County wrap: How the Aussies fared in the fifth round

Beau Webster (Warwickshire)

85 (86) & 6no (3)

0-10 (2) & 0-50 (11)

Season to date: 91 runs at 91.00

It was a great first appearance in Warwickshire colours for Beau Webster, playing a crucial hand in the Bears' victory over a strong Yorkshire XI which included Joe Root, Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow. Warwickshire slumped to 7-163 early in their first-innings reply to Yorkshire's 205 before Webster helped add 90 for the final three wickets to lift his side to a 48-run lead at Headingley. He finished with an impressive 85, and although he didn't take a wicket in his 13 overs, he was at the non-striker's end when the winning runs were hit.

It's going to a be an important run of first-class matches for Webster's WTC final hopes, with the incumbent Test allrounder now having to vie with the returning Cameron Green for his spot in the Aussie line up. Webster has already shown that his game is suited to English conditions; last year for Gloucestershire he averaged 58.25 from four first-class games while also taking 16 wickets at 21.25.

Marcus Harris (Lancashire)

167 (269) & 24 (41)

Season to date: 585 runs at 83.57

The in-form left-hander hit a sublime 167 to go to the top of the Division Two runs tally and stake a claim for a berth in Australia's squad for the World Test Championship final. Harris also looked good for his 24 in the second innings before being outfoxed by spinner Graeme van Buuren and was stumped as Lancashire batted themselves to a draw against Gloucestershire at Old Trafford.

With Australian selectors needing to recall an opening batter for next month's WTC final against South Africa, the Victorian's second big century of the county season stands out especially given Gloucester opponents Cameron Bancroft (18) and Cameron Green (8) couldn't get going in the high-scoring clash.

Harris' 585 runs make him the leading scorer in England so far this season across both county divisions, and the Lancashire No.4 said he was determined to make the most of his good form. "You always want to make a big hundred when you're out there," he said. "I'm just trying to make the most of being in some good form – you always get it drummed into you by coaches not to stuff around when you're in good form so I'm just trying to make the most of that."

Harry Conway (Northamptonshire)

5-68 (21.3) & 3-43 (19)

Season to date: 8 wickets at 13.87

The charismatic Aussie quick couldn't have responded better after being delisted by South Australia, starting with a five-wicket haul in his County Championship debut. The right-armer's first scalp was Peter Handscomb, adjudged lbw after stepping across his stumps trying to flick through the leg side. Conway then ran through Leicestershire's middle and lower order, also removing former Victorian allrounder Ian Holland caught behind before claiming the final two wickets as Leicester were dismissed for 304.

The 32-year-old also got Holland caught behind in his second innings three-for, but the Northamptonshire batters couldn't back up his efforts as they were rolled for less than 200 both times to lose by 132 runs. The match was the first of Conway's four-game stint with Northants during May.

Cameron Green (Gloucestershire)

8 (24)

Season to date: 129 runs at 25.80

It's now four single-figure scores in a row for returning allrounder Cameron Green, who had surgery on his back late last year. Green's maiden county stint began with a 112 against Kent but that's been followed by scores of 3, 4, 2 and now 8 from 24 balls against Lancashire.

On a beautiful batting strip at Old Trafford, Gloucestershire only had one innings with the bat during which Green will be kicking himself to have missed out. Following big scores to Ollie Price (253no) and Miles Hammond (97), Green walked to the crease at 3-277, with the second new ball having just been taken. But a beautiful delivery from veteran seamer Tom Bailey beat the outside edge of Green's defensive push and sent his off stump cartwheeling.

Understandably, Green hasn’t been bowling as his rehabilitation continues.

Jordan Buckingham (Yorkshire) 

1-84 (11) & 1-21 (3)

Season to date: 2 wickets at 52.50

The Sheffield Shield-winning quick was started hot in his first game for the season with the wicket of Warwickshire opener Alex Davies caught at third slip by England star Harry Brook. But he otherwise found the going tough at Headingley, conceding at least seven runs per over in each innings as Tasmanian rival Beau Webster cashed in with five fours off the South Australian right-armer in his first-innings 85, including three in the one over, all smoked to off side boundary. Buckingham struggled for rhythm across the match, sending down seven no-balls in in first innings followed by two in his three overs in the second as Warwickshire reached their 185-run target with five wickets and more than a day to spare.

