Tanya's county roundup
Somerset notched up 21 points at Chelmsford, thrashing Essex by 10 wickets. Craig Overton, in his vast Somerset sweater, added a couple of batters and a catch to his century on Saturday, a stand-in captaincy performance to remember. Essex inched a lead of just 47 and Archie Vaughan, Somerset’s second injury substitute, made a bid for a permanent spot by punching the majority of the runs himself, twice plonking Simon Harmer over midwicket for six.
A zinger of a catch by Matthew Potts sealed an innings victory for Durham at Bristol. Gloucestershire spent the day bailing out the bath with a teaspoon, but sank after tea. Cameron Bancroft (56) and Ben Charlesworth (26) added 101 for the first wicket as Gloucestershire followed on, but wickets fell afterwards, with three each for Callum Parkinson and Potts. Gloucestershire have no points after two games, after being deducted two for a slow over rate in round one.
A tight match at Lord’s was squeaked by Worcestershire, thanks to a tail-end 34 from Matthew Waite, who then removed Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins. A couple of run-outs sealed Middlesex’s fate.
Surrey were forced to take the third new ball at the Oval by upstarts Leicestershire. On a pastry pitch they amassed 691, their highest score against Surrey. There was a career-best 162 for Ben Cox, 100 for Stevie Eskinazi and the lead is an appetising 171.
Marcus Harris (58 not out) again rescued Lancashire, as they lost three for nought in their second innings, a balloon-pop collapse to leave them 23 for five. Mohammad Abbas and Zak Chappell found fire in the Old Trafford pitch for Derbyshire.
Zak Crawley was caught for five as Kent followed on against Northamptonshire; Asa Tribe’s 82 not out and repeated showers frustrated Notts as they set Glamorgan a mammoth 478.
A tight to and fro at Hove left Sussex needing 94 to beat Warwickshire, with five wickets in hand. Kyle Abbot’s four for 11 ensured Yorkshire made a terrible start in their pursuit of 426 against Hampshire.
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Good night!
The covers come on at OT, Marcus Harris dragging Lancashire towards a respectable total from the depths of 23 for five. Wins for Somerset, Worcestershire and Durham today. We’ll be back tomorrow to keep an eye on the rest, thanks for your company, bye!
Final scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Somerset 348 and 49-0 BEAT Essex 149 and 245 by ten wickets
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 279 and 311-9dec v Glamorgan 113 and 132-2 Glamorgan need 346 to win
The Oval: Surrey 520 v Leicestershire 691
Hove: Sussex 204 and 234-5 v Warwickshire 267 and 264 Sussex need 94 to win
Headingley: Yorkshire 177 and 65-5 v Hampshire 251 and 351-5dec Yorks need 361 to win
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire Durham 605-5dec BEAT 175 and 205 by an innings and 225 runs
Canterbury: Kent 178 and 162-3 v Northamptonshire 684-2dec
Old Trafford: Lancashire 351 and 147-6 v Derbyshire 374
Lord’s: Worcestershire 191 and 253 BEAT Middlesex 183 and 204 by 57 runs
Worcestershire BEAT Middlesex by 57 runs
Lord’s: Worcestershire 191 and 253 BEAT Middlesex 183 and 204 by 57 runs
Worcestershire 19 points; Middlesex 3 pts.
Durham Beat Gloucestershire by an innings and 225 runs
Bristol: Gloucestershire Durham 605-5dec BEAT 175 and 205 by an innings and 225 runs
Durham 24 points; Gloucestershire 1 point.
They’re back on at Trent Bridge, and Asa Tribe has lost his partner ul Hassan, who looks surprised to be given out caught behind off O’Neill for 16. Glamorgan 97-2.
Time for me to write up for the paper, but all do chat on below the line, lots to chew over.
Hundreds for Eskinazi and Cox at The Oval
Runs, runs and more runs at The Oval, where upstarts Leicestershire have a lead of 128 over Surrey, a huge 648-6. Stevie Eskinazi out for exactly a hundred, Ben Cox 149 not out. They’re off for bad light at the moment – and for the poor bowlers to recharge their batteries.
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It’s raining at Bristol, where Gloucestershire are down and almost out, 187 for eight following on. Three wickets for Callum Parkinson.
