County Championship review: Lancashire's Jordan Clark takes a hat-trick against Yorkshire

Lancashire's Jordan Clark lit up an exhilarating first day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Yorkshire by pilfering a remarkable morning hat-trick at Emirates Old Trafford.

Seam bowling all-rounder Clark trapped current Test captains Joe Root (22) and Kane Williamson lbw before getting Jonny Bairstow caught at third slip to leave Yorkshire 59 for four just before lunch.

Between them, the trio have scored 14,639 Test runs and over 30,000 in first-class cricket.

Yorkshire were bowled out for 192 as 27-year-old Clark went on to claim a career-best five for 58 from 12.1 overs and affect a run-out in his follow-through.

Nineteen wickets fell in the day as Lancashire crumbled to 109 all out in reply, with Yorkshire leading by 83.

Rain delayed the start until 11.45am, and the White Rose won the toss.

Openers Adam Lyth, who top-scored with 70, and Harry Brook navigated tight bowling from new ball seamer Tom Bailey.

Graham Onions made the initial breakthrough with his second ball when he forced Brook to chop on as the score fell to 24 for one in the 14th over.

The White Rose were in decent order at 59 for one when Clark struck at the end of the 19th over.

He had Root pushing forwards to a full ball, Williamson stuck on the crease and Bairstow driving loosely outside off, with Jos Buttler completing a smart low catch tumbling to his left at third slip. Both Williamson and Bairstow fell for golden ducks.

In 2013, Clark hit six sixes in an over against Yorkshire seconds at Scarborough.

This was the first hat-trick in 'Roses' Championship matches since Ken Higgs claimed one at Headingley in 1968 and the fourth in this fixture since the official constitution of the Championship in 1890.

Clark's day got even better shortly after lunch when he got a hand on a fierce Lyth straight drive and ran out Tim Bresnan backing up at the non-striker's end to leave the visitors at 86 for six.

Yorkshire more than doubled their score from there, despite losing Steve Patterson and Lyth caught at first slip with successive deliveries to Bailey and Jimmy Anderson (one for 38 from 15) as the score fell to 131 for eight in the 42nd over.

After tea, Clark completed his maiden first-team five-for by getting Jack Brooks caught at cover and bowling Ben Coad.

Lancashire captain Liam Livingstone suffered a suspected broken left wrist midway through the afternoon as he attempted to take a catch at second slip and did not bat.

Alex Davies hit a punchy half-century, but Yorkshire fought back.

Bresnan made the breakthrough when Root took a one-handed stunner at midwicket diving to his left following a meaty Keaton Jennings pull - 46 for one - before Patterson bowled Haseeb Hameed, who fell shouldering arms for the fourth innings running, and trapped Dane Vilas two balls later.

When Bresnan had Buttler caught behind down leg for three, Lancashire were 66 for four.

Four more wickets then fell without addition, including three in one Coad over, as the score fell to 92 for eight in the 27th.

Alex Davies was caught behind for 51 and Bailey bowled as both offered no stroke, Onions was bowled and Clark caught at deep square off Brooks, who bowled Anderson to wrap up the innings.

Surrey strengthened their position at the top of Division One with a dominant performance with both bat and ball on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Nottinghamshire.

The unbeaten league leaders bowled the home county out for just 210 in only 54 overs and then built a lead of 13 in the remainder of the day, thanks to their opening batsmen Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman.

A measure of Notts' disappointment can be gauged from the fact that Harry Gurney, batting at 11 in the order, top-scored with an unbeaten 29 for the hosts.

Morne Morkel did most of the damage, picking up four for 60. Jade Dernbach, Sam Curran and Rikki Clarke shared the remainder of the wickets.

Burns and Stoneman then put that score into context by rattling their way to an opening stand of 147 as Surrey reached 223 for one at stumps.

Visiting captain Burns closed on 97 not out, with Stoneman having made 86 from only 83 balls, his highest score of the summer.

