County roundup by Tanya Alred
Northeast breaks Gooch’s record in huge Lord’s hit
Sam Northeast, the Glamorgan captain, collector of mammoth scores, strode to the highest first-class score at Lord’s, eclipsing Graham Gooch’s iconic 333 with an unbeaten 335, containing 36 fours and six sixes against Middlesex. He reached the milestone with a shuffle-flick off his toes, raising his bat to a host of empty white bucket seats but rapturous applause from the balcony and the crowd lucky enough to be there.
The bolshy backline-of a-ballet-class action of Dan Lawrence and the leggies of Cameron Steel provided energetic entertainment at Old Trafford, where things finally got underway after lunch on day two, and Lancashire lost eight for 52 in an elongated evening session.
Lawrence, Surrey’s one big signing of the winter, had been talked up pre-season as a “genuine all-rounder” by the head coach Gareth Batty. But Batty can’t have expected his prediction to have come true in Surrey’s very first match.
Rory Burns pulled Lawrence into the attack in the ninth over at the James Anderson end, and he made the first breakthrough shortly afterwards when Keaton Jennings clipped the ball low and Lawrence pounced to his left. Josh Bohannon then put on 67 with Luke Wells and 57 with George Balderson, before Lawrence (four for 91), and Steel (a career-best five for 25), proceeded to rip through the Lancashire batting on a day where the crosswind threatened to tear off your trousers and unbutton your blouse. There was time enough for Surrey to face five overs under floodlights with a ring of noisy close fielders, and Nathan Lyon, playing alongside Tom Hartley as promised by the new coach Dale Benkenstein. Lyon, who made a golden duck, dropped quickly into the grove, with time for a classic drop-kneed appeal and there was a last over from Hartley bowling in what had suddenly become an almost supernatural luminescence.
Nottinghamshire suffered a similar collapse at Trent Bridge, slipping from 259 for four to 293 all out as Sam Cook collected a hat-trick and Essex restricted the hosts’ first-innings lead to 40 despite a century for Joe Clarke.
A fifty from Karun Nair and 92 from Luke Procter took Northamptonshire to 292 for seven at Hove. There were three wickets for Jaydon Seales, and Ollie Robinson collected a deserved wicket after 19 overs of toil for Sussex. While some stoical tailend batting helped Kent limp to 284, thanks to 85 from last man out Joey Evison. The Somerset captain, Lewis Gregory, pinged for 20 in his first over, finished with four wickets, and there was no space for England spinner Shoaib Bashir in the Somerset XI.
At Edgbaston, Ed Barnard made a sprightly 89 for Warwickshire against his old county Worcestershire, and Ben Mike did the same against his former county Yorkshire with a swashbuckling 90 at Headingley for Leicestershire.
It was a washout for the second day in succession at Derbyshire and Durham, where the groundsman was dubious about play tomorrow because of the saturated ground.
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Hampshire no play on days one or two
Canterbury: Kent 284 all out v Somerset
Old Trafford: Lancashire 202 v Surrey 11-0
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 293 v Essex 253 and 65-1
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 292-5 v Worcestershire 360
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play on days one or two
Lord’s: Middlesex 138-1 v Glamorgan 620-3dec
Hove: Sussex v Northamptonshire 292-7
Headingley: Yorkshire 72-2 v Leicestershire 354
It suddenly got interesting when I had to start writing! Classic Lancs and Notts-ups of the genre and intriguing days all round suddenly in prospect tomorrow. Strange skies here at OT, I’m going to hurry home. Thanks for all the comments as usual, till tomorrow, good night!
I see they’ve called it a day at Hove, with Northants 292-7.
Time for me to gather my thoughts for a write up for the paper, but do keep the party going BTL.
Legspin from the Statham end for the first time and Cameron Steel makes an immediate breakthrough, with a doll of ball that pings back Balderson’s middle stump. Lancs 150-3. The tall Tom Bruce strolls out.
And thanks to the statistical genius of Ken Grime, I can tell you that Josh Bohannon has now scored 4,000 first-class runs for Lancashire at an average of 48.19.
