Tanya's county roundup
How to get Jonny Bairstow back into the Test team? Speculators have run their finger down the current XI, paused by the name of Ben Foakes and scuffed a large pencil asterisk next to his name. This one, he doesn’t rip apart phone directories, or haul up trees, in fact he doesn’t really do Bazball.
But with Bairstow still recuperating from his broken leg, able only to run in straight lines, Foakes has started the County Championship season in the brightest possible hue. His 76 in the first innings against Lancashire was followed by a superb unbeaten hundred yesterday that enabled Rory Burns to declare with a lead of 443.
In a Surrey lineup full of stars, Foakes’s innings stood out. There was fifty from Burns, a curtain of dark hair hanging loose from his helmet like a cavalier though batting like a roundhead, and a lovely cameo from Ollie Pope which came to an end in a hasty flurry of top edges, one caught by a diving Colin de Grandhomme, who lost his trousers in the process.
But Foakes, long sleeves pulled up just so, played an innings of delight, full of no-fuss drives, cuts and sweeps, played with total control to bisect and thoroughly irritate fielders who then had to chase the ball to the boundary. The hundred came with a delicate sweep off Parkinson and was warmly applauded both on the field and on the Surrey balcony, where everyone wore their new regulation royal blue leisure wear.
There was just time for Jordan Clark to ram a six before the declaration came. Matt Parkinson finished with five for 120 – not bad for a leg-spinner in early April. In the evening sunshine, Lancashire set off in search of what would be their second-highest fourth innings total, Foakes now immaculate behind the stumps.
One of the early-season favourites, Hampshire, duly thrashed promoted Nottinghamshire by eight wickets, steaming gleefully to the top of the table, 19 points in their pocket. Fletcha Middleton, 21, son of the former cricketer Tony, made his second fifty of the game, putting on 101 with Nick Gubbins as Hampshire charged to their target of 132.
Earlier, Mohammad Abbas had picked effectively away at the Notts tail, completing a haul of nine wickets in the game. The biggest surprise of the day was when, with scores level, the umpires took the players off for a 20-minute tea interval, to a chorus of boos.
After the ignominy of being four for four in their first innings, Middlesex’s suffered another top‑order malfunction in their second after being set 308 to win by Essex. This time it was 15 for three as Jamie Porter and Sam Cook resumed their deadly double act.
The 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed, whose first over on Thursday was pancaked for 22, made a superb 85 in a determined rearguard sixth-wicket stand of 141 with the Australian Peter Handscomb, who danced to 112, as Leicestershire boldly chased Yorkshire’s 517.
Alex Davies hit his seventh first-class century as Warwickshire eased past Somerset in a game that lost its first day to a soggy outfield and looks likely to peter out into a draw. Jack Leach picked up three for 93.
Marcus Harris waved prettily at the Australia selectors with a brilliant 148 that raised Gloucestershire from the dead at Sophia Gardens. Starting their second innings 239 runs behind Glamorgan, Harris and Chris Dent rattled along in a first‑wicket partnership of 161 at nearly five an over.
A robust 101 not out from Rob Keogh gave Northamptonshire a whisker of a chance against Kent at Canterbury, backed up by fifty from Hassan Azad, who was released by Leicestershire during the winter.
An unbeaten maiden hundred by Matthew Waite put Worcestershire in a dominant position against Derbyshire and Sussex were on the verge of turning the match against Durham on its head, needing 59 to win with wickets in hand.
Updated
Good night!
From a hundred for Ben Foakes to 16 wickets in the day at Hove, it’s been an cracking day. Congratulations to Hampshire, Champions elect, we’ll be back tomorrow to see who else can snatch a win in the first round. Till then, good night!
Close of play scores
Division One
The Rose Bowl: Notts 185 and 177 v Hampshire 231 and 132-2. Hampshire BEAT Notts by eight wickets.
Canterbury: Kent 222 v Northants 117 and 300-7
Old Trafford: Surrey 442 and 292-6dec v Lancashire 291 and 37-0.
