Saturday 16 August 2014 19:59, UK
Paul Horton's 114 and Ashwell Prince's unbeaten half-century helped Lancashire make a spirited response to Durham's 340 on the second day at Emirates Old Trafford.
Opener Horton underpinned Lancashire's charge with a superb century that included 13 fours in his 217-ball stay.
By close of play the Red Rose side had reached 252-5 with Prince 58 not out off 101 balls, but home hopes of forcing a win seem to rest on the South African and Lancashire's later batsmen building a substantial first-innings lead on the third day.
The first session could scarcely have gone better for Lancashire. Glen Chapple's bowlers took the last two Durham wickets in the first 10 minutes of play and then openers Horton and Luis Reece guided the home side safely to 78 for nought at the interval.
The morning included another success for Tom Smith, who became the leading wicket-taker in Division One with 53 victims when he had last man Chris Rushworth caught at cover by Usman Khawaja for five.
"That was a real good day for us," said Horton. "To get the two wickets early and then to bat well into the evening leaves us very happy with the way the day's panned out. It was pleasant to have Luis back opening. He regained his form and to share a record partnership against Durham was really nice.
"If we can get past Durham's score and build a first-innings lead, I would imagine that the game will accelerate in the later stages with the ball turning."
Kane Williamson's determined attempt to complete his maiden century for Yorkshire in his last home match had to be put on hold at Scarborough when bad light ended play with 15.5 overs remaining on the second day against Sussex.
The Kiwi had reached 90 - the third time he has made it into the 'nervous 90s' since joining the county last August - and Yorkshire were 258-5 and trailing on the first innings by 110.
Sussex were already comfortably placed on 315 for eight at the start of play and a positive approach by Steve Magoffin and Lewis Hatchett secured them a third batting point in the 104th over when the former played Jack Brooks off his legs for a boundary which moved the score on to 351.
Magoffin survived a fiercely struck return catch to Steven Patterson's right on 34 and it was the last ball of the 110th over that he departed for a season-best 39 to bring Yorkshire a third bowling bonus point at the last possible opportunity.
He lost his off-bail to a googly from Adil Rashid who wrapped things up in his next over by trapping Matthew Hobden lbw.
The ninth-wicket stand between Magoffin and Hatchett had added 49 valuable runs for Sussex and the pair quickly combined again with the new ball to despatch Yorkshire's openers with only five on the board.
Nottinghamshire fought back strongly on the second day against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
The visitors reached 384-8 at stumps, a first-innings lead of 124 with Michael Lumb top-scoring with 99, having taken part in two of the three century partnerships posted during the day.
Lumb faced 192 balls and hit 13 fours before edging Kyle Coetzer to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington, the 10th instance of a Nottinghamshire player to fall in the nineties this season.
He shared in a stand of 133 with Riki Wessels (71) and 106 with Chris Read (59).
After tea Ajmal Shahzad (65 not out) and Luke Fletcher (49) also profited against a tiring attack, putting on 114 for the eighth wicket as Notts enhanced their Championship credentials with a display of great character.
Lumb said after stumps: "I'd definitely have taken 99 at the start of the day, after the season I've had and especially in the position that we were in.
"I was pretty devastated to get out then though. It was a tricky situation at the start so when you work that hard it was a little disappointing not to get to a hundred.
"Riki, Ready, Ajmal and Fletch all showed good fighting spirit and it's set the game up nicely for us now."
A sparkling innings of 95 from debutant Tom Abell kept Somerset in the clash at Taunton where by close of day two Warwickshire led by 82 runs with all second-innings wickets intact.
The visitors added 33 to their overnight score thanks to a career-best 40 from
last man Oliver Hannon-Dalby before they were all out for 367.
Somerset struggled in reply and at 153-7 were in danger of following on when 20-year-old local product Abell was joined by Lewis Gregory. They added 84 together to see the hosts past the required 218.
Abell was eventually last out as Somerset posted 286, Jeetan Patel and Richard Jones both finishing with four for 81.
Warwickshire had scored one without loss in their second innings by the close.
