Tanya Aldred's county report
It took Surrey just 15 minutes to draw a line through Warwickshire and cement their place as sparkling favourites for the Championship title.
“Our desire is certainly there in our dressing room,” said Rory Burns, 22 points fresh in the captain’s pocket. “We love playing four-day cricket for Surrey.” That won’t have come as a surprise to Warwickshire, whose batting was decimated in what was a must-win game for them to stay in the running. Dan Worrall snaffled two more wickets to add to Monday’s haul to finish with five for 25, eight for 59 in the match.
At a parched Chelmsford, Surrey’s nearest rivals Essex also made hay. Josh de Caires had time to pick up a career-best eighth wicket before Jamie Porter tightened the laces on his boots and set off. At 25 for four, Middlesex’s innings resembled congealed scrambled egg, but Max Holden and Ryan Higgins restored some sensibility. Porter finished with six for 34, his third five-fer in a row, collecting 50 wickets for the year. There was just the one wicket for Simon Harmer. Sir Alastair Cook then stroked Essex to a useful lead.
Leicestershire, for so long the butt of the joke, kept up their push for promotion after beating Gloucestershire by eight wickets, thanks to a calm partnership of 161 between Colin Ackermann and Lewis Hill. Worcestershire comfortably beat the promotion challengers Glamorgan, despite the best efforts of Billy Root (84).
With the sniff of Division One in their nostrils, Durham took the extra half-hour to try to wheedle out Sussex, but couldn’t quite finish the job. Bas de Leede threw in three wickets to go alongside his maiden first-class century, with Matthew Potts and Matt Parkinson also gathering three apiece. There were three Sussex half centuries – Ollie Carter, Chesteshwar Pujara and Fynn Hudson-Prentice – as they tackled their forlorn task.
Good night!
Durham can’t quite clinch victory, so events at The Riverside go into day four. Some big wins today, for Surrey in Div one, and Leics and Worcestershire in the party place. Thanks for all your messages, we’ll be back tomorrow – good night!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 308 and 330-3dec v Somerset 137 and 102-2 Somerset need 400 to win
The County Ground: Northants 232 and 211-5 v Lancashire 524
The Oval: Surrey 396 BEAT Warwickshire 161 and 138 by an innings and 97 runs.
Day one: Chelmsford: Essex 304 and 104-1 v Middlesex 179
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 505-9dec v Sussex 266 and 263-9
Grace Road: Leicestershire 204 and 168-2 BEAT Gloucestershire 159 and 212 by 8 wickets
New Road: Worcestershire 284 and 145 BEAT Glamorgan 170 and 179 by 80 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 297 and 520-9dec v Derbyshire 247 and 65-1 Derbys need 506 to win
Time for me to think about writing up, and with the three wins already today, time for late afternoon drift. Somerset still two down in their epic quest at the Rose Bowl; Northants still five down against Lancs; SAC and Tom Westley still batting TRJ away at Chelmsford.
Quiet too in the party division: Sussex slipping to defeat at The Riverside, now six down, two for Parky, while de Leede has just trapped Carter for 80 – 210-6. And Derbyshire quietly seeing out the Scarborough afternoon –60-1.
I’ll disappear for my now, but do keep chatting BTL.
Just glanced at last year’s final Div one table – quite the fall from grace for Kent and Northants in 2023. A bad year for last year’s Div One drop-outs too – Yorks (albeit with points deduction) and Gloucestershire currently 6th and bottom.
As the sun drifts westwards, a wicket at stone-baked Chelmsford – Browne for 35, Essex 66-1 as de Caires wheels in. SAC, shirt-sleeves, cinnamon-brown arms, 29 not out.
Northants are now five down in their second innings against Lancashire, Whiteman reached fifty, before becoming a second wicket for Will Williams. Now 166-5, a long, dusty, poc-marked road to travel.
And at the Rosebowl, some classic top-order Somerset gurning. Abell is snaffled by Vince off Fuller for five. 61-2.