Peter Handscomb (Leicestershire)

9 (45) & 0 (2)

Season to date: 331 runs at 47.28

Leicestershire captain Peter Handscomb may have missed out in both innings but his side scored a vital win over Northamptonshire, their first at home for the season to open up at 21-point gap at the top of the standings. Handscomb, who had made a strong start to the season with the bat which included 142no against Lancashire, was given out lbw in both innings, first to Australian Harry Conway and then to opening bowler Ben Sanderson, who finished with 6-72. Both dismissals were nearly identical too – with Handscomb trying to work the ball off a good length to the on-side, but failing to connect. Chasing 289 to win, Northants were bowled out for 156 to seal a big win for the Foxes.

Cameron Bancroft (Gloucestershire)

18 (45)

Season to date: 248 runs at 41.33

Having watched fellow Australian Marcus Harris hit a big hundred (167) across the first day-and-a-half, Cameron Bancroft would have been hoping to produce something similar on an Old Trafford pitch that offered very little for the bowlers.

But Bancroft never looked comfortable in his 45-ball stay, with a couple of nervous prods and inside edges before being undone by a ball from George Balderson that came from wide on the crease and snuck through the gap between his bat and pad.

Caleb Jewell (Derbyshire)

34 (56) & 44 (67)

Season to date: 433 runs at 54.12

One of the best games of the round took place at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff between Glamorgan and Caleb Jewell's Derbyshire. Although the match finished a draw, either side could have won it inside the final hour, with Glamorgan finishing one wicket shy of victory and Derbyshire just 30 runs short.

Jewell's solid season continued with another couple of starts, hitting 10 boundaries and a six in the match. Although his season's scores include five half-centuries, one thing that continues to elude the aggressive opener through five matches is a hundred, with his best of 83 coming against Leicestershire a month ago. Chasing 338, Jewell's innings had built Derby a good foundation in their chase but at 2-119, the Tasmanian missed a sweep shot off the off-spin of Ben Kellaway, which the umpire had no hesitation in giving out.

Brendan Doggett (Durham)

0-52 (21)

Season to date: 9 wickets at 33.44

The South Australian quick returned from a sprained his ankle and his side were made to toil for almost 155 overs in their first innings as Hampshire amassed 470 at the Rose Bowl. Doggett delivered 21 of those without taking a wicket, but his economy rate of 2.47 kept the hosts in check. Durham themselves put on 511 batting first with the right-armer contributing 17, with the match unsurprisingly petering out to a draw on day four. Touted as a chance for a possible call up to Australia's 15 for next month's WTC final at Lord's, last summer's Sheffield Shield player of the final will be back in action looking to add to his nine wickets for the seasons in just under a fortnight with Durham having a bye in the next round.

Did not play:

Fergus O'Neill (Nottinghamshire): The prolific Victorian seamer's four-game stint has ended, finishing with 21 wickets at 17.90, as well as 93 runs.

Kurtis Patterson (Surrey): The former Test batter only signed with Surrey late last week but will join the three-time reigning Division One champions for Friday's away clash with Beau Webster's Warwickshire at Edgbaston. The left-hander will also be available for home fixtures against Yorkshire and Essex during a three-game stint in May as batting cover for Surrey's England players, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith, who head into camp with the Test squad ahead of their clash with Zimbabwe beginning May 22.

Daniel Hughes (Sussex): Hughes' Sharks had the weekend off with the NSW left-hander scheduled to be back in action on Friday at Hove when they face Worcestershire.

Liam Guthrie (Northamptonshire): Guthrie was left out of Northants' XI this weekend, with the county welcoming former South Australian quick Harry Conway who took five wickets in his first game for the season.

Marnus Labuschagne (Glamorgan): Australia's Test No.3 will join the Welsh county for his sixth season in May ahead of the WTC final against South Africa at Lord's in June.

Will Sutherland (Yorkshire): The Victorian captain will be available for rounds eight and nine of the County Championship during his stay for the entire T20 Blast season.

Wes Agar (Kent): The SA quick isn't scheduled to arrive in Canterbury until the end of May, ahead of the start of the T20 Blast. It will be Agar's third stint with Kent.

Chris Green (Lancashire): The Sydney Thunder spinner signed a two-year contract last October for the duration of the T20 Blast group stages in 2025 and 2026 (May-July), which like last year, will also include additional appearances in the County Championship and one-day competitions.

Riley Meredith (Somerset): The Tasmanian speedster returns to Somerset for a second straight season in May.

Nathan McAndrew (Sussex): South Australia's Sheffield Shield-winning quick will be available in June and July, playing in both the County Championship and T20 Blast.

Gurinder Sandhu (Sussex): The right-armer will join Sussex for June and July with Indian left-armer Jaydev Unadkat unavailable until September.