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Bushrangers trio fires in county action

Aussies in form in England as ageless Chanderpaul and returning Cook also make impressions

Victorian trio Peter Handscomb, James Pattinson and John Hastings all pushed their teams into strong positions in County Championship action on Saturday.

Handscomb, who had only managed one half-century in his previous 15 innings across all formats, found form for Yorkshire at a crucial time.

Day One: Pattinson fires again, Chanderpaul shines

Coming to the crease at 1-9 in response to Warwickshire's 196, the right-hander scored 75 from 110 deliveries to dominate the scoring, before chopping on to Chris Wright.

Handscomb was granted a release from his contract with Pune in the IPL so he could instead hone his skills against the swinging ball in England's division one County Championship, to date scoring 4, 25 and yesterday's half-century.

"I wanted to get over (to England) and play Division One county cricket for a full season and get used to what happens in England and try and figure out a way of playing over there," he said in February.

Scores: The latest English county action

"You go to the tough places and play the best players in the world in either spin bowling or seam bowling and it's a great challenge.

"I see myself as a longer-format player, so sitting on the sidelines in the IPL for me wasn't going to be great practice.

"Especially after I'd spent two months in India (during the Test series) already playing in these conditions. 

"So to get over to England and test myself in those conditions but also play games I thought was a much better move."

In the Second Division, Australia paceman Pattinson, fresh from taking three wickets on the first day for Nottinghamshire against Durham, starred for the visitors with the bat by making 59 as they piled up 305 at Chester-le-Street.

Patto sends stumps flying in County

Pattinson then took 2-24 in 11 overs, including the wicket of former England batsman Paul Collingwood, the Durham captain, as the hosts slumped to 5-162 in their second innings – a lead of just 19.

It was a similar story for Pattinson's Bushrangers teammate Hastings.

Having also taken three wickets, in what was his comeback first-class match after knee surgery, Hastings too followed up with a fifty as Worcestershire made 403 to establish a 196-run lead on the first innings against Glamorgan in Cardiff.

Elsewhere in Division One, West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul proved age is no barrier to batting success as the 42-year-old made a painstaking 182 for Lancashire on day two against Surrey.

Resuming on 85 not out, the veteran left-hander demonstrated the application that saw him score in excess of 11,000 Test runs in a West Indies career spanning more than two decades as he anchored Lancashire's first innings at The Oval. 

Chanderpaul completed the 74th first-class century of his career before, after needing a runner following a thigh injury, he was eventually last man out after a marathon eight hours.

His innings came to an end when he mistimed a drive against England off-spinner Gareth Batty, the Surrey captain, and was caught at extra-cover.

In all, Chanderpaul faced 328 balls, including 21 fours and two sixes, sharing a stand of 243 with Jordan Clark (140) in a Lancashire total of 470.

At stumps, Surrey were 2-112 in reply.

At Taunton, England opener Alastair Cook made a fifty for Essex against Somerset in his first innings since resigning from the Test captaincy.

The left-hander, England's all-time leading Test run-scorer, resumed on 39 not out and went to his fifty in 85 balls.

April 10: Pattinson bags eight and top scores on debut

But soon afterwards, he chopped a Lewis Gregory delivery onto his stumps.

Cook's exit for 52 came during an Essex slump from 3-81 to 129 all out but New Zealand paceman Neil Wagner brought the visitors back into the game.

Wagner took 6-48 as Somerset were dismissed for 174 in their second innings to leave Essex with a victory target of 255.

Cook was four not out at stumps, with Essex 0-10. 

In Southampton, Michael Carberry is in sight of a memorable hundred for Hampshire against champions Middlesex at Southampton.

Former England batsman Carberry, in his first home championship match since being diagnosed with cancer last year, was 84 not out in a Hampshire total of 4-209 made in response to Middlesex's 356.

Meanwhile Will Tavare, the nephew of dogged former England batsman Chris Tavare, made 101 in Gloucestershire's 8-466 declared before the hosts reduced Leicestershire to 6-165 at Bristol.