Joe Root reminded everyone of his class with a stylish 90 for Yorkshire, lifting them out of a tough spot against Warwickshire. After a scratchy first-day effort, Root delivered an innings full of his signature strokes. Despite falling just short of a century, his knock gave Yorkshire a fighting chance. Ethan Bamber continued his fine form, taking his eighth wicket of the match after his winter switch from Middlesex.
Over at Lord’s, Zak Crawley struck a third consecutive second-innings half-century, despite being dropped early on. He again fell to Dane Paterson, who dismissed him twice in the match. Kent, trailing by 109 on the first innings, built their response around captain Daniel Bell-Drummond, who crafted a composed unbeaten 103 his first red-ball hundred in over a year. The visitors edged ahead by 117 before fading light ended play. Middlesex had earlier collapsed, losing six wickets for 61, though Ryan Higgins added another fifty to his tally.
At Taunton, Essex built a commanding lead of 224 against Somerset in a low-scoring contest. Jordan Cox powered to 61 not out, and Simon Harmer, stepping up in Jack Leach’s absence, took four for 43. Somerset’s innings crumbled in familiar fashion, losing nine wickets for just 99. Their No. 10, Migael Pretorius, offered some resistance with a lively 24.
Lancashire enjoyed a fruitful day at Old Trafford, posting 450 more runs than in their previous three matches combined. Marcus Harris added only a couple to his overnight 165 before chopping on to Ajeet Singh Dale, but steady lower-order contributions helped stretch the total. Tom Price ended the innings with a double strike and will begin the next with a hat-trick ball. There was an amusing moment when Tom Bailey’s phone fell from his pocket during a run. Gloucestershire responded cautiously at first before Ollie Price and Myles Hammond shared an unbeaten century partnership.
In Southampton, Durham’s Graham Clark, a late inclusion due to a teammate’s injury, seized his opportunity with a career-best 160. His innings came on a pitch that offered plenty to batters. Liam Dawson, named one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year, responded with five for 158 as Hampshire began their reply with a solid 29 for one.
Glamorgan were dominant against Derbyshire, passing 400 before reducing their opponents to 215 for seven. Andy Gorvin was the star with the ball, picking up four wickets.
At Grace Road, the day saw dramatic swings. Northamptonshire were dismissed for 191, with Logan van Beek claiming four wickets. But Leicestershire’s response was even more fragile, folding under pressure from Ben Sanderson, who returned from injury to rip through the top order.
As the County Championship continues to unfold, England selectors will be buoyed by strong showings from key players ahead of the World Test Championship final. Root’s fluent knock and Crawley’s continued scoring form are timely, while Cox and Clark offered reminders of their talent. With bowlers like Bamber, Harmer, and Sanderson delivering incisive spells, county cricket once again proved its role as a crucible for national talent.
