Tanya Aldred's county roundup
Kent will fight another year in Division One after collecting all eight bonus points available at Canterbury. They bowled out Somerset for 202 before powering to 405 for seven, with an opening stand of 176 between Zak Crawley and Tawanda Muyeye and a half-century from Ollie Robinson in his final game before he moves to Durham.
Kent’s position was confirmed when Warwickshire declared against Hampshire at Edgbaston. At the lunch interval on what Kent had declared “Stevo day” the departing Darren Stevens did a lap of honour shaking hands with the crowd, and Kent announced they had retired the No 3 shirt in his honour.
Kent’s survival means a shootout between Warwickshire and Yorkshire to join Gloucestershire in Division Two. Just 32 overs were possible at Edgbaston, on a day when the players played push me‑pull me with the weather, but Rob Yates did grab a hundred in what has been a frustrating year.
Yorkshire stumbled badly at Headingley, first being bowled out for 183, as Zafar Gohar took five for 40; then allowing Gloucestershire to build a lead of 211.
In the Division Two promotion games, Nottinghamshire are almost assured Division One status after scoring 662 for five declared against Durham, with centuries for Lyndon James and Steven Mullaney. Middlesex were thwarted by the weather in their match against Worcestershire at New Road, but there was time for Pieter Malan to hit a half‑century. Centuries for Shubman Gill and Chris Cooke put Glamorgan in a powerful position against Sussex at 533 for nine declared.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed that Essex would not be docked any points for an unfit pitch following their match against Lancashire at Chelmsford last week. The match ended in just over four sessions, with 26 wickets falling on the first day. The match referee Wayne Noon adjudged it “poor”; the ECB then had to judge to decide whether there should be a points deduction based on whether – with the information available – Essex had actively sought to prepared the best quality pitch they could
Lancashire’s director of cricket, Glenn Chapple, had called the pitch “completely ridiculous” after Lancashire at one point found themselves six for seven in their second innings just before stumps on day one.
• This article was amended on 30 September 2022 to describe Darren Stevens as departing from Kent, instead of retiring.
Updated
It’s dark and time to close the blog – with Kent safe, Notts there bar the locks,but Warwickshire-Yorkshire-Glamorgan-Middlesex still ripe with possibility. Till tomorrow, good night!
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 27, 2022
Updated
Kent are safe from the drop and will play in Division One next year
Warwickshire’s declaration ensured that. So its’a t Yorks v Warwicks shoot-ou to join Gloucestershire in Division Two next year.
Updated
With bad light stopping play at Hove, Canterbury and New Road, Durham one down, the Yorkies in a spot of bother (Gloucs 196-5) and Hampshire just starting their innings – I’m going to have to pause to do the write up.
Warwickshire declare
They’re about to resume at Edgbaston and the news is Warwickshire have declared on 272 for four. Time for a bit of a dart at the Hampshire openers before the light becomes a factor.
Beautiful symmetry – Tom Curran drives high and straight, and holds the pose as his middle and leg stumps leave the ground. Pure Will Williams. Surrey 110-5. rain approaching fast from the left.
Fifties for Ollie Price and Jack Taylor
As Gloucestershire extend their lead over Yorkshire to 185…trouble at t’mill.
Bad light halts Middlesex’s innings at 141 for two.
Sussex are not playing the game – currently 65-o at Hove against gnashing-of-teeth Glamorgan. Tom Curran playing a very different innings to his barnstorming maiden century the other week – currently 7 from 35 balls: Surrey 106-4.
They’re back on at New Road, Middx 127-2. Sussex are merrily 57-0 off seven overs against Glamorgan.
Brooding skies over OT.
Can only imagine this is what it feels like to live across the Pennines...
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) September 27, 2022
🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/PIBV0bIRKs
At Wantage Road, Essex – heady with avoiding a points deduction – have Northants 19 for one, Emilio Gay out, of course, to Sam Cook. Rain at OT and Edgbaston. Kent powering onwards against Somerset – the lead now 174 – Ollie Robinson bowled for 52 in his penultimate innings for Kent.
Cover on; cover off at Old Trafford.
The ECB is developing a proposal to host Test cricket between Pakistan and India on neutral ground in England.
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) September 27, 2022
Story: @AndyBullatGNM https://t.co/HM14pCdILU
Inspection at 545 at Edgbaston
Gutting for Warwickshire, as Gloucestershire build a could-be-challenging total at Headingley: 158 for five. Jack Taylor and Ollie Price have put on an unbeaten 89 for the sixth wicket. I’m not sure I fancy the Yorkies with anything over 180 – the current lead 170.