Things not going any better for the white rose, Kyle Abbott has reduced Yorkshire to 4-2 chasing 426 to win. And one of out batters is immoveable object Adam Lyth.
Were Derbyshire to win this match, it would be their first win at Old Trafford since 1996. Hartley looks a bit frisky here.
Hampshire declare, Yorkshire need 426 to win
A long haul for Yorkshire, after Jake Lehman (92) and Ben Brown (103 not out) take Hants to 351-5dec. Now Lyth and Bean must face Abbot, Baker and Jack.
The good news for Lancashire is that Marcus Harris is still there. Abbas has now swapped ends.
And another, Hurst too fancies a drive at a half volley, and gets a dab of a bottom edge into his stumps. A third for Chappell. Lancs 23-5 – scores level. Chappell bowling diamonds.
And another! Lancashire 23-4, cracking catch at midwicket by Bashir, who double punches the air in joy and gets mobbed. Jones out for 0 and Chappell has two in two. How nice it must be for Bashir to feel part of a team.
Singh drive by, clutched by Chappell in his follow through on the fourth attempt. Lancs 23-3.
Hello Tim Maitland!
“Does anyone know what Shoaib Bashir is doing playing second division cricket at Derbyshire? To be more specific, can anyone explain why the young spinner deemed so talented or so unique in his attributes he was picked to tour India with the test team after just six first class matches, was only the eighth bowler used by second division Derbyshire after they’d enforced the follow on against Worcestershire last week and the sixth called off the rank in the first innings at Old Trafford?
”True, his 76-4 from 20 against Lancashire, might earn him earlier come hithers from Harry Came and, yes, the arctic gales and lush green pitches of the English “spring” are not harvest time for twirlers, but where’s the hand of Bazball in all of this? What does longer-term development look like for an apparent generational talent for a test side that doesn’t value the county game? What’s the plan?
”If there is a blueprint, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include being bunted around on loan between Worcestershire and Glamorgan while falling to third behind Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan in the pecking order at Somerset before deciding that, while maybe literally true in August, the grass might be greener in Derby.
”It could be possible that England made the right call in shielding Shoaib from the abuse he would have received on and off the pitch during last winter’s Ashes series. It could be Vaughan and Farhan Ahmed are looming large in the rearview mirror of test selection and the future’s always brighter, but Shoaib Bashir is still six months short of his 23rd birthday and you’d like to think that someone, somewhere is doing their damnedest to make sure that the next ten years of such a rare asset isn’t going to go to waste.
”Is there any sign, any sign at all, that English cricket is getting any better at managing and nurturing its British-Asian talent? Is a Shoaib or a Farhan Ahmed or his brother Rehan going to reach the end of their professional careers and say that they were better handled and better understood than, say, a Monty Panesar or an Adil Rashid or even a Haseeb Hameed? “
I don’t feel fully qualified to answer that Tim. I hope so. I believe other counties were interested in Bashir but not everyone could afford his wages. Mickey Arthur has the gravitas to say to the Derbyshire board that he is an investment worth making.
A sigh of relief for Lancs, as Abbas takes a break after five overs, three maidens, two for five. Lancs 14-2.
Worcestershire are in the driving seat at Lord’s – Middlesex five down, still need another 141. Higgins and Cracknell with the rebuilding efforts.
An ode to Craig Overton: (Jason Kerr)
“Craig was sensational. It’s the best I’ve seen from him from a balance and temperament point of view. “He was outstanding with bat and ball and as a captain. He really stepped up with the ball today, but the innings was by far the best he has played in red-ball cricket and allowed us to get in front in the game. He played superb last week [against Nottinghamshire] and moving up the order with Lewis [Gregory] not being around he has taken that responsibility.
“We know he can be an aggressive player, but he’s been a really mature batsman through this game. He put pressure on at the close of day one, going to fifty quite quickly, but the remainer of the innings on day two was measured and calculated and he built partnerships.”
And another for Abbas, a slow-motion bit of dreamy cricket, as Abbas sends a jewel on a perfect length, which shimmies off the pitch, kisses Bohannon’s bat, and into the hands of Jewell who stays down at slip. Lancashire 4-2.
