LV= Insurance County Championship 2022 Round 14 Day 3: Thursday 22nd September - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Here is all the latest news, scores and match reports for the LV= Insurance County Championship 2022 Round 14 Day 3: Thursday 22nd September.

Top Tournament Stats -  LV= Insurance County Championship 2022

Top Batter (Runs Scored)

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Points Table

Essex vs Lancashire, Division 1

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Lancashire (131 & 73) beat Essex (107 & 59) by 38 runs.

George Balderson claimed  hat-trick to wreck Essex hopes  in an incredible match at Chelmsford that spanned  just a little over 4 sessions.

The pace bowler finished with 5 for 14 from seven overs supported by Will Williams who returned  4 for 24 as Essex  lost their lost nine wickets for 35 runs in pursuit of 98 to win. 

Only two Essex batters reached double figures against the telling and incisive  bowling of the Lancashire duo helping their side to 19 points whilst  Essex were left  with a paltry three after a dramatic Championship clash

The demons of the previous day, when 26 wickets fell, continued to manifest themselves. Lancashire had resumed  their second innings on 25 for 6  and lost another 20 balls into the morning play.

Debutant George Bell had looked settled while moving on to 24, the equal highest score by a Lancashire player in the match. However, his 28-ball knock ended when he was bowled around his legs by Snater to reduce Lancashire to 34 for seven. Snater had taken 5 for 6  in 4.2 overs at that stage.

The two Toms, Bailey and Hartley, both hit successive boundaries in an uncharacteristically wayward over from Sam Cook that cost 17 runs. Bailey then threw the bat to the first ball of the next over only to pick out Lawrence on the long-leg boundary and hand Snater his sixth wicket and incredible figures of 6 for 10..

Cook gained a measure of personal satisfaction when Hartley attempted an upper-cut to a short ball and only succeeded in edging behind. It was Cook’s 200th first-class wicket for Essex.

The Netherlands international struck again before the innings concluded to finish with the incredible return of 6 for 10 from 8 overs  Simon Harmer had the last word when he struck Matt Parkinson full on the front pad to end the visitors’ second innings inside 24 overs for a paltry 73.

All-rounder Snater, Essex’s player of the year was rewarded for a breakthrough season with his county cap during the lunch interval.

With the floodlights on throughout the day, the home side, seeking a third successive Championship victory in September, set out on the task of reaching a modest 98 runs for victory but on this pitch, a tortuous task.

Sir Alastair Cook and Nick Browne made a comparatively serene start to the chase, and had 24 on the board in seven overs to ease the nerves of the home camp when Browne was trapped lbw by Bailey.

But the introduction of Balderson sent panic waves through the home camp.

With his second delivery he had Cook beaten all ends up by one that ducked in and dislodged his leg bail.

His next ball had Dan Lawrence chipping carelessly to Will Williams at midwicket before the bowler  breached Matt Critchley’s defences to claim his hat-trick.

Lunch arrived soon afterwards with Balderson feasting on figures of 2-2-0-3, while Essex tottered on 34 for four.

The latest sacrificial lamb on a wicket denounced as unplayable by Lancashire head coach Glen Chapple   was Feroze Khushi , bowled by Will Williams for a single as Essex tottered further to 35 for 5.

Adam Rossington opted for aggression and collected two boundaries   before Balderson wiped him out  and with the score on 55, Essex lost  their seventh and eight wicket, both to Williams.

During all the carnage, skipper Tom Westley had stood firm but he finally succumbed  for 13  having survived 41 balls when  he was caught to become a fifth wicket for Balderson. 

Williams rounded off proceedings when he bowled Sam Cook to leave Lancashire celebrating victory in  match in which the four innings produced just 370 runs.

Somerset vs Northamptonshire, Division 1

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Somerset will go into the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Northamptonshire at Taunton in a strong position, knowing that victory will guarantee First Division survival. 

With a lead of 401 and nine second innings wickets still in hand, the home side can feel confident of at least a draw, which would put them 17 points clear of second from bottom Warwickshire. 

Having bowled out Northamptonshire for 265 from an overnight 184 for six, Craig Overton finishing with five for 38, Somerset built on a first innings lead of 124 by posting 277 for one. 

