County Championship Round 5 - Day 2

Some games are beginning to swing in the favour of one side as several excellent bowling performances dominate the play today. We begin at Old Trafford for the pick of them.

Day 2
Lancashire v Nottinghamshire
Not - 169 & 122-2
Lan - 146

An astonishing bowling performance from Nottinghamshire blew Lancashire away after lunch as Adams and Swann took six wickets for just seventeen runs following the break. Swann finished with two wickets in two balls and figures of 3 for 26, while Adams, who has been one the best bowlers in the country for some years, took 7 for 32, his career best figures.

      Earlier Moore (43) and Prince (23) helped the home side through the morning session as Nottinghamshire could only take occasional wickets. Nothing prepared everyone for what was to come. Croft and Cross fell in consequtive deliveries from Adams in the second over of the afternoon, and, after eleven balls, Smith also went for a duck. The score had gone from 131-4 to 133-7. Two more wickets fell before Anderson was bowled first ball by Swann to wrap up the innings and give the visitors a 23 run lead.
     Hales fell early but Edwards (40), Lumb (40*) and Patel (21) helped Nottinghamshire to a lead of 145 by the close. They now hold a big advantage over the champions with two days still to go.


Yorkshire v Leicestershire
Yor - 447
Lei - 116

Yorkshire flexed thier muscles today as Leicestershire were swept away. After sharing in a partnership of 159 with McGrath (90) Bairstow was finally caught of the bowling of White for 182. Yesterday Gale made 80, and between the three of them they took the home side to 447.
      Leicestershire were soon under even more pressure as Sidebottom and Patterson combined to take three wickets in the first ten overs. After tea the situation worsened for the visitors, largely thanks to McGrath (4 for 21), as they slipped to 68-8. Malik provided some resistance, scoring 21*, but couldn't prevent the inevitable follow-on, as Yorkshire lead by 331 after the first innings.
     To compound their woes, Leicestershire then lost Smith before the close and are staring at an innings defeat.


Warwickshire v Durham
Dur - 163
War - 195-7

Ian Bell dominated the Warwickshire innings and is 106 not out overnight after bad weather cut short the play. After a disastrous start that left them 14-4 the home side recovered with two good partnerships to take them to 186. However when two wickets fell on that score Durham were fighting back once more. Bell though remains the prize wicket and he could still take the game away from the visitors as Warwickshire already have a lead of 32.

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire
Der - 388
Glo - 172-9

Derbyshire's top bowler so far this season, Palladino, helped his side into a strong position, with Gloucestershire in danger of following on. Rain prevented a full evening session, which was good news for the visitors after they had collapsed from 159-5 to 172-9. Earlier Dent had scored 55 but he became Palladino's third wicket, on his way to figures of 5 for 47.


Glamorgan v Essex
Ess - 259-9d
Gla - 1-0

No play due to rain.


Northamptonshire v Hampshire
Nor - 218
Ham - 42-3

No play due to rain.

Day 1

Middlesex v Worcestershire
No play due to rain


Tomorrow the 40 over competition begins with Surrey playing Somerset at the Oval in a repeat of last years final. This is ahead of a full round of matches to come on Monday.

Note -
Somerset were told the disappointing news that Gayle would not be joining them for the Twenty20 competition this year, but they have wasted no time in finding a replacement, signing du Plessis, subject to clearance.