Lord’s: Essex 266 and 211 v Middlesex 170 and 77-5
Taunton: Somerset 284 v Warwickshire 307-5
Division Two
The County Ground, Derbyshire 321 and 269-6 v Worcestershire 473
Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165 and 373-5 v Glamorgan 404
Hove: Sussex 335 and 172-5 v Durham 376 and 189
Headingley: Yorkshire 517 and 220-4 v Leicestershire 415
Foakes hundred and a Surrey declaration!
Brilliant hundred by Foakes, Lancashire need 444 to win.
And with Middlesex 8-2; Surrey looking in the mood for a declaration, Sussex 68-1 needing just 163, Yorkshire 77-3 and the mighty Gloucesters 317-4 (Marcus Harris in the pavilion for 148), it is time for me to write my round-up for the Observer. Please keep up the chat BTL, the Middlesex story is just unfolding.
Middlesex now 4-2…, though Robson did reach the mighty heights of three before being lbw to Sam Cook.
Five wickets for Parky, as Steel drops down to sweep, gets hit in the Easter eggs, and ricochets the ball into the stumps. Parky’s 150th first-class wicket.
Hampshire beat Nottinghamshire by 8 wickets
The Rose Bowl: Notts 185 and 177 v Hampshire 231 and 132-2.
Hampshire 19 points, Nottinghamshire 3
The good ship Hampshire is afloat and steaming towards September. Two balls needed after tea to score that solitary run – apparently a chorus of boos greeted the umpires’ decision to take the players off with scores level.
Never change Middlesex. Four balls into the second innings, 0-1. This time Stoneman’s duck lasts three deliveries.
Updated
Tea-time scores
Division One
The Rose Bowl: Notts 185 and 177 v Hampshire 231 and 131-2. Scores are level.
Canterbury: Kent 222 v Northants 117 and 243-7
Old Trafford: Surrey 442 and 184-5 v Lancashire 291
Lord’s: Essex 266 and 210-8 v Middlesex 170
Taunton: Somerset 284 v Warwickshire 211-4
Division Two
The County Ground, Derbyshire 321 and 136-2 v Worcestershire 473
Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165 and 259-2 v Glamorgan 404
Hove: Sussex 335 and 0-0 v Durham 376 and 189
Headingley: Yorkshire 517 and 25-1 v Leicestershire 415
Hampshire need one to win, so they’re taking tea. Don’t want those digestives to go to waste.
Sussex need 231 to beat Durham
What can the babes by the sea and Pujara do with this? 60: 40 in Sussex’s favour I reckon.
Oh. Up at Headingley, Alex Lees has gone for a two ball duck.
The sound of afternoon wickets – Al Davies gone for 118 to Jack Leach who now has three, Warwicks 205-4. At Lord’s, Critchley has been lbw to Murtagh – four wicket for him now, Essex now 205-8, the lead 301. Here at OT, Jamie Smith swept Parky to short fine leg – a fourth wicket for him and Hampshire, who are just six runs from victory, lost Middleton for 65.
Across in the second division: Godleman and Haider Ali – wow – have put on 114 in 23 overs. Haider Ali has come to Derby to learn how to play red-ball cricket – he seems to be doing alright. Derby only trail Worcestershire now by 38.
Marcus Harris doing Marcus Harris things for the Gloucesters, 123 not out in 234-2, just five runs behind Glamorgan now.
Leicestershire all out for 415 – a very plucky effort. 112 for Handscomb, 85 to Rehan Ahmed, 66 not out for Wright. Bit of a worry for Yorkshire that the last five put on 230. Yorkshire start their second innings 102 ahead.
And Durham’s tail, plus a half century for Ollie Robinson on Durham debut, have ushered them to the relative plenty of a lead of 229 over Sussex, one wicket remaining. Four wickets for Hudson-Prentice, three for Crocombe.
