English Cricket 2011: County Championship, Division 1, Update

Lancashire extended their unbeaten run this week, but Durham are hot on their heels, as both sides won ahead of their meeting in the next round of Division One fixtures.

Lancashire, who have won five of their six games, beat Hampshire by 10 wickets at the Rose Bowl. The Red Rose County batted first and thanks to Karl Brown's 96 runs, the team overall posted 328 runs. Former player Dominic Cork took 4-78.

Hampshire were skittled for just 133, as Jimmy Adams led his side with 35. Kyle Hogg took a first-class best of 7-28.

Following on, the home side managed to score 201 runs, Benny Howell made 71 on his first-class debut but Lancashire only needed seven runs to win and Paul Horton hit two boundaries off the first three balls to give the away side a 10-wicket victory.

At Edgbaston, Durham kept pace with rivals Lancashire as they hammered Warwickshire by an innings and 103 runs.

The away side posted a mammoth 602-6 declared with Will Smith hitting 179 runs, Dale Benkenstein 128 runs and Ian Blackwell a 94-ball 99 total.

Despite Varun Chopra's mark of 79 runs Warwickshire were dismissed for just 186 as a team. Ben Stokes claimed 4-48 and Callum Thorp 3-35.

Warwickshire were in all sorts of trouble following on at 98-6 but Keith Barker (101), a replacement for William Porterfield who went to play for Ireland in their ODI against Pakistan, lessened the embarrassment with Naqaash Tahir (53) before the home side were all out for 313. 

An innings and 103-run defeat was the result, courtesy of Ruel Brathwaite's 3-62 and Ben Stokes's 3-97.

Somerset have won three, drawn one, and lost three of their games after a ten wicket victory over Yorkshire, who have only won one of seven matches.    

Jonny Bairstow's 136 helped Yorkshire to 358 as Steve Kirby (3-54), Gemaal Hussain (3-87) and Charl Willoughby (3-90) all took three wickets apiece at Taunton.

Somerset replied with 452 as Marcus Trescothick smashed 189, including a 257-run opening stand with Arul Suppiah (95) and support from James Hildreth (87). Adil Rashid took 4-100 and Ryan Sidebottom 3-66.

Yorkshire posted 313 second time around, Bairstow topped the scoring again with 80, Joe Root made 67 and Rashid 51 not out. Arul Suppiah claimed 2-26, Kirby and Hussain picked up 2-67.

Chasing a potentially tricky 228, Trescothick hammered an unbeaten 151 from 131 balls with support from Suppiah, 67 not out, as Somerset cantered to a 10-wicket victory from 40.1 overs.

The next round of fixtures, starting on May 29 sees Durham face Lancashire, Sussex play Yorkshire and bottom side Worcestershire against Nottinghamshire.