Round 12 of the Rothesay County Championship 2025 kicks off on July 29 with Day 1 action from Divisions One and Two. Follow live cricket streaming, score updates, and match reports for all ongoing fixtures as the four-day contests begin.
Rothesay County Championship 2025 Division 1 Round 11 Day 1: July 29–August 1
Durham vs Surrey, Rothesay County Championship Division One
ECB Reporters’ Network supported by Rothesay
Surrey 182-5 (Patel 58, Lawrence 68*) v Durham 153 (Ackermann 51; Worrall 4-31)
Fifteen wickets fell on the opening day of the vital Rothesay County Championship at the Banks Homes Riverside and title-chasing Surrey will be the happier side after ending an eventful three sessions 29 runs ahead of Durham with x wickets in hand.
But after dismissing the home side for 153, with Dan Worrall taking four for 31 to counter Colin Ackermann’s 51, the champions were 27 for three before half-centuries by Ryan Patel and Dan Lawrence earned them their advantage.
Surrey ended the day on 182 for five, with Lawrence unbeaten on 68 and their lead could be crucial on a pitch that appears helpful to most bowlers.
The visitors had made their first breakthrough of the day in the seventh over when Ben McKinney clipped Dan Worrall off his toes to Patel, who had been precisely placed at short midwicket for just such an indiscretion.
McKinney’s dismissal for seven was followed 45 minutes later by Emilio Gay’s for 14, the former Northamptonshire batsman’s forward push to a ball from Sam Curran only succeeding in nicking a catch to Ben Foakes. Both Curran and Foakes had returned to the visitors’ side for this match along with Tom Lawes and Cam Steel.
Surrey domination of the game’s opening two hours was confirmed in the final two overs of the session, first when Worrall trapped Alex Lees lbw on the back foot for 34 and then when Ollie Robinson was beaten and bowled for two by a ball from Sai Kishore which turned sharply past the edge and into the off stump.
That wicket left Durham parlously placed on 68 for four at lunch but things got much worse for the home side in the half-hour after the resumption as they lost three wickets for 16 runs in five overs. Both Graham Clark and Ben Raine were caught at slip by Rory Burns off Worrall, Clark for four, Raine for a single, and those dismissals sandwiched the departure of Bas de Leede, who was lbw to Kishore for nought when trying to sweep.
That trio of setbacks meant Durham has lost six wickets for 40 runs and left the home side on 93 for seven but some balm was applied to their supporters’ wounds by a 53-run stand for the eighth wicket between Ackermann and Matthew Potts, the latter driving and pulling with his usual feisty refusal to be dominated.
Durham’s fightback was brief, though. Ackermann reached his fifty off 128 balls but was caught at mid-on by Kishore off Curran when he miscued a pull. In the next over, Codi Yusuf was bowled by Jordan Clark for a single and the innings ended in faintly comical fashion when Potts, having made 32, attempted a scoop off Curran but merely lobbed the ball to Foakes behind the stumps. Curran returned figures of three for 22 while Kishore took two for 26.
Surrey’s batsmen did not have their problems to seek in the first hour of their reply. Burns was lbw to Potts for two and Raine was rewarded for his accuracy with the scalps of Dom Sibley, caught behind when driving, for 12 and Curran, whose frenetic ten-ball innings ended when an expansive drive merely nicked a catch to McKinney at first slip and the Surrey all-rounder departed for four.
Those wickets with the new ball reduced Surrey to 27 for three but the next hour or so of the 40-over evening session belonged to Patel and Lawrence, both of whom batted beautifully in the particular styles. Fresh from his season’s best 92 at Scarborough last week, Patel reached his fifty with a six off Callum Parkinson to add to his eight fours.
Lawrence, meanwhile, looks as stylish as any batsman in the country at the moment and the pair put on 83 before Patel edged Parkinson to Ackermann at slip and departed for 58. Foakes managed only 11 before losing his off pole to Yusuf but Lawrence reached his fifty off 69 balls four overs before the close and Surrey passed Durham’s total a few balls later, an achievement Lawrence celebrated by off-driving Raine for six.
Nottinghamshire vs Somerset, Rothesay County Championship Division One
By Jon Culley, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Rothesay County Championship, Division One
Nottinghamshire v Somerset, Trent Bridge
July 29 – Aug 1
Centuries from James Rew and Tom Abell in a county record partnership enabled Somerset to take an opening-day advantage over Nottinghamshire in the clash between second and third in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship, closing on 338 for four.
