County Championship roundup
If Durham couldn’t quite keep pace with England at Old Trafford, they gave it their best shot, tucking into Derbyshire’s attack with lip-smacking gusto. Alex Lees, one of Zac Crawley’s ex-opening partners, now discarded, became the first player to pass a 1,000 Championship runs this summer during his 171, and shared a record third-wicket stand of 305 with David Bedingham (138). Earlier Derbyshire’s Brooke Guest had been last man out for 197.
Nineteen wickets fell on day two at Oakham school, one more than on an eventful Wednesday, batters carefully picking their way through the minefield to get to the crease. Leicestershire were set an unlikely 238 to win mid-afternoon, but had deflated to 114 for seven at stumps, Dillon Pennington and England’s Josh Tongue doing the damage. Their one hope is that Rehan Ahmed remains, unbeaten on 33. Sandwiched between Leicestershire innings, Worcestershire stumped up 169, largely set up by Jake Libby. Chris Wright took four for 44.
Somerset zipped up the pressure at Wantage Road, enforcing the follow on as 16 wickets tumbled. Northamptonshire’s first innings 180, propped up by 78 from Ricardo Vasconcelos, was followed by more quick wickets in the second. Matt Henry and Craig Overton proved a particular menace.
Essex rattled to 458-8 before declaring, giving Sam Cook and Simon Harmer five overs to bowl at Kent, with due result. Matt Critchley had earlier danced to 117. While at Lord’s John Simpson and Max Holden gave Middlesex a chance of saving the follow-on.
At Cheltenham, rain and bad light restricted play to 40 overs. David Lloyd put together a fluent 81 despite being hit hard on the helmet by a rampaging Paul van Meekeren and being dropped on 44. An Adam Lyth century put Yorkshire in the driving seat at Headingley; while an unbeaten century from Ian Holland on a crazy paving pitch Trent Bridge did the same for Hampshire.
A wet day at Cheltenham but lots to see elsewhere: hundreds for Lees, Bedingham, Lyth, Critchley; wickets galore at Oakham and Wantage Road, declarations from Hampshire and Essex. That’s all from me as I wring out my socks, good night!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 458-8dec v Kent 207 and 4-1
Lord’s: Middlesex 179-5 v Surrey 433
Northants: Northamptonshire 180 and 151-6 v Somerset 351
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 100 and 11-0 v Hampshire 166 and 344-5dec
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 179-5 v Lancashire 327
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 443 v Durham 364-4
Oakham: Leicestershire 110 and 114-7 v Worcestershire 178 and 169
Headingley: Yorkshire 286-4 v Sussex 216
Day one: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Glamorgan 152-2
Essex have declared on 458-8. Tasty little session for Kent coming up. And now I really better write up, keep chatting away.
The first player to 1000 runs...
is… Alex Lees! Got there on 84, now he’s 165 not out in 197 balls in Durham’s 331 in 63 overs [England 372 in 68 in comparison. Who can honestly say he was top of their list?
Northants slipping into the abyss following on– 131-6 – still 37 behind Somerset’s first innings; closely followed by Leicestershire, 93-7, who need another 145 to beat Worcestershire. Dillon Pennington and England’s Josh Tongue have done the damage there.
Hundreds for Ian Holland and Matt Critchley!
Critchley helps Essex pull away from Kent – the lead nearly 200 – and Holland gets the single he needs amongst the big biffers.
Good numbers:
2 Tests next time? 😉 https://t.co/XPNkWklLAx
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) July 20, 2023
Locate my hotel and find Hampshire have thrown away their cares, Dawson out for a rapid 82, James Fuller off the mark with a six, Holland biding his time on 99 and Hampshire 261-5 a lead of 327. Teams batting the incoming weather as much as their opponents out there.
Played called off for the day at Cheltenham.
As a seagull washes his head in the covers, and the lone man sitting in the tiered stand holding an umbrella leaves the ground, a last scurry round the country before I go and find somewhere to write up which isn’t soggy:
Essex press their lead over Kent to three figures at Chelmsford, Critchley’s 68 the main effort.
Holden and Simpson holding the fort for Middx, 101-4 at Lord’s.
Northants 70-4 following-on; Hampshire’s lead 279 at Trent Bridge, and Rhodes close to his fifty at Edgbaston, Warwicks 82-2.