Unbeaten centuries from skipper Tom Abell, his second ton of the match, and Tom Lammonby led the way, while Imam-ul-Haq contributed 52. Abell hit 112 not out and Lammonby 101 not out to effectively bat Northants out of the game. 

If Somerset can complete victory, it will open up a 25-point gap on Warwickshire and lift them to a comfortable sixth place in Division One, with the final round of fixtures to be completed next week. 

They began the third day against Northants in perfect fashion when Josh Davey had Saif Zaib well caught low down at second slip by Overton off the first ball of the morning. 

But Tom Taylor, unbeaten on 19 overnight, moved to an impressive fifty off 69 balls by cutting his tenth four off Kasey Aldridge. 

Another Taylor boundary off Abell took Northants past the follow-on figure at 240 for seven and Somerset’s attack, lacking the injured Lewis Gregory, were looking frustrated as Lizaad Williams helped add 63 for the fourth wicket. 

That changed with a needless run out. Taylor played Sajid Khan into the leg side with no intention of taking a single, but Williams, on 23, charged down the pitch from the non-striker’s end and was sent packing by Josh Davey’s throw to the bowler. 

Aldridge had Ben Sanderson caught at mid-on and Overton wrapped up the innings when Jack White was caught behind, backing away towards square leg. 

By lunch, Somerset had extended their lead by 12 to 136 and the afternoon session saw Lammonby and Imam build further without undue alarm. 

Imam was first to his half-century off 74 balls, having hit 4 fours and a straight six off Rob Keogh, a shot which took the lead to 200. 

The Pakistan Test opener fell shortly afterwards, allowing a ball from off-spinner Keogh to run up his pad onto a glove before being taken by wicketkeeper Ricardo Vasconcelos, running in front of the stumps. 

By then the lead was 225 and Lammonby soon followed his opening partner to fifty, having faced 115 balls and hit 5 fours. 

By tea, Somerset had progressed to 118 for one, with Lammonby on 54, and arch-rivals Gloucestershire were on the verge of doing them a huge favour by beating Warwickshire. 

The final ball at Bristol was shown on the screens down the M5 at the Cooper Associates County Ground to relieved applause from Somerset fans, as in front of them, Lammonby and Abell built a half-century stand from 70 balls. 

Abell launched a six over mid-wicket off Keogh as his side accelerated towards a declaration in the morning. His fifty occupied 49 deliveries and also featured 5 fours. 

Successive Abell boundaries off Keogh took the lead past 350, while another four in the off-spinner’s following over took Somerset’s captain past 1,000 first class runs for the season. 

A swept single off Keogh completed Abell’s fifth hundred of the summer off 87 balls, with 14 fours and a six. 

Lammonby lost nothing by comparison, curbing his natural attacking instincts to strike just eight boundaries in his patient 221-ball century. By stumps the stand between the pair was worth 176. 

Abell left the best till last, a swashbuckling six over extra cover off Josh Cobb in the final over of a Somerset-dominated day. 

 

After his second hundred of the match, Somerset skipper Tom Abell said: "Every hundred I score for Somerset is special to me because they don't come easily, so I am very proud of getting two in one game.

"But I am also buzzing for Tom Lammonby, who has taken on the tough task of opening this season and got a lot of starts without going on to the scores he deserved.

"It was pretty tense batting at times because we were hearing from different sources what was going on at Bristol. When the applause from our crowd broke out for Gloucestershire winning, it was a relief because that was a big result for us.

"We wanted to bat Northants out of the game and have gone a long way towards doing that. We will do all we can to win tomorrow and I think we have a very good chance."

 

Northamptonshire head coach John Sadler was in high spirits as his side became assured of First Division survival. He said: "We are safe and what a feeling it is. We still want to finish in the top six, but if someone had been offered this position at the start of the year, we would have snapped their hand off.

"Credit to the players, the coaching staff and everyone involved at the club. We have some tired minds and bodies up there in the dressing room because the lads have played a lot of cricket and I can't fault any of them. They have given their all every single day and that's all we can ask.

"I am buzzing that, structure permitting, we will be playing First Division cricket again next season. We have become a difficult side to beat, which we talked about, and if that happens you are going to put yourself in a position to win games.

"We have some work to do in this one. But overall, it is a great achievement to be where we are and I am delighted."

