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Compton reaches 1,000 first-class runs

Ben Stokes made his first Championship hundred of the season © Getty Images

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Somerset batsman Nick Compton was given more reason to curse the weather when he completed his delayed passage to 1,000 first-class runs with a century against Worcestershire in the LV= County Championship at New Road.

Denied by rain on Thursday when on the brink of joining an elite band of eight cricketers who made 1,000 by the end of May, he took the next best option by crossing the threshold on the first day of June. Leapfrogging Kent's Rob Key, who got there on June 2 in 2004, he thus became the earliest to reach this milestone in 24 years since Worcestershire's Graeme Hick posted 1,000 on May 28, 1988.

Compton's achievement dominated all else in steadying Somerset after they had they had slipped to 86 for four on losing James Hildreth (52) and Craig Kieswetter in successive balls from Jack Shantry. Worcestershire's total of 340 was a long way off at that point but a fifth-wicket partnership of 167 in 44 overs with Jos Buttler lifted them to 277 for seven - still 63 behind - when bad light ended play at 5.15pm.

Middlesex are in a strong position to claim their third County Championship win of the season after dominating the third day of their encounter against Sussex at Lord's. Ollie Rayner and Toby Roland-Jones both made half-centuries as Middlesex scored 491 - their highest total of the season - before Steve Finn struck when Sussex went in again 208 runs behind.

Finn is hoping to benefit if the England selectors decide to rotate their seam attack for the third Test against West Indies next week. He took his fourth wicket of the match when Ed Joyce slashed without moving his feet at a ball angled across him and Gareth Berg took a stinging catch in the gully.

Bad light frustrated Middlesex's hopes of making further inroads with 12 overs lost and Sussex will resume on the final day on 34 for one, still 174 runs behind.

A brilliant Ben Stokes century looked set to be in vain as Lancashire closed in on victory by the end of the third day of their clash at Durham. Stokes struck a fluent 121 to build a lead of 200 but the reigning champions were on course to haul that in after reaching 56 for one by stumps.

After carrying his bat in the first innings, Paul Horton fell lbw to Graham Onions' first ball of Lancashire's chase, but Stephen Moore and Karl Brown played with surprising fluency for the remaining 15.5 overs.

In Division Two, Gloucestershire dented Derbyshire's promotion bid after inflicting a first defeat of the season on the leaders. Having dominated the first two days, Gloucestershire confirmed their superiority when carving out a comfortable seven-wicket win midway through through day three at Bristol.

Derbyshire were bowled out for 283 in their second innings, their last seven wickets realising just 95. Seamers David Payne and Will Gidman, who took eight wickets in the match, did the damage, returning figures of four for 89 and four for 50 respectively. Gloucestershire then chased down a modest victory target of 85 for the loss of Jon Batty, Benny Howell and Kane Williamson.

Centuries from Michael Thornely and Ned Eckersley helped Leicestershire bat out a draw on the final day of their match against Glamorgan at Cardiff. Thornely, on Leicestershire debut, had a good game adding 131 to his first innings of 97, putting on 245 in 88 overs with Eckersley - who ended on a career best 137 not out.

Leicestershire declared their second innings on 316 for two - a lead of 38 - at 4.50pm with the match petering out into a tame draw on a dead pitch. Glamorgan, who used 10 bowlers during the Leicestershire second innings, take 10 points from this basement battle to Leicestershire's six - but the Welsh county remain rooted to the bottom of Division Two.

Yorkshire secured maximum batting bonus points for the first time in two years as they reached 416, with Jonny Bairstow making 68, and built up a first innings lead of 163 on the third day of their match against Northamptonshire. The visitors replied with 43 for one in 15 overs before bad light ended play in this Division Two match with 10 overs remaining at Headingley.

In the Clydesdale Bank 40, Warwickshire suffered their first defeat in the competition this season as Kent's bowlers and the weather combined to condemn them to a thumping 10-wicket reverse at Canterbury. Rain interrupted the Warwickshire innings at 94 for seven after 26.3 overs, and after a restart at 8.41pm Kent - set 96 to win in 26 overs - cantered to victory under the St Lawrence Ground floodlights. The hosts needed just 16.3 overs, with young opener Sam Billings hitting a stylish maiden one-day half-century.

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