Jamie Smith puts Surrey in strong position before late Warwickshire rally

The hosts ended day two on 327 for six in reply to Warwickshire’s 343.

Jamie Smith shone for Surrey (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Archive)

Jamie Smith registered a dashing 98 not out but Surrey’s progress was checked by Craig Miles’ three wickets for Warwickshire late on day two of this Vitality County Championship fixture.

After Ed Barnard scored the four runs he needed to reach his ton before being last man out for 108 in Warwickshire’s 343 at the Kia Oval, Surrey’s top-three of Rory Burns (40), Dom Sibley (64) and Ollie Pope (44) lifted them to 169 for three.

Smith and Ben Foakes, both of whom are contenders for the England Test wicketkeeper spot this summer, put on 139 but Miles’ three-wicket burst in three overs left Surrey on 327 for six.

Foakes made 52 before he was cleaned up by one that kept low, Dan Lawrence was lbw for three while Kemar Roach nicked to slip, with Miles seeming to roll his ankle in celebration at his five-for.

Surrey’s hopes of a commanding first-innings lead likely hinge on Smith, who peeled off 14 fours and two sixes in a barnstorming 111-ball knock before going to stumps two short of a well-deserved ton.

Jason Holder and Matthew Waite both hit unbeaten centuries as Worcestershire built a daunting lead over Kent at Canterbury.

Holder was unbeaten on 123 while Waite made exactly 100 before the visitors declared on 618 for seven in their first innings, with Adam Hose contributing 90.

Joe Leach then took two early wickets to reduce Kent to 15 for two, before the hosts rallied to finish on 112 for two at stumps, a deficit of 506. Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jack Leaning were the not out batters on 54 and 43 respectively.

Haseeb Hameed posted his maiden century as Nottinghamshire captain and his first three-figure championship score since September 2022 against Lancashire at Trent Bridge.

Hameed finished unbeaten on 137 although he was dropped on 104 off left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who went wicketless in 18 overs in his last county match before joining the England squad for the T20 World Cup.

Saqib Mahmood, bowling competitively for the first time in 12 months following a stress fracture in his back, snared Hameed’s fellow opener Ben Slater as Nottinghamshire closed on 279 for seven in response to Lancashire’s 331.

Tom Prest’s 102 and Ben Brown’s 67 lifted Hampshire to an imposing 503 all out against Durham, who went to stumps on 146 for three led by Alex Lees’ 71 at the Utilita Bowl.

In Division Two, Kiran Carlson and Colin Ingram’s twin hundreds lifted Glamorgan from 41 for four to 411 for nine at stumps against Sussex at Cardiff.

Carlson made 148 and Ingram 170 to give the hosts a 133-run lead over Sussex, who saw seamer Jayden Seales impress again with a second successive five-wicket haul.

Marchant de Lange’s five for 42 skittled Northamptonshire for 171 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 409 at Wantage Road. The visitors ended their second dig on 77 without loss to increase their lead to 315.