County wrap: How the Aussies fared in the sixth round

Division One

Jake Lehmann – Hampshire

89 (164) & 27 (78)

 

Season to date: 453 runs at 56.62

The South Australian left-hander returned from a brief trip home for personal reasons to top score in Hampshire’s first innings of their six-wicket loss to Essex. It was Lehmann’s fifth half-century in as many innings, a streak that was ended when he was bowled by Jamie Porter for 27 in the second innings for the second time in the match.

Lehmann sits seventh in the division one runs tally after round six, though he is yet to reach three figures this season having been dismissed between 76 and 92 four times. “I feel like I’m playing quite well at the moment; I would love to make that a big one and a match defining innings, which we are crying out for a little as a team,” Lehmann said at stumps on day one. “So a little bit disappointed with that but I’m happy overall with how I’m playing the game at the moment.”

The 33-year-old, who is playing on an English passport this season, hit 15 boundaries in his first-innings 89, including several crisp straight drives, putting on 105 runs for the fifth wicket stand with captain Ben Brown. But Hampshire were bowled out for twice for 235 and 214 in Chelmsford as Essex chased down 177 on day three to win.

Daniel Hughes – Sussex

136 (162) & 0 (1)

 

Season to date: 411 runs at 41.10

Sussex regular Hughes broke through for the first century of his third stint with the southern county to set up their seven-wicket win over Jake Weatherald’s Leicestershire. The veteran left-hander hit 20 boundaries in his speedy four-hour knock and celebrated his hundred with a triumphant fist pump after carving former Victorian allrounder Ian Holland through cover to reach three figures.

It was the 37-year-old’s third century for Sussex, finally converting a promising start to the season into a big innings after scores of 72 and 83 in the opening five rounds. “I’ve been batting well … I’ve had a few starts this year and haven’t really converted them, so it was nice to get to three figures today,” he said. Hughes’ knock ended on 136 when he chipped a half-volley to Weatherald at cover, and he crashed back to Earth with a golden duck in the second innings, adjudged to have feathered an inside edge off Tom Helm, a decision he appeared none too pleased with as he hung his head and banged his bat on the pitch.

Jake Weatherald – Leicestershire

43 (66) & 13 (20)

 

Season to date: 422 runs at 60.28

Weatherald again got set in both innings but Australia’s incumbent Test opener couldn’t kick on in his side’s away loss to Sussex. The left-hander crunched six boundaries in his first innings 43 and another two in the second before his had his off stump knocked out of the ground driving loosely at former England quick Ollie Robinson. Robinson took three wickets in both innings and appears back in the frame to add to his 20 Tests.

Ryan Hadley – Glamorgan

2-69 (22) & 3-28 (8.2)

 

5no (38) & 50no (231)

 

Season to date: 19 wickets at 26.05

Hadley was the hero of Glamorgan’s thrilling two-wicket win over Somerset, which was their first-ever division one victory at home. The NSW quick was sent in as nightwatcher on day three before peeling off his maiden half-century on the final day to lead his side’s fourth innings chase of 283. Hadley, who prior to the match had a top score of 15 and a batting average of 5.77 having faced 250 balls in his entire first-class career, drove his 231st ball faced past the bowler to the boundary to seal a famous Glamorgan win.

Hadley scored five not out in the first dig and is yet to be dismissed in six innings for Glamorgan this season.

The 27-year-old has also impressed with his primary skill for the Welsh county, helping set up the win with three second innings wickets to roll Somerset for 157 after they had taken a 125-run lead after the first innings. With two wickets on the opening day as well, including Somerset opener Josh Thomas twice in the match, Hadley has risen to equal sixth on the division one wickets tally this season with 19, with teammate Timm van der Gugten just ahead of him on 20.

Fergus O’Neill – Nottinghamshire

0-61 (23)

 

41 (105)

 

Season to date: 136 runs at 68, five wickets at 25.40

The Victorian seamer returned from a rib injury for his second match of the season but was unable to break through for a wicket in Surrey’s only innings for the match. Instead, he did his best work with the bat with six fours in his first innings 41 to help Nottinghamshire to 415 after being sent in at Trent Bridge.

Surrey replied with 449 before England opener Ben Duckett settled in for some centre-wicket practice ahead of their Test series against New Zealand, posting an unbeaten double-century as the match petered out to a draw.

Sean Abbott – Surrey

3-84 (25) & 1-50 (15)

 

Season to date: 10 wickets at 56

Abbott’s three wickets in the first innings was his best return of the season so far, providing valuable support to former South Australian quick Dan Worrall who took 6-73 in his first match of the campaign after a pre-season calf injury.

Abbott picked up two wickets in the space of three balls late on day one with Lyndon James caught behind before bowling Liam Patterson-White with a seed, then returned the following morning to dismiss Notts’ first innings top scorer Joe Clarke for 129.

The New South Welshman then sent opener Haseeb Hameed’s off stump cartwheeling in the second but couldn’t remove Ben Duckett (203no) as two of the top division one sides played out a high-scoring draw.

Beau Webster – Warwickshire

4 (23) & 32 (60)

 

DNB & 0-30 (5)

 

Season to date: 268 runs at 33.50, six wickets at 41.16

The Aussie allrounder had a relatively quiet game against Yorkshire but that didn’t stop his Warwickshire side storming to a massive 377-run win. After being bowled by George Hill by a delivery that nipped back between his bat and pad in the first innings, Webster scored 32 with three boundaries in the second as the Bears racked up 6(dec)-553 at Edgbaston, where he again fell to Hill lbw.

That set the Jonny Bairstow-led Yorkshire 549 runs to win, a target they never threatened as they were bowled out for 171. Webster wasn’t required with the ball in the first innings as Yorkshire were rolled for 152 and sent down five wicketless overs in the second, which cost him six runs apiece.

