Tanya Aldred's county roundup
While Surrey did a lap of honour, beers in hand, at a sun-kissed Oval, Hampshire were left to rue what might have been save for a complete malfunction during the 16.5 overs which made up their first innings against Kent.
Second-innings seventies from Jameses Vince and Fuller took Hampshire to within dreaming distance, but Kent’s unheralded bowlers winkled them out with 77 to spare. “There is massive disappointment in the dressing room,” said Vince, with Hampshire’s dreams of their first Championship for 49 years in the bin. “It was always going to be hard work but we felt we had a chance of doing something special. I got out to probably the worst ball of the day.” Kent’s victory leaves them 14 points clear of the relegation zone.
A career-best eight for 23 by Tom Price handed Gloucestershire victory in the Division One relegation shoot-out, as Warwickshire were bowled out for 128. Gloucestershire’s chase of 148 was not without its nerves, with four batters chewing over their shots with just 30 on the board. But Chris Dent and Graeme van Buuren guided them close enough that a late wobble was not terminal.
Tom Abell carpet-bagged a six over extra-cover in the last over of the day to top off a dominant day for Somerset at Taunton. Abell strolled to his second century of the match, in companionship with an unbeaten 101 from Tom Lammonby, setting Northamptonshire an impregnable chase at Taunton. A win would guarantee Somerset first-division cricket next season, a draw lets them breathe easier.
Worcestershire duly handed out one of the most unexpected drubbings of the season after defeating Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire by an innings. Dillon Pennington made the breakthrough with the 10th ball of the day, and Notts slipped quietly away, giving Worcestershire a chance of promotion going into their final game against Middlesex. Notts remain favourites to go up.
Rain meant 14 only balls were possible at Leicestershire, bad light saved the hosts’ blushes after Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones had reduced them to 13 for four and Ajaz Patel grabbed his first five-fer for Glamorgan as Derbyshire were forced to follow-on.
Time to sign off, with Surrey champions and the beers flowing at The Oval awards night. Let’s leave them to their celebrations – a great team, who won well. Back tomorrow to hoover up what’s left of this round. Thanks for joining in the fun BTL, goodnight!
Just popping back quickly to drop this in:
Look at what it means to everyone! pic.twitter.com/9Nz0RYH1DP
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 22, 2022
Stumps at Grace Road, some succour for Leicestershire (13-4). Which leaves just two games in play: Derbyshire blocking against Glamorgan (113-3, 184 behind); and Somerset building up a substantial lead at Taunton – Lammonby and Abell both in the eighties. I’m going to leave you for now to write up the day – but do please chunter on BTL.
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Fresh from defeat against Gloucestershire, Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s outgoing head of sport said:
“We gave it a really good go and, although things didn’t work out the way we would have liked, that’s all you can really ask. We have no divine right to win any game and this one kind of summed up our season. These games are hard, because there has to be a loser and, today, it was us. Had we ended that partnership (between Chris Dent and Graeme van Buuren) a little sooner, it might have been our day. But it just proved beyond us, and we didn’t get the rub of the green at times. Momentum plays a part in things, and you sometimes have sessions like we had the night before that you cannot recover from. It’s disappointing not to have put that killer punch on them, but we’ve shown fight and that’s something.”
But Division Two beckons, unless they can pull something out of the bag against Hampshire next week.
TRJ heeding no call to be merciful. He currently has three for six as Leicestershire drop to ball, 13-4. And they are saved by bad light.
Who will want to play regional festival cricket in August against Leicestershire? “The Midlands merry-go-round” . They’re already fluffing their lines this evening, currently 6-2 chasing another 269. Be merciful Murtagh and Roland-Jones.
Middlesex have taken 2️⃣ early wickets against Leicestershire 💪
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) September 22, 2022
That includes this beauty from Toby Roland-Jones 👇#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/6z8n7wEpj4
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Resurrected Kent, fresh from victory against Hampshire, have a 14-point buffer.
Next week’s big Div 1 games: Kent v Somerset, Warwicks v Hants, Yorks v Gloucs.
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Gloucestershire’s win gives Yorkshire a 15-point cushion over the bottom 2 (Gloucs and Warwicks). They should be safe.