Four slips wait for Muhammad Abbas – Luke Wells has an ill-advised flash which causes great excitement. Harry Came on ball polishing duties – and there’s the wicket! Fifth ball, straightens, twerks the bail of off stump. Wells out for a duck, Lancs 0-1.
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Somerset 348 and 49-0 BEAT Essex 149 and 245 by ten wickets
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 279 and 311-9dec v Glamorgan 113 and 83-1 Glamorgan need 395 to win, no play since lunch
The Oval: Surrey 520 v Leicestershire 553-5
Hove: Sussex 204 and 102-3 v Warwickshire 267 and 264 Sussex need 226 to win
Headingley: Yorkshire 177 v Hampshire 251 and 260-4
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 175 and 162-7 v Durham 605-5dec
Canterbury: Kent 178 and 26-1 v Northamptonshire 684-2dec
Old Trafford: Lancashire 351 v Derbyshire 374
Lord’s: Middlesex 183 and 114-3 v Worcestershire 191 and 253 Middx need 148 to win
Updated
Tea at OT and round the grounds.
Paul Coughlin completes his mopping up off the tail, collecting his fourth wicket, Abbas caught at backward point by Wells. That last spell: 4.3-1-15-4.
A good team effort that by Lancs – four for Coughlin, three for Stanley, two for Anderson and one for Bailey. But Derbyshire still finish with a lead of 23.
Kent’s follow-on has had a stinking start. Poor Zak Crawley, all eyes on him, gets a leading edge to cover off Harry Conway. Kent 25-1, trail by 481.
At Trent Bridge, where Asa Tribe is 59 not out, they’ve taken an early tea and there is due to be a pitch inspection about now.
In the period of time it took me to walk round to Costa coffee and buy two coffees, Paul Coughlin took three Derby wickets in 16 balls. All the stewards not lucky enough to be standing in the sun are gloved up to the eyeballs and freezing cold.
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Somerset BEAT Essex by ten wickets!
Chelmsford: Somerset 348 and 49-0 BEAT Essex 149 and 245 by ten wickets
An eager Archie Vaughan (41 off 25 balls) and Josh Thomas carry Somerset home. A stonking win at fortress Chelmsford.
Somerset 21 points; Essex 3 points.
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A second wicket at Bristol, and it’s Callum Parkinson again, Bancroft prodding forwards and tonked on the front pad. Parky runs around in excitement.
Ethan Bamber has ruined Sussex’s start with two quick wickets, Sussex 49-2. Hughes still there on 20.
A wicket at OT, Tom Bailey, not a pinch of spare flesh on him, an athletic caught and bowled – Dal gone for 21. Derbys now six down, trail by just 32.
Sussex need 328 to beat Warwicks
It will be the highest score of the match if they do it. So far so good, Haines and Hughes have taken them to 28 for 0. Michael Booth’s 48 was very helpful in taking Warwicks to 264. Four wickets for Hudson-Prentice, three for Robinson.
And the first wicket falls at Bristol – Parky it is, Charlesworth caught for 26: 109-1.
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Gloucestershire are confounding expectations at Bristol, Bancroft and Charlesworth have put on 101, unbeaten, for the first wicket. Parky C has just bowled his first over. Trail by 329.
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And Mitch Stanley does it again, a gorgeous ball, fast, swinging away, tacks Guest on the thigh pad for 83. Stanley two-arms a celebration. Derbys 290-5.
Five wickets for Harry Conway
The weather didn’t delay events at Canterbury too much – Kent are already nine down, though Chris Benjamin is going out swinging. Kent 151-9. Conway five for 36.
Bright sunshine at OT now, short shadows squatting under the players feet.
An early post-lunch wicket at Lord’s, as de Caires is Hannon-Dalby’s fifth wicket of the match. Middx 34 for one.
Sam Billings has tweeted about the substitution rule, “this is a ridiculous rule already.” Delicious gnocchi for lunch at OT.
