Key events
Tuesday’s roundup: Surrey hold firm at Taunton, Pepper hits century
The Somerset teenager Archie Vaughan continues to make a name for himself. The 18-year-old son of the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, followed his fluent first-day 44 by taking all three Surrey wickets on day two with his right-arm off-breaks at Taunton. But the visitors and Championship leaders will have ended the day happier, having progressed cautiously to 169 for 3 in a match second-placed Somerset need to win.
After Vaughan claimed two early strikes, Ben Geddes, in only his seventh first-class match, made a fifty in a partnership with Ryan Patel, who did likewise. Vaughan then snared Geddes, inducing a top-edged sweep, but Patel and Ben Foakes kept things steady before the weather ended play early.
Among the relegation strugglers Lancashire are in deep trouble at Durham, who powered ahead of the visitors’ 228 thanks to a colossal partnership between South Africa’s David Bedingham, who returned from international duty with a daddy hundred, and Colin Ackermann, who also reached three figures just before stumps.
Their fellow toilers Nottinghamshire were made to suffer by an accomplished century from Essex’s Michael Pepper, who hit a hundred for the second consecutive match. Pepper was aided by a half-century from Simon Harmer as Essex ploughed beyond 450. The ever-lively Sam Cook then had the Notts captain, Haseeb Hameed, caught at backward point before the rain came.
Below them, doomed Kent capitulated again, crumbling to 63 for 5 after Tom Prest and Brad Wheal shepherded Hampshire’s tail masterfully to take them beyond 400.
The top three in Division Two all look set fair for victory, weather permitting. The leaders, Sussex, put the game beyond Glamorgan at Hove courtesy of an unbeaten 194 partnership between the veteran John Simpson, who hit his 15th hundred, and Tom Clark (79 not out).
Jonathan Tattersall’s century helped Yorkshire to a huge first-innings lead over Leicestershire, who lost two cheap wickets in their second knock before rain reprieved them. And Middlesex have the upper hand against Gloucestershire, Toby Roland-Jones striking three times at Lord’s.
Preamble
Morning fellow Championship stoics. After a weather-heckled day yesterday it’s currently gloriously sunny in London, though it looks a bit more variable in Taunton and could worsen in Durham. Day three will be something of a moving day, as captains decide to stick or twist. In the clash of the top two, leaders Surrey will want to plod on methodically and do all they can to limit Somerset’s room for winning manoeuvre, while at the bottom Lancashire have a battle on their hands to avoid defeat at Durham, whose fifth-wicket pair ground them into the dust yesterday evening, while Notts need to keep Sam Cook, Jamie Porter and co at bay at Chelmsford.
In Division Two, the leaders Sussex look set fair to beat Glamorgan and Yorkshire should run through Leicestershire though Middlesex have a bit more to do to force a result against Gloucestershire at Lord’s. We’ll keep you on top of these and other games, and feel free to add your own insights below the line or by email. Play!
Scores on the doors
Division One
Chester-le-street: Durham 367-4 v Lancashire 228
Chelmsford: Essex 457 v Nottinghamshire 37-1
Canterbury: Kent 64-5 v Hampshire 403.
Taunton: Somerset 317 v Surrey 169-3
Worcester: Worcestershire 307 v Warwickshire 112-4
Division Two
Leicester: Leicestershire 98 & 35-2 v Yorkshire 379
Lord’s: Middlesex 377 v Gloucestershire 154-5
Northampton: Northants 219 & 178-5 v Derbyshire 165
Hove: Sussex 407-5 v Glamorgan 186