Rew (162 not out) and Abell, who fell for a career-best 156 moments before the close, added 313 in 81 overs, overtaking the 310 shared by Peter Denning and Ian Botham against Gloucestershire at Taunton in 1980 as Somerset’s biggest fourth-wicket stand
It was all the more impressive for Somerset having been two wickets down in three overs without a run on the board when Rew walked to the crease, and 25 for three when he was joined by Abell.
Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas – who reached the milestone of 800 first-class victims – took all three wickets in a difficult first hour for the visitors after losing the toss but they were the only successes for the Nottinghamshire attack until the final minutes of the day.
Rew earned a call-up to the England squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May after two centuries in the first month of the season. The 21-year-old did not make the cut on that occasion but senior international recognition must surely come in time.
Nottinghamshire began this round of matches – the 11th of 14 – a point behind leaders and defending champions Surrey, with Somerset third after their victory over Durham last week.
Somerset’s painful beginning to the day saw Abbas remove Lewis Gregory and Tom Lammonby in his first and second overs, the captain leg before offering no shot to a delivery he clearly judged would slide harmlessly past his off stump before Lammonby, with only defensive intent, nicked to second slip.
Under heavy cloud cover after a damp early morning, conditions looked ideal for the veteran Abbas. Haseeb Hameed, the Nottinghamshire captain, duly gave him an extended spell while the Kookaburra ball retained its hardness.
He was rewarded again, finding the outside edge of Josh Davey’s straight bat. With this dismissal, Abbas totalled 800 first-class wickets, 284 of them in the English county game.
Somerset were in some trouble, but Rew had already shown a glimpse of his class when he drove Abbas to the cover boundary and pulled him for four in the same over with two high-quality strokes. More would follow.
As batting became easier, Abell began to look as assured as his partner, the two adding 65 in what remained of the opening session, which proved to be a platform from which they dominated the afternoon.
Rew, who reached 51 from 75 balls with his first scoring shot of the afternoon, lofting left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White clear of the straight boundary in front of the currently shrouded pavilion, went to a century – his third of the season – from 138, adding two more sixes to the shorter side of the playing area off Calvin Harrison, the leg spinner. Other than an edge off Patterson-White on 92, the ball looping out of even the tall Harrison’s reach at slip, he had looked in complete control.
By tea, Abell having completed his first hundred of the year, Somerset had added 137 for no loss to be 227 for three and Nottinghamshire, though there had been signs of turn, needed some inspiration.
Thereafter, Rew’s touch seemed a little less sure, both batters comparatively quiet as the Nottinghamshire spinners gained some control.
They attacked the second new ball with some success, although Rew, cutting vigorously, survived a half-chance to second slip off Brett Hutton on 148 before going to 150 from 239 balls.
Abell in turn reached 151 from 245 balls, setting the partnership record with two into the offside off Dillon Pennington, before falling to a top-edged pull off the same bowler, after which only two more deliveries were possible before failing light forced the players off 15 balls before the scheduled close.
Somerset’s James Rew said:
“I felt under a bit of pressure going out at none for two, a little bit nervous. I had visions of it being like the Durham game last week. The clouds were in all day and this morning it was particularly dark, but I thought it would be a little bit easier if we could get through the first hour.
“It just about building a partnership and kind of getting the shine off that Kookaburra ball. It definitely goes a little bit softer than the Duke and doesn’t swing as much, doesn’t quite nip as much.
“It was nice to have Abes (Tom Abell) at the other end, playing a classy knock, as he always does and showing me the way. He says that I showed him the way, but it’s a load of rubbish, to be honest. I take a lot out of his book, watching him play at the other end.
“As a left-hand, right-hand combination, we thought it would be a little bit harder for them to find their lines more consistently if we could rotate the strike. That was one of our game plans, if we couldn’t find the boundary.”
Worcestershire vs Hampshire, Rothesay County Championship Division One
By Brian Halford, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Hampshire, 146 for 2 without loss, lead Worcestershire by 146 runs.
Worcestershire struck two late blows after Hampshire’s batters had laid a solid foundation on a truncated first day of their Rothesay County Championship match at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Hampshire, in search of their first championship victory since mid-May, closed on 146 for two having reached 127 without loss before losing openers Fletcha Middleston (79, 101 balls) and Joe Weatherley (62, 130) in a late burst of play in poor light.
They were blows badly needed by Worcestershire, bottom of Division One and desperate for a win to sustain their slender hopes of survival.
