15 wickets fall on day two as 19-year-old off-spinner Dom Bess claimed a career-best seven for 117 to set his Somerset side a victory target of 259.
In the morning the hosts lost their last five wickets for 40 runs to eke out a 35-run lead over Hampshire after posting 197.
Bess then came to the fore as the visitors were bowled out for 293 and Somerset’s requirement was reduced to 220 by Marcus Trescothick and Dean Elgar at the close.
In Division Two, unbeaten leaders Nottinghamshire seized the initiative after declaring on 430 for nine and then forcing Gloucestershire to follow on, having been skittled for 149.
Nottinghamshire added 63 to their overnight score before reducing the visitors to 59 for five, with Phil Mus- tard providing the only resistance with a half-century.
Asked to bat again Gloucestershire closed on 37 for one, still 244 behind.
Barry Godleman (141) and Shiv Thakor (132) both scored centuries while Gary Wilson fell just three short as Derbyshire’s game at home to Leicestershire headed for a highscoring draw.
Chasing the visitors’ 619, the hosts reached 532 for eight on day three as bat dominated ball at the County Ground.
Kent have already racked up a 321run lead on day two after bowling out visitors Sussex for 164 thanks to a five-wicket haul from Darren Stevens, who now has 29 championship wickets at 12.08 apiece.
Resuming on 316 for eight, the hosts added a further 53 before making immediate inroads with their bowling, reducing their opponents to 69 for four. But just when it appeared they had steadied the ship, Sussex lost their last six wickets for 64 runs.
Daniel Bell-Drummond (68no) and Sean Dickson (42no) then put on 116 without loss to take a stranglehold on the game.
Daryl Mitchell’s 161 on the second day at Wantage Road put Worcestershire on course for a fourth consecutive victory.
He helped his side take a firstinnings lead of 196 and Northamptonshire were then reduced to 53 for two by the close of day two, trailing by 143.