Lyndon James shines as Nottinghamshire take upper hand in Championship battle

Lyndon James starred with both bat and ball as Nottinghamshire nudged into a commanding position at the end of the second day of their de facto Rothesay County Championship title decider against Surrey at the Kia Oval.

Having had the better of the first day, Surrey resumed on 43 for one in response to Notts’ first-innings total of 231 but three wickets apiece for Josh Tongue and James restricted the hosts to 173.

Notts made a poor start to their second innings, falling to 53 for five, but once again James came to their rescue with 47 as part of a seventh-wicket stand of 97 with Liam Patterson-White (58) to give them the edge at 219 for eight at the close, a lead of 277.

Essex enjoyed a dominant start to their match against Warwickshire in Birmingham as they eased to an impressive 325 for five after the first day’s play had been washed out by rain.

Opener Dean Elgar came within two runs of a half-century before being caught by Rob Yates off the bowling of Nathan Gilchrist, then Charlie Allison reached 98 before being denied again by Yates off Ethan Bamber. Michael Pepper was 54 not out at stumps.

Gareth Roderick helped Worcestershire to an equally impressive 320 for five at close on the first day of action against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

Roderick swung a must-win clash between the division’s bottom two in the visitors’ favour with an unbeaten 95 and a fifth-wicket partnership of 170 with captain Brett D’Oliveira, who reached 84 before falling to Sam Conners.

In a match plagued by bad light at Hove, Sussex ended the day on 84 for four in response to Yorkshire’s 194 all out.

Adam Lyth hit 47 in an opening stand of 69 with Finlay Bean before a middle-order collapse, helped by figures of three for 36 by Jayden Unadkat, gave Sussex the chance to make inroads. However they lost opener Daniel Hughes for two and laboured towards the premature close.

Kasey Aldridge fired an unbeaten 149 as Somerset reached 381 for seven against Hampshire at Taunton.

It was Aldridge’s highest first-class score and only his second century, in his last home match for the county before he leaves for Durham.

Somerset had started shakily, reaching 43 for three after the early losses of Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Lammonby, but Aldridge, assisted by 118 from Tom Abell, helped turn the tide.

In Division Two, Middlesex were put into bat by Lancashire in Manchester and reached 189 for eight, Tom Bailey doing most of the damage with four for 60 off his 13 overs.

Northamptonshire reached 206 all out against Gloucestershire in Bristol, with Saif Zaib the only man to stick around for a half-century, and Matt Taylor and Graeme van Buuren taking three wickets each. The hosts struggled to 65 for three at close.

Needing 19 points to seal promotion at Derby, Glamorgan reached 259 all out thanks to a knock of 94 from Kiran Carlson, before the hosts had time to reach 17 for no wicket.

Opener Rishi Patel hit 114 and both Shan Masood and Ben Cox compiled scores in the nineties as already-promoted Leicestershire declared on 459 for seven at home to Kent. After a tough day in the field the hosts at least managed to scrape to 17 without loss at the close.