Cricket: Silverwood's swift response

YORKSHIRE FOUGHT back on a wicket-laden day at Derby to have the hosts 24 for 3 in reply to the visitors 117 all out.

The Derbyshire captain, Dominic Cork (3 for 19), and his fellow former England all-rounder Phil DeFreitas (4 for 37) combined to destroy the Yorkshire innings, rescued partially by a battling 34 from their all-rounder Craig White. Yorkshire then at least gave Derbyshire a taste of their own medicine, two wickets for Chris Silverwood doing most to undermine their innings before rain forced an early tea.

With rain still proving a menace at many grounds following Wednesday's near countrywide washout, only one other match had progressed beyond the first innings. That was at Tunbridge Wells where a half-century from Darren Bicknell (57) helped Surrey muster 271 despite three wickets for the left- arm orthodox spinner Min Patel. Kent's reply then began disastrously with three wickets falling for eight runs, Martin Bicknell doing most of the damage with figures of 2 for 3.

Batting was easier down the road at Horsham, to the extent that hosts Sussex reached 132 without loss against Worcestershire, with Richard Montgomerie hitting 66 not out and Toby Peirce notching up 60 not out before rain stopped play.

Conditions were apparently conducive to batting at Grace Road, too, where Glamorgan openers Steve James (38no) and Alun Evans (46no) put 99 on the board against Leicestershire only for rain to prevent any play between lunch and tea.

But Glamorgan, who were put in to bat, were let off the hook by three dropped catches from the county champions early on.

Other good performances came from Tim Robinson, who scored a half century for Nottinghamshire at Northants, and Rob Turner who hit 86 not out for Somerset against Durham.