Tailenders of the world unite and take over – or so goes the catchphrase of a certain “loosely cricket-based” BBC Podcast.
That mantra certainly shone through on the second day’s play in the County Championship.
Maiden first-class centuries and career-best scores were the key theme, while more than one tail certainly wagged to keep various dogs in various fights.
Group One
David Bedingham has found a rich vein of form with the bat for Durham so far this season as he made 257 against Derbyshire with the hosts amassing 475.
South African Bedingham has also made scores of 180 not out and 57 already this campaign to twice surpass his first-class career-best score.
Bowling stalwart Chris Rushworth (4-27) then came to the party as he reached the milestone of 500 first-class victims for Durham as Derbyshire slumped to 26-3 in reply.
But Wayne Madsen (76 not out) and Matt Critchley (40) kept them in the hunt with 106 for the fourth wicket before they closed on 148-5, still 177 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on.
Warwickshire were indebted to their tail against champions Essex as they crept towards first-innings parity at Edgbaston.
Nobody could pass 50 for the Bears as Peter Siddle and Simon Harmer both took three wickets apiece, but an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 50 between Danny Briggs (32 not out) and Craig Miles (22 not out) has pushed them up to 243-8 in reply to Essex’s 295.
New Road continues to look a bit like a road for both Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire as only three wickets fell on the second day.
The Pears scored 436 as the last three wickets added another 131, skipper Joe Leach (84), Alzharri Joseph (61) and Ed Barnard (58) all making half-centuries.
Leach struck six fours and four sixes in his 161-ball knock, adding 81 for the last wicket with Charlie Morris.
But Notts closed without losing a wicket as Haseeb Hameed (51 not out) and Ben Slater (41 not out) guided them to 99-0 in reply.
Group Two
Craig Overton made an impact with both bat and ball to put Somerset in the driving seat against Leicestershire.
The England Test seamer scored 24 to help his side gain a useful lead of 85, as they made 318 in reply to the Foxes’ 233. Skipper Tom Abell’s 88 and 59 from Steven Davies also gave them runs to play with.
Overton then took two early wickets in the hosts’ second innings as they closed on 48-3, still 37 runs behind.
Middlesex also appear to have the upper hand on Surrey as runs continued to be hard to come by at Lord’s.
Sam Robson (95), Robbie White (72) and Toby Roland-Jones (46 not out) were the mainstays of their 268 in reply to Surrey’s 154.
Roland-Jones then dismissed Hashim Amla for a golden duck as Surrey’s top-order woes continued, before Rory Burns (54 not out) and Ollie Pope (32) gave them a fighting chance with 59 for the third wicket.
They will resume on 105-3 still seven runs behind.
It’s wickets that appear hard to come by between the two sides who have both won two from two, Hampshire and Gloucestershire.
Hampshire pushed on from 292-3 overnight to make 470 thanks to Tom Alsop’s 149 and then half-centuries from Liam Dawson (65) and James Vince (52).
James Bracey holds the key to Gloucestershire’s reply with an unbeaten 46, as he found support from Kraigg Brathwaite (60) to leave them 114-2 at stumps.
Group Three
A 187-run eighth-wicket stand helped Lancashire reach 525 all out against Kent in Canterbury.
Coming to the crease at 248-7, number eight Danny Lamb made 125 to reach his maiden first-class ton, while number seven Luke Wood struck 119.
And, not satisfied with his performance with the bat, paceman Wood then took 3-23 with the ball as Kent’s top order collapsed in the evening session.
England’s Zak Crawley offered some hope, reaching 60 not out at the close, but it was Lancashire’s day as Kent finished on 85-4, 440 runs behind.
At Hove, England Test captain Joe Root was out for five as Yorkshire’s match with Sussex remains in the balance.
Having also been dismissed for five in the first innings, Root was caught behind off the bowling of Jack Carson as the visitors closed on 163-5.
After starting the day on 118-3, Sussex were bowled out for 221 before tea.
Yorkshire now lead by 92 runs with Gary Balance (36 not out) and nightwatchman Steven Patterson (4 not out) at the crease.
Northamptonshire captain Adam Rossington led the resistance with 76 as they recovered to 251-7 in reply to Glamorgan’s 407.
The home side slipped to 76-5 before Rossington and Saif Zaib (41) added 126. David Lloyd, who took 2-43, broke the stand when Zaib hit a full-toss to mid-on.
But Wayne Parnell and Gareth Berg survived the final dozen overs to take Northants to a second batting point and almost make sure of avoiding the follow-on.
