Somerset proposes a loan to Shoaib Bashir while Jack Leach gets well

Earlier this season, Glamorgan made an offer for Bashir. However, now, teams in Division Two will be able to consider him.

After securing their second victory of the year in a thrilling round of Championship play to maintain pressure on Surrey at the top of Division One, Somerset has extended an offer to loan England spinner Shoaib Bashir.

As Jack Leach, another spinner from England, recovered to full fitness, Bashir was left off the Somerset team that defeated Kent by eight wickets in the last session.

Somerset turned down Glamorgan's offer to loan Bashir to them for this round of games. However, Somerset has now made Bashir available, ideally to Division Two sides, for the round that starts on Friday when Somerset plays Durham up north.

The 20-year-old's playing time has been under scrutiny ever since he made several noteworthy performances during his first-ever Test tour to India in January. Somerset and Lancashire would be "a bit mad," according to England coach Brendon McCullum if they didn't play Bashir and Tom Hartley. Although Bashir has played three games and taken four wickets in four innings, Leach's return is probably going to limit his opportunities.

Kent's defeat by Somerset was a thrilling victory. Kent was able to regain control of the game thanks to Zak Crawley's 238 but Somerset's early domination meant that they just needed to win by two wickets.

Scoreboards for Division One, including Kent vs. Somerset

With the victory at maximum points, Somerset moves up to second place, eighteen points behind leaders Surrey and four ahead of Essex, who won in an exciting match in Warwickshire. Despite conceding a 235 first-innings deficit, Essex managed to chase down 330 thanks to 112 from Jordan Cox and 99 not out from Matt Critchley.

Lancashire also triumphed, their first of the year, even though Durham looked like they could mount a 475-run chase. Durham had hope when Davi Bedingham scored his second century of the game and Ollie Robinson got 171 not out while sharing 216. However, Durham lost seven for 101 after Nathan Lyon picked up Bedingham, including Ben Stokes for eighteen, reverse-sweeping, as they lost by sixty runs and left Robinson stranded. The Sussex and England seamer's name is shared by the wicketkeeper-batsman, who is vying for a spot in the Test team this summer. It won't have hurt him to perform so brilliantly in front of Stokes.

After a shaky start, Hampshire also won for the first time this season. They overcame Nottinghamshire with a five-down thanks to a 127-run partnership between James Fuller and opener Fletcha Middleton.

Perhaps regretting not to have paired Bashir with Mason Crane, Glamorgan was unable to quite force the advantage over Middlesex, who edged home by two wickets in pursuit of 213 at Cardiff. After hitting 48 earlier, Crane took his maiden five-wicket haul for Glamorgan, but Middlesex won a match they had all the running in thanks to a 52-run partnership between Jack Davies and Tom Helm. They trail Sussex, who they will play at Lord's on Friday, in Division Two.

In Division Two, there were two exciting draws: Leicestershire held off Gloucestershire, while Derbyshire overcame Northamptonshire despite being nine wickets behind in their second innings.

Unfortunately for Surrey, Jamie Overton will not be able to bowl in Championship cricket again until September at the latest, following confirmation of a stress fracture to his back. Overton, who was considered for England's T20 World Cup team, may be able to bowl in short-form cricket this summer, but demanding too much of a fragile healing process may be too much to ask.