After a wet outfield prevented play before lunch, the home side chose to bowl in conditions still damp from morning rain, but the assistance for the seamers they hoped for did not materialise. Pakistan pace spearhead Khurram Shahzad was expensive as Weatherley and Middleton put 50 on the board by the 14th over.
The Winchester-born openers, perhaps inspired by the adjacence of a cathedral, were little troubled by a Worcestershire attack bruised by last week’s heartbreaking defeat to neighbours Warwickshire. Having dominated the first half of the match at Edgbaston, the Pears suffered a devastating defeat as Warwickshire chased down 393 on the last day.
Back on home turf, the Worcestershire attack, with Matthew Waite returning from paternity leave in place of Sussex loanee Bertie Foreman, again toiled. Middleton hurried to his half-century from 51 balls and Weatherley followed to his from 103.
The openers were looking forward to a productive evening session only for the rain to return during the tea interval and prevent play until a late resumption at 6pm. Hampshire’s openers ventured back out with little to gain and everything to lose – and the home side took advantage of the murky, moist conditions. Middleton edged Tom Taylor to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick, who took a superb catch in front of first slip, and Weatherly edged Ben Allison to Ethan Brookes at second slip.
The wickets were an unwelcome postscript to a hitherto excellent day for Hampshire but they have still set down a solid platform from which to push for a victory that would lift them away from the relegation zone – and pretty much sentence Worcestershire to end the season in it.
Worcestershire assistant head coach Kadeer Ali said:
“It was a frustrating day in terms of the weather and also the way we bowled in the main session. No problems with the decision to bowl first, we just didn’t bowl well enough.
“I thought we started off nicely with the ball. Khurram and Tommy Taylor beat the bat a few times and there was a chance that went down but then in the second half of the session we didn’t get our lengths right and bowled a little bit both sides of the wicket.
“We didn’t give ourselves the best chance in the conditions and Hampshire’s openers batted really nicely and punished us when we got ir wrong.
“But then we bowled well when we went back out right at the end of the say. That was when you saw that if you get the ball in the right areas often enough you can have have some success and those two wickets gave s a nice finish to the day.”u
Hampshire batted Joe Weatherley said:
“It was a frustrating end to the day, Initially we viewed it as a chance to extend our partnership but we knew it was pretty dark and pretty wet. We knew that light would come into it at some point so it was a tough pill to swallow but we would probably have taken that score at the start of the day. We were on and off quite a lot but are in a really good position.
“We would have bowled if we had won the toss and there was a fair bit of help for the bowlers in the first hour so, as normal with openers, we just tried to mitigate that at first. I really enjoy batting with Fletch and we found a nice rhythm in that afternoon session and hopefully we have set a good platform for the boys to build on tomorrow.
“We know this is a really important game so we are looking to put on a good showing and bat big and bat just once hopefully. I’m really pleased to be back. It’s a really nice group, really well led by Browny so I have just been working on my game and keeping the faith and it’s been great to have another opportunity and it has been good to get some runs last week and this.”
Essex vs Warwickshire, Rothesay County Championship Division One
Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
By Martin Smith at Chelmsford
Essex (350-4) v Warwickshire
Tom Westley’s rich vein of form in the Rothesay County Championship continued as he notched his third century in five innings to frustrate Warwickshire at Chelmsford.
In addition to hitting his 32nd first-class hundred in an innings of sublime stroke-play, the Essex captain also passed 14,000 career runs in red-ball cricket. With Paul Walter, who hit 86 from 160 balls, Westley put on 132 for the second wicket and 81 for the third with Jordan Cox. At stumps, Westley was unbeaten on 124 from 234 balls with Essex 350-4.
Walter, posting his fifth score above fifty this season, two of them centuries, launched two sixes and nine fours. It enabled Essex to build on the euphoria of only their second Championship win of the season last week at Hove, a win that lifted them out of the relegation places.
The only redeeming feature for Warwickshire on a gloomy day that matched their deteriorating mood, was arguably the first career wicket for part-time leg-spinner Zen Malik. Brought on to eat up an over before the arrival of the second new-ball, Malik had Cox attempting to hit his fifth delivery out of the park, but instead the batsmen ended up on his backside with his stumps akimbo.
