Lancashire had no reply after losing four top order batters in 16 balls. Jamie Porter took home three for 24, Shane Snater pocketed seven in the match.

Surrey are eyeing victory at Canterbury, after centuries for Dan Lawrence and Dom Sibley were followed by Dan Worrall scything through Kent, his three for 18 including Zak Crawley for four.

A record-breaking stand of 370 between Will Young (156) and Joe Clarke (209) led to a glut of runs at Taunton.

Somerset only took one wicket all day and applauded Clarke and Young off at stumps, new owners of Nottinghamshire’s record for the third wicket, one that had been on the books since 1903.

Glamorgan were pummelled at Wantage Road by an unbeaten double hundred from Northamptonshire’s Indian international Karun Nair, who has found the County Championship very much to his liking.

Sussex’s Ollie Robinson grabbed two wickets in three balls to send Gloucestershire into a spin. Hampshire’s Nick Gubbins and Fletcha Middleton both made hundreds against Warwickshire on a flat pitch at the Rose Bowl.

Lancashire 146 and 107 BY AN INNINGS AND 124 RUNS

Southampton: Hampshire 365 v Warwickshire 455 and 46-0

Canterbury: Kent 244 and 120-5 v Surrey 543-7dec

Taunton: Somerset 454 v Nottinghamshire 193 and 418-2

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 184 and 272 LOSE TO Durham 244 and 397-5dec BY 185 RUNS

DIVISION TWO

Derby: Derbyshire 167 and 224-6 v Leicestershire 574-7dec

Lord’s: Middlesex 246 and 158-4 BEAT Yorkshire 159 and 244 BY SIX WICKETS

Northampton: Northamptonshire 605-6dec v Glamorgan 271 and 104-3

Hove: Sussex 479 v Gloucesterhire 417 and 81-6

Somerset a bit short of ideas. At the other end, Clarke ticks over to 170.

Gloucestershire in a pretty mess at 26 for four and still 36 runs behind Sussex. How are Derby doing?Kent 20-1.Lancashire 146 and 107 BY AN INNINGS AND 124 RUNS

Southampton: Hampshire 323-7 v Warwickshire 455

Canterbury: Kent 244 v Surrey 543-7dec

Taunton: Somerset 454 v Nottinghamshire 193 and 281-2

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 184 and 201-6 v Durham 244 and 397-5dec

DIVISION TWO

Derby: Derbyshire 167 and 92-4 v Leicestershire 574-7dec

Lord’s: Middlesex 246 and 131-3 v Yorkshire 159 and 244 Middx need 27 to win

Northampton: Northamptonshire 605-6dec v Glamorgan 271 and 22-0

Hove: Sussex 479 v Gloucesterhire 417

Surrey seem to be eyeing up 600.

Oh! Warwickshire chipping away at Hampshire and now Yates has got rid of the obstinate Dawson. Hants 318-7, still trail by 137 and a much more interesting last day now in prospect at Southampton.

Surrey five down but have passed 400 and Jamie Smith is in party mood.Worcestershire in trouble at Kidderminster, after Rob Jones smashed 39 but was caught off Coughlin after lunch. And Hose joins him two overs later. Worcs 103-4.Middlesex cricket is not about to end its long-term relationship with MCC and is not about to leave Lord’s.”

Essex lick their lips for the final victory. Lancs 105-9Lancashire 146 and 105-9

Southampton: Hampshire 220-1 v Warwickshire 455

Canterbury: Kent 244 v Surrey 355-2

Taunton: Somerset 454 v Nottinghamshire 193 and 140-2

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 184 and 49-2 v Durham 244 and 397-5dec

DIVISION TWO

Derby: Derbyshire 167 and 5-0 v Leicestershire 574-7dec

Lord’s: Middlesex 246 and 40-1 v Yorkshire 159 and 244

Northampton: Northamptonshire 442-5 v Glamorgan 271

Hove: Sussex 362-7 v Gloucesterhire 417

Lancashire lose their eighth…Bailey caught and bowled Simon Harmer, snood off. The umpire’s collar though is resolutely high against the chilly wind.Surrey 241-2, the lead 97 and if they carry on at this rate Kent’s Monday looks tough going.Yorkshire at bay, Middx 22-1 need 136 to win.

Karun Nair closing in on a hundred as Northants take command against Glamorgan, 394-5 lead by 123.