Earlier, Notts had found themselves up against it from just the second ball of the day, losing captain Steven Mullaney for a duck, after they had been invited to bat first.

Mullaney feathered Dernbach behind at the start of the morning and the visitors hardly relinquished their grip on proceedings and picked up four more wickets before lunch.

Will Fraine, on his Championship debut, acquitted himself well against one of the best attacks in the country. The 22-year old shared in a stand of 59 for the second wicket with Jake Libby before both fell in quick succession to Morkel.

The South African, in the sixth over of his spell, extracted sufficient bounce to force Fraine to fend to gully for 19, with Ollie Pope taking a routine catch.

Two balls later, after Samit Patel had pushed a single, Jake Libby edged and was taken in the same position by diving substitute fielder Ryan Patel for 28.

Surrey cemented their advantage with two more wickets in the opening session with Curran pinning Patel lbw for five and Billy Root falling to Clarke for 15.

Notts offered token resistance at the start of the afternoon, with Riki Wessels taking three consecutive boundaries off Morkel before nicking Dernbach to slip.

Tom Moores also put bat to ball, hitting five boundaries in his 27. Stuart Broad made just three before tamely lofting Morkel into the hands of mid-off.

Luke Fletcher and Gurney, each celebrating their 100th first-class appearance, commemorated the occasion with some stylish shot-making.

Fletcher hit a couple of dreamy drives in making 21 and the last pair of Gurney and Jake Ball - who clubbed Morkel for the only six of the innings - added 45 to take the total beyond 200.

When Surrey batted it took Stoneman only six overs to become the highest scorer of the day, passing 30 and reaching 10,000 career runs with a sumptuous pull off Ball.

Under a hot sun, in the best conditions of the day, runs flowed from the bats of both Stoneman and his opening partner Burns.

Nottinghamshire's attack was almost treated with disdain as the two left-handers made merry. Burns was content to play second fiddle, whilst Stoneman was the aggressor but he made the most of every opportunity to score, including a cut for six off Gurney.

Stoneman was visibly dejected at getting out, snicking behind as he attempted a vigorous pull off Ball, with a century in sight - but Burns refused to yield and finished the day within three runs of his fourth hundred of the season.

At the start of the day leaders Surrey had held a 22-point advantage over second-placed Notts - and with a game in hand. By the end of the opening salvo that gap looked much, much wider.

Steven Davies top-scored against his former county as Somerset twice fought back from testing situations on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Worcestershire.

The wicket-keeper batsman hit a fluent 72 and there were also half-centuries from Tom Abell and James Hildreth as Somerset recovered from 11 for two and then 115 for four to reach 324 for nine from 96 overs by the close at New Road.

England spinner Moeen Ali picked up three wickets on his return to Championship cricket.

Worcestershire handed a Championship debut to wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Milton, who was tidy and picked up three catches, and on-loan Nottinghamshire paceman Luke Wood.

Somerset's new overseas player, Azhar Ali, made his first appearance for the county as the replacement for the injured Australian batsman Matt Renshaw.

Brett D'Oliveira opted to put the visitors into bat after winning the toss and the new ball attack of Steve Magoffin and Wood made a double breakthrough.

Magoffin asked questions of both batsmen during an initial spell of 6-4-5-1 and he accounted for Edward Byrom (five) - caught behind by Milton who replaced broken-rib victim Ben Cox after 76 successive Championship appearances spanning five seasons.

In the next over Wood trapped Marcus Trescothick lbw for six, in his first appearance since May after recovering from a broken metatarsal, with the total on 11.

Azhar and Hildreth were initially watchful but then flourished during a third-wicket stand of 99 in 28 overs.

Hildreth, a century-maker at Taunton in the early season fixture between the sides, was the dominant partner and reached a 99-ball half-century with 11 boundaries, but Azhar provided a solid ally.

The game edged back in Worcestershire's favour with two wickets to Dillon Pennington during a fiery pre-lunch spell.

