LONDON, Monday: Nottinghamshire began life back in English County Championship Division One with a six-wicket win at Lancashire after an incredible finish.
Having resumed on 58-2, the hosts were all out for just 73 after losing eight wickets for 15 runs, as England paceman Jake Ball (4-14) and left-armer Harry Gurney (6-25) ran riot at Old Trafford. That left Notts needing 10 runs to win, but they then slumped to 9-4.
Australian seamer Joe Mennie took three wickets, before Riki Wessels scored the single needed for victory.
Only three of Lancashire's batsmen reached double figures, as they became the third county after Kent and Northants to be bowled out for less than 75 in the opening round of County Championship fixtures.
Mennie's burst to leave Notts 5-3 was no more than a blip before Steven Mullaney's side took 20 points back to Trent Bridge.
Hampshire's fast bowlers condemned newly promoted Division Two champions Worcestershire to a heavy 196-run County Championship defeat on the final morning at Southampton.
Resuming on 59-3, needing a further 265 to win, the visitors were blown away. Former West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards took 3-33, including two in two balls, in a whirlwind spell.
Gareth Berg, Brad Wheal, Liam Dawson and Kyle Abbott (4-45) took a wicket each as Worcs were out for 127.
Having taken the three wickets to fall the evening before, Worcestershire old boy Abbott finished with match figures of 7-90.
Gloucestershire scored the 47 runs needed to beat Kent by five wickets, despite a mini-collapse at Canterbury.
Resuming day four on 61-1 with a target of 108, the visitors lost three wickets in eight balls to leave them 84-4. But Benny Howell's 52 not out saw them to 108-5 and victory before lunch - with Kent's Matt Henry claiming 3-37.
Kent never recovered from being bowled out for 64 on Saturday after day one was washed out, as the pace bowlers dominated throughout.
Middlesex laid down a marker in Division Two with a 160-run win over Northamptonshire at Lord's.
The 2016 county champions were relegated last season, but sealed a convincing victory thanks to their seamers bowling out Northants cheaply for the second time in the match.
Chasing 303 to win, Northants collapsed from 9-0 at the start of day three to 142 all out, with James Harris and Tim Murtagh both taking four wickets. Harris claimed match figures of 9-48. The 27-year-old also made the highest score of the game with his unbeaten 46 in Middlesex's first innings. After 26 wickets fell on Saturday, batting conditions continued to prove tricky as only three Northants batsmen reached double figures and Middlesex wrapped up victory just after lunch.
Sussex's South African all-rounder David Wiese made the first County Championship century of the summer. But that was the only final-day high spot at Edgbaston as Warwickshire's rain-ruined home game with Sussex petered out into a draw.
Yorkshire and Essex's County Championship match at Headingley was abandoned as a draw without a single ball bowled because of a wet outfield.
Umpires Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth called off day four shortly after a second inspection at 10:00 am.
English county scores on Monday:
FIRST DIVISION
l At Southampton: Hampshire beat Worcestershire by 196 runs
Hampshire 290 (G Berg 75 no, J Vince 75; J Leach 4-42) and 244 (K Abbott 51) v
Worcestershire 211 (O Cox 65) and 127 (K Abbott 4-45)
l At Old Trafford: Nottinghamshire beat Lancashire by 6 wkts
Lancashire 158 (J Ball 5-43) and 73 (H Gurney 6-25, J Ball 4-14) v Nottinghamshire 222 and 10-4
l At Headingley: Yorkshire drew with Esse
No play due to a wet outfield, all four days washed out
SECOND DIVISION
l At Canterbury: Gloucestershire beat Kent by 5 wkts
Kent 64 (M Taylor 4-20) and 153 (D Bell-Drummond 61; R Higgins 5-22) v Gloucestershire 110 (G Roderick 51; M Henry 4-33) and 108-5 (B Howell 52 no)
l At Edgbaston: Warwickshire drew with Sussex
Warwickshire 299 (T Ambrose 81, I Bell 70; D Wiese 4-56) and 87-3 v
Sussex 374 (D Wiese 106, B Brown 91; O Stone 8-80) - AFP
Add new comment