Head coach Ian Salisbury on gardening leave at Hove
All not well at second-from-bottom placed Sussex.
Sussex County Cricket Club say head coach Ian Salisbury is currently "not part of the business", having not taken charge of the first team since mid-August. https://t.co/cwkjDOzAK5
— BBC South East (@bbcsoutheast) September 27, 2022
So, after consultation: Glamorgan can be promoted if they win with maximum points and Middlesex are bowled out below 300 and don’t win. Does that sound right?
Notts declare!
Just the 662-5.
Glamorgan declare, Kent get a third bonus point, Derbyshire – sorry, I haven’t mentioned you all day, are 298 for one thanks to centuries from Reece and Godleman. Notts – still batting. Rain at New Road.
No gold for Lancashire this year
O
Beautiful rainbow this afternoon at Old Trafford 😍🌈🏏 pic.twitter.com/UlR6Xn2S9d
— James (@Surreycricfan) September 27, 2022
Four hundreds at Trent Bridge
Notts are bashing poor Durham: Hameed (115), Montgomery (178), James (159 not out) and Mullaney (129). Do they want 700? 800? Currently 651 for four and seven weary Durham bowlers.
It briefly rained at Old Trafford, now the sun is out again, but clouds hover stage left. Surrey 105-4.
No points deduction for Essex
There will be no points deduction for Essex after last week’s game at Chelmsford against Lancashire finished in just over four sessions. The match referee Wayne Noon rated it as poor, after talking to umpires, head coaches, captains and groundsman. The ECB then had their own enquiry to decide whether there should be a points deduction , based on whether – with the information available – Essex had actively sought to prepared the best quality pitch they could.
Lancashire head coach Glenn Chapple called the pitch “completely ridiculous” after the first day, when 26 wickets fell, and Lancs at one stage found themselves six for seven:
“We’ve got lads in really good form having really good seasons who are desperate to win a game, and they’ve just found the pitch unplayable really.
“Obviously the surface of the pitch looks poor. The ball is coming off it different every time. If you watch the batters’ innings through they can’t lay a bat on it.”
Updated
MCC u-turn
Eton v Harrow will go ahead next year, as will Oxford v Cambridge, after an MCC compromise with revolting members. MCC confirmed that the Special General Meeting due this evening, has been cancelled – and instead there will be a further vote on the fixtures next May.
How about giving some kids a chance to play at Lords who go to state schools? https://t.co/RbhQPu9Sq7
— Kyle Hogg (@kylehogg22) September 27, 2022
Tea-time scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 298-4 v Somerset 202
Old Trafford: Lancashire 512 v Surrey 96-4 rain
Wantage Road: Northants v Essex 231-9
Edgbaston: Warwicks 272-4 v Hampshire
Headingley: Yorkshire 183 v Gloucestershire 190 and 110-5
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 281-1 v Leicestershire 249
Trent Bridge: Notts 577-4 v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Glamorgan 489-8
New Road: Worcs 225 v Middlesex 111-2 rain
YouBears tearing down trees
There’s a bit of pongo unfolding at Edgbaston, with Will Rhodes driving in the fast lane and Dan Mouseley whacking the ball in the direction of Moseley. Rhodes has just taken Holland for four, six, four before smacking one back into the right-armer’s wrist and forcing a brief stoppage in play. Technically a chance but even Chris Jordan might have struggled to hold on, such was the ferocity of the shot. Warwickshire 263 for four in the 70th over and have secured a second batting bonus point.
As they take tea round the grounds…
An optimistic ice-cream van parked next to freezing stewards Mark and Mark at Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/3zDMst8cu3
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) September 27, 2022
Amla strides slowly off, like a hedgehog contemplating his winter hideaway, another smart catch by Jennings, another good ball by Balderson – who is having quite the end to the season.
Well, I suppose I only have myself to blame. After praising the ability of Yates to reset after each stoppage, a five-minute pause for rain is followed, first ball, by the opener driving at an inswinger and being bowled by Ian Holland. To make matters worse for Warwickshire, as they get wind of wickets tumbling at Headingley, they’ve now lost two in four balls with Sam Hain wafting behind off James Fuller on 44. The hosts are now 216 for four, with Will Rhodes and Dan Mousley both new to the crease.
Amla taking Parky on – slamming into the seats over long on- after driving him for four the ball before. Surrey 79 for three.
A century for Rob Yates!
