Somerset in control against Nottinghamshire after day two

Somerset spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach bowled Division One leaders Somerset into a strong position on day two of their Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Taunton.

The two England bowlers shared eight wickets as Nottinghamshire collapsed from 201 for two to 241 for nine, with Chris Nash (50 not out) unable to continue after being struck on the head by a Jamie Overton bouncer.

Bess finished with five for 59 and Leach three for 79, their combined efforts giving Somerset a first-innings lead of 85 before they made seven for one in their second innings to extend their advantage to 92.

— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) July 8, 2019

Essex look well placed for their sixth win in seven matches as they lead by 82 runs against Yorkshire, who have seven second-innings wickets remaining.

Ryan ten Doeschate gave an inspirational captain's performance with the bat as his unbeaten 70 lifted Essex's first-innings total to 328 all out for a lead of 120 at Chelmsford.

Peter Siddle then removed Will Fraine and Gary Ballance in the space of 10 balls at the start of Yorkshire's second innings and Simon Harmer snared Tom Kohler-Cadmore to leave the visitors on 38 for three at the close.

Kyle Abbott's whirlwind three for 18 in five overs put Hampshire on course to beat Warwickshire, who had been set 404 to win at the Ageas Bowl.

The South African accounted for openers Dominic Sibley and Will Rhodes, along with nightwatchman Olly Stone in a breathless stint – which left Warwickshire on 31 for three at the close after Hampshire had declared their second innings on 171 for eight.

Kent's Joe Denly made a battling 88 against Surrey at The Kia Oval to give his side a lead of 14 with six first-innings wickets remaining.

Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond (64) gave Kent the edge with a third wicket partnership of 110 in 34 overs, while Heino Kuhn made an aggressive 50 not out as Kent reached 285 for four at the close.

In Division Two, Lancashire's Alex Davies made his first century of the season to provide some much-needed resistance for his side at Wantage Road.

Davies' 124 not out glued together the visitors' reply to Northamptonshire's 442 as they closed day two on 211 for four, 231 runs adrift with six wickets remaining.

It was a vital innings with Lancashire forced to battle back after conceding their highest total of the summer and then slipping to two for two in the fifth over of their reply.

Derbyshire's Tom Lace was left unbeaten on 101 as his side moved into a commanding 267-run lead with four second-innings wickets left against Worcestershire at Kidderminster.

Lace, on loan for the season from Middlesex, reached three figures in the final over of the day with a cover drive for four off Daryl Mitchell as Derbyshire closed on 272 for six, having resumed the second day on 19 for none.

Toby Roland-Jones claimed career-best bowling figures of seven for 52 on day two of Middlesex's game against Gloucestershire at Merchant Taylors' School.

Roland-Jones bowled Middlesex back into the match after they had been reduced to 172 all out in their first innings by restricting Gloucestershire to 201 all out in reply.

But Gloucestershire's Ryan Higgins, who had made 61 not out with the bat, took three for 16 to leave the hosts on 96 for three in their second innings, a lead of just 67.

Cameron Bancroft (109) struck his second Championship century of the season to lift his side into a 96-run lead with nine second-innings wickets remaining against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.

Skipper Bancroft shared an opening partnership of 187 with Alex Lees (70 not out) after Durham had bowled Leicestershire out for 212, conceding a first-innings deficit of 95.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By PA Sport Staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', 'f22315a9-6cc8-45a9-a4ae-7db26a0b7e34');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:uk');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:cricket');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Bess and Leach put title-chasing Somerset in control against Nottinghamshire'});