Azhar (37) pushed forward and nicked through to Milton and then Hildreth (57) shouldered arms and was bowled at 115 for four.

A second Somerset period of recovery was instigated by Abell and Davies during a partnership of 126 in 33 overs.

But it could have ended with the total on 140 as Abell (25) swept Moeen to backward square leg only for Joe Clarke, who was directly facing the sun, to allow the ball to slip through his hands and over the boundary rope.

Davies straight drove Moeen for six and was first to his half-century from 72 balls with also eight fours to his name.

Abell followed his team-mate to fifty in more circumspect fashion from 107 balls.

Moeen broke the partnership when Davies (72) played back and nicked to Milton who held onto a sharp chance.

The 31-year-old claimed another wicket as Peter Trego (one) was leg before.

Magoffin returned with the second new ball and picked up a deserved second wicket as Abell - 70 from 151 balls with 13 fours - was lbw.

But then the Overton brothers, Craig (31) and Jamie (28), plundered 51 in eight overs before falling to Moeen and Ed Barnard respectively.

Will Rhodes' unbeaten half-century gave Division Two leaders Warwickshire the edge on the first day of of their clash with Middlesex at Lord's.

The left-hander made the most of being dropped on seven to pass 50 for the fourth time this season in the red-ball game.

His efforts steered the visitors to 152 for four after they had dismissed the hosts for 236.

Warwickshire opted to toss, but were left happy to have lost it after their change bowlers wreaked havoc in the morning session.

The hosts' decision to promote Paul Stirling to opener backfired when, after four early boundaries, the Ireland international edged the last ball of Chris Wright's opening over to Ian Bell at slip.

Nick Gubbins though took heavy toll of some loose new-ball bowling with Chris Woakes, in his first County Championship game of the season, struggling for rhythm as the 50 came up inside 10 overs.

The introduction of the recalled Oliver Hannon-Dalby, however, induced a dramatic collapse. The 29-year-old found prodigious swing, bowling Gubbins with a yorker which ripped out his leg-stump.

Stevie Eskinazi edged Wright loosely to slip in the following over and when another boomerang delivery from Hannon-Dalby flattened Eoin Morgan's off-stump Middlesex were 60 for four.

Worse followed when second change Ryan Sidebottom (3-34) found the edge of Dawid Malan's bat. It would the first of three wickets in 10 balls for the Australian-born quick, who had first John Simpson and then James harris caught behind, reducing Middlesex to 76 for seven.

Middlesex would have been out of the game altogether but for a counter-attacking stand of 86 either side of lunch by Max Holden and James Fuller.

The latter, two days on from his white-ball six-for in T20, played belligerently from the off, striking Woakes for a huge six over midwicket en route to a 60-ball half-century, his first in the Championship for more than two years.

Holden provided staunch support with some elegant drives, just missing out on a half-century when Jeetan Patel turned one a fraction to trap him lbw for 48.

Oliie Rayner also proved a valuable ally for Fuller in a ninth-wicket stand of 51, before Wright (3-48) returned to have him caught behind by Ambrose for 28.

By the time Fuller missed a full toss from the impressive Hannon-Dalby (3-41) to be last out for 71, Middlesex had at least reached respectability.

Buoyed by their tail having wagged, Middlesex began well with the ball, Harris pinning Dominic Sibley lbw for 14 having had an equally vociferous shout turned down the ball before.

Tim Murtagh, who had probed away in his usual nagging fashion, then trapped Bell in front to leave the Bears on 29 for two.

However, a chance to seize the initiative was missed when Malan dropped Rhodes at third slip off Harris.

Reprieved, Rhodes settled down and he and Jonathan Trott took charge in a stand of 85 and such was their control it was a shock when the former England man fell three short of a deserved half-century sweeping at Rayner.

Sam Hain's batting struggles continued when he fell to Murtagh, becoming the fourth lbw victim of the innings.

