Spinners Archie Vaughan and Jack Leach sparked a dramatic late Surrey collapse as Somerset boosted hopes of a first ever County Championship title with a thrilling 111-run win over the Division One leaders at Taunton.
Chasing 221 to win on a turning pitch, Surrey were bowled out for 111 with less than five minutes left in the game, with 18-year-old Vaughan claiming 5-38 and match figures of 11-140, while Leach finished with 5-37.
Only Dom Sibley (56) and Ben Foakes (20) offered prolonged resistance, but their fourth-wicket stand of 49 in 29 overs looked to have secured a draw before seven wickets fell for 14 runs at the death.
Somerset had extended their second-innings score from an overnight 194-9 to 224 all out, thanks to injured Tom Banton’s 46 and Craig Overton’s unbeaten on 49 after an unlikely stand of 71 gave their side genuine hope of victory.
They claimed 21 points from the game to Surrey’s five and closed the gap at the top of the table to just eight points with two matches to play.
Simon Harmer claimed his second four-wicket haul of the match as Essex wrapped up a Vitality County Championship innings victory over Nottinghamshire before lunch on the final day.
The South African off-spinner finished with 4-93 as Nottinghamshire’s batting collapsed for a second time in double-quick time to lose by an innings and 83 runs.
The relegation-threatened visitors folded from their overnight 180 for two, still needing 184 to make Essex bat again, losing their remaining eight wickets in 38 overs while adding 101 runs in an extended morning session. They had conceded a 364-run deficit on first innings when bowled out for just 93.
Harmer was ably supported by Sam Cook and Paul Walter, who took two apiece to condemn Nottinghamshire to their fourth defeat of the Division One season.
Durham‘s Matthew Potts took a career-best nine for 68 to help his side complete their innings and 63-run thrashing of Lancashire at The Riverside.
Resuming on 155 for four and needing another 190 runs to avoid their fourth innings defeat of the season, Lancashire lost their last six wickets in less than a session and were bowled out for 282.
The only shred of comfort for the visitors was offered by 20-year-old Matty Hurst, who made 67, his second fifty of the match and fifth half-century of the season.
At one stage of his devastating spell, Potts was on a hat-trick but he had to settle for three wickets in four balls when Tom Bailey nicked his second delivery to first slip Scott Borthwick.
He ended the game when he had Anderson Phillip leg before wicket to complete a match return of 12 for 126.
Durham take 24 points from the game, effectively ending any lingering fears of relegation, whereas Lancashire take one point, a return which keeps them in ninth place in Division One.
Career-best figures from bowler Matthew Potts inspired Durham’s thrashing of Lancashire
Will Rhodes struck his third century of the season to steer Warwickshire to safety in their hard-fought draw with local rivals Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Former Warwickshire captain Rhodes is ending a seven-season association with the Bears at the end of the campaign to join Durham on a three-year contract.
He showed his quality in defying the home side’s push for victory after Warwickshire had followed on and were still eight runs in arrears with three second-innings wickets down at the start of the final day.
The 29-year-old was unbeaten on 121 when a heavy downpour after lunch ended play and he needs just 46 more to complete 1,000 runs in a first-class season for the first time.
Rhodes was given excellent support by 18-year-old Hamza Sheikh (33 not out) in only his second Championship match.
The result leaves Worcestershire and Warwickshire 40 and 36 points respectively ahead of second-from-bottom Lancashire and both are strongly placed to ensure another campaign of top-flight cricket.
Will Rhodes third century of the season guided Warwickshire to safety in their County Championship draw at Worcestershire
Kent will live to fight another day in Division One after they battled for a draw with Hampshire on a thrilling final day at Canterbury.
Kent were all out for 338 in their second innings. Jack Leaning made exactly 100 in a stand of 149 with Harry Finch, who was the last man out for 79, while Kyle Abbott took four for 66 and Muhammad Abbas three for 69.
It meant Hampshire needed 143 from nine overs but their improbable run chase lasted just 2.4 overs. They were 24 for one when bad light ended their pursuit at 5.54pm before the rain returned.
Jack Leaning of Kent celebrates reaching his century during the Vitality County Championship match between Hampshire and Kent at Utilita Bowl on July 02, 2024 in Southampton, England.
County Championship: Division Two
Tom Price and Zafar Gohar held their nerve to steer Gloucestershire to a tense four-wicket victory at Lord’s and deal Middlesex‘s Vitality County Championship promotion hopes a severe blow.
The visitors appeared to be cruising to their target of 234 after Miles Hammond and James Bracey both struck half-centuries in a fourth-wicket partnership of 113.
But a three-wicket burst for off-spinner Josh de Caires in the space of nine deliveries hauled Middlesex back into contention before the seventh-wicket pair steered Gloucestershire over the line with an unbroken stand of 54.
It was Gloucestershire’s second successive red-ball win at Lord’s, lifting them to fifth place in Division Two, while the home side drop to third and trail Yorkshire, in the second promotion spot, by 15 points.
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