Roundup: Foakes and Bracey impress with bat
It was a day of mixed fortunes for discarded England batsmen. Dom Sibley was bowled first ball by Surrey’s Reece Topley as the evening clouds settled over Edgbaston and Warwickshire finished the day 412 runs in arrears; while earlier at the same ground an unbeaten 132 from Ben Foakes had not only charmed the fleece-wrapped crowd but was a replica of his start to the 2021 season.
Then, Foakes made a brilliant 133 in a losing cause against Gloucestershire. In line for international honours, he slipped on a rogue sock in the Oval changing room, tearing his hamstring. It was enough to rule him out of the summer’s international cricket and in his place came James Bracey, whose Test baptism was torrid.
But the second day of the season was cheering for Bracey too. He moved through the gears from slow hand to like-the-clappers on the way to 117. He then pocketed five catches as Northamptonshire recovered from 129 for seven to take a 65-run first-innings lead against Gloucestershire thanks to a century from Rob Keogh and 66 from Gareth Berg.
Matt Critchley was last man out for Essex as they marched to a mammoth 514 at Chelmsford. Critchley arrived from Derbyshire last autumn, and was off the mark with an on-drive for four, his timing immaculate throughout his 132. Darren Stevens claimed his first wicket of the season when he bowled Adam Rossington. Ben Compton, grandson of Denis and cousin of Nick, got Kent off to a sparky reply.
Somerset’s early season starter moved from the disconsolate to the downright miserable, as Hampshire powered onwards at the Ageas Bowl. Joe Weatherley danced merrily to 168, a career best, and James Vince made a typically celestial 56. Such is Somerset’s player shortage that they had briefly to field a Hampshire player as a substitute fielder.
At Grace Road, Leicestershire spent the early evening rebuilding from six for three. Earlier the new Worcestershire captain, Brett D’Oliveira, added backbone to their innings with an unbeaten 118 alongside some sensible hitting from the lower order.
Shan Masood was stumped for 91 on his Derbyshire debut off Josh de Caires as his side fought towards Middlesex’s 401. Tim Murtagh took his 900th first-class wicket when he swung a ball into Billy Godleman’s stumps.
Sussex debutant Steven Finn gathered three wickets, including a tentative Haseeb Hameed for five, to give Nottinghamshire a scare as they chased Sussex’s 375. Earlier a maiden first-class century for Tom Clark topped a sprightly Sussex display with the bat.
Only 26.5 overs were possible at Sophia Gardens, time for Glamorgan to lose six for 42 against Durham as the lower order shuffled about after Colin Ingram fell for an attacking 87. After lunch, the groundstaff were reduced to scooping hail off the field with a tractor bucket.
Updated
I’m going to have to write some copy for the paper - early deadlines on a Friday, so apologies for disappearing. Please keep an eye on things for me. Foakes is six short of a century; Notts six short of a Notts-up.
