Dukes ball used for round three in County Championship; Root, Brook, and Crawley fall early as Warwickshire dominate against Hampshire

The County Championship season took an interesting turn in round three as the Dukes ball was deployed after the Kookaburra was used in the first two weeks. The change in ball type seemed to have an immediate impact as England batters Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Zak Crawley all fell for single figures in their respective matches.

Root and Brook, who have been in decent form this season, could only manage five and three runs respectively for Yorkshire against Middlesex in Division Two. Crawley, playing for Kent in Division One, also struggled and was dismissed for just five runs against Surrey.

The decision to switch to the Dukes ball was made in an effort to provide more movement for the bowlers and create a more balanced contest between bat and ball. The move seemed to pay off as wickets fell at a quicker rate compared to the first two rounds of the season, where matches ended in draws and batters dominated.

In other matches, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, and Durham all faced batting collapses, while Warwickshire put on an impressive display with the bat, reaching 340-4 against Hampshire. Opener Alex Davies was the standout performer, scoring a brilliant 149 to lead his team’s charge.

The day was also marked by tributes to former players Derek Underwood and Raman Subba Row, who recently passed away. The cricketing community came together to honor their memory before the start of play.

Overall, round three of the County Championship provided plenty of drama and excitement, setting the stage for an intriguing continuation of the season. Fans can expect more thrilling action as the competition heats up in the coming weeks.