So day two of the penultimate round of Championship matches and the differences between the first and second divisions is growing, by which I mean, the first division is all but sown up, while the second is hotting up to a thrilling finish.
County Championship Cricket
Day 2
Worcestershire v Warwickshire
Wor - 60 & 100-2
War - 471-8
It seems only fair to begin again with this match. Warwickshire continued the victory charge while Worcestershire are all but relegated, and all that with a game still to go for both teams.
A new day failed to help Worcestershire as the struggled on, just as unsuccessfully as yesterday. Warwickshire had gone to 279 before Russell finally had Troughton caught for 54. Chopra was already well on the way to turning his century into a huge score and a double hundred was well on the cards.
Johnson could only add 1 and Clarke 11, but Blackwell smacked a run-a-ball 84, before Barker also hit out for 40, to up the run rate. Before that though Chopra came unstuck when he was bowled for a superb 195.
Having settled for 471 Warwickshire then got on with the job of winning the match and probably the title too. Hughes was handed a duck to get the second innings off to an even worse start than the first. At last though the hosts showed some spirit as Mitchell and Pardoe put on 76 together. Pardoe was caught for 35, but Mitchell is not out on 42 as Worcestershire live to fight another day.
Sussex v Somerset
Sus - 221 & 186-2
Som - 134
If any team could catch Warwickshire it has to be Sussex and today they turned a poor situation into a crushing one. Somerset began the day on 30-1 and with 31 from Trescothick they eased up to 68 before he went lbw. Then the tables turned as a collapse led to three wickets for three runs.
A partnership of 35 seemed to have rescued the situation but then the visitors' tail was flattened as Hatchet and Panesar both picked up three wickets, leaving Somerset stranded on 134. What had looked like being a close game on day 1 now looked very one sided.
Somerset fought back by having Joyce caught for 7 and, 34 runs later, Wells caught for 20. Nothing more could they manage however as Nash and Goodwin took the game far out of Somerset's reach with a partnership currently worth 139.
Nash went to a splendid 106*, while Goodwin has amassed a rather more steady 51*. Tomorrow they will bat on and barring an absolute miracle will post a total in excess of 400. The lead currently stands at 273.
Surrey v Nottinghamshire
Sur - 269
Not - 227
Nottinghamshire also had a chance of putting some pressure on Warwickshire today, but Surrey had one of their best days for a while as they fought their way into the lead.
The hosts added another 27 this morning, taking the final wicket partnership to 38 and their total from a below par score to a respectable score. Gurney finished with 4 for 37.
Nottinghamshire's innings then followed a bizarrely similar line to that of their oppositions. 17 was on the board when Wessels was adjudged lbw and ten runs later the out of form Voges was clean bowled. Hales, who leave tonight to join the England T20 squad, then took the total to 41 before he was brilliantly held by Linley, who lept high to his right at second slip and clung on. Taylor and Mullaney then both fell lbw for 12 and 15 respectively leaving Nottinghamshire on 60-5 (not so far from Surrey's 83-5).However, like Surrey, they then fought back with a partnership of 92 between the ever reliable Read and Sam Wood making his debut with the bat. Read batted slowly but Wood showed no sign of nerves as he eased to 45.
He was caught with the score on 152 and when White went soon after Surrey were back on top. Phillips added a stocky 14, but it was Read (85*) who took the visitors past 200. They were bowled out just before the close 42 runs adrift.
Middlesex v Lancashire
Mid - 446
Lan - 236-3
Lords seems to have become a batting paradise. Middlesex continued to attack in the morning as they eased past 400, although not before Dexter had been caught behind for 125 off the bowling of Chapple. And it was Chapple who wrapped up the innings, finishing with 5 for 86.
Smith and Proctor batted without any sign of pressure or the threat of relegation and added 95 before they were both dismissed together. Smith having gone to 55. Any chance of a collapse however was seen off by Horton and Prince who then scored 130 together taking Lancashire past 200. Horton was caught behind by Simpson for 64, but Prince contined unbeaten to the close on 57*.
Kent v Derbyshire
Ken - 261 & 59-3
Der - 200
So into the second division where the race for promotion is getting better by the day. A few weeks ago Derbyshire looked to have the title sown up but now their in danger of matching Northamptonshire's efforts last year by bottling it at the crucial moment.
Having been 32-1 overnight 64 from Madsen might have helped them up to a good score, sadly he had no help from anyone else as Kent drove into the middle order. The visitors slid to 130-8 before a desparate 45 from Poynton lifted them up to 200 and a potentially vital batting point before he was the last man out.
Kent then added a further 58 to their lead as they took hold of the match, but Derbyshire came back with three wickets for one run, leaving Northeast stranded on 26* at the close.
Yorkshire v Glamorgan
Gla - 272 & 27-2
Yor - 344
Yorkshire were the side to really take big strides towards upsetting Derbyshire today as they came back at Glamorgan and moved ahead in this contest. A superb 95 from Lyth and 55 from Gale took the hosts to 200-4 but decent knocks from some of the middle and lower order helped Yorkshire overhaul the Welsh side's total and go past 300.
Things then got worse for the visitors as they tried to see out the remaining overs. 14 not out by Bragg helped them up to 17-0 but two wickets in two balls from Patterson knocked them back again and put Yorkshire in a great position at the half-way stage of the match.
Hampshire v Essex
Ess - 180 & 217-2
Ham - 229
The other side still in the title race is Hampshire but they struggled today as Essex showed no signs of rolling over. Four early wickets meant the hosts slipped from 165-4 overnight to 185-8. A determined 43 from Ervine lifted them past 200 and up to a 49 run lead however and they were still on top in the contest.
Westley was caught for 15 but Mickleburgh and Shah batted better than anybody today (which is saying a lot considering all the great efforts by various players and sides) to put on 193 for the second wicket. Mickleburgh was slow but gave little away and was disappointed to give it away when he was caught for 73. Shah though had already gone to a fine hundred and moved onto 124 not out before the close as Essex moved 168 runs clear.
Hampshire are still very much in the game but they will need to bowl very well tomorrow to turn the match back in their favour.
Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire
Glo - 220 & 286-6
Nor - 100
Northamptonshire's collapse of last night ended this morning as they added just 27 more to take them to triple figures, but leave them with a defecit of 120.
Gloucestershire lost two wickets with the score on 2 but good knocks from Housego, Gidman and Marshall lifted their total past 100. It was Cockbain however, who has really flowing as he thumped boundaries all around but was nipped out for 99 with the score on 246. Their lead however is already enormous and probably insurmountable.
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