LONDON. June 5: Middlesex marched to the top of the English County Championship on Friday after
crushing Derbyshire by 10 wickets inside two days at Lords, reports AFP.
Fifteen wickets fell for 210 runs in 90.2 overs on Friday before Middlesex openers Desmond Haynes and John Can-hit the necessary 65 runs for their second victory in five days. It was Middlesex s third win of the summer and the 209 points they received was enough to take them above Somerset, who are heading for defeat against Essex.
Former England paceman Nell Foster bowled Essex towards their first championship victory of the season, snapping up four for 35 as Somerset, trailing by 63 on the first Innings, crashed to 88 for six at Chelmsford.
Northamptonshire are also in total command against Worcestershire after Alan Fordham cracked a magnificent 193 — the highest individual score in the championship this season.
His 375-ball knock enabled Northants to declare at 494 for six and by the close Worcestershire has slumped to 157 for eight from 50 overs — still needing 188 to avoid the follow-on. Surrey Just managed to avoid that Indignity against Lancashire thanks to a battling 57 from paceman Martin Bicknell.
Replying to Lancashire's 392. Surrey collapsed to 123 for six before Bicknell shared a seven th-wicked stand of 77 with wicket-keeper Graham Kersey to lift Surrey to 260. By the close, Lancashire had stretched their lead to 156 with nine wickets remaining.
Yorkshire and Glamorgan are still on first Innings at Middlesbrough, where Richie Richardson scored his first championship half-century to boost the home county to 265 for four. Before the West Indies skipper's 81, the visitors had been dismissed for 323. There is also a long way to go at Edgbaston after Sussex captain Alan Wells hit his second championship century of the season to steer his side to 414 a)l out against Warwickshire.
In reply, Warwickshire's openers Andy Moles and Jason Ratcliffe raced to a century stand In just 24 overs, with Moles unbeaten on 60 and Ratcliffe undefeated on 56 out of a total of 119 without loss.
There was also a century for Leicestershire opener Tim Boon and with West Indian fast bowler Winston Benjamin blasting an unbeaten 81, the home county were well bn top against Durham.
Leicester, looking for their first championship win of the season, closed at 330 for eight, a lead of 170.
A similar Anglo-West Indian alliance gave Kent the upper hand against Glucestershlre at Tunbridge Wells.
A setond-wicket stand of 206 in 60 overs between skipper Mark Benson (103) and West Indies all-rounder Carl Hopper (96) steered Kent to 285 for five — a lead of 42.
Earlier, a career-best seven for 79 from new recruit Dean Headley saw Gloucester lose their last five wickets for 22 runs.
Meanwhile, Hampshire off-spinner Shaun Udal produced a burst of four for 16 from 33 deliveries to rock Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Udal finished with five for 88 to send Notts plummeting from 235 for four to 275 for nine in reply to Hampshire’s first innings 355.
County Championship results and summaries:
Chelmsford: Somerset 202 (Mushtaq Ahmed 71) and 88-6. Essex 265 (P J Prichard 123, D R Pringle 54). Tunbridge Wells: Gloucestershire 243 (G D Hodgson 75. B C Broad 64. DW Headley 7 79). Kent 285-5 (M R Benson 103. C L Hooper 96).
Leicester: Durham 160-9. Leicestershire 330-8 (T J Boon 105, W K M Benjamin 81 not out).
Lord’s: Derbyshire 168 (C J Adams 53) and 89. Middlesex 193 and 68-0. Middlesex (20 pts) beat Derbyshire (4 pts) by 10 wkts.
Northampton: Northamptonshire 494-6 dec (A Fordham 193, A J Lamb 64, N A Felton 59. DJ Capel 54). Worcestershire 157-8.
Trent Bridge: Hampshire 355 (D I Gower 153, A N Aymes 62). Nottinghamshire 275-9 (P Johnson 100, C L Cairns 81, S D Udal 5-89.)
The Oval: Lancashire 392 (M Watkinson 107, G D Lloyd 79, N J Speak 73, Wasim Akram 60) and 24-1. Surrey 260 ( M P Bicknell 57).
Edgbaston: Sussex 414 (A P Wells 130, D M Smith 80). Warwickshire 119-0 (A J Moles 60 not out, J D Ratcliffe 56 not out).
Middlesbrough: Glamorgan 323 (A Dale 100, S P James 76). Yorkshire 265-4