Division Two

Caleb Jewell – Derbyshire

94 (154)

 

Season to date: 208 runs at 26

Jewell shifted to No.4 this round with immediate success as he ended a run of low scores to help set up Derbyshire’s innings victory over the Darren Lehmann-coached Northamptonshire.

The Tasmanian left-hander hadn’t made it past 28 in his previous six innings after opening the season with a half-century, but made the most of his side’s solid platform after coming in at 2-156.

Jewell rattled off eight boundaries to end day one unbeaten 91 but couldn’t kick on the following day and was caught behind off Harry Conway.

After moving to Derbyshire during the offseason, out-of-favour England spinner Shoaib Bashir took five wickets from a marathon 62 overs for the match as Northants were bowled out for 228 and 263 following on.

Harry Conway – Northamptonshire

3-102 (24)

 

Season to date: 21 wickets at 23.80

The bustling right-armer was Northamptonshire’s best in an otherwise tough outing for the county as the fell to an innings defeat at the hands of Derbyshire.

Conway’s three wickets included Tasmanian Caleb Jewell six short of a century as he feathered an edge through to wicketkeeper Lewis McManus.

Conway had earlier picked up the first wicket of the match to break a 112-run opening partnership and also removed veteran run machine Wayne Madsen for 59. But that was the only opportunity he got with the ball as his Northants’ batters crumbled twice to give Derbyshire their first win of the season by an innings and 113 runs.

The 33-year-old quick’s three wickets keeps him in the top five bowlers in division two for the season heading into the final appearance of his two-month stint against Gloucestershire on Friday.

Nathan McSweeney – Northamptonshire

0 (1) & 62 (145)

 

2-48 (10.5)

 

Season to date: 340 runs at 56.66

A mixed performance for McSweeney in round six saw him caught behind for a golden duck in the first innings that he followed with a defiant final-day innings as Northamptonshire tried in vain to hold on for a draw.

McSweeney faced 145 balls as his side frustrated Derbyshire for 85 overs on day four, but ultimately, they couldn’t prevent an innings defeat.

The South Australian skipper also took two wickets with his off-spin in the first innings in support of Harry Conway (3-102). It was his best return of the county season so far but it didn’t halt Derbyshire’s progress as they racked up 6(dec)-604.

Gabe Bell – Gloucestershire

3-76 (25.5) & 4-87 (22)

 

Season to date: 17 wickets at 33

The Tasmanian has overcome a slow start to the county season to pick up 13 wickets in his past two games. Against Kent, he continued England opener Zak Crawley’s woes as he chopped on off Bell for a solitary run in the first innings.

He then struck regularly in the second innings to keep Gloucestershire in a tight tussle as Kent chased 261 in the fourth innings, but Bell’s side fell on the wrong side of the result despite his seven wickets for the match, as No.8 Joey Evison (12no) and No.10 James Taylor (7no) edged the visitors home with two wickets to spare on day four.

Cameron Bancroft – Gloucestershire

12 (29) & 83 (195)

 

Season to date: 228 runs at 25.33

The Gloucester captain was defiant in the second innings of his side’s narrow loss to Kent, standing firm for 195 balls to help set a challenging target of 261. After edging to Zak Crawley at first slip early on the opening day, Bancroft hit nine fours in his 83 in the second innings as he put on 80 for the third wicket with Miles Hammond (33).

Ultimately, the West Australian’s resistance went in vain as Kent got home by two wickets on the final day thanks to Tawanda Muyeye’s century, which leaves Gloucestershire anchored to the bottom of the division two table.

Chris Green – Lancashire

35 (75) & 5 (25)

 

Season to date: 40 runs at 20

Green arrived early for his third stint with Lancashire at the request of skipper Jimmy Anderson to fit in a couple of red-ball matches before the T20 Blast gets underway this month.

The off-spinning allrounder wasn’t required with the ball at all (no spin was bowled in the match) as pace dominated the three-day contest with Middlesex at Old Trafford, but he chipped in with the bat in the first innings with a patient knock to help his side take a 32-run lead.

But Lancashire were bundled out for just 84 in the second innings, leaving Middlesex requiring 117 to win, which they achieved with six wickets in hand.

Marcus Harris – Lancashire

5 (11) & 1 (16)

 

Season to date: 366 runs at 45.75

The prolific left-hander could repeat his century heroics from Lancashire’s previous game a fortnight ago as his side folded in the second innings to hand Middlesex a comfortable six-wicket win inside three days.

Harris was out chipping a half-volley off Toby Roland-Jones to mid-on in the first dig and then became Ryan Higgins fourth victim in the second as the right-armer ripped through Lancs’ top order with the first four wickets of the innings.

Did not play:

Jhye Richardson was rested for Yorkshire’s loss to Warwickshire as teammate Sam Whiteman missed a second straight match after suffering a testicular injury during his century against Sussex in round four.

2026 County Championship division two standings

Australians in the 2026 County Championship

Derbyshire: Caleb Jewell

Glamorgan: Ryan Hadley (first six matches), Nathan McAndrew (June-July)

Gloucestershire: Cameron Bancroft, Gabe Bell (first six matches), Liam Scott (June)

Hampshire: Jake Lehmann

Lancashire: Marcus Harris, Chris Green

Leicestershire: Jake Weatherald

Northamptonshire: Nathan McSweeney, Harry Conway (first two months only)

Nottinghamshire: Fergus O’Neill (April-June only)

Surrey: Sean Abbott (first half of season)

Sussex: Daniel Hughes

Warwickshire: Beau Webster (first half of season)

Yorkshire: Sam Whiteman, Jhye Richardson (until mid-May)