Wednesday 24 September 2014 18:50, UK
Lancashire’s survival hopes in Division One were dealt a blow despite them moving into the lead on day two of their fixture against relegation rivals Middlesex at Old Trafford.
Steven Croft top-scored with 60 as the Red Rose county – who began the final round of fixtures sitting second from bottom in the table – reached 259-6 by the close of play, meaning they are 45 runs ahead.
However they need to make another 41 runs in 14 overs without losing more than two wickets to pick up a further bonus point, a scenario that would also deny their opponents from getting another.
Middlesex recorded a second bowling point when they rather fortunately had Croft caught down the leg side off the bowling of Toby Roland-Jones. The batsman had battled hard for nearly three hours but was then adjudged to have gloved a delivery that replays actually revealed had clipped his hip.
Luis Reece (45) and Ashwell Prince (48) had at one stage carried Lancashire to 98-1 before they suffered a mid-afternoon collapse, slipping to 160-5 when Jos Buttler was trapped lbw by Ravi Patel.
Luke Procter then made 37 not out as he and Glen Chapple, who was unbeaten on 21 at stumps despite clearly being bothered by an injury to his left hand, put on an unbroken partnership of 38.
Elsewhere in the top tier, Nick Compton tucked into Yorkshire’s bowling to help Somerset move in front against the 2014 champions at Headingley.
Compton hit a six and 23 fours in his chanceless knock of 156 – his second Championship ton of the summer - that helped carry the visitors to 319-3 in reply to Yorkshire’s total of 253.
Tom Abell ended the day unbeaten on 71 having played his part in a third-wicket stand of 154 with Compton, who had also previously put on a century partnership with his skipper, Marcus Trescothick (66).
Despite already being consigned to a quick return to Division Two, Northamptonshire fought hard with the bat in reply to Sussex’s score of 368 all out at Wantage Road.
Rob Keogh made 104 not out to help the home side finish Wednesday’s play on 251-7, though they still trail by 117 runs. They had at one stage been 84-4 but Keogh combined with Ben Duckett (70) in a fifth-wicket alliance that added 99.
Australian Steve Magoffin was the pick of the Sussex bowling attack with 3-35. He had also played his part with the bat, making 51 - his highest score for the county – as they pressed on from their overnight total of 300-7.
Ashar Zaidi missed out a century when he was bowled by Oliver Stone for 88. The seamer went on to remove Magoffin and last man Chris Liddle in the space of five deliveries, giving him final figures of 5-48.
At Edgbaston, centuries from Varun Chopra and Jonathan Trott put Warwickshire in a strong position against Durham - the team that defeated the Bears in the Royal London One-Day Cup final at the weekend.
Skipper Chopra hit 166 from 244 balls while Trott continued his fine finish to the domestic summer with 104, helping the home side reach 413-8 at the halfway stage of the contest.
That means Warwickshire lead by 212 despite Chris Rushworth claiming another five-wicket haul. He picked up 5-94, Trott amongst his victims, having taken 15 wickets in Durham's home win over Northamptonshire last week.
Watch day three of the crucial Division One fixture between Lancashire and Middlesex at Old Trafford LIVE on Sky Sports 2 HD from 10am on Thursday morning
