County Championship: Dom Sibley top-scores for Warwickshire at Surrey; Nick Browne hits century for Essex | Cricket News

Title-chasing Hampshire on top against Yorkshire after reducing hosts to 158-8, despite valiant effort from lower order; Nick Browne made a season’s best 129no as Essex reached 281-3 at stumps against Somerset

Jamie Overton took two wickets for Surrey on the opening day against Warwickshire

Warwickshire battled their way to 240-8 after being put in to bat by unbeaten Division One leaders Surrey on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at the Kia Oval.

With no batter passing 50, Dom Sibley’s 43 was the best individual score, although all-rounder Nathan McAndrew remains at the crease on 40 not out.

Surrey’s five-man pace attack all troubled the visiting batters, with 19-year old seamer Tom Lawes perhaps the stand-out bowler thanks to figures of 2-38 from 20 overs.

Title-chasing Hampshire grabbed the early advantage on a rain-affected opening day at Scarborough but things could have been much worse for Yorkshire. The hosts slipped to 33-6 in the opening 21 overs before recovering to close on 158-8 thanks to half-centuries from Will Fraine and Dom Bess.

Second-placed Hampshire’s overseas seamers Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas shared seven wickets, the former finishing with 4-36 from 11.2 overs.

At Chelmsford, Nick Browne hit a season’s best 129no as Essex reached 281-3 at stumps against Somerset. The opener’s punishing innings included stands of 105 with Sir Alastair Cook (44), 56 with Dan Lawrence (35) and 115 with Paul Walter (57no).

James Bracey gave a reminder of the ability that earned England Test status as bottom-of-the-table Gloucestershire were bowled out for 317 against Northamptonshire. The left-hander top-scored with 79, while Ryan Higgins hit 50 during a sixth-wicket stand of 110, before Northamptonshire replied with 30 without loss from 12 overs.

Lancashire endured a difficult start to their innings as Kent’s Navdeep Saini took three wickets on a rain-affected day at Emirates Old Trafford. Wet weather and a strong wind battered the ground for most of the morning, ensuring no play until 3pm, before Saini’s efforts helped reduce the hosts to 112-4 at the close.

In Division Two, Dillon Pennington’s new-ball burst and Kashif Ali’s half-century on his first-class debut gave Worcestershire the initiative against Derbyshire at New Road.

Pennington took four wickets in the space of 18 balls as the visitors were reduced to 14-5 before being bowled out for 130, despite 55 from Anuj Dal. Worcestershire also had initial problems with the bat but Kashif’s 52 helped them close on 141-5, a lead of 11 runs.

Durham made a solid start to their clash against Middlesex, posting 132 without loss before rain brought a premature end at Seat Unique Riverside. Michael Jones produced a fine knock of 78 to lead the way, while England Test opener Alex Lees scored an unbeaten 46.