Essex are sole winners as rain washes out opening matches
One hundred and seventy eight spectators got an absolute bargain when they paid to get into Headingley on Monday, where Harry Brook lit up a rain-soaked round of Championship matches with an audacious unbeaten 100 in 69 balls for Yorkshire against Leicestershire.
Brook started in racehorse mode, clipping his second ball straight back past the bowler, before embarking on a boundary spree, 16 in total, including two sixes flayed off the front foot. On 99 he was briefly tormented by a flying insect and played and missed at Ben Mike before turning him around the corner, taking off his helmet and gently lifting his head and bat to the sky. Yorkshire then immediately declared so they could they could improve their over rate, which they duly did until the rain returned for one last time.
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India and his gig with Delhi Capitals in the IPL after the death of his grandmother Pauline. This was his first appearance for Yorkshire since July 2022, though he had got his eye in with 72 off 42 balls in a friendly against Durham on Easter Sunday. “He just wants to play cricket with his mates again,” said the Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson. “This is his comfort in a difficult time.”
Joe Root is scheduled to play for Yorkshire when they take on Gloucestershire in the next round at Bristol – weather permitting.
Essex top the Division One table after beating Nottinghamshire by 254 runs in the one game to produce a positive result. Sam Cook, who celebrated a hat-trick in the first innings and made a useful 29 as nightwatchman, snaffled six for 15 as Notts were sent on their way for just 80, six of the batters losing their stumps.
Sussex nearly forced victory at Hove, reducing Northamptonshire to 170 for nine, Ollie Robinson thundering in and collecting his 400th first-class wicket with a humdinging yorker, before bad light brought things to a close.
Ryan Higgins collected 221 in the run-fest against Glamorgan at Lord’s, with Middlesex’s 655 their second largest total ever; Jake Libby just had time to reach his century for Worcestershire before the rain returned at Edgbaston and centuries for Joe Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond ensured Kent survived some final day wobbles.
There was no play at Old Trafford and the game at Durham was washed out without a ball being bowled, as was the game between Derbyshire and Gloucestershire – the first time that had happened in a Championship game at Derby since May 1981.
Updated
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Hampshire MATCH ABANDONED WITHOUT A BALL BOWLED
Canterbury: Kent 284 and 290-4 DRAW WITH Somerset 403
Old Trafford: Lancashire 202 DRAW WITH Surrey 15-0
Trent Bridge: Essex 253 and 374-9dec BEAT Nottinghamshire 293 and 80 BY 254 RUNS
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 333 DRAW WITH Worcestershire 360 and 295-3
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire MATCH ABANDONED WITHOUT A BALL BOWLED
Lord’s: Middlesex 655 DRAW with Glamorgan 620-3dec and 31-2
Hove: Sussex 478-9dec DRAW with Northamptonshire 371 and 170-9
Headingley: Yorkshire 264-6dec DRAW WITH Leicestershire 354 and 26-0