Only 3 players who have scored 4,000 runs + first-class runs for Lancashire have a better average:-
Stuart Law 7,845 @ 55.63
John Crawley 10,533 @51.13
Ashwell Prince 5,791 @ 49.49
In Division One:
Joey Evison (73) has found some solidity in the unlikely figure of Matt Parkinson, batting at No. 10. Kent 267-8.
Dan Lawrence bowls and the Peter Hartley’s hat blows off almost to the rope. Lancashire 131-2, Bohannon 62. A slow period of play this.
Notts going for it with Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes putting on 147. Notts 247-4, trail Essex by just six runs. Harmer 12.4 overs, 0-48.
And Ed Barnard irritating his former county with 58 in Warwickshire’s 199-3.
Robson and Stoneman ensuring that Middlesex’s opening batting statement for 2024 is much more boring than 2023. Currently 61-0.
Saif Zaib just out at Hove, for 36, but the Northants tail proving an irritant for Sussex. Northants 292-7.
And Josh Bohannon smashes Lawrence into the car park for six!
Rehan Ahmed will miss two/threeof Leicestershire’s County Championship games to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca, with the blessing of club and country.
Meanwhile, Leicestershire have done well to scrap past 300 at Headingley, Ben Mike on 66 in an unbeaten partnership of 91 with Tom (another one) Scriven.
Super work here by Rowledge CC, who have collected 63 items of cricket gear for redistributing and reducing waste/saving carbon.
@DanielGeeHerald @SurreyCricketFd @Phil_Wisden @FarnhamOfficial @LoveFarnham 63 items of cricket gear dropped-off @ @RowledgeCC - this will be re-distributed to disadvantaged groups & schools reducing waste/saving carbon/growing participation https://t.co/Cc6MEsbllS pic.twitter.com/RMLvYBZGDK
— martin charter (@mcharter1) April 6, 2024
Did another circuit of OT, sat on the picnic benches and watched Josh Bohannon trundle a single to reach fifty, which he celebrated with a low key waft of the bat, first towards the dressing room, then the pavilion. Batting helmet firmly on. A good-enough trade being done by the ice-cream van, though you’d have to be careful your Mr Whippy wasn’t decapitated in the wind tunnel underneath The Point .
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Hampshire no play on day one or two
Canterbury: Kent 218-7 v Somerset no play on day one
Old Trafford: Lancashire 101-2 v Surrey
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 191-4 v Essex 253
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 137-2 v Worcestershire 360
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play on day one or two
Lord’s: Middlesex 32-0 v Glamorgan 620-3dec
Hove: Sussex v Northamptonshire 287-6
Headingley: Yorkshire v Leicestershire 287-8
The wind blows the players in for tea at Old Trafford with Lancs 101-2. Scores to follow.
And a second wicket at Old Trafford as Wells gives Dan Lawrence a nice little catch on the rope, a wicket for Tom (another one) Lawes. Lancs 93-2
“Re the quadruple Toms,” writes Keith Razey, “Somerset have four - Banton, Kohler-Canmore, Lammonby and Abell, but I’m not sure they’ve ever played in the same XI.”
Jamie Overton thunders in for his fourth over, battling the breeze and Bohannon – who is just ten short of his half century. Lancs 90-1.
In Division Two: Middlesex have survived the first four and half overs and are 30-0. A reminder of last year’s calamitous start.
Northants 255-6 at Hove, after captain Luke Procter was caught for 92, with fifty for Karun Nair. Three wickets for Jayden Seales. Robinson 19-7-46-1.
And Leicestershire’s tail making Yorkshire work for their wickets, from 174-6 to 241-8. Three wickets for Hill and Milnes.
Right, let’s go round the grounds. Division One first:
After an expensive first over, Lewis Gregory has scissored through the Kent top order, dismissing the top three. Kent 152-5
Steady business from Bohannon and Wells at Old Trafford on a sluggish outfield. Lancs 67-1.
Essex picking away at Notts, a wicket each from Porter and Cook, two for Snater. Notts 128-4, 125 behind.
