Cricket round-up: Kevin Pietersen limbers up for Ashes with a long day in the field

Ashes watch

Kevin Pietersen suffered another frustrating day in his comeback for Surrey against Yorkshire at Headingley, where Yorkshire's first innings reached 136 overs before Andrew Gale, who made 148, declared on 433 for 9. Yorkshire's progress was twice interrupted by rain or bad light, which then twice disrupted Surrey's reply, in which Pietersen was scheduled to bat at No 4. With 36 overs lost in total, Surrey closed on 53 for 1, Arun Harinath having survived a chance to second slip off Ryan Sidebottom on 18 before edging Jack Brooks to keeper Andy Hodd for 36, at which point Tim Linley came in as nightwatchman. The only significant action for Pietersen – apart from attracting derision from some Yorkshire supporters when he helped umpire Steve O'Shaughessy choose a replacement ball – was to take a tumbling catch, running towards the boundary at mid-off, when Sidebottom skied a ball from Linley. More stoppages are expected today. Out of action since March with deep-seated bone bruising in his right knee, Pietersen joins up with England for the second of two Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand on Thursday. He may play in a four-day friendly between an England XI and Essex on 30 June in preparation for the Ashes series, which begins at Trent Bridge on 10 July.

Bowler of the day

Still refusing to allow his advancing years to compromise his desire to take wickets, 38-year-old Alan Richardson hauled himself back to the top of the wicket-taking chart when Glamorgan's Stewart Walters became his 40th victim of the season as the Welshmen were forced to follow on against Worcestershire at New Road. Richardson, who has taken 225 first-class wickets since moving from Warwickshire in 2010, leads the Sussex duo Steve Magoffin and Chris Jordan, and Glamorgan's Michael Hogan, all on 39 wickets. In Richardson and Moeen Ali, Worcestershire have both the leading wicket-taker and the leading run-scorer in the Championship.

Ashes watch 2

After his brilliant 181 opening the Australia A first innings against Gloucestershire at Bristol, the 22-year-old New South Wales batsman Nic Maddinson was less impressive yesterday at No 5, succumbing first ball to Will Gidman. Not that his colleagues did much to further their Ashes chances as they were all out for 111. Fawad Ahmed the leg-spinner granted fast-track Australian citizenship with the Ashes in mind, took one wicket in Gloucesterhire's first innings but closed with second-innings figures of 0-62 from 14 overs, having been hit for three sixes by the Australian all-rounder Dan Christian.

Extras

Chris Adams, the former Surrey team director, said he was "proud" of his "achievements" at The Oval when he spoke for the first time since his dismissal last week. "I made some mistakes but I felt I was learning from those mistakes," he added.