After a season of frustration comes a century for Rob Yates as shouts of “You Bears” echo around Edgbaston. It took the left-hander 179 balls to reach his seventh in first-class cricket, slotting 19 fours along the way. As well as some crisp strokeplay, a feature has been an ability to reset after the countless stoppages for rain. Warwickshire are getting a wriggle on here, with Sam Hain moving to 44 not out and the score to 214 for two from 60.5 overs. And as I type that, we’re off for rain...
An email! Thank you Matt Winter:
“Hello Tanya. Bracey carrying the shire like Atlas. Again. He must be ruddy fed up as another red ball season dribbles into the ditch of history. Can’t fault his loyalty to us but a small bit of me thinks “RUN YOU FOOL””
Indeed – Bracey 39 not out in Gloucs 69-3 – And it seems a lifetime ago that he had that England chance. Some players get oodles of luck, others not so much.
Perhaps Headingley is the game to be at tomorrow – though I’ll have to take a hot-water bottle. As I type that a third wicket falls, GLous 61 for three, two for Coad, one for Bess and the lead 68.
An interesting development reported in the Telegraph – England have offered to host neutral India v Pakistan Tests.
ECB offer to host India and Pakistan Test series in England https://t.co/Lj7TSgVWv7
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) September 27, 2022
But perhaps the punchiest paragraph comes later on when Nick Hoult writes about the South African T20 league – which seem to be continuing the IPL’s outrageous boycott of Pakistan players. This I had no idea about.
“Pakistan players are also barred from playing in the IPL, a scenario that could spread if IPL owners buy teams in other leagues. For example, no Pakistan players are playing in the South Africa T20 league in February where all the teams have India owners, raising questions about the influence of private investment in national leagues.”
I don’t pretend to know about high finance – but if ultimately the ECB do want private equity in the Hundred, this is a big one.
It’s damp and slidey out there, the wind ruffles Tom Bailey’s trousers unkindly as he walks back to his mark. I feel in my bones that Surrey just want go home – though they won’t want to lose that unbeaten record. Anyone got a warm rock cake just out of the oven?
So maximum batting points for Glamorgan…but now it is raining. Middlesex, who, remember, have a nine point advantage over Glamorgan (pats top pocket like a Middlesex supporter) are approaching fast on Worcestershire’s 225. Currently 107 for 2; Malan 55 not out.
I haven’t listened to this, but might be one for a rainy day in the coming weeks.
In latest podcast with @OborneTweets a privilege to hear @alanhigham100 give a passionate and cogent call for fan power to save English cricket https://t.co/PI2suuxEzL
— Richard Heller (@richardheller) September 27, 2022
Groundsmen in woolly hats standing over the hover cover at OT.
Hashim Amla strides off in what is – reportedly – his last game for Surrey, and the Hover Cover hums into place. Surrey 42-3.
And a black bin bag drifts slowly down past the press box window.
A third wicket for Potts at the Nottinghamshire feast – 441 for four. Montgomery out for 178. Glamorgan striving for the 400 – now seven down, Cooke 69 not out. A handy 44 extras from Sussex.
Always out – Jamie Smith gone for one, lbw to Tom Bailey, done like a kipper. Surrey 38 for three and without Foakes and Pope.
Spotted in the OT box – though not by me – George Bell standing up to Rory Burns to stop his prancing down the pitch, probably resulted in him being stuck in his crease when that Will Williams ball arrived. Bell now right back with the slip cordon, far enough away to sketch a water-colour.
Bails scattering like hundreds and thousands as Rory Burns misses a peach from Will Williams. Surrey 37-2.
An early Surrey wicket – Ryan Patel – and Tom Bailey’s fiftieth wicket of the season. Guided into the safe hands of Keaton Jennings.
Rory Burns very eager to prance out of his crease, 16 not out. All Lancashire’s slip cordon, in fact all Lancashire’s fielders, have their hands in their pockets – handwarmers, surely. Those red-rose fleecy jumpers don’t look as warm as the Surrey cable-knit.
Darren Stevens has a seriously good skin-care regime. Where are the wrinkles?
Our number 3⃣ 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 ∞ pic.twitter.com/pslD6zeOfH
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 27, 2022
The match at Headingley cracking on: Ben Coad on the money again, Gloucestershire already one down. But the result there is looking irrelevant as it is still raining at Edgbaston. Tears for the 2021 Champions.
Raining at Old Trafford – I’m just going to have to excuse myself briefly to write something else – will pop back as soon as I can.
