Division One leaders Warwickshire claimed their third LV= Insurance County Championship win of the season after beating fellow title hopefuls Essex inside three days at Edgbaston.
Chris Rushworth produced another stunning display as Essex were dismissed for 215 in their second innings, the veteran seamer taking four for 62 to finish with match figures of eight for 90.
The winter arrival from Durham has now taken 30 wickets this season and his efforts, combined with Hasan Ali (four for 48), left Warwickshire needing exactly 100 for victory, which they knocked off with four wickets to spare.
Dane Paterson claimed five wickets as Nottinghamshire earned victory by an innings and 25 runs over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
The Steelbacks were reeling at 11 for four after Paterson’s first four victims came in an opening burst of eight overs and, despite Saif Zaib showing some resilience with 26, they were dismissed for just 72.
Northamptonshire collapsed in their first innings, losing seven wickets for 17 runs as Nottinghamshire’s bowling attack proved too strong.
Earlier Joe Clarke (76) scored his second half-century of the season to give Nottinghamshire a 97-run advantage which could have been more but for career-best figures of four for 24 for James Sales. Tom Taylor also took four wickets.
Surrey moved into the driving seat against Middlesex at the Kia Oval as a first-innings lead of 171 gave them hope of securing a third win of the season.
Jamie Smith made 97 and their last three wickets added 97 to swell their total to 380.
Middlesex, hustled out for 209 the first time around, were 128 for three at the close, still 43 behind.
Daryl Mitchell scored a debut century to put Lancashire back into contention against Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.
The New Zealander’s brilliant knock of 105 helped a Red Roses side missing the injured James Anderson close their first innings on 326, just 35 behind the visitors.
Somerset extended that lead to 149 at the close as they reached stumps at 114 for three with opener Tom Lammonby unbeaten on 40.
Kent – dismissed for just 95 in their first innings – must battle hard against Hampshire at Canterbury to avoid defeat.
The hosts are on 66 for no loss in their second innings, trailing by 212, with Zak Crawley unbeaten on 35 and Ben Compton 30 not out.
Earlier Liam Dawson hit 84, Joe Weatherly 58 and James Fuller 51 as Hampshire posted 373 in their first innings to take a firm grip on proceedings.
Timm van der Gugten cemented his place as the leading bowler in Division Two this season as Glamorgan wrapped up a convincing victory over Worcestershire in Cardiff.
The Australian-Dutch international claimed his third five-wicket haul of the season as Worcestershire were bowled out in the first hour of play. Glamorgan openers Eddie Byrom (51 not out) and captain David Lloyd (30 not out) chased down the target of 79 to seal a 10-wicket win.
That gave Glamorgan their first victory of the season and 20 points, while Worcestershire slipped to a second defeat since their opening-round victory against Derbyshire.
Yorkshire and Durham set up thrilling finale at Seat Unique Riverside.
Defending a total of 246, Matthew Fisher claimed four wickets to turn the game in the favour of the visitors after Durham had threatened to inch their way towards victory courtesy of a fifty from Michael Jones.
Durham were 173 for eight before Ben Raine (32 not out) and Matthew Potts (13 not out) formed a defiant partnership of 40.
The home side require 33 runs to win with two wickets remaining but the fitness of Brydon Carse, who missed all of day three due to injury, is a huge concern.
Sussex boosted their bid to take over top spot in Division Two by forcing Leicestershire to follow on at Grace Road.
The home side were dismissed for 270 – with four-wicket hauls for Ari Karvelas and Fynn Hudson-Prentice – in reply to Sussex’s 430 before reaching stumps 16 without loss in their second go.
Derbyshire opener Harry Came claimed his maiden first-class century with 108 from 192 balls against Gloucestershire at Derby.
Came’s effort took Derbyshire to 251 for nine declared and, in an even rain-affected contest, Gloucestershire reached 195 for five with Ben Charlesworth unbeaten on 58.
Charles finishes with 13 wickets in the match as Red Force demolish Scorpions by an innings and 125 runs on day three at Sabina Park
Bryan Charles finished with 13 wickets in the match as the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force ended their 2024 West Indies Championship season with an innings and 125 run thrashing of the Jamaica Scorpions on day three at Sabina Park.
The Scorpions entered Friday 159-9 in their first innings, trailing the Red Force by 273 runs. The final pair of Jeavor Royal and Andrae Dennis further 30 before being bowled out in the 64th over of the innings.
The Red Force then asked the hosts to follow on before dismissing them for 118 in just 44.4 overs to complete a dominant win.
Opener Javaughn Buchanan was the only Scorpions batsman to offer any kind of resistance with a 95-ball 33 as Bryan Charles was, once again, the pick of the Red Force bowling, ripping through the Jamaican batting on his way to figures of 7-43 from 13.4 overs to finish with a match haul of 13-125.
