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ScorecardMichael Richardson went to his maiden first-class hundred with a six•Getty Images

Advertising your failings seems to be all the rage in Scarborough. A few miles from the town centre there is a banner proclaiming: “Lodges for hire, no hot tubs.” Proudly flaunting what you don’t have must be a peculiarly Yorkshire phenomenon.Negative advertising would surely have been Yorkshire’s best refuge as the crowd trailed out after Durham made 573 and Michael Richardson produced an entirely unflustered maiden Championship hundred batting: a specialist batsman and wickekeeper in waiting who regularly appears for Durham at No 8.Banners outside North Marine Road stating: “Nothing’s meant to come easy” or “It’s tough up north” would at least have helped to create the impression that it was all part of the grand design, and nothing at all to worry about, as Yorkshire’s bowlers, with the exception of the exemplary Ryan Sidebottom, foundered on a decent batting surface.Yorkshire’s charge to the title, for the time being at least, has stalled. Richardson, son of David Richardson, the ICC chief executive former South Africa wicketkeeper, guided Durham from an overnight 406 for 6, which had been galling enough, to the sort of total which barring something extraordinary has batted Yorkshire out of the game. They still need another 242 with seven wickets left to avoid the follow-on.It was not what most of a crowd of 6000 had come to see and they streamed out early, many heading back to dinner at their seaside guest houses, with troubled expressions. It could only get worse if they were offered a Lebanese starter.Yorkshire, 25.5 points ahead of Durham, who have a game in hand, must steel themselves for the likelihood that they will have to try to spend the last two days batting out time. In the New Zealander Kane Williamson, a late-season overseas acquisition, they have a batsman attuned to such a task, and he remained unbeaten on 76 at the end of the second day. Yorkshire will hope he wins a match during his short stay, but for the moment he can help draw one.Whatever occurs, a Yorkshire recovery or gradual subsiding to defeat, Saturday is unlikely to be too appealing for home supporters. Scarborough is hosting a cycling festival this weekend ahead of the prologue of the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire next summer and it might be a tempting alternative after two days in which Yorkshire’s bowlers might have been climbing Buttertubs Pass.Durham extended their first innings into the afternoon as Richardson neared his century and, although it was logical enough, tactically, spectators on the popular bank became increasingly agitated. He was 77 when he was joined by the last man, Chris Rushworth. Less than five overs later he had his hundred.”Game’s going nowhere, do they want to win or not?” asked one observer to his mate, as Richardson was actually advancing the game at quite a rate. He had already added 86 in 22 overs with Jamie Harrison for the ninth wicket and the follow-on figure was getting more daunting by the minute. Finally, he sallied down the pitch to Williamson’s offspin and hoisted him over long on for a second six – with a foot or two to spare – to reach his hundred. He was last out two balls later, skying Williamson into the leg side.”I wanted to take it out of Rushy’s hands as much as I could,” he said. “I thought I would make it my responsibility and take a few risks rather than just ticking over the strike. I was watching that last six just creep over the fielder’s head. The relief was quite evident because I have been waiting a while to get that hundred.”It could have been worse for Yorkshire. If Paul Collingwood, 74 not out overnight, had joined Mark Stoneman, Ben Stokes and Richardson in reaching 100, it would have been the first time in Yorkshire’s history that they had conceded four hundreds in a Championship innings. They were doubly grateful therefore for Sidebottom’s upheld lbw appeal after Collingwood had added only seven to his overnight score.Yorkshire’s reply, as stoutly as Williamson played, never possessed the same sense of security. Adam Lyth, preferred to Alex Lees, fell in the slip cordon during Rushworth’s new ball spell and Harrison had Andrew Gale lbw after tea. But the instructional comparison was between Adil Rashid, who delivered his leg spin in such a routine manner he might have been stacking supermarket shelves, and his fellow legspinner Scott Borthwick.In such a warm, dry summer, neither has made the impact they might have hoped for – Rashid has 25 wickets at 41.84, Borthwick 20 at 37.40 – and both have enhanced their reputation by achievements with the bat. But Borthwick bowled with more vigour and, if he dragged down short balls now and then, he did seem to be trying to spin the ball. It was this energy which had Phil Jaques caught at short leg in his first over. Durham’s close fielders felt in the game, and in his 25 overs Rashid never achieved that.

