Eighteen-year-old Tom Norton charged about Sophia Gardens chased by cock-a-hoop Glamorgan teammates, who clapped his back and rubbed his beard, as he became the youngest County Championship debutant to take a hat-trick, ruining Somerset’s innings in the process.Norton first removed James Rew for a duck, in what will count as a failed experiment to push him up the order, before Tom Lammonby pecked behind and Archie Vaughan doddered in front of his stumps.“I don’t think I can put it into words to be honest.It’s the most mental 45 minutes I’ve ever had on a cricket field,” said Norton, the first championship debutant to take a hat-trick since 1906.“I never thought this would happen.

I was happy to get my first wicket yesterday to get me off my mark in first-class cricket but to take a hat-trick on my debut is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.It’s a really special feeling, hopefully I’ll have my name in the record books for a long, long time.”Dom Sibley has danced into the shop window this spring via weight of runs, and accumulated another 77 against Nottinghamshire in the top-of-the-table match at Trent Bridge.The formidable opening pair of Olly Stone and Josh Tongue wrestled out three of Surrey’s top order, but Dan Lawrence was unbeaten on 52 at stumps.Ben Stokes’s first innings this season, at New Road, where he had lit the Bazball touch paper four years ago, lasted only 17 balls before he was caught at second slip for 14.

There were no big runs against Worcestershire for Durham’s England hopngefuls Ben McKinney and Emilio Gay.Derbyshire sashayed to 604 for seven declared, the sixth highest score in their history, thanks to Brooke Guest’s 141 and Martin Andersson’s 106.Weary Northants then folded to 38 for four before adding 60 more by the close.At Bristol, a tight first-innings scramble was under way as Tawanda Muyeye (90), with help from the richly in-form Chris Benjamin (74 not out) and Ben Dawkins (65), inched Kent towards parity.Zak Crawley made only one before edging on to his stumps, and folding over his bat in disappointment.

There were four wickets and a laser-sharp run-out for Gloucestershire’s Will Williams,Dan Hughes’s first century of the season and an unbeaten 89 from John Simpson batting with the tail put Sussex on the front foot at Hove, despite a flurry of middle-order wickets,The excellent Tom Helm, on loan to Leicestershire from Middlesex, collected three wicketsEssex’s Simon Harmer (80 not out) and Jamie Porter (12) infuriated Hampshire with a last-wicket stand of 81, before James Fuller bowled Porter to complete a five-fer,Sam Cook then whistled out Toby Albert and Tom Prest before Hampshire got into the black,Yorkshire lost six for 15 in a calamitous collapse at Edgbaston.

Warwickshire’s Rob Yates, Dan Mousley and Sam Hain then piled on both pain and runs,Ryan Higgins snatched three second innings wickets in 10 balls to leave Lancashire reeling on a damp day at Old Trafford,Earlier an entertaining innings of 67 from Leus du Plooy had kept Middlesex in the game against James Anderson, whose four wickets included his first caught-and-bowled for Lancashire since dismissing Grant Flower at Chelmsford in September 2005,That’s it from us, back tomorrow,Good night!DIVISION ONEChelmsford: Essex 273 v Hampshire 235 and 58-2Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 229 v Somerset 354 and 32-6Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 415 v Surrey 211-4Hove: Sussex 386-8 v Leicestershire 328Edgbaston: Warwickshire 147 and 267-3 v Yorkshire 152DIVISION TWOThe County Ground: Derbyshire 604-7dec v Northamptonshire 98-4Bristol: Gloucestershire 325 v Kent 308-8Old Trafford: Lancashire 201 and 45-3 v Middlesex 169New Road: Worcestershire 308 v Durham 207-6After that flurry of excitement at Sophia Gardens, time for me to write up.

BTL remains open, of course,No century for Dom Sibley today, caught behind off Liam Patterson-White for 77,Surrey 198 for four,I don’t want to mention what has happened at Sophia Gardens, but I must,England’s favourite young pretender, pushed up the order, James Rew, has been caught, for a duck.

And now Tom Lammonby.And now Archie Vaughan! A hat-trick for 18 year old Tom Norton who scoots across the field and is swamped by jumping teammates, thumping his back and stroking his furry beard.What a first-class debut!There’s another tight game zigging and zagging at Hove, where John Simpson (71), with help from Charlie Tear, has ushered Sussex to a lead.Sussex 361-8.And Mouseley (66) and Hain (22) are taken over where Yates (81) and Davies (38) left off at the suddenly upside down game at Edgbaston.

Warwicks 220-2,Dom Sibley is still going at Trent Bridge, 66 not out,I know it might be unpalatable for Bazball, but he is the only opener making stacks of runs…Surrey 165-3,Ro-Jo with the new ball here, airs one past Balderson,Jennings strides down the wicket to whisper sweet nothings.

