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Top Five: Specsavers County Championship 5 July

Rory Burns batted all day for Surrey and there's a thriller brewing at Chesterfield

ROARING RORY

At a sun-soaked Kia Oval, Rory Burns held things together for Surrey in the face of a full onslaught from Hampshire's attack. The opener ended the day on 174 not out after seven colleagues had fallen around him, including Jason Roy for a breezy 27. His doggedness saw him repel a menacing attack including Fidel Edwards, Kyle Abbott and Mason Crane. He guided Surrey to 410/7 by the close, a deficit of 238.

TOM AT THE HELM

You get the feeling Tom Helm is a man we'll be hearing a lot more about in this and future summer's. The tall and rangy Middlesex paceman bagged his maiden Championship five-for, including the prized wicket of Jonathan Trott for 99, as Middlesex bowled Warwickshire out for 233 in their second innings, leaving them 234 to record a second successive win. But with Sam Robson and Stevie Eskinazi already gone, Thursday should be mighty tense.

DURHAM'S DART

What a game at Chesterfield. After the thrills and spills of Imran Tahir's five-for on Tuesday, the match moved on at pace on Wednesday and should offer up maximum entertainment on Thursday. Derbyshire's second innings hero was Alex Hughes, who completed a third first-class hundred as the home side set Durham 282 to win. By the close, the visitors had reached 36/0 meaning they'll need another 246 on the final day. Strap in, it should be a belter.

HOLDEN BACK THE YEARS

It might be a bit of a road in Beckenham, but those runs still have to be scored. Max Holden, on loan at Northants from Middlesex, racked them up as his side replied to Kent's mammoth 701/7d, by registering a new first-class best, of 153. Not bad for a 19-year-old, eh?!

SOM WIN THIS WOULD BE

Scarbados it has not been this week, with rain interrrupting Tuesday's action and bad light curtailing Wednesday's on Yorkshire's east coast. But we still have a game on, with Somerset leading their hosts by 289, largely thanks to James Hildreth's unbeaten 85 and 69 from Tim Rouse. To add to the already thick plot, Liam Plunkett joined Ryan Sidebottom on the sidelines after succumbing to injury. That did allow Harry Brook a bowl, and his maiden Championship wicket duly followed. Not a bad nut!