Scorecard David Warner batted at No. 4, but made only six runs•BCCI

Zimbabwe’s batsmen undid some of the hard work done by their bowlers in Andy Waller’s first match in charge since taking over the coaching job in May. Despite being called a “Select XI”, Zimbabwe fielded a full-strength squad for the three-day first-class match as they prepare for a winter program which includes an incoming ODI tour by India and Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka and they made a fairly good impression with the ball.The tourists chose to bat first and were in early trouble as they lost their first three wickets inside 11 overs. Nic Maddinson, Aaron Finch and David Warner were all victims of Kyle Jarvis’, with Warner’s 6 from No. 4 of interest to Australian management at the Ashes, to which he will return after the tour of Southern Africa.Alex Doolan and Moises Henriques put on 55 for the fourth wicket, but the recovery was more well-established with the next pair. Henriques and Glenn Maxwell posted 88 before Henriques was dismissed by Michael Chinouya, the uncapped seamer who is being tipped to debut against India.Maxwell was caught off Elton Chigumbura’s bowling and that opened Australia A up. The last five batsmen folded for 21 runs with Chigumbura profiting at the tail end of the innings. On what would have been a typically dry and slow pitch in the Zimbabwean winter, Australia A’s 226 was relatively respectable, but the hosts would have been the happier camp, until they went in to bat.Their top-order was unable to cope with pace from youngsters Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood and within 18 overs, Zimbabwe’s Select XI had lost most of its experience. Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor were caught behind while Sikanda Raza and Hamilton Masakadza were both out lbw.Malcolm Waller and Timycen Maruma managed a 35-run stand and just as they looked to be taking Zimbabwe to safety overnight, their vigil was broken. In the last over of the day, Maruma was caught and bowled by Pakistani-born and now Australian citizen Fawad Ahmed, who is also making a claim for an Ashes call-up.While some of Australia A players will have one eye on Lord’s, Zimbabwe’s cricketers will look to the second day with recovery foremost in their minds. Batting continues to be their problem and they will need to do serious technical work before their next international assignments.

ScorecardJames Fuller, seen here for Otago, became the fourth Gloucestershire man to take a hat-trick at Cheltenham•Getty Images

James Fuller became only the fourth Gloucestershire player to take a hat-trick at Cheltenham as Worcestershire were bowled out for 182 on the opening day.Having won the toss, the visitors crashed to 22 for 6, Fuller removing Matthew Pardoe with the final ball of the eighth over and then striking with the first and second deliveries of the 10th, sending back Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee.Joe Leach came to Worcestershire’s rescue with a career-best 82 not out, sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 120 with Gareth Andrew, who made 54. Fuller finished with 5 for 43 from 19 overs.By the close, the home side had made a confident start to their reply and were 83 without loss, Chris Dent unbeaten on 56 and Michael Klinger 27 not out.The first Gloucestershire player to take a hat-trick at the College Ground, where the club have been playing fixtures since 1872, was Charles Townsend back in 1893. The feat was repeated by Mike Procter in 1979 and James Franklin in 2009. Fuller joined the group after having Pardoe and Kervezee caught behind, with the wicket of Moeen, who played on trying to withdraw the bat, sandwiched in between.In the over that divided Fuller’s three wickets, Will Gidman had Daryl Mitchell taken by wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick and from 18 without loss Worcestershire nosedived to 18 for 4. Worse was to follow in Craig Miles’ first over as he had both Thilan Sameraweera and Ben Cox caught at second slip by Dent off successive balls.It was left to Andrew and Leach to steady a sinking ship with determination and application, but both needed lives early on.They took the total to 63 for 6 at lunch. In the afternoon session Andrew was first to his half-century off 91 balls, with 10 fours. Leach soon followed, his fifty occupying 109 deliveries and also featuring 10 boundaries.For a while Gloucestershire bowled without much luck. Then skipper Klinger pulled off a stunning catch above his head at short cover off Benny Howell to dismiss Andrew. Shaaiq Choudhry soon followed, caught behind to give Fuller his fourth wicket, and at tea Worcestershire were 154 for 8.The final session saw Graeme Cessford dismissed for a duck on his Championship debut by Tom Smith before Fuller wrapped up the innings, having Alan Richardson caught in the slips.The pitch has seamed around early in the day and the ball also swung, but conditions looked very different when the hosts replied. Klinger and Dent, who reached fifty off 50 balls, with nine fours and a six, produced positive shots from the outset and looked in little trouble.

