County cricket day two: Sussex v Surrey, Hampshire v Somerset, and more – live

A dream-ball that moves away just enough for Philip to nudge it through to slip. He beams and collects hugs and back-pats from his teammates. Lancs 263-9. And a fourth for Tom Scriven, who plucks Balderson’s middle-stump from its home and sends it a-flying. A maiden five-fer is for the taking. Lancs 249-8 and we’re down to the bowlers – Saqlain Mahmood and PHilip. Mahmood off the mark with a swanky four. Scriven makes the breakthrough, another lbw, Wells prodding forward from a great height. Lancs 242-7. A lap of the ground: it is not warm at OT. Kudos to anyone who lasts a whole day in the tip up seats. DIVISION ONE Chester le Street: Durham 224-1 v Yorkshire 307 Chelmsford: Essex 179 and 128-4 v Worcestershire 202 Southampton: Hampshire 115-2 v Somerset 184 Hove: Sussex 402-7 v Surrey Edgbaston: Warwickshire 93 v Nottinghamshire 74-0 DIVISION TWO The County Ground: Derbyshire 307 v Northamptonshire 117-0 Canterbury: Kent 181-5v Gloucestershire 472 Old Trafford: Lancashire 235-6 v Leicestershire Lord’s: Middlesex 256-4 v Glamorgan 199 They’ve taken tea at Durham, which will come as a blessed relief for Yorkshire who are being taken to the cleaners. Durham 223-1, Lees 139 not out, Gay 74 not out. Tea here at Old Trafford too, where a couple of members of groundstaff are approaching the pitch with bucket and brush. Lancs 235-6. Holden has helped Middlesex to an already comfortable lead of 48 against Glamorgan with his second century of the season – 187 balls. Du Plooy at the other end has 41 and Glamorgan are looking rather out of ideas. England’s Shoaib Bashir has bowled 15 overs for 61. Nice to see a half century from Vasconcelos as Northants rattle along at five an over against Derbyshire. Currently 98-0. Gus Atkinson finally sees the back of Tom Haines at Hove, for 174, as Surrey collect a second bowling point. Sussex 379-6. Two in two for Ben Charlesworth. Gloucestershire in the ascendancy at Canterbury where Kent are 142 for five still 331 behind. Compton, rocklike, watches the chaos, 65 not out. I’m a big fan of the Leicestershire collar: crisp bright stripes. Ben Mike has Balderson hopping about though there is some disquiet at the fielders being so spread about. An eye to Hove where possible-England-opener-in-waiting, Tom Haines is now 172 not out against an attack of Worrall, Clark, Atkinson, Fisher and Lawrence. Sussex 371-5. Hampshire are not having it all their way. Somerset have winkled out both openers: 46-2. There’s a stiff wind blowing at OT, as Hartley edges one just past a diving first slip to bring up the Lancashire 200 . And then something of a shambles as Hartley is run out charging to the non-striker’s end without looking to see Balderson rooted to the spot. Re-enter Luke Wells. Lancs 201-6. Actually, they’ve just resumed. And in further bad news, Fergus O’Neill has the ball. Happily for Warwickshire, rain has prevented any play since a shell-shocked Warwicks wobbled back to the pavilion at lunch, 92 for seven. Yorkshire’s attack has been unable to get much out of the new ball up at CLS. Lees and Gay, especially Lees, already on 92, are having fun out there. Durham 145-1. Harris is no more, lbw to a pumped-up Scriven for 77. The unmistakeable figure of Tom Hartley shuffles out to bring in the bins. Allison B to Allison C at Chelmsford. Not yet as incident-filled as Overton J to Overton C one, two, three? years ago when Jamie toppled Craig (at least I think it was that way round). Essex 40-0 off 12 overs. Harris (359) is currently the leading CC div 2 scorer over Wayne Madsen. Arrive at OT. Harris still looking effortless. Dave on reception says it is like having Stuart Law back again. Luke Wells has been spotted having some throwdowns. Lancs 179-4. All set fair on the good ship Essex, who have nearly wiped out their deficit in the first four overs. I’m hot footing it over to OT, back in 15 mins. Somerset finally all out for 184. Could, as they say, have been worse. Four each for Fuller and Wheal. Big Craig, your time is now. O’Neill feels a decent winter investment… Play still at Derby, Edgbaston and Southampton – where Somerset’s last pair have now added 46: Pretorius 45 from 38 balls; Ogborne 6 from 38. DIVISION ONE Chester le Street: Durham 91-1 v Yorkshire 307 Chelmsford: Essex 179 v Worcestershire 202 Southampton: Hampshire v Somerset 181-9 Hove: Sussex 305-4 v Surrey Edgbaston: Warwickshire 92-7 v Nottinghamshire DIVISION TWO The County Ground: Derbyshire 298-9 v Northamptonshire Canterbury: Kent 49-1 v Gloucestershire 365-7 Old Trafford: Lancashire 153-4 v Leicestershire Lord’s: Middlesex 118-2 v Glamorgan 199 A stat, from Ken, at Old Trafford. Marcus Harris joins an illustrious, if esoteric, list. Fewest innings to make the most scores of fifty plus for Lancs since debut: Ashwell Prince 4 in first 4 inns Marcus Harris 4 in first 5* Dinesh Mongia 4 in first 6 Liam Livingstone 4 in first 7 and Luke Wells retires hurt after being hit on the elbow by Tom