 

 

Surrey vs Yorkshire, Division 1

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Surrey wrapped up their second LV= Insurance County Championship title in five years, and 21^st overall, when they beat Yorkshire by 10 wickets inside three days at The Micky Stewart Oval.

Yorkshire, starting the day 65 runs behind at 89 for 2 in their second innings – they were following on after being dismissed for 179 in reply to Surrey’s first innings 333 – were bowled out again for 208 with Dan Worrall taking 4 for 61.

That left Surrey needing just 55 for victory, knowing that second-placed Hampshire had already lost to Kent at Southampton, and their 22-point win tally took them 27 points clear at the top of Division One – an unassailable lead with just one round of championship games left to be played next week.

It took captain Rory Burns and his fellow opener Ryan Patel only 37 balls to knock off the runs required, with Burns pulling his opposite number Jonny Tattersall, who took off his wicketkeeping pads to purvey some leg breaks, for four to take Surrey to 55 without loss.

It was Surrey’s eighth win from 13 matches and they remain the only county from both divisions to remain unbeaten in what has been a triumphant campaign.

The long-time championship leaders, and favourites, beat Hampshire decisively in their only meeting this season, back in mid-April, and are thoroughly deserved winners. Additionally, of the 22 players who have appeared for them in the championship this season, 11 are homegrown cricketers who have been nurtured through Surrey’s age group teams and their Academy.

One of those players, 19-year-old seamer Tom Lawes, is top of their championship bowling averages with 18 wickets at an average of 20.00 from the first five matches he has played in his embryonic career, having taken 4 for 31 in Yorkshire’s first innings.

Yorkshire’s chances of turning the match around suffered an almost immediate blow when Cameron Steel, surprisingly given the first over of the day from the Vauxhall End, turned his googly appreciably to bowl Tom Kohler-Cadmore for 11 through a back foot defensive gate with his sixth ball.

Adam Lyth, who had battled to 36 on the second evening, resisted for almost an hour in the company of Will Fraine before the two fell in the space of two balls in the 14^th over of the day.

Fraine went for 13, bowled by a ball from Jordan Clark which jagged back off the seam and may have brushed his right elbow before cannoning into the middle and off stumps, and then Lyth departed for 46 as Kemar Roach was at last rewarded for a testing spell from the Pavilion End.

West Indies Test paceman Roach, in his seventh over of the morning, swung one away from left-hander Lyth, from around the wicket, to have the former England Test opener caught by Patel at third slip.

That left Yorkshire 116 for 5 and, 11 overs and 34 runs later, Tattersall’s 21 ended when he touched a lifting legside ball from Jamie Overton to keeper Ben Foakes.

Soon after lunch Worrall angled one that kept a little low into Jordan Thompson’s pads, from around the wicket, to have the left-hander leg-before for 8.

And when Dom Bess, who had fought hard for his 43 from 71 balls, could only fend off a steeply rising ball from Roach to Foakes, making good ground to his left to take the catch, the end was nigh for Yorkshire’s second innings.

In the next over, indeed, Worrall pegged back Ben Mike’s off stump with a perfect outswinger, the all-rounder departing for a 14 which had included a second-ball pull for six off the same bowler.

Worrall hit last man Steven Patterson’s off stump to finish off the innings, leaving Burns to take three fours off Ben Coad’s opening over as he and Patel knocked off the runs with a flourish, scoring 30 and 19 not out respectively.

Surrey’s triumph has been based on a deep batting order and a relentless fast bowling attack, in which Worrall now has 39 wickets at 24.15, Roach 25 at 24.04, Overton 33 at 24.72 and Clark 30 at 33.86. Another youthful quick, Gus Atkinson, aged 24 and like Lawes a product of Surrey’s youth system, has taken 13 wickets in his four appearances and – as in this match – they have often fielded five frontline pace bowlers in their championship XIs.

 

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart said: “It’s a great day and we have won this championship truly as a squad. So many of the players have contributed significantly to this achievement, and I would include those who haven’t actually played much too. Often the mark of good sides is the strength in depth and attitude of the whole squad and that’s what you can definitely say this summer about the 22 who represented us in the competition, plus a few others who didn’t get to play at all.

