Cricket News

Lancashire cruised to an eight-wicket win over Unicorns to pick up only their third Clydesdale Bank 40 victory of the season

Lancashire cruise to easy win

Ed Joyce's 89-ball century kept Sussex on course for a Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-final spot with an eight-wicket win against Group A strugglers Worcestershire at New Road

Joyce ton keeps Sussex on track

Charl Willoughby claimed 4 for 80 as Somerset inflicted Durham's second Championship defeat of the season with a nine-wicket success at Taunton

Willoughby blows title race open

Hampshire have been plunged further into the relegation mire after being docked eight points for a "poor" pitch after their County Championship match against Nottinghamshire

Hampshire hit by eight-point pitch penalty

24-Jul-2011•ESPNcricinfo staff

Scrapping Northants deny Derbyshire

Perhaps it was the loss of 23 overs to poor weather on the third night. Perhaps it was the lack of a really good quality spinner. Or perhaps they were just unlucky

23-Jul-2011•George Dobell at Wantage Road

Hampshire deny Nottinghamshire but lose points

Samit Patel took a career-best 7 for 68 with his left-arm spin but Nottinghamshire were forced to settle for a draw against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl

Alfonso Thomas marked his first County Championship appearance of the season with 4 for 62 as Durham were forced to follow-on by Somerset at Taunton

Openers lead Durham follow-on fightback

Australian batsman Sam Robson hit an unbeaten 94 and helped maintain Middlesex's promotion bid with a six-wicket County Championship win over Division Two rivals Surrey in Guildford

Robson guides Middlesex to victory

Jeetan Patel continued his hounding of Sussex as Warwickshire stepped up their challenge for the County Championship title with victory by an innings and 43 runs at Edgbaston

Patel takes 10 as Warwickshire surge to victory

The way cricket is marketed these days, you could be forgiven for thinking that the game consisted only of international matches and Twenty20, which does great injustice to the real bedrock of the English professional game, the County Championship

Lancashire win thriller by 23 runs

23-Jul-2011•Jon Culley at Headingley

Spinners wreak havoc at the Rose Bowl

Another 13 wickets fell on day three at the Rose Bowl and all but one of them to spin bowlers

Murray Goodwin narrowly missed out on a century as Sussex struggled to pull out of their slide towards defeat against Warwickshire on the third day of the County Championship meeting at Edgbaston

Goodwin digs in but Warwickshire on top

Tom Maynard's 67-ball hundred spared Surrey's blushes at Guildford, where Middlesex took 14 wickets in two sessions of an enthralling Championship match only to then feel the full might of the young Welshman's bat

Maynard ton spares Surrey's blushes

Mitchell Claydon finished with a career-best 6 for 104 as Durham finally bowled out Somerset for 480 on a rain-interrupted second day of their Championship match at Taunton

Claydon shines for Durham

Mark Turner took the first five-wicket haul of his career as Derbyshire took control on the third day of their match with Division Two league leaders Northamptonshire at Wantage Road

Improved Derbyshire chase promotion

22-Jul-2011•George Dobell at Wantage Road

Lancashire edge ahead in see-sawing contest

After Yorkshire's wonderful fightback on day three, this fascinating, absorbing Roses match has produced more ebbs and flows

22-Jul-2011•Jon Culley at Headingley

Gloucestershire seamers wrap up innings win

Gloucestershire defeated Kent by an innings and 142 runs to claim a first County Championship victory at Cheltenham in 20 attempts and 10 years