LONDON - England opener Mark Stoneman’s fine century put Surrey in charge on the
opening day of their County Championship match against Yorkshire.
The 30-year-old, who made his debut in the Test series win over West Indies this summer, hit a chanceless 131 as the hosts piled up 398-3 at The Oval.
Rory Burns also struck 75 in a first-wicket stand of 178 with Stoneman.
Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 85 at stumps in his first game for the county since June, with Ben Foakes on 64.
Former Sri Lanka batsman Sangakkara has returned for the final three matches of Surrey’s season after spending two months with the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League.
Steven Davies scored 111 in Somerset’s total of 330-9 on day one of their Championship match against title-chasing Lancashire at Taunton.
Matt Parkinson has figures of 4-68 for Lancashire, who started 36 points behind Division One leaders Essex.
Davies put on 119 with captain Tom Abell (46) for the fifth wicket en route to his second Championship century of the season off 160 balls. The hosts got to their third batting point late on after a brief rain delay.
Those bonus points and a good start could prove crucial for relegation-threatened Somerset, who are 13 points adrift of sixth-placed Middlesex and need a positive result to boost their own survival prospects as much as Lancashire do for their title challenge.
Division One’s leading two wicket takers Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer each claimed another four scalps as Essex took a big step towards the County Championship title at Edgbaston.
Despite a solid effort from opener Dom Sibley, who was last out for 76, bottom club Warwickshire totalled only 201. In-form fast bowler Porter took 4-47, his fifth successive haul of four or more, and off-spinner Harmer 4-62.
Essex then reached stumps on 69-0, with former Bears opener Varun Chopra on 42.
Eyeing a big score on his first return to Edgbaston since going back to Chelmsford a year ago, the ex-Warwickshire captain was accompanied by Nick Browne, who was also still there on 23 when bad light forced an early close.
Former Warwickshire skipper Ian Bell, who has been averaging little more than 20 in first-class cricket this season, looked back to near his best in a fluent 37 before he too was leg before wicket to one that jagged back from Neil Wagner.
An unbeaten 102 from Neil Dexter helped Leicestershire to 325-7 on day one against promotion-chasing Worcestershire at New Road. The visitors had been reduced to 25-3 before captain Mark Cosgrove (74) passed 1,000 Championship runs in 2017.
Dexter was 94 not out when there was a brief delay for bad light and he reached his first century of the season with the 18th four of his innings. Joe Leach, Division Two’s leading wicket-taker in 2017, took 3-65.
The home side’s captain now has 61 Championship wickets this season, but India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was unable to make a breakthrough on day one, his 29 overs costing 99 runs.
Opener Cameron Bancroft struck his first century of the season to give Gloucestershire a solid start on day one against Kent at Bristol. The Australian batted all day for 124 not out to leave the hosts 242-5 at the close.
He shared an opening stand of 141 with Chris Dent (59) before Joe Denly (2-64) struck for Kent, who chose to field.
Kent fought back with three wickets in the final session before bad light brought an early finish.
Bancroft reached his 10th first-class hundred from 197 deliveries before going into his shell after tea to ensure he remained unbeaten at the close, which came with 9.3 of the scheduled overs still be bowled.
Fifth-placed Kent have drawn their last four Division Two matches and are without a win since 26 May, while Gloucestershire are one place and 30 points below in sixth.
Promotion-chasing Northamptonshire had the upper hand on day one of their County Championship Division Two match, as they reached 59-2 after hustling the home side out for just 207. Richard Gleeson led the way with 5-60 in an accurate display of seam bowling. A seventh-wicket stand of 97 between Andrew Salter (59) and Craig Meschede (49) looked set to rescue Glamorgan in Cardiff. But Northants’ bowlers started and finished the innings strongly.
Sussex took six wickets in the evening session to fight back against Derbyshire on day one at Hove.
The visitors reached 227-3 at tea but ended on 338-9 with David Wiese taking 4-63 and George Garton 3-79.
Sussex start the match 36 points behind second-placed Worcestershire with a game in hand as they push for promotion from Division Two.
No play was possible on day one of the County Championship Division One match between Middlesex and Hampshire because of wet conditions at Uxbridge. Sixth-placed Middlesex are 13 points ahead of Somerset, who occupy the second relegation spot. Hampshire, who are third, are 13 points better off than their opponents.
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