Roundup: Stokes turns on style with 50 for Durham, Notts fight back<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
Ben Stokes could have been at Leeds, taking part in the demolition of Pakistan. Instead, he was 80 miles away, bashing 53 and hooplaing two wickets against Derbyshire<\/strong> at the Racecourse Ground.<\/p>\n There were plenty of trademark shots in his 11 fours, including a cross-legged lofted drive down the ground that brought warm murmurs from the crowd perched on white plastic seats. He was eventually out to a leading edge, caught by Anuj Dal like a man taking a kitchen catch from the fruit bowl.<\/p>\n Durham<\/strong>\u2019s innings folded with the appearance of the new ball, the excellent Ben Aitchison, Division Two\u2019s leading wicket taker, picking up his second five-fer of the year against them. The teams took an early tea, a steadying brew for Derbyshire who had to face a Test-worthy attack. Stokes came on first change and made the breakthrough with his first ball. Derbyshire finished gingerly, six wickets down.<\/p>\n The Oval, often the land of plenty, proved as much a minefield for Surrey<\/strong> as it had for Nottinghamshire<\/strong>. Olly Stone, whose constant threat has only been muted by injury, collected an outstanding six for 44, including Ollie Pope for a duck.<\/p>\n Seam bowlers ruled at Edgbaston where 20 wickets were razed in the day. Sussex<\/strong>\u2019s last seven could only muster 44 runs, as Chris Woakes grabbed four for 36, then Warwickshire<\/strong> were whistled out for 161.<\/p>\n There was little daylight between the sides at Southampton. Hampshire<\/strong> limped to a 24-run first-innings lead, thanks largely to 46 from Tom Prest and some lower-order ballast. George Hill finished with five for 29. Adam Lyth\u2019s fifty propped up Yorkshire<\/strong>\u2019s second innings.<\/p>\n Kent<\/strong> took seven Middlesex<\/strong> wickets in the afternoon session at Merchant Taylor\u2019s, with five for Matt Milnes, before losing two of their own, including Zak Crawley for a duck.<\/p>\n At Taunton, Lewis Gregory reduced Essex<\/strong> to two for three in his first eight balls. They reached 158 thanks to Paul Walter and Matt Critchley but were made to follow on. Earlier a tenth-wicket stand of 72 between the No 11 Migael Pretorius and James Rew (74 not out) carried Somerset<\/strong> past 450.<\/p>\n The injury replacement Rehaan Edavalath (63) was Worcestershire<\/strong>\u2019s top scorer at Cheltenham. Ben Allison had earlier grabbed a career-best five for 19 as Gloucestershire<\/strong> were all out for 150. George Bartlett\u2019s 92 propped up Northamptonshire<\/strong> at Old Trafford, while 15 wickets fell at Grace Road in a tightly fought game between 2025\u2019s promoted teams, Leicestershire<\/strong> and Glamorgan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n