Tanya Aldred's roundup
A downpour of wickets, 66 in all, on another damp County Championship Thursday. Kent suffered the biggest malfunction, all out for 95 after James Fuller made hay with five for 21. Zak Crawley clapped one four before becoming Keith Barker’s 500th first-class wicket. Hampshire were just six runs behind, with all 10 wickets left, at stumps.
Australian Ashes hopeful Michael Neser followed up his seven for 32 against Yorkshire with four for 40 against Worcestershire, who crumbled to 109 all out. James Harris pocketed four for 18. Glamorgan crunched past, with 42 for Marnus Labuschagne and a morale inducing 48 from the previously out of luck David Lloyd.
Humidity and heavy cloud gave Jimmy Anderson dream bowling conditions at Old Trafford, and he took advantage, grabbing two for 16 from 14 overs, with three catches dropped off his bowling, including a caught and bowled. Somerset recovered from 12 for three to the relative riches of 109 for four, Tom Lammonby gripping on to a three-hour 34 before the rain fell. At the County Ground, Northamptonshire reached 86 for two against Nottinghamshire.
Chris Rushworth’s triple-wicket maiden before tea, and Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s trio afterwards for Warwickshire knocked over Essex in double-quick time: 126 all out in an innings containing four ducks. Jamie Porter’s two wicket evening burst made things interesting.
Middlesex suffered a banana-skin slide against Surrey after encountering an inspired Dan Worrall at the Oval, slipping from 166 for one to 209 all out. It had all seemed so different when Sam Robson (76) and Pieter Malan (66) were at the crease. Gus Atkinson removed both just before tea, then Worrall’s 26-ball spell of five wickets for one run changed the match.
Yorkshire collected the only batting point of the day, new captain Shan Masood, fresh from Pakistan duties, top-scored with 44 against Durham. Jonny Bairstow, in his second game back, notched 27. There were four wickets for Matthew Potts.
No play was possible at Derby, or Grace Road, where Sussex’s Steve Smith is alert for more Ashes toe-touching stretches.
Meanwhile in India, Joe Root’s wait for an IPL innings continues, after Rajasthan Royals chased down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 149 for eight in 13.1 overs.
Updated
That’s it from me on a damp wicket-addled day. We’ll be back tomorrow, from Old Trafford. Till then, good night!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 95 v Hampshire 89-0
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Somerset 109-4
The County Ground: Northamptonshire 86-2 v Nottinghamshire
The Oval: Surrey 21-0 v Middlesex 209
Edgbaston: Warwicks 17-2 v Essex 126
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play Thursday
Riverside: Durham 42-2 v Yorkshire 254
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 177-6 v Worcestershire 109
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Sussex no play Thursday
Olly Stone unavailable for at least the first Ashes Test
It’s a fantastic day to be a follically-challenged man in Birmingham. First we had Chris Rushworth’s triple-wicket maiden before tea, and now Olly Hannon-Dalby has snared three more wickets during this evening session to see Essex crumble to 112 for eight in the 38th over. Simon Harmer, looking a touch high at No7 I must say, was bowled by the beauty from the big man, while Doug Bracewell, their second overseas player, nicked off to slip. Tom Westley was playing a lone hand at the other end but on 47, while I was typing the start of this update, he chipped to mid-on. Not so much OHD as OMG.
Middlesex have lost five for seven. Robson and Malan piled on 142. Everyone else 35. Extras 23.
Just popping back to say Middx 197-7, Essex 89-5, Kent all out 95, Glammy 113-4 so it turns out Yorkshire’s 238-9 is a power score.
Not a day for batting: four wickets for Potts; five for Fuller; four for Neser and James Harris; four for Rushworth. And with power to add, time for me to write up. Do keep counting the wickets BTL.
Kent have hit a rampaging Hampshire. But it’s not one of the ABA-team but James Fuller who does the damage – 5-21. Kent 94-9. Three ducks.
And Middlesex suffering a post-prandial malfunction, 192-5 as Worrall hits his straps. They were sailing blissfully away 12 overs ago at 166-1.
