County Championship Round 2 Day 1/4

Worcestershire 224 all out v Kent 39-2 - Division 2

Robbie Joseph took three wickets on his Kent return as his side fought back against Worcestershire at New Road.

The 32-year-old picked up the crucial wickets of captain Daryl Mitchell (47) and Alexei Kervezee (54) as the hosts collapsed from 151-3 to 224 all out.

England Test hopeful Moeen Ali made 41 off just 37 balls as Darren Stevens, Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Claydon chipped in with two wickets each.

Kent reached 39-2 at stumps as Rob Key (11) and Sam Northeast (18) both fell.

Kervezee and Mitchell had put on 92 when Joseph, who rejoined Kent last week having not played county cricket since 2012, enticed Kervezee to loop the ball into the hands of James Tredwell at mid-wicket before having the Worcestershire captain caught behind shortly after.

Jack Shantry and Shaaiq Choudhry then picked up a wicket apiece late on as the visitors ended the day 185 runs behind. 


Durham 265-5 v Northamptonshire - Division 1

Division One newcomers Northants held their own against reigning champions Durham on an even day at Northampton.

Durham elected to bat, and saw Michael Richardson (80) top score, but he fell sending a tickle off James Middlebrook.

Paul Collingwood went cheaply, having returned from winter coaching duties, to Maurice Chambers (2-52), who also got rid of opener Keaton Jennings (54).

Wicket-keeper Phil Mustard finished unbeaten on 63 with Gary Breese on 28 as Durham finished on 265-5.

It was a solid start for newly-promoted Northants as Mohammad Azharullah knocked over Mark Stoneman's stumps in the fourth over to reduce Durham to 3-1.

However, a masterful innings from Richardson, who showed his frustration at his soft dismissal, gave Durham a slight advantage up to tea.

Not to be over-awed by the occasion, a fired-up Northants removed both Richardson and Collingwood in four overs to ensure they kept in touch with a slightly new-look, younger Durham side. 


Yorkshire 342-5 v Somerset - Division 1

Gary Ballance hit an assured 77 for Yorkshire in their Division One game at Somerset to boost his England hopes.

The visitors were put into bat and saw Adam Lyth, dropped by Craig Kieswetter on 70, make 85 before going to a diving catch at mid-on by Lewis Gregory.

South Africa-born youngster Craig Meschede (3-77) made early inroads for Somerset, bowling Alex Lees for 34 and removing Kane Williamson for a duck.

Adil Rashid finished unbeaten on 84 to see Yorkshire end day one 324-5.

Yorkshire made the most of a glorious day with Ballance, who made his Test debut in this winter's Ashes in Australia, sharing a 115-run fifth wicket stand with Rashid.

After Ballance was given out lbw to Gregory, Rashid continued to send the ball to the boundary, finding it 14 times in total, and finished the day with wicket-keeper Andy Hodd (22 not out). 


Gloucestershire 292-5 v Hampshire - Division 2

Will Tavare's sublime debut century helped Gloucestershire take control in their Division Two tie with Hampshire.

Hampshire, who elected to field, had made early inroads, with James Tomlinson getting his 300th first-class wicket when he clean bowled Chris Dent.

But Tavare (135no) reached his ton with a six off Liam Dawson, having shared a 163-run stand with Michael Klinger.

Kyle Abbott had Klinger (85) and Alex Gidman (0) caught behind just before tea as the hosts ended the day 292-5.

In the second over after tea, Tomlinson had Hamish Marshall caught behind as Gloucestershire lost three wickets for six runs.

However, Tavare kept his head and finished the day still at the crease, having hit 19 fours and two sixes, but Will Gidman, who batted well across the crease, hit 55 off 100 balls before falling to Sean Ervine a couple of overs before the close of play. 


Warwickshire 87 all out v Sussex 229 all out - Division 1

Sussex captain Ed Joyce smashed a hundred after Warwickshire were dismissed for just 87, as 20 wickets fell on day one at Edgbaston.