Before the start of the play, Essex’s own bowling plans had twice been thrown into disarray in the space of 24 hours. They had already lost one member of their attack when Indian international pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed pulled out of a contract due to run to the end of the season, citing “personal reasons”. Then, less than quarter-of-an-hour before the start of the match, off-spinner Simon Harmer, who had taken part in all the warm-up routines, withdrew also offering “personal reasons” for his absence.
Those problems were shelved for the time being as Essex were put into bat on a hybrid pitch with plenty of grass left on to help encourage greater carry for the bowlers. In fact, it encouraged the batsmen and a flurry of straight-driven fours enabled the Essex openers to compile 68 runs without undue alarm in 19 overs.
Dean Elgar, overcoming a torrid first over from Oliver Hannon-Dalby, brought up the fifty partnership with an uncharacteristic slash at Beau Webster that cleared the slip cordon. However, he departed soon after to his second rash shot of the innings, pulling the Australian low to midwicket.
On one occasion Walter, so strong off the backfoot, came down the wicket to waft Corey Rocchinccicioli for six over extra cover and post Essex’s first hundred. He reached his half-century from 79 balls with a well-placed push into the off-side for two. Walter took a liking to the Australian off-spinner with another six, this time over long-on.
At the other end, some of Westley’s strokes were exquisite. He produced a classically-executed cover drive for four off Ethan Bamber and later essayed a textbook straight-drive off Webster. Another off-drive for four by Westley off Webster took the stand with Walter to three-figures, of which both batsmen contributed 49. Three balls later Westley reached a 107-ball fifty.
Westley had just taken Essex past 200 with only one wicket down when, next ball, Walter’s four-hour innings came to an end. He got an outside edge to a delivery from Rocchinccicioli, the ball ricocheting off wicketkeeper Kai Smith’s thigh and ballooning up for a diving Alex Davies to claim at slip.
Bamber switched ends straight after tea and immediately extracted some rare bounce and lift that had Westley groping at thin air. Normal service was quickly resumed, though, and soon Westley was angling Ed Barnard to third man for the boundary that took him to his century from 185 balls.
Bamber finally gained some reward late on when he had Matt Critchley swinging and bottom-edging through to the wicketkeeper.
Yorkshire vs Sussex, Rothesay County Championship Division One
Yorkshire v Sussex 210-9. Rothesay County Championship, Division One.
By Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Yorkshire enjoyed a productive opening day of their key Rothesay County Championship clash with Sussex at Scarborough, a day lit up by a stunning James Wharton catch in the deep.
Sussex, inserted on a green-tinged pitch, were limited to 210 for nine from 96 overs. James Coles top-scored for them with 47 off 54 balls.
New-ball seamer Jack White impressed with three for 21 from 17 overs, with the first of his wickets coming courtesy of what was labelled in some quarters as one of the all-time great catches by Wharton running back towards deep square-leg.
Yorkshire came into this fixture second-bottom after 10 of 14 matches. They were seven points away from third-bottom and eighth-placed Durham, with Sussex only 21 ahead of the White Rose in fifth.
These two counties were promoted from Division Two last summer. Yorkshire beat Sussex here last August.
In fact, Sussex have never won a first-class match at North Marine Road. This is their 11th attempt. If Yorkshire’s start is anything to go by, that run may extend.
Quite where Wharton’s catch stands on the list of all-time great grabs is difficult to say with certainty.
What can be said with certainty, however, is that was a truly outstanding catch. You will struggle to see better at any county venue this season.
Tom Haines looked to whip White over the leg-side but skied a chance off a top-edge. Wharton, positioned at a short midwicket, raced back towards deep square-leg and took the catch mid-air having dived full length.
That left Sussex at 19 for one in the ninth over.
From there, Yorkshire took wickets at regular intervals. Sussex reached lunch at 92 for three in the 29th over.
Australian left-hander Daniel Hughes was the second wicket to fall when bowled by a beauty from White which angled in from around the wicket, straightened and hit the top of off-stump. The score was on 26 at that time.
Coles and Tom Alsop steadied the ship, the former actually counter-attacking, including a six over long-on against the off-spin of Yorkshire’s stand-in captain Dom Bess.
Incidentally, Bess is leading Yorkshire this week with Jonny Bairstow on paternity leave.
Coles fell just before lunch when caught behind against George Hill, leaving Sussex three down on 92.
A feature of the White Rose bowling performance was how miserly they were. For example, Sussex only scored 57 runs in an afternoon session which saw three more wickets fall – 149 for six at the tea break – and then 61 more after tea.
