Surrey’s slump continues while Ben Stokes is bowled by on-loan seamer

Surrey’s surprisingly poor start to the county championship season took a turn for the worse at Headingley, where a side boasting seven internationals lost by an innings and 127 runs to Yorkshire and languish in seventh place (Elizabeth Ammon writes).

The county were one of the favourites to lift the trophy at the start of the season, having won the title four times in past seven years. However, after six rounds they have won only one match. They were without the injured Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope against Yorkshire, but still had a strong line-up that included England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

They began the day on 83 for five in their second innings having been made to follow-on but could muster only 72 runs on Monday. They are now 17 points behind leaders Nottinghamshire, who drew with Hampshire in Southampton. Yorkshire’s victory, their second of the season, was much needed and they sit in eighth place, three points behind Surrey. The championship takes a break with the Vitality Blast kicking off on Friday.

In Division Two at Beckenham, Ben Stokes was bowled by James Taylor, the seamer on loan at Kent from Surrey, for 45. The England captain’s innings lasted 77 balls, which means that he will go into the first Test of the summer on June 4, against New Zealand, having faced only 94 balls since the fifth Test against Australia in January.

This was the second championship game that the 34-year-old has played for Durham this season since suffering cheek fracture in March, having made 14 off 17 balls against Worcestershire in a nine-wicket win this month. He has, though, got in plenty of overs, taking five wickets in 47.5 overs across both games.

The match at Beckenham ended in a draw after no play was possible on Sunday because water had got under the covers. Stokes finished not out on 17 on Saturday and batted for the majority of the morning session on Monday, scoring a further 28 runs, before being bowled by a ball that nipped back off a length to hit off stump as he attempted a loose drive. Although Stokes has the option of playing for the England Lions in a four-day match against South Africa A at Arundel on Friday, he is expected to join the England training camp at Loughborough on May 24 instead. Brendon McCullum, the England head coach, is due to arrive in the country just before the camp.

A century by seamer Ben Raine in a tenth-wicket partnership of 148 with spinner Callum Parkinson extinguished any hopes Kent had of securing victory, despite Durham needing 201 to avoid the follow-on. The draw keeps them top of Division Two by 20 points, while Kent have moved up to third.

Sussex were saved by the weather in Taunton having been staring down the barrel of an innings defeat. Following on after being bowled out for 253 in reply to Somerset’s 526 for eight declared, Ollie Robinson’s side were reduced to 110 for seven after Craig Overton ripped through their middle order, taking three for 14 off 13 overs. However, the rain arrived mid-afternoon to prevent Somerset from picking up their third win. Both teams are on 79 points, with Lewis Gregory’s side in fifth and Sussex one below them.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Northamptonshire sealed a tense two-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Bristol to go second in the table thanks to Louis Kimber, an injury replacement, coming in at No8 and posting a vital half-century. Gloucestershire remain rock bottom — 39 points behind Middlesex, who lost by seven wickets to Derbyshire. Captain Wayne Madsen and Matt Montgomery combined in a half-century partnership to give Derbyshire their first victory against Middlesex at Lord’s since 2002.

Anderson takes two wickets in three balls but Worcestershire frustrate Lancashire

Southport (final day of four): Lancashire (12pts) drew with Worcestershire (11pts)

The small crowd who defied early rain and turned up in the hope of seeing Lancashire’s bowlers conjure an unlikely victory did not see the win they were hoping for thanks to sixth-wicket partnership of 97 between Brett D’Oliveira and Matthew Waite (Paul Edwards writes). But they did get to see James Anderson bowl, still at something near the peak of his powers.

Anderson trapped Jake Libby leg before and Gareth Roderick caught at slip in the space of three balls to leave Worcestershire on 47 for two in their second innings with 76 overs left in the day. That gave the visitors a lead of just 36 and when Tom Hartley bagged two wickets in an over just after lunch, the lead was 79 and Lancashire’s fielders scented victory.

Nearly two years ago, Anderson took six Nottinghamshire wickets before lunch on this ground in the game before his final Test Match. There was not the same level of attention here but Anderson’s devotion to his craft remained unchanged.

The next breakthrough was made by Paul Coughlin, who had Daniel Lategan caught behind by Matty Hurst for 48 when the opener made almost his first error in 129 balls and nibbled at a delivery just outside the off stump.

That wicket left Worcestershire on 114 for five and with a lead of 103. But D’Oliveira and Waite brought calm to their side’s innings. The draw was certain some time before the players shook hands at 4.50pm with the visitors on 211 for five with Waite and D’Oliveira unbeaten on 47 and 46 respectively. Anderson took two for 27 from 15 overs.

Lehmann doing his best to fill void left by Vince but Domingo warns Hampshire players

Utilita Bowl (final day of four): Hampshire (11 pts) drew with Nottinghamshire (11)

Jake Lehmann has the distinction of being the fourth-highest runscorer in the top division of the County Championship this season, a tally he bolstered with his first century for Hampshire (Ivo Tennant writes). This was all the more praiseworthy for being scored against the champions. But for him and some inclement weather, Nottinghamshire would in all probability have gained another victory.

The retirement of James Vince from red-ball cricket has left a void which may well never be filled, but Lehmann has done all that could have been expected of him. When Ben Brown edged Fergus O’Neill to first slip, Hampshire were 90 for five, just 75 runs ahead, albeit with the weather on their side. A stoppage for rain came at just the right time for them, but there were still 59 overs remaining when play resumed. Someone, anyone, had to stay at the crease.

That person, watchful and imperturbable, was Lehmann. He reached a half-century off 110 balls with five fours, and after tea, when Nottinghamshire’s chances of victory had just about slipped away, he collected the 11 runs he needed for his century. Hampshire’s batting has been dire all season — when the County Championship recommence next month they must surely give Ali Orr an opportunity — but the Australian left-handed batsman has been the exception.

Delano Potgieter and Felix Organ stayed with Lehmann long enough for him to reach his century, scored off 198 balls with 11 fours. Both sides called it a day when he had done so, having deserved as much after contributing five half-centuries in a row this season.

“Jake played fantastically well,” Russell Domingo, Hampshire’s coach, said. “But there are a lot of areas in which improvement is needed. I’m getting to understand our resources. We need to settle on a batting line-up and which youngsters to invest in. We seem to be very vulnerable with the bat and at the end of the season we need to make some calls, which players to keep and who we need.”

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