Debutant Navin Bidaisee took 2-20 from six overs in support.
Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 432 all out in 122 overs (Joshua Da Silva 106, Terrance Hinds 79, Amir Jangoo 51, Kjorn Ottley 45, Khary Pierre 43, Jeavor Royal 3-113, Ojay Shields 2-61, Peat Salmon 2-83)
Jamaica Scorpions 189 all out in 63.4 overs (Kirk McKenzie 57, Jeavor Royal 46, Bryan Charles 6-82, Khary Pierre 3-57) & 118 all out in 44.4 overs (Javaughn Buchanan 33, Bryan Charles 7-43, Navin Bidaisee 2-20).
England stars out cheaply as Dukes ball returns to County Championship
England trio Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Harry Brook were all out for single-figure scores as bowlers across the Vitality County Championship had more success following the return of the Dukes ball.
The trial of the Kookaburra ball, which has a flatter seam than its Dukes counterpart and tends to go softer earlier, in the opening two rounds has proved divisive and led to much higher scores than expected in the early season.
Warwickshire captain Alex Davies’ fantastic 149 underpinned his side’s 340 for four in their Division One clash against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl – but the opener was the only batter in the country to reach three figures on Friday.
Crawley edged to third slip for five in his first appearance of the season for Kent, who ended a rain-affected opening day on 111 for three after 39 overs against defending champions Surrey at Canterbury.
Daniel Bell-Drummond registered 70 before he was trapped in front by Tom Lawes and Daniel Worrall accounted for Crawley and fellow opener Ben Compton.
Four wickets for Shane Snater and three for England hopeful Sam Cook helped Essex skittle Lancashire for 146 at Chelmsford, where the hosts went to stumps on 68 for one with just 54 overs possible.
England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir snared the in-form Joe Clarke as Nottinghamshire were all out for 193 against Somerset at Taunton.
Craig Overton was the pick of the attack with three for 57 before a classy 70 not out from Sean Dickson led Somerset to 116 for one at the close.
Durham’s Ollie Robinson thrashed six fours and three sixes in a belligerent 55 off 43 balls but his side were all out for 244 against Worcestershire in a clash between the two promoted sides at Kidderminster.
Former West Indies captain Jason Holder took three wickets for Worcestershire, who reached 78 for four in reply.
In Division Two, Yorkshire were dismissed for 159 by Middlesex at Lord’s, where Root steered to gully for five while Brook made just three before nicking to second slip.
Middlesex slipped to 37 for two in reply but Mark Stoneman’s unbeaten 38 and Leus du Plooy’s 23 not out led the hosts to 84 without further loss, with 55.4 overs bowled in the day.
Half-centuries for Ben Charlesworth (62), Miles Hammond (56) and James Bracey (69) ushered Gloucestershire to 319 for eight against Sussex at Hove. Danny Lamb took three for 49 for the hosts.
Colin Ingram’s 69 not out rescued Glamorgan from 27 for four against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. Ben Sanderson’s third wicket left the Welsh side on 96 for five but Ingram’s efforts and 50 from Dan Douthwaite helped them close on 203 for seven after 56.1 overs.
Leicestershire opener Marcus Harris’ unbeaten 77 got his side to 168 for two after 46 overs against Derbyshire at Derby.
Windies legend Walsh joins Zimbabwe in hunt for historic Women's T20 World Cup spot
West Indies fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh has joined Zimbabwe’s women’s team as a coaching consultant, as they prepare to challenge for a spot at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
The Jamaican, who led West Indies women’s to the semi-finals of the 2022 ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand, where they lost to eventual winners Australia, will now aim to rewrite the history books by assisting Zimbabwe to a maiden World Cup appearance.
The Lady Chevrons are targeting one of two spots from the Women's T20 World Cup qualifiers, which begins in the United Arab Emirates on April 25.
Walsh, 61, who took 519 Test wickets in his stellar career, is assisting head coach Walter Chawaguta ahead of the tournament, and Givemore Makoni, managing director of Zimbabwe’s Cricket is delighted to have the legendary pacer on board.
"We count ourselves fortunate and privileged to be able to bring in Courtney as a technical consultant for our campaign in Abu Dhabi," Makoni said.
"He is one of the world's greatest cricketers and we believe his experience at the highest level of the women's game in particular will boost our chances,” he added.
A total of 10 teams will participate in the qualifiers in the UAE, which culminates on May 7.
The sides will be split into two groups of five, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals, from where the two finalists will secure berths to the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
Walsh and his Zimbabwe outfit will face the hosts, Ireland, the Netherlands and Vanuatu in Group B, while Sri Lanka, Thailand, Scotland, Uganda and United States, are set to lock horns in Group A.
Zimbabwe women won the gold medal at the African Games in Ghana last month, beating South Africa in a super over.
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