Tanya Aldred"s county roundup At Edgbaston, the game oscillated almost at will, as first Warwickshire hobbled towards Essex’s first-innings total, then Essex’s batsmen flipped between flighty and resolute as the shadows stretched towards half past six. And with every evening single, No 11 at the crease, the total Warwickshire were going to have to chase in the morning, grew ever-challenging. Warwickshire had started the day eight wickets down but Danny Briggs, unbeaten on 66 and striking two sixes, shoehorned 41 more runs out of the tail, leaving them trailing by just 11 runs. Alastair Cook, enduring a slow start to the season, then fell cheaply after cover-driving with some dash and his departure precipitated a top order collapse, as Tom Westley, Nick Brown, Paul Walter and Ryan ten Doeschate all followed,to leave Essex in trouble on 36 for five. The bowling was sharp, Olly Stone, who has shaped up over the winter following some fitness work, bowled with real zip backed up by Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Craig Miles, who grabbed four for 62. Dan Lawrence, uneasy at the start but growing increasingly fluent, shepherded the lower-order, passing 50 until running-himself out going for a single which was easy only in his dreams. Simon Harmer, whose batting had been out of sync this season, pushed and scythed his way to an unbeaten 62. His second act comes in the morning, ball in hand, having claimed first innings figures of four for 89. Surrey collapsed like a stamped-on cardboard box at Lord’s. Rory Burns was caught off the first ball of the day (one of three men to fall that way), and from that point Surrey had no answer to relentless seam bowling, losing seven for 25 in just over an hour. Toby Roland-Jones finished with four for 29, as Middlesex won by 10 wickets. Middlesex captain Peter Handscomb said he “couldn’t be prouder”. Craig Overton powered Somerset to a nine-wicket victory over Leicestershire, snaffling five for 25, his best Championship bowling figures since 2015. Jack Leach took two wickets in two balls, finishing with three for 43. Tom Lammonby then emerged from his crevice of bad form, finishing unbeaten on 70. England’s Dom Bess took five wickets to throw Sussex into disarray in their run-chase at Hove, still 99 adrift but only four wickets in hand. Earlier young pup Jack Carson had finished with a career-best five for 85 as Yorkshire’s last-wicket pair of David Willey and Duanne Olivier added 51 crucial runs. A patient century from Haseeb Hameed, only his second since August 2016, wasn’t enough to save Nottinghamshire from being asked to bat again against Worcestershire. Hameed made an unbeaten 37 as Notts reached 87 without loss at the close but they still trail Worcestershire first innings total of 436 by 73. Hampshire enforced the follow-on at the Rose Bowl after Gloucestershire failed to meet the target by just one run. In a post-tea collapse they lost five for 37 to Mason Crane and Liam Dawson, including Ryan Higgins for 73. Earlier James Bracey had made 65 before being bowled by Mohammad Abbas, who finished with four for 41. Durham need 10 wickets on Sunday after declaring their second innings with a lead of 383 over Derbyshire, with unbeaten 50s for Alex Lees and first-innings double centurion David Bedingham. Earlier Chris Rushworth had become Durham’s second highest first-class wicket-taker with six for 58. After batting like drains in the first innings, Kent, following-on, suddenly found the sunlit uplands, with captain Daniel-Bell Drummond hitting an unbeaten century and Jordan Cox 80. Much frustration for Lancashire, who had bowled Kent out for 169 in their first innings, with four wickets for Tom Bailey. Fifties from Billy Root and Nick Selman put Glamorgan on the front foot against Northamptonshire, with a lead of 248 on a flat pitch. The day ends with easy victories for Middlesex and Somerset and anticipation at Edgbaston to see if the Champion County will be able to do what they do best against a newly resurgent Warwickshire. Elsewhere, Yorkshire are on top; while Notts, Derby, Gloucester, and Kent need to bat the day out and things could turn spicy at the County Ground - though the flat pitch could be the final winner. Many thanks for your company today - see you tomorrow. Good night! An Olly Stone wicket! Sam Cook fends a short snifter into the waiting hands of Miles. Essex 206-9. Gloucestershire’s last pair spend eleven and a half overs trying to knock up the runs to avoid the follow-on, only to fall one run short! With things poised on a pinhead, I must disappear to the