Tanya's roundup
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.
Another busy Championship Wednesday, even as Ashes events unrolled at Old Trafford. Sir Alastair rolling back the years, Lancashire lancsing up and recovering, and wickets a go-go at Oakham School and Trent Bridge. That’s it for today, thanks for the messages, I’ll be back tomorrow, this time at Cheltenham. Bye!
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