Day one roundup: Lancashire make Middlesex toil
Middlesex’s last-gasp campaign to cling on to their Division One place had an apocalyptic start at Old Trafford. With the air as humid as an old dog’s breath, Toby Roland-Jones won the toss, looked to the fretful skies and chose to bat.
As the stats floated about – this being the worst year for Middlesex’s top five since 1894, and the worst year for any top five in the Championship since 1966 – so the heads started to roll. With four Lancashire players at slip, Mark Stoneman prodded at Tom Bailey, gone for a duck. Joe Cracknell drove at Will Williams and lost his bails. Jack Davies gloved a pull after a 33-ball four. Max Holden and John Simpson nicked behind. At 19 for five, it seemed the most catastrophic decision to bat first in Manchester since Kent decided to twist and take on Jimmy Anderson in July 2021.
But here came Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins – the only man to average over 35 for Middlesex this season – rebuilding hopes, brick by brick. Higgins hit the first boundary of the innings in the 20th over and Robson crafted his way to a 150-ball fifty. Robson was still there at stumps, despite rain, bad light and Tom Bailey.
At Canterbury, fellow relegation candidates Kent were flying thanks to a run-a-ball whizz-bang from Zak Crawley. Crawley, dropped on two before cracking four consecutive fours off one Brett Hutton over, slammed 158 from 153 balls.
Matt Salisbury grabbed five for 73 at Hove before Rishi Patel completed a thousand runs to keep Leicestershire in the promotion hunt; Shan Masood made an unbeaten 113 to put Yorkshire on top at Sophia Gardens; Gloucestershire’s Ollie Price made his third first-class hundred. And Olly Hannon-Dalby’s three wickets kept the lid on a determined Northamptonshire.
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Good night!
That’s it for today - with some intriguing stories weaving themselves around this penultimate-minus-one round. Congratulations particularly to Middlesex for lasting the day, Rishi Patel for passing a thousand runs and Zak Crawley for a lucky-to-be-there 158. Thanks for all the messages, we’ll be back tomorrow, good night!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 387-43 v Nottinghamshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 132-8
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Northamptonshire 200-5
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire 330-3
Bristol: Gloucestershire 333-6 v Derbyshire
Hove: Sussex 262- v Leicestershire 68-2
Down with the party hats, Yorks are storming. Bean caught off Carlson for 93, but Masood coming up on the outside – 96 off 124. Yorks 282-3.
Runs a-plenty at Bristol too, where Ollie Price and van Buuren have piled on 106, Glos 275-6 v Derbyshire. And at Hove, max bowling points for Leicestershire, but they’ve already lost Budinger for a duck., Leics 36-1.
Time for me to write up, with little hope of a restart here at OT. BTL, though, remains open for comment/joy/despair.
In the other Division One games: Northants (156-2) press defiantly on – Gay (72) and Nair (65). No breakthrough for Warwicks since the 11th over. And at Canterbury, Muyeye has been picked up by Mullaney, but Leaning and Finch lollop Kent towards 350.
Seven balls at OT, then they come off again. Middlesex happily, Lancashire reluctantly. Let’s trot round the grounds.
An email! Hello Paul McIntyre:
‘You mention Durham’s late overseas signing, Fernando, with Potts and Carse absent. But there have been quite a few, if not as late as this. The late announcement of the ODI squad for the three-match series v Ireland was pretty disrespectful to the counties. It’s not clear what the point of the Ireland series is, in any case, as it’s not being used to prepare for the World Cup.”
It does seem quite late in the summer for a “new” tournament – though with the apocolyptic climate, who know what normal is A bit miserable for Ireland, playing against a second-string team. I guess the ECB are fulfilling commitments.
I hope someone brought in the washing at home. Having said that, here come the umpires and off come the covers.
Here comes the rain, and hard. Middx 131-8, with Robson 56 not out from 171. A stat, in case I forget it later -( with thanks, yet again, to Paul ) Since 2006, only one Middlesex batsman has carried his bat through a completed innings, and that man is…. Sam Robson in 2019.
Unwisely, Yadav opts for a pull against Bailey. Wells takes the catch, just in front of the square leg umpire. Middx 130-8, the scoreboard bright against the gloom.
Fifty for Karun Nair !
Bouquets on his Northants debut, including seven fours, and impressive stewardship of hope by Northants today: 137-2 against off-the-boil Warwicks.
Muyeye and Leaning carrying on where Crawley and DBD (out for 60) left off. Kent 303-3 and flying towards those bonus points.