In Division Two, Durham storming away, 225-2, hundreds for Lees and Bedingham; Leicestershire need 185 more at Oakham – seven wickets left. Adam Lyth has a rapid 80 at Headingley, Yorkshire 178-1. And we think the umpires are about to call things off for the day at Cheltenham with Glamorgan 152-2.
50 for Liam Dawson!
Hampshire press on. Fifty for the forgotten Liam Dawson, 76 for Ian Holland. The lead now 264. Three wickets for Paterson.
I think I may have picked the wrong game. Over at Lord’s, Middlesex haven’t done too well facing the mighty Surrey, 73-4 with a wicket each for Abbott, Lawes, Joverton and Clark. Two catches for Foakes
Two quick wickets for Surrey 👊
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 20, 2023
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/k1Wnqir3Oc
Bad light and rain. Not looking promising.
And we’re coming off again at Cheltenham, bad light this time I think.
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 291-6 v Kent 207
Lord’s: Middlesex 68-4 v Surrey 433
Northants: Northamptonshire 180 and 44-3 v Somerset 351
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 100 v Hampshire 166 and 171-4
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 63-2 v Lancashire 327
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 443 v Durham 176-2
Oakham: Leicestershire 110 and 29-2 v Worcestershire 178 and 169
Headingley: Yorkshire 128-1 v Sussex 216
Day one: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Glamorgan 141-2
A touch of gentle needle at Cheltenham after Sam Northeast seems to edge to Tom Price in the gully but choses not to walk and the umpires rule in his favour. The next ball from van Meekeren is rapid. Glamorgan 133-2.
At Oakham, the batters pick carefully over the landmines. Leicestershire need 238 to win. They are 29-2. There have been more likely sandcastles keeping off the tide.
I thought I’d mentioned that Northamptonshire were following-on, but the entry seems not to have launched. Anyway, they are, but not to great effect – now 29 for three, two wickets for Henry one for Gregory. Their first innings marmaladed in a shower of orange peel and Craig Overton (4-50)
Tom Price, sponsored, as the public address has just informed us, by Future Star Coaching, has just got Lloyd lbw for 81. Glamorgan 122-1.
A neat little story in The Cricketer that some movement of players will be allowed this season between Hundred teams and One-day cup sides. Previously some players, much to their frustration, have been effectively stranded on the sidelines for a month but now after two games, if all sides agree, they can be released to play 50-over cricket.
Meanwhile Sam Morshead of the Cricketer has just been summoned to the ticket office over the public address system after dropping his wallet.
50 from Ian Holland
Holland making Hampshire’s position quite cushy at Trent Bridge where batting is suddenly easy. Hampshire 146-4, a lead of 212.
We will resume at Cheltenham at 4pm.
Essex might have a 49-run lead but look at this men and women of Kent!
The first Kent man since Alan Knott in 1977 to score an Ashes hundred 💯😮💨 pic.twitter.com/7ZaNRqpnAA
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) July 20, 2023
An inspection at 3.15 here
Just bumped into the Glamorgan scorer and historian Andrew Hignell who pointed me towards this page on the Cricket museum Wales website. It links to a project, given legs by a grant from the Royal Society, between Glamorgan, the museum, CENIN Renewables and Pencaerau Primary School in Cardiff looking at climate change and sustainability in the context of places to keep fit during the summer.
Look out of the window absentmindedly for a minute or two and another fistful of wickets have fallen at Oakham school. Worcs now 145-9 – the lead 213.
At Chelmsford, the roller is going up and down, up and down the covers, and the umpires are out taking another look. It has stopped raining but it looks pretty damp and I’ve made the mistake of sitting in the pool at the back of my chair. Raining now at Edgbaston too, where Warwicks are 43-2, Yates and Davies removed by Bailey and Williams. I fancy Lancs for this if they can hold off the rain long enough.
An email on poor old Nick Browne, who was forced out of Essex’s game against Kent with concussion after being hit on the helmet last night. The author will remain anonymous as he apparently got too much ribbing last time he was mentioned on CCLive. Surely respect and praise would be the usual response, no?
“He’s having a v mixed week. He was in the Essex second team on Monday for their game v Surrey at Billericay.
“But he only made six and the (4 day) match had to be abandoned on the opening day because of a dangerous pitch. Not much use if you’re trying to find some form.”
