County Championship round-up: Sidebottom gives selectors gentle nudge

Swing is back in fashion and no one is likely to be happier than Ryan Sidebottom. The England left-arm bowler, who has been rather forgotten amid the hubbub of this current Ashes series, showed Graham Onions and Jimmy Anderson that they don't have a monopoly on late-moving deliveries by taking 5 for 106 for Nottinghamshire down at Taunton yesterday.

Sidebottom could conceivably still have a role to play against Australia this summer – his combative approach seems tailor-made for tackling Baggy Green bullies – especially if he continues to bowl with the impressive swing and pace that he displayed in this First Division contest against Somerset.

Having accounted for Arul Suppiah, Justin Langer and Wes Durston in the space of seven balls on Friday, rain meant Sidebottom had to wait some time to add Zander de Bruyn – caught by Adam Voges – and Max Waller, lbw, before the home side declared having reached 401 for 8.

With Somerset second and Nottinghamshire a place behind this is a match that could have a significant impact on the title race. Sidebottom was back in the middle by the close – as a nightwatchman – as Notts stuttered to 77 for 3, Andy Caddick picking up two wickets.

If swing is back, the soporific pop-folk of 70s strummer James Taylor remains resolutely unhip. Nonetheless, the writer of "Rainy Day Man" would have been on a few minds yesterday and not simply because of the dreary drizzle that curtailed so much cricket all over England. It was instead thanks to the exploits of his namesake, a 19-year-old Leicestershire batsman, who struck a double century as his team piled on the runs against Surrey at The Oval.

Taylor is notable for a couple of reasons. He was last year's Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year having performed sensationally at Shrewsbury public school (he hit 898 runs at an average of 179.60), and he stands just 5ft 5in. Any idea what his nickname at the club might be? You guessed it – "Titch".

He is a fine cutter and puller and on a good Oval pitch he was able to indulge his favourite shots, hitting 23 boundaries in his 207 as the visitors racked up a total of 593 for 5 declared before bad light ended play in this Second Division match. Taylor shared in an unbroken partnership of 230 with Jacques du Toit, who finished on 100.

Despite Taylor's efforts, Leicestershire are struggling in the four-day competition having won a single match and drawn six. The same cannot be said of Kent and Derbyshire, first and second in the table, whose contest at Canterbury appears to be tilted slightly in the visitors' favour after the home team reached 249 for 8 in reply to the East Midlands' side's first-innings total of 303.

Resuming on 49 for 1, Kent slumped to 135 for 6 by lunch in the face of accurate fast-medium bowling by Graham Wagg and Tim Groenewald. Rob Key was the first man out in the fifth over of the day when he nicked one to wicketkeeper Freddie Klokker and his team followed their captain's example.

It was left to James Tredwell to stop the rot with an unbeaten 67. The Ashford man's efforts mean that despite the rain there is still all to play for at the St Lawrence Ground.

The same could probably be said of the Roses encounter at Old Trafford, where Lancashire moved into a position of some dominance over their fiercest rivals. Having bowled out Yorkshire for 181 yesterday, Lancs went from 106 for 0 to 219 for 2 at stumps, Paul Horton impressing with a resolute 84 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Tim Bresnan. Yorkshire's South African wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy was also involved in the fall of Tom Smith, catching the 23-year-old off the bowling of Matthew Hoggard.

Another South African, Garnett Kruger, shone for Glamorgan in their Second Division encounter with Gloucestershire, taking two wickets before Gloucestershire declared on 400 for 9. Glamorgan reached 35 without loss. Elsewhere, Middlesex held a narrow advantage over Northamptonshire as they reached 310 for 6 at Lord's in response to the visitors' 288.