Surrey again
Thanks to Lizzie for these snaps
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) September 22, 2022
That Surrey win in figures: their first win since 2018, their 20th in all, their second under captain Rory Burns, their first under head coach Gareth Batty, 22 players used, 11 home-grown, their youngest player 19 (Tom Lawes), with 12 batters averaging over 40 and five bowlers averaging under 25.
Middlesex duly slip-slide from 209-3 to 271 all out. Roland-Jones last man out to give Ahmed his third wicket. Leicestershire need 275 runs (less than their first-innings) to win their first game for (starts flicking through telephone directory)…. some time.
Gloucestershire beat Warwickshire by three wickets
Bristol: Gloucestershire 255 and 149-7 BEAT Warwickshire 274 and 128 by three wickets.
Zafar and bowling hero Tom Price bring it home! Gloucestershire’s first Division One win for 17 years!
Can Derby hold out for three and a bit sessions agains the mighty Glamorgan? They still trail by 241 – Reece and Guest back in the hutch.
Middlesex losing to Leicestershire wasn’t on my bingo card. Middx lead 268 with one wicket left. Parkinson 4-67.
The Yorkies are looking on shaky ground if Warwickshire snatch this from the Gloucesters.
I went to get a chocolate brownie, got slightly derailed and now GLoucestershire are seven down Ten needed Four for Yadav. Not convinced by that Gloucestershire tail
While the groundsmen push tiny little mowers up and down the square and a group of skinny young lads nail down the groundsheet at The Oval for another year.
Key event
They’ve drawn the curtains for the day on Durham v Sussex, 14 balls bowled, one wicket , then rain.
Tea-time scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Lancashire 131 and 73 BEAT Essex 107 and 59 by 38 runs
Bristol: Gloucestershire 255 and 125-4 v Warwickshire 274 and 128 Gloucs need 23 to win
The Rose Bowl: Kent 165 and 269 BEAT Hampshire 57 and 300 by 77 runs.
Taunton: Somerset 389 and 118-1 v Northants 265
The Oval: Surrey 333 and 55-0 BEAT Yorkshire 179 and 208 by ten wickets
DIVISION TWO
The Riverside: Durham 459-7dec v Sussex 162 and 9-4 Rain
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 550-5dec v Derbyshire 253 and 26-1
Grace Road: Leicestershire 294 v Middlesex 297 and 253-6
New Road: Worcestershire 390 BEAT Nottinghamshire 128 and 183 by an innings and 79 runs
Anyway, tea round the grounds where Gloucestershire are nearly home. Scores to follow.
Essex on the HPR
That John Stephenson quote in full:
“I’ve spoken to the members, we had a forum the other day so they’ve been consulted, I’ve spoken to the board. As it currently stands we would not vote in favour of any reduction in the Champ, any reduction in red ball cricket, and we wouldn’t vote in favour of any reduction in home T20s.”
“My job is to protect the interests of Essex CCC and its members and going back to the original reason for this review was to improve the performance of our team. There are obv different opinions on all of this and you could have a huge debate on what makes a better player.
In my opinion reducing the amount of cricket is not the way to produce better cricketers and certainly from an Essex point of view we wouldn’t like to see any reduction in the amount of champ cricket. We like hosting seven matches a year, the members enjoy red ball cricket and as a former player I wouldn’t have enjoyed the prospect of playing less red ball cricket, I wouldn’t neccesarily [think] it makes me a better rb player. I think you can pick a lot of holes in, cert when it comes to structural stuff and the schedule. 2023 will have the same schedule which I’m pleased with. Knowing with certainty what 2023 is going to look like is reassuring. 2024 there’s going to be a long period of debate and consultation on that and we’ll see what happens.
“I don’t think the club are in a position to vote for any reduction in home t20 cricket. that’s our lifeblood, that’s what brings in the revenue to the club and not only that, it’s something that the members love to come and watch and not just the members, the general public of Essex come to Chelmsford for those t20 matches and it’s an amazing spectacle, it’s great for the community, it’s great for Chelmsford to have us here hosting t20 cricket at the county ground and I would be v much opposed to reducing that to five home matches.”
