CMC – Alzarri Joseph once again flaunted his improvement with the bat while fast bowler Miguel Cummins snatched a brace of wickets, as both West Indies players made key contributions on the opening day of the third round of County Championship matches yesterday.
At New Road, the 24-year-old Joseph was closing in on a half-century with an unbeaten 46 as hosts Worcestershire, choosing to bat first, reached 305 for seven against Nottinghamshire.
Jake Libby struck 117 off 217 balls in just under 4-½ hours, counting 10 fours and two sixes, while posting 140 for the first wicket with Daryl Mitchell who made 59.
When four wickets fell for 29 runs, Libby added a further 41 for the fifth wicket with Riki Wessels (13) before both perished in another cluster that saw three wickets go down for just 16 runs. Wobbling on 216 for seven, the hosts were bailed out by Joseph who impressed with five fours and a six in an 81-ball knock that needed 1-¾ hours.
He put on an invaluable 89 for the eighth wicket with Ed Barnard whose 40 has required 93 balls and included half-dozen fours.
Joseph also made 46 on county debut last week in another half-century lower order stand with Barnard.
In the southeast, Cummins finished with two for 62 as Lancashire closed on 260 for seven against hosts Kent at Canterbury.
Sent in, the visitors got a top score of 87 from Josh Bohannon while captain Dane Vilas struck 53 and Luke Wells, 45.
Both Cummins’s wickets came at critical points for Kent. When Bohannon and Wells threatened in a 50-run, third wicket stand, the 30-year-old removed Wells to a catch at the wicket to peg Lancashire back.
And when Bohannon rallied the visitors in a 58-run, seventh wicket partnership with Luke Wood (28 not out), Cummins returned to prise out the 24-year-old Bohannon with the close in sight, gaining an lbw verdict.
At Lord’s, Windies seamer Kemar Roach continued to struggle for wickets in 11 barren overs as Middlesex ended on 114 for three, in reply to Surrey’s paltry 154.
And at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite was kept in the field all day as Hampshire marched to 292 for three behind hundreds from Tom Alsop (127 not out) and Ian Holland (114) against Gloucestershire.
Bermuda’s left-arm spinning all-rounder, Delray Rawlins, was also among the wickets with two for 12 as Yorkshire were bundled out for 150 at Hove, to which Sussex responded with 118 for three.