White got wicket number four when he had Danial Ibrahim caught at first slip pushing forwards before visiting captain John Simpson feathered behind a drive at Matt Milnes, leaving Sussex at 113 for five in the 44th over.
Alsop, twice a fifty-maker in last year’s clash, was then the second Sussex batter to fall in the forties after Coles. The left-hander had exactly 40 when he was bowled through the gate by one angled in from Revis with 129 on the board in the 53rd.
More damage was done shortly after tea as Sussex lost three wickets for the addition of run one in eight balls, slipping to 150 for nine.
The three wickets fell courtesy of catches at first, second and third slip.
Two of them went to Will Sutherland’s seam in the 66th over – Fynn Hudson-Prentice for 23 and Jack Carson for a duck. Henry Crocombe also fell without scoring in the next over to Hill.
Sussex were then boosted late on by an impressively watchful 10th-wicket partnership of 60 unbroken between Danny Lamb and Gurinder Sandhu.
Both men pulled sixes off seam, Lamb finishing on 40 and Australian Sandhu 24.
Yorkshire batter James Wharton said
“If you’d have said to us that we’d have them 210-9 overnight, we’d have absolutely bitten your hand off for it.
“Obviously having them nine down for as long as we did is a bit frustrating, but we’ve had a great day there.
“Wickets being shared around is because they all went well as a unit and kept it tight all day. Credit to the lads because they put a real shift in.
(His catch) “Tom Haines hit the shot, it went up in the air and I started running thinking, ‘I’m not going to get anywhere near it’. But it was like the ball just sort of stopped in the air for a while as I was running. So, I was like, ‘Oh, bloody hell, I might have a chance here’.
“It’s one of those where you just hope it hits your hand and sticks, and obviously it did.
“I wouldn’t have stuck a dive in if I didn’t think I could reach it.
“My only concern was I didn’t actually look where the rope was or where people were.
“I was obviously lucky that I wasn’t anywhere near the rope.”
The County Championship X account described it as possibly the greatest catch in history. Wharton smiled: “I completely agree with that statement, yeah!”
Sussex all-rounder Danny Lamb said
“To extend the innings from where we were, I think we’ve done a pretty good job.
“The pitch, it’s a weird one. It feels really hard to score, and there’s quite a lot of lateral movement. Is it good score? I don’t know.
“I’ve played here quite a lot with the second team (Lancashire), but the pitches weren’t like that. The groundsman said that he’d left some more grass on it than last week.
“If we can extend a bit more in the morning and then take some early wickets, that will be the order of the day tomorrow.
“How they’ve gone about it with the ball is really good. They’ve kept it really dry run-rate wise. I think that will be our plan going forwards when we come to bowl.
“Gurinder can bat, he shapes up really nicely.
“To be honest, it wasn’t a pitch for shots. If you tried it too often, you’d just hit one straight up in the air.”
Rothesay County Championship 2025 Division 2 Round 11 Day 1: July 29–August 1
Gloucestershire vs Middlesex, Rothesay County Championship Division Two
Middlesex 232-3 v Gloucestershire
Kane Williamson bit the hand that once fed him with an unbeaten century for Middlesex on a curtailed opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
Given a life on 29, the prolific New Zealander hit 104 not out, off just 112 balls, against his former county as the visitors ran up 232 for three after winning the toss. Josh De Caires contributed 58 and Leus du Plooy 42 not out, before bad light and drizzle ended play at 4.50pm.
Left-arm seamer Matt Taylor was the pick of the Gloucestershire bowlers with two for 47 from 12 overs, but it was a largely disappointing day for the hosts in front of a sparse Festival crowd, no doubt resulting from the unsettled weather.
The start was delayed until 12.15pm by rain and when the covers were removed a two-tone pitch was revealed, green for the most part, but shaved at both ends. In deciding to bat first, Middlesex presumably anticipated it would turn as the match progressed.
Under heavily overcast skies, Gloucestershire made a breakthrough with the second ball of the third over with the total on ten. Matt Taylor found the edge of Sam Robson’s bat and, although Cameron Bancroft could only parry the ball at first slip, Ollie Price was alert to pouch the rebound.
Todd Murphy was introduced into the attack from the College Lawn End for the ninth over, but the Australia Test off-spinner could make no impact during the shortened pre-lunch session, which ended with Middlesex 41 for one.
Max Holden helped De Caires take the score to 54 in the 15th over before pushing forward to a ball from Taylor that he could have left and edging through to wicketkeeper James Bracey. Murphy switched to the Chapel End to little effect as De Caires moved to an authoritative half-century off 81 deliveries, with 10 fours.
