By Dom Harris
The fourth round of the Rothesay County Championship saw just five fixtures across each divisions, with batters struggling to keep up early season form.
In Division One, 34 wickets fell in lower than two days as Durham wrapped up victory over Worcestershire.
Elsewhere, Nottinghamshire beat Sussex in a top-of-the-table clash, whilst Somerset collapsed handy Surrey their first win of the campaign.
In Division Two, Leicestershire continued their impressive begin to the season with a nervy two-wicket win over Gloucestershire and Middlesex batted out the ultimate day to earn a hard-fought draw at Derby.
Despite only ten teams being in motion, we highlight a number of the standout performances from the ultimate week of the opening month of the domestic season.
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Nottinghamshire have been the surprise package within the early stages of Division One, sitting at the highest of the table after a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Sussex at Trent Bridge.
Whilst their bowlers have taken much of the plaudits, captain Hameed has also found form with the bat at the highest of the order.
Following a century within the draw at Edgbaston last week, Hameed top-scored with a fluent 85 in the primary innings, before ending unbeaten on 62 because the hosts cruised to their goal of 148.
The previous England man is considered one of only five players to pass the 400-run mark in Division One thus far and likewise the one player to average in excess of 100 (110.75).
Rory Burns (Surrey)
Surrey skipper Burns helped guide his side to a primary win of the season as they put an end to a run of three straight draws with victory against Somerset on the Oval.
The opener struck ten boundaries in his 76, sharing a dominant century stand with Dom Sibley as Surrey responded positively to the visitors’ first innings total of 283 all out.
After a ruthless bowling performance within the second innings, Burns then hit an unbeaten run-a-ball 20 because the defending champions needed lower than six overs to knock off the 36 runs required.
James Bracey (Gloucestershire)
Wicketkeeper Bracey made it 273 runs unmoved in three consecutive innings when he was left stranded on 93 not out in Gloucestershire’s first innings.
Bracey’s innings of seven fours and one six was much more impressive given he walked out to the center along with his side 34-4 on the primary morning.
With support from the lower order, the left-hander anchored a recovery from 88-7 to 252 all out and ultimately gave the hosts a likelihood to earn their first win of the season, though it proved to not be enough in a low-scoring thriller against Leicestershire.
Ian Holland (Leicestershire)
All-rounder Holland has been considered one of the standout performers for table-topping Leicestershire of their unbeaten begin to the season.
The 34-year-old took match figures of 7-68 at an economy of lower than two an over to steer the Division Two wicket-taking charts with 20 scalps.
In a game dominated by the bowlers at Bristol, his patient 52 off 145 balls in the primary innings also proved pivotal as Leicestershire responded from the lack of early wickets to achieve a slender lead.
Ben Cox (Leicestershire)
It was a gritty and courageous performance by Leicestershire wicketkeeper Cox who made useful contributions with the bat in each innings.
A primary innings half-century got here after he was forced to retire hurt on 39 when a Zaman Akhtar delivery struck him within the ribs, eventually becoming the last wicket to fall on 53 with the visitors in a lead by 10 runs.
In a tension-laden chase of 143, Cox top-scored with 47 as Leicestershire recovered from 42-5 to succeed in their goal with two wickets to spare.
Jordan Clark (Surrey)
The experienced all-rounder has had a reasonably quiet begin to the season, but his five-wicket haul on day one helped set Surrey on their technique to a primary win of the campaign.
After a loose first three overs that went for 22 runs, his next 21.1 overs produced figures of 5-46, including the wickets of Tom Banton and Lewis Gregory.
An extra three wickets got here his way within the second innings as Surrey ran through the Somerset batting order, ending the sport with match figures of 8-92 and greater than doubling his wicket tally from the primary three outings.
Martin Andersson (Derbyshire)
All-rounder Andersson is proving to be an astute signing for Derbyshire as he registered his second First-Class century of the season and his profession.
Batting at number seven, Andersson shared a sixth-wicket partnership price 148 with Luis Reece and made a career-best 107 as Derbyshire gained the upper hand with a primary innings total of 472.
The 15 boundaries against his former side saw him develop into the one player to succeed in triple figures this round and whilst his bowling was not called upon much because of the character of the hybrid surface, he did remove opener Stephen Eskinazi in the primary innings.
Ben Green (Leicestershire)
Green returned to the East Midlands on loan from Somerset for the primary two months of the season and he produced a match-winning performance as Leicestershire edged out Gloucestershire.
The all-rounder took career-best First-Class figures of 5-63 on day one because the hosts were dismissed for 252, before taking key wickets of Miles Hammond and Australian Cameron Green within the second innings.
After adding 21 useful runs in the primary innings, Green held his nerve for 15 not out alongside Ben Cox and Roman Walker because the visitors reached their goal to increase their lead at the highest of the Division Two table.
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Pace bowler Tongue is making up for lost time at Trent Bridge with a second consecutive five-wicket haul as Nottinghamshire continued their impressive begin to the season.
The England quick, who was rested last week after coming back from an injury-hit 2024, was utilised briefly and sharp bursts on a green-tinged pitch as Notts skittled Sussex for just 169.
A full and fast delivery to pin Tom Alsop LBW could have been a welcome sight to England fans, before cleansing up the tail with three wickets in a single over to complete with 5-44.
Tongue once more also proved his ability with the bat as he made an unbeaten 39 to assist steer Notts from 210-8 to 300 all out and extend their first innings lead.
Dom Goodman (Gloucestershire)
In what was actually the sport of the round at Bristol, 24-year-old seamer Goodman was slightly unlucky to be on the losing side after a sublime bowling effort.
On a pitch offering pace and bounce, Goodman recorded his maiden five-wicket haul as Gloucestershire fought back on day two to go away the sport within the balance.
A luckless morning spell which saw the ball beat the bat with regularity was followed by a burst within the afternoon which included a peach of a delivery to clip the highest of Logan van Beek’s off-stump for his fifth scalp.
Setting the visitors a goal of 143, Goodman then rattled through the Leicestershire top order with 4 wickets in his opening spell to complete with match figures of 9-87.
Jake Ball (Durham)
Durham were forced to explore the loan market after a variety of injuries hit their pace bowling department, with three additions to the squad ahead of their fixture at Worcestershire.
One in all which was the experienced Ball, who joined on loan from Somerset and immediately made an impact for his latest county with 5-47 on day one as Durham bowled out the hosts for 162.
In a rapidly progressing game, the 34-year-old soon had the ball in hand again and took an additional two wickets, including Kiwi overseas Henry Nicholls, as Worcestershire slumped to 81 all out and set Durham on their technique to a primary win of the season.
twelfth Man: Lewis Gregory (Somerset)
The Somerset captain was on the losing side on the Oval but returned to the side with runs and wickets.
His counter-attacking 62 on day one boosted the visitors from 187-7 to 283 all out, before bowling England’s Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes in two of three wickets.
Let down by his top order within the second innings, Gregory remained unbeaten on 18 after a Migael Pretorius blitz salvaged Somerset from 38-7 to 119, though a goal of just 36 meant they remained winless.
READ MORE: Ben Duckett helps Division One leaders Nottinghamshire to victory over Sussex