ScorecardTom Westley (pictured) and Jake Mickleburgh set up Essex’s successful run chase at SWALEC Stadium•Getty Images

Mark Pettini kept his cool to see Essex to their second LV= County Championship Division Two victory of the season by beating Glamorgan by five wickets with seven balls to spare at Cardiff.In an enthralling final day Essex chased down 275 for victory with openers Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh hitting half centuries to give their side a good foundation and still the talk of crisis which clouded a poor start to the seasonAfter a couple of scares Pettini (47 not out) and Greg Smith helped to see Essex past the winning post at the end of the penultimate over. Essex took 22 points from the contest to Glamorgan’s four.Earlier in the day Glamorgan, thanks to 101 from skipper Mark Wallace – Glamorgan’s first Championship century of the season – left Essex 275 to win in 70 overs.Essex were given a fine start by Westley and Mickleburgh as the openers put on 143 for the first wicket before the latter fell lbw to Jim Allenby for 66.But though Essex were favourites to win they did suffer their setbacks on the way. Westley was run out for 88 by Michael Hogan coming back for a second run.And with 64 needed in fewer than 11 overs Ravi Bopara went for the big hit off slow left armer Dean Cosker only to be caught at long on by Stewart Walters.Significantly, Essex sent in the big-hitting Graham Napier as they required 58 from the final 10 overs. Napier also tried to hit Cosker out of the ground only to be caught at long offby Will Bragg leaving Essex still needing 45 from 7.5 overs.With seven runs required and 13 balls remaining skipper James Foster holed out, but Pettini and Smith saw them home.Glamorgan had resumed the final day on 303 for 6 – a lead of 189. The seventh-wicket pair of Wallace and Graham Wagg took the lead beyond 200. Wagg completed his half-century from 67 balls but his innings was ended by Reece Topley who had the Glamorgan bowler caught behind leaving them 343 for 7.Wallace went into the 90s as the lead also went beyond 250, but with the score on 375 Napier had Cosker caught behind. Hogan stayed around long enough for Wallace to become Glamorgan’s first century-maker of the summer.Wallace’s 15th first-class century came up off 171 balls with seven fours, but his fine innings ended in the next over when he was bowled playing forward to Bopara, departing for 101.Five balls later slow left armer Tim Phillips bowled Hogan as Glamorgan were dismissed leaving the visitors their 3.92 runs an over target in the final two sessions.