“The management too have played a huge part in this title win, from Gareth Batty as interim head coach and both our interim batting and bowling coaches, Jim Troughton and Azhar Mahmood. We had to reorganize our management group last winter, with Vikram Solanki going to the IPL to coach Gujarat and Richard Johnson being appointed head coach at Middlesex, so this success is also a great achievement by them.”

 

Surrey head coach Gareth Batty said: “It’s nice for the players that they’ve got over the line today and can relax and enjoy the last game next week. We’ve used 22 players in the championship, not because of drastic injury situations but mainly through loss of players to international duty.

“To keep a squad like that firing at a high level of skill and consistency is a very proud moment for all the management staff. Having Rory [Burns] back at the helm consistently is gold. You don’t win anything without senior players, and he leads all our senior players. Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes were also prepared to play at Northants last week, which speaks volumes for what is happening within the group.”

 

Surrey captain Rory Burns said: “To win it again has been really pleasing, and the fact we've used 22 players in the squad and played in the manner we have. That's been the key thing, every time we've needed someone to step up someone has put their hand up and put in a performance. It's pretty special.”

Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson said: “First of all, congratulations to Surrey. Over the three days, they were miles ahead of where we are at the moment as a team. They have played championship-winning cricket all year, and we haven’t reached that level yet.

“But, as I said to the guys in the changing room as Surrey were singing their team song, ‘We’re in a bit of transition, but there’s no reason why in a year or two we can’t be doing the same’.

“It’s been a disappointing three days, I have to say that. I expected us to bat better in both innings, and we haven’t done so. Next week is a massive game because we don’t to be playing in any other division than the first.”

 

 

Hampshire vs Kent, Division 1

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Hampshire’s dream of winning the LV= Insurance County Championship title for the first time in 49 years was ended by a 77-run defeat to Kent.

Joe Weatherley, James Vince and James Fuller – 56, 73 and 78 not out respectively – had given the south coast county hope of successfully chasing an unlikely 378 runs.

But Hampshire’s hopes of replicating the 1961 and 1973’s champions were dashed to give Surrey the pennant for the second time in five seasons – with Nathan Gilchrist taking four for 60, including the winning wicket as Hampshire only reached 300.

It was Hampshire’s third defeat of the season, and Kent’s third victory.

For Kent, their battle for survival in Division One was given a huge boost. To go with the 19 points they took from the victory, closest rivals Warwickshire suffered a shock defeat to rock-bottom Gloucestershire to give Kent a 14-point buffer heading into the final round - where they face Somerset at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

Hampshire’s hopes of winning the game had been trounced after they had been bowled out for 57 – in doing so giving up a 108-run first-innings deficit – and were further diminished when they had lost four wickets in their pursuit of 378 on the second evening.

Joe Weatherley had been the shining light of that period with his first score above 25 since April. He had ended the day on 54, having left and defended well, while also finding ways to score.

The morning only brought two runs in a six-over stay before a full Nathan Gilchrist delivery thudded into his shin. Gilchrist’s following over saw the end of the unbalanced Ben Brown, who clipped a similarly full ball to square leg.

Conor McKerr had been sent on loan from Surrey for this fixture, but hadn’t personally helped his parent county with one and a duck with the bat, and no chance to bowl in the first innings. His celebration was perhaps the loudest of the day when he pinned Aneurin Donald in front.

Vince wasn’t allowing Kent to ease to victory though, as he demonstrated his trademarked mix of dogged determinism to win the game for his team and beautiful shot-making. His first three scoring shots were variations on a cover drive, including the first ball of the day.

He moved to his sixth half-century of the season off 81 balls with a dabbed three down to third, to take the required runs down to 169 runs at lunch.

But only 27 more runs were knocked off before a turning half-tracker from Jack Leaning lit up Vince’s eyes, and his pull shot fell straight into Tawanda Muyeye’s grasp on the deep midwicket boundary.

It ended a 90-run stand with Fuller which had almost made Hampshire surprise favourites. Now things looked terminal.

Kyle Abbott was undone by bounce out of the footholds by Leaning to loop to first slip. And despite Fuller racing past a 74 ball fifty and biffing some late runs, Mohammad Abbas had his off stump knocked over by Gilchrist.

