Dan Lawrence and Cameron Steel ignited Surrey’s push for a first Vitality County Championship win of the season as Somerset were left in a spin at the Kia Oval.
With Surrey already in the ascendancy after posting 428 for a first-innings lead of 143, Lawrence was surprisingly entrusted with the new ball alongside Jordan Clark and snared both Somerset openers.
Lawrence had his third wicket with his ever-improving off-spin after drawing the edge of James Rew as Somerset ended day three on 204 for six, just 61 runs ahead in this Division One clash.
Steel dismissed Tom Lammonby for 51 and Tom Banton for 11 with his leg-breaks while Gus Atkinson bounced out Lewis Goldsworthy, who made a polished 58 before getting a tickle on an ill-judged pull.
Somerset captain Lewis Gregory (23 not out) and Kasey Aldridge (20no), who earlier finished with five for 64, helped to steady the visitors but Surrey will be pressing for a win on the final day.
England opener Ben Duckett registered his first half-century of the campaign but his dismissal sparked a top-order collapse from Nottinghamshire against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.
After the Pears were all out for 355 for a 44-run deficit, Duckett made a typically breezy 63 but was the first of three batters to fall in a single over off overseas signing Nathan Smith (four for 29).
The New Zealand seamer also dismissed first-innings centurion Joe Clarke and Matthew Montgomery as the hosts stumbled from 125 for one to 125 for four before limping to 151 for seven and a lead of just 195.
Alex Lees’ century was backed up by weighty contributions from Ollie Robinson, Graham Clark and Ben Raine but Durham still had to follow-on against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Lees went past 10,000 first-class runs in his 145 and Robinson’s 60, Clark’s 76 and Raine’s 93 pushed Durham to 517 but they needed 549 after Warwickshire had compiled a colossal 698 for three declared.
After asking Durham bat again, the visitors lost Lees and captain Scott Borthwick in quick order and went to stumps on 12 for two, still 169 runs short of making Warwickshire bat for a second time.
Jordan Cox thumped six sixes in his unbeaten hundred to fire Essex to 257 for four and a lead of 374 against his former club Kent at Chelmsford.
Matt Critchley took five for 105 as Kent slipped from 251 for one following centuries from Ben Compton (165) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (135) to 413 all out and give Essex a 117-run lead at halfway.
Cox’s dashing 116 not out off just 89 balls leaves Essex in a position to declare overnight as they push for a second win of the season.
Keaton Jennings made 172 while George Bell was run out for 99 and denied a maiden first-class ton as Lancashire posted 484 in response to Hampshire’s 367 at the Utilita Bowl.
Will Williams had both Hampshire openers caught behind second time around as the hosts closed on 39 for two.
In Division Two, England batters Joe Root (51) and Harry Brook (68) made fluent fifties for Yorkshire, who need six wickets to defeat Gloucestershire at Bristol.
The efforts of Root and Brook allied to 113 from Adam Lyth lifted Yorkshire to 434 for six declared, leaving a victory target of 498 but Gloucestershire slumped to 97 for four.
John Simpson’s 205 not out and Danny Lamb’s 134 underpinned Sussex’s 694 for nine declared against Leicestershire, who closed on 86 for one and need 270 to make their opponents bat again at Grace Road.
Derbyshire closed on 40 for one after being set 401 to win by Glamorgan, who had Chris Cooke’s unbeaten 126 to thank for ushering them to 361 for seven declared at Cardiff.
Nathan Fernandes became Middlesex’s youngest debut centurion in first-class cricket since 1862 as the 19-year-old made 103, while Max Holden’s 211 not out and Leus du Plooy’s unbeaten 196 saw Middlesex reach 553 for two replying to Northamptonshire’s 552 for six declared in a run-fest at Wantage Road.
England's second Test 'in the balance' after day one, says Potts
Matthew Potts thinks England's second Test against Pakistan is "in the balance" after day one saw the hosts reach stumps on 259-5.
Kamran Ghulam was the star for Pakistan on his debut, with his sublime knock of 118 pushing them to their tally.
Jack Leach had taken two early wickets, finishing the day on 2-92, while Potts and Brydon Carse also got in on the action before Shoaib Bashir removed Ghulam late on.
Playing on the same pitch as the first Test, England's spinners struggled to make an impact compared to the seamers.
But Potts, playing for the first time since the Sri Lanka series in August after replacing Gus Atkison, remained upbeat about England's performance.
"We created a lot of chances over the course of the day. The boys stuck at it, and we are pleased where we are with it now," Potts told BBC Test Match Special.
"You don't tell a score until both sides have batted on it. It appeared to be flatter than we expected. The game is in the balance, a couple of early ones in the morning, and we will see what it is.
"I think it did spin; slow spin kept a bit low. The lads stuck to the basics really well in some strong heat today. A couple of early wickets in the morning and hopefully we can run through them."
Phil Simmons appointed as interim head coach of Bangladesh
Former West Indies all-rounder Phil Simmons has been appointed as interim coach of Bangladesh until the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
The 61-year-old is replacing Chandika Hathurusinghe, who has been suspended by the Bangladesh Cricket Board on disciplinary grounds.
Hathurusinghe has been suspended for 48 hours and is to be "terminated immediately" after that period and has also been served a show-cause notice by the board.
"Hathurusinghe has two counts of misconduct," BCB president Faruque Ahmed said.
"First is about an assault on a player. Secondly, he took too many leaves, more than what was in his contract."
This will be Simmons’ fifth international coaching job including stints as West Indies men’s head coach from 2015-2016 and 2019-2022.
Ghulam stars on debut as Pakistan start strong
Pakistan's Kamran Ghulam was in a defiant mood on debut as he frustrated England on day one of the second Test.
After their collapse in the second innings following England's show of force with the bat in Multan last week, Pakistan were looking for a response on Tuesday.
And on the same pitch as the first Test, which offered even less for the seamers but some joy for the spinners, Ghulam starred with a sublime knock of 118 as Pakistan reached stumps on 259-5.
Abdullah Shafique went for seven in the eighth over before Ghulam put on a third-wicket partnership of 149 with Saim Ayub, who made 77 before he was sent packing by Matthew Potts.
Shan Masood fell to Jack Leach (2-92), while Brydon Carse (1-14) picked up the wicket of Saud Shakeel before Ghulam was eventually bowled by Shoaib Bashir (1-66).
England captain Ben Stokes bowled five overs on his return but will be hoping for more luck on day two, with Mohammad Rizwan (37 not out) and Salman Agha (five not out) at the crease.
Data Debrief: Pakistan bounce back
England are undefeated in eight Tests against Pakistan (W6 D2), while the hosts have lost their last six matches in the longest format.
Another loss would be their longest losing run in Tests, but with Ghulam leading the way, they have made a great start in avoiding that fate.
There is plenty of time to go for England, who are hunting their first back-to-back victories in away Test matches since February 2023.
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