Rain brings things to a close a bit before time here at OT and we take lunch round the grounds.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 149 and 231-8 v Somerset 348
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 279 and 311-9dec v Glamorgan 113 and 83-1 Glamorgan need 395 to win
The Oval: Surrey 520 v Leicestershire 434-5
Hove: Sussex 204 v Warwickshire 267 and 249-8
Headingley: Yorkshire 177 v Hampshire 251 and 119-3
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 175 and 77-0 v Durham 605-5dec
Canterbury: Kent 119-6 v Northamptonshire 684-2dec no play yet today
Old Trafford: Lancashire 351 v Derbyshire 274-4
Lord’s: Middlesex 183 and 24-0 v Worcestershire 191 and 253 Middx need 238 to win
Middlesex chasing 262 to win
And have made a decent start at Lord’s – 24-0. Four fours for Josh de Caires. Middx 24-0.
Here at OT, Mitch Stanley has the ball from the Statham end.
Asa Tribe is storming along for Glamorgan, eight fours in his 37 ball 43, lots of wristy clever angles. But Josh Tongue has removed his opening partner Byrom, ducking into a nasty bouncer, for nine. Glam 64-1, need another 414.
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Stan Worthington
The partnership of 110 between Andersson and Guest was Derbyshire’s first hundred partnership for the fourth wicket at Old Trafford since Stan Worthington and George Pope in 1937, the year after Derbyshire won the Championship.
Paul Edwards and David Griffin then compete for Stan Worthington trivia.
1 Stan Worthington was the only Derbyshire player to make a hundred for England. Once, while changing trains at York station, he was spotted on a platform showing Ken Standring how to bowl with a scone.
2 Worthington was taken to court by Annie Conway Jowett in 1931 and ordered to pay £250 for changing his mind about their betrothal – all his love letters were read out in court.
3 He used to coach Lancashire with a trilby, a cravat and a cigarette holder.
Restart a OT at t 12.40, lunch at 1.15.
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A fourth catch for Ben Foakes at The Oval, a gutted Rishi Patel doesn’t go onto his highest career score, caught for 164 off Jordan Clark, with a perfect man bun. Leics 413-5.
Jimmy Anderson removes Martin Andersson’s off stump with an angled in daemon delivery and the rain starts to torrent. Umpire Sue jogs off the pitch. Derbys 262-4.
Updated
150 for Rishi Patel
Mike Daniels is at Grace Road: “Leics women here are performing somewhat better against Sussex than their male counterparts last week.
“Also keeping an eye on events at Hove and The Oval. Would like to see Patel make it a really big one as he had the potential, I believe, to make a bid for Test opening spot.
Things are ticking along nicely. He’s lost Lewis Hill for 63 , a wicket for Lawes with the old ball early this morning, but has passed 150, currently 17 short of his career best. Leics 409-4.
Craig Overton is Somerset’s beating heart. A couple of wickets this morning to go with yesterday’s 141. Essex 167-7, Harmer and Pepper with the responsibliity of bumping the lead up from more than 28.
At OT, Andersson and Guest’s hundred partnership comes up in 171 balls, 100 minutes. The other Anderson, left wrist band glowing in the gloom, doesn’t look impressed. Derbys 256-3.
Updated
Not too much to report from OT this morning, apart from an increasingly ominous sky. Jimmy Anderson winds up for his first over of the day from the JA End. Derbys 248-3 trail by 103.
Notts declare - Glamorgan need 478 to win
Something of a tall order, but an opportunity for Asa Tribe to do a Ben McKinney.
Injury sub at Yorkshire
Ben Cliff replaces Jack White, who is has the same illness as Jhye Richardson (replaced by Logan Van Beek). Nightwatchman Baker has just been out, a third wicket for van Beek. Hants 119-3.
Mike Bennett is still our honorary Hove correspondent: “Hello once again from the very sunny but slightly breezy County Ground down here. It feels like today is going to be the best batting conditions of the match - the ball was still carrying appreciatively during the closing hour last night and Rob Yates and Kai Smith were both looking pretty solid.
“The forecast for tomorrow has been upgraded from showers to glorious sunshine so you’d think Warks will be looking to bat for at least the first two sessions and/or another 150 runs to be safe. Early wickets today definitely required if Sussex are to have any tilt at the win, so another good chance for Robinson and Crocombe to impress the England setup.”
