Hampshire have lost their last six wickets for just 23 runs to slip from 199-4 to 222 all out and concede a first-innings lead of 59 to Yorkshire, for whom Jack Brooks has taken a season’s best 5-53.
It’s proving to be blow for blow at the top of the table at the moment as Middlesex have also bowled Warwickshire out for 172 in reply to 242. They are 17-0 second time around.
Yorkshire have taken three wickets for eleven runs in the latter stages of the second afternoon as Hampshire slipped from 199-4 to 210-7 at tea. They are still 71 runs in arrears. You just can’t keep Yorkshire down!Ryan Sidebottom struck twice, including Sean Ervine for 80, and Jack Brooks once as the champions took four wickets in all this afternoon.
Zimbabwe-born veteran Ervine fell 20 short of a third successive Championship century, and he was the first of the three late wickets. Hampshire will come out after tea with Gareth Berg and Andy Carter both on nought.
It’s all been happening this afternoon, with Notts bowled out for 313 in reply to Durham’s 244. The hosts are 4-0 second time around.
At Edgbaston, Middlesex have enjoyed a memorable session to put themselves in charge against Warwickshire, with the Bears slipping from 122-2. They are now 155-8, with spinners Ollie Rayner and Ravi Patel sharing five wickets for the title hopefuls.
Lancashire have made a solid start to their reply to Somerset’s 553-8 declared. They are 60-0, with Haseeb Hameed 37 not out.
In Division Two, Tom Westley is closing in on a maiden career double century. He has 173 out of Essex’s 351-2 against Worcestershire. The runaway leaders already lead by 121.
It’s not been the best of days for Yorkshire so far, and there is further bad news in the form of a Warwickshire collapse at Edgbaston. Replying to Middlesex’s 242, the Bears have fallen from 122-2 to 128-6 (they are now 141-6).
Left-arm spinner Ravi Patel has taken two of those, including Ian Bell caught behind, to give the leaders a real leg-up in the match.
Yorkshire may have got rid of James Vince for 60, edging Tim Bresnan to second slip, but he’s not really the wicket they want. They need to get Sean Ervine out, who is in a golden run of form in the Championship.
In his last eight innings since the start of July, he has gone beyond 50 six times, including two hundreds against Somerset last week. He is now 31 on away from a third ton on the trot.
The Zimbabwe-born left-hander, who clobbered Azeem Rafiq for six over long-on not too long ago, has helped Hampshire reach 171-4, which is a deficit of just 110.
First-innings leads for Notts at Durham and Essex at home to Worcestershire since my last post, while Somerset have declared on 553-8 against Lancashire at Old Trafford, with Peter Trego 154 not out.
Here, James Vince has reached his first first-class fifty for either Hampshire or England since April when he scored a century against, you guessed it, Yorkshire in a draw at Headingley. It came off 72 balls with nine fours included.
He and Sean Ervine are closing in on a much-needed century partnership. They have added 90 to take the score to 128-3 in reply to 281.
James Vince, badly in need of some runs to keep the England selectors at bay, and Sean Ervine have given Hampshire a post lunch boost by bringing up their half-century stand for the fourth wicket.
The hosts are now 95-3 in the 27th over, 186 behind. Vince has 34 of them with boundaries on both sides of the wicket.
Well, the most eye-catching performance of the morning comes from Northampton, where Rob Keogh’s off-spin has accounted for incredible figures of 9-52 from 18.5 overs to bowl Glamorgan out for 124 in reply to 269.
Keogh has claimed only the second nine-wicket haul this season in either division, with the other going to Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes against Durham at Edgbaston in May.
Whilst on the topic of Division Two, I’ll wrap up that division first, with Essex 205-2 in reply to Worcester’s 230. Tom Westley is 98 not out at lunch. He has topped 1,000 Championship runs for the season during this innings.
Kent are 314-6 in reply to Sussex’s 180 at Hove. Darren Stevens and Sam Billings have both hit fifties. Finally, Gloucestershire are 135-4 replying to Derbyshire’s 242.
Into Division One and here at the Ageas Bowl, Hampshire have managed to recover from 38-3 to 77-3 at lunch through 23 apiece for James Vince and Sean Ervine. Yorkshire’s bowling certainly slipped in the last 45 minutes of the session.
