A round-up of the latest County Championship action as Somerset and Essex register victories and Leicestershire are saved by a record stand
Cricinfo staff19-Jun-2009Somerset survived a late scare against Sussex to secure a 35-run victory at Hove. Sussex began the day needing 180 more with six wickets in hand and started well as Chris Nash and nightwatchman Jason Lewry carried their stand to 60 before Lewry fell to an inside edge. Nash, who moved to career-best 134, fell to a sharp catch from Craig Kieswetter and Somerset appeared on course for a comfortable success as wickets continued to fall during a collapse of 5 for 52. Andrew Hodd was leg before not offering a shot and Luke Wright was caught at backward point for the second time in the match. However, Sussex batted very deep – Piyush Chawla, at No.11, scored a century last week – and the last two wickets chipped away at the total Dwayne Smith fell for 23, but Chawla and Robin Martin-Jenkins made the visitors sweat as they added 43 until Martin-Jenkins finally drove to gully to give Charl Willoughby his fourth wicket.Azeem Rafiq struck a maiden century asYorkshire’s game against Worcestershire Worcestershire at New Road ended in a draw. John Ward watched the action.Graham Onions followed Steve Harmison’s lead with seven wickets as Durham went top of the Championship table with victory against Warwickshire. George Dobell reports from Edgbaston.3rd dayDimitri Mascarenhas struck a fine 108 as Hampshire compiled a useful lead against Lancashire at Liverpool before the home side ended the day with a small advantage themselves. When the eighth wicket fell Hampshire were only 27 ahead and Mascarenhas was on 31, but he farmed the strike so effectively that he contributed 69 of the ninth-wicket stand of 78 with James Tomlinson. With Mascarenhas safely to his hundred, Imran Tahir slammed 24 off nine balls to close the innings. Lancashire responded with their best opening stand of the season, as Paul Horton and Mal Loye added 83, before Chris Tremlett struck. Andrew Flintoff, who earlier took two wickets in two balls, was dropped by Tahir but started to play more confidently to remain unbeaten on 36 although Loye was removed late on.Danish Kaneria claimed six wickets to spearhead the Essex victory charge against Kent at Tunbridge Wells although the home side put up plenty of resistance. Joe Denly moved to 123 and Martin van Jaarsveld hit 73, but when he was removed the final six wickets fell for 43. Kaneria struck in the second over of the day to snare James Tredwell at short leg, but Denly and Geraint Jones added 69 in 37 overs of solid resistance, but that ended when Jones was bowled by a superb googly. Denly reached his second consecutive Championship ton with a run of boundaries before suffering a major loss of concentration as he drove the very occasional offspin of Alastair Cook to cover. The lower couldn’t withstand Kaneria and the final wicket went to Graham Napier.Glamorgan captain Jamie Dalrymple was left to rue a cautious declaration as Northamptonshire struggled to 140 for 6 after being set 326 in 56 overs on the final day at Sophia Gardens. Gareth Rees’ first Championship hundred of the season, which included two reverse-swept sixes off Nicky Boje, built Glamorgan’s lead while Dalrymple played positively for his 62-ball 70 but didn’t fancy offering too much of a challenge in chase. Northamptonshire were soon 10 for 2 when James Harris took two in two balls and wickets fell steadily. Adam Shantry struck twice after tea and it was left to Andrew Hall and David Willey to play out 15 overs to secure the draw. It was another disappointing game for Monty Panesar who ended with match figures of 2 for 149 at the venue for the first Ashes Test.South Africa are still licking their wounds after exiting the World Twenty20, but two former internationals produced a record stand to help Leicestershire fight back for a draw against Surrey at Grace Road. Boeta Dippenaar and HD Ackerman added 314 in 83 overs, Leicestershire’s highest stand against Surrey, and were especially impressive during the first session as 151 runs came off 32 overs to build a strong lead. Ackerman’s hundred took 121 balls and Dippenaar joined him from a far more sedate 233 deliveries. Dippenaar eventually lofted to long-on, but by then the match was safe.2nd dayMiddlesex are facing defeat against Gloucestershire despite a maiden five-wicket by seamer David Burton at Bristol. The visitors closed the second day on 129 for 5, still 60 behind, after Owais Shah was caught at slip late in the day for 57. Andrew Strauss earlier fell for a duck when he shouldered arms to Jon Lewis – who also made an important half-century – as Middlesex tried to respond to the home side’s lead of 189. James Franklin, the New Zealand allrounder back from Twenty20 duty, bolstered the middle order with 67 after countryman Craig Spearman – captain for this game – was caught behind for 57 to give Burton, a former Gloucestershire player, his first wicket. Burton’s day got better when he trapped Chris Taylor lbw and returned to mop up the innings but not before Franklin and Lewis (54) had added 103 to build a vital lead.