round-up, keep your eye on Edgbaston and Hove. Wicket! Peter Siddle, just after swatting Miles for a couple of fours, has a wayward push and is caught behind. Miles, who picks up his fourth wicket, roars! What a final innings this is going to be, ladies and gentlemen your Sunday morning diary is full. Essex 169-8, a lead of 180. And all of a sudden, just like us, Dom Bess has taken his third, fourth and fifth wicket of the season, slaying the Sussex middle-order with his golden arm. Sussex 94-5 with a vanishingly-unlikely 141 needed to beat Yorkshire. Somerset beat Leicestershire by nine wickets! Lammonby unbeaten on 70; Craig Overton eight wickets in the match, 5-25 in Leicestershire’s second innings. An unusual stroll to victory in the last innings. And at The Rosebowl, Mason Crane has just taken his third wicket, defrocking Gloucestershire of the dangerous Hankin, Higgins and, just now Worrall. Gloucs 307-8, trail by 163, and they could really do with the tail wagging about and soaking up time till the close. And as Somerset stride towards victory, lovely to see Tom Lammonby make fifty after a pair in the last name and a generally miserable start to the season. Oh my, after a beautiful cover drive for four, Lawrence is run out by a smart throw from mid-on by Miles. In a million years, there was not a run there. Essex 137-7. Tea-time scores GROUP ONE Riverside: Durham 475 all out and 48-1 v Derbyshire 267 Edgbaston: Warwickshire 284 all out v Essex 295 and 132-6 New Road: Worcestershire 436 v Nottinghamshire 276 Hameed 111. Notts trail by 160. GROUP TWO Rose Bowl: Hampshire470 all out v Gloucestershire 271-5 Grace Road: Leicestershire 233 all out and 199 v Somerset 318 and 51-1 SOMERSET NEED 64 TO WIN. Lord’s: Middlesex 268 beat Surrey 154 all out and 130 by 10 wickets Delivering a north-London thrashing. GROUP THREE Canterbury: Kent 169 and 141-0 v Lancashire 525 all out The County Ground: Northamptonshire 364v Glamorgan 407 all out and 92-2 Hove: Sussex 221 all out and 62-1 v Yorkshire 150 all out and 305 SUSSEX NEED 173 TO WIN Watching Stone’s 15-step or so run-up - think the acceleration starts with about the seventh step. Lovely heat out there now, can’t wait to pop out at tea and absorb a little vitamin d through my cardigan. Just had an email through from the organisers of the 50th Village Cup, which will be happening this year, after a Covid-hiatus in 2020. Final at Lord’s in early autumn - but let’s not think about autumn just yet. Last over before tea from Stone. Stone v Lawrence ,a little pre-tea exhibition. Shall we sing a hosanna to Kent? All out 169 in the first innings, 128 without loss in the second: fifties to both Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jordan Cox. Tom Haines has made two eighties, and two hundreds in his last seven innings. Currently 34 not out as Sussex settle at 53-1 just before tea. Here, Simon Harmer has been hit on the back of the helmet by a short-pitched ball from Miles, but all seems fine. They resume 110-6. My press-box colleague Scyld Berry is mid-way through Lark Rise to Candleford and recommending it as history of England through the late 19th and early 20th century. And Dom Bess takes his second wicket of the season, just as Sussex looked as if they’d got off to a flyer. Thomason bowled for 10, Sussex 45-1 need another 190. And at Grace Road Somerset need 115 to win! Banton already out for 8. Craig Overton finished the Leicestershire innings with 5-25. A sunlit period before tea with Wheater and Lawrence rebuilding. Moores falls but Has is still there. And a big wicket at Edgbaston! Wheater pulls Miles and Vihari hovers underneath the ball and snaffles it! Essex 93-6 and Warwickshire are cock-a-hoop! It’s all happening! Yorkshire all out - Sussex need 235 to win. My five pence is on the Yorkies. Jack Leach takes two wickets in two balls - Leicestershire 195-9, a lead of 110 over Somerset. Derbyshire all out 267, Rushworth 6-58. Durham don’t enforce the follow-on and are 0-0. The lead 208 runs. A hundred for Haseeb Hameed! He’s done it! Nine fours, getting there with a punch off the back foot and the good-wishes of all those ATL and BTL in his sails. His first first-class hundred since his move to Nottinghamshire and only his second since 2016... Here, Essex are ,whatever the metric version of inching is, towards 100. Adam Wheater and Dan Lawrence have got them to 54 for 5, lead by 66. Building to a classic around about tomorrow lunchtime I reckon. Very still out there, warm sun, as Tim Bresnan has the ball for the first time, with his red-bottomed boots and fireman’s