Pope Blesses The Oval With Two Fine Innings

Pope Blesses The Oval With Two Fine Innings

Hampshire chose to bat first at The Oval and made a moderate score of 254, with Ben Brown top-scoring with 95, while Tom Lawes took four for 58. The main surprise in Surrey’s reply was when Ollie Pope was dismissed for 91, as this is a ground where the centuries usually flow for him. Sean Abbott’s quick-fire 52 not out was his highest score for the county and saw Surrey up to a reply of 270. For the second match in a row, Mohammad Abbas finished with six wickets in an innings. Daniel Worrall hit back with five for 40 to help dismiss Hampshire for 258, leaving Surrey with a target of 243. Second time around, Pope made no mistake reaching 122 not out as his side won by nine wickets.

At Chelmsford, Lancashire chose to bat first and will have been disappointed with their score of 207, only achieved thanks to a career-best 60 from George Bell. Sam Cook took five for 42. Matt Critchley’s 78 helped Essex up to 219 in reply, Jimmy Anderson taking four wickets in his return to county cricket. Keaton Jennings hit 96, but it was Tom Hartley’s career-best 73 not out off 50 balls that catapulted the Red Rose to a declaration of 351 for seven. As Essex set off in search of the 340 runs needed, Anderson will have enjoyed trapping Alastair Cook LBW for nought, but Essex saw out the match, finishing on 128 for four.

Put in to bat at Northampton, Middlesex slumped to 149 all out, and it could have been far worse had Ryan Higgins not made 70. Rob Keogh then hit the highest score of the match, 75 not out, to help the hosts’ reply up to 198. In their second innings, Middlesex’s batters again struggled, compiling just 167, leaving the home side to chase 119. An unbeaten 60 from Sam Whiteman meant there were no alarms as they won by seven wickets.

Warwickshire dominated Kent at Edgbaston after the visitors chose to field first. Rob Yates made a positive start, scoring 128, before Sam Hain followed it up with an unbeaten 165 (his second century of the summer) as the hosts declared on 453 for four. Dan Mousley hit a career-best 94. The visitors were then bowled out for 158 and were duly obliged to follow on, with Ben Compton the main source of resistance early on, scoring 88. Joey Evison’s 99, batting at No 9 and his highest score for the county, wasn’t enough to stop his side losing by an innings and 14 runs.

At Trent Bridge, Somerset chose to field first and bowled out Notts for 256, with Lewis Gregory taking a career-best seven for 84. Brett Hutton did almost as well in the reply, finishing with figures of six for 45, his best for the county, as Somerset succumbed to 173 all out. The hosts hit back with 211, Gregory ending the match with figures of 11 for 148. Chasing 295 for victory, Somerset were overrun and dismissed for 129, Dane Paterson taking five for 46.

The weather, which had a big impact in this round of fixtures, was at its most unrelenting at Bristol, where the match against Yorkshire was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Elsewhere in the Second Division, Worcestershire chose to field first at Chester-le-Street, and must have rued the decision as David Bedingham hit 118 in Durham’s total of 425 for nine declared. Jack Haynes replied with a career-high score of 134 not out as the visitors kept themselves in the fixture by declaring on 366 for five. A Scott Borthwick century (108 not out) helped Durham to 254 for four declared, setting a target of 314. Matthew Kuhnemann made sure the visitors got nowhere near, picking up five for 53 as Worcestershire fell away to 192 all out, losing by 121 runs.

With the middle two days lost to the weather, it was no surprise that the game at Grace Road with Derbyshire ended in a draw. Lewis Hill hit a career-best 162 not out, well supported by Colin Ackermann (114), as the home side made 451 for nine declared. Derbyshire had reached 254 for seven when time ran out.