Wood returns in style with three wickets in seven overs
CC DAY ONE ROUND-UP
WHILE England’s bowlers were toiling at Edgbaston yesterday, a somewhat forgotten face was impressing in the County Championship.
Mark Wood, in his first fourday game of the season, claimed three wickets in seven overs for Durham as his side dismissed Somerset for 184.
Wood, a member of the Ashes-winning attack last summer, only recently returned from an ankle injury, impressing for the England Lions in their one-day series against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A and he continued his fine comeback form.
The 26-year-old knocked over James Hildreth and Peter Trego’s stumps, either side of having Roelof van der Merwe caught. Chris Rushworth also claimed three on the opening day at Taunton, taking 3-47 but the visitors did not have it all their own way.
Van der Merwe made up for his duck with the bat by claiming three early wickets as Durham were reduced to 73-5 before Paul Coughlin and Gordon Muchall began the rebuilding process.
Elsewhere in Division One, table toppers Middlesex were put to the sword by Rory Burns and England one-day opener Jason Roy.
Burns, opening the batting, made 88, but Roy bettered that to make his first County Championship century of the season.There were no maximums in Roy’s innings but he did hit 16 boundaries, eventually falling for 110 off 142 deliveries.
It was a struggle for Middlesex’s bowlers with Toby Roland-Jones and James Harris both conceding more than five an over though all five bowlers used had at least something to show in the wicket column after the opening day at Lord’s.
Hampshire opening pair Will Smith and Jimmy Adams put on 191 at home to Lancashire, though there was no speed about it.Tight bowling from Jordan Clark, who claimed the wicket of Adams for 88, Simon Kerrigan and Kyle Jarvis meant runs were not easy to come from but Hampshire made the most of winning the toss and electing to bat. Smith ended the day on 99.
Reigning champions Yorkshire also chose to bat first, but after six of the top seven made double figures, Travis Head’s 54 was the highest individual score at Headingley. The hosts lost regular wickets with Keith Barker the pick of the Warwickshire bowlers.
In Division Two, current leaders Essex had four halfcenturions as they dominated the opening day of their clash with Sussex.
Nick Browne, Jaik Mickleburgh, Dan Lawrence and Ryan ten Doeschate all passed 50 at Colchester with Tom Westley missing out as he fell for a golden duck.
That left Sussex new boy Jofra Archer on a hat-trick having had Browne caught behind the previous ball. Archer, who signed a professional deal at Hove earlier this week, also claimed the wicket of Dan Lawrence.
Derbyshire and Leicestershire battled out an evenly-contested day at Grace Road in another case of batsmen making starts and not going on to make anything more notable. Paul Horton, Neil Dexter and Niall O’Brien were all dismissed between 40 and 50. Ned Eckersley did make a half-century though. Full reaction in next week’s TCP