Updated
Did I mention that Jack Leach had a wicket? Anyway, he does, Rhodes caught by Craig Overton for 39. Good to see him and Jack Carson and Rehan Ahmed and Parky, and Dom Bess and some spinners I’ve no doubt forgotten all playing in this first game of the season. Callum Parkinson, I think, is still injured.
Gosh, this Surrey line-up is good – goodbye Rory Burns, hello Jamie Smith.
Updated
Burns attempts to pick up the pace, sweeps hastily and top edges over the top of Bell to Vilas. Surrey 134-3, a lead of 285. A third wicket to Parky.
Round the grounds….Middleton and Gubbins press on, Hampshire’s target now just 54. Northants 180-6, a much better effort. Keogh still there on 44 and I hadn’t realised that the Hassan Azad who made a fifty at number 2 is the Hassan Azad that had such a great season at Grace Road a couple of seasons ago. Surrey pressing on, though the sense of urgency that Ollie Pope brought has drifted – though Foakes has just cracked Parky for four. Oh gosh, now he has been dropped by Bailey, on 24.
Fifty for Critchley in Essex’s second innings of 170-5, the lead 266 over Middlesex. And at Taunton, Al Davies is 94 not out i n Warwickshire’s 172-2.
One of Rehan Ahmed’s predecessors as an England legspinner ,Chris Scofield, has been spotted leaning on the barriers in the sun and watching the cricket at OT.
Hampshire rattling along, largely untroubled at the Rose Bowl. Middleton and Gubbins have put on 53, just 73 needed to win.
And it is still Jack Simmons.
A second wicket to Parky! Did Surrey get complacent now Williams and Bailey have been seen off? Patel is bowled first ball by a whirling leg-break and Parky is on a hat-trick. Surrey 89-3. The last specialist spinner to get a hat-trick for Lancashire? Jack Simmons in 1977.
Updated
A busy two overs. Pope dabs Williams twice to the third man boundary before skipping down the pitch, and flicking six off his hips, now rattling along to 32 at a run a ball. Fully revved up, he clips Parky for four , follows it up with an ugly toe-end which doesn’t make the boundary, then another top-edge, swept, CDG takes a diving catch and his trousers fall down.
I'll admit to being sceptical about some of the chat around Rehan Ahmed's batting, but he looked really good today.
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) April 8, 2023
Very early days but he's averaging 40 with the bat for Leicestershire in the CC.#CountyCricket2023
A shout out to the fantastic Googly fund who support social cricket in the UK. May you be blessed with large and delicious Easter eggs.
A massive go well to anyone kicking off their friendly cricket season this weekend. We hope the sunshine is drying out the pitches for you and the new kit you ordered has arrived in time @tjaldred pic.twitter.com/zK2WrZW95H
— The Googly Fund (@googlyfund) April 8, 2023
And the Bazballing crown is passed to Gloucestershire, Dent and Harris racing for the hundred mark. 160 for 0 off 33 overs, the deficit now just 79.
As Parky gets the ball for the first time in the innings (16 overs gone), and has Pope searching awkwardly to his second ball. Third ball, however, is dispatched airily over long on for four.
Pope calls for a new helmet, as the ball springs vertically off the pitch and hits him on the helmet as he pushes forward (on 8) to Williams. Pope passes the concussion test – and we march on. A wrinkle in the brow for the Lancs batters though.
Thompson the dream-destroyer. No century for Rehan Ahmed, caught by Hill for 85 off the first ball after lunch.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
The Rose Bowl: Notts 185 and 177 v Hampshire 231 and 14-1. Hampshire need 118 runs to win.
Canterbury: Kent 222 v Northants 117 and 137-5
Old Trafford: Surrey 442 and 24-1 v Lancashire 291
Lord’s: Essex 266 and 103-3 v Middlesex 170
Taunton: Somerset 284 v Warwickshire 108-2
Division Two
The County Ground, Derbyshire 321 v Worcestershire 472-9
Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165 and 133-0 v Glamorgan 404
Hove: Sussex 335 v Durham 376 and 70-5
Headingley: Yorkshire 517 v Leicestershire 332-6
George Bell potters up to the stumps, Dom Sibley is cracked on the pad by Williams so fundamentally that Sibley turns and walks without even waiting for the umpire. A much needed wicket for Lancashire, Surrey 24-1.
