Around the Grounds: Plays of the Day

Division One: 

Kent completed a remarkable two day victory over champions Durham today, Ntini grabbed 6-51 to come away with match figures of 10-103.  That takes him to 24 wickets at 19 for the season.

Adil Rashid cracked 51 from 83 balls and then took two of the three Hampshire wickets to fall to underline his all round credentials.  His England time will come again pretty soon.

Young left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan took an impressive haul of 6-74 for Lancashire against Essex, his second 5-for of the season to take him to 16 at just 17 apiece.  His batting chums couldn't back him up though, Lancashire were all out for 184, given some respectability by Sajid Mahmood's fourth 50 in 8 innings - scored at a strike rate this season of 88 - has he turned into a genuine allrounder?  1-89 in the Essex innings says no.

Somerset are well on top against Warwickshire with a lead of 163 largely thanks to 131 from 198 balls from the in-form James Hildreth.  Yes it was another hundred at Taunton, but he is a very talented player indeed.


Division Two:

The burly chap who was 12th man when Derbyshire played Surrey in April scored an impressive hundred against Gloucester today.  Chesney Hughes from Anguilla, made 118 from 224 balls to give Derbyshire a handy 103 run lead.  Young Gemaal Hussain continued his good form with 3-65.

Andrew McDonald did indeed score the 14 extra runs required for his first Leicestershire knock, he was 9th man out for 113.  Hoggard then took 4-32 to help Glamorgan to 166 all out.  It didn't end there though, Harris and Harrison, Glamorgan's confusing new ball bowlers have reduced Leicestershire to 45-5, game on.

I don't want to revisit Surrey's performance, but suffice it to say Mal Loye's hundred remains the best performance of the match despite Linley's worthy 5-for.

Worcestershire managed to rack up 464 without anyone getting a hundred, 5 half centuries including a 98 from on-loan wicketkeeper Ben Scott, who was unfortunately run out presumably scampering for his hundred.  Sussex are behind in the match at 188-4, the returning (Irishman) Ed Joyce making a good 67, as long as Murray Goodwin is still there - he's 109 overnight - Sussex will harbour hopes of rescuing the match.