England men drop to fifth in ODI rankings
In the new ICC rankings released today, England fall ten points down to No.5, after the 2019 World Cup winning season drops off the eligibility shelf. England have won 17 and lost 14 of their 31 ODIs in the three years since May 2020. The No. 1 ranked side? Australia. England’s World Cup defence starts in India in five months.
Just taken a stroll round Edgbaston and have spotted the bar staff loading up the store rooms with boxes and boxes of wine and champagne. Honestly, it’s like a missile silo. Presume it’s for the first Ashes Test that starts five weeks today although Warwickshire are celebrating out in the middle - Chris Rushworth has come back on and just snared the wickets of Dan Lawrence, Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper in the space of six balls. Lawrence skewed a leading edge to cover on 29, then a pair of ducks as Critchley edged to slip and Pepper was trapped lbw. Decent little counterattack for Essex before that but they’re 76 for five after 23 overs and tea has been called.-
Rain watch
I phoned the Met Office for some rain data. It feels so wet and yet… it turns out that 2023’s rainfall for the UK to date is largely average. We had a very dry February, with less than half of the expected rainfall, but January and March were above average.
April’s rainfall has been largely average but some areas were particularly wet: eg Kent – 84mm, had 185 per cent of the long-term average for the the month, while Bristol had 76.3mm, 138 per cent of the long-term average for the month.
Some areas have also had very intensive short bursts of rain which have saturated the ground – as seen in the west country last week.
With many thanks to Dan Stroud at the Met Office for the figures.
The shot of a man who hopes Ben Stokes is looking:
We suggest you stop what you're doing and watch this Dan Lawrence six.
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 11, 2023
Utterly obscene shot over cover#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/dsjlaJdoot
And in case you were wondering, Glamorgan’s second wicket was not Labuschagne, who sups on 40 not out. The unlucky man was David Lloyd, a second wicket for Leach, after morale-boosting 48.
Tea-timeish scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 66-4 v Hampshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Somerset 109-4 rain
The County Ground: Northamptonshire 86-2 v Nottinghamshire play abandoned for the day
The Oval: Surrey v Middlesex 176-3
Edgbaston: Warwicks v Essex 76-2
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play Thursday
Riverside: Durham v Yorkshire 191-5
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 92-2 v Worcestershire 109
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Sussex no play yet today, inspection 4.15
Michael Burgess was left out of the Warwickshire team at the back end of last season but has been an ever-present this year. And catches like the one he held not long ago at Edgbaston will keep it that way, Nick Browne strangled down leg off Hassan Ali courtesy of a spectacular diving one-handed pouch. It saw Essex 24 for two in the 11th over and the visitors should probably be three down, Sam Hain putting down Dan Lawrence at slip moments ago off the newly-introduced Ed Barnard. Cut shot which flew off the edge at head height. Hain will now have to stand there and mullet over.
IPL watch
England’s finest down to bat four for Rajasthan Royals today – in his one previous game there was no need for his skills after some Jos Buttler magic .
Not much joy for England’s Ashes hopefuls in the IPL so far: Harry Brook -dropped by SRH after that hundred, Archer – flown home after injury, Root - not yet batted. Stokes – has been injured, now fit but not selected in the most recent game by CSK, Jacks – injured. The one exception is Mark Wood, who took 11 wickets in four games before falling ill and is expected to fly home for the birth of his second child.
Meanwhile in the CC: three successive fifties including a big hundred for Labuschagne and seven for 32 for Ashes standby Neser against Yorks.
In Division Two, where they are inspecting at Grace Road shortly, Hill and Revis have put on nascent partnership of 32 after the big beasts of YJB and D Malan departed. Yorks 167-4.
Lloyd and Labuschagne have taken Glamorgan to within 43 of Worcestershire’s first innings total.