ScorecardBoyd Rankin’s substitution worked well for Warwickshire•PA Photos

Surrey are set to announce that South Africa’s JP Duminy will replace Graeme Smith’s stand-in Ricky Ponting for the last two months of the Championship season. The way things are going here, they could do with all three of those international batsmen playing together on the final day against a Warwickshire side suddenly sensing a chance of victory.While Ponting – whose current spell in English cricket will conclude towards the end of July – stood firm during a dramatic final session that was completely at odds with what had gone on before, the hosts lost three wickets in the space of six telling deliveries from Boyd Rankin (and 5 for 37 in all) to lurch into real trouble.They had been a seemingly solid 232 for 2 at one stage, still 250 runs away from saving the follow-on, admittedly, but with Ponting and Arun Harinath enjoying each other’s company for the second time in as many matches.But unlike at Derby last week, where the pair added 180, they were parted here after putting together a mere 63 with Harinath slapping a catch to cover. And, from then on, the Bears were pawing at the ground against opponents who suddenly looked like the second from bottom outfit that they are.Rankin, who only joined this match at the halfway stage after being released by England, bowled an expensive first spell. But when he rejoined the action from the Railway End with a ball old enough to produce reverse swing, a relatively serene picture for Surrey quickly turned into a nightmare.The big Irishman bowled Zander de Bruyn off his pads, made a nonsense of the decision to send out Stuart Meaker by ripping through the nightwatchman’s defence and then boomed a delivery back into Gary Wilson to earn a leg before decision.Three wickets for two runs in five balls looked bad enough. But Surrey’s day became even worse when Jason Roy chose to play an expansive drive against Keith Barker during the final over to be splendidly caught by a diving Jim Troughton at point.The crowd were stunned. And so was Ponting, judging from the way he marched off without even waiting for the sheepish Roy to join himSurrey will start the final day requiring another 213 runs to avoid the follow-on and with Ponting – who completed an 84-ball half-century amid the late mayhem – having only the tail for company.Even assuming they are made to bat again, this match should be saved. But it should never have come to this on a pitch where Warwickshire made more than 600 and the hosts made good progress after 37 overs were lost to rain on the third morning.Harinath and Vikram Solanki settled to the task confidently enough. And if Ponting felt even a smidgen of pressure after waiting for two days and two session to bat in front of a ‘home’ crowd, he certainly did not show it. Off the mark with a pushed single against rookie spinner Ateeq Javid, the 38-year-old was soon threading drives through the covers, pulling powerfully and, when the opportunity arose, depositing Javid beyond the rope at wide long-on.But now even a second consecutive big century, after his 192 at Derby, is likely to save Surrey from the follow-on. Game on – and a full blown crisis, too, if defeat is the end result.

Worcestershire 245 for 9 (Mitchell 107) beat Sussex 154 (Shantry 3-29) by 91 runs
ScorecardDaryll Mitchell made a century at a run-a-ball•Getty Images

Captain Daryl Mitchell led from the front with his maiden one-day century as Worcestershire began their Yorkshire Bank 40 campaign with an impressive 91-run win over Sussex at Hove. Mitchell made a run-a-ball 107 before departing in the penultimate over and Sussex never threatened to overhaul a target of 246 and were dismissed for 154 in the 32nd over.On a good pitch and in front of a crowd of 6,500, Sussex, beaten semi-finalists in the last two years, would have fancied their chances but their powerful top order never recovered after the top four, including Matt Prior, were dismissed in the first 11 overs of their reply.Mitchell’s day was complete when he picked up two wickets with his medium pace as Worcestershire, who finished bottom of their group last season, secured their first one-day win on Sussex soil for 13 years.They made a bad start when Moeen Ali, who signed a five-year contract extension last week, was bowled in the first over trying to reverse-sweep Michael Yardy’s left-arm spin. Alexei Kervezee looked good until he was stumped giving left-arm chinaman Michael Rippon the charge but Mitchell led a recovery with Sri Lankan overseas player Thilan Samaraweera, putting on 111 in 20 overs for the third wicket.Samaraweera looked untroubled for 41 until a mistimed flick went straight to short fine leg in the 27th over and no one was able to provide Mitchell with much support after that.Chris Jordan pulled off a stunning diving catch at mid-off to remove Neil Pinner and Worcestershire lost four wickets in seven balls after Mitchell reached a chanceless century before he was run out backing up. His 107 came off 106 balls with nine fours.Jordan belatedly found his rhythm to pick up two wickets in the final over but Sussex’s bowling and fielding was well below standard.In contrast, Worcestershire’s fielding was excellent. Luke Wells, in only his seventh List A game for Sussex, spooned a catch to mid-off in the second over of the reply and Chris Nash was held at backward square leg as the Sharks lost both openers for 16.Mitchell dropped Prior’s first ball at slip but it did not prove to be an expensive miss. After Rory Hamilton-Brown was run out by Pinner’s throw from midwicket, responding late to his partner’s call for a single, Prior was stumped giving Ali the charge.Yardy held the innings together with 45 but he was run-out when Mitchell deflected Jordan’s drive onto the stumps as he backed up too far to complete an excellent day for the Royals’ skipper and his side.