Tom Bailey, five slips, brooding clouds. Good luck Middlesex.
They’ve run the five minute bell at OT, possibly optimistic. Sky fretful.
I don’t know what it is like down south but gorgeously cool inManchester after the rain. Ten degrees cooler according to the steward at the door of Cafe Nero. Joyfully, three different groups of children playing cricket round the concourse. And the covers come off.
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Time to assess the weather and walk round the ground to buy a coffee – back shortly!
Teatime-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 260-3 v Nottinghamshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 124-7
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Northamptonshire 114-2
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire 201-1
Bristol: Gloucestershire 161-3 v Derbyshire
Hove: Sussex 231-7- v Leicestershire
Fifties for Finlay Bean and Shan Masood
Runs aplenty at Sophia Gardens for Yorkshire – 189-1 -and Sussex 231-7 in the promotion snorter at Hove.
150 for Zak Crawley!
Clocking up the numbers with some haste, now 158 off 153. And now he’s out, caught and bowled Calvin Harrison to much Brummie relief.
Fifty for Emilio Gay!
A plucky effort from Gay, and a useful partnership of 86 and counting with Indian batsman Karun Nair, signed for these last three games. Northants 110-2.
Tea at Bristol too, where Gloucestershire are 161-3. Ollie Price 41 not out.
Elsewhere, we have play. Crawley still showing Canterbury what they’ve missed in his absence with England – cantering along at 140 off 142. Fifty for DBD in second-fiddle garb. Kent 228-1 against Notts.
Zak Crawley tuning up for England's ODIs against Ireland in the County Championship this morning pic.twitter.com/TB1tysrD08
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) September 10, 2023
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On come the covers, and they’re going to take an early tea here at OT with Middx 124-7.
Fifty for Sam Robson!
A fantastic effort, enthusiastically greeted with a whoop and a clap from the Middlesex dressing room. Took exactly 150 balls, with five fours. His third time past fifty this year. The umpires consider the light, say nay, and a couple of balls later De Caires angles a catch straight to first slip when little George Bell takes it neatly. De Caires is not happy – playing all the shots he should have played instead on the way back to the pavilion. Incredibly only Bailey’s second. Middx 120-7 and the rain imminent.
As Sam Robson approaches fifty under darkening skies, something to chew over – thank you Paul E. Robson is the only Middlesex batsman to make a first-class century this season. Ryan Higgins is the only batter to average over 35.
Some heart-walming content: Rob Jones on the lunchtime roller as the umpires consider the light at Old Trafford.
In Division One: steady, dogged accumulation by Middlesex, penny-pinching bowling by Wood and Balderson. Middx 114-6. At Canterbury, Kent 179-1, Crawley 115 – having slowed down a pinch. Rain at Edgbaston.
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A drop! De Caires on 10, Keaton Jennings, quite far forward at second slip, didn’t spot it in time and parried the ball to the ground. Wood, expressionless, walks back to his mark.
The lights are coming on at Old Trafford, with rain due to relieve Middlesex around 3pm – if the radar is right.
Yorkshire steaming off to a heady start against Glamorgan, with Bean and Lyth putting on 98 at four an over before Lyth was bowled by McIlroy for 49. Bean now joined by Masood, Yorks 104-1.
Rain playing havoc with the game at Edgbaston – off/on/off . Northants 90-2, with the looming possibility that they could be relegated at the end of this match – albeit a bit less of a possibility than it was this morning thanks to Middlesex’s disfunctional top order. . Robson , though, looking iron-clad on 40 from 131.
A hundred for Zak Crawley!
A run-a-ball beauty from Crawley in a match that matters. Kent 153-1 while Middlesex struggle. Quite the season for him, starting with the wobbles and doubt over his place, ending it as England captain against Ireland.
And as I send, Higgins drives briskly, and gets an inside edge onto leg stump: 41 off 50 balls, and some sympathetic applause. Middx 85-6. Enter the deamon spinner De Caires.
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Rob Jones, who moves to Worcestershire at the end of the season, was rolling the pitch at lunch. Middx settling now, , sun out, though as I tap Higgins has a leaden footed swipe. 83-5.
Vishwa Fernando joins Durham
A last-gasp signing for Durham for the final two games of the season, with Carse and Potts away with England. Left-arm quick Fernando, has picked up 50 wickets in his 20 Tests.
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The rain keeping us on our toes – now over Birmingham, but clear elsewhere. And gentle movement at the Rose Bowl, where Latham and Buttler will walk out for the toss in ten minutes.
