Murali spins Lancashire to victory

Lancashire 196 and 377 (Flintoff 83, Law 83, Cork 57, Mason 4-107) defeated Worcestershire 306 and 191
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Muttiah Muralitharan spun Lancashire to a 76-run victory against Worcestershire at New Road after Andrew Flintoff had led their superb fightback on the third day. It is Lancashire's first victory since the fourth Championship match of last season at Old Trafford, which was also against Worcestershire. At the start of the final day, the match hung in the balance, Worcestershire needing a further 210 runs with eight wickets in hand. Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki took them in sight of the total, each striking half-centuries but ultimately it was not enough. Both of their innings were boundary-crammed; Hick's 57 comprising 11 fours and one six, while Vikram Solanki smote nine fours in his 52. Dominic Cork turned the match by removing Hick, Ben Smith and then Cahminda Vaas in quick succession. Muralitharan then mopped up the tail as Lancashire recorded their first victory of the season.*

*David Wigley did not bat for Worcestershire in their second innings: he was absent hurt with a broken hand; the result of an accidental beamer from James Anderson.

Match drawn Derbyshire 241 (Louw 6-71) and 119 for 0 (Stubbings 58*, di Venuto 55*) v Northamptonshire 451 for 7 (Love 168, Shafayat 161)
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Derbyshire and Northamptonshire shared the points at the County Ground after rain forced the match to be abandoned on the final day - although the match was heading for a draw after the home side had put up a much-improved batting performance on the third day. Northamptonshire had made them follow on, but their openers Steve Stubbings (58 not out) and Michael di Venuto (55 not out) remained unbeaten at the close. Derbyshire had showed once more their tendency to collapse: they were 175 for 7, before a defiant rearguard stand of 61 between Chris Bassano and Ant Botha. Johann Louw finished with career-best figures of 6-71, a worthy reward for more than 30 overs of hard work. Northants will have fancied their chances of making inroads into the home side again, but Stubbings and di Venuto put up sterner resistance and Derbyshire clung on for the points when the rains came.

Essex 427 for 8 dec and 77 for 1 defeated Somerset 190 and 313 (Francis 64, Turner 68*, McLean 40) by nine wickets
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A last-wicket stand of 70 between Robert Turner and Nixon McLean was not enough to save Somerset they slumped to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Essex. The visitors had not been expecting to bat again - and when they did, they knocked off the target comfortably, losing just one wicket in pursuit of 76 - after Somerset, in their second innings, were 65 for 4 at one stage and then 170 for 8, which was still 67 runs behind. But Somerset's last two partnerships produced a combined total of 143, forcing Essex to take to the crease again. Will Jefferson, Ravinder Bopara and Alistair Cook knocked off the runs.