build. Got a lot of time Jason Gillespie - he doesn’t hold back on opinions that are atypical for a very successful professional sportsman. Group Two Rose Bowl: Hampshire470 all out v Gloucestershire 200-4 Holding back Abass Grace Road: Leicestershire 233 all out and164-6 v Somerset 318 all out Coverton 4-17, but lead inching up to 79 Lord’s: Middlesex 268 beat Surrey 154 all out and 130 by 10 wickets Delivering a north-London thrashing. Group Three Canterbury: Kent 169 and 42-0 v Lancashire 525 all out Following on The County Ground: Northamptonshire 364v Glamorgan 407 all out and 23-0 Run city Hove: Sussex 221 all out v Yorkshire 150 all out and 303-9 Canny Yorkies Just catching up: GROUP ONE Riverside: Durham 475 all out v Derbyshire 254-7 Hosein hurrah! Rushworth 5-56 Edgbaston: Warwickshire 284 all out v Essex 295 and 36-4 Can they scrap their way out of this one? New Road: Worcestershire 436 v Nottinghamshire 201-5 Hameed 92 not out! Notts-uping Notts have just lost 3 for 8 With a dart and a stitch, the Yorkies changing the odds. Olivier and Willey’s last-man stand has now put on 37 - a 220 lead over Sussex. Middlesex captain Peter Handscomb on their steam-rollering of Surrey “‘We spoke this morning about how we wanted to bowl and that has got to be our blueprint for the rest of the year. ‘We put them under a lot of pressure and gave them no chances to score runs. For the bowlers to come out and do that I couldn’t be prouder of them. ‘The experience of Murtagh and Roland-Jones led the way in the first innings and today for Ethan Bamber to come out the way he did and get the key wicket of Burns with the first ball just set the tone.” The gaffer, on Surrey: “We didn’t play to the standards we’d want to play to throughout the game.The bowling was good; the catching definitely wasn’t as we dropped too many. ‘Some of the batsmen if they had their time again would choose a different shot selection. Too many of the dismissals were self-inflicted. ‘It’s about not making the same mistakes time and time again. We all make mistakes, always have and always will, but making the same mistakes over and over that’s just dumb.” Apologies for the gap between posts! I went to chat to Simon Harmer over on the Essex side of the ground, who was kind enough to talk even though he’s next-man-but-one-in. A wonderful catch plucked from from the grass at short-mid-wicket as Tom Westley flourishes vigorosly and has to walk away from us back to the Essex dressing room. Hmmmmm. Essex 23-3. Middlesex have beaten Surrey by ten wickets Middlesex win before lunch after taking 7 for 25 this morning. Tim Murtagh 6-58 in the match, Roland-Jones7 -70. Two in two balls for the very underrated Tom Bailey- Fred Klaassen and Ollie Robinson -as Kent slide to nine down, a gigantic, fathomless, 389 behind Lancashire. Yorkshire’s lead over Sussex has stretched to 169, with Bess and Thompson trying to stretch it out to 200. A reminder that Alastair Cook is in the last year of his contract... Anyway, Northants, 344-8, Berg 60 not out, have scrambled and scratched their way to just 63 behind Glamorgan. Northants are like the last present under the Christmas tree, you fear it will be disappointing, but actually it is some nice stationary. And...faboulous catch! as Alastair Cook slashes Hannon-Dalby in his first over to Yates diving at point. Essex 16-1. Gloucestershire lost Bracey (65) and Lace to Abbas who now has 3-35. Gloucs 158-4. A good recovery by Lewis Hill, scoring runs for toffee at the moment, and Harry Swindells, Leics 122-4, and a small, but growing, 37-run lead over Somerset. AND SURREY ALL OUT 130! Since I last looked, they’ve lost four for six. Four for Toby Roland Jones. MIDDLESEX need 17 to win. Alastair Cook off the mark with drive for four towards the Hollies stand, where the rope has been hauled in ten metres or so. Essex 6-0 I daren’t look - I looked - Haseeb is still there: 78 not out; Notts 156-2. After the dismissal of Wayne Madsen, Hosein and Guest have put on a pretty 51. Derbyshire 199-6. Stone is charging in from the City end, a rapid maiden to Nick Browne, Browne left a couple not entirely convincingly. Much clapping and hollering from Warwickshire who are, as they say, upferit. Warwickshire all out 284 -Hannon-Dalby lbw Harmer for 3; Briggs not out 66. They trail Essex by 11 runs. Enter Olly Stone! Fitter and lighter than before, and with an Ashes plane to catch. Briggs slaps Porter over cow-corner for six! Tremendous gutsy little innings this, taking Warwicks towards parity - and beyond? Bens Slater and Duckett are out at New Road, but