Another eye-catching morning performance has come at Old Trafford, where Ryan Davies and centurion Peter Trego have batted through the morning unbroken against Lancashire to reach lunch at 485-7.
They have shared 198 for the eighth wicket, with personal scores of 74 and 121. Even winning three out of their first five matches may not yet be enough to keep Lancashire up.
Another side who look to be in free-fall are Durham, who have seen visitors Notts reply to their 244 with 221-4, while Warwickshire are 75-2 in reply to Middlesex’s 242 at Edgbaston.
Looks like a fair old spell from Rob Keogh against Glamorgan at Northampton.
Replying to Northants’ 269, the Welshmen started day on 23-0. They have since slipped to 75-6, with the off-spinner taking all six. He currently has figures of 6-25 in his 12th over.
Keogh had only taken 11 wickets all season in the Championship prior to today. All 10 anyone?
Typical! Just after I’d pressed send on that last update, Alastair Cook fell for 66 to Ed Barnard, caught at first slip by Ross Whiteley at the second attempt. Essex are now 156-2.
Yorkshire have got the breakthrough courtesy of Jack Brooks, who has trapped Will Smith lbw as he half-heartedly pushed forward to a full ball. That has left Hampshire at 14-1 in the eighth over.
Over at Chelmsford, Essex’s Alastair Cook and Tom Westley have added 153 for the second wicket and both are now eyeing centuries. At 154-1 in reply to Worcester’s 230, Westley has 78 and Cook 66.
Yorkshire have been bowled out for 281 inside the first four overs of play, with Gareth Berg bowling Ryan Sidebottom as he played to leg for nine to finish with a career best 6-56. Jack Brooks finished with 34 not out.
Elsewhere, it’s been a reasonably quiet start, although Peter Trego has reached half-century for Somerset against Lancashire. He has shared 70 unbroken with Ryan Davies to take the score to 357-7.
The sun’s out at the Ageas Bowl ahead of day two, where the scorecard suggests a dominant opening day for Hampshire yesterday.
With Yorkshire at 275-9 having elected to bat first, they were frustrated that none of their top order went on to post a big one. But you just get the feeling that, on a pitch with something in it, they may be about to put Hampshire’s batsmen under some pressure. A last-wicket stand of 41 and counting between Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom could yet prove crucial in the final reckoning. Still, yesterday proved to be a triumphant one for Hampshire seamer Gareth Berg, whose 5-54 represented his first five-for in nearly five years.
Over at Edgbaston, leaders Middlesex, depleted by injury and unavailability, are under the cosh against Warwickshire having been bowled out for 242 on a pitch expected to turn significantly as the match wears on. Leg-spinner Josh Poysden, an England net bowler, claimed his first five-wicket haul as Warwickshire seek a first home win this summer.
It is the first of three away games on the trot for a Middlesex side who host Yorkshire at Lord’s in the final round of fixtures. Next up for them is Notts at Trent Bridge next week, with the Division One’s bottom side potentially going into that match with a much-needed win under their belts. They are in charge up at Durham, having bowled them out for 244 yesterday and recovered from 16-2 to 129-2 overnight thanks to unbeaten fifties for Michael Lumb and Jake Libby.
There seems to be a lot of fixtures advancing at pace this round, including Lancashire v Somerset. Both sides will be reasonably happy with Somerset’s 339-7. Having been 227-1, with Tom Abell on the way to a career best 135, Somerset were on the way to putting the contest out of Lancashire’s reach. But seamer Tom Bailey claimed four wickets in seven balls, including a dropped catch on hat-trick ball, to ensure a Red Rose outfit still looking over their shoulders at the lower reaches of the division remain in the hunt for a crucial win.
Into Division Two, where leaders Essex are on course for a win which would all but seal promotion. They are 111-1 in reply to Worcestershire’s 230 all out at Chelmsford. Alastair Cook is 43 not out. Essex’s only remaining danger comes from the winner of Sussex and Kent at Hove, where it’s the visitors who dominated day one with 211-5 in reply to 180. Elsewhere, Gloucestershire are 27-1 in reply to Derbyshire’s 242 all out at Derby, and Glamorgan are 23-0 in reply to 269 all out from Northants at Northampton.
Morning all.
Graham will be here shortly. In the meantime, here is his report from last night:
Enjoy the cricket.
