Durham set to leapfrog Yorkshire as Championship leaders

The encounter – the home side’s game in hand over leaders Yorkshire, which they went into in second place, 5.5 points off the summit – was proving productive in general for bowlers, with Durham posting a first-innings total of just 245 on day one. Graham Onions (4-50), Usman Arshad (3-16) and Mitchell Claydon (3-25) then rapidly saw off third-placed Sussex, who started day two on 60-3, before Durham found themselves at 90-5 in their second innings.

Phil Mustard (57 not out) and Paul Collingwood (45) helped ensure they had a healthy advantage by stumps, when they were 
212-6.

At the other end of the table, third-bottom Somerset closed 36 runs ahead of basement club
 Derbyshire at Taunton. The visitors established a first-innings lead of 195, moving from 220-5 overnight to 298 before being halted, with Richard Johnson having top-scored on 68.

Somerset’s second innings, a vast improvement on their initial batting effort of 103, saw them reach 231-4 at the close, with James Hildreth having been ousted on 81 and Nick Compton unbeaten on 64.

Ollie Rayner’s career-best of 8-46 accelerated Middlesex 
towards a victory over second-bottom Surrey at the Kia Oval.

The hosts fell to 145 all out in their first innings as off spinner Rayner sliced through them in a remarkable afternoon session which they began at 59-1 in reply to Middlesex’s first innings of 294.

By the close Surrey were 282 runs adrift as Middlesex reached 133-5 in their second innings, with Dawid Malan finishing unbeaten on 28 and not even Gary Keedy’s 5-42 enough to bring Surrey back into the game.

Samit Patel’s 117 revived Nottinghamshire’s fortunes as they reached 359 to establish a first-innings lead of 61 at Trent Bridge against Warwickshire, who closed on 27-2. The home side had been on 14-3 at the start of day two in response to 298.

In Division Two, Hampshire made a determined reply at the Ageas Bowl after Rob Keogh’s 221 had helped Northamptonshire to a first innings total of 438. Hampshire closed on 160-2, with Jimmy Adams unbeaten on 71.

Worcestershire produced a spirited fightback but were still left with a huge task to avoid defeat at Essex, who had bowled them out for 102 on day one and then posted a first-innings total of 351 to give them a lead of 249.

The visitors reached the close on day two on 163-3 in their second innings.

Gloucestershire declared on 516-9 – Will Gidman made 143 – to assume a first-innings lead of 399 as Leicestershire finished the day on 60-1.