Josh Tongue laps up moment to impress England as Nottinghamshire beat Durham
The England attack has been depleted by injuries to Mark Wood, Olly Stone and Brydon Carse.
Josh Tongue put himself firmly in the England frame on a belated Nottinghamshire debut as his five-wicket haul secured a Rothesay County Championship victory over Durham.
Tongue’s Nottinghamshire baptism was delayed by a full season because of injuries following his 2023 move from Worcestershire, with a pectoral problem the main issue.
But with bowling trio Mark Wood, Olly Stone and Brydon Carse sidelined by injuries, Tongue made the most of his first opportunity this season to impress the England selectors.
Tongue, who made a career-best 55 with the bat in Nottinghamshire’s first innings, took five for 66.
A devastating final spell claimed four wickets in 12 deliveries, including the vital scalp of Graham Clark for 62, from a ball right at the end of its 80-over match lifespan.
Colin Ackermann, the South African-born Netherlands international, made 124 to go with his first-innings 116 as Durham, 201 behind on first innings, sought to salvage a Trent Bridge draw.
Durham lost their last five wickets for 21 runs, leaving Nottinghamshire needing 89 to win from 40 overs remaining in the match.
Skipper Haseeb Hameed (39 not out ) and Joe Clarke 35 (not out) shared an unbroken partnership of 50 as Nottinghamshire reached their target in 17.1 overs.
Surrey’s bid for a fourth successive title started with a draw against Essex at Chelmsford.
Essex enjoyed the better of the game after making 582 for six declared and forcing the champions to follow on.
Surrey resumed on nine without loss and 208 runs adrift on day four, and dug in to avoid defeat after two wickets in seven balls early on gave Essex brief hopes of victory.
Dom Sibley (66) and Ben Foakes (50) provided the backbone to Surrey’s resistance, the pair putting on a painstaking 101 in 41 overs.
Former England opener Sibley faced 221 balls in his innings before falling to Noah Thain just after tea.
Foakes completed his second fifty of the match after making 92 in the first innings and Surrey finished on 219 for six.
Worcestershire batted for 200 overs in their second innings to hold on for a draw against Somerset at Taunton.
After Tom Banton’s record-breaking 371, Somerset had a massive first-innings lead of 516 but Worcestershire battled to 485 for nine in their second knock.
Starting the day on 280 for five, still 236 runs short of making their hosts bat again, Brett D’Oliveira made 121 off 340 balls and Matthew Waite was unbeaten on 87 from 319 deliveries.
England spinner Jack Leach claimed his 500th first class wicket in returning four for 103.
Warwickshire’s clash with Sussex at Edgbaston drifted to a predictable draw after the visitors declined to set up a contest on the final day.
Newly promoted Sussex batted themselves safe before declaring their second innings on 313 for seven with Tom Alsop making an unbeaten 82 from 131 balls.
Warwickshire’s target was a notional 388 in a minimum of 44 overs, and the Bears closed on 104 for two.
Rob Yates followed up his first-innings 115 to finish unbeaten on 65.
The only Division Two game to go into a final day was an exciting affair between Middlesex and Lancashire at Lord’s.
Middlesex set Lancashire a target of 309 from 67 overs after being dismissed for 407, Max Holden ninth batter out for 184 – his highest score at Lord’s.
Marcus Harris (52), Keaton Jennings (49), Luke Wells (47) and Michael Jones (44) kept Lancashire in the hunt for victory, but Middlesex kept chipping away and Zafar Gohar took three wickets.
Lancashire eventually held on for a draw at 262 for eight as Middlesex fielders crowded the bat in the closing overs.