Hameed remains - 73 not out, seven fours, a dream in his glove. Notts 130-2. A little read on Mithali Raj, one of the game’s finest players - and to think, she didn’t want to be a cricketer, she wanted to be a dancer. A half century for Danny Briggs at Edgbaston in a superb bit of tail-end barnacle-ing; fifty for Gary Balance at Hove as Yorkshire whittle their way to a 123 run lead over Sussex. If Surrey were hoping for Ben Foakes to flick his luscious barnett and swoon his way to 150, they’re out of luck. Caught off Murtagh for 17 and Surrey are 113-5 And that’s a wicket for Porter, a very fed up looking Miles given out for 25 after a partnership of 66. Here is Burns’s dismissal A slow steady ten minutes at Edgbaston; Porter starting his steady chug in from the City end. Elsewhere, firecrackers! Batsmen have got first-ball itus - Rory Burns is out to his first ball of the day, after a cracker of a fifty yesterday, and with his first ball Craig Overton picks up Rishi Patel, who edges to slip. Big Craig now has 3-6. Then Zak Crawley also edges behind to the first ball at Canterbury. It is not only at Canterbury that runs are flowing.. I’m hoping to chat to Simon Harmer at lunch, so please let me know any questions you’re dying to know the answer to! Yesterday"s round-up Joe Root was out for five, for the second time in two days at Hove, caught off 20-year-old off spinner Jack Carson, who inspired a Sussex revival with three for 35. Yorkshire muddled through their second innings, finishing with a lead of 92. Sussex had earlier eked to a 71-run lead, bolstered by 86 from Tom Haines, Dom Bess’s first wicket of the summer. On an attritional day at Edgbaston, the skyscrapers popping up behind the ground like giant chimney pots, the pitched roofs of everyday life stretching out to the right, Essex chipped away at Warwickshire but were held-up by late-order stubborness by Danny Briggs and Craig Miles. There were three wickets apiece for Simon Harmer and Peter Siddle, bowling for the first time for Essex this year. Before play Tim Bresnan was awarded his county cap by Ian Bell. David Bedingham made 257, the second highest score by a Durham player, as Durham oozed to 475 all out. Chris Rushworth then steamed off the grass to take four for 27 to crush Derbyshire in their first breath, though Wayne Madsen and Matt Critchley staged a late-afternoon recovery. There were scores of 400 plus from Worcestershire and Hampshire, who dandied about with fifties from James Vince and Liam Dawson, while Lancashire were all out for 525 after Luke Wood (119) and Danny Lamb (125) broke the club record for the eighth wicket. Kent were 85 for four in reply. Tom Abell’s 88, boosted by boisterousness from George Bartlett and Steven Davies, took Somerset to a cheerful first-innings lead of 85 over Leicestershire, who lost three evening wickets and their captain Colin Ackermann, out with concussion after being hit at first slip. Sam Robson made 95 and Toby Roland-Jones a knockabout 46 as Middlesex took charge at Lord’s. Surrey then lost three wickets, including Hashim Amla for a pair, as the shadows grew long, but Rory Burns was unbeaten on a lovely fifty. Adam Rossington led a late-order Northamptonshire recovery against Glamorgan. Good morning from Edgbaston where another late-April day bursts into full-throated song. The sky is hazy-blue, pigeons prowl the outfield and the Essex and Warwicks players prepare for what, after an attritional Friday, promises to be something more seismic. Round the grounds, all-sorts in play. A couple of games hurtling towards a finish: Sussex v Yorkshire and Surrey and Middlesex - with the wrong but wromantic likely to end up on top. Derbyshire are in trouble against Bedingham-inspired Durham; Notts are climbing a large hill, though Haseeb Hameed is unbeaten on 51; Bracey and Lace must start the day fending off Hampshire’s Abbas; Kent and Northants are in a pickle against Lancashire and Glamorgan and Somerset look set fair against Leicestershire, but with them, you never know. Start of play scores Group One Riverside: Durham 475 all out v Derbyshire 148-5 Edgbaston: Warwickshire 243-8 v Essex 295 all out New Road: Worcestershire 436 v Nottinghamshire 99-0 Group Two Rose Bowl: Hampshire470 all out v Gloucestershire 114-2 Grace Road: Leicestershire 233 all out and 48-3 v Somerset 318 all out Lord’s: Middlesex 268 all out v Surrey 154 all out and 105-3 Group Three Canterbury: Kent 85-4 v Lancashire 525 all out The County Ground: Northamptonshire 251-7 v Glamorgan 407 all out Hove: Sussex 221 all out v Yorkshire 150 all out and 163-5