Monday 4 May 2015 20:07, UK
Ashwell Prince scored a fine century as Lancashire recovered from a poor start against Northants at the County Ground.
Prince hit 14 fours in an unbeaten 104 as the visitors rallied from a perilous 3-2 to reach 216-4 in response to the home side's impressive 385 all out in their LV= County Championship Division Two clash.
Northants were in a deal of trouble on 198-6 at the start of the second day but they scored quick runs in the morning session as Steven Crook played a fine innings coming in at eight.
Crook and Adam Rossington (57) but on 80 for the seventh wicket and he went on to make 91 before becoming one of three victims of Lancashire paceman Kyle Jarvis, who continued his fine start to the season with 3-79.
Jarvis was outshone by Jordan Clark, who returned a career-best 4-101, including the final wicket when he caught and bowled Olly Stone, who was part of a 52-run last wicket stand with Azharullah.
Lancashire's reply started in horrible fashion as Luis Reece was caught behind off Rory Kleinveldt for a duck, and the South African also accounted for Alviro Petersen for one in his next over.
But Prince and Paul Horton (49) added 112 for the third wicket and he found an able ally in Alex Davies, with whom he added an unbeaten 73 for the fifth wicket.
Darren Stevens took five wickets and Joe Denly scored a painstaking half-century as Kent battled their way back into contention on the second day of their clash with Leicestershire.
When bad light forced a halt with 13 scheduled overs remaining, Kent had reached 155-3 - a deficit of 231 - with Denly unbeaten on 56 and Sam Northeast with 38 - the fourth-wicket partners added an unbroken 79 as Kent fought back from 76-3.
They were responding to Leicestershire's impressive 386, rounded off on Monday morning when Stevens ripped out the lower order for figures of 5-88.
Clint McKay grabbed two early wickets to have Kent in trouble but they were able to rely on Denly, who returned to the county over the winter after a spell with Middlesex.
Denly dug in after McKay's early burst, and in tandem with vice-captain Northeast in a combative fourth-wicket stand, he registered his second successive championship fifty from 149 balls.
Glamorgan seamer Andy Carter continued his fine start to the campaign with four more wickets as Glamorgan had the better of day two against Derbyshire at the Swalec Stadium.
Carter, on loan from Nottinghamshire, took 4-53 to take his wickets tally to 12 for the season and help bowl the visitors out for only 205.
Derbyshire were thankful to 53 from opener Ben Slater and 48 from Scott Elstone, with only two more of their batsmen even reaching double figures - extras were third top scorer on 34.
James Kettleborough and Jacques Rudolph put on 62 for Glamorgan's first wicket but they did lose both openers inside the final hour's play.
Shiv Thakor took both wickets to finish on 2-11, bowling Kettleborough for 17 and trapping captain Rudolph in front for 43 off 67 balls.
Essex are in trouble after two days of their clash with Gloucestershire at Chelmsford, leading by only five runs with six second innings wickets remaining.
Although they managed to restrict the visitors to 245 all out - they had started the day a promising 77-0 - Essex slumped to 91-4 after making only 159 in the first innings.
James Porter claimed 4-59, including top scorer Peter Handscomb for 66, while Jesse Ryder weighed in with 3-75 as Gloucestershire were pegged back.
But they remain well in control thanks to a fine spell from Liam Norwell, who took the first three Essex wickets and finished the day on 3-18. Ryder made 21 before falling to to Matt Taylor while Jaik Mickleburgh scored 31.
