Cricket News

Surrey ran through Derbyshire in the extra half hour, with Gareth Batty taking four wickets, after James Burke and Dominic Sibley contributed important innings

Alastair Cook suffered the indignity of a first ball duck as Essex completed a five-wicket win over Gloucestershire inside three days at Bristol.

Glamorgan and Leicestershire are locked together after two tough days on a pitch not eager to give rewards to all concerned

Graham Wagg came to Glamorgan's rescue on the opening day of their Championship Division Two match against Leicestershire in Cardiff

Graham Napier and James Porter bowled Essex into a winning position on the second day of the Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol

Gareth Batty's seam bowlers secured a 32-run first-innings lead for their side and the batsmen extended that lead to 109 for the loss of both openers by close of play

Olly Stone bowled one of the fastest spells of the season as Kent were twice bundled out in less than 45 overs at Northampton

These are worrying times for Surrey - and some supporters of other counties are deriving a little vicarious pleasure from it all.

Alastair Cook fell two short of a half-century as Essex were bowled out for 319 by Gloucestershire on the opening day at Bristol.

The summer solstice must have seemed even longer to Kent than normal, as they put themselves under pressure in their against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road as Rory Kleinveldt and Azharullah both took five-wicket hauls to bowl them out for just 140.

Surrey have agreed a short-term deal to bring in Dean Elgar as their overseas player for a 10-day spell, due to a spate of injuries and international call-ups

After three days that had confounded and enthralled spectators, the final day was comparatively flat. Just not for Glamorgan who wrapped up an emphatic seven-wicket victory before tea.

Graham Wagg's double century at No 8 was a fine moment in Glamorgan history but even that was upstaged by Arun Harinath's second hundred in front of the convalescing Rory Burns

A second Championship win for Essex, this one by an in innings, sees them get off the bottom of Division Two. Their 23 points achieved in three days work here takes them to sixth in the table, with nine left to play.

It was a harum-scarum day: cricket straight from the Brendon McCullum school, as the cliché du jour would have it. After 439 runs and 12 wickets it was a little hard what to make of it all.

Ashwell Prince, Arron Lilley and Kyle Jarvis all starred as Lancashire wrapped up a three-day win over Leicestershire at Old Trafford by an innings and 157 runs.

Karl Brown put Lancashire well on top against Leicestershire at Old Trafford as he narrowly missed his first Championship century for four years

Like countless summer blockbusters, Chelmsford did not quite meet expectations, but there Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara provided some good moments along the way as Essex's batting finally stirred

Alastair Cook marked his first Championship appearance of the season with an unbeaten half-century as Essex took command against Derbyshire at Chelmsford.