So Pujara didn’t bat for four sessions after all: lbw Parky M 51.
Cheteshwar Pujara GONE! @mattyparky96 pins him LBW for 51.#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/ipBtwgc0mg
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) September 5, 2023
Nice and succinct from Gloucestershire captain James Bracey: “We started the game poorly and ended it poorly and that’s the story, really.
Down at the County Ground, Northants are relying on Sam Whiteman to bat for a very long time. Currently 49 , out of Northants 152-4, still trailing Lancs by 140. Two wickets for first-innings-run-a-ball 77 Tom Bailey.
And Somerset, chasing the impossible, have already lost Tom Lammonby for 9. Liam “season of his life” Dawson the wicket-taker. Somerset 30-1.
A fifty for Cheteshwar Pujara!
Pujara is more than capable of batting for four more sessions. But can anyone else stay with him? Carter currently is, 49 not out. Sussex 150-4.
Another fifty in a Sussex shirt for Cheteshwar Pujara. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/GAFdOCqrCv
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) September 5, 2023
Updated
Second-innings de Caires not proving as potent – Essex 49-0, a lead of 174.
A hundred for Matthew Revis and a declaration
A second champo century for Revis, warmly appreciated by the Scarborough crowd. He hits a six, gets out and Yorks duly declare.
Time for me to take a ten minute break with a cup of tea – back shortly!
Tea-timeish scores
DIVISION ONE
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 308 and 330-3 v Somerset 137 and 8-0 Somerset need 494 to win
The County Ground: Northants 232 and 114-3 v Lancashire 524
The Oval: Surrey 396 BEAT Warwickshire 161 and 138 by an innings and 97 runs.
Day one: Chelmsford: Essex 304 and 16-0 v Middlesex 179
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 505-9dec v Sussex 266 and 144-4
Grace Road: Leicestershire 204 and 168-2 BEAT Gloucestershire 159 and 212 by 8 wickets
New Road: Worcestershire 284 and 145 BEAT Glamorgan 170 and 179 by 80 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 297 and 520-9dec v Derbyshire 247 Derbys need 571 to win
Worcestershire beat Glamorgan by 80 runs!
New Road: Worcestershire 284 and 145 BEAT Glamorgan 170 and 179 by 80 runs
It’s a wrap. Very nicely done, Worcestershire can settle into second place, promotion rivals kicked to the curb, 31 points ahead of Glamorgan, 24 ahead of Leicester (who have a game in hand).
Thinking about Hugh Morris and other big cheeses, Ron Bransgrove retired as Hampshire chairman earlier this summer. A man who splits opinions, he’s got a new book out, “Back from the brink” and this fascinating interview with Paul Newman.
Meanwhile at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire have at last declared, leaving Somerset to notch up just the 502 for victory.
Tea scores to follow.
Just reading the report from Grace Road – Leicestershire, who have a game in hand, play Sussex next week. Then if as seems likely, they and Worcestershire are elbowing for second place, both teams must play Yorks and Durham in their last two games. Weather could balls everything up, obvs.
They’ve taken tea at Scarborough, where Yorkshire bat on… and on. Revis must sup on 98, Bess caught for a duck; four wickets to Alex Thomson. And Chris has settled in his deckchair at last, and sent us his musings:
Get in from South Bay Beach two-thirty. Grey benches confusion. “They’ve declared; or is that a drink they’re stopping for?” Lamb on rope, outfielding. No 1.5-metre distance rule between him and people sitting/lying on grass. No secondhand cricket bookseller. Two “Being Geoffrey Boycotts” on a desk beside Nth Marine Rd entry gate. Eight benches away from Lamb: fish & chip shop compare-and-contrasts, Bazball definitions and explications. A rumoured - fake - YJB sighting. Bit of a breeze, not as light as aluminium, not strong.
Six wickets for Jamie Porter!
Middlesex 179 all out, 124 behind Essex.
🔥 A special delivery for a special moment.
