County Championship round-up: Nick Compton fails again at the crease

Ashes Watch

Nick Compton recorded a second successive failure in Somerset's First Division game with Sussex.

The 30-year-old, who might have been opening the batting for England at Trent Bridge tomorrow but for his controversial dropping, was bowled by the Australian seamer Steve Magoffin for just seven.

In the first innings, Compton had been caught off Magoffin for a five-ball duck. Somerset have struggled at the top of the order, with Compton's opening partner Marcus Trescothick getting a pair. Somerset bowled out Sussex for 363, leaving them with a first-innings deficit of 119 after centuries from Michael Yardy and Matt Machan at Taunton.

Batsman of the day

Another England hopeful, Warwickshire captain Varun Chopra, scored an unbeaten 228 at Uxbridge. He declared at 486 for 6 and his opening bowlers Keith Barker and Chris Wright swiftly reduced Middlesex to 28 for 4. Their push for a follow-on, though, was held up by a fifth-wicket stand between Adam Voges and John Simpson, who took Middlesex to 177 for 4 at stumps.

Extras

At Chester-le-Street, Durham moved towards victory as Scott Borthwick helped to take the game away from Derbyshire. The visitors were bowled out for 113 – Chris Rushworth taking 6 for 46 – giving Durham a first-innings lead of 140.

Borthwick, who has played two one-day internationals and one T20 international for England, then built on that with 117, putting on 168 for the second wicket with the young South African Keaton Jennings, to leave Durham with a lead of 348 at stumps.

In the Second Division, the Australian batsman Simon Katich hit an unbeaten century for Lancashire as they responded to Northamptonshire's first-innings score of 310. The hosts were eventually bowled out, with Kyle Hogg taking four wickets, and Lancashire closed last night on 262 for 4, with Katich 114 not out, having put on 116 for the fifth wicket with Luke Procter.