And three wickets for Zafar at Hove, John Simpson coaxing Sussex towards parity, 333-7, trail Gloucs by 84.

Surrey move is looking a golden one.Middlesex 1-1.

Somerset to win the first match of the day. Notts 48-2, still trail by 213.

Lancashire 22-2.Aigburth in September 2021, for that classic Lancs v Hampshire clash. Happy retirement Paul!Middlesex.

The BBC piece quotes chief exec Andrew Cornish: “If you look at the Harlequins model, they play most of their games at the Stoop, but for big games go to Twickenham.

“When Arsenal women go to the Emirates they fill it out, but most of the time they’re not playing there. There’s definitely a model there to be considered.”

“Things [potential sites] do become available and there are a couple of potential opportunities now. There are a lot of people looking at cricket as an investment opportunity right now. Our global reach is enormous.”

Lancashire then lost Keaton Jennings, lbw to Jamie Porter, as they crawled along at one an over.

It was a slow-go day at the pastry-flat Rose Bowl, where the ball repeatedly went out of shape, and Warwickshire were finally dismissed for 455, with Liam Dawson collecting his 10th first-class five-wicket haul. In reply Hampshire’s Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins dawdled to half centuries apiece.

It was another dog day for Harry Brook and Joe Root as Yorkshire wobbled at Lord’s. Brook came in immediately after tea and was out first ball to Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins while Root, who had become becalmed in the 20s, was a third salmon in the net for Toby Roland-Jones. He grinned merrily as Root trudged away and a man in the stands in a woolly hat slowly chewed on his frozen crisps. Yorkshire gave themselves something to bowl at thanks to a half century from George Hill and some late biffing by the tail.

Nottinghamshire’s season continued to get stuck in the machinery of the blocks as Somerset ran up 454, a lead of 261, at Taunton. Tom Banton looked in sparkling form with his 83, helped by a useful forty from nightwatcher Josh Davey. But the final blows came from a blockbuster ninth-wicket partnership between Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius (77). Overton was stranded on 95 when the No 11, Shoaib Bashir, took a meaty and ill-advised slog on nought. Overton was so incensed, he charged off the field without acknowledging the crowd. As the sun started to drop, Notts then lost an early wicket.

A bubblegum century from David Bedingham, five sixes and 11 fours, powered Durham towards their first win of Division One. He and Scott Borthwick dealt runs as if they were buttons in a third-wicket partnership of 195 as Worcestershire’s bowlers searched for a breakthrough. By stumps the Durham lead was already 379, with five wickets remaining. Earlier, a half century from Jake Libby and 33 not out from Nathan Smith ensured Worcestershire avoided ignominy. There were three wickets each for Matthew Potts, Ben Raine and Paul Coughlin.

The Australian opening batter Marcus Harris danced to a double century at Derby, celebrating by splatting six down the ground. With power to add from the late middle order, Leicestershire finally declared on 574 for seven. Needing 425 to avoid the follow on, Derbyshire then collapsed in the early evening, losing four quick wickets. And Northamptonshire’s Ricardo Vasconcelos hit his first century for two years, tucking into Glamorgan’s bowlers with a dazzling 166. Earlier Mason Crane had celebrated his maiden first-class fifty to inch Glamorgan to a batting point.

Cheteshwar Pujara (75 not out) and Tom Alsop (84) ensured that Sussex didn’t falter in the face of Gloucestershire’s 417, on a pudding of a pitch at Hove, where both teams found it tricky to up the scoring rate. Gloucestershire’s last two wickets added 109 in the morning, as Ollie Robinson went wicketless from his 21 overs. And it was a long day for Kent who were bowled out for 244, then had to watch Surrey shimmy to 185 for one, Dom Sibley unbeaten, 13 short of his century.

Lancashire 146 and 10-1

Southampton: Hampshire 140-1 v Warwickshire 455

Canterbury: Kent 244 v Surrey 185-1

Taunton: Somerset 454 v Nottinghamshire 193 and 38-1

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 184 v Durham 244 and 319-5

DIVISION TWO

Derby: Derbyshire 54-4 v Leicestershire 574-5dec

Lord’s: Middlesex 246 v Yorkshire 159 and 216-7

Northampton: Northamptonshire 314-2 v Glamorgan 271

Hove: Sussex 267-7 v Gloucesterhire 417

Source: theguardian.com