Rahul Dravid has said Rajasthan Royals will be bolstered by the presence of Shane Watson, who is expected to join the team in time for the side’s second game against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 8.”Watson brings a lot of quality to the team,” Dravid told the . “Last year, we missed him for the first eight or nine games. This time, we are lucky that way. If we can play to our potential, we should be able to do pretty well.” He also added that Watson may be promoted to open the innings with Ajinkya Rahane.Rajasthan had a poor campaign last year, finishing seventh in the points table. Royals coach Paddy Upton was upbeat about the prospects of the squad in the IPL this season. “It is essential to work out a fine balance between team and individual performance,” Upton told the . “Our focus is to play at our level best and deliver top performances throughout the season. We as a team provide space to our players to take their own decisions, judge their performance, and together we all help each other to execute these decisions on field. We try to not only improve the sporting skills in our players, but also help and groom their overall personality.”Rajasthan Royals’ fast bowler Shaun Tait, who played in six games last season, picking up six wickets at 25.16, alluded to where they had gone wrong, “We were not up to the mark in the death overs during the previous season. I enjoy bowling at the death but plans work out at times, and some times they don’t. I would again enjoy bowling at death.”We hope for a top-four finish this time. We have worked on a few grey areas like death bowling and have few more options in attack. The likes of James Faulkner would lend us more bowling strength. We have a good relationship and we mix it up well and help each other.”Tait, who possesses plenty of pace but sometimes loses accuracy as a result, acknowledged that he is working on the issue. “I know I was erratic at times, but I have worked on this. My foot was popping out of the bowling crease, but recently I had improved in the Big Bash and Bangladesh Premier league. I plan to bowl a lot straighter and keep things simple.”

Scorecard
West Indies completed a tight seven-run victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo take the five-match T20 series 4-1. Deandra Dottin, the opener, had a quiet series before this but found form in her innings of 43, which included two fours and three sixes. That delivered a strong start for West Indies after they chose to bat. Juliana Nero supported Dottin with 25 at No.3, but both fell in quick succession. Wicketkeeper Kycia Knight and Shaquana Quintyne then helped take the score to 122.Sri Lanka were in trouble early, reduced to 24 for 5 in 8.4 overs at one stage. But Eshani Kaushalya threatened a turnaround with her big-hitting abilities. She smashed 44 in 26 balls, including four sixes, and gave her team a strong chance of bouncing back but fell with the team score on 90 in the 17th over, off the bowling of Tremayne Smartt. Sri Lanka’s chances grew tougher after Kaushalya’s departure, and though Dilani Manodara made an unbeaten 29, wickets fell quickly at the other end. Shanel Daley finished with 4 for 33, three of those wickets coming in the final over off which Sri Lanka needed 12.