A big moment came with the score on 115 for two as Williamson edged Murphy to slip where Miles Hammond spilled a routine waist-high chance. It was all the good fortune the Kiwi master-bladesman needed to capitalise fully on the short boundaries at the College Ground.
De Caires was visibly frustrated to depart two runs later, lbw playing across a full delivery from Ben Charlesworth. That was as good as it got for Gloucestershire, du Plooy helping Williamson add 87 without alarm before the tea interval.
Having reached a 68-ball half-century, with 7 fours, Williamson took 20 off an over from Graeme van Buuren, twice smacking the left-arm spinner back over his head for sixes. Du Plooy looked equally untroubled and was unbeaten on 28 at tea, with his partner ten away from a hundred.
The final session saw Williamson bring up the century partnership off just 95 balls before moving to his own hundred with a single to square leg off Murphy. He had faced only 104 deliveries and hit 12 fours and 2 sixes.
With the skies closing in, umpires Neil Pratt and Sue Redfern decided the light was unfit with a further 32 overs still possible in the day. Soon the rain was falling heavily again and play was abandoned at just after 5.40pm.
Middlesex player Josh De Caires said: “It was a strange looking pitch because it is shaved so much at both ends, but so far it has played pretty well and done nothing untoward. There is certainly pace in the green part of it, which made it good to bat on, and hopefully we are putting together a decent score.
“It’s great being back in the side and scoring a third half-century in as many innings, but I know I need to kick on and turn them into really meaningful scores.
“Watching Kane Williamson do what he does is always great and it was a pleasure again today.”
Kent vs Leicestershire, Rothesay County Championship Division Two
Leicestershire 386 for nine (three points) vs Kent (three points).
Report by Fred Atkins for the ECB Reporters Network, sponsored by Rothesay
Rehan Ahmed hit a brilliant 119 as Division Two leaders Leicestershire reached 386 for nine at stumps on day one of their Rothesay County Championship match against Kent at Canterbury.
Rishi Patel, dropped in the first over when he was on nought, made 85 in a stand of 164 for the second wicket with Rehan, who hit three sixes and 17 fours in a flamboyant innings that defied the gloomy conditions and a green wicket.
Matt Parkinson took seven for 104 and is on course for career best figures, if he can better the seven for 126 he took for Lancashire against Kent at this venue in 2021.
Tom Scriven and Josh Hull were not out on 39 and 12 respectively at the close.
Kent’s decision to bowl looked reasonable given the weather and the hue of the wicket, but less so when Leicestershire reached 120-1 for at lunch, by which time the hosts learned they’d been docked eight points for repeated infractions of the disciplinary code.
Given they were already 18 points adrift at the foot of the table, this did little to lighten the mood among the St. Lawrence ultras in a crowd of 1200 and the tone was set when Ben Compton dropped Rishi off the fifth ball of the morning, after he’d edged Agar.
The only wicket came in the 11th over, when Sol Budinger played on to Agar for 27 and Rishi got a second life when he was on 26 and cut Evison. The ball hit keeper Harry Finch on the glove before falling short of Tawanda Muyeye at first slip.
Both Rishi and Rehan reached their half-centuries with sixes, the former with a pull off Agar that flew over square-leg, the latter hooking the same bowler over backward square, but the afternoon session was more of a contest.
Parkinson broke the partnership when he duped Rishi into charging down the wicket and Finch stumped him and with his next delivery he had Lewis Hill brilliantly caught by a diving Tawanda Muyeye at slip.
Rehan reached his century when he nudged Parkinson for a single, but Joey Evison then had Peter Handscomb lbw for 18 and Parkinson got Rehan when Muyeye took an ankle-high catch.
By tea Kent were a bowler down, as stand-in skipper Grant Stewart had limped off with a hamstring injury, but Louis Kimber went for 17, caught by the sub Kashif Ali after he’d holed out to Parkinson and for the second time in the match the bowler found himself on a hat-trick when Ben Green went to the next ball, caught by debutant Ben Dawkins at silly point trying to sweep.
Logan van Beek survived it comfortably enough but had made just five when Parkinson had him caught by George Garrett at short third man. Ian Holland went in almost identical fashion for 49 before the players went off for bad light at 5.49pm.
Almost everyone in the ground had left when the umpires called the players back for a 6:25 restart and Leicestershire added 20 useful runs in the 5.5 overs that remained.