While at Edgbaston, Davies and Rhodes are sailing along smoothly, Warwicks 102-1, trail Worcs by 258.
Updated
Glamorgan declare on 620-3
Northeast 335 not out. Now Middlesex….
Sam Northeast beats Graham Gooch's record 333 at Lord's
A shuffle-flick off his toes and that’s the record! He raises his bat to lots of empty seats bucket seats but lots of enthusiastic applause.
Updated
Northeast equals Gooch’s 333…
while Romeo has found another triple centurion in the first round,
”I don’t know how many times someone has scored a triple century in the
first round of the County Championship, or if this is the most recent
occasion, but James Hildreth did in 2009, against Warwickshire at
Taunton. 303* off 338 balls, with 35 fours and four sixes.”
Tanya, asks Iain Noble. “Is today’s side Lancashire’s the one with the most Toms in it ever? Or indeed any 1st Class side?”
Google isn’t helping me here, but it seems unlikely there have been more than four Toms in any one side…
No play at Derby on day two
A wet outfield the culprit. They try again tomorrow.
Trouble at mill, as the sheet covering the old OT pavilion window attached to the sightscreen blows away. My youngest son is currently on a cross channel ferry – hoping the wind hasn’t made it quite that far east…
And thanks to SOTD for digging around and discovering that the last man to get a triple century in the first round was “Justin Langer who in 2007 scored 315 against, yes, Middlesex. I believe that’s also the highest ever FC score in England in April.”
Northeast now on the quest to beat Graham Gooch’s 333, which is the highest score at Lord’s. I was at that game and remember the hush as he got into the 300s.
A triple ton for Sam Northeast!
What an absolute belter of a start to the season! A standing ovation round Lord’s, a standing ovation from the balcony. He sweeps for four, pulls off his helmet to reveal damp curls and a big grin. Quite low key really.
A sigh and a missed stumping at Lord’s, with Northeast on 291. At OT a first sight of next-cab-off-the-rank Bohannon. Watchful.
Iain Noble
And the 200 partnership ticks over at Lord’s, Glamorgan now 523-3, Northeast 291.
Dan Lawrence take s a wicket!
In his second over, as Jennings hits straight, Lawrence dives low, to his left and collects. Lancs 26-1.
Did you want to see a picture of Dan Lawrence in his Surrey cap?
Welcome to the club, Dan Lawrence! 🧢
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 6, 2024
Dan was presented with his Three Feathers debut cap by Ollie Pope! 🫶
📸 @ggf_photos
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/2jkIX4IVYI
At the other end, another migrant, Jordan Clark. Shirt untucked, head band in, athletic approach.
Aha! Here comes Dan Lawrence, after just nine overs of seam. Gareth Batty did say that he thought there was plenty of potential with Lawrence’s spin. DL’s approach is similar to those in the back row of a ballet class, wave your arms around alot and hope the teacher won’t notice that you have no clue what you’re doing. Lancs 20-0.
Surrey looking all very perky in the field, lots of energetic jogging. Rory Burns, in characteristic big white sunhat, is directing traffic.
Sam Northeast is just 17 short of a triple ton, a tasty 283 off 365 balls, 34 fours and three big ones. Steady with that Lord’s lunch Sam.
Question: when, if ever, was the last time someone made a triple century in the first round?
Just walked round the ground to buy some coffees at Cafe Nero, and can confirm that the wind is strong enough to take off your trousers and unbutton your shirt. After three overs, Lancashire are 4-0.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Hampshire no play on day one
Canterbury: Kent 100-4 v Somerset no play on day one
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Surrey no play on day one
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 93-3 v Essex 253
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 35-0 v Worcestershire 360
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play on day one or two
Lord’s: Middlesex v Glamorgan 507-3
Hove: Sussex v Northamptonshire 202-3
Headingley: Yorkshire v Leicestershire 164-5 no play yet day two
Paul Edwards and I are chewing over the respective batting line-ups. Surrey’s does seem to be a little stronger…
Lancashire debuts number 706: Tom Aspinwall 707: Tom Bruce and 708: Nathan Lyon.
