Thursday 11 September 2014 12:27, UK
Surrey kept alive their faint hopes of promotion after a superb 103 from Jason Roy helped to earn them maximum batting points - and a first innings lead of 134 - in the County Championship match with Division Two leaders Worcestershire at New Road.
After making his international debut in England NatWest T20 win over India, Roy gave another impressive demonstration of the form he has shown throughout this summer as he reached a third Championship century of the campaign off 102 balls with 14 fours and a six.
It enabled Surrey, who began the match 39 points adrift of Worcestershire, to claim the full eight bonus points after bowling the home side out for 272 on the first day.
Worcestershire fought back strongly in the final session, with Jack Shantry picking up 6- 87 from 28.1 overs as he reached 50 Championship wickets for the season, before openers Daryl Mitchell and Richard Oliver saw their side to 12-0 in the six overs by the close.
Essex stand on the verge of victory after bowling Kent out for 151 in the second innings, leaving the hosts with a target of just 22 on the third day at Chelmsford.
After claiming a 130-run lead with a first innings total of 328, Essex's bowlers came to the fore once again, with Graham Napier picking up four wickets to take his match tally to seven.
Napier finished with second-innings figures of 4-28 while David Masters, Monty Panesar, Jesse Ryder and Tom Westley all chipped in with wickets as Kent collapsed to 151 all out.
Essex applied for the extra half-hour in the hope of wrapping up victory, but a reslient 21 from Adam Riley at No 10 left the hosts needing to bat again.
Atif Sheik claimed a hat-trick in only his second County Championship game for Leicestershire as they fought back on the second day against Gloucestershire at Bristol.
The first of the 23-year-old left-arm seamer's victims was Alex Gidman, lbw for a career-best 264. The next two deliveries clean bowled Craig Miles and Liam Norwell, to the astonishment of players and spectators, who had seen the hosts romp to 591-6.
Gloucestershire still went on to post 646. But by the close the visitors had responded with 246-2, Greg Smith making 103 and Angus Robson contributing 97 to an opening stand of 206.
Robson was run out three shy of his century before Smith was trapped lbw by Miles, leaving Ned Eckersley and Dan Redfearn – both unbeaten on 17 – to see Leicestershire through to close.
Graham Wagg added three wickets to his half-century as Glamorgan put themselves in a decent position against his old county Derbyshire after day two of their County Championship clash at Cardiff.
It was just about Glamorgan's day as they bowled Derbyshire out for 203 - after the hosts were reduced to 86-5 in the morning session - to give them a 79-run lead on first innings. Wagg, who scored 62 on day one, recorded figures of 3-56.
Glamorgan extended their lead to 224 by reaching 145-5 in their second innings, Wayne White taking four of the five wickets to fall.
Openers Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg put on 61 before White struck, leaving Dean Cosker (3no) and David Lloyd (0no) to see the hosts through to close.
