County Championship: Latest scores and daily round-ups as Essex claim a fifth win in a row

County Championship results (August 28-31)

Division One

• Chelmsford: Essex (159 & 293) beat Somerset (164 & 109) by 179 runs
• Old Trafford: Lancashire (504-8 & 42-2) beat Warwickshire (200 & 344) by eight wickets
• Oval: Middlesex (247 & 214-7) draw with Surrey (280)

Division Two

• Riverside: Durham (480-9dec & 39-1) beat Derbyshire (164 & 354) by nine wickets
• Colwyn Bay: Sussex (268 & 211-9) beat Glamorgan (294 & 182) by one wicket
• Canterbury: Kent (333) draw with Leicestershire (350 & 135-6)
• Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire (213 & 344-9) beat Northamptonshire (141 & 253-9*) by 163 runs
• New Road: Worcestershire (363 & 295-8) beat Gloucestershire (258 & 211) by 189 runs

Thursday round-up

A placid final day in the latest round of County Championship fixtures took a sinister turn when a crossbow bolt that landed on The Oval pitch forced the Division One clash between Surrey and Middlesex to be abandoned.

Middlesex batsmen John Simpson and Nick Compton and Surrey's fielders were ushered inside by the umpires following the incident while the 1,068 spectators were urged to take cover before armed police carried out a "controlled evacuation".

A statement from the Met Police said there had been no reported injuries and that the "arrow or crossbow bolt" had been fired "from outside the ground", landing on the square roughly 10 yards from the pitch.

The encounter - which was meandering towards a stalemate in the final session, with Middlesex holding a 181-run lead with three second-innings wickets in hand - was officially called off at 5.05pm BST, 45 minutes after the incident occurred.

Surrey captain Gareth Batty was fielding about 25 yards from where the pink-coloured bolt, with red and yellow fletching, landed, and he said: "It was a pretty tasty arrow with a proper metal end.

"It is a deadly weapon for sure, if it had hit someone it would have caused some serious damage. It just shows the world we live in."

The abandonment denied Simpson the opportunity to clinch a first championship hundred of the season, falling 12 runs short.

However, his 88 not out helped Middlesex recover from 94 for six as the game petered out towards a draw, a result that diminished both sides' fading title hopes after league leaders Essex thrashed Somerset by 179 runs.

With star paceman Mohammad Amir nursing a back injury, it was left to Jamie Porter to lead the Essex attack and he duly claimed seven for 55, taking his haul to 12 wickets in the match at Chelmsford.

Set 289 for victory, Somerset's hopes were dealt an immediate blow when Porter bowled Marcus Trescothick with his second ball as the visitors limply succumbed to 109 all out in 37.5 overs, with Essex moving 36 points clear atop Division One.

Somerset's fifth defeat of the year now leaves them contemplating a relegation battle alongside rock-bottom Warwickshire, who suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Tim Ambrose's battling 104 gave the Bears a sniff at escaping the north-west with a draw but his resistance was ended by leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, the pick of Lancashire's bowlers with three for 44.

The Red Rose were left 41 for victory and they chased the total down in 7.2 overs, Haseeb Hameed leading the way with an unbeaten 21.

Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire required just over an hour to take the final five wickets needed to complete a 163-run win over Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge as they remain on track for an immediate return to the top-flight.

Worcestershire climbed back into second place after new signing Ravi Ashwin's five-wicket haul helped the Pears thrash Gloucestershire by 189 runs at New Road.

Durham clinched their third win in five matches after downing Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street by nine wickets while two lengthy rain showers at Canterbury saw Kent's clash with Leicestershire end in a draw.

Wednesday round-up

Nick Browne and Adam Wheater improved Specsavers County Championship leaders Essex's chances of a fifth successive victory during the 13 overs of play possible on a rain-hit third day at Chelmsford.

The fourth-wicket pair helped Essex extend their lead over Somerset to 153, with Tim Groenewald dismissing Browne on 83 for the visitors' only success of the day.

Browne and Wheater put on 118 in 45 overs, with the latter unbeaten on 58 when rain set in for the day, with play finally abandoned at 4pm.

Bad weather affected play around the country - the games between Middlesex and Surrey in Division One and Leicestershire and Kent in Division Two were both washed out for the day - but a thrilling finish materialised at Colwyn Bay.

Sussex moved second in the Division Two table with a one-wicket victory over Glamorgan.

Chasing 209 for victory, Sussex were in trouble at 160 for eight but Ollie Robinson hit 41 from 37 balls - including the winning six - to see them over the line.

Essex's nearest title challengers, Lancashire, were held up by half-centuries from Dom Sibley and Tim Ambrose at Emirates Old Trafford.

The day started with Lancashire advancing their first-innings reply from 484 for six to 504 for eight declared against struggling Warwickshire, eventually losing Liam Livingstone for 224.

That left Warwickshire with a 304-run deficit at the start of their second innings and they closed on 275 for six from 85 overs - still 29 in arrears. Opener Sibley hit 57 and Ambrose 76.

Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire are closing in on their seventh victory of the season after maintaining the upper hand in their match against Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge.

Northants, set an unlikely 417 to topple the undefeated hosts, had reached 167 for four in their second innings, with Rob Newton having made 53.

Earlier, Nottinghamshire declared their second innings on 344 for nine once Riki Wessels had been dismissed for 116.

Wessels had faced only 88 balls and hit 16 fours and four sixes in scoring his third century of the season. Azharullah claimed his wicket, giving him match figures of eight for 136.

Daryl Mitchell (130) scored his fifth Championship century of the campaign as promotion-chasing Worcestershire set Gloucestershire a 401-run target at New Road.

Star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin then struck two early blows as Gloucestershire closed on 55 for three.

