If Sunday’s exploits were too much to beat, Ollie Robinson can sup on another good-sized mug of satisfaction after the Sussex paceman destroyed the stumps of two Middlesex batsmen – first Steve Eskinazi, then Paul Stirling – to reach 50 first-class wickets this season and collect his second 10-wicket haul against Middlesex this year.
Sam Robson’s fifty was the highlight of Middlesex’s reply although they did improve on their first-innings 75 all out and were 149 for four at stumps, still 85 behind after Sussex had built up a sizeable first-innings lead thanks to some late-order biffing from Robinson and Will Beer (77). Toby Roland-Jones finished with five for 70.
Rain ruined much of the day’s play at Canterbury, where only 41 overs were possible. Mohammad Amir finished with four for 48 in his final red-ball game. The leaders Essex lost one wicket before the close in reply to Kent’s 226. Meanwhile their closest rivals Somerset were struggling at Edgbaston. Warwickshire knocked up 419 despite Rob Yates adding only two to his overnight 139. Steve Davies provided the cowgum to the Somerset reply with an unbeaten 89 but parity lies far away.
At the Oval Sam Curran was thrown in at No 3, without great success, as Fidel Edwards took two quick wickets. Earlier Rikki Clarke had finished with seven for 74 but there was frustration for Surrey from a ninth-wicket partnership of 119 between Ryan Stevenson and Kyle Abbott guiding Hampshire to 367.
Nottinghamshire came to rue Yorkshire’s tail-end runs on Sunday after collapsing to 184 all out with four wickets for Duanne Olivier. Ferrety Adam Lyth and cubic Gary Ballance then piled on the agony with a partnership of 108 – giving Yorkshire a lead of 225 with eight wickets still in hand.
Dane Vilas was the story of Division Two, dominating the Glamorgan attack with a remarkable 266 – the highest score by any Lancashire batsman at No 6. He sprayed the boards of Colwyn Bay with six sixes and 36 fours as Lancashire closed with a lead of 287. Keaton Jennings was the second highest scorer with a steady 86.
On a Chester-le-Street featherbed Durham piled up 544 before declaring, with every man reaching double figures. Leicestershire’s openers put on 100 before Paul Horton fell to Brydon Carse. Hassan Azad, owner of a new two-year contract, sleeps unbeaten on 53. Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson grabbed four early-evening wickets as Worcestershire’s top order again paraded their fragility, finishing on 42 for four – with Moeen Ali 10 not out. Northants had earlier rocked to 376 thanks to centuries from Dwaine Pretorius, on club debut, and Alex Wakely. After taking five wickets on Sunday Ryan Higgins hit a century against Derbyshire as Gloucestershire started practising the early steps of the promotion dance. Captain Chris Dent also made a hundred, 169, his fourth of the year.