Night, knight! The ragingly in-form Chris Rushworth has the first breakthrough for Warwickshire at Edgbaston, Ziralasdair Cook having harvested all 13 runs for Essex so far but finding himself trapped lbw in the seventh over of the innings. Leg stump guard before that trigger to middle, looking to push forward in defence and pinned just below the knee-roll. Looked out from up here, little to suggest otherwise looking at the replay.
Pakistan's supreme court orders release of Imran Khan
The chief justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial ruled that the former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan had been unlawfully arrested and should be released immediately.
Play abandoned for the day at The County Ground too, where Northants finish the day 86-2.
Updated
A first fifty of the season for Sam Robson, those calamitous first two matches already slipping into the rear-view mirror of the season. Middx 117-1 against last years champs.
Key event
Greetings from Edgbaston, where I have popped in for a couple of hours and, after a lengthy delay due to a soggy outfield and showers, we finally have some cricket. Good fixture, this, with second playing third in Division One. Warwickshire have won the toss, Chris Woakes is rested, but Hasan Ali returns. Essex are unchanged. The first challenge for Alastair Cook and Nick Browne is the new bald, sorry, ball threat of Chris Rushworth and Olly Hannon-Dalby. As I type that, Sir Cookie has just crunched Rushworth for four through the covers, with the former Durham beating him next up.
Women's Hundred signings
So this is the “open market” stage. Signings include six England U-19 players, Australian all-rounder Erin Burns, WPL star Tara Norris and Scottish leggie Abtaha Maqsood.
Birmingham Phoenix: Abtaha Maqsood, Erin Burns, Chloe Brewer, Sterre Kalis
London Spirit: Grace Scrivens, Tara Norris, Niamh Holland
Manchester Originals: Liberty Heap, Phoebe Graham, Fi Morris
Northern Superchargers: Marie Kelly, Aylish Cranstone, Phoebe Franklin
Oval Invincibles: Eva Gray, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Kira Chathli
Southern Brave: Georgia Adams, Rhianna Southby, Danielle Gregory
Trent Rockets: Josie Groves, Emma Jones, Naomi Dattani, Alexa Stonehouse
Welsh Fire: Alex Griffiths, Claire Nicholas, Sarah Bryce
Games spring into life as I stare at the BBC scorecard: Essex full of springtime hope are 0-0 against the mighty Bears; Robson and Malan restart where they left off, Middx 111-1.
Off at OT now too. Eyes float to Sophia Gardens (Glam 6-0) and Chester-le-Street, where Malan and Bairstow have kindly left the floor open for bright young things Hill and Revis. Yorkshire: 132-4.
YJB chops on for 27, bowled de Leede – who signed a two year deal with Durham in February.
Updated
One ball later, Worcestershire all out as Harris takes two in two, finishing with four for 18. Time to tinker those cricketing ivories, Labuschagne’s eye now in after his daddy hundred at Headingley. Elsewhere, YJB still there at Headingley – 27 not out of 132-3 and Lammonby still tethered to the OT crease, 34 not out from 109-4.
Worcestershire’s innings nears its conculsion – 109-9, a third for Harris. Roderick a second catch for Labuschagne, his innings of 39 a beacon in a scorecard of seven single figure scores.
Updated
Rain watch
Inspection at Edgbaston at 3pm and Grace Road.
The sun is shining on Durham right now.
POTTS gets Shan Masood straight after lunch!!#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/z0FcYKI5TD
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) May 11, 2023
While Roderick (32) and Leach (13) are edging Worcestershire towards three figures, 97-7. Four wickets for Neser, who is doing his Ashes chances no harm at all.
YJB making up for lost time after his swish and out duck on Sunday. Two fours in his ten not out. Malan 23 not out.
Both Moriarty and Virdi playing for Surrey seconds today. Three wickets for Moriarty.
SECOND XI: In Bristol, Surrey restricted Gloucestershire to 207 and took a lead of 147 runs.
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) May 11, 2023
James Taylor, Conor McKerr and Dan Moriarty picked up 3⃣ wickets each.
At lunch, Surrey were 62/3 from 14 overs.
