ENGLAND’S newest pace prospect Steven Finn took a sensational career-best nine for 37 to spearhead Middlesex’s spirited fightback in the LV County Championship Division Two clash against Worcestershire at New Road.
Finn’s deadly performance eclipsed a fine display of pace bowling by Worcestershire’s Richard Jones, who claimed a career-best six for 37 to dismiss Middlesex for 126 off 49.2 overs in reply to the hosts’ 287.
New Road skipper Vikram Solanki chose not to enforce the follow-on, but rapidly found Finn far too hot to handle. The 21-year-old sliced through Worcestershire’s shell-shocked line-up to demolish them for 119, racking up match figures of 14 for 106 and leaving Middlesex a victory target of 281. By stumps they were 12-1.
Robin Martin-Jenkins and Monty Panesar took three wickets apiece as Sussex manoeuvred themselves into a commanding position on the second day against Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium.
The pair helped to bowl Glamorgan out for just 191 to give Sussex a 93-run first-innings lead. And by the close that advantage became 158 as Sussex reached 65 for one in their second innings.
Martin-Jenkins finished with figures of three for 34 to add to his 65 runs in Sussex’s first innings, while Panesar took three for 20 on his championship debut for his new county.
Claude Henderson ripped through Northamptonshire’s batting with a sensational spell of bowling to put Leicestershire into a commanding position at Grace Road.
The 37-year-old South African left-arm spinner had spectacular figures of six for 19 in 18 overs to send Northamptonshire plunging to 179 for nine by the close, still needing another 67 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Leicestershire totalled 395 in their first innings with Wayne White hitting a career-best 89 before being last man out on the stroke of lunch.
Northamptonshire left-arm seamer David Lucas took four of the home side’s last five wickets to finish with five for 64.
Chris Rogers notched the season’s first double century as Derbyshire moved into a position of some dominance against Surrey at The Oval. Rogers, 178 not out overnight, was dismissed for exactly 200 as Derbyshire reached 451, before reducing the hosts to 185 for five thanks to three wickets from Greg Smith. (Eurosport)