County Championship review: Lancashire enjoy strong start against Yorkshire at Headingley
A review of the action in the County Championship as Lancashire took charge in their Roses clash with Yorkshire.
Led by seam trio Graham Onions, Tom Bailey and debutant Richard Gleeson, the Red Rose survived Tom Kohler-Cadmore's superb unbeaten 105 - his second century in two matches - to bowl their hosts out for 209 shortly before tea.
Third-bottom Lancashire, who started this fixture a point and a place above their rivals, closed on 105 without loss from 35 overs, including Alex Davies' unbeaten 57.
Having exercised the option to bowl first on an overcast morning in Leeds, the visitors made early inroads by dismissing the Yorkshire top order cheaply and reducing them to 33 for four - a familiar trend for Andrew Gale's side.
Jonny Tattersall helped Kohler-Cadmore rebuild with a stand of 105 for the fifth wicket, but Onions returned to run through the middle order and pick up maximum bowling points.
To add insult to injury for the hosts, they struggled with the ball and by the end of the day were left facing a potentially season-defining defeat that could go a long way to determining their fate in the relegation scrap.
By contrast, bottom-of-the-table Worcestershire had an encouraging first day at New Road against Surrey, who could lift the Division One title with a win.
It was not plain sailing, but half-centuries from Tom Fell (69), Ross Whiteley (91) and Ed Barnard (63 not out) saw them reach 288 for six at the close of play, with Morne Morkel and Tom Curran claiming two wickets apiece for the table toppers.
To win the title in this round, Surrey must claim six points more than nearest challengers Somerset and after the first day of action there is a good chance of that happening as Hampshire - another team fearing the drop - skittled the Taunton side for just 106.
Kyle Abbott continued his good form with five for 31 and Dale Steyn took three for 37 before Somerset hit back, reducing Hampshire to 142 for nine on a remarkable day in which 19 wickets fell to leave the game in the balance.
Debutant Lyndon James had a day of mixed fortunes at Trent Bridge, but did enough to make sure honours were pretty much even between Nottinghamshire and Essex.
The 19-year-old all-rounder could only make a single in Notts' innings of 177 but hit back with three for 34 to leave Essex 133 for five at the end of the day - despite 56 from another debutant, India's Murali Vijay.
Promotion-chasing Sussex exposed Durham's fragility with the bat at Emirates Riverside, reducing the home side to 92 for seven at the end of a rain-affected first day.
David Wiese led the way with figures of three for 12, while Ollie Robinson also notched a couple of wickets to continue his impressive term.
At Wantage Road, Saif Zaib and Ben Curran made half centuries as Northamptonshire (255) enjoyed a good opening day against Derbyshire, who finished 60 for two at the close.
Glamorgan suffered another chastening day after being bowled out for 137 - it could have been worse but for a sixth-wicket stand of 83 between Chris Cooke and Graeme Wagg - and seeing Gloucestershire finish just four runs adrift with five first-innings wickets in hand.
Warwickshire look set to go up as champions from the second tier and enjoyed another good day all round at Grace Road.
Olly Stone has been a man in form in recent weeks and boosted his own international hopes with three for 24 as Leicestershire limped to 100 all out, and Dom Sibley struck 106 in reply before being dismissed, but the Bears have already built up a lead of 90 runs with just three wickets down.
Joe Denly and Nick Gubbins missed chances to impress England selector James Taylor at Lord's, making 26 runs between them as the search for a successor to Alastair Cook begins.
They did not have it easy on a day in which 19 wickets fell between two sides near the top of the table but it was Kent, who are second in the table, who would be the happier of the two sides having bowled Middlesex out for 161 before finishing 28 runs ahead for the loss of nine wickets.
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