Live scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/NmVzTX8zxg
💜 | #SurreyCricket
Meanwhile the first XI are being led a merry dance by Robson and Malan at The Oval: 111-1 when rain stopped play.
A hat doff to Tom Lammonby, hanging on in there at OT, 25 not out, 110 balls. Somerset 82-4, a doughty recover from 12-3.
Rain and more rain. Play abandoned at Derbyshire and suspended everywhere except Old Trafford, Sophia Gardens and The Riverside where Masood has just been out! A second wicket for Potts, Yorkshire 82-2.
Updated
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 56-4 v Hampshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Somerset 67-4
The County Ground: Northamptonshire 86-2 v Nottinghamshire
The Oval: Surrey v Middlesex 111-1
Edgbaston: Warwicks v Essex no play yet today , inspection 1.10
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play yet today, inspection 1.10
Riverside: Durham v Yorkshire 79-1
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Worcestershire 66-6
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Sussex no play yet today, inspection 2pm
James Harris joins in the wicket party at Sophia Gardens, Worcs 43-6. Roderick , with 15, the highest scorer. Shan Masood nailing Yorkshire to the crease with the sheer force of his powers, 65-1. Shakeel retired hurt on 8 after completing a run. TKC’s whizz-bang style hasn’t come off at OT, bowled Saqib Mahmood for 20. Somerset 58-4.
Some lunch-time listening:
Admired this feller as a player and a captain for a while. Good to hear him speak plainly about Ireland’s position in the world cricket pecking order. https://t.co/QFYed9PGJc
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) May 11, 2023
So an hour in, a Thursday dash round the grounds:
In Div One: Kent have just lost the at ease Muyeye for 28, 55-3. A wicket each for Abbas, Barker and Fuller.
Tom Lammonby desperately stitching Somerset together, 6 not out off 59 balls against Anderson and co. Somerset 36-3 including 14 byes.
Northants 47-2 against Broadless Notts and Robson and Malan racing away at The Oval, Middx 73-1. Rain at Edgbaston (inspection 1.10)
In Division Two: Yorkies 28 for one at The Riverside, Shan Masood doing just what was on the tin, 17 not out. Worcestershire, a slight recovery, 34-5. Neser three for 19. Rain at Derby (inspection 1.10) and Grace Road (inspection 12.45)
Good news for Yorkies
First boundary for our new skipper 😍@shani_official 👏#YorkshireFamily https://t.co/voVfyBC3tv pic.twitter.com/5vn0IHfRma
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 11, 2023
But oh Worcestershire!!!! Three for first-innings ogre Neser, two for VDG. Worcs 25-5. Time for an Ed Barnard rescue act – ah.
Shan Masood has been hit on the head by Matthew Potts at The Riverside. All seems in working order, though he did loseAdam Lyth for a duck. Yorks 21 for one.
Jimmy gets another in the Old Trafford Collisseum, Tom Abell lbw for not much, and George Bartlett goes the same way, this time to Williams. Somerset 12 for three and in for a filleting.
A welcome morning email from Em Jackson. Hello!
”Good morning Tanya, good morning all!
“Re: Some depressing news with your custard tart [@11:10] & T20 Franchise Leagues plus the IPL being a threat to the ECB, one wonders how long it is before IPL owners approach a dozen English club cricket sides that have decent grounds & essentially buy them out then create an IPL England competition. IPLE for one part of the season then IPLE-Women for another then an IPL-Hundred competition for another – that’s nigh on a full cricket summer with the dangle of an IPL-Hundred vs ECB-Hundred “Champion of Champions” comp at the end.
“But it’d hammer the domestic T20 & List A game here for sure.
“Meanwhile down t the Riverside, Durham to continue their excellent start for my tuppence-hap’ny. . .”
Updated
Is time finally catching up, even infinitesimally, with Jimmy Anderson? His bowling is as tight as ever but the hands are slightly soapy. A caught and bowled slips from his hands.
I hadn’t noticed that Keith Barker is fit again. Zak Crawley has noticed – he’s just been lbw to him for seven after one glorious (im assuming) four. Kent 14-2.
