Survival hopes are fading quickly for Worcs

JOE CLARKE hit an unbeaten 74 as Worcestershire looked to cling on to their slim Division One survival hopes at Essex.

The hosts resumed at 25-5, having bowled Worcestershire – who will be relegated if they fail to win – all out for just 94 during Tuesday’s morning session.

Ravi Bopara, 36 overnight, pressed on to reach 133 not out as Essex eventually declared at 474-7, Adam Wheater (66) and Simon Harmer (57) having also made valuable contributions.

Essex paceman Jamie Porter, who claimed a career-best 7-41 in the first innings, soon accounted for both openers Tom Fell and Daryl Mitchell.

At the close, the Vitality Blast winners had moved to 140-4 with Clarke the linchpin – but trailing by 240 runs.

At Taunton, a century from Dean Elgar helped champions Surrey towards a commanding first-innings 485 against Somerset, who were then left at 122-9 when bad light and then rain stopped play.

Division Two leaders Warwickshire pushed on to a first-innings score of 440, with centuries for both Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, before Sussex were restricted to 224-5 at Hove.

Bell, who passed 1,000 firstclass runs for the season on Tuesday, added just four to an overnight 108 before being trapped lbw by Danny Briggs, while Trott, in his final away game before retirement, hit 124.

Keith Barker then picked up three wickets inside the opening seven overs and new England call-up Olly Stone claimed two as Sussex’s reply faltered before captain Ben Brown (58no) and David Wiese (66no) eventually steadied the ship.

At Grace Road, Durham were bowled out for their two worst scores in first-class cricket on the same day.

The visitors were skittled for 61 and 66 by Leicestershire, as Mohammad Abbas returned match figures of 10-52.

Leicestershire, who earlier scored 321, won by an innings and 194 runs.

Second-placed Kent continued their own promotion drive as a century from Zak Crawley helped put them in control against Glamorgan at Canterbury.

Crawley resumed at 56 and his career-best 168 proved the mainstay of the innings as Kent reached 436 all out. Glamorgan, dismissed for 186 on Tuesday, had made 33-4 by stumps.