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) September 5, 2023
👏 @JamiePorter93 👏
🦅 #FlyLikeAnEagle pic.twitter.com/ecw75stq78
TRJ givse GBH his first wicket – but this is a decent fightback by Middlesex. Follow-on safely negotiated, 168-9.
Leicestershire beat Gloucestershire by eight wickets
Grace Road: Leicestershire 204 and 168-2 BEAT Gloucestershire 159 and 212 by eight wickets
Gloucestershire’s rotten Championship season continues – no sight of a win. Leicestershire though, are in right the midst of fisticuffs for the second promotion spot
I’ve developed a Don Topley earworm. Jumping down a division to shake it off:
At the Riverside, Sussex are 74-4 with Pujara dropping anchor. Three wickets for Potts.
Lewis Hill (59) and Colin Ackermann (76) are within ticking distance of victory, Leicestershire, 144-2, need just 24 to beat Gloucestershire.
Glamorgan are in need of a Billy Root special, with dogged stocism from the tail. Now 138-7, they need 122 needed to win against Worcestershire. van Beek 3-37.
And Yorkshire have a blatantly unnecessary lead of 501 at Scarborough. Revis not out 69, Thompson 43. Derbyshire, watching, waiting, and twitching.
The Middlesex Barnacle, Higgins, loses his stumps to Sam Cook. Middlesex 143-8, trail by 161. The wickets column for Harmer, still lies empty.
Sam Cook splits the partnership between Hollman and Higgins, a big fat lbw. Middlesex 138-7.
A third wicket at The Riverside – and it is that man with the baggy trousers, untucked shirt and red rose. Parky M has Alsop stumped for 18. Sussex 69-3.
This seemed extremely unlikely this morning, but Middlesex look likely to avoid the follow on – currently 167 behind. Harmer still wicketless. Jamie Porter 5-33.
A hundred for Nick Gubbins!
A third of the year for Gubbins as Hampshire have fun in the sun against Somerset. James Vince just 37 runs behind
Northants going along nicely in their rather monumental task, 36-0. And a peek in at the neglected Rose Bowl, where Hampshire are storming against Somerset. Gubbins 90, Vince 58, the lead over Somerset 410 and counting.
50 wickets for Matthew Potts!
Sussex not long for the match, Potts on the charge, passing 50 wickets for the second season in a row as he bowled Tom Haines for 12. Sussex 36-2, still 199 behind. Enjoy him while you’ve got him, Durham.
Updated
England men's U19 Test squad
England and Australia U19s play two Tests: at New Road Sept 8-11, and at Northampton, Sept 16-19.
Charlie Allison (Essex)
Charlie Barnard (Lancashire)
Luc Benkenstein (Essex)
Jack Carney (Lancashire)
Jaydn Denly (Kent)
Daniel Hogg (Durham)
Eddie Jack (Hampshire)
Dom Kelly (Hampshire)
Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire)
Noah Thain (Essex)
Raphael Weatherall (Northamptonshire)
Ross Whitfield (Durham)
By contrast, short and sweet from Warwickshire’s first-team coach Mark Robinson: “We were out-bowled and out-batted on a really good cricket wicket on which 250 to 300 was probably about par. They got virtually 400 and then we just kept getting out and yesterday was a day we didn’t want. This morning was just an inevitability, after what happened yesterday.”
"We love playing four-day cricket for Surrey"
As a digestif, time to pick over Surrey’s demolition of Warwickshire.
Rory Burns: “I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a day like yesterday when the wickets just kept on coming for us.
“I think we were expecting the pitch to get even better for batting as the game went on, over the four days, and having had to bat first after losing the toss. I certainly didn’t expect what happened yesterday but it’s pretty easy for me as captain when I’ve got a bowling attack as good as ours.
“It was good to have Kemar [Roach] back and Dan [Worrall] was exceptional. He’s a real leader out there and is a brilliant bowler with lots of skills, but I thought Jordan [Clark] also put in a really good performance in this match and there is a lot of excitement in this group about what is to come in the next few weeks.