After a couple of dropped catches, and a tight lbw shout, Anderson notches another wicket into the swagbag. Somerset 10-1. Lancs need a win and Somerset’s batting line up might fit the bill.
Kent suffer an early Abbasing. Compton for a duck in the third over. Kent 2-1 and I fear things could get worse quite quickly – Hampshire will be hungry after their thrashing last round. Unless this is a Zac Crawley magic kind of day.
Some depressing news with your custard tart? Here you go:
The morning’s play already a write-off at Derby. Lunch taken at 12.30 while the rain sprinkles the covers.
Ben Raine starts with a wide at The Riverside. Around the grounds, only. Yorkshire have won the toss and decided to bat. Shan-power.
Rain watch
As is to be expected this summer, a few delays around the grounds – at Edgbaston, at Derby and at Grace Road.
Updated
The very best of luck to Matt Dunn and his family and friends, who today are running from Lord’s to The Oval to raise funds and awareness of Dravet’s Syndrome, in memory of his lovely daughter Florence.
Tomorrow, Matt Dunn and a team of 30 runners will head from @homeofcricket to The Kia Oval.
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) May 10, 2023
Hear from Matt about what they're doing and why they're also trying to raise awareness of Dravet Syndrome as well funds to support @dravetuk 💜
🤎 | #SurreyCricket
Jofra Archer latest
All sorts of fascinating titbits have drifted across my desk while writing this:
David Willey has been appointed Northants T20 captain – incumbent Josh Cobb not happy:
Not convinced that the personal management of this change has been perfect by @NorthantsCCC . As well as second-guessing David Willey's future and availability, there's a basic duty to the man in possession @cobby24 https://t.co/4PH3yLYfrD
— David Hopps (@DavidKHopps) May 10, 2023
Ebony Rainfor- Brent is stepping down from the Surrey Board and as chair of of Surrey’s Culture & Values Board in order to take on a new position as Non-Executive Director to the ECB Board.
Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE has been appointed to the ECB Board as a Cricket Non-Executive Director.
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) May 9, 2023
Ebony will step down from the Surrey Board and as Chair of our Culture & Values Board.
Everyone at Surrey wishes her the best.
Read more ⏬
And, an interview with Gavin Larsen, Warwickshire’s new Performance Director, fresh from selection manager duties with New Zealand. He’ll manage all aspects of cricket from the First XI to talent ID and whispering sweet nothings in Chris Rushworth’s ear.
💬 "I've got really fond memories of Edgbaston. When I saw the ground, and the vastness of it, it sent a shiver down my spine."
— Warwickshire CCC 🏏 (@WarwickshireCCC) May 10, 2023
A new home for Gavin. 💙
🐻#YouBears
Division Two table (all teams have played four games)
1 Durham 63
2 Sussex 52
3 Leicestershire 52
4 Worcestershire 44
5 Glamorgan 39
6 Yorkshire 29
7 Derbyshire 28
8 Gloucestershire 27
Division One table (all teams have played four games)
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent v Hampshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Somerset
The County Ground: Northamptonshire v Nottinghamshire
The Oval: Surrey v Middlesex
Edgbaston: Warwicks v Essex
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire
Riverside: Durham v Yorkshire
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Worcestershire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Sussex
Preamble
Hello! We must stop meeting like this, etc. Round six, May busting into intoxicating life, the swifts have made it to Manchester and poor Jofra Archer and Olly Stone are facing yet more rehab. After last week’s thrilling conclusions round the grounds. all 18 clubs have matches starting today.
Two new faces: Shan Masood arrives just in time to prop up Yorkshire, though stand in captain Adam Lyth had a pretty good match at Headingley last week; Matt Henry will be rolling out at Old Trafford to represent his fourth CC club(Somerset), while Ollie Pope is rested on England orders.
Take your pick from a London derby, second v third, the Yorkies visit to Div 2 chart-toppers Durham, Steve Smith meets Rehan Ahmed and more.
