The vacancy sign over one England opener slot continues to swing. The selectors are keen on James Rew, but he keeps wicket and bats in the middle order for Somerset. How to square the circle? Friday’s answer was Rew opening for Somerset for the first time in his first-class career. It was a short-lived experiment, Rew lasting just seven balls before being bowled for four.
Around Rew there were runs for young Josh Thomas (71) and Tom Lammonby (45) before Glamorgan debutant Tom Norton picked the first of three wickets. Tom Abell’s 86 propped up the rest of the innings.
Dan Worrall slipped into his Surrey bowling boots for the first time this spring and soon dismissed Nottinghamshire’s openers. He pocketed another wicket when Ben Duckett (42) fended at a lifter, and another two in a mini Notts collapse of four for five. Joe Clarke’s unbeaten 129, his second century of a rich early season, kept Notts in the match.
Middlesex’s skilled young seam attack made Lancashire work hard for their runs, with Keaton Jennings (67) providing the glue as ever. James Anderson then reduced Middlesex to 38 for two as the clouds closed in.
Jack White (four for 49) and his band of Yorkshire right-arm seamers ruined Warwickshire, a string of single digit scores strung together by 57 from Sam Hain. Harry Brook, in his first innings of the summer, got off the mark with an outrageously dismissive cover drive.
Half-centuries for Jake Lehmann and Ben Brown hauled Hampshire towards near respectability against Essex. A marauding Sam Cook (three for 56) took out the top order and Wiaan Mulder finished things off.
Sussex kept Leicestershire in sight, despite dropping six catches. Jack Carson pocketed four wickets and the impressive Ollie Robinson three.
An unbeaten 91 from Caleb Jewell topped a morale-boosting day for Derbyshire against Northamptonshire.
