At a glance
- Middlesex win at Old Trafford
- Durham go top after win
- Classic game at Gloucestershire
Day three and already two of the games have finished, a third game is looking like a really tight one, and unless the weather intervenes, the last game should be a foregone conclusion.
Lancashire v Middlesex
Lancashire started day three on 45-3, with a lead of 77, looking to extend their lead and bat most of the day. Middlesex had other ideas though.
With some excellent bowling, Lancashire capitulated under the pressure. The only batter today that got into double figures was Michael Jones with 10. Lancashire were all out for 84, their lowest score against Middlesex at Old Trafford since 1935.
Naavya Sharma took a career best 4-17, and Ryan Harris took 4-27, and 7-85 in the match. Toby Roland-Jones took the other two wickets for 20.
Chasing 117 for victory, Middlesex decided to not hang around. Sam Robson was out first for 14 off 18 balls, then a mini collapse as 36-1 became 64-4. But a 73 off 70 balls from Ben Geddes saw the visitors home for their first win at Old Trafford since 1996.
George Balderson (2-23) and Mitchell Stanley (2-35) were the only wicket takers. This win puts Middlesex up to second, and Lancashire drop to fourth.
You can see the full scorecard here
Worcestershire v Durham
What a day for Durham, as they went top of Division Two with their win. They started day three on 207-6, 101 runs behind. Graham Clark added 30 to his overnight total, top scoring with 78. However, no one else really made much of a dent in the total, as they were all out for 268, still behind by 40 runs.
Tom Taylor (3-64) and Matthew Waite (3-43) were the pick of the Worcestershire bowling. Ethan Brookes chipped in with 2-10, and Harry Darley and Jack Home took a wicket each.
Worcestershire, already 40 runs ahead were looking to put themselves in a winning position. Daniel Lategan (20) and Jake Libby (28) put on 53 for the first wicket, and everything is looking rosy for the Pears. 53-1 soon turned into 102 all out, as Callum Parkinson spun his way to 5-13 from 10 overs. Ben Stokes took 2-33, and Kasey Aldridge took 2-13, with Ben Raine got the other wicket.
So with 143 needed to win, and over a full day to go, Durham set about winning the game on day three. Alex Lees went in the first over, and the score was 4-1. That was the last wicket to fall, as Ben McKinney (87*) and Emilio Gay (51*) saw Durham home for a convincing nine wicket win. Tom Taylor took the only wicket (1-26).
Durham, still unbeaten, are now the leaders of DIvision Two and Worcestershire are in fifth.
You can read the full scorecard here
Gloucestershire v Kent
Bad light brought play to a premature close, but this match is beautifully poised heading into the final day. Kent resumed on 308-8 and could add only 19 more runs before being bowled out for 327, giving them a slender first-innings lead of just two runs. Chris Benjamin was unable to add to his overnight 74, while Keith Dudgeon added only nine to his overnight score of 30. Gabe Bell claimed the final two wickets to finish with figures of 3-76.
Gloucestershire began their second innings positively in search of a challenging target, although they were soon reduced to 39-2 following the dismissals of Ben Charlesworth and Oliver Price. A 70-run partnership between Cameron Bancroft and Miles Hammond, who made 33, steadied the innings and took the score to 109 before Hammond fell. Wickets continued to tumble throughout the day, but Bancroft’s composed 83 ensured Gloucestershire closed on 251-9, holding a lead of 249 with one day remaining.
James Taylor (3-53) and Ekansh Singh (3-46) were the standout bowlers for Kent, while Michael Cohen (2-45) and Joey Evison also made important contributions, with Evison claiming the key wicket of Bancroft. Day four promises to deliver a thrilling finish.
You can read the full scorecard here
Derbyshire v Northamptonshire
Derbyshire are closing in on their first win of the season, with Northamptonshire likely needing the British weather to come to their rescue. The visitors resumed on 98-4, still trailing by 506 runs and already battling to avoid the follow-on.
Calvin Harrison carried on from his overnight score to make an impressive 107, but aside from useful contributions from James Sales (46) and Lewis McManus (47), Northamptonshire’s batting line-up struggled. They were eventually bowled out for 228, still 376 runs behind. Ben Aitchison was the standout performer with the ball, taking 4-55, while Rory Haydon claimed 3-72 and Shoaib Bashir finished with 2-47. Zak Chappell picked up the remaining wicket.
Unsurprisingly, Derbyshire enforced the follow-on and Northamptonshire were sent back in to bat. Ricardo Vasconcelos (29) and Luke Procter (20) provided a solid start, putting on 50 for the opening wicket, but both fell within 12 runs of each other. By the close, Northamptonshire had reached 66-2, though they still trail by 310 runs.
Derbyshire will now be aiming to wrap up the remaining wickets quickly on day four and avoid the frustration of settling for a draw.
You can see the full scorecard here
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