Thursday County Championship roundup

KENT V DURHAM

Tight bowling by the Kent seamers saw Durham dismissed for 81 at Tunbridge Wells yesterday. David Masters took 6/27 as Durham struggled for 64 overs to mount a response to the Kent first innings of 177 (Matthew Wood 5/36). Durham new-ball pair Simon Brown and Melvyn Betts struck back to have Kent at 7 for 3 before ending the second day on 45 for 4, a lead of 141.

LANCASHIRE V DERBYSHIRE

Italo-Australian all-rounder Joe Scuderi saw Lancashire through to a first innings lead against Derbyshire at Old Trafford yesterday. Scuderi made 41 not out as his side reached 213 in response to the visitors' 170. Derbyshire ended the day in trouble at 24 for 2 in their second innings, still needing 19 to wipe off the deficit.

YORKSHIRE V LEICESTERSHIRE

With only 45.1 overs of play at Headingley, Yorkshire advanced their score from 1 for nought to 107 for 4. David Byas (44) and Darren Lehmann (39) were the stars of the truncated day. Leicestershire made 296 in their first innings on Wednesday.

SURREY V HAMPSHIRE

Another long day at the office for Shane Warne yesterday, bowling 30 overs for only the wicket of Jason Ratcliffe for a duck. Surrey batted through the opening day of the championship match against Hampshire at The Oval to finish on 268 for 8. Graham Thorpe made 58, while Martin Bicknell (53*) and Alex Tudor (29* from 36 balls, three fours, one six) are in the throes of an unfinished 53-run nine-wicket stand. This match is Saqlain Mushtaq's first appearance of the season for Surrey, having been relieved of his Pakistan duties for the Asia Cup.

Warne's Victorian team-mate David Saker made an appearance as an emergency fielder for Hampshire and took a catch, removing Ali Brown off the bowling of Alan Mullally, himself a former Victorian player. Saker plays for Enfield in the Lancashire League and is ineligible to play in the starting eleven for a county team.

ESSEX V NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Essex were contained to a first innings total of 216 at Ilford yesterday, thanks mainly to the efforts of Devon Malcolm (4/53) and Darren Cousins (4/44). By the end of the second day Northants, in their second innings, were 203 for 4, a lead of 101. Matthew Hayden made 73 and Mal Loye 62.

MIDDLESEX V GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Mike Smith took 5/52 before Middlesex gave up a lacklustre bonus points hunt, declaring at 204 for 9 in reply to Gloucestershire's 259. Justin Langer top scored for Middlesex with 41. At the close of a shortened second day, Gloucestershire were 20 without loss in their second innings.

SUSSEX V GLAMORGAN

Sussex have taken a stranglehold on their championship match against Glamorgan at Hove. At the end of the second day they are 433 for 8 in reply to the visitors' 185. Michael Bevan (107) scored his first championship hundred of the season, sharing a 131-run third-wicket partnership with Chris Adams (90). Earlier, Richard Montgomerie made 71 and Toby Pierce 60, the opening stand worth 106. Steve Watkin (3/89) and Adrian Dale (2/63) triggered a collapse late in the day which will be too late to save this match for Glamorgan.