Cricket Apr 26, 2026

County Championship: Josh Tongue takes five-for as Zak Crawley's struggles continue for Kent

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
County Championship: Josh Tongue takes five-for as Zak Crawley's struggles continue for Kent

England fast bowler Josh Tongue claimed a five-for on the opening day of Nottinghamshire's County Championship clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Tongue took 5-91 from 22 overs, the first three of which helped reduce Warwickshire to 140-5 before the hosts' lower order rallied late in the day to see them to stumps on 375-8.

Ed Barnard hit a magnificent, unbeaten134, sharing in a century stand for the seventh wicket with Chris Woakes (64) before Tongue cleaned up the latter for his fourth.

John Simpson scored an unbeaten century as a buoyant Sussex enjoyed an impressive start to their clash with Yorkshire at Headingley.

Sussex are chasing a third win in as many Division One matches this summer, and they closed day one here on 373-6 after a 165-run sixth-wicket stand between Simpson (101no) and Tom Price (93)

Jack White was the standout bowler for Yorkshire with 3-42, while England star Joe Root - in his first appearance of the summer - took a catch at first slip and bowled five overs of off-spin for 18 runs.

Paul Walter blunted Surrey's five-pronged pace attack for almost five hours with a patient 101 as Essex reached 325-6 after being put in on day one at the Kia Oval.

Dean Elgar, the former South African Test opener, also batted with great skill and determination to hit 92 in a first-wicket stand of 183 with Walter which initially rocked Surrey back on their heels.

But Surrey fought back with six wickets in the second half of the day - including four inside 17 overs from the 71st over.

Kiran Carlson and Sean Dickson's endings in the nervous nineties were enough to give Glamorgan a positive start to their match against Leicestershire.

The hosts finished 334-7 thanks to a steadying 126-run partnership after an early wooble, as Carlson (95) and Dickson (90) took advantage.

Ian Holland (2-19) and Josh Hull (2-70) enjoyed spells of success, picking up two wickets apiece, and Ajaz Patel (1-111) bowled 30 overs on the opening day in the absence of Rehan Ahmed who has joined up with Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

Zak Crawley's hopes of retaining his place as England's Test opener suffered a further blow as his disappointing start to the County Championship season continued in Kent's Division Two clash with Worcestershire.

The 28-year-old hit six fours as he reached 27 at New Road before he pushed forward at a full ball from Matthew Waite and edged through to the wicket-keeper.

It was Crawley's highest score of the season, following innings of nine, 20, 26 and five, as his chances of being retained for England's first Test against New Zealand in June continue to ebb away.

Kent were ultimately bowled out for 196, with Worcestershire 94-1 in reply by stumps on day one.

Marcus Harris' second century of the season for Lancashire defied Durham's pursuit for wickets on an enthralling first day at Chester-le-Street.

An evenly-matched morning session was played out between the two, as Durham took three Lancashire scalps despite a series of dropped catches, with Harris one of the beneficiaries.

The Australian cashed in across the afternoon and passed three figures in first-class cricket for the 35th time during the evening session, but wickets kept tumbling at the other end, with Ben Raine (3-71) picking up three of them as Durham chipped away.

However, Harris remained unbeaten on 135 and Lancashire reached close on 356-7 to give the visitors the edge.

England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was among the wickets for Derbyshire before Miles Hammond engineered a Gloucestershire fightback later on day one of their Division Two meeting.

Hammond held the visitors' innings together with an unbeaten 140, his first Championship century since July 2024, while Ed Middleton scored a career-best 41 not out to steer the visitors to 287-6.

Bashir ended with 2-51 but Hammond and Middleton claimed the final session to leave the game nicely poised.

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