Updated
Surrey have won the toss and will bowl!
Just tucking into rice and an orange thing which I think is a sweet potato steak as they run through the squad.
Hartley AND Lyon play!
Day 2 abandoned at Chester le Street
Back to the hotel for Durham and Hampshire.
Essex’s opening bowlers doing their bit – Duckett and Slater sent on their way by Cook and Snater. Notts 59-2.
At OT, Surrey are having a kick around and Lancs are applauding debutants. Nathan Lyon gets a few chummy back slaps.
News from OT
The umpires are back and the news is in. If there is no further rain, 80 overs are due at OT, with a ten past one start. A groundsman wheels a barrow of turf off the pitch.
A commendable effort by Worcestershire, all out for 360. Three wickets for Rushworth, two each for Rhodes and Booth. Jason Holder finished on 29. Now, let’s see what Holder can do with the ball?
No Shoaib Bashir for Somerset, which they could live to regret as Lewis Gregory brings himself onto bowl and is pinged for 20. Kent 48-0.
An early lunch at Headingley, with the hope they’l start at 1.10pm
Elsewhere in Division Two, Northants press on regardless: fifty for Luke Procter and nearly there for Karun Nair.
….and here at OT the covers are coming on again
A double century for Sam Northeast!
Glamorgan go up, up and away! Sam Northeast as greedy as he promised! A first double ton at Lord’s. Glamorgan 405-3. Middlesex’s season showing shades of 2023 already.
Sam Northeast moves to a double century at Lord's 👏pic.twitter.com/DtqSq4Byla
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) April 6, 2024
A trip round the Division One grounds with half an hour gone:
Compton and Muyeye have taken Kent to 11-0 against Somerset opening pair Josh Davey and ex Notts Jake Ball.
Essex were all out for the addition of only nine runs, and in reply Hameed is currently outscoring Duckett. Notts 13-0
Jason Holder has moved into double figures at Edgbaston, but Warwickshire have nipped out Nathan Smith: Worcs 333-8.
A further inspection at Durham at 11.am, and after lunch at Derby. But elsewhere, things are looking brighter!
A 12.15 inspection at OT
Hoping for a 12.30 lunch, and a 1.10pm start….
In the meantime I love this, especially Zakk Crawl-eee
After a disappointing wash out yesterday, @KentCricket vs @SomersetCCC will get underway today, and Kent has one of my favourite things, a player pronunciation guide. I will also be on the @BBCSport commentary throughout the day #CountyChampionship #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/pqizsspptw
— Sonia Twigg (@twiggsonia) April 6, 2024
Updated
The groundstaff don’t look too impressed…
Words from yesterday’s happy men:
Kashif Ali:
“I am buzzing. I feel very humbled and blessed to have scored my maiden century and to do it at Edgbaston, a Test match ground, is really special. I just want to send huge thanks to all the people at Worcestershire and at the South Asian Cricket Academy for all their help and support.
“It was hard graft at times because they bowled really well and it is not a free-flowing wicket. It was nice to reach my century with a six. I had thought if the ball was in the right place I would go for it and it came out nicely.”
Sam Northeast:
“It is one off the bucket list getting a hundred at Lord’s for sure. We have put ourselves in a great position. I’m not sure I had this in the script when I was tossing up this morning.
“I plan to be very greedy on day two. I plan to bat for a little bit longer tomorrow. We’ll have to see how many runs we can get. Hopefully we can declare in a strong position.
“I want to lead from the front, so it is a nice way to start that, but I’d like to be walking away from here with a victory, that’s the most important thing.”
and Dane Paterson:
“It’s been a busy week. My little boy had a tonsillectomy and I wanted to be sure that he was going to be okay, which is why I was a bit late coming back.
I’m a bit tired now, the ground is pretty heavy at this time of year. But I’m pleased with the way I got back into my rhythm. I love bowling here, it is my second home now.”