The defeat is Hampshire’s first at home in the Championship since losing to Somerset last May – a run of 10 victories – and just their second since the start of the 2019 season.

Hampshire captain James Vince:

Gloucestershire vs Warwickshire, Division 1

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Tom Price produced an inspired career-best performance to ease Gloucestershire to a three-wicket triumph over fellow LV=County Championship First Division strugglers Warwickshire at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.

Gloucestershire's young Academy product claimed a remarkable haul of 8-23 and match figures of 10-73 to put the skids under Warwickshire, who were shot out for 128 inside 39 overs in their second innings as this entertaining contest rushed to a premature conclusion on the third day.

Set a modest 148 to win, the home side recovered from 30-4 to reach their target in 48.2 overs thanks to experienced opener Chris Dent and skipper Graeme van Buuren, who scored 64 and 49 respectively and staged a match-winning stand of 97. 

Gloucestershire banked 21 points and, while their first victory in 13 attempts in red-ball cricket this summer has come too late to save them from relegation, it at least represents a silver lining. As for Warwickshire (5 points), they remain second from bottom of the table and, with one game to play, look like joining Gloucestershire in the Second Division next year.

Crowned champions just 12 months ago, the Bears have suffered a dramatic fall from grace. Buoyed by Dom Sibley's outstanding unbeaten hundred in the first innings, they appeared well-set to forge their second win of the season and keep alive their survival hopes, only to suffer a calamitous collapse in the face of relentless accuracy from Price.

This startling defeat will benefit fellow strugglers Kent and Somerset, whose fate will reside in their own hands when they meet in the final round of games at Canterbury next week. So parlous is the position Warwickshire find themselves in, that even victory in their last outing against Hampshire at Edgbaston is likely to save them.

Warwickshire resumed their second innings on 58-5, a lead of 77, their brief to bat beyond lunch and put pressure back onto Gloucestershire. But Tom Price clearly had other ideas. Still on a roll after taking four quick wickets the previous evening, the 22-year-old seamer picked up where he left off to plunge the visitors further into crisis.

Price first accounted for Jacob Bethel, who directed a thickish edge to Chris Dent at third man and departed without adding to his overnight tally of three. He struck again in his next over, ensuring there would be no repeat of Danny Briggs' first innings heroics for Warwickshire. Having contributed a valuable half century on the first day, Briggs played down the wrong line to a ball that came back into him and looked back in horror as his middle stump went cartwheeling. 

While Alex Davies remained at large, the Bears had hope, and the former Lancashire wicketkeeper served up continued defiance to post a gritty 50. Together with Henry Brookes, he staged a partnership of 43 for the eighth wicket to frustrate Gloucestershire's victory charge.

Davies had raised 60 from 90 balls and accrued 8 fours when his resistance finally came to an end, slow left armer Zafar Gohar pinning the 28-year-old in his crease to afford the home side relief. And having made a crucial breakthrough at one end, Gloucestershire made good their advantage, Price returning at the Ashley Down Road end to have Brookes caught at the wicket for 32.

His tail up, Price finished the job in style, producing late in-swing to dismiss Ryan Sidebottom lbw and complete a truly memorable performance with the ball.

Warwickshire had no option but to set attacking fields and push hard for early wickets. Oliver Hannon-Dalby represented their best chance of bringing pressure to bear and he produced a lifting delivery to have Ben Charlesworth caught at head height by Sam Hain at second slip shortly after lunch. Olly Price fell in near identical fashion, held at first slip, soon afterwards as Hannon-Dalby gave the Bears renewed hope.

Exposed to trial by spin on a turning pitch, Miles Hammond and James Bracey both came up short, dismissed for ducks by Jayant Yadav and Briggs respectively as Gloucestershire slumped to 30-4.

Blocking their way to victory was clearly not an option, and new batsman van Buuren sought a change of tempo, taking boundaries off both spinners to set the scoreboard in motion once more. Dent responded positively to his captain's example and, by the time the partnership had realised 50, Warwickshire had withdrawn many of their close fielders and the danger had receded.

Dent went to a 120-ball 50 via his seventh four, while the more progressive van Buuren raised 49 from 63 balls before playing across the line to Yadav and falling lbw. Yadav then removed Jack Taylor and Dent in quick succession to finish with 4-47, but Gloucestershire's tailenders held their nerve to see the job through.