“It could be a tight race to the finish between them and us but we simply have to concentrate on what we do and the desire is certainly there in our dressing room. We love playing four-day cricket for Surrey.”
Updated
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 308 and 171-2 v Somerset 137
The County Ground: Northants 232 and 0-0 v Lancashire 524
The Oval: Surrey 396 BEAT Warwickshire 161 and 138 by an innings and 97 runs.
Day one: Chelmsford: Essex 304 v Middlesex 74-5
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 505-9dec v Sussex 266 and 8-1
Grace Road: Leicestershire 204 and 73-2 v Gloucestershire 159 and 212 Leics need 95 to win
New Road: Worcestershire 284 and 145 v Glamorgan 170 and 49-4 Glamorgan need 211 to win
Scarborough: Yorkshire 297 and 324-5 v Derbyshire 247
Middlesex commando-crawl to lunch, 69-5, scores to follow…
A quick flit round Div 2: Durham have declared, on 505-9, and Sussex have already lost a limb (5-1). Hill and Ackermann are taking Leicestershire safely to lunch – just 108 to win at Grace Road. Glamorgan slipping dangerously, 37-4 needing another 223. And Yorkshire building a handy lead against Derbyshire, with Masood out for 86 and Hill unbeaten on 44, chasing after their second win of the season.
A hundred for George Balderson!
To Northampton, where Lancashire are grinding Northants into south Midlands dust. A second Championship century for young blade George Balderson, finally out for 115, the second hundred of the innings. Lancs 506-9, the lead 276, with Tom Bailey playing whack-a-mole.
Simon Harmer: an apology
“I don’t want to deprive you of a once-in-a-hundred-years event,” writes Henry Lubienski, “but the alleged dropped catch from Harmer (11:37 BST) was a commentator error. The ball bounced a couple of meters in front of Harmer.”
Thank you!
Huw Morris to step down as chief exec of Glamorgan
While Harmer toys with the tension, with four consecutive maidens at Chelmsford, some news from Cardiff. Hugh Morris is going to step down after nine years as Glamorgan’s CEO. Morris took over in 2014, helping dig Glamorgan out of a considerable financial hole. He designed a financial plan which saw creditors writing off 70 per cent of the club’s £16 million debt, and pushed for Cardiff to be the base for a Hundred franchise.
“Glamorgan has always held a special place in my heart,” he said, “and it was a great thrill for me to rejoin the club as chief executive in January 2014 after 17 thoroughly enjoyable years at the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“I am proud of our achievements over the past 10 years in stabilising our financial position, transforming our governance and making the game more accessible and diverse through our award-winning community programme.”
“Many people will know that I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2022,” he went on, “and the time is right for me to spend more time with my family, enjoying other pastimes, and focusing on my ongoing treatment.”
Middlesex survive Harmer’s first over. Over at Grace Road, Leicestershire are making an early Horlicks of their chase of 169 – Patel and Budinger gone in single figures, both to Josh Shaw: 18-2. And an early wicket for Joe Leach in the promotion battle at New Road, Eddie Byrom seasoned and toasted for a seven-ball duck. Glamorgan 19-1.
100 for Bas de Leede!
But to briefly turn away from Chelmsford: Durham have picked up maximum bowling points – again, for the SEVENTH time this summer – and Bas de Leede has his maiden Durham Championship century – 103 before being caught behind.
Meanwhile, Harmer drops Simpson a catch at slip. And here he comes to bowl….
A reminder that Middlesex are currently only three points above the relegation zone…
25-4…. at least Essex are mixing it up, this time Sam Cook grabs the wicket.
Updated
A third for Porter!
Hmmm. Trying to think of a upside for Middlesex here. Sam Robson loses his stumps and Porter has three for eleven.
The sun is shining for Glamorgan and Worcestershire’s day of reckoning. Glamorgan’s target 250 after Worcestershire lose their last two wickets for 18. McIlroy finishes with five. I’ve stared into my coffee cup and the grubby grains say this is Glamorgan’s game.
