Captain Rory Burns led from the front as Vitality County Championship Division One leaders Surrey maintained their push for a third successive title.
Burns followed his double-hundred against Lancashire with 161 as Surrey ended day one against Nottinghamshire on 339 for five at Trent Bridge.
The Surrey skipper, though, found himself pushed out of the spotlight by 16-year-old off-spinner Farhan Ahmed, who not only claimed the wicket of Burns and two more Test players in Ben Foakes and Will Jacks, but finished an outstanding first day in Championship cricket with figures of four for 69.
The younger brother of Leicestershire and England prodigy Rehan Ahmed, at the age of 16 years and 189 days, Farhan is the youngest first-class player in Nottinghamshire’s history.
Tom Abell made it back-to-back centuries at Taunton as second-placed Somerset ran up 395 for six against Durham.
Having hit a career-best unbeaten 152 in the previous home game against Warwickshire, Abell scored 124 off 181 balls, with 18 fours, sharing a stand of 185 with Tom Banton (73).
James Rew was unbeaten on 89 at the close, while Somerset gave a first-class debut to all-rounder Archie Vaughan, the 18-year-old son of former England captain Michael Vaughan, and he contributed a solid 30.
Jamie Porter blitzed a hole in Worcestershire’s upper order for a second championship five-wicket haul of the season before Essex let slip their early advantage.
Essex had Worcestershire 10 for four inside five overs – Porter and Sam Cook sharing the wickets in a 13-ball spree – then 46 for five in 12 overs, before the tail wagged and the visitors reached a more respectable 266 all out as Porter finished with five for 52. Essex closed on 50 for one.
Fletcha Middleton made his second century of the season as Hampshire closed on 330 for nine against relegation-threatened Lancashire at Old Trafford.
29.3 | Keogh is struck on the glove and shortly after the players are taken off by the umpires with concerns over the pitch.
Northamptonshire 116/2, trailing by 9. pic.twitter.com/ugUhzXnbAu
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) August 29, 2024
Middleton made 109 and shared a second-wicket partnership of 151 with Nick Gubbins, only for the home side to take six wickets in the evening session.
Kent’s lurch towards relegation continued as they were bowled out for 156 by Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Michael Booth, Olly Hannon-Dalby and Chris Rushworth all took three wickets before Will Rhodes’ 82 guided Warwickshire to 207 for three in reply.
The Division Two match between Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire at Bristol was abandoned after concerns from the umpires over player safety on a hybrid pitch.
Chris Watts and Sue Redfern called a halt early on in the final session after Northamptonshire batters Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh had both been struck on the hand by Gloucestershire paceman Ajeet Singh Dale and forced to retire hurt.
The visitors were 116 for two in reply to Gloucestershire’s 125 when the contest was abandoned at 5pm, the umpires consulting with both captains before leading the players from the pitch and then holding a consultation with groundstaff to explain their decision.
Elsewhere, Australian Daniel Hughes hit 144 for leaders Sussex, who closed on 391 for four against Derbyshire at Hove.
Openers Hughes and Tom Haines put on 196 in just 36 overs, with Haines making 72. And after Hughes departed, Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten 69.
Jonny Bairstow was unbeaten on 107 as Yorkshire amassed 372 for five against fellow title challengers Middlesex – Adam Lyth hit 61 and George Hill 58 not out – while Glamorgan finished on 114 for two after dismissing Leicestershire for 251.
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