 

Warwickshire sport director Paul Farbrace said: "We gave it a really good go and, although things didn't work out the way we would have liked, that's all you can really ask. We have no divine right to win any game and this one kind of summed up our season. These games are hard, because there has to be a loser and, today, it was us. Had we ended that partnership (between Chris Dent and Graeme van Buuren) a little sooner, it might have been our day. But it just proved beyond us, and we didn't get the rub of the green at times. Momentum plays a part in things, and you sometimes have sessions like we had the night before that you cannot recover from. It's disappointing not to have put that killer punch on them, but we've shown fight and that's something."

Gloucestershire captain Graeme van Buuren said: "We've been playing some very good cricket in recent games and were able to take that momentum into this one. We've been close before this season, but the difference here was that we believed we could win. We've been fortunate enough to benefit from some standout individual performances and for Tom Price to bowl with that consistency and patience was very special. It's fair to say this has been a breakthrough season for him and he's going to be a big part of the future here. We knew that chasing 148 was not going to be easy on that pitch. It turned throughout and batting was quite difficult. Once you were in, it was difficult for the bowlers to get you out. But playing yourself in was not easy either. I like batting with Chris Dent, because we calm one another down, and we both batted the situation quite well today. Warwickshire are a quality team and did not win the Championship last year for nothing. It was always going to be a nail-biting finish and I'm so glad that we've managed to beat them at home."

 

Leicestershire vs Middlesex, Division 2

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Middlesex have put themselves within sight of a victory that will put them squarely in contention for the Division Two title after Leicestershire’s fragile batting undid their good work with the ball on day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship match.

Skipper Callum Parkinson took four for 69 and young leg spinner Rehan Ahmed a career-best three for 50 as Middlesex collapsed from 209 for three to 271 all out in their second innings, losing their last seven wickets for 62 after Mark Stoneman (81) and Max Holden (91) had put on 165 for the fourth wicket.

It left Leicestershire with a fourth-innings target of 275 to record their first win of the season. Instead they are in deep trouble at 13 for four going into the final day.

After leaders Nottinghamshire’s heavy defeat at Worcester, a win here would take Middlesex into the final round of matches next week in second place just nine points behind.

Middlesex face Worcestershire at New Road, with Nottinghamshire at home to Durham.

Leicestershire had achieved their first objective for the day by finishing just three behind on first innings after Ed Barnes and Chris Wright added 21 runs to their overnight total.

Toby Roland-Jones prised out the last wicket when Barnes top-edged a pull to be caught behind for a best-of-season 46, the Middlesex seamer improving his figures to four for 66 and 59 first-class wickets for the season. Another five will match his career-best tally of 64 in 2012.

Leicestershire were in the ascendancy as Middlesex’s nascent second innings lost three wickets in the first 10 overs, mainly as a consequence of Parkinson’s bold decision to give his own left-arm spin a try with the new ball just five overs old.

By then, Middlesex had already lost Sam Robson to a fine catch at second slip by Colin Ackermann off Michael Finan. Parkinson struck with his seventh ball as Steven Eskinazi’s paddle-sweep looped to short leg.

When he made one bounce and turn to have a groping Pieter Malan caught at slip in his next over, Middlesex were 44 for three, just 47 runs in front.

But as Stoneman and Holden set their minds to scoring quickly in the hope of taking the game away from their opponents, Leicestershire’s front-line seamers found it hard to apply the brake. By lunch, Middlesex were 108 for three, 111 in front.

The fourth-wicket pair added 50 in 10 overs and maintained that rate of scoring, Holden reaching his personal half-century off 48 balls, Stoneman his off 74.  

Parkinson almost had Stoneman on 51 with a difficult chance to short leg at 139 for three, but the pitch was becoming increasingly unresponsive and Middlesex were now in control of their destiny.

By tea, their lead had been extended to 247, although the session had also seen Leicestershire fight back with three wickets.

Holden, often easy on the eye as he gathered 13 boundaries, departed on 91 after uncharacteristically poking at a wide ball from Tom Scriven outside off stump, caught behind by a diving Harry Swindells.

