Yorkshire off to winning start in County Championship

Dawid Malan scored a fluent half-century to guide Yorkshire to a six-wicket victory over Gloucestershire on the final day of their LV=Insurance County Championship Division One match.

Yorkshire were made to work hard for their win, with James Bracey earlier registering an outstanding, career-best 177 that propelled the hosts to 359 in their second innings.

Getty Dawid Malan top-scored for Yorkshire with a run-a-ball 65 as they chased down 211 to beat Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire vs Yorkshire scorecard

Bracey dominated a defiant seventh-wicket stand of 104 with Zafar Gohar (40) to ensure the contest went into the final session of the fourth day.

Bracey was last man out shortly after lunch, removed by Yorkshire captain Steven Patterson (4-43), leaving Yorkshire a target of 211 in 60 overs.

Malan spearheaded that chase, posting a run-a-ball 65, while promising youngster Harry Brook tonked an unbeaten 56 off just 48 deliveries to finish the job with more than 10 overs to spare.

It represents the perfect start to the season for Yorkshire's recently-appointed managing director of cricket Darren Gough and head coach Ottis Gibson following on from the Azeem Rafiq racism row that dominated the winter.

Elsewhere in Division One, Lancashire secured a 10-wicket win over Kent in their clash at Canterbury, but only after the hosts frustrated them deep into the final day.

Kent vs Lancashire scorecard

Leg-spinner Matt Parkinson finished with match figures of 7-158, while Hasan Ali took 3-36 in Kent's second innings, but the visitors were held up by a defiant second-innings batting display from Ben Compton.

Compton became the first Kent batter to score centuries in each of his first three innings for the club. When he was finally out for 115, Compton had faced 629 balls and batted for 856 minutes.

Lancashire had reduced Kent to 81-6 overnight, but Compton and Hamid Qadri put on a stand of 139 for the eighth wicket to frustrate the visitors. Lancashire eventually clinched victory when they chased down a modest target of 33 for the loss of no wickets.

Division Two

An unbeaten fifty from the No 1-ranked Test batter in the world, Marnus Labuschagne, guided Glamorgan to a seven-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire, their first triumph at Trent Bridge in a red-ball match since since 1998.

Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan scorecard

Chasing 166 to win after taking Nottinghamshire's final two second-innings wickets inside the first hour of play, Glamorgan wrapped up the win before tea on the final afternoon.

Australia's Labuschagne, in his first game back with the Welsh county after successful summers in 2019 and 2021, was dropped on 25, although it is doubtful the miss had any bearing on the outcome of the match.

Elsewhere, Tom Haines and Cheteshwar Pujara both scored double centuries to complete a remarkable escape act as Sussex secured a draw on the final day of their match against Derbyshire.

Derbyshire vs Sussex scorecard

Haines (243) and Pujara (201no) shared in a third-wicket stand of 351 scored in 119 overs, a Sussex record for any wicket against Derbyshire.

Sussex, who were 278-2 overnight, still trailing by 53 after following on, ultimately ended proceedings on a staggering score of 515-3.

At Emirates Riverside, Leicestershire defiantly held out for a draw on the final day of their match against Durham, losing only two second-innings wickets.

Durham vs Leicestershire scorecard

Durham declared overnight with a lead of 394 in the hope of pressing for their first victory of the campaign, but chances were hard to come by on a lifeless wicket.

Ollie Gibson (1-28) had a day to remember as he claimed his maiden first-class wicket to mark an encouraging performance with the ball in difficult conditions. Liam Trevaskis (1-13) claimed the only other wicket to fall.

Sam Evans (77no) led the resistance to see Leicestershire safely to a draw, collecting his first fifty of the term as he held on for over 250 deliveries.