Ooof, an early wicket at the Rose Bowl. Hampshire 7-1, Organ caught off Fletcher. 121 to win.
A quick glance at Division two before lunch:
Matthew Waite needs just six runs for his hunded; the only problem, Worcestershire are nine down and his partner is Ben Gibbon. A more than handy lead of 114 over Derbyshire. Zak Chappell 4-64.
Billy Root was left stranded on 117 , Glamorgan all out 404. Gloucestershire making better work of their second dig,96-0 from 20 overs. Fifty to Chris Dent.
Three catches to wicket-keeper Oli Carter as Durham make rather a hash of their second innings, 62-3 – but still a lead of 103 over Sussex.
And Rehan Ahmed is just 21 away from his century in an unbroken 6th wicket partnership of 137 with Peter Handscomb. Leics 324-5, trail by 193, follow-on target almost in sight.
A hundred for Peter Handscomb
Fantastic fight-back by Leicestershire, who had a bad day at the office on Thursday. Handscomb, onto his third county, 111 not out (18 fours), Rehan Ahmed 71 not out (11 fours). Leics 315-5, 202 behind.
Hampshire need 131 to win
A doughty last-wicket partnership takes up 11 overs but adds only 14. Abbott 4-39; Abbas 3-67, Barker 2-44. Feeling smug about the Guardian’s Champions prediction.
A wind-up mechanical Dom Sibley defends at one end, while at the other Rory Burns, debonair pony tail poking out of the back of his helmet, plays imaginary shots. Surrey 1-0 after three overs.
Fifty for Rehan Ahmed!
Fifty for the irrepressible Rehan Ahmed! And a partnership of 98 with Peter Handscombe.
Parky bowled middle stump. Lancs innings over, trailing by 151. Follow on not avoided, but Surrey said they wouldn’t enforce last night. The pitch is being tarted up, rolled and brushed, and Burns and Sibley will resume shortly.
Let’s take an stroll round the Division One grounds with an hour of play gone:
Lancs are 13 runs short of the follow-on which we don’t think Surrey will enforce should Parky bat to his average. Lancs 283-9.
Nottinghamshire have been Abbased again – three wickets this morning for a man who continues to be snubbed by Pakistan. Notts 169-9, a lead of just 123.
Northants making a much better fist of their second innings, despite losing Vasconcelos for four. Currently 79-2 with Azad not out 43.
Alastair Cook has just lost his opening partner Nick Browne for 24, Essex 52-1 with a lead of 148 in their pocket over Middlesex.
And Rob Yates’ season gets off to a bad start at Taunton, caught for 2 off Davey. Warwicks 21-1.
With his first ball of the day, Abbott traps a disgruntled Williams lbw, to pick up five. And in unfortunate news for other teams, he is here all the way through to the end of July. Lancas 278-9.
Down at the Rose Bowl, Abbas has been tying up the loose ends with three quick wickets to go with his six in the first innings. Notts now nine down with a lead of just 117.
Kemar Roach squats down on his haunches and picks at the dirt after Williams flaps at a ball that flies past third slip and down to the rope. He’s now equalled his highest Lancashire score (29) and this partnership of 70 is proving pretty irritating to Surrey. And that’s 50 to CDG in his first innings for Lancashire.
Poor old George Garton, out with a lung clot for most of last season, has been removed from the game against Sussex after being hit on the head by Matty Potts yesterday. His concussion substitute is Fynn Hudson-Prentice. Sussex were all out for 335, trailing Durham by 41. Let’s see if Lees will inspire Durham to Baz-ball their way through the second innings as well.