Lancashire vs Glamorgan, Rothesay County Championship Division Two
Glamorgan 260-8 off 96 overs vs Lancashire
Australian spinner Chris Green managed to take six wickets on the much-criticised Emirates Old Trafford pitch as Lancashire had the better of the first day of their Rothesay County Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan
After just four wickets fell during the last day and a half of the recent Test match between England and India, the home side’s bowlers looked to be facing another uphill task in Manchester until the introduction of Green turned the proceedings the Red Rose’s way with the Welsh outfit 260-8 at the close of play.
For Glamorgan, half-centuries from opener Asa Tribe (61) and Kiran Carlson (77) had put them in a relatively good place and from a position of 199-3 after winning the toss and electing to bat they will be rueing their inability to cope with Green’s off spin which claimed six for 82 off 34 overs.
Earlier and under leaden skies, the decision to bat looked a brave one, but opening bowlers James Anderson and Tom Bailey failed to make much headway against a resolute first wicket pair of Zain ul Hassan and Tribe.
George Balderson, who received his County Cap before play from legendary Pakistani all-rounder Wasim Akram, also sent down five fruitless overs and it took until the introduction of Green for Lancashire to threaten the Glamorgan openers.
ul Hassan was the first to fall, caught behind by Phil Salt for 31, ending a partnership of 76 runs for the first wicket.
Green was suddenly threatening the wickets with every ball, extracting turn and bounce and inducing a number of false shots from Tribe and skipper Sam Northeast, who became the Australian’s second victim when he was trapped in front for 10.
Tribe fell 22 balls later soon after completing a well-made half century which should really have been more but for the Channel Islander picking out Bailey perfectly on the leg side boundary with a sweep.
With Tom Hartley tying down the other end, Glamorgan looked in peril but Carlson and Colin Ingram took the opportunity to counter attack with 86 runs coming from the fourth wicket pair either side of tea until Green raised hopes of a 10 for by snaring the latter lbw for 33.
Baily returned to dash that dream when he clean bowled Ben Kellaway for a duck to leave the lower middle order exposed and Green needed no further invitation to complete his third career five for when Carlson’s innings ended with an edge to Luke Wells.
The visitors were subsiding quickly and Chris Cooke was the next to walk after he was stumped by Salt to hand Green his sixth wicket with Glamorgan having suddenly lost four wickets for 30 runs and in danger of undoing their day’s work.
With 10 overs of the day left James Harris was dropped by Salt off Bailey while on eight as he and Mason Crane painstakingly looked to eke out some runs after Lancashire took the second new ball.
But after surviving one chance Harris (11) played across the line to Hartley and lost his off stick to the England spinner who is fresh from taking 10 wickets in his last outing for Lancashire.
Crane (9*) and Ned Leonard (4*) managed to see out the remaining overs but Lancashire will be hoping to begin their reply sooner rather than later come the second morning.
Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire, Rothesay County Championship Division Two
Day 1: Derbyshire 348 for eight (97 overs) v Northamptonshire
By Jeremy Blackmore, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
Martin Andersson led a Derbyshire fightback with a spirited 105, his third century of the summer, as his side rallied to 348 for eight on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
It came after Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal struck three times in 11 balls to tip the morning session firmly in Northamptonshire’s favour; the visitors ruing their decision to bat as they slipped to 98 for five at lunch, despite 39 from Luis Reece.
But Andersson (148 balls, 14 fours) then dominated a 102 run-partnership with Aneurin Donald (37) during the afternoon, before sharing a further stand worth 61 with all-rounder Zak Chappell (32).
Chahal, who found turn and bounce on a pitch previously used for the Vitality Blast Women Tier Two Finals Day on Saturday, later removed Chappell to finish with figures of four for 116.
Earlier Derbyshire had a tough opening hour against some tight Northamptonshire bowling, the bulk of early runs coming through fine leg, their first wicket falling when Caleb Jewell (16) was undone by a George Scrimshaw delivery that jagged back and kept low, trapping him lbw.
It brought Reece together with Harry Came (17) who combined in a confident 48-run stand off 69 deliveries, Reece unfurling a handsome cover drive against Scrimshaw to bring up Derbyshire’s 50 in the fifteenth over, before using his feet against Chahal to collect three boundaries over the infield.