“ 2023 will remain the same so during the Hundred comp next year the 50-over comp will be played, hopefully we’ll have four home matches as we had this year which was a triumph really, we had 3,000 people here for every game, good weather, good pitches. We had a lot of players absent for the Hundred but it gave us a great opportunity to play a younger team and we saw some great talent and the players loved it.”
“Looking to 2024, I think we have to start from the basis that we cannot play championship cricket during the Hundred, we can’t put the integrity of that competition in danger by playing a lesser red ball comp during the hundred. So I’d hope that the ECB view the 50-over comp blooding young players as a high performance bonus.”
Ollie Pope on Surrey, “I’d do anything for this club, when they asked if I wanted to play it was a no-brainer.”
Rory Burns on a 10-game Championship
“I personally think it would be too short for the required integrity of the County Championship.”
“I hope we’re doing it for the greater good of the game, not to keep celebrity cricket alive”
Gareth Batty on the HPR: ““I hope we’re doing it for the greater good of the game not to keep celebrity cricket alive”
And on what it would be like to win a six team Division One, ‘IT would diminish the emotion.”
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A fantastic turn out on a Thursday afternoon to applaud the players round the ground. And the sun is shining. Last time Surrey won the title Colin Graves refused to award Surrey the trophy after a huge row in the committee room – happy days.
A very happy Gareth Batty is chatting “having Rory back in the helm was gold” “Worrall is the best signing in county cricket ever.”
England boys – “they wanted to play at Northants, it speaks volumes about what it means to the group.”
“Don’t dismiss Will Jacks.”
Ah that’s cute – Surrey embark on a lap of honour around The Oval, beers in hand.
Kent and now Essex to say no to the HPR:
BBC report: Essex chief executive and interim chair John Stephenson told BBC Essex that as it currently stands, the club would not vote in favour of any reduction in the Championship.
— Huw Turbervill (@huwzat) September 22, 2022
At The Oval, Steve Elworthy comes over in his smart jacket and shakes hands with the groundstaff, who carry on the business of sweeping and mowing and collecting the boundary rope.
Surrey win the 2022 County Championship
A half-hearted ”Sur-rey, Sur-rey” comes from the corner as Rory Burns cracks Tattersall to the boundary, drops his bat, pulls off his helmet and hugs Patel hugely. Tattersall kicks the air and Burns and Patel are given a standing ovation off the pitch by the crowd, and Yorkshire.
A Tattersall moon ball represents Yorkshire’s mood.
Surrey slappage.
Surrey off to a flyer: 16 off the first over from Ben Coad.
Kent beat Hampshire by 77 runs
Kent 165 and 269 BEAT Hampshire 57 and 300 by 77 runs. Fuller stranded, Abbas the last man gone for eight. Hampshire say goodbye to yet another Championship
Gilchrist 4-60; Vince 73; Fuller 73 not out.
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Rory Burns picks up four off the first ball and Surrey are on their way to the Championship.
Somerset batting again, Lammonby and Imam making sure progress. And that’s Yorkshire done – Patterson bowled for one. Four for Worrall, two for Overton, two for Roach.
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Aw Gloucestershire, from 27 for one, to 30 for four. Charlesworth, O Price gone, plus Hammond and Bracey – both for a duck. And still 110 needed.
Roach gets a huge roar as he returns to the boundary after his over, but attention soon turns elsewhere as Ben Mike’s stumps are starkly re-arranged by Worrall. Yorkies 206-9, a lead of 52.
Nearly curtains at The Rose Bowl: Kyle Abbot gone for 14, leaving Fuller on 46 with last man Abbas. And as I type a roar around the windy Oval as Dom Bess is caught behind for 43 off a beauty from Roach.
Hmmmm:
Strauss review envisages a reduction in a county's days of home cricket from 39 to as low as 26. A 33% fall. It simply won't happen. https://t.co/KTRjhpWYCm
— David Hopps (@DavidKHopps) September 22, 2022
Gloucestershire wobble, in search of their victory target of 148. Charlesworth caught for seven, shortly after lunch. But they bat on, powered up by Tom Price’s 8 for 27 – which I sorely forgot to mention earlier.
Vince is out. Damn.
The new helmet turned out not to be that essential, Thompson lbw Worrall.
Vincey-baby, 73 not out. Hants bat on – the target drops to 143.