ScorecardCape Cobras won their first match of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, beating Knights by 25 runs in Paarl on Friday.Asked to bat first, Cape Cobras piled on the runs, with wicketkeeper Dane Vilas leading the charge for his side. Vilas scored 48 runs off 36 balls and was involved in two fifty-plus partnerships with Richard Levi and Owais Shah. An unbeaten six-ball 20 from Justin Ontong also helped Cape Cobras finish at 171 for four.Knights got off to a bad start and were struggling at 38 for 5 in the 10th over as Cape Cobras, led by Beuran Hendricks, picked up wickets regularly and kept the run rate in check. Ryan McLaren and captain Johan van der Wath raised the hopes of Knights, adding 63 runs for the seventh wicket in just 31 balls. However, their wickets in the space of two deliveries in the 19th over, with the team still 35 runs adrift of the target, ensured a victory for Cape Cobras.
ScorecardLions bowlers successfully defended a modest total of 129, restricting Dolphins to 122 for 8, to lift the side to their third win of the tournament in Durban.Lions, who were put in to bat, scored runs at an even clip. Neil McKenzie shouldered the batting line-up, scoring 56 off 38 and adding 57 runs for the third wicket with Temba Bavuma. However, an exceptional bowling spell from medium-pacer Robert Frylinck turned the innings around. Frylinck took four wickets in eight balls, including the wicket of McKenzie, as Lions lost their last six wickets for just 12 runs. Frylinck finished with a five-wicket haul and Lions were all out for 129.Dolphins were cautious early on but soon found themselves unable to keep pace with the required rate. Captain Vaughn van Jaarsveld and David Miller managed to bring Dolphins back in the game with some quick runs, scoring 33 runs in just 3.4 overs. The Lions’ bowlers struck regularly and Dolphins were left chasing 18 runs in the final over with Miller as the only specialist batsman. His run-out off the second ball of the over turned the match in favour of Lions.
ScorecardA blistering, unbeaten knock of 46 from Albie Morkel took Titans to a five-wicket win over Warriors in Port Elizabeth.Titans, who chose to field first, had a shaky start to their chase as Simon Harmer and Andrew Birch made inroads into the innings before Morkel stepped up, smashing five fours and three sixes. His unbeaten 60-run partnership with Farhaan Berhadien took Titans to victory with nearly two overs to spare.Warriors struggled during their innings as Eden Links and Marchant de Lange dismissed the top order cheaply. A partnership of 42 between wicketkeeper Adrian McLaren and Simon Harmer lifted the Warriors from 50 for 6 to 92 for 7. Harmer then added 28 runs with Adrian Birch to take the Warriors to 120 for 8.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGeorge Bailey finished unbeaten on 125•Getty Images

On Friday, West Indies batted first and were bowled out at the WACA for 70. Two days later, Australia were sent in at the same ground and were 6 for 98. Another short day’s play loomed. But George Bailey’s maiden international century changed all of that and drove Australia to a scarcely believable 7 for 266 – after the match he said he had considered anything more than 200 a bonus – and Mitchell Starc’s second consecutive five-wicket haul confirmed Australia’s 54-run victory.The Perth fans who returned after seeing only 33.1 overs in the first match were certainly rewarded for their dedication. Not only did they see Bailey’s remarkable unbeaten 125, they were also treated to some dazzling fielding from West Indies and some powerful striking in their unsuccessful chase. Kieran Powell and Dwayne Bravo struck two sixes each as they kept West Indies in the contest, but just as entertaining were the four sixes Sunil Narine took off the first four balls of a Glenn Maxwell over late in the game.Maxwell had his revenge later in the over when Narine was stumped for 24 off six balls. If he hadn’t already found out during the day, Maxwell would also have been greeted when he left the field by the news that he had sold for a $1 million price tag in the IPL auction that unfolded while the Australians were playing. It was quite a way to cap off a match in which he took 4 for 63, his first wickets at ODI level. Among them were Bravo, caught behind for 45, and the dangerous Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy cheaply.When the final wicket fell, Jason Holder run out in the 39th over, West Indies had reached 212, still well short of their goal. The damage had mostly been done at the top of the order by Starc, who found plenty of swing in his first spell and pitched the ball full and straight. Chris Gayle (4) was the first to fall, missing a ball that slanted in towards the off stump, and continued his poor run of form.