Sir Alastair Cook struck his 74th first-class century as Essex took advantage of perfect batting conditions in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Somerset.
Former England captain Cook converted to three figures in 210 balls before reaching 128 as Essex racked up 360 for four on the opening day with Matt Critchley adding a sublime 119.
A stand of 115 between makeshift opening partnership Phil Salt and George Balderson saw Lancashire take charge against Hampshire at Southport.
Having dismissed the visitors for just 142, helped by three wickets apiece for Tom Bailey and Will Williams, Salt and Balderson made light work of Hampshire’s much-vaunted bowling attack as they powered their way to 139 for one at the close, trailing by three runs.
A stellar century by Jordan Cox rescued Kent as they faced champions Surrey at Canterbury.
The hosts recovered from 41 for five to 301 all out after losing five top-order wickets for seven runs in the space of 31 balls.
Cox led the fightback with 133, exactly 100 of which came after he was dropped by Ben Foakes.
Surrey’s Sean Abbott took four for 52, but the visitors were 18 for two at stumps, trailing by 283 after Agar claimed two late wickets.
Sam Hain’s third century of the season helped Warwickshire get off to a strong start against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
The visitors ended day one on 361 for five after Hain shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 171 with Dan Mousley (87), opener Alex Davies having earlier scored 93.
In Division Two, Matthew Fisher delivered a timely demonstration of his international potential on a day of Yorkshire domination against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.
Fisher – who played a Test Match in the Caribbean 15 months ago and could come into Ashes reckoning if England’s fast bowlers sustain injuries – returned career-best figures of five for 30 to skittle Derbyshire for 111.
Yorkshire skipper Shan Masood heaped further misery on his former county with 67 – his highest score of the season – and Dawid Malan made an unbeaten 76 before rain ended play early with the visitors 272 for five, 161 ahead.
Only 36 overs were possible between Gloucestershire and Leicestershire at Bristol because of heavily overcast skies and rain.
By the close of a frustrating day, Gloucestershire had posted 108 for three, Ollie Price unbeaten on 26.
Kiran Carlson scored a brilliant century to allow Glamorgan to post 390 with the bat against Durham at Seat Unique Riverside.
Carlson was dropped on 67 and 107, and he duly made the hosts pay with his knock of 162 supported by 60 from Sam Northeast and a quickfire 45 from Billy Root.
Tailenders Jack Carson and Henry Shipley helped Sussex mount a respectable score after an early stumble against Worcestershire.
Sussex recovered from 142 for six to reach 338 for nine at stumps thanks to some late-order hitting from Nathan McAndrew, Carson and debutant Shipley, the latter two putting on 85 for the ninth wicket.
Worcestershire’s Joe Leach finished the day with figures of six for 73.
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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