So a new round of Championship Cricket begins as we head into the final third of the competition. The tables are still tight and almost every team has something to play for, whether they're challenging for top spot, or trying to avoid relegation. Five games began today while across the channel there was a CB40 game as well.
County Championship
Day 1
Warwickshire v Surrey
Warwickshire won the toss and decided to bat
War - 322-6
Warwickshire showed no sign of relenting their top spot today as they batted themselves into a strong position against an increasingly worried Surrey side, who could easily be pulled towards one of the relegation spots this week. Chopra and Westwood gave the hosts the perfect start cruising past 100 before lunch and going in at the break without the loss of a wicket.
The Londoners did manage to pick up a few regular wickets throughout the afternoon session. Firstly Chopra for 60, and then new man Porterfield for 8. The big wicket though was Westwood (67) who went lbw with the score on 188. Warwickshire did lose a fourth wicket before tea but also passed 200 as they began collecting batting points.
Troughton and Johnson (49) put on 98 for the fifth wicket, and Warwickshire were soon past 300. One more wicket fell before the close but Troughton is still at the wicket on 74* and will hope to take the hosts a close to 400 as he can tomorrow.
Nottinghamshire v Sussex
Sussex won the toss and decided to bat
Sus - 171
Not - 88-1
These two had varying success in the Twenty20 earlier this week, but both were raring to go this morning. Sussex worked themselves to 22 before, inevitably, Adams got the home side going by having Joyce lbw. Nash followed soon after, caught behind off the bowling of Phillips, but the visitors made it to lunch on 69-2.
After the break they tried to up the run rate slightly but quickly lost Goodwin and Yardy, both of them falling with the score on 74, to put Nottinghamshire ahead. Things then got worse for Sussex when the returning Adams had Wright caught at slip by Voges. Wells became the key man and he added 41 with Brown, but, having reached his half-century, he was also caught behind off Gurney to leave the visitors on 130-6.
The former Leicestershire bowler then double his tally by removing Magoffin, also caught behind as Sussex struggled with Nottinghamshire's pace attack. After tea Carter, who had yet to take a wicket, cleaned up the tail, finishing with 3 for 41.
Nottinghamshire made a quick reply, with the help of several no-balls, but Hales went lbw for 8 as he continues to struggle this year. Wessels (38*) and Lumb (28*) then took the home side to the close with an unbeaten, 55 run, partnership, with Sussex left toiling and in trouble at the end of day 1.
Durham v Middlesex
Middlesex won the toss and decided to field
Dur - 102
Mid - 144-7
Durham's sorry season dragged on today as they faced some tricky conditions and good bowling in the morning. Three early wickets left the home side stunned on 18-3 and the innings went down hill from there. Murtagh was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 27, with Berg also collecting 3 and Finn 2. The highest scorer was Richardson (22) as Durham scratched around and just made it to triple figures before being all out.
To add insult to injury Middlesex then got on quickly with their innings; Rogers in particular hitting boundaries all round Chester-le-Street. Middlesex still have a chance on the title and they will want to pick up as many points as possible against the division's bottom club to stay in touch with those at the top.
Thorp managed to have Robson lbw but Rogers led the Londoners past 50 with ease. Not long later however, the tables turned as three wickets fell in the 80s, the first being Rogers for 59. Middlesex passed Durham's score but promtly lost their sixth wicket, Thorp's second.
Berg (14) and Rayner (30*) then showed some fight at the end of the day, adding 32 before the close of a crazy day in the north.
Hampshire v Kent
Hampshire won the toss and decided to bat
Ham - 292-9
Hampshire made a bad start to this match as Vince and Shafayat both went early leaving the South coasters on 9-2. Katich though added 32 before he became Shreck's second wicket with the score on 67-3. From then on however Hampshire applied themselves as Adams and Dawson put on 116 for the fourth wicket. Adams though was the man to go for 91, and Dawson followed him shortly for 51 as Kent fought back.
Two more wickets left Hampshire on 226-7, but Mascarenhas and Balcombe added 50 before they both departed with the score on 276. Briggs and Tomlinson though survived to the finish and will hope to take Hampshire past 300 in the morning for a third batting point.
Leicestershire v Yorkshire
Leicestershire won the toss and decided to bat
Lei - 318-9
Smith scored all 20 runs of the first wicket partnership but was then lbw to Patterson as Yorkshire drew first blood. Leicestershire then reached 50 before losing another wicket but the score quickly became 59-3 as Eckersley and Sarwan both went cheaply. Thornely made 31, before he became the fourth wicket with the score on 98.
Yorkshire, in third place, are chasing promotion back to the first division and were in a good position but 35 from Thakor once more leveled the sides. Leicestershire lie in bottom place and realistically have only pride to play for but continued to bat well in the afternoon session as Boyce went to a half century. The hosts passed 200 before tea as White cleared the ropes for the first maximum of the match, but otherwise scoring was steady and the game was evenly poised at tea with Leicestershire on 204-5.
Two wickets after the break cut the hosts to 239-7 but Boyce was still there and, with Henderson (26), took Leicestershire to 289 before the bowler was caught. One more wicket fell before the close, but Boyce is not out on 106 overnight, holding the innings together. Yorkshire have so far given 47 extras, including 21 no balls and 11 wides.
CB40 Cricket
Netherlands v Gloucestershire - Gloucestershire win by 90 runs (D/L)
Gloucestershire won the toss and decided to bat
Glo - 278-5
Net - 146
The Netherlands made a strong start in the CB40 competition this year but have fallen away in recent matches. Gloucestershire built a big first wicket partnership to leave the home side trailing in this match too.
Marshall (47) was the first wicket with the score already on 102, but the visitors continued to score at roughly a run-a-ball through the middle of the innings. Nicol was in a dominant mood and crashed the ball to all parts of the ground, and over the rope seven times in a magnificent one-day hundred. He was eventually caught for 133 with the score on 236-4.
Fuller (40) and Gidman (30*) took over the scoring and upped the run rate in the final overs with more sixes, taking Gloucestershire to 290 off their 40 overs.
The hosts knew they had to get a quick start to their innings if they could hope to keep up with the required rate (7.25 at the start of the innings). They did race to 14 inside the first two overs but then Fuller and Saxely both struck to remove the openers and leave the Netherlands on 22-2.
Borgas (30) and Cooper (51) then put on a rapid 81, with nine 4s and a 6 between them, both were dismissed in quick succession as Gloucestershire leveled the game again.
Sadly rain arrived with the Netherlands on 114-4 off 15.5 overs, although that meant there would be a result if no more play was possible.
Play though did get under way and almost immediately Gloucestershire picked up two more wickets, one to Fuller who now had three under his belt. The bowler was on a roll now and none of the batsmen had an answer as he ran through the tail, picking up 6 for 35, as the Netherlands were bowled out for 146.
Star Player: Nicol for his excellent 133 from 113 balls including seven 6s, that set the game up for Gloucestershire.
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