However, with Rhodes standing firm, Warwickshire hold a narrow advantage heading into day two.

Leicestershire's Ned Eckersley took five catches and top-scored on an attritional but fascinating opening day of Specsavers County Championship cricket against title-chasing Kent in Canterbury.

On a day when 16 wickets fell, Leicestershire went in at stumps on 149 for six with Eckersley unbeaten with 45 as the Foxes, after skittling Kent for 104, garnered a precious 45-run lead to take into day two.

Responding to Kent's quickfire 37.5 over the first innings, Leicestershire lost their first wicket to the third ball of their reply when Harry Dearden edged behind off the bowling of Harry Podmore.

With 17 on the board Colin Ackermann, seemingly transfixed by a Darren Stevens away-swinger, dutifully followed the line to steer a catch to Zak Crawley at third slip.

The experienced duo of Mark Cosgrove and Paul Horton joined forces to add 30 until Horton nibbled at one from Ivan Thomas to be caught behind. Then Cosgrove departed soon after, lbw to a Grant Stewart in ducker that may well have missed the left-hander's leg stump.

Leicestershire's fifth-wicket partners Neil Dexter (41) and Ned Eckersley added 70 either side of tea to bring some normality to the game and take their side into the lead before Kent served to spin for the first time in the match.

However, Joe Denly's opening over leaked 10 runs and he was immediately replaced by Thomas, who broke the stand and bagged his second scalp of the afternoon with his second ball of a new spell by plucking out Dexter's off stump with a leg-cutter.

Denly was entrusted with the day's final over and he made an immediate impact by having Raine caught at slip to lift Kentish spirits late in the day.

Kent, batting first after an uncontested toss, might have lost opener Sean Dickson in the sixth over but Leicestershire keeper Eckersley downed a tough diving chance off Ben Raine.

Nine balls later Eckersley atoned for his blunder by catching a more tricky chance off the same bowler when Daniel Bell-Drummond feathered a late away-swinger for the keeper to dive in front of slip and pouch the chance.

Raine's next delivery, another full away-swinger, squared up Heino Kuhn into a crab-like defensive prod and plucked out off stump and send the South African packing for a golden duck.

Denly duly survived the hat-trick but, with only five against his name, the right-hander nibbled an airy drive through to the keeper against Zak Chappell to make it 44 for three.

Raine gave way after a spell of 7-1-20-2 to be replaced at the Nackington Road End by Gavin Griffiths, who soon gave Eckersley his third catch of the opening session. Angling one in from wide of the crease, Griffiths forced Dickson to spar outside off and nick behind.

Kent skipper Sam Billings looked solid in reaching double figures but he then failed to smother a Chappell lifter and played the ball onto the base of his off stump.

Stevens was given a life on five when Eckersley downed another chance diving leg-side off Chappell, but he instantly made amends by pouching a fourth catch when Crawley feathered the very next delivery to send Kent into lunch on 73 for six.

The home demise continued after the resumption as the hosts lost their last for wickets for 31 runs and in the space of 8.5 overs.

Podmore and Stewart went leg before to consecutive Dexter deliveries, leaving Muhammad Abbas and Raine to polish the job off.

Raine finished with three for 39, Chappell three for 14, while Dexter took two for 11.

Gary Wilson made his highest score in the County Championship for 14 months as Derbyshire fought back against Northamptonshire on the opening day of the Division Two match at Chesterfield.

Wilson made 66 after Harvey Hosein with 58 started a recovery that lifted Derbyshire to 250 after Ben Sanderson had blown away the top order to finish with five for 53 from 20 overs.

Tony Palladino then took two wickets as Northants slipped to 74 for three on a day to remember for Derbyshire's cricket and commercial operations manager Dan Wheeldon, who marked his debut at the age of 29 with an unbeaten 33.

Derbyshire's decision to bat first looked questionable when Sanderson reduced them to 21 for three in the first five overs of a cloudy morning.

