Salisbury smashes century as Surrey humiliate Leicestershire
Kent v Middlesex, Canterbury Scorecard Kent's first win of the season was on the cards after their day of domination over Middlesex at Canterbury
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Kent's first win of the season was on the cards after their day of domination over Middlesex at Canterbury. Resuming play on 291 for 4, all the Kent lower-order chipped in with some handy runs, in particular Geraint Jones, the Kent wicketkeeper, who made 52 in an impressive total of 472 all out. The Middlesex reply then got off to the worst possible start when Andrew Strauss was run out on his 10th ball with only three on the board. And things didn't get much better for them when Martin Saggers and Ben Trott took two wickets apiece as Middlesex were left dangling on 135 for 5.
Lancashire v Essex, Old Trafford
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Only the sight of Graham Gooch, the Essex coach, filling in for seven overs as a substitute fielder, brought any smiles to the Essex players on a demoralising day at Old Trafford. Iain Sutcliffe and Mark Chilton both scored hundreds as Lancashire reached 375 all out, with a first-innings lead of 160. Ronnie Irani took 4 for 59 and won a personal battle with the former Essex star Stuart Law, who he had caught and bowled for 6. In their second-innings reply, openers Darren Robinson and Will Jefferson went cheaply, and the star duo of Nasser Hussain and Andy Flower - both not in the best of nick - will have to make some timely runs tomorrow to save Essex from an early defeat.
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Mark Ramprakash attacks on his way to 152 for Surrey at The Oval Getty Images |
Surrey v Leicestershire, The Oval
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In what must be one of the worst days in Leicestershire's history, Surrey blasted their way to a rapid 560 for 8 declared, totally outplaying a demoralised Leicestershire team. Mark Ramprakash top-scored with a typically stylish 152, and built the platform for his team-mates to go out and enjoy themselves - which they did in some style. As you'd expect, the trio of Alec Stewart (71), Alistair Brown (73) and Adam Hollioake (41 from 24 balls) all got in on the act, but it was Ian Salisbury who overshadowed them all with a dazzling 101 not out - only the second century of his career. In his desperation, Philip DeFreitas (who finished with his side's best figures of 4 for 101) used nine bowlers in all, but to no great effect. And just when things couldn't get any worse, in the seven overs before the close they lost Trevor Ward and David Masters to end in complete disarray, still 346 runs behind a buoyant Surrey.
Division Two
Durham v Worcestershire, Stockton
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Kabir Ali, Worcestershire's No. 9, smashed 84 from 86 balls - his highest first-class score - to help his side to a healthy 305 all out against Durham. Ben Smith (82) and Vikram Solanki (52) had earlier laid the foundations for a promising score in their innings, in which Durham's international bowling duo of Steve Harmison and Javagal Srinath took three wickets each. And as he has done a few times already this season, Jonathan Lewis then led the way in Durham's reply with 66 not out, as they ended on 146 for 3.
Gloucestershire v Hampshire, Bristol
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Craig Spearman continued his good early-season form with an enterprising 103 as Gloucestershire edged towards Hampshire's first-innings total of 369. Spearman put on a 141-run opening stand with Philip Weston, who scored 61 before he was caught by Simon Katich, who also took two wickets, including that of Spearman. Jonty Rhodes remained on 57 not out as Gloucestershire trailed by 53 runs at stumps.
Northamptonshire v Yorkshire, Northampton
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It wasn't a good day to be a bowler at Wantage Road, as bat overcame ball throughout a day in which 350 runs were scored and only three wickets fell. Richard Dawson (77) and Matthew Hoggard (21*) stretched Yorkshire's first-innings total to 399 all out and then Northamptonshire's Anglo-Aussie star Phil Jaques took centre stage. Jaques blasted 183 not out, with 23 fours and one six - his highest first-class score. And his team-mate Michael Hussey (an official Australian) scored 65 as the pair put on 189 for the second wicket.
Somerset v Glamorgan, Taunton
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Somerset moved in to a commanding position against Glamorgan as Peter Bowler and Michael Burns led the way with a second-wicket partnership of 128 runs. Bowler just missed out on what would have been an astonishing 43rd first-class century when he fell on 92 after four hours at the crease, while Burns scored a more rapid 82 before he was bowled by Adrian Dale. Dale finished with 3 for 29, but the other Glamorgan bowlers' figures suffered from some blistering batting - especially from that big biffer Ian Blackwell, who smashed 42 from 27 balls as Somerset ended the day with a 194-run lead.
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Warwickshire's Ian Bell made the most of his chance to show what he could with the ball when he took 4 for 13 to wrap up Cardiff University's innings for 251, in which Collins Obuya took his first county wicket, and Cardiff's Alexander French top-scored with 67. Dominic Ostler then made 42 not out as Warwickshire led by 248 runs.