Stoneman went to sweep Louis Kimber, thus far an occasional off-spinner, but missed and was bowled behind his legs for 81.  When Ryan Giggins was bowled by Rehan Ahmed, failing to pick the youngster’s googly, Leicestershire felt they were back in the game, in  theory at least.

Indeed, the momentum stayed with them after tea as Middlesex’s collapse accelerated, their last four wickets tumbling for nine runs as John Simpson, sweeping, was bowled by one from Parkinson that turned back a long way and Luke Hollman heaved a horribly mistimed pull straight to mid-on.

Parkinson picked up his fourth wicket when another super delivery, perhaps his best of the day, beat Ethan Bamber’s push forward to clip off stump, before a Roland-Jones miscue to long-on gave Ahmed his third.

It left Leicestershire to chase 275 to win, not the most forbidding target but a formidable one for a team of their thin resources.

If they could have found a way through the last 16 overs of the day without mishap, they might have given themselves a chance.

Instead, Tim Murtagh dismissed Sam Evans leg before with his second ball, Sol Budinger, off the mark with a thick outside edge for four, was bowled off an inside edge by Roland-Jones, who then saw off Kimber, bowled by a full delivery and Ahmed, dragging on one to his leg stump, leaving them 13 for four inside the first six.

Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire, Division 2

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Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire suffered only their second defeat of the season as they were outplayed and went down by an innings and 79 runs to Worcestershire in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at New Road with five sessions to spare.

The home side collected the four remaining Nottinghamshire second innings wickets inside 70 minutes this morning as they were dismissed for 183 in 52.2 overs.

Nottinghamshire are still strong favourites to seal promotion and will need only a handful of points from the final game of the season against Durham at Trent Bridge.

The destiny of the Division Two title still remains in their own hands irrespective of how nearest challengers Middlesex fare during the next two days against Leicestershire.

This was only their second defeat of a season in which they have played outstanding cricket for long periods.

But victory keeps alive Worcestershire’s hopes of promotion before they take on Middlesex at New Road in their last match of 2022.

After rain had denied them when strongly placed in the previous two games versus Glamorgan and Sussex, they produced an excellent all-round display in sealing a fourth victory of the season.

Nottinghamshire Head Coach, Peter Moores, admitted his side had been on the receiving end of the type of attacking and positive cricket produced by his team for the majority of the campaign.

There was encouragement for the seamers throughout but Gareth Roderick and Brett D’Oliveira (Worcestershire) and Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire) showed what was possible with application and determination with the bat.

Nottinghamshire resumed on 129-6, still 133 short of making Worcestershire bat again, and Liam Patterson-White cover drove Ben Gibbon for four in the opening over.

But Worcestershire needed only 10 balls to make the first breakthrough of the day through Dillon Pennington who yesterday reached 40 first class wickets in a season for the first time.

Nottinghamshire keeper-batter, Tom Moores, was undone by a delivery which hit the shoulder of the bat and ballooned up and Brett D’Oliveira took the catch running around from backward point to shortish third man.

There was more joy for Pennington in his next over when Patterson-White tried to work a delivery to leg and was lbw at 142-8.

Jake Ball struck some blows of defiance in making 20 before he fenced at Josh Tongue and was caught behind.

Roderick then claimed his seventh catch of the game to wrap up proceedings after Dane Paterson played back to Matthew Waite.

Worcestershire Head Coach, Alex Gidman, said: “Really pleased with the performance. I thought we were outstanding from ball one. Absolute credit to the players. They put a lot of hard work in and got their rewards. Absolutely outstanding.

“Dominated after the first morning? It is hard enough first innings of a game and 10.30am in September at New Road is going to be tricky but I thought we applied ourselves ever so well, tried to do the right things and we got our rewards later in that day.

“Everyone has contributed. Even the guys who failed with the bat, they were great in the field, caught well, loads of energy and enthusiasm.

“I just think the whole performance from every member of the team was brilliant and all contributed to a really good and important win for us.

“Important performance by Gareth Roderick and Brett D’Oliveira? It was an outstanding partnership, they assessed conditions really well.

“They understood it was tricky and there was going to be a ball in it that might have been challenging but they had the resilience to get over that, and focused on the next ball, and built a really substantial partnership which was critical to setting up the opportunity for the bowlers to put some pressure on the Nottinghamshire batters.

