Toby Roland-Jones shines as Middlesex rout Yorkshire

Toby Roland-Jones reminded the England selectors of his prowess as Middlesex routed Yorkshire to claim their first Specsavers County Championship victory of the season.

Roland-Jones removed Alex Lees and Gary Ballance as the visitors slipped to defeat by an innings and 64 runs with a day to spare at Lord’s.

Following on after making just 208 in response to Middlesex’s 446, second-placed Yorkshire were skittled for just 174 in 62.3 overs with Adil Rashid briefly providing resistance with 35.

Roland-Jones and new-ball partner Tim Murtagh claimed two wickets each, although it was off-spinner Ollie Rayner who did the bulk of the damage with a haul of four for 35.

There were wickets too for South Africa-born spinner Simon Harmer as Essex put themselves in pole-position to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Harmer’s six for 92 on day three at Chelmsford was the major contribution to Warwickshire’s first-innings dismissal for 283, still 258 runs short of Essex’s mammoth 541 for nine declared.

He was not finished there either, coming on just six overs into the second innings after the visitors were asked to follow-on and removing Jonathan Trott with the final ball of the day to leave them 27 for two.

England bowler James Anderson produced a lightning blast to leave Hampshire on the brink of defeat at Old Trafford after Dane Vilas had plundered a career-best 244.

Lancashire paceman Anderson removed Jimmy Adams, Rilee Rossouw and George Bailey for just five runs in his eight second-innings overs as the visitors slumped to 50 for five, still 148 runs behind.

Earlier Vilas had completed his seven hour, 15-minute marathon to help Lancashire amass 593, a lead of 198.

In Division Two, Luke Fletcher and James Pattinson took three wickets each as Nottinghamshire routed Leicestershire for a second time to clinch victory just after lunch on day three at Trent Bridge.

Bowled out for 134 in their first innings, the visitors, for whom the injured Ben Raine was unable to bat, slumped to exactly the same score despite Stuart Broad bowling just one over to lose by an innings and 280 runs.

Kent batsman Joe Denly effectively ended Worcestershire’s hopes at New Road with a career-best 227 to leave the home side chasing 399 to win.

Worcestershire will go into the final day still needing 383 having reached 16 without loss from the five overs they faced after the home side posted a total of 474 in their second innings.

Chris Rushworth and Barry McCarthy put together a last-wicket stand of 68 to briefly raise Durham’s hopes of a first victory of the season.

The home side, who lost five wickets for six runs on a rain-affected third day at Chester-le-Street, established a 107-run first-innings lead over Glamorgan, who toiled to reach 92 for two by the close.