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Division One: Yorkshire take charge; Northants waste strong start; Middlesex move into lead

Warwickshire batsman Varun Chopra in action against Yorkshire in the County Championship. Headingley, May 12 2014.
Image: Varun Chopra: Warwickshire opener had his stumps re-arranged by Jack Brooks

Yorkshire's bowlers put them in control of their County Championship match against Division One leaders Warwickshire at Headingley on day two.

Warwickshire were reduced to 136-6 in reply to Yorkshire's first-innings 444 despite the best efforts of Ian Bell.

England international Bell, batting at No 4, played a lone hand with 58 not out to take his season's tally in the championship to 463.

But a succession of his team-mates came and went as Yorkshire's attack shared the wickets around, including two for Jack Brooks (2-39).

Liam Plunkett had earlier hit four sixes in a 75-ball 86 from No 9 as Yorkshire's lower order added a further 134 runs to their overnight 310-8 before being all out. Chris Woakes denied Plunkett a century to finish with figures of 4-68.

Siddle in the wickets

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Play finally got under way a day late at Trent Bridge and Nottinghamshire seamer Peter Siddle made up for lost time with figures of 4-75.

Australian Siddle's best haul of the season helped reduce Northamptonshire to 241-8 by the close.

New-ball partner Ajmal Shahzad also impressed with 3-44 as Northants collapsed following a 107-run opening stand between skipper Stephen Peters (88) and James Middlebrook (47).

At Lord's, Middlesex moved into a first-innings lead against Lancashire thanks to half-centuries from Sam Robson, Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan.

Middlesex reached 275-3 in reply to Lancashire's 266, with two of the three wickets to fall on day two coming via run outs.

Kyle Hogg, making his first appearance of the season after injury, had Chris Rogers caught behind for one in the second over of the morning but thereafter it was the batsmen who dominated.

Robson, one of the contenders to open with Alastair Cook in England's Test side for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, passed 50 for the fourth time in nine championship innings this summer before being run out for 51 to end a second-wicket stand of 107 with Malan.

Malan, who hit 17 fours during his 174-ball stay, added a further 73 with Morgan but was himself caught short of his ground on 92.

Morgan, another with ambitions of a Test call-up, finished 76 not out alongside Neil Dexter, who followed his 6-63 on the opening day with an unbeaten 44.

Onions injured

Defending champions Durham claimed four wickets in the 17.4 overs possible on day two at Hove to reduce Sussex from 441-5 to 505-9 in their first innings.

Luke Wright and Ben Brown had both scored centuries on the opening day but added only a further 10 runs before their county record sixth-wicket stand was ended at 335 when Wright edged behind off Chris Rushworth for a career-best 189.

Rushworth (4-124) added the wicket of Ashar Zaidi for a duck later in the same over and Mark Wood (3-117) followed up by bowling Ben Brown for 163 - also a career-best - and having James Anyon (23) caught by Kumar Sangakkara shortly before rain forced the players off for an early lunch at Hove.

The players did not return to the middle, play eventually being called off for the day following a 5.15pm inspection.

Durham were without their leading bowler Graham Onions due to a back injury sustained the previous day.