20:16

County Championship cricket returned for a one-off August special, and strained every sinew to grab a little attention from Lord’s.

In the crucial second division game at Hove, Sussex were missing Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills. No matter. Ollie Robinson took a career best eight for 34 as Middlesex were bowled out for 75. Robinson bowled 11 overs unchanged from the Cromwell Road End to knock Jeetan Patel off the top spot for producing the best bowling figures in the Championship this season. As he led his team off the pitch, Robinson was presented with his county cap by the Sussex captain, Ben Brown. Sussex faltered in reply, but amassed a lead of 53.

At Edgbaston, 19-year-old Rob Yates made his debut first-class century, hitting 22 fours in his 133 not out, as Warwickshire flew almost out of sight of second-placed Somerset. Dom Sibley fell for a duck.

Luke Wood reduced Yorkshire to 38 for five at Scarborough, much to the displeasure of the festival crowd. Jonny Tattersall won them back with 92, in a stand of 121 with Tim Bresnan – whose last three Championship fifties have all come against Nottinghamshire. Notts were 41 without loss at the close, in search of their first Championship win of the season.

James Vince made 47 at the Oval as Hampshire reached 222 for seven against Surrey on a rain-truncated day. The weather also intervened at Canterbury where Essex’s Sam Cook and Mohammad Amir, playing the final red-ball game of his career, took three wickets each against Kent. Daniel Bell-Drummond made 50.

In Division Two, six of Worcestershire’s top seven batsmen made a grand total of nine, the other, Moeen Ali, playing his first Championship game of the year, made 42. No 10 Joe Leach then hit 53 as the last three wickets dragged Worcester to respectability. Fifties from Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh guided Northamptonshire to within touching distance by the close.

At Chester-le-Street Alex Lees stepped into the shoes of Cameron Bancroft with a wonderful 181, his highest score for Durham, to leave Leicestershire struggling.

Ryan Higgins took five for 54 against Derbyshire to put high-flying Gloucestershire in control at the County Ground. And at Colwyn Bay, Tom Bailey and Danny Lamb took four wickets each as Glamorgan were bowled out in two sessions. But Lancashire were thwarted at the last by a 10th-wicket partnership of 52. Samit Patel, on loan to Glamorgan for the rest of the season, hit 54.