
Tom Latham century leads Warwickshire into quarter-finals
Teenager Farhan Ahmed finished the innings with a hat-trick as part of a haul of five for 25 as Nottinghamshire beat Lancashire by four wickets.
Never in doubt 😎
🐻 #YouBears pic.twitter.com/RU975VwcAF
— Bears 🏏 (@WarwickshireCCC) July 18, 2025
Ahmed helped skittle already-qualified Lancashire for 126 before Tom Moores struck 75 to help Nottinghamshire to 127 for six with almost five overs remaining, but they failed to advance.
Alex Lees' 101 not out saw Durham to a nine-wicket victory at home to Northamptonshire with both sides safely through to the quarter-finals, the hosts reaching their target of 204 for the loss of a single wicket.
Graham Clark also chipped in with 79, whilst earlier Matthew Potts had taken three for 27 as Northamptonshire slipped below their opponents into fourth in the final standings.
Victory for Durham ended Leicestershire's hopes of squeezing into the top four, a two-wicket defeat to Yorkshire for whom Abdullah Shafique hit 64 as the Foxes were all out for 185 to finish seventh.
Results in the South Group meant a quarter-final spot for Hampshire who watched on nervously following defeat in their final match on Thursday.
𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐒!! ✈️✈️✈️ pic.twitter.com/1KRNsybn2d
— Kent Spitfires (@KentCricket) July 18, 2025
Opener Tawanda Muyeye's 80 helped Kent wrap up their quarter-final berth as they defeated last-place Essex by seven wickets.
Paul Walter's earlier half-century had helped Essex to 172 for six but Kent easily chased down their total with Harry Finch also knocking 64.
That meant Glamorgan missed out on the top four despite Dan Douthwaite's four for 22 helping them to a 52-run win over Middlesex.
Kian Carlson's 49 off 19 balls saw his side to 184 for nine before Middlesex fell well short on 132 despite Kane Williamson's fine 63.
Group-winners Surrey signed off with a seven-run win over Sussex, Will Jacks' hundred the outstanding performance with the bat as the table toppers reached 204 for five before Sam Curran took four for 18 to edge out Sussex.
Somerset, who were already assured of their place in the quarter-finals, were 16-run victors over Gloucestershire with Ben Green hitting 36 not out.

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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Glos dig in against Lancs after Hartley's heroics
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Cheltenham (day three)Lancashire 557: Green 160, Hartley 130, Hurst 106; Akhter 4-85Gloucestershire 381 & 98-0: Charlesworth 61*, Bancroft 35*Glos (5pts) trail Lancs (6pts) by 78 runs with ten second-innings wickets remaining Match scorecard Tom Hartley produced another stellar performance to put the skids under Gloucestershire as Lancashire made the running on day three of the County Championship match at the College Ground, posted a career-best innings of 130 with the bat on day two, the England slow left armer returned notable figures of 6-116 - his best for Lancashire - to again steal the show. Replying to Lancashire's mammoth 557, the home side were dismissed for 381, conceding a first-innings deficit of Charlesworth staged an outstanding season's-best knock of 160 and Joe Phillips weighed in with 64 as Gloucestershire advanced confidently to 296-3. But Hartley then induced a collapse which saw the hosts lose their last seven wickets for 85 runs in 26 captain Jimmy Anderson enforced the follow-on and Gloucestershire made a better fist of things second time around, Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth safely negotiating 30 overs to stage an unbroken opening stand of 98. Gloucestershire still trail by 78 runs and Bancroft (35*) and Charlesworth (61*) will be called upon to muster further resistance on a pitch offering some assistance to spin when they return in the day had begun full of hope for Gloucestershire. Resuming on 179-1, Charlesworth and Phillips set a new county record partnership for the second wicket in matches against Lancashire, eclipsing the 160 registered by Bill Athey and Paul Romaines at Bristol in 1984. Phillips perished soon afterwards, superbly held at short square leg by Keaton Jennings off the bowling of Chris Green as Lancashire effected an early breakthrough and terminated a profitable alliance of 171 in 47.3 and Ollie Price applied themselves diligently to the task of cussed defiance and, in between performing the hard yards, these two took advantage of sufficient poor balls to post a half century stand from 104 to make something happen, Lancashire were indebted to Hartley, who persuaded Price to slice a cut shot to Luke Wells at backward point in the 72nd over. Price had contributed 31 to a stand of 58 for the third wicket, and Gloucestershire were 249-3, still 308 runs behind and with further graft required. Charlesworth was joined by Cheltenham-born Miles Hammond and these two advanced the score to 259-3 by the new ball available upon the resumption, Anderson returned at the Chapel End, only for Hammond to greet him with an off-driven four and another boundary behind square. Charlesworth then crunched the former England man through the covers off the back foot to bring up his 150 from 233 balls with his 20th Charlesworth's resistance ended soon