England's Jonathan Trott top-scored for the hosts with 37, but Ian Bell was one of four batsmen out for nought.

Chris Jordan staked an early claim for a Test place with 3-15 as veteran seamers Steve Magoffin and Jon Lewis also picked up three wickets each.

Joyce fell for 117 as the visitors were bowled out for 229 just before stumps.

After winning the toss, Bell, who is standing in as captain for the injured Jim Troughton, elected to bat in the Birmingham sunshine.

But Jordan ripped through the top order with the wickets of Varun Chopra, Laurie Evans and Bell to leave Warwickshire in trouble at 20-3.

Trott and Tim Ambrose (20) launched a slight recovery with a partnership of 44, before the dismissal of the Warwickshire wicket-keeper sparked a dramatic collapse which saw the final seven wickets fall for 23 runs and the home side bowled out in just 27.5 overs.

Keith Barker picked up an early scalp for the hosts as Luke Wells was caught by Trott, but Joyce then put the bowlers to the sword with a flurry of boundaries before Chris Woakes bowled Michael Yardy for nine.

Rory Hamilton-Brown (24) was trapped in front by Oliver Hannon-Dalby before Joyce brought up his century off just 116 balls, including 16 boundaries.

Warwickshire fought back with seven wickets after tea, including the crucial one of Joyce to Rikki Clarke, as Barker took 3-52, but the visitors still hold a first-innings lead of 142. 


Nottinghamshire 315-8 v Middlesex - Division 1

England hopefuls Steven Finn and James Taylor pushed their claims for Test recalls as Nottinghamshire enjoyed the better of day one against Middlesex.

After Steven Mullaney's patient 50, Taylor (62) scored quickly until he fell lbw to James Harris (4-80).

Riki Wessels (58) and Chris Read (40) put on a fluent 86, but Finn (4-87) returned after tea to dismiss the pair.

In the frame

Nottinghamshire batsman James Taylor reached 7,000 first-class runs during his top-scoring innings of 62 from 84 balls that pressed his claims for an England recall

Australian debutant Peter Siddle hit a quick-fire 40 off 35 balls late in the day as Notts reached 315-8 at stumps.

Harris and Finn each struck an early blow to remove Phil Jaques (14) and Michael Lumb (17), before Mullaney and Taylor shared a partnership of 81 for the third wicket.

Harris checked the visitors' momentum when he returned to first remove Taylor, who was trapped in front trying to work the ball to leg, and then Samit Patel for a fourth-ball duck.

The double-wicket maiden was only temporary respite for Middlesex, however, as the middle and lower order contributions from Wessels, Read, Siddle and Luke Fletcher, with an unbeaten 20, kept Notts in the ascendency

Essex 94 Derbyshire 139-5 - Division 2

Tim Groenewald took the first hat-trick of the new county season as Derbyshire started their campaign in style by skittling Alastair Cook's Essex for 94.

England captain Cook (35) was in fine form before he was caught legside as Groenewald (5-44) began his charge.

The seamer then had Ravi Bopara caught, before bowling Greg Smith and pinning Ben Foakes lbw in three balls.

Tim's timely treble

Tim Groenewald's hat-trick was the first by a Derbyshire bowler since Tony Palladino's in his figures of 3-58 against Leicestershire at Grace Road in June 2012

Mark Footitt supported well with 5-29 before Shiv Chanderpaul's unbeaten 66 moved Derbyshire onto 139-5 at stumps.

Wayne Madsen (30) also did his bit in accruing a 45-run lead, and passed 6,000 career first-class runs in doing so, before he was bowled by veteran David Masters (3-38).

The visiting skipper will be pleased with his side's performance, having urged them to post victory in memory of Keith Poynton.

The father of Derbyshire wicketkeeper Tom Poynton died in a car crash just over a week ago, which led to Derbyshire's scheduled opening game of the season at Leicestershire being postponed.