Essex are currently 238-4, a lead of 31 over Kent, Critchley and Walter have so far put on 68 for the fifth wicket. SAC was earlier lbw for 87.
Durham incidentally whooshing out of trouble, 45-2.
Quite wet under my brolly here on the balcony, where play has paused with Glamorgan 120-1. Meanwhile at Headingley, Lyth and Bean are springing along, Yorks 32-0 from eight overs; and Worcestershire 115-6 in their second innings in the shoot-out at Oakham school. Worcestershire’s lead an already impregnable 183.
This was Leicestershire’s Wiaan Mulder yesterday on the pitch.
“It was an eventful day, a terrible day in terms of what the wicket produced. Nearly 20 wickets in one day is not great. It moved around all day. It wasn’t really a fair contest between bat and ball and I don’t think it is going to get a lot better, maybe a bit quicker.
“But it has been under the covers for the last four days because there has been a lot of rain, which is not ideal when you are trying to prepare a wicket for a first-class game for the first time in 16 years.”
And the rain decides to fall properly, covers on, stands evacuated at Cheltenham.
Lovely to bump into County Cricket Matters editor @AnnieChave at Cheltenham, just before the rain started falling. pic.twitter.com/fyYzDAmQsN
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) July 20, 2023
But what is afoot at Derby? Two wickets in an over for Conners has left Durham is a slump:17-2 following Derby’s 443.
A dirty black dog of a cloud has settled over Cheltenham, sending down fine raindrops which have not – yet – sent the players off. Ul Hassan out just after lunch, lbw to Zafar for 30. Glamorgan 118-1.
Lunchtime-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 178-4 v Kent 207
Lord’s: Middlesex v Surrey 432-9
Northants: Northamptonshire 97-4 v Somerset 351
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 100 v Hampshire 166 and 43-2
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 20-2 v Lancashire 327
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 443 v Durham 4-0
Oakham: Leicestershire 110 v Worcestershire 178 and 81-3
Headingley: Yorkshire 14-0 v Sussex 216
Day one: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Glamorgan 100-0
Round the rest of the party division:
Oakham in cut-throat competition with Trent Bridge over who can lose the most wickets. Twenty-two have fallen by ten to lunch, Worcs 75-3 in their second innings, a lead of 143.
A good recovery by Sussex at Headingley, led by 73 from Hudson-Prentice and47 from McAndrew. A couple of wickets for Moriarty. Sussex 216 all out.
And Glamorgan 98 without loss, just before lunch, here at Cheltenham.
Updated
Brooke Guest out for 197
Alas, no double ton for Guest, but a supreme 197 in Derbyshire’s 443. Four wickets for Borthwick, three for Raine. Assume Durham will now race to 500 in double-quick time.
Brooke Guest approaches 200…. but Debyshire are nine down…
In Division One:
Sir Alastair Cook is still in at Chelmsford, 81 not out, where Essex are 150-2. His partner is one of your friendly substitutes, Dan Lawrence (18)
At Lord’s, Jamie Smith was Tom Helm’s fourth wicket, for 138. The attacking mantle has passed to Jordan Clark, 69 not out. Surrey 378-6.
Northants are 67-2, chasing Somerset’s 351. Both wickets to Matt Henry.
Notts and Hants looking to wrap things up rapidly at Trent Bridge, Notts all out for a round 100 – Holland 4-19, Abbas 3-34. And Hants already 12-1 in their second innings with a lead of 78.
Finally, Warwickshire are 11-1 after Lancashire were dismissed for 327. A century for Balderson.
Meanwhile at Cheltenham, a diving drop at backward point from Tom Price saves David Lloyd. I would tell you what he’s on but the scoreboard is also suffering from technical hiccups. Lloyd has now reached his first fifty of the year.
Ooof ! A hooking Lloyd is hit on the helmet, quite a nasty blow sending the neck guard flying off. He looks briefly dazed, but will carry on, and gets a short ball straight away from van Meekeren.
Updated
A maiden century from George Balderson!
Lancs now 312-9 but it has been quite some rescue act from 91-5. A memorable knock, 225 balls, nine fours. Well played!
“Morning Tanya,” Hello Romeo!