Oh dear. A second in the over for Jamie Porter and poor old Joe Cracknell, in only his second Championship game, must follow where Stoneman recently trod. Essex 8-2.
Tick, tock:, Stoneman trudges off, after going for broke and being picked up at backward point. Middlesex 8-1. One chalked up for Porter.
Surrey beat Warwickshire by an innings and 97 runs!
The Oval: Surrey 396 BEAT Warwickshire 161 and 138 by an innings and 97 runs. Surrey 22 points, Warwicks ?? points
Done and dusted in 15 minutes. Worrall finishes with five wickets, Clark with four. Surrey’s eighth win of the season. Beginning to look like a cakewalk.
Updated
Eight for Josh de Caires!
Essex all out after Sam Cook snitches to slip. Middlesex strap up and prepare for Harmer.
And a Harry Brook headache:
A cracking scoop from Raf:
Injury update Sophie Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone has undergone surgery after dislocating her right shoulder in the warm-up before Manchester Originals played Southern Brave in August.
She will now begin her rehabilitation with the ECB and Thunder medical teams.
Monday's round-up
A trippy 23 wickets fell at the Oval, as Surrey stuck their big boot into Warwickshire and reached for the title. The visitors’ day had not started badly as they rattled through the Surrey tail, with Ed Barnard collecting five wickets. Then the fun began as they belted up for the relentless Surrey attack.
A first innings of 161, with four wickets to Kemar Roach, seemed riches when, following on, they were reduced to 35 for five. The die is cast.
On day one at Chelmsford, the off-spin of Middlesex’s Josh de Caires blindsided the Championship dreamers Essex. De Caires, the son of Mike Atherton, fizzed out a career-best seven for 105 despite a century opening stand between Sir Alastair Cook and Nick Browne. His 38 overs of toil may never have happened had the British Embassy in Delhi not delayed the paperwork for the Indian off-spinner Jayant Yadav, leaving him stranded.
“It’s nice bowling from the River End,” De Caires said. “There’s a nice, big rough patch for right‑handers.” Simon Harmer quietly licked his lips.
Keith Barker’s first five‑fer of what has been a quiet Championship season scattered Somerset like autumn conkers, all out for 137, a deficit of 171 in their match against Hampshire. Only Andy Umeed passed 30.
Josh Bohannon became the second Division One player to collect a thousand runs, with 175 for Lancashire against a wilting Northamptonshire. This was his third successive hundred against them, and he bustled boundaries with trademark cuts and drives.
Hundreds from Alex Lees – his fifth of the season– and Graham Clark kept Durham’s promotion train on track at the Riverside. Sussex’s Jack Carson grabbed three wickets. At Scarborough Derbyshire’s Wayne Madsen strode to 93 against Yorkshire; Leicestershire are on top in a rollercoaster game against Gloucestershire, and 18 wickets fell at New Road as Worcestershire lead Glamorgan.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 308 and 45-0 v Somerset 137
The County Ground: Northants 232 v Lancashire 392-7
The Oval: Surrey 396 v Warwickshire 161 and 126-7
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 424-5 v Sussex 266
Grace Road: Leicestershire 204 v Gloucestershire 159 and 179-8
New Road: Worcestershire 284 and 127-8 v Glamorgan 170
Scarborough: Yorkshire 297 and 179-2 v Derbyshire 247
Day one: Chelmsford: Essex 303-9 v Middlesex
Preamble
Good glorious morning from September at its most wanton. Day three, and all eight games flying .
I’ve been thwarted once more on my trip to Scarborough by waking up full of wheeze, but I have a fabulous super-duper sub in Christian Ryan, author of Golden Boy and Feeling is the Thing That Happens in 1000th of a Second, who chugging over the Pennines this second. He has promised to send me colour from the ground. Grab a coffee, we’re up and running at 1030am.