Brett D'Oliveira, George Rhodes and Ashwin all provided excellent support for Mitchell as Worcestershire capitalised on their first-innings lead of 105 by declaring on 295 for eight.

At Chester-le-Street, Luis Reece's second championship century of the season kept Derbyshire afloat against Durham as the visitors reached 305 for six after following on 316 behind.

Tuesday round-up

Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone boosted his England Test chances with his maiden double hundred against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.

The 24-year-old started the day unbeaten on 41 and ended it unbeaten on 215 as the hosts took full control of their County Championship clash with Warwickshire.

Livingstone, an England cap in the Twenty20 format, enjoyed a 211-run partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (95) and a stand of 82 with Jos Buttler (49) to help his side to 484 for six in reply to Warwickshire's 200 all out.

Lancashire are looking to close the gap on Division One leaders Essex, who had Nick Browne and Adam Wheater to thank as they battled back against Somerset before rain struck on day two at Chelmsford.

Essex cleaned up the last five wickets of Somerset's innings for 46 runs, surrendering a first-innings deficit of just five having been bowled out for 159 on day one.

But they found themselves 39 for three in their second innings and needed a dogged 78-run partnership between Browne (66 not out) and Wheater (36no) to take them to 117 to three - a lead of 112 - before the heavens opened in the evening session.

In Division One's other game, Surrey earned a first-innings lead of 33 as Middlesex bowled the hosts out for 280 at the Oval.

A 125-run stand from Jason Roy and Ben Foakes for the fifth wicket boosted Surrey's total before Middlesex hit back to take the last four wickets for just 23 runs, with Toby Roland-Jones ending with figures of four for 66.

In Division Two, leaders Nottinghamshire are on course for another victory.

Riki Wessels' unbeaten 107 saw him pass 10,000 first-class runs and helped the hosts end the day on 317 for eight against Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge - a lead of 389.

Second-placed Worcestershire bowled out Gloucestershire for 258 as they ended day two with a lead of 115.

Jack Taylor's unbeaten 101 was the only standout batting performance from the visitors at New Road, while Worcestershire's Ed Barnard added career-best figures of four for 23 to his 46 runs before his side reached stumps 10 without loss in their second go.

Graham Onions reached 600 first-class wickets as Durham took control against Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street.

Onions had four scalps as Derbshire were bowled out for 164, fewer runs than Durham skipper Paul Collingwood (177) managed by himself.

Glamorgan lead Sussex by 152 runs with four second-innings wickets intact at Colwyn Bay.

The hosts secured a lead after bowling out Sussex for 268 but were reduced to 126 for six at stumps, with Ollie Robinson taking three for 29.

Sam Northeast fell three runs short of a century as Kent responded well against Leicestershire at Canterbury.

Lewis Hill (85 not out) and Callum Parkinson, who hit a career-best 75, finally saw their 10th-wicket partnership end for 122 as Leicestershire posted 350.

But Kent reached stumps 313 for nine, with Northeast's efforts boosted by 46 from Darren Stevens.

Monday round-up

Jamie Porter took four wickets to drag runaway Division One leaders Essex back into their Specsavers County Championship match against Somerset.

Essex are 41 points clear at the top but struggling Somerset made short work of their batting line-up on day one at Chelmsford.

Craig Overton and Paul van Meekeren each took four wickets as Essex were bowled out for just 159, opener Nick Browne top-scoring with 44.

Porter gave Essex a lift by removing both Somerset openers and then returned to dismiss James Hildreth (51) and Tom Abell (30) to leave the visitors 118 for five.

Lancashire took control of their clash with Warwickshire at Old Trafford but it was a disappointing day for England hopeful Haseeb Hameed.

The young opener, who made his Test debut in India last winter, could only contribute 15 as Lancashire closed on 112 for three in reply to Warwickshire's 200.

Some late resistance from Jeetan Patel (47) and Olly Stone (32) helped Warwickshire recover from 119 for eight after Kyle Jarvis (six for 67) and Ryan McLaren (four for 45) ripped through the top order.

Toby Roland-Jones delivered the perfect response to his England omission by giving Middlesex a boost at the end of the opening day against Surrey at The Oval.

The seamer struck twice late in the evening session to leave Surrey 26 for two at stumps in reply to Middlesex's 247, former England opener Sam Robson the only visiting batsman to pass fifty.

Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire are on top against Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge despite being bowled out for just 213.

Steven Mullaney and Riki Wessels passed fifty for the hosts but they received little support as Azharullah (five for 63) and Richard Gleeson (four for 38) shared nine wickets.

Northants slumped to 84 for eight in response and were eventually bowled out for 141 before Notts closed on 19 for no wicket.

Second-placed Worcestershire went to stumps on 338 for seven against Gloucestershire at New Road as Ravichandran Ashwin made his debut.

The India all-rounder contributed 36 but the day belonged to Brett D'Oliveira and Ed Barnard, who celebrated contract extensions with 93 and 46 respectively.

Discarded England opener Keaton Jennings was dismissed for a golden duck but Durham recovered from that early setback to move into a strong position against Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street.

Captain Paul Collingwood finished unbeaten on 127 - his 35th first-class hundred - as the hosts closed on 376 for seven.

Ollie Robinson claimed four for 46 on his first appearance of the season as Sussex dismissed Glamorgan for 294 at Colwyn Bay.

Jofra Archer (three for 67) took his 50th championship scalp of the year while Chris Jordan also chipped in with three wickets.

Craig Meschede hit 87 off 96 balls and then took a wicket to help leave Sussex 79 for three at stumps.

Lewis Hill (77) and Callum Parkinson (59) frustrated Kent with an unbroken 98-run last-wicket stand as Leicestershire closed on 326 for nine at Canterbury.

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