“Gareth had to wait for his opportunity. The beginning of the season didn’t quite go as well as he would have liked but he has bided his time, gone away and worked extremely hard with the second team and got some scores.

“He has clearly taken his opportunity with the bat first and foremost and done a really good opportunity for us with the gloves. It’s been a balance decision, just the opportunity to play an extra seamer and it seems to have worked for us in these last couple of games.

“Bowlers worked well as a unit? They all contributed, all bowled a great spell at times, and they kept the scoreboard dry when they needed to at times. One to 11 an outstanding team performance.”

Nottinghamshire batter Haseeb Hameed said: “It’s been a tough few days and us and, on reflection, they have outplayed us. Credit to them.

“I would say we are quite disappointed for not bowling them out for fewer runs than they got.

“They had a very good partnership between Gareth Roderick and Brett D’Oliveira and, having got them 99-5, to bowl them out for 200 on that would have been nearer par.

“Batting-wise, we recognised it was a new ball wicket and we had to work hard but they bowled really well.

“They had five seamers so they were always able to come in hard on us and we found it challenging. There were enough wicket-taking balls to make it difficult for us.

“We take the learnings from this this game and make sure we are ready for Monday. We have got to remember we have played good cricket throughout the season and fall back on that.”

Glamorgan vs Derbyshire, Division 2

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New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel claimed his first five wicket haul for new county Glamorgan to help them close in on victory at home to Derbyshire.

The Welsh County need another seven wickets on the final day to maintain the pressure on Middlesex in the race for the second promotion spot in Division Two.

It took two sessions for them to take the remaining five wickets of the Derbyshire first innings, Anuj Dal top scoring with 92, Patel taking two catches to add to his five wickets.

Not quite up to the Test record-equalling 10 wickets he managed with ball in hand for New Zealand in India, but still a massive contribution for his new county as they enforced the follow on. Derbyshire finished the day on 123 for 3.

 

Glamorgan captain David Lloyd had talked about needing patience on this penultimate day and that was certainly the case through a wicketless morning session.

Harry Came and Anuj Dal kept the scoreboard moving in reasonable comfort, without ever being able to relax on a wicket which was still offering something to the bowlers – albeit without pace.

Glamorgan had to wait until after 1.20 before taking their first wicket, a smart catch by Patel low to his left off the bowling of van der Gugten to ensure Came went for a well made 64 in a partnership of 145.

Alex Thomson fell cheaply to the bowling of Patel before van der Gugten claimed the crucial wicket of Dal, eight short of what would have been a well deserved century.

The all rounder was probably the pick of the Derbyshire bowling as well as their top scorer, taking his total runs scored from number seven in the batting line-up to more than 900 this season.

Derbyshire continued to show stubborn resistance as Patel took the rest of the wickets to claim his first five wicket haul for his new county, 5 for 68, well supported by van der Gugten who took 3 for 37.

Glamorgan had no hesitation in enforcing the follow on, Derbyshire trailing by 297, but more importantly leaving four sessions to take the 10 wickets needed for victory.

Australian Michael Hogan led Glamorgan onto the field after tea for his last innings at the home of Glamorgan cricket after a decade with the Welsh County.

First innings half centurion Luis Reece fell caught behind off Harris, but captain Ben Godleman led the way following his first innings duck.

Brooke Guest was undone by a beauty from van der Gugten which jagged back between bat and pad to hit the top of off.

Godleman had a bit of luck when he was dropped by David Lloyd at slip for 38, but it did not cost Glamorgan’s skipper too dear as his opposite number fell for 40, LBW to van der Gugten, when close to his season’s top score of 43. Wayne Madsen and Leus du Plooy saw out the rest of the day.

Durham vs Sussex, Division 2

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Durham took one wicket at Seat Unique Riverside before rain intervened to halt their charge for victory against Sussex and take the game into the final day. 

In a day which only saw 14 balls delivered, Ben Raine still found time to pin Dan Ibrahim LBW for 0 before rain ended the session and eventually the day after just 10 minutes of play, Sussex adding three runs to their overnight score.

The inclement weather continued to keep the players off the field when eventually the umpires called close at 3:40 BST, with the visitors still 288 runs behind and likely needing to bat the final day out to rescue a draw.

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