Thompson takes a blow to the head, and swaps helmets, with the Yorkies leading by 25 runs.
Jordan Clark wins his Surrey county cap. Congratulations!
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Lancashire 131 and 73 BEAT Essex 107 and 59 by 38 runs
Bristol: Gloucestershire 255 and 4-0 v Warwickshire 274 and 128 Gloucs need 144 to win
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 57 and 209-7 v Kent 165 and 269. Hampshire need 169 to win
Taunton: Somerset 389 and 12-0 v Northants 184-6
The Oval: Surrey 333 v Yorkshire 179 and 171-6
DIVISION TWO
The Riverside: Durham 459-7dec v Sussex 162 and 9-4 Rain
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 550-5dec v Derbyshire 211-5
Grace Road: Leicestershire 294 v Middlesex 297 and 108-3
New Road: Worcestershire 390 BEAT Nottinghamshire 128 and 183 by an innings and 79 runs
Anyway, around the grounds: James Vince is still in, Hampshire still have hope. He’s on 53, with Fuller (not out 33), Abbott and Abbas to come. Hants still need 169…
Nominating these guys to take on the HPR:
Let’s hit fossil fuels for six @BNCB & @LloydsofLondon!
— Mothers Rise Up 🌍 (@mothersriseup) September 22, 2022
We’ll be outside the Lloyd’s offices tomorrow at 11.30am for a fun cricket themed action. Everyone welcome including you @BNCB & all Lloyd’s leadership 🏏 👍🏽
See you there!#StopEACOP #StopAdani #StopTMX #InsureOurFuture pic.twitter.com/q9OfPgwKkG
Thank you Viriditan BTL for finding this statement from the Kent Chair, Simon Philip:
“The Strauss Review is a wide-ranging and comprehensive document. However, it should be remembered that it has been prepared through the prism of High Performance only.
“The two key areas for our Club – domestic structure and scheduling – remain within the discretion of the 18 First Class Counties. Within this group, we will now consider issues such as the needs of all our Members, supporters, players and stakeholders, the financial impact, the unintended consequences and the possibly irrevocable change to the essential nature of County Cricket.
“Kent Cricket is a fundamental part of our community, committed to supporting the growth of the Men’s and Women’s game at all levels.
“We continue to deliver success on the field, produce players for England and support one of the largest recreational and schools cricket populations in the country.
“We will not allow our Club to be rendered irrelevant.“
Worcestershire beat Nottinghamshire by an innings
Worcestershire 390 BEAT Nottinghamshire 128 and 183 by an innings and 79 runs
Three wickets for Pennington and Waite, a consolation fifty for Hameed, who has quietly had a good summer. And an absolute balls-up by Notts, who lose only their second game of the season. They are still strong favourites for promotion, needing only a few points against Durham at Trent Bridge next week – but Worcestershire’s hopes of promotion stay alive into their last game against Middlesex at New Road.
"The status quo is sub-optimal and people want a different solution."
A third dropped catch of the morning, but I don’t think it will matter. In the time it took me to read the HPR, the Yorkies lost another wicket, a big one, Lyth caught by Ryan Patel at third slip. Yorks 126-5.
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Even if Surrey win today, they won’t be awarded the trophy until the final game – which will be at Old Trafford.
HPR final recommendations
Number of County Championship games to be cut from 14 to 10
A Division One of six teams
Dedicated windows for the One-Day Cup, T20 Blast and the Hundred.
Start of the Championship to move to May
Two Division Twos, with one promotion place decided by a play-off
An April 50-over cup knock-out to involve minor counties
The T20 Blast will consist of 10 games, reduced from 14, and will be a block from end of May to July
The Hundred will take place in August, accompanied by red-ball festival cricket – that won’t count towards the Championship.
FCC have to endorse the changes to the men’s domestic trophy – with a two-thirds decision needed
The ECB board and exec endorse all recommendations. Seventeen recommendations in all – 15 of which fall to the ECB to implement including…
trialling the Kookaburra ball
A North v South game played overseas
England Lions to focus on red-ball cricket
A bonus points system in the CC to encourage positive cricket and better quality pitches.
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An increase in the diversity of people in high-performance roles.
