Cameron Green is warming up with gritty resolve for his potential World Test Championship final assignment, hammering another back-to-the-wall century for Gloucestershire that suggests he’s in fine shape for the ‘ultimate’ battle against South Africa.

Returning after a six months lay-off and surgery to cure back woes, his battling ton at Bristol on Saturday was his second championship century since a mystery Gloucestershire benefactor paid for him to have the chance to bat himself back into form while enabling the county’s fans to enjoy watching a potential world beater.

If Green does go on to shine for his country in June’s Lord’s final, then a word of thanks may be due to the Kent attack for this was the second time in a month that the 25-year-old has flayed them.

He scored 112 on his Gloucester debut at Canterbury when the team were in a spot of bother and repeated the trick on Saturday when coming to the crease with the home side teetering on 4-139 in response to Kent’s first-innings 424.

Green had made single-figure scores in his previous four innings, and needed this boost, scoring 102no from 150 balls, with 12 fours and a six, to help steer Gloucester to 4-307 by the close.

It was so impressive that the Bristol denizens even began chanting the Aussie’s name.

“It was amazing,” Green said of the reception. “I definitely wanted a good score in front of the fans. They’ve come out in force the two games I’ve been here, and I’ve never experienced a crowd chanting my name before, so that was awesome to experience, a really cool moment.”

It could be that Green ends up in a battle with Beau Webster for a place in the Lord’s XI but the good news for Australia is the Tasmanian’s playing pretty well too for Warwickshire.

Webster made 41 on a seamer-assisted pitch at Edgbaston and then took 2-33 off his nine overs, shining amid the home side’s struggle against Hampshire.

The big championship story of the day was the return for Lancashire, at 42 years young, of Jimmy Anderson, who quickly got back into the groove at Old Trafford by indulging in his favourite pastime -- dismissing Australians.

With just his 18th delivery, he clean bowled Derbyshire opener, Tasmanian import Caleb Jewell, for 18 -- from the James Anderson End, of course -- and ended with 2-24 off his five overs as Lancs reduced the visitors to 4-112 in response to their 458.

Anderson had been absent from the first five games after a calf injury, but after Jewell drove him through the covers for four, he switched to around the wicket and clipped the top of the Aussie’s off-stump for his opening scalp of 2025.

Elsewhere, captain Peter Handscomb again led from the front for second-division leaders Leicestershire, scoring 87 off 202 balls at Lord’s against Middlesex.

In the first division, reigning county champions Surrey took control against Yorkshire at the Oval thanks in part to their Australian new boy Kurtis Patterson, who made 85 off 140 balls, with 11 fours and a six, to help them to 7-384, a first-innings lead of 129.