Renshaw stars with timely ton, Anderson winds back the clock

On the day Australian squads to tour Sri Lanka were picked, Matthew Renshaw sent a reminder of his ability to selectors with a flowing century opening the batting for Somerset in the County Championship.

Renshaw, in a now unfamiliar role as opener having moved to the middle order for Queensland in recent years, struck a superb 129 against Warwickshire at Taunton, striking 19 fours and two sixes in his 192-ball innings.

Renshaw was today confirmed in the Australia A squad as part of a bumper 34-player all-format touring party to head to Sri Lanka in June-July, welcome recognition for the extended run of form which also saw him named a reserve for Australia's tour of Pakistan.

He raced to fifty off 80 balls, and brought up the century from 158 balls with a crisp boundary off the back foot against South Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew.

The century was a breakthrough after twice falling in the 40s in his two previous matches, and continued his prolific form with the county following a successful stint in 2018 that returned him to the cusp of Australia's Test team.

In that season, Renshaw scored three centuries in six County Championship matches, but the 26-year-old told local reporters he feels he's returned an improved player.

"I think I'm a better player now, I feel like I'm better at adjusting to the game scenario," Renshaw said.

"Back then if I was going hard, it was just going hard, but now I feel like I can read the game situation better and, depending on the bowler, change the way I'm batting, which is what I've been working on over the last couple of years.

"It was a great day today, I felt like we summed up the conditions well. It was a good toss to lose in the end – I think I probably would have bowled if I was captain.

"I just tried to enjoy myself out here. It's one of those places where you've got to do the hard work for the first couple of hours then you can have fun."

McAndrew proved expensive on his Warwickshire debut as his 17 overs went for 72 runs as Somerset racked up 4-351.

Peter Siddle, Somerset's other Australian import, failed a late fitness test and missed the match with a stomach strain.

Meanwhile, James Anderson celebrated news that his international exile is to end by helping Lancashire bowl out Hampshire out in their division one clash.

Veteran star Anderson, who was left out of England's tour to the West Indies, was given the green light to return to the Test side on Thursday by new captain Ben Stokes and new managing director Rob Key.

At Southampton's Ageas Bowl, Anderson, who will be 40 in July, produced a flawless new-ball spell on his way to figures of 3-24 as Hampshire were bowled out for 246.

On the day Stokes was announced as England's new Test captain, Anderson delivered a showreel of his best attributes, getting rid of Ian Holland and captain James Vince in his opening spell.

An unbeaten century from Nick Gubbins came to Hampshire's aid before Lancashire finished the day at 1-37.

Anderson's England bowling partner Stuart Broad also played for the first time since the final Ashes Test in Hobart in January ahead of his own expected return to the England fold, with Nottinghamshire leaving Aussie quick James Pattinson on the bench to accommodate his return.

But Broad was emphatically upstaged by South African teammate Dane Paterson as Notts thrived against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.

Broad took a wicket in the third of his eight overs but Paterson starred, finishing with a career-best 8-52 as Worcestershire were dismissed for 159 in the division two clash.

They were the best bowling figures at Trent Bridge since Broad's extraordinary 8-15 against Australia in 2015. 

Meanwhile, Glamorgan's Australian veteran paceman Michael Hogan did his bit to derail prolific Pakistani Shan Masood's push to score 1,000 runs by the end of May.

Masood's remarkable start to the season continued as he scored 60 before falling to 40-year-old Hogan, who was the pick of the Glamorgan attack with 3-45 in Derbyshire's 5-282.

Still, Masood remains on course for the most runs ever scored in April, with the left-hander closing in on Nick Compton's record tally of 712 in the same month in 2012.

After consecutive double centuries, Masood had 611 runs from four innings going into the match but could have been removed by Hogan in his excellent opening spell.

Australian Test seamer Michael Neser, on antibiotics for an infected toe, showed his toughness by playing through the pain to claim 2-50 from 18 overs, picking up both wickets in a tight spell with the second new ball.

Masood completed his fifth consecutive 50 shortly after lunch and looked to be moving towards another three-figure score until Hogan held a smart return catch, leaving the Pakistani on 671 runs for the month.

It was an ordinary day with the bat for some of England's Test squad contenders: as well as Vince being lbw to Anderson for two, Surrey captain Rory Burns was caught at second slip for six and Zak Crawley was lbw to Haris Rauf for four.

Haseeb Hameed made 53 for Notts, while Ben Duckett also made 50, and for Surrey Ollie Pope hit 84.

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

Sussex: Josh Philippe

Warwickshire: Nathan McAndrew

Get the full rundown of Australians playing county cricket in 2022