‘
Just talking with Kevin Howells about how vital it is to finish in Division One this year, because no team in next season’s Div 2 will have a chance of finishing in Division One as there will be no promotion next year. The teams in Division One will battle it out for the six places that will make up the top division in 2024. So Division Two will have nothing to play for in 2023.
And this is an excellent, if sobering, read by Dan Gallan.
Andy’s latest missive from Pakistan.
Lyth square drives gorgeously for four.
Sussex’s season slipping towards an undignified end, now 9-4. Ibrahim the third batter to be lbw Raine for a duck.
Lyth possibly dropped in the slip cordon off the second over of the day – it would be helpful if Yorkshire could draw this out just a little bit…
Ahch, Kohler-Cadmore done by a Steel googly, stumps split.
What a start for Surrey!
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) September 22, 2022
Cameron Steel takes a wicket in the first over of the day ☝️#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/Vu8KKMyFfb
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Gatherings of people at Vauxhall tube station, and I followed a small snake of rucksacks up the Harleyford Road. Its sunny, hot even, and Cameron Steel has the ball for the first over of the day.
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Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Lancashire 131 and 73 BEAT Essex 107 and 59 by 38 runs
Bristol: Gloucestershire 255 v Warwickshire 274 and 58-5
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 57 and 105-4 v Kent 165 and 269. Hampshire need 273 to win
Taunton: Somerset 389 v Northants 184-6
The Oval: Surrey 333 v Yorkshire 179 and 89-2
DIVISION TWO
The Riverside: Durham 459-7dec v Sussex 162 and 6-3
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 550-5 v Derbyshire 135-5
Grace Road: Leicestershire 273-9 v Middlesex 297
New Road: Worcestershire 390 v Nottinghamshire 128 and 129-6
Wednesday's round-up
A hat-trick from George Balderson snatched Lancashire victory and 19 points from a match played at triple-speed and with the foot down, door slammed shut and locked in just over four sessions at Chelmsford. Lancashire, who had started the day at 25 for six, slippered their way to 73, setting Essex a seemingly gettable 98 in as much time as they had to spare. But Essex slipped from 24 without loss to 59 all out, losing 10 wickets for 35 runs, as Balderson’s five for 14 and Will Williams’ four for 24 dislodged bails here and provided catching practice there. Shane Snater, who finished on the losing-side despite taking six for 10 in Lancashire’s second innings, had the consolation of a county cap. Essex were left to lick their wounds and give the pitch a long hard stare.
Surrey sleep with the Championship Trophy in touching distance after making Yorkshire follow-on at the Oval. Only Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Jonathan Tattersall could do much about Surrey’s imposing seam attack, consisting – for the first time this season – of Daniel Worrall, Tom Lawes, Jamie Overton and Kemar Roach. Following on, Finlay Bean got a snorter, and George Hill was done by some extra bounce from Overton just before stumps, leaving Yorkshire in a large hole.
If Surrey win, Hampshire would have to beat Kent to take the title race into the final round – but that looks unlikely after another chaotic day at the Rose Bowl. Jack Leaning kept Kent in the match with his second hundred of the season as the pitch flattened out. As dusk began to fall, Felix Organ, nightwatchman Keith Barker and Nick Gubbins joined Ian Holland back in the pavilion, leaving Joe Weatherley, unbeaten on 54, looking, weeping, at a mountainous 273 more runs for victory.
Gloucestershire’s Tom Price sliced through Warwickshire’s top-order as they were reduced to 58 for five in the battle of the Division One stragglers at New Road, while Craig Overton’s four for 25 left Northamptonshire in tatters at Taunton.
In Division Two, Glamorgan captain David Lloyd reached 313, the highest first-class score ever by a Welshman, and Nottinghamshire found themselves in the unfamiliar position of following on against Worcestershire.
Preamble
Good sunny morning! This is Surrey’s day, Surrey’s Championship – unless. Unless Yorkshire can rally and Tom Kohler-Cadmore prove to Somerset just what a prize they have won. Unless , down at The Rose Bowl, James Vince can play the innings of his life and carry Hampshire to the unlikely 273 more they need to beat Kent – as he so nearly did against Lancashire in the penultimate game of last year.
Pull up your chair and join us, it’s going be fun.
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