Arrive at Old Trafford to find the umpires, all in black, staring at the outfield like owls on the hunt. The groundstaff squat on the roller staring back at them.
Rain news: OT, Derby, Durham, Canterbury
Pitch inspection at 10.45 at Old Trafford, no play before lunch at Derby, inspection at 10.am following further rain overnight at Chester le Street but it looks like they’ll start on time in sunny Canterbury.
Storm Kathleen
Storm Kathleen is blowing in to test the second day of Championship cricket. Unseasonably strong winds are due to hit Ireland and western England, Wales and southern Scotland along with blustery showers. That cross wind could be tricky again at Edgbaston. Eastern England should be dry. As I type they’re inspecting the pitch at Derby…
🚗 Take care if you are travelling on the roads today, particularly in the north, as strong winds could cause disruption and difficult driving conditions
— Met Office (@metoffice) April 6, 2024
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/TBGI4OQkBo
https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1776521485646975069
Friday's round-up
The new Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast raced to the first century of the new campaign, as his side did just as Northeast had promised pre-season and played a “front-foot style of cricket” gulping down the batting points in the process. Northeast’s 186 not out was done in accompaniment with 67 from Billy Root, opening the batting in the absence of Eddie Byrom, and a stylish 77 from Kiran Carlson. The first day of Middlesex’s return to the Second Division was not a cheerful one, especially after they won the toss and chose to have a bowl with the Kookaburra ball being used for this round and which, true to form, didn’t give any bowlers round the grounds much help.
At Trent Bridge, Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox, Essex’s replacements for Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence, held the scorecard together as their middle order collapsed around them against Nottinghamshire. Both the new signings were out in the 80s, while no-one else made more than 18. Dane Paterson, who only flew in from South Africa on Wednesday, picked up the first five-fer of the summer, pocketing five for 49 and Essex were 244for nine when bad light stopped play.
Worcestershire, tipped by many to be relegated at the end of the season, made a sparkling start, even the bubbles started to pop by early evening. South Asian Cricket Academy graduate Kashif Ali reached a maiden first-class hundred with a lazy-days down-the-wicket and-flick six over long on, as Warwickshire’s bowlers struggled with a strong crosswind. Kashif’s classy 110 was the first Championship century by a SACA graduate. The new Worcestershire signing Jason Holder had time to get off the mark with a dreamy cover drive for four before stumps.
There was a late start at Headingley, where Leicestershire’s Australian Marcus Harris had time to pick up 50 against Yorkshire before the medium pace of George Hill (three for 25) provided the surprise scalpel. Rehan Ahmed made a busy boundary-filled 28 before Dan Moriarty trapped him lbw.
A truncated day also at Hove, where Ollie Robinson, given a subtle spring rocket by Rob Key and who has spoken about this being a make-or-break season for him, bowled some testing overs with pace and rhythm for Sussex. But the two Northants wickets to fall went to West Indies’ Jayden Seales.
As predicted by county groundspeople, the incessant rain of the last month made its mark. Play was abandoned for the day without a ball bowled at Chester-le-Street, Derby, Canterbury and Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Anderson confirmed that he was not expecting to play for Lancashire until the end of May at the earliest, when he will start to prepare for the England Test summer, which starts with the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s on 10 July.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Hampshire no play on day one
Canterbury: Kent v Somerset no play on day one
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Surrey no play on day one
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Essex 244-9
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Worcestershire 316-7
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play on day one
Lord’s: Middlesex v Glamorgan 370-3
Hove: Sussex v Northamptonshire 95-2
Headingley: Yorkshire v Leicestershire 164-5
Preamble
Good morning from a warm and windy Manchester. The prospects for play around the country look better on paper, it just depends on how saturated the ground is.
In the games that got under way yesterday, Glamorgan’s batters made hay, led by Sam Northeast, Worcestershire skipped to a bright start thanks to Kashif Ali and Essex rather crumbled to Dane Paterson. Northants survived Ollie Robinson with a point to prove and Leicestershire lost regular wickets at Headingley.
Time for a quick coffee in a pocket of sun.