With Came taking on the seamers, momentum was running in Derbyshire’s direction, before Chahal intervened. First, he turned one across Came to trap him lbw and then picked up Reece who flicked straight to short leg. Brooke Guest’s stay was short, Chahal getting one to grip and turn to take the edge through to the keeper.
Justin Broad capped the perfect morning for Northamptonshire, putting a dampener on Wayne Madsen’s 250th first-class game, when he was caught behind playing a lazy shot down the legside.
After lunch Andersson and Donald came out fighting, bringing their 50 partnership up off 60 balls, Andersson sweeping and cutting Chahal and pulling seamer Liam Guthrie to the ropes.
With 40 runs coming in the first 20 minutes of the session, Chahal then applied the brakes. Racing through his overs, he pushed the ball through quicker too, keeping both batters in check, despite bowling occasional short balls and legside deliveries. And, with fellow spinner Rob Keogh finding some drift at the other end, the scoring rate slowed markedly for a time.
Finally though, Andersson got one away, sweeping Chahal for four before playing the same shot against Keogh to reach his 50 from 66 deliveries. Donald meanwhile, managed just two boundaries in his 37 but deployed the reverse sweep to keep the scoreboard ticking over against Chahal as the pair’s stand reached three figures.
Keogh made the breakthrough, flighting the ball up and turning it back in sharply to bowl Donald between bat and pad. It brought Chappell to the crease, who began in typically positive fashion. He had advanced to 22 when Scrimshaw put down a straightforward chance at backward point and Derbyshire went into tea on 237 for six, having added 139 for the loss of just one wicket in the afternoon.
Chappell’s reprieve was short lived. After tea he clubbed Chahal down the ground to bring up Derbyshire’s 250 but then edged an attempted reverse sweep straight to slip.
Andersson took two boundaries off Chahal through extra cover to reach his century, but the new ball brought immediate rewards when he came down the track to Procter and edged behind.
New batter, teenage debutant Joe Hawkins showed no nerves though, looking highly impressive as he drove confidently. With Ben Aitchison also playing some stylish shots the pair put on an excellent unbeaten 48 for the ninth wicket.
Northamptonshire head coach Darren Lehmann said: “It was a bit to and fro. They started well, then we hit our straps with the ball. And at 89 for five, you hope you’re bowling them out in the day, and then they fought back really well. I thought they played well after lunch. Full credit to them. And we didn’t bowl as well as we’d have liked. That middle session, I think went for about 140 again. We’ve had a few of those of late, which is something we are going to have to get better at. We missed a couple of opportunities again, which we have been doing, and we did last week. So, I would have liked to bowl them out. Having said that, they played well. Their young kids played well.
“I thought Yuzvendra Chahal was good to get four wickets. Would have liked him to get five or six today. We’ve got to polish them off really quickly tomorrow, and get our batting underway and bat really well in the first innings. So that’s the challenge tomorrow. But he has been excellent for us.
“I think the wicket will spin more and more as the game goes on. And that’s what you want on those sorts of wickets. I thought we stuck at it pretty well today. Albeit again, extras were 35, take that off the score, and some indifferent bowling at times. But, you know, it looks a pretty good wicket still.”
Derbyshire centurion Martin Andersson said:
[On whether this, his third century this season ranks highly given the match situation] “Yes, 100%. From 89 for five, for us to end up at 348 for eight, you’d bite your hand off for that. So yeah, it was nice to be part of that.
[On having to get ready quickly as Derbyshire lost early wickets] “It’s not ideal having to get your pads on quickly, but it’s a big part of the game. You know, no one means to get out. No one means for there to be a procession, like there was obviously four quick wickets. It doesn’t really change too much as a player, you’ve just got to try and go out there, be nice and calm, and try and formulate a game plan of how you want to play.
[On him and Donald continuing to be aggressive and keep scoring] “I think any team, if you’re Northants in that situation and we’re just patting it back to the bowler, they’re going to stay on top of the game for a long time. And you’re facing quality boulders out there who, if you just try and survive, it’s probably going to be hard work. So, you need to have a couple of options to get you through, really.
[On a nerveless debut from Joe Hawkins] “It’s very impressive, to be honest, someone walking out to bat for the first time in a professional game, to have that sort of gaze in their eye where they mean business, not looking too nervous. Played his game plan, nice and simple. He played a crucial role for us today really. It was very impressive. I wish I’d played like that in my first few games!”
“It was a really good fight from our lower order and hopefully we’ll get a few more tomorrow morning.”
Rothesay County Championship 2025 Division 2 Round 11 – Points Tables
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