Scriven. In Division One: George Hill has broken through at Chester le Street, McKinney caught for six. Yorkshire 64-1. It’s been all go at Chelmsford, where Worcestershire have a lead of nine, but only two wickets in hand. Three wickets to Rajitha. Somerset have limped past 150 – but only just. The last wicket pair of Pretorius and Ogbourne have added 20, the third biggest partnership of the innings. James Fuller 4-37. Brett Hutton and Fergus O’Neill have made mincemeat of Warwickshire: 77-5. Crawley, collar up, prods the pitch, then edges Tom Price through to Cameron Green at first slip, who fumbles it, then, in a tangle of limbs, Bracey catches the rebound. Damn. I’d love to watch a couple of hours of Crawley fabulousness. Kent 20-1. We’ve celebrated Easter a day early in this house before my daughter goes back to university tomorrow, and alas my Lindt rabbit has taken some early morning damage. On the pitch, in Division Two: Gloucestershire have been all out for 472 against Kent; Harris and twice-dropped Hurst have eased Lancashire along to 109-3 against Leicestershire; Middlesex have lost Eskinazi to Glamorgan’s van der Gugten but are otherwise in fine fettle; and Gloucestershire have lost a couple of morning wickets, including Brooke Guest for 91. De Lange boom-booms Gloucs past 450, Bracey flows past 150. Kent on the back foot. In other news, is Tom now most common current name for a batter? See Lammonby/Haines/Abell/Banton/Clark/Alsop. After a hundred against Somerset last week, Tom Haines has another - this time against the 2024 champions. It will brighten the twinkle in Rob Key’s eye. Tom Alsop at the other end has his own fifty, Sussex continuing as they left off, 267-2. An early wicket for Kasun Rajitha at Chelmsford, Hose for 48. Rajitha has signed for five Championship games with Essex (starting with this, against Worcs), and got to know Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood when Silverwood spent two years as Sri Lankan coach. Lees and McKinney are on their way at CLS. Yorkshire bowled out for 307. Potts taking out Bess for 66, four wickets each for Raine and Doggett. De Lange de lumping: 4, 6, 6. Glos 410-9. Dom Bess has ushered Yorkshire over the 300 line with a boundary but he’s losing partners, Ben Raine has bowled Sears to collect his fourth wickets of the innings. And Cameron Green, reluctantly, must leave the field at Canterbury – tries to stare down the umpire after he gives him out (unluckily) lbw, but the ump keeps his finger raised until he turns tail. Gloucs 385-9. Love the optimism of Nathan Gilchrist, who attempts to bounce Cameron Green. Cameron Green, cramp resolved has taken his place back in the middle with James Bracey at Canterbury. Both are on unbeaten hundreds. A pepperpot and a pint pot. …at Edgbaston, Old Trafford and Southampon. All should get going at 11.30. More sensational young talent to add to the Australian juggernaut? Goody. Reports from Old Trafford suggest an 11.30 start, the covers already off. “Hi Tanya.” Good morning Tim Maitland! “Looking at the weather radar and the bizarre sight of rain making its way UP the country from south east to north west, which I don’t think it ever did when I was a kid, it looks like you might be in for a gruesome day checking in on delays and restarts … except for Durham, which seems set fair. “A good time to mention Yorkshire’s Dom Bess backing up his maiden Championship century against Worcestershire with an unbeaten half century at Chester-le-Street. It seems crazy that it’s taken since his first class debut in 2016 and several wrong turns to get to three figures. It would be cool if he builds on his 57 not out with another big score today... especially as he started his season with James Vince-like scores of 1, 0 and 7. “Talking of Vince (clunk), he’s had quite a week with the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League: 101 at a ridiculous strike rate of 234 against Multan Sultans, a two-ball duck against the Lahore Qalandars* and most recently 70 at a sedate 149 versus the Quetta Gladiators. *a wandering, ascetic Sufi dervish apparently.” I was just reading about that. He’ll be hugely missed at Hampshire, and by readers/writers of CCLive – but I hope the move is a happy one for him. DIVISION ONE Chester le Street: Durham v Yorkshire 295-8 Chelmsford: Essex 179 v Worcestershire 98-4 Southampton: Hampshire v Somerset 94-6 Hove: Sussex 227-2 v Surrey Edgbaston: Warwickshire 34-2 v Nottinghamshire DIVISION TWO The County Ground: Derbyshire 216-4 v Northamptonshire Canterbury: Kent v Gloucestershire 365-7 Old Trafford: Lancashire 61-3 v Leicestershire start delayed Lord’s: Middlesex 63-0 v Glamorgan 199 An east-west divide: Saturday will start cloudy, wet and windy in the west with heavy rain and hill fog. The wind and rain slowly easing across all but western Scotland. Otherwise mainly dry with some warm hazy sunshine. Cooler along North Sea coasts. Good morning from a wet Manchester. The sun like a scrape of butter on some greaseproof paper.