Sanderson struck with only the second ball by trapping Ben Slater on the crease before some late away movement removed Wayne Madsen's off stump in his next over.

Billy Godleman was caught behind pushing at one that kept low, and when Alex Hughes played on to Nathan Buck, Northants would have fancied their chances of denying Derbyshire a single batting point.

But Chesterfield-born Hosein was composed from the start and, with Matt Critchley, added 58 but Northants broke through in the first over after lunch when the latter was lbw playing across the line to Nathan Buck.

Hosein reached 50 with his sixth four but then chipped Sanderson to wide mid-on where Alex Wakely plunged to his right to take an outstanding catch.

Another fine catch, by wicketkeeper Ricardo Vasconcelos, accounted for Hardus Viljoen to give Sanderson his fifth wicket and plunge Derbyshire back into trouble but Wilson and Wheeldon restored respectability with a ninth-wicket stand of 52.

Wilson drove Seekkuge Prasanna into the pavilion while Wheeldon made the most of a reprieve on five when Richard Levi spilled a low chance at second slip to play with impressive judgement in his first innings.

When Wilson was bowled by Buck, Wheeldon opened up and drove Sanderson for two fours before launching Prasanna into the crowd over long off as Derbyshire achieved the bonus of a second point.

Wheeldon's impact with the ball was more low key as his opening three over spell cost 15 and Luke Proctor and Ben Duckett cruised along at five an over until Palladino struck twice in three balls.

Duckett was caught behind trying to cut a ball that was too close to him, and after Vasconcelos was beaten by a good length ball, Proctor inexplicably left a straight ball from Viljoen as Northants closed 186 behind.

A maiden first-class century from Ryan Higgins put Gloucestershire in a decent position on the opening day of the Specasavers County Championship match with Durham at Cheltenham.

The 23-year-old former Middlesex all-rounder was out in the last over of the day for 105 as his side ran up 315 for seven after winning the toss. Miles Hammond (51) and Gareth Roderick (67) were the other main contributors.

Chris Rushworth and Ben Stokes each claimed three of the wickets, Stokes beginning with a seven-over spell that brought him two for 10.

But Durham's other England bowler Mark Wood was off the field having physiotherapy during the afternoon and, although he returned to the field, he bowled only six overs in the day.

Stokes was the star of the early exchanges, generating pace and bounce from the Chapel End after coming on in the first change.

He pinned Chris Dent lbw for 19 and had Benny Howell taken at gully off a sharply lifting delivery for four after Gloucestershire had elected to bat in bright sunshine.

In between the two wickets Stokes struck James Bracey a painful blow on an elbow. After treatment the 21-year-old batsman headed off to hospital for a more extensive examination.

Hammond, already a centurion at the festival, again looked in fine form, putting on 40 with Dent for the first wicket. The left-hander was unbeaten on 36 at lunch, which was taken with Gloucestershire 80 for two off 28 overs.

Hammond went on to a half-century off 97 balls, with nine fours. But he fell early in the afternoon session, bowled by Rushworth, who beat his defensive shot.

Roderick survived a couple of blows to the helmet on the lively pitch to post fifty off 93 deliveries, with eight fours, and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with Higgins to put their side on top.

Tea was taken at 218 for three, with Higgins having brought up his half-century off 67 balls, hitting six fours. It was an untimely interval for Roderick, who in the first over after the resumption fell lbw to Salisbury on the back foot.

Higgins went past his previous best score of 63 and set his sights on three figures. The injured Bracey returned to help add 64 before departing to the second new ball, an lbw victim for Rushworth.

Kieran Noema-Barnett fell cheaply to the same bowler, but Higgins punched the air at reaching his ton off 141 balls, having increased his boundary count to 12.

He was caught at backward point off what proved the final delivery of the day to his intense frustration, Stokes claiming a third wicket. He ended the day with three for 40 from an impressive 18.4 overs, while Rushworth had three for 82 off 20.

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