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Super Siddle joins the 500 club with Essex

Victoria quick's latest five-wicket haul takes him into lofty territory for bowlers

Peter Siddle claimed his 500th first-class wicket and collected a 19th career five-wicket haul while in action for Essex in the County Championship.

Siddle picked up two quick wickets on the second day's play of Essex's match against Somerset to finish the first innings with 5-80, the final wicket of which took him to 500 career red-ball wickets.

Match Centre: County scorecards

The 62-Test veteran has claimed 211 Test scalps for Australia and is one of the game's most consistent performers.

Unfortunately for Siddle's Essex, his exploits with the ball were not backed up by the team's batting, as the side crumbled to be all out for 191 with Somerset extending their lead to 165 by stumps on the second day.

Former Victoria quick Ryan Sidebottom took 4-42 in 10 overs for Warwickshire to skittle Gloucestershire and claim an innings and 47-run victory.

Image Id: 6AC0CC64CA2E4449A6E18760B4B89F84 Image Caption: Finch in action against the pink ball // Getty

At The Oval, Test hopeful Aaron Finch scored 32 in a quick-fire 34-ball innings for Surrey before he was given out leg before to Graham Onions in their match against Lancashire.

Finch smashed two sixes and three fours in his knock as Surrey looked to push the run-rate, and the Victorian is aiming for an Australian Test squad berth to face Pakistan in the UAE in October.

His second-innings knock came on the back of a first-innings 43, the top score for Surrey in a day-night match so far dominated by bowlers.

South Australian Joe Mennie, playing his first match since suffering a head knock in June when he was struck by a shot in his bowling follow-through, took 2-46 from 10 first-innings overs, and had yet to make a breakthrough in the second innings with 0-26 from nine overs.

Image Id: 64403D5312AE4D2BB9699D05034F6E0C Image Caption: Joe Mennie appeals for Lancashire // Getty

Surrey lead by 161 runs after two days to be 4-197 at stumps, with England Test hopeful Rory Burns hitting 70 as opener, an important knock with Alastair Cook possibly to miss the fourth Test against India due to the impending birth of his third child.

There were other good innings from Test aspirants, with Moeen Ali unbeaten on 107 as Worcestershire reached 1-310 in reply to Yorkshire's 216, with teammate Daryl Mitchell not out on 140.

Hamsphire's James Vince, a former Test player also hit a ton with 147 at No.3 for Hampshire, who suffered a blow with South African quick Dale Steyn unable to complete his 11th over, and leaving the field with an apparent groin injury.

Further details of Steyn's prognosis are expected on the third day of the match.