Ealham ties up Yorkshire

Mark Ealham's three wickets left Yorkshire in trouble

Mark Ealham helped himself to three wickets for no runs to keep title-chasing Nottinghamshire on course to beat Yorkshire in the LV County Championship at Trent Bridge.

Samit Patel and Graeme Swann took advantage of Yorkshire’s woes by bagging half-centuries in a second-innings 350 all out by tea on day three, but it was veteran all-rounder Ealham’s late show which put the skids under an attempted fightback.

The visitors closed on a vulnerable 107 for four, in pursuit of a distant 403 having already had to cope without overseas pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan in the field.

He sat out with a sore neck and shoulder while Patel (60) and Swann (57) added to Nottinghamshire’s gains, setting up the unlikely fourth-innings target.

At Old Trafford, Lancashire crumbled in their second innings to set up a fascinating final day against Hampshire.

Having claimed a 69-run first-innings lead by bowling out the visitors for 288, the Red Rose slumped to 54 for four before reaching stumps seven down for 121.

That represented a lead of 190, meaning there is some serious work to do to make the game safe.

Francois Du Plessis’ 31 was the best any of the home batsmen could manage as Imran Tahir (4-48) and David Balcombe (2-20) ran riot. Luke Sutton and Gary Keedy resume tomorrow, charged with edging their side towards a lead of 250.

In Division Two, five wickets in 34 balls from Gareth Batty fired Worcestershire to a 10-wicket win over promotion rivals Middlesex in their Division Two match at Lord’s.

Gary Keedy has Chris Tremlett caught for four by Dominic Cork at Old Trafford

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The inspired spell of bowling from the former England off-spinner, who took 5-33, saw him collect the wickets of Ben Scott, Shaun Udal and Dawid Malan without conceding a run as Middlesex were bowled out for 164 leaving the visitors to score 104 for victory.

Thanks to Stephen Moore’s 55 off 56 balls, they then polished off the runs in just 17 overs as Daryl Mitchell chipped in with 48.

The 21 points they gained moved them to the top of the table above Warwickshire, who have a game in hand.

Elsewhere, David Lucas took three wickets as Northamptonshire eased to an eight-wicket victory over Leicestershire with a day to spare.

Lucas, who claimed four wickets in the first innings at Northampton, received good support from his fellow bowlers as Leicestershire were bowled out for 226.

Visiting captain Paul Nixon was the only batsmen who troubled the bowlers, scoring 73, but his efforts were in vain as Northamptonshire easily chalked up the 27 runs required for victory to stay unbeaten in eight matches.

Requiring 192 runs to avoid an innings defeat, Leicestershire started woefully, slumping to 64 for five before the lower middle order offered some resistance.

Essex are set to wrap up their win over Gloucestershire early tomorrow after Ravi Bopara (83 not out) and Neil Dexter (60no) shared an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 143 to carry them to the cusp of victory.

Needing 181, they lost openers Varun Chopra (four) and Jason Gallian (one) to leave them perilously positioned at seven for two but there were no further dramas as numbers three and four put on a decisive stand.

Bopara was the more proactive of the two, smashing 11 fours and six in his 98-ball innings to leave Essex on 150 for two - 31 short with eight wickets in hand.