Keaton Jennings, Harry Brook, Sean Dickson and Cheteshwar Pujara all record centuries as Surrey secure a third win of the season to extend their lead at the top of the Division One table.
Joe Root impressed in his first innings since resigning as England Test captain last month (John Heald)
Joe Root marked his first entries of the summer with a graceful half-century during Yorkshire’s County Championship clash against Essex, as Surrey extended their lead at the summit with victory over Northamptonshire at the Kia Oval.
Root’s return to competitive action generated plenty of headlines, and he produced some delicious shots on his 112-ball stroke, recording nine fours before succumbing for 75 at Chelmsford.
The 31-year-old resigned as England’s red ball captain last month after five years at the helm, following a miserable run of one win in 17 Test matches.
Root’s successor, Ben Stokes, produced a record stroke for Durham on Friday, breaking 161 from just 88 balls, the same number it took for Root to register his fifty.
England’s all-time leading run scorer was unable to replicate Stokes’s heroics but helped Yorkshire take the lead on day three, after they resumed at 81-3.
Root and night watchman Matthew Revis (47) compiled a 124-run stand for the fourth wicket, but it was Harry Brook who stole the spotlight, recording his third century of the campaign in an unbroken 210 stand with Dawid Malan ( 87 not out).
Malan was usually measured in his approach, but Brook led the attack into a beleaguered Essex bowling line-up, hitting 11 fours and two sixes as he closed at 110 on just 122 balls, helping Yorkshire to a 22-run lead with five remaining pitches. .
Elsewhere, surrey extended their lead at the top of the Division One table with a lopsided innings win over Northamptonshire at the Kia Oval.
New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme (4-39) closed out the visitors’ early innings with two wickets in the morning session, and after Surrey captain Rory Burns forced the follow-up, Northamptonshire were he was reeling 14-2 at lunch.
Emilio Gay (51) brought out his fourth half-century in first-class cricket, while Matthew Kelly (33) and Simon Kerrigan (25) offered a lower-order rearguard, only to Gus Atkinson (3-26) and Daniel Worrall (3-37) to lead Surrey to their third home win of the season.
Keaton Jennings marked his Lancashire come back with a fabulous hundred, like Warwickshire he fought back on a convincing third day at Old Trafford.
Jennings (110) led Lancashire to a 46-run lead in the first inning, though Nathan McAndrew (4-85) and Oliver Hannon-Dalby (3-33 of 24 2) inspired a spirited Bears comeback, with Lancashire falling from 241-1 to 361 completely.
Luke Wells (80) added just 10 runs to his score overnight; captain Dane Vilas (41) played a useful cameo, before Alex Davies and Dominic Sibley navigated three difficult overs to make it 4-0 for Warwickshire at the stumps.
Gloucestershire require 257 runs to win on the final day against hampshireclosing 111-2 to set up a thrilling finish in the Ageas Bowl.
Resuming 28-4, Hampshire lost wickets at regular intervals and dropped to 103-9, with Ryan Higgins (3-41) playing a starring role.
However, Aneurin Donald (89) produced a brilliant counter-attack in his first appearance in any format since 2019, sharing a tenth-wicket position from 99 with James Fuller (32 not out) to set up Gloucestershire 368 for victory.
The visitors lost top Australian Marcus Harris (18) and James Bracey for little money, but an unbeaten 70 from George Scott leaves all possible outcomes going into Sunday action.
In Division Two, glamorgan are set to record their second win of the season, with leicestershire leading by just 41 runs with three second-inning wickets remaining at Sophia Gardens.
Chris Cooke (52) put in a patient half-century, while James Weighell (34) and Michael Neser (29) also chipped in to help Glamorgan compile a 117 lead in the first innings.
Neser (3-36) then delivered with the ball as Leicestershire finished the day’s proceedings 158-7, with starter Hassan Azad (58) recording his second fifty of the match to offer the visitors hope.
Durham require eight wickets for victory on the final day against worcestershire, after starter Sean Dickson broke his second century of the match at New Road.
Durham captain Scott Borthwick opted not to follow through despite a 271 lead in the first inning, and Dickson (105 for 73) dispatched Worcestershire’s attack, posting eight sixes in a breakneck strike.
Dickson’s departure prompted a quick statement with Alex Lees undefeated at 60, before Chris Rushworth (2-14) eliminated starters Ed Pollock and Jake Libby, as Worcestershire closed at 85-2, requiring 357 more runs to finish. the victory.
