England fast bowler Josh Tongue claimed a five-for on the opening day of Nottinghamshire’s County Championship clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Tongue took 5-91 from 22 overs, his first three wickets helping reduce Warwickshire to 140-5 before the hosts’ lower order rallied to close the day on 375-8.
Ed Barnard hit a magnificent, unbeaten 134, sharing a century stand for the seventh wicket with Chris Woakes (64) before Tongue cleaned up Woakes for his fourth scalp.
John Simpson scored an unbeaten century as a buoyant Sussex enjoyed an impressive start to their clash with Yorkshire at Headingley. Sussex, chasing a third win in as many Division One matches this summer, finished day one on 373-6 after a 165-run sixth-wicket stand between Simpson (101*) and Tom Price (93). Jack White was the standout bowler for Yorkshire with 3-42, while Joe Root, making his first appearance of the summer, took a slip catch and bowled five overs of off-spin for 18.
Paul Walter batted almost five hours for a patient 101 as Essex reached 325-6 after being put in on day one at the Kia Oval. Former South African opener Dean Elgar also impressed with 92 in a first-wicket stand of 183 with Walter that initially put Surrey on the back foot. Surrey fought back later in the day, taking six wickets in the second half, including four inside 17 overs from the 71st over.
Kiran Carlson and Sean Dickson both fell in the nervous nineties but their efforts helped Glamorgan to a positive start against Leicestershire. The hosts finished 334-7 after a steadying 126-run partnership between Carlson (95) and Dickson (90). Ian Holland (2-19) and Josh Hull (2-70) picked up two wickets apiece, while Ajaz Patel bowled 30 overs in Rehan Ahmed’s absence.
Crawley’s struggles continue for Kent
Zak Crawley’s hopes of keeping his England Test opening spot suffered a further blow as his disappointing County Championship season continued in Kent’s Division Two clash with Worcestershire. The 28-year-old reached 27 at New Road, striking six fours, before pushing at a full ball from Matthew Waite and edging to the wicket-keeper. That was his highest score of the season after innings of nine, 20, 26 and five, and Kent were bowled out for 196. Worcestershire were 94-1 by stumps.
Marcus Harris’s second century of the season for Lancashire resisted Durham’s bid for wickets on an entertaining first day at Chester-le-Street. Despite several dropped catches and Lancashire losing three early wickets, Harris cashed in across the afternoon and finished unbeaten on 135 as Lancashire closed on 356-7. Ben Raine picked up three wickets (3-71) as Durham chipped away at the other end.
England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir claimed wickets for Derbyshire before Miles Hammond engineered a Gloucestershire fightback late on day one of their Division Two meeting. Hammond held Gloucestershire’s innings together with an unbeaten 140 — his first Championship century since July 2024 — while Ed Middleton scored a career-best 41* to guide the visitors to 287-6. Bashir finished with 2-51, but Hammond and Middleton controlled the final session to leave the match nicely poised.