Nottinghamshire ooze class

Nottinghamshire opener Bilal Shafayat makes good use of his crease at Trent Bridge

Nottinghamshire outclassed Yorkshire with bat and ball to seize the initiative on day two of their LV County Championship Division One match at Trent Bridge.

Charlie Shreck (5-58) made the most of traditional Nottingham swing to earn his team a 52-run first-innings lead before Bilal Shafayat (62) and Mark Wagh (56 not out) shared a second-wicket stand of 103.

By stumps, the hosts were 146 for two - and Yorkshire knew they would be up against it to win from behind, batting last on a slow pitch offering just occasional awkward bounce but with swing always likely to come to the bowlers’ aid too.

Hampshire steadied themselves to reach 174 for three by the close, replying to Lancashire’s first-innings 357 at Old Trafford.

The Red Rose county earlier resumed on 261 for five as Francois Du Plessis reached 57 and Dominic Cork weighed in with 35.

Hampshire's response began poorly as they lost the early wickets of Sean Ervine, John Crawley and Michael Lumb to find themselves 35 for three.

However, opener Michael Brown (75no) and Chris Benham (70no) rescued the visitors and remained unbeaten at the close.

In Division Two, Worcestershire batsman Ben Smith again fell frustratingly short of his first century for two years as the visitors secured a useful first-innings lead on the second day against Middlesex at Lord’s.

Smith, who scored 99 against Glamorgan last week, was this time dismissed on 93 when he was deceived by spin from Murali Kartik and caught at silly point from a defensive push forward.

David Lucas picked up five wickets for Northamptonshire on day two © Getty Images

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Worcestershire began the day on nine without loss, having bowled Middlesex out for 300 on the first day, and reached stumps on 350 for nine.

Northamptonshire took control on day two at home to Leicestershire as David Lucas took five wickets.

Lucas claimed four first-innings wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 173 and then removed Nadeem Malik after captain Nicky Boje enforced the follow-on, with the visitors finishing the day on eight for one.

Northants had earlier amassed 373 after resuming on 274 for four.

Danish Kaneria took 3-13 for Essex against Gloucestershire as the batsmen struggled for both sides at Chelmsford.

Replying to Gloucestershire’s 275, Varun Chopra (47) and Jason Gallian (48) helped the hosts to 74 without loss but a startling collapse then saw Ravi Bopara, Mark Pettini and Ryan ten Doeschate depart for ducks as they were reduced to 109 for six.

At one point, five wickets fell for just seven runs. But 57 from wicketkeeper James Foster and James Middlebrook's useful 41 led Essex to 279 all out at tea.

Steve Kirby had excelled for Gloucestershire with 5-60 but his good work was quickly undone as Kaneria led the Essex attack to leave the visitors precariously placed on 70 for six heading into day three.