James Fuller took four wickets as Hampshire completed their fifth win of the LV= County Championship season against Nottinghamshire to close the gap on leaders Surrey.
Tom Moores flayed tired bowlers in the evening with 81 to threaten just the chance of a remarkable upset but became the first of five final wickets to fall in 90 minutes as Hampshire completed a 116-run victory.
Matt Henry followed up his T20 Finals Day heroics with five wickets to set up a nine-wicket victory for Somerset over Northamptonshire.
Henry finished with figures of five for 73, taking eight wickets in the match after Northamptonshire were bowled out for 224 in their second innings.
Somerset duly knocked off the 54 runs required inside 11 overs before lunch to continue their winning ways, with Tom Lammonby powering six boundaries in an undefeated innings of 30.
Middlesex’s batting frailties were ruthlessly exposed by London rivals Surrey as the reigning champions closed in on a big win at Lord’s.
Aussie seamer Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton and Tom Lawes claimed three wickets apiece as the hosts crumbled from their overnight 179 for five to 238 all out in their first innings.
Following on 195 behind, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72 as Middlesex reached 272 for nine, a lead of only 77.
Harry Finch batted for almost five hours in recording a valiant century as Kent prevented Essex from claiming victory inside three days.
Essex, looking for a fourth-successive win to put pressure on Championship leaders Surrey, endured a frustrating day in the field as Finch led the way in partnerships of 93 and 72 with Ben Compton (39) and Joey Evison (56 not out) in his 114.
Kent finished the day on 265 for seven – 14 runs ahead with three wickets in hand.
Lancashire are hoping for kind weather on the last day of their match with Warwickshire after they took charge on the third day at Edgbaston.
After bowling the home side out for 212, for a first-innings lead of 115, Lancashire closed a rain-shortened third day on 182 for six – 297 ahead as Keaton Jennings constructed an unbeaten 64 (174 balls).
Josh Tongue claimed the three remaining wickets inside 18 minutes as Worcestershire wrapped up a 100-run win over Leicestershire in Division Two.
The victory enabled the Pears to move level on points in the table with Leicestershire as both counties chase promotion.
Tongue, who was released from the England squad at Old Trafford to rejoin his county team-mates, took five for 29 – his best return of the season – as Leicestershire were dismissed for 137.
Yorkshire tried their utmost to force victory over Sussex inside three days but 58 apiece for opener Tom Clark and wicketkeeper Oli Carter helped thwart them.
Yorkshire advanced their first-innings reply to 364 for eight declared, meaning Sussex started their second innings 148 behind. And they closed on 236 for seven, a lead of 88.
England fast bowler Matthew Potts paraded his batting credentials as Durham piled on the runs against Derbyshire at Derby.
Potts scored 64 and shared an eighth-wicket stand of 110 from 113 balls with Brydon Carse, who made 80 on a day of stoppages.
The Division Two leaders secured maximum batting points for the sixth time this season before they were bowled out for 575, with fast bowler Sam Conners claiming five for 115.
That gave Durham a lead of 132 but Derbyshire responded strongly in their second innings to close on 89 without loss – 43 behind – with Luis Reece 54 not out.
Billy Root fell two short of a century as Glamorgan blitzed their way to maximum batting points on the second day of their match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
Kiran Carlson (76), Root (98) and Chris Cooke (86 not out) helped the visitors extend their first innings from an overnight 152 for two to 450 for six declared on the fast-scoring College Ground.
By the close, Gloucestershire had moved to 134 for one in their second innings, Chris Dent leading the way with 61 not out.
Andre Russell ventures into Bollywood music scene with SRK's support
West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell is set to make waves in Bollywood, following in the footsteps of Trinidadian cricketer Dwayne Bravo, who achieved success with his hit song 'Champion' in India.
Known for adding energy and entertainment to the dressing room, West Indian cricketers have a history of making their mark beyond the cricket field, with stars like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy shining in the IPL. The latest to join this list is Andre Russell, the dynamic KKR sensation.
Russell is stepping into the music world by lending his vocals to a song composed by Palaash Muchhal. He will also be featured alongside actress Avika Gor in the accompanying music video.
What makes Russell's foray into music even more exciting is the backing of Bollywood titan Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his larger-than-life persona, SRK is not just a team owner but also a key figure in the entertainment industry. Russell and SRK share a strong camaraderie, often seen enjoying each other's company and having fun moments together.
Recently, a video of Russell singing SRK's iconic song "Lut Put Gaya" from the movie 'Dunki' went viral, showcasing his passion for music. With SRK's support and Russell's infectious energy, fans can anticipate an exciting collaboration between the cricket star and the Bollywood icon.
Andre Russell's venture into Bollywood music adds a new dimension to his versatile talents and promises to be a delightful treat for his fans in India and across the globe.
IPL: Kumar the hero as Sunrisers stun Royals for final-ball win
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero as Sunrisers Hyderabad came back from the brink to secure a final-ball win over Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals on Thursday.
Kumar left the Royals reeling at 1-2 as they chased 202 for victory, dismissing both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for first-over ducks, flattening middle wicket to send the latter walking five balls in.
A 127-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag then seemed to have the Royals closing in on a fifth straight win, only for their chase to unravel in spectacular fashion.
Two wickets apiece from Thangarasu Natarajan and Pat Cummins left the Royals needing 20 runs off 11 balls, and Rovman Powell came up with a thrilling cameo, the highlight being an unbelievable dive to avoid being run out on the penultimate delivery, which took Rajasthan within two runs of victory and one of a super over.
However, there was one more twist to come as Powell swung at Kumar's full toss, which clipped his back leg and was confirmed as out following a review, sealing a memorable win for Sunrisers.
The Sunrisers had also found themselves in a hole in their own innings, only for Nitish Kumar Reddy (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (42) to finish unbeaten and bring up a total they were just about able to defend.
Data Debrief: Kumar bookends back-and-forth innings
For much of the Rajasthan innings, it looked like Kumar's early dismissals of Buttler and Samson would count for nought, with some expensive overs from Cummins and Marco Jansen leaving the Royals on the brink.
However, Kumar stepped up when it was all on the line on the final delivery, leaving Powell in a tangle to end Hyderabad's two-match losing streak and lift them into the top four.
Pakistan bowlers shine to hand West Indies first loss of tour in fourth T20I
West Indies Women suffered their first loss on their tour of Pakistan as the hosts secured an eight-wicket win in the fourth T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium on Thursday.
Excellent Pakistan bowling meant the tourists were restricted to just 84-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Shemaine Campbelle (26), Zaida James (19) and Jannilea Glasgow (10) were the only West Indian batters to get double-figures as Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar dominated with 3-18 from four overs and 3-19 from four overs, respectively.
Pakistan then needed only 16.3 overs to reach 87-2 and secure their first win of the series. Ayesha Zafar led the way with 42* off 48 balls while Gull Feroza finished 21* off 24 balls.
Afy Fletcher and Shamilia Connell took a wicket, each, for the Windies.
Full Scores: West Indies Women 84-9 (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Sadia Iqbal 3-18, Nida Dar 3-19)
Pakistan Women 87-2 (Ayesha Zafar 42*, Gull Feroza 21*, Afy Fletcher 1-6, Shamilia Connell 1-8)
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