Dot.
Polishing my collar smugly after some salad and fruit platter from the Lancashire kitchen. Tom Bailey, the man with lankiest limbs in county cricket, has the ball. Dot. Dot. Dot. Dot. Dot.
A mini-triumph for Middlesex, who lunch at 65-5. Time for some lunch, back shortly.
Tom Hartley, spindily legs, shirt untucked, sunglasses on, gets an over (or two?) before lunch. Robson, watchfully, bats him away.
Lunchtime-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 96-1 v Nottinghamshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 51-5
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Northamptonshire 71-2
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire 25-0
Bristol: Gloucestershire 32-0 v Derbyshire
Hove: Sussex 115- v Leicestershire
Higgins and Robson in danger of knocking up the Middlesex half century here before lunch, with the sun flirting at a full appearance.
Northants have made decent stab at a morning’s cricket after wobbling on 24-2 against Rushworth and Hannon-Dalby. Now 61-2, with Gay 37 not out.
A boundary! A boundary! In the 20th over. Ryan Higgins has had enough. Cheers/jeers from the crowd.
To rub salt into Middlesex’s wounds, fellow relegation-candidates Kent are storming away at Canterbury, with Zak Crawley making hay at a run a ball, 57 not out. Kent 75-0 against Notts.
A dirty rout underway now, old tin cans and underwear tumbling out of the drawers. Three wickets lost in 16 balls, two for Wood and one for Balderson. Robson still there , unbeaten on a 47 ball 11. Middx 19 for five
In Division Two: rain at Sophia Gardens, and rain at Bristol where Charlesworth and Dent had put 32-0 before the umbrellas opened. At Hove, Sussex are whizzing along, but somewhat carelessly. 89-3. Pujara steadying the ship, 19 not out.
After a 33-ball epic of concentration, Davies falls for the leg-side strangle to Luke Wood’s first over in a four-game game since the opening match the season. Middx 16-3.
Rain at the second ODI at the Rose Bowl, where Geoff is keeping an eye on the umbrellas.
The sun suddenly emerges at Old Trafford, illuminating those stalking slips. But Davies and Robson – whom Bailey was convinced had edged behind – are still there. Bailey is in his seventh over so they’ve nearly seen him off. Middx 14-2. Time for a dart round the other grounds.
We’ve been wondering if this will end up the most calamitous decision to win the toss and bat at Old Trafford since Kent looked at the carpet of overhead cloud and decided to take on Jimmy Anderson in July 2021.
Four Lancashire players at slip knitting, waiting for the guillotine’s drop, as Davies has a gay drive and miss at Tom Bailey.
And, as mop follows bucket, Cracknell opts for an enthusiastic – and bold – drive to Will Williams, only to look back and see his off stump knocked back. Middx 5-2.
Ahem. And there goes Stoneman, prodding, nicely snaffled at fourth slip for 0 off Tom Bailey. Middx 4-1.
And the worst for any team in the Championship since 1966….
Stoneman and Robson belying Paul’s prediction at the moment – 3-0 off 1.5 overs . And thanks to Kevin James of the ACS via Harriet Monkhouse for this stat: this is the worst year for Middlesex’ top five since 1894
A delayed start at OT, where Middlesex have won the toss and chosen to bat on the basis that – in the words of Paul Edwards, “they might as well get it over with.”
Division Two table
1 Durham (12) 198
2 Worcestershire (12) 154
3 Leicestershire (11) 130
4 Glamorgan (12) 123
5 Sussex (11) 116
6 Derbyshire (11) 85
7 Gloucestershire (12) 84
8 Yorkshire (11) 68
Division One table
1 Surrey (12) 205
2 Essex (12) 187
3 Hampshire (12) 153
4 Lancashire (11) 134
5 Warwickshire (11) 130
6 Somerset (12) 128
7 Nottinghamshire (11) 114
8 Middlesex (11) 87
9 Kent (11) 81
10 Northants (11) 61
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent v Nottinghamshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Northamptonshire
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire
Hove: Sussex v Leicestershire
Preamble
Good morning from a sticky Old Trafford, the threat of a thunderstorm hovering behind the arm like a thirsty dog. Welcome to round 14, the end in sight. No games for Division leaders Surrey or Durham this week, but Durham could still clinch promotion without lifting a finger if Leicestershire don’t pick up five bonus points against Sussex.
It’s all about the dogfight at the bottom of Div One, and the push for second placed promotion in the Party Division. Play starts at 10.30am.
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