Down at Chelmsford, the bells start to toll.Sam Cook has Toby Albert cheaply for the second time in the match.Hampshire 19-1.Glamorgan are all out at Sophia Gardens for 229, but an 125 run deficit is better than it could have been, thanks to Cooke and van der Gugten.Three wickets for Pretorius.

And that’s tea at last.Roland Jones has an expansive waft and caught behind off Balderson.Middx lose their last three wickets for nought and Lancs have a lead of 32.Lots of tight games in this round.And Stokes out, edged to second slip, with little fanfare and two fours.

Durham 119-4.And another wicket at OT.Seb Morgan doesn’t want to go, but the umpire sends him off.Top edging a hook behind.Middx 169-9, trail by 32.

Some fireworks would be nice.A good scattering of people at New Road.Love to see that forward defensive on tip toes.This was Ali’s report from the 2022 whirlwind, batting with David Bedingham, as today.And this the lovely note Stokes messaged young Josh Baker that evening, after Baker was savaged on social media.

“Hey Josh, Ben Stokes here.Hope you don’t mind me sending you a message pal.Please don’t let today define the rest of your season.These days social media is relentless and a vile place for keyboard warriors and people who are jealous of us that we are professional cricketers and they didn’t make it.You’ve got serious potential and I think you’ll go a long way,”Hmmmm.

Northants? But on the up side, things are looking better than they did at 38 for four.Northants 54-4.Jimmy takes a break.6-0-24-1.Now on ball polishing duties for Stanley, who takes his place at the JA end.

Middx have reduced the deficit to 41, du Plooy 65,Five wickets for James Fuller in Essex’s 273,A handy 38 run lead,Now Hampshire go again,Fifty for Leus du Plooy, who turns JA off his hip for four, and follows up with two more.

Jimmy polishes the ball on the front of his shirt and mutters spells and spiders,The deficit now 59,It feels a long time since we’ve had a Simon Harmer century,And I miss those summers where Harmer zipped through everyone,Anyway, he’s not far off now and helping Essex’s cause no end with his 80 not out.

Essex , nine down, now have a small lead over Hampshire,Really enjoyed this interview with him from Dan Gallan earlier this week,Tea has come and gone at most places, but not yet at OT, where Gohar must now make the lonely walk past his batting partner, super catch by Stanley, diving, at midwicket,A second wicket for Tom Bailey,Middx 124-7.

With only the hardiest spectators still in the stands, Anderson chalks off wicket number four, substitute Harry Duke who, tempted outside off stump, wafts and edges behind.Middx 124-6.But Du Plooy still here on 43.After three catches, including a blinder at second slip to get rid of George Hill, Rob Yates is racing along at Edgbaston, where batting is suddenly not difficult any more.Warwickshire 142-1, are just five short of their first innings.

Tea at 5,15, 38 overs to go,Rare riches for Derbyshire – who declare on 604-7 and already have Northants 12-1, Vasconcelos a ten ball nought after being in the field for 148,5 overs,Ben Aitchison the wicket taker.

It’s going to be a one-innings shoot out at Chelmsford as well.Essex are nine down, 14 behind Hampshire.Wiaan Mulder (54) and Simon Harmer (39) helping out the top order.Four wickets to James Fuller.The umpires are taking a walk at OT but I think it is spitting again.

They don’t look hugely impressed anyway.After losing Rory Burns to a top-edged pull, stalking off before it came back to land in Olly Stone’s hands, Surrey are sailing on, 82-1.Dom Sibley, who has two hundreds in the last two games, 32 not out.And now Cooke goes…as Craig Overton digs one back and into the pads.Glamorgan 176-7.

Ben Kellaway was doing a good job of rescuing Somerset with 59, but he fancied cutting Jack Leach away and was bowled.Glamorgan 174-6 and only about half way to catching Somerset, but Cooke still there on 39.Jofra Archer having a minor shocker in the IPL.So far, four wides, a no-ball, a four and a dot in his seven ball over.A third five-fer of the season for Ben Raine, who is the leading wicket taker in Division Two, ahead even of Sir Jimmy.

Worcestershire all out 308, Jack Home proved a large irritant for Durham with 63 not out.Lees and McKinney steady she blows, 15-0.Stat of the day, courtesty of Ken and Paul.Jimmy Anderson’s caught and bowled this morning was his first caught and bowled since 2023, when he caught Tom Blundell at Mount Manganui, and his first caught and bowled for Lancashire since he caught Grant Flower at Chelmsford in September 2005.That was the same game when Lancashire sprang Murali Kartik on Essex and got 10 wickets in the match.

See scoreboards p19 – a a great bit of history this!Apologies all, I just had to take a work call.Still nothing doing here at OT, in fact the covers are coming back on.It started raining five minutes before play was due to restart.Ben Kellaway and Sean Dickson have added thirty since Glamorgan’s pre-lunch clatter of wickets – Glamorgan 89-4.Oooh, and Dan Hughes is just two runs short of his hundred at Hove…Yates and Davies seem to have decided that on this pitch attack in the answer – five boundaries between them in just eight overs