Harris responds to axing, Labuschagne tons up

Australian batters Marcus Harris and Marnus Labuschagne have both scored impressive hundreds for their county sides in the latest run-laden round of championship matches.

For Harris, there was the chance to take out the frustration of being dropped from the national team for the tour of Sri Lanka as he reeled off his second successive ton at home on a record-breaking Saturday for Gloucestershire.

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Meanwhile, Labuschagne was demonstrating again why he's become a such a popular figure at Glamorgan as he hammered his first century of the summer against Derbyshire.

After this week's disappointment, a batter's paradise of a wicket was just what the doctor ordered for Harris as he continued his prolific season against Surrey with a five-hour, 209-ball knock of 124, decorated with 18 boundaries.

It was a superbly constructed ton but wasn't even the stand-out performance of the day, as Harris largely played second fiddle in a record opening stand of 296 with local Bristol boy Chris Dent, who ended up with an unbeaten 207.

Their partnership was the highest for any Gloucestershire wicket in matches against Surrey, surpassing the 285 made by Bev Lyon and Wally Hammond at The Oval 94 years earlier.

Their domination helped Gloucestershire respond to Surrey's 603 all out with 2-443, with Harris perhaps thinking he may actually have missed out on a double ton himself after a wild slash off Kiwi Colin de Grandhomme found the edge and the keeper.

Harris now has 352 runs at an average of 70 from three games this season.

At Derby, Labuschagne's mastery as the world's No.1 ranked Test batter seemed evident again as he scored 130 off 199 balls, with 14 fours and a six.

It was his sixth century for Glamorgan and featured some sumptuous drives and a fascinating duel with fellow Australian Ryan Sidebottom.

His effort proved the mainstay of the Glamorgan total of 387 and he was ninth man out, trapped lbw by former Sri Lanka Test player Suranga Lakmal, who took 5-82.

When Derbyshire batted again and closed on 2-170, Pakistan opener Shan Masood was out for 42, failing by just three runs to beat the record for most first-class runs ever scored in April set by Nick Compton, who scored 715 for Somerset in 2012.

Australians in 2022 County Championship

Essex: Mark Steketee

Glamorgan: Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser

Gloucestershire: Marcus Harris

Kent: Jackson Bird

Middlesex: Peter Handscomb

Northamptonshire: Matt Kelly

Nottinghamshire: James Pattinson

Somerset: Matt Renshaw, Peter Siddle

Warwickshire: Nathan McAndrew

Get the full rundown of Australians playing county cricket in 2022