Record-breaker Norton Stars in Gripping Glamorgan Win

The visit of Surrey to Trent Bridge, even though in early May, had the makings of being a significant pointer in the eventual outcome of the Rothesay County Championship this summer. Surrey were able to welcome back Daniel Worrall for his first appearance this campaign. After they chose to field first, he rewarded them with excellent figures of six for 73. It could have been even better, but in-form Joe Clarke led the resistance with his second century of the season, 129, (he’s also passed 80 on a further four occasions and is now the leading runscorer with 675). Some useful lower-order contributions helped the hosts up to 415 all out. Dan Lawrence made his third century of the summer to push Surrey up to 449 in reply, with Josh Tongue and Liam Patterson-White both taking four wickets. The last day was dominated by Ben Duckett, who scored 203 not out as the home side batted out the game, finishing on 414 for four, and the draw kept them six points clear at the top of the table.

Yorkshire chose to field first on their trip to Edgbaston, where Jack White struck in the first over before going on to take four for 49 as Warwickshire fell away to 147 all out. The White Rose outfit welcomed back Harry Brook for his first appearance of the summer, though Joe Root was rested. Brook ended up as joint top scorer for Yorkshire, but it was only 40, and they too tumbled to 152 all out. Oliver Hannon-Dalby, returning from his loan spell, took four for 38, while Rob Yates took four catches. After two low-scoring innings, it all changed in the hosts’ second innings, as Sam Hain made 164 not out and they piled up 553 for six declared. Yorkshire had no answer to that and were bowled out for 171 runs to give Warwickshire victory by 377 runs and move them into second place. It was just one run short of their biggest-ever win, back in 1927 when Tom Durnell took seven for 29 to bowl out Northamptonshire. Yates took two more catches to give him six in the match.

Somerset headed west to Cardiff and were put in to bat, and they experimented with James Rew opening. It didn’t work out for him, as he was bowled for 4. Meanwhile, Glamorgan opened with 18-year-old debutant paceman Tom Norton, who trapped Tom Lammonby in front to pick up his maiden wicket at this level. He went on to finish with figures of three for 75, while Somerset were eventually all out for 354. It proved more than enough as the hosts could muster only 229 in reply. But the real drama took place in the fifth over of Somerset’s second innings when Rew, Tom Lammonby and Archie Vaughan were dismissed in consecutive deliveries from Norton. He became the first bowler in England in 101 years to take a hat-trick on debut, and the first since 1906 to do so in the County Championship (remarkably, two bowlers achieved the feat that year: William Benskin for Leicestershire v Essex at Southend on 14 August, and Herbert Sedgwick for Yorkshire v Worcestershire at Hull on 31 July; Sedgwick also took five for 8 in the first innings but played only two more games). He is also the youngest-ever bowler to take a hat-trick for Glamorgan.

Tom Abell (71) restored some normality, but the visitors were still dismissed for 157 to set a target of 283. The balance swung this way and that: at 127 for two, the hosts were in charge, but three quick wickets tipped the balance back. Nightwatchman Ryan Hadley then proved crucial, providing the bedrock of the run chase over almost five hours for his career-best 50 not out. As the previous 20 innings of his first-class career had brought him only 57 runs, this was an exceptional effort. Sean Dickson’s 76 was more expected but equally vital, as Glamorgan ground their way to a two-wicket win in 122.2 overs, all but one of which were bowled by Somerset’s pacemen.

Hampshire were put in to bat when they visited Chelmsford. Jake Lehmann, who missed the last game, top-scored with 89 (his fifth consecutive fifty), but he and Ben Brown (73) made the only significant contributions, as they were bowled out for 235. Simon Harmer did a bit of a rescue job for Essex, scoring 80 not out to boost their reply to 273 all out. On his first appearance of the summer, James Fuller took five for 43. Brown again did his best in Hampshire’s second innings (57 not out) but it wasn’t enough to push them beyond a total of 214, leaving Essex to chase 177. Three early wickets gave the visitors hope, but a blistering 90 not out in 73 balls from Matt Critchley ensured the home side eased to victory by six wickets inside three days. The defeat left Hampshire 12 points adrift at the bottom of the table.

At Hove, Leicestershire were asked to bat first and welcomed Tom Helm on loan from Middlesex. There were useful contributions throughout the order, but they were dismissed for 328, with Jack Carson taking four for 40. In reply, Daniel Hughes put Sussex in a strong position with his innings of 136, before John Simpson followed up with an unbeaten 114 to help his side up to 430. When the visitors made only 232 in their second innings, it left Sussex chasing just 131 for victory, which they achieved for the loss of three wickets. It gave them their third win of the summer – more than any other side in the First Division.

In the Second Division, leaders Durham chose to field after travelling down to New Road. Ben Stokes, making his first appearance of the season, opened the bowling and struck with his eighth delivery, having Daniel Lategan caught behind. Thereafter, Ben Raine took charge, finishing with five for 63 (he is now the leading wicket-takerz, with 30) as Worcestershire scored 308, debutant Harry Darley making 12 in a last-wicket partnership of 57 with Jack Home, who hit a career-best 63 not out. Darley didn’t have to wait too long to pick up his maiden wicket, that of Ben McKinney, as the visitors hit back with a score of 268, David Bedingham top-scoring with 83. The home side were blown away in their second innings by Callum Parkinson, who took five for 13, to bowl them out for 102. The in-form Ben McKinney (87 not out) and Emilio Gay (51 not out) ensured they lost just one wicket in chasing their target of 143. The win moved Durham 23 points clear at the top.

At Old Trafford, Middlesex chose to bowl and dismissed Lancashire for a moderate score of 201, only Keaton Jennings (67) passing fifty. On his first appearance of the summer, Chris Green made 35. But any total is defendable when you have James Anderson leading the attack, and he took four for 67 as the visitors fell away to 169 all out. Caleb Falconer, on his first-class debut, scored 11. Middlesex keeper James Cracknell was replaced by Harry Duke of Yorkshire after picking up an injury. The game turned in Lancashire’s second innings, when they were rolled over for just 84, with Naavya Sharma taking a career-best four for 17 in just 4.4 overs. That left Middlesex to chase 117, and Ben Geddes hit 73 not out off 70 balls to secure a six-wicket win that moved Middlesex to second in the table.

Skipper Wayne Madsen liked what he saw of the pitch at Derby and so chose to bat first against Northamptonshire, who had to toil hard in the field. A sixth-wicket partnership of 241 between Martin Andersson (106) and Brook Guest (141) set Derbyshire well on their way to a formidable total of 604 for seven declared. With seven Northamptonshire batters scoring just three runs between them, they were always going to struggle. Calvin Harrison did at least make 107 as they were bowled out for 228 and forced to follow on. Things were little better in their second innings, when they reached 263 all out, to fall to defeat by an innings and 113 runs.

Kent decided to field first at Bristol, and on-loan bowler James Taylor (who had joined on a brief spell from Surrey) had a successful time of it, eventually picking up a career-best six for 52. Gloucestershire crumbled from 287 for four to 325 all out. In reply, Zak Crawley’s woes continued, as he made 1, but Ben Dawkins hit a career-best 65 and Tawanda Muyeye top-scored with 90 to take the away side up to 327. Taylor took four 54 in the second innings to give him match figures of ten for 106 as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 262. A brisk 108 from Muyeye seemed to have set up a comfortable position for Kent, but when he was out the score became 204 for five. A late flurry of wickets came too late for the hosts as Kent edged home by two wickets in another gripping game that left Gloucestershire 24 points adrift at the bottom of the table.