Webster grabs career-best, Handscomb in the runs again

Beau Webster has solidified his status as one of Australia's most dominant allrounders with a maiden first-class five-wicket haul in his second match of the English summer for Gloucestershire.

Victorian Peter Handscomb also struck his second century of the county season to keep Leicestershire in the hunt in their clash with Glamorgan at Grace Road.

Webster, who earlier this year became just the second player in Sheffield Shield history to score 900 runs and take 30 wickets in a season, finished with a career-best 6-100 from 26 overs to help dismiss Derbyshire for 526 at Bristol.

The Tasmanian took three of the last five wickets with his seamers – including two in three balls – as Derby lost 5-39 at the end of their first innings following Matt Lamb's double-century.

Australian teammate Cameron Bancroft couldn't make it three centuries in a row in Gloucester's reply, out for nine after shouldering arms to a ball from Sam Conners that knocked back his middle stump.

Webster is the next batter in after James Bracey (87no) and Graeme van Buuren (61no) took the home side to 4-243 at stumps on day two with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 112.

Handscomb is also unbeaten at stumps on 102 after raising his second century of the campaign with a powerful straight drive off Timm van der Gugten four overs before stumps as Leicester reached 5-280 in reply to Glamorgan's first-innings 387.

The right-hander, who signed a two-year deal with the East Midlands club last September after a strong 2023 campaign, now has 547 runs at 78.14 this season.

He helped resurrect his side's reply alongside captain Lewis Hill (92) with his sixth score over 50 in his past seven knocks as they recovered from 3-65 to trail by 107 at the close of day two.

Teammate Marcus Harris could only manage 14 at the top of the order in his final match of the county season before returning to Australia.

At Old Trafford, Nathan Lyon toiled hard for his 1-75 from 34 overs as Lancashire dismissed Warwickshire for 284 before reaching 3-66 at stumps in their first innings reply.

England Test captain Ben Stokes backed up his first innings three-for with 4-23 in the second to help roll Somerset for 88 to wrap up an innings victory for Durham inside two days at Chester-le-Street.

Peter Siddle hit 31 not out to push Durham's total to 265 and then (1-15) bowled Matthew Renshaw for six, one more than the Queenslander managed in Somerset's first innings of 171.

Michael Neser's Hampshire put reigning champions Surrey to the sword at the Rose Bowl, with Toby Albert (114) and Nick Gubbins (103) hitting centuries alongside Ben Brown's 99 not out and Sydney Sixers star James Vince's 52 to reach 4-495 after skittling the ladder-leaders for 127 on the opening day.

Dan Worrall (2-53) claimed two of those four wickets to fall, and Sean Abbott (1-41), but by stumps on day two Hampshire had kept Surrey in the field for 143 overs to boast a huge first innings lead of 368.

2024 Division Two County Championship standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	Drawn D	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Sussex SSX	14	8	2	0	4	3	40	40	237
2 Yorkshire YRK	14	5	2	0	7	0	41	40	217
3 Middlesex MSX	14	5	2	0	7	0	28	32	196
4 Northamptonshire NOR	14	2	3	0	9	0	22	35	161
5 Leicestershire LEI	14	1	3	0	10	0	28	31	155
6 Glamorgan GLA	14	2	4	1	7	2	22	30	146
7 Gloucestershire GLO	14	2	5	1	5	2	27	29	142
8 Derbyshire DBY	14	1	6	0	6	1	20	31	122

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

D: Drawn

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points

Australians in the 2024 County Championship

Durham: Ben Dwarshuis, Ashton Turner (both T20s only)

Essex: Daniel Sams (T20s only)

Glamorgan: Marnus Labuschagne

Gloucestershire: Cameron Bancroft, Beau Webster

Hampshire: Michael Neser, Ben McDermott (T20s only)

Kent: Wes Agar, Charlie Stobo, Xavier Bartlett (T20s only)

Lancashire: Nathan Lyon, Chris Green (T20s only)

Leicestershire: Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris

Northamptonshire: Chris Tremain (first four matches only)

Somerset: Matthew Renshaw, Riley Meredith

Surrey: Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson (T20s only)

Sussex: Nathan McAndrew, Daniel Hughes