afterwards, the 24-year-old left hander inexplicably advancing down the pitch to Hartley and being stumped by Phil Salt with the score 296-4. His dismissal sparked an alarming collapse in which the home side lost six wickets for the addition of 62 runs in 21.1 oversHammond had traded almost exclusively in boundaries, his brisk 36 including six fours and a six, when he miscued an attempted drive and offered a return catch to Hartley. On a roll by now, Hartley struck again in his next over, dismissing Graeme van Buuren lbw without scoring, before persuading James Bracey to pop a catch up to short square leg to complete a remarkable five-wicket seen their middle order blown away by Hartley, Gloucestershire's tail end fared no better against Lancashire's back-up spinners. Zaman Akhter fell lbw to Green and Ajeet Singh Dale succumbed in near-identical fashion to Wells' leg breaks. Hindered by a hamstring strain, Marchant de Lange emerged with Phillips as a runner and the big man suggested a possible escape route for Gloucestershire by smiting two huge sixes. But Hartley returned to have the South African held in the deep, leaving Todd Murphy high and dry on 22 not out, as the hosts fell 27 short of saving the follow and Charlesworth restored calm during a final session that, in stark contrast to what had gone before, failed to yield a single dismissal. Watchful in the face of a new-ball examination at the hands of Anderson, Gloucestershire's openers initially focused their efforts on occupying the crease and taking up time. But as Lancashire's bowlers began to tire, so the opening partnership up where he left off in the first innings, Charlesworth went to 50 from 64 balls with seven fours and a six, his antics causing the threat of further collapse to recede into the distance. His captain proved rock-solid, Bancroft chiselling an unbeaten 35 from 86 balls to serve notice that Gloucestershire remain in the fight. Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay


South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ian Botham criticises ‘appalling' Taunton pitch after game ends inside two days
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Rhyl Journal
5 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Ian Botham criticises ‘appalling' Taunton pitch after game ends inside two days
Somerset coach Jason Kerr hailed the 'incredible surface…arguably the best we've had this year' after his side wrapped up a five-wicket victory to boost their hopes of a first ever Division One title. But Botham begged to differ after posting photos of a heavily-used strip ahead of the contest, where 22 wickets fell on Tuesday and which was over just before 4pm on Wednesday. Before a ball is bowled… As an ex Somerset player I find this appalling… at a time when County Cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for InternationalPlayers and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch.… — BeefyBotham (@BeefyBotham) July 23, 2025 It is understood the match referee rated the pitch 'below average' and Somerset could now face a points deduction by the cricket regulator, which operates separately to the England and Wales Cricket Board. Botham said on X on Wednesday night: 'Before a ball is bowled… As an ex Somerset player I find this appalling.' Botham has a chequered history with Somerset, where he started his extraordinary cricket career in 1974 before leaving acrimoniously 12 years later when the club sacked Viv Richards and Joel Garner. He has a stand named after him at Taunton but is now honorary president at Durham, where the former England all-rounder finished his playing career and served as the club's chair until earlier this year. The 69-year-old's rebuke also included a reference to Somerset's wish to keep the status quo of 14 championship matches next year, at a time when the counties are debating changes to the calendar. Durham are among the clubs who wish to reduce the red-ball season to a dozen matches – backed by the Professional Cricketers' Association – in a bid to improve standards across the competition. Botham added: 'At a time when County Cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for International Players and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch. These are not first class cricket conditions in midsummer. 'Durham raised serious concerns the day before the game started… change is needed…both Somerset and Durham have high quality batsmen… Somerset do not need to do this… reduces the game to a farce.' The last 18 wickets of the game fell to spin, with Jack Leach claiming six for 63 and Archie Vaughan – son of former England captain Michael – four for 85 after opening the bowling to turn the game in Somerset's favour. But Kerr argued 400 runs being scored on the opening day – where seamer Craig Overton took six wickets – highlighted there was something for everyone. 'I thought it was an incredible surface, I spoke to Nick (Pepper, Somerset's head groundsperson) and it was arguably the best surface we've had this year,' Kerr said at his post-match press conference. 'There was something in it for the seamers and a little bit in it for the spinners from the foot holes of an existing game earlier in the year. 'There was some really poor cricket from both sides and some incredible bowling.'