Glamorgan finished one run shy of a world-record run chase as they draw with Gloucestershire in Division Two of the Vitality County Championship. Having been set a mammoth target of 593, Glamorgan got to within touching distance in the final couple of overs at Cheltenham. Mason Crane levelled the scores with one ball to go, but in a final dramatic twist, Jamie McIlroy was out to the final ball from Ajeet Singh Dale, going for a big shot but being caught by James Bracey. Crane finished unbeaten on 43, while Sam Northeast and Marnus Labuschagne had powered Glamorgan’s run chase, making 187 and 119 respectively.
Surrey extended their lead at the top of Division One with a 145-run victory over rivals Essex as Tom Lawes took four for 26 on the final day. Essex were bowled out for 215 despite a defiant 60 from Dean Elgar, with Lawes taking two wickets in successive balls in the morning and then dispatching Paul Walter and Michael Pepper after tea. Jordan Clark took three for 56 and Dan Worrall two for 71 as Surrey completed victory with 25.5 overs to spare, taking 20 points to move 23 clear at the top of the table as they target a third consecutive crown. Essex had started the contest closest to Surrey in the table but have dropped down to third place behind Somerset, who chased down 410 to beat Warwickshire by five wickets on the final day at Taunton – the second highest second innings run chase in Somerset’s history. Former club captain Tom Abell hit an unbeaten 152 off 207 balls to steer Somerset to victory with 4.2 overs to spare. Tom Banton made 81, James Rew finished on 57 not out and Tom Kohler-Cadmore added 49 after Warwickshire had declared on their overnight second innings total of 281 for eight.
Liam Dawson smashed a sensational 28-ball 56 as Hampshire claimed a six-wicket win over Kent. Hampshire were set an imposing target of 179 from just 31 overs, but Dawson got them over the line in remarkable fashion, hitting two sixes and seven fours as they chased down the target in 23 overs. Kyle Abbott took five for 89 as Kent were bowled out for 340, before Fletcha Middleton and Toby Albert put on 41 in seven overs to give Hampshire the foundation they would need for victory. The win keeps Hampshire in the title race after taking three victories from their last four. Joe Clarke’s fourth century of the season frustrated James Anderson and Lancashire as Nottinghamshire hung on for a draw at Southport. Clarke and Lyndon James put on an unbeaten 136 for the fifth wicket before the players shook hands with Clarke on 115 not out, with Anderson unable to repeat his heroics from Tuesday as he had figures of one for 25 from 11 overs across two spells on the final day. Both teams took eight points from the draw to edge clear of the relegation zone.
