Josh Tongue haunts former club Worcestershire to put Nottinghamshire in control

England seamer Josh Tongue continued to make hay against his former club, pushing Rothesay County Championship hopefuls Nottinghamshire towards a winning position against Worcestershire.

Tongue matched his first-innings haul of three wickets at New Road, dismissing the Pears’ top three as they crumbled to 93 for five on day two.

The Division One strugglers hold a lead of just 68 and will need to battle hard to avert a three-day defeat that could temporarily push Nottinghamshire back ahead of Surrey at the top of the table.

But the Brown Caps are in no mood to let their title defence slip, having taken control of their clash against Warwickshire.

Returning Test seamer Gus Atkinson took three wickets and Tom Lawes four as the Bears were bowled out for 248 at the Kia Oval – just two runs in front.

But three consecutive top-order fifties, from captain Rory Burns, leading run-scorer Dom Sibley and England vice-captain Ollie Pope nudged the scales as Surrey closed on 181 for one.

Tom Abell racked up a century as Somerset kept reached 391 for six on the second day of their Taunton clash against Yorkshire.

Abell was three not out overnight and fell just before bad light ended things, reaching three figures with a reverse sweep and finishing with 130.

Jack White had removed James Rew with the third ball of the morning but the visitors were only able to add two more wickets as they struggled for a cutting edge.

At Chelmsford, former South Africa captain Dean Elgar held court as his unbeaten 140 put Essex on track to build a big lead over Durham.

Replying to 333 all out, Elgar spent over five-and-a-half hours at the crease as he shepherded the hosts to 312 for three. Matt Critchley proved the ideal foil for the opener, sharing in a stand of 154, and will resume on day three on 97 not out.

England seamer Matthew Potts, who is hoping to seal an Ashes place in the final weeks of the season, sent down 18 wicketless overs for 49.

After an 18-wicket day at Hove, Sussex were already into a fourth-innings chase, closing on 37 pursuing 278.

Bowled out for 122, they responded by rolling Hampshire for 173 but will need the battle between bat and ball to rebalance if they are to make the highest score of the game.

Division Two leaders Leicestershire were battling with Gloucestershire, making 270 for four in response to the away side’s 482 all out.

The latter’s tail wagged as the Foxes laboured without Josh Hull, who was removed from the attack for two high beamers on day one. Lewis Hill then cracked 88 for Leicestershire before leaving Pakistan’s Shan Masood in charge on 80no.

Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe continued his hot streak of form by turning a big century into 206 against Northamptonshire, carrying the score to 467. The hosts replied with 309 for five, Saif Zaib’s 76no the best of three half-centuries as leg-spinner Mason Crane claimed four wickets.

Bottom club Kent held a 105-run lead over Lancashire with all 10 second-innings wickets in hand, Jaydn Denly and Ben Dawkins with a 96-run opening stand. The tussle between Derbyshire and Middlesex was tightly poised, with the former ahead by just two early in their second innings at Lord’s.