I passed an early crowd outside the pub on the Quadrant on my way to OT, United v Everton kicks off at 12.30 but no evidence yet of any passing trade on this, what the Guardian style guide firmly tells me is NOT Easter Saturday.
And he nearly gets a wicket as CDG goes for a heave and Ryan Patel almost makes a fantastic relay catch on the rope. Two balls later, CDG makes proper contact and cracks six. Fourteen from the over.
And Surrey open the bowling with … Dom Sibley in shades, whose first ball is a no ball.
Time for coffee with Barney:
Friday's round-up
On a Good Friday at Old Trafford, the spring sunshine tempting spectators nervously out of their coat sleeves, Surrey showed just why they won the Championship last year. First Cameron Steel crushed Lancashire hopes of wrapping up the tail quickly with 141 not out, his first first-class century since September 2018, an innings full of sparkle that at one point saw Matt Parkinson bowling with nine men on the boundary. Then a hungry attack, led by Sean Abbott’s four for 42, tickled away at Lancashire, who lost five for 38 after tea. Keaton Jennings’s 76 was the shining light.
Hampshire and Nottinghamshire continued their hand-to-hand fighting at the Rose Bowl. The hosts hauled themselves past Nottinghamshire’s 185 to a lead of 46, three wickets each to Dane Paterson, Luke Fletcher and Olly Stone. Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett made light work of the deficit, but Kyle Abbott grabbed three wickets for no runs to gut the middle order.
At Lord’s, Middlesex’s batters made the stage entrance of the season – four for four after three and a half overs; Sam Robson, Pieter Malan, Stevie Eskinazi and Mark Stoneman all in, and out, for ducks – against Essex. John Simpson and Ryan Higgins hauled Middlesex towards respectability but they were all out by stumps, trailing by 96. Jamie Porter took six for 35. At Taunton, Warwickshire’s winter signings – Ed Barnard, Hasan Ali and Chris Rushworth – were making short work of Somerset until an eighth-wicket stand between Lewis Gregory and Josh Davey restored some equilibrium.
An uncharacteristically pressed and folded 91 from Zak Crawley, over 171 balls, carried Kent past Northants. He muttered unhappily into his collar after giving a dolly with three figures in sight, and the Kent tail promptly collapsed; Chris Tremain taking five for 44.
At Headingley, Dawid Malan cantered to the second century of Yorkshire’s innings, finally out for 132 against Leicestershire, caught off England teammate Rehan Ahmed. Ahmed pocketed another couple, including Dom Bess for 49, as Yorkshire posted an intimidating 517.
As cream follows jam, Cheteshwar Pujara slipped into his Sussex whites and rolled out another century, his sixth in eight games, reaching it with three fours off Brydon Carse. Durham’s tail hadn’t lasted long, Nathan McAndrew finishing with five for 85. Glamorgan cantered past 300, a sprightly hundred for Kiran Carlson followed by a thoughtful one by Billy Root, Gloucestershire’s 165 disappearing through the back window. Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira pushed Worcestershire stoutly past Derbyshire’s 321.
Start of play scores
Division One
The Rose Bowl: Notts 185 and 146-6 v Hampshire 231
Canterbury: Kent 222 v Northants 117 and 47-2
Old Trafford: Surrey 442 v Lancashire 233-8
Lord’s: Essex 266 v Middlesex 170
Taunton: Somerset 269-8 v Warwickshire
Division Two
The County Ground, Derbyshire 321 v Worcestershire 331-6
Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165 all out v Glamorgan 388-8
Hove: Sussex 332-9 v Durham 376
Headingley: Yorkshire 517 v Leicestershire 201-5
Good morning! The sun is out, the sky is blue and I’ve just put 36 hot cross buns in the oven before realising that I’d forgotten to add any eggs. Hope your morning’s work has been more fruitful.
Sunshine round the grounds mean things are cantering along – we’re into the third innings at the Rose Bowl, Lancashire might yet have to follow on at Old Trafford, and you fear for Leicestershire and Gloucestershire lasting the day.