Kent retire No. 3 shirt
Just as Essex did for Ryan ten Doeschate, so Kent do for Darren Stevens:
No Kent player will ever wear number 3⃣ again 🐐
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 27, 2022
Yorkshire keeping it tasty to the end – bowled out for 183 – seven runs short of Glouestershire’s first innings. Zafar Gohar 5-40, Yorkshire’s top-scorer Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 46. Harry Brook the gaping chasm in the batting line-up.
Time for some lunch, back soon.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 149-0 v Somerset 202
Old Trafford: Lancashire 512 v Surrey 1-0
Wantage Road: Northants v Essex 220-8 no play before lunch
Edgbaston: Warwicks 157-2 v Hampshire
Headingley: Yorkshire 183 v Gloucestershire 190
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 146 v Leicestershire 249
Trent Bridge: Notts 402-3 v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Glamorgan 346-6
New Road: Worcs 225 v Middlesex 59-1
And off they come – and lunch round the grounds.
The players are out on the Old Trafford pitch, but so is the roller. One over from Tom Bailey in autumn sunshine.
Keith Barker has his red socks on today, suggesting he means business, but 45 mins into play at Edgbaston and they’ve gone off for rain with no wickets having fallen since the delayed restart. In that time Warwickshire have progress to 157 for two from 52 overs, with the ball zipping about but Rob Yates looking as good as he did yesterday to move to 90 not out. Sam Hain is on seven at the other end, the only Bears batter past 1,000 runs this season. And as I write this, bright sunshine has broken out. Groundstaff are looking over yonder, however, and may wait a bit longer. There’s some more coming I fancy.
Surrey will face one over before lunch.
Ahhh, Balderson caught heading skywards in desperation, with just Parkinson left at the other end. Just three short of what would have been a maiden century. Lancashire 512 all out. Five for Moriarty in his first Championship run-out of the year.He actually has a touch of the Andrew Scott’s around the face.
Glammy going for the batting points – collection in the hands of Andrew Salter and Chris Cooke. 314 for five.
150 for Matthew Mongomery!
Runs, run, runs against a Durham bowling attack that looks tired. Notts 369-3 and laying down the guy ropes to bat all day.
Fifty for Zac Crawley
Nine, presumably glorious, fours. Is this going to bring a last-minute NatWest Final-esque nudge to the selectors? Kent 105-0
Oooh, could Yorkshire yet make this interesting at the bottom of Division One? Eight down for just 166, 24 short. But it is still raining at Edgbaston – WArwickshire unable to pull out their joker. Zafar Gohar 4-40.
Jonathan Liew at his brilliant best:
Stevo day
A bit slow off the mark here – thanks for the nudge BTL – but this is a touch of class by Kent, who are celebrating Darren Stevens in all his glory today at Canterbury.
Stevens, who wasn’t available for selection after picking up a groin injury in the Royal London Cup victory at Trent Bridge, is at the ground today with family and friends and will be given a special presentation at lunchtime. There is also a special celebratory book in the Kent Cricket shop for Stevo fans to inscribe with their favourite memories of a 17-year career at the club.
Tickets are reduced to £10 for adults, with kids and members free. If you find yourself with a spare hour or two on your hands at Canterbury – do pop down.
Ali is on his way to Edgbaston, where the weather has relented and Rob Yates is on the search for run redemption – currently 77 not out. Events around the grounds not looking brilliant for Warwickshire – with Yorkshire only 49 runs away from parity at Headingley – though Zafar Gohar has grabbed both Kohler-Cadmore -for yet more pretty but insubstantial runs – and Duke for four. Yorks 141-5. Kent 46-0 chasing Somerset’s 202.
A beauty from Moriarty – gets Hartley behind his legs. Lancs 467-7. Three for Moriarty and a career-best for Balderson, 81 not out.
Raising a glass to the BBC cricket team:
So well deserved 👏 https://t.co/a1SuhtMtyo
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) September 27, 2022
At Canterbury, Somerset are all out. Kent are batting – a test for the nerves. Zac Crawley, whose highest score for Kent this year is 84 and averages 24 – is being outscored by Tawanda Muyeye – who averages 20. Godspeed – a century each would do wonders to iron out a rotten season with the bat.
Updated
A century for Shubman Gill!
This lad can play:
𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗬!!!
— Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) September 27, 2022
Shubman Gill makes a maiden Glamorgan century 👏👏👏
123 balls, 12 fours, 2 sixes. Well batted, Shubman! 🙌
Glamorgan 245/4
𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲: https://t.co/7M8MBwgNG2#SUSvGLAM | #GoGlam pic.twitter.com/D7fiC5jYmf
It turns out my earlier stat was wrong – Jennings is the third Lancashire batter to be out for 199 after Wharton and Atherton. Damn you Jamie Overton and your lbw bullets.
No000000000!
So Frank Watson is the only other player in Championship history to have scored two doubles and a triple in one season. But did he have such lovely brown eyes as Jennings?
Weather watch
Play delayed at Wantage Road till 10.45; and at Edgbaston till 11.15.
With Keaton Jennings in the 191s, some stats, courtesy of Ken . No Lancastrian has ever been out in the 190s so I am totally safe to post this stat:
If Jennings reaches 200 he will become only the second Lancastrian to score three double centuries in one season: 238 v Yorkshire at Headingley and 318 v Somerset at Southport.
He is also the leading run scorer in the 2022 Championship with 1,224 runs in ten matches.
The only Lancashire batter to have scored three double ‘tons’ in the same season is Frank Watson 94 years ago and that season Watson played in 32 matches/44 innings.
Watson’s double centuries that year were:-223 v Northamptonshire (OT)
May 1928; 300* v Surrey (OT) June 1928 and 236 Lancashire v Sussex (Hove)
Aug 1928.
I am shamelessly stealing this from the BBC blog – who have done the maths so I don’t have to. Thank you BBC.
This is the state of play in the promotion/relegation battle:
Division One: If Kent and Yorkshire draw, that will ensure they stay up after they grabbed three bonus points yesterday. 2021 Champions Warwicks need to hope that doesn’t happen, and thrash Hampshire.
Division Two: Leaders Notts need only seven points to ensure promotion, Middlesex have the upper hand over Glamorgan, with a nine-point lead going into this round.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent v Somerset 195-9
Old Trafford: Lancashire 414-5 v Surrey
Wantage Road: Northants v Essex 220-8
Edgbaston: Warwicks 138-2 v Hampshire
Headingley: Yorkshire 80-3 v Gloucestershire 190
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 57-0 v Leicestershire 249
Trent Bridge: Notts 276-2 v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Glamorgan 221-3
New Road: Worcs 167-8 v Middlesex
Monday's round-up
Autumn shook out her shawl over the first day of the final round of County Championship fixtures, rain and bad light chasing the players. Warwickshire have to win and hope the other results fall in their favour to avoid becoming the first champions since Middlesex in 2016‑17 to go straight down the next year. Dom Sibley and Rob Yates both made half‑centuries against a Hampshire attack shorn of Kyle Abbott as Warwickshire ended the first day on 138-2.
Nathan Gilchrist boosted Kent’s chances of survival with five wickets against Somerset, and will be on a hat-trick this morning after pricking the visitors’ revival. Lewis Goldsworthy, 93 not out, watched in dismay from the other end as Somerset fell to 195-9. Yorkshire, the other relegation candidates, were pepped up against Gloucestershire by the return of Matt Fisher, who grabbed four for 45 in his first game since April.
Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings reeled off yet another century, this time against the county champions Surrey, at a deceptively sun-dappled Old Trafford. It was his fifth hundred of a happy summer. There were two wickets for Surrey’s Dan Moriarty, in his first game of the season. Tom Westley’s 55 propped up a faltering Essex against Northamptonshire, while Derbyshire’s Sam Conners grabbed five wickets against Leicestershire.
Nottinghamshire, Division Two leaders and seeming certainties for promotion until they slipped up last week, had a good day against Durham. There were centuries for Haseeb Hameed, the fourth of his season, and Matthew Montgomery.
Middlesex, chasing Notts’ coat-tails, reduced Worcestershire to 167 for eight, while third-placed Glamorgan, in with a sniff of promotion, made the most of a rain-shortened day against Sussex, racing along at more than five an over. India’s Shubman Gill finished unbeaten on 91.
Preamble
Hello!! A beautiful autumn morning in Manchester – hold on tight, these days will soon slip away. Only three days left of the 2022 Championship season as well – with things still very much up in the air. Weather elbowed into day one – but most games are well on their way. Lancashire compiling a ridiculous 414 thanks to Keaton Jennings; all the Division Two challengers on top – Middlesex, Glamorgan and Notts – while Kent and Warwicks also bang their drums. Only Yorkshire, of the relegation candidates, look in any bother – though they should be able to see off Gloucestershire’s attack at Headingley. Play starts at 10.30am.
