When it comes to debuts, it doesn’t come much better than Ryan McLaren’s for Hampshire.

Brought in for the last four matches in the next month, McLaren has so far taken seven wickets over two innings against Durham, helping Hampshire to a commanding position. At close of play on day two, Durham led by 88 with just four wickets remaining.

Not only has he bowled with pace, control and aggression, he also added a valuable 30 runs from 49 balls, coming in at No 8, boosting the Hampshire total to 251 in reply to Durham’s first-innings offering of 213. He shared a seventh-wicket stand with Sean Ervine of 47, at almost four an over.

In Durham’s first innings, McLaren took 4-60 off 18 overs, including three in his first eight. He followed that up with 3-35 off 13 overs.

Elsewhere, Northamptonshire are in an ‘interesting’ position against Essex. The hosts went on to rattle up 360, with Rory Kleinveldt adding a third wicket for a tally of 3-88 off 26. At the close, Northants were 143-3. Still at the crease is Richard Levi, on 13

Lancashire, looking for five points to guarantee promotion to Division One, are under pressure after Kent declared at 570-8. They got just one point from their bowling effort,and  when rain closed day two early, they were 25 without loss, awaiting Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince.

Compiled by Mark Salter