”It looks like the player who scored his career-best first-class score
was Arthur Milton, the last man to play both cricket and football for
England.
Gloucestershire v Sussex, 14th August 1965.
Milton scored 170 and Gloucs won the game.”
That’s the one! Thank you so, so much.
And here he is in his black and white glory.
To the enquiring squark of seagulls and background murmurs, Glamorgan have eased their way to 19-0 here at Cheltenham.
Cheltenham looking July-gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/fJJIq7SUka
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) July 20, 2023
Right, let’s go round the grounds.
Good luck!
A special day for Paul van Meekeren and 19-year-old Joe Phillips. Go well chaps! 👊#GoGlos 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/dvct2UIIpy
— Gloucestershire Cricket (@Gloscricket) July 20, 2023
An early question. Morning Drew Moore!
“With the news that Robin Das is replacing Nick Browne due to concussion, is he likely to be the first player to be subbed out of a game (for Dan Lawrence) and then effectively subbed back in?”
Here, under parasols on the balcony of the college pavilion, we’re going for yes! If the hive mind disagrees, just shout
Apologies, the Cheltenham bandwidth is not huge so it is taking a while to send entries. Will try to resolve this.
Updated
Made it just in time for the start, thanks to a lovely chap called Mike who saved me from my sense of direction. Mike has been coming to watch cricket for decades at Cheltenham and his most memorable day here was the morning he went for an interview and found out he had got a job at Smiths industries, and then cycled to Cheltenham to watch – and this is where I fall down as I’ve already forgotten his name but it was in the sixties - get his highest first-class score.
Wednesday's round-up
Time wheeled to sepia at Chelmsford, with Alastair Cook unbeaten on 64 at stumps on a good day for Essex. Kent, who had chosen to bat on a greenish pitch and with frowning skies, were dismissed by tea, with Sam Cook and Jamie Porter pocketing three wickets each.
Surrey’s Jamie Smith gambolled to an unbeaten 120, his second century of the season, in the London derby against Middlesex at Lord’s, backed up by 79 from Rory Burns who has suffered a forlorn summer with the bat.
Lancashire were rescued from the indignity of 150 for seven by an unbeaten partnership of 145 between George Balderson (94) and Tom Bailey (a career-best 75) on the Edgbaston pitch which hosted the Blast final.
A career-best 145 from Derbyshire’s wicket-keeper Brooke Guest frustrated Division Two leaders Durham. Guest’s carefree hundred came after Durham won the toss and bowled, but the overhead conditions were trumped by a true pitch, especially once the sun peeled up the blackout blind. There were two wickets for Matthew Potts, Scott Borthwick and Ben Raine. Haider Ali had time to thrash Matt Parkinson for six before suffering a brain fade and being stumped after attempting a run when an lbw appeal against him was turned down. In the race to 1,000 runs, Leus du Plooy needed just 21 but was out for two.
Another candidate for the race, James Rew, was caught 26 runs short of the magic four figures. Somerset were all out for 351, after Northamptonshire’s Jack White grabbed five for 77.
Carnage at Oakham school where 18 wickets fell, nine Worcestershire batters between lunch and tea after they’d finished a sensible morning 74 for one. But Leicestershire’s innings proved even more fragile, collapsing to 88 for eight. Fifteen wickets too at Trent Bridge, where Nottinghamshire rattled through Hampshire, only to come unstuck themselves, 87 for five at stumps, still trailing by 79. At a rainy Headingley, Yorkshire took six quick Sussex wickets.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 106-0 v Kent 207
Lord’s: Middlesex v Surrey 312-5
Northants: Northamptonshire v Somerset 351
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 87-5 v Hampshire 166
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Lancashire 295-7
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 317-6 v Durham
Oakham: Leicestershire 88-8 v Worcestershire 178
Headingley: Yorkshire v Sussex 120-6
Day one: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Glamorgan
Updated
Preamble
Hello! It’s a perfectly beautiful morning in Cheltenham. I’ve just woken up with an Americano at Madison’s cafe (highly recommended) over the road from the station where, incidentally, there are a terrific number of bike racks.
Fabulous bike racks on show at Cheltenham station, excellent for those going to the cricket. pic.twitter.com/0Y88KeRS7q
— TheNextTest (@TheNextTest) July 20, 2023
I’d better go and find the ground, back shortly!