Weather watch
Rain at Canterbury and Old Trafford (although there is now bright sunshine here) but elsewhere, we’re up and running.
The Met office advice, wear a coat: “a mix of sunshine and blustery showers, the showers locally heavy with hail and thunder. Remaining windy, particularly in the northwest with coastal gales. Feeling rather cool overall.”
Arrive at Old Trafford just in time to see three balls before the rain swirls down.
The second new ball is due this morning at The Oval, where Rishi Patel’s century has been vital in Leicetershire’s stout resistence.
“It was a good challenge today and I enjoyed it. Jake Weatherald’s intent at the top of the order is incredible and that took a lot of pressure off me.
“We had a really good partnership and everything begins to get a bit easier once that happens. Surrey have a good bowling attack, with a lot of good balls in them, so we had to be patient too but it is a lovely pitch to bat on and at a big ground like this it is nice to do well.”
Leicestershire gave Surrey a shock at the Oval, defying, not collapsing in the face of 520. Rishi Patel’s 133 not out, his first century in Division One, was a Midlands masterpiece, careful and distinguished, while Jake Weatherald whizz-banged at the other end for 96. Lewis Hill, dropped on five, finished 60 not out as Surrey’s attack toiled away.
Northants squashed Kent under a mighty Doctor Martens, amassing 684 for two, thanks to career-bests 261 from Luke Procter and 153 from Calvin Harrison. The second ball of the morning was four wides, and so it went on, the attack flayed to all four corners of the wind. Nathan McSweeney reached his hundred with a six and Northants’ top four all had hundreds for the first time in history. Kent then subsided to 119 for six, including Zak Crawley for 26.
Ollie Robinson and Jack Carson inched Sussex towards 200 at Hove after they were in deep trouble at 130 for eight. Fynn Hudson-Prentice then ruined the start of Warwickshire’s second innings with three wickets in nine balls, but Rob Yates added an unbeaten, and vital, 75 in a low-scoring game.
Stand-in captain Craig Overton used flair and fortitude to put Somerset in a dominant position at Chelmsford with his highest first-class score of 141. He and Will Smeed (39), who made his first-class debut as an injury substitute three years after retiring from first-class cricket (before having played a game) added 118. Paul Walter and Matt Critchley then both hit half-centuries to move Essex towards parity.
Glamorgan felt the might of the county champions at Trent Bridge, where Fergus O’Neill and Brett Hutton rattled through their remaining six wickets in just over an hour, to leave them naked for 113. Ben Duckett was run out for one, charging down the pitch for a hasty single, but Joe Clarke and Ben Slater batted Nottinghamshire to safety and beyond, a lead of 450 at stumps.
At Chester le Street, Ben McKinney was finally out for 244, the seventh highest score by a Durham player. There was a century too for David Bedingham before the declaration came at 605 for five. Kemar Roach and Ben Raine grabbed three wickets each as Gloucestershire struggled to 168 for eight.
The covers were on and off at Old Trafford, where Derbyshire’s Brooke Guest reached his fifty in sudden sunshine, five overs left in the day, a handful of hardy supporters still buttoned into their seats. Lancashire took only took two wickets all day, and dropped a few catches, but Mitch Stanley thrilled with an aggressive spell after lunch, removing Matthew Montgomery for 46. Captain Harry Came finally fell for 83, bowled by Jimmy Anderson, whose ire had been raised the ball before by four wanton overthrows.
Middlesex’s last four batters hauled them towards 200 at Lord’s. Jake Libby (79) and the 19-year-old Dan Lategan, with a sparky 65, then made batting look easy, before Worcestershire collapsed, losing six for 19 before stumps. Ryan Higgins took four for 53.
Hampshire finished on top of a rainy day at Headingley where Yorkshire lost six for 40, as Kyle Abbott (four for 49) charged through them after lunch.
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 149 and 131-3 v Somerset 348
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 279 and 284-9 v Glamorgan 113
The Oval: Surrey 520 v Leicestershire 350-3
Hove: Sussex 204 v Warwickshire 267 and 154-5
Headingley: Yorkshire 177 v Hampshire 251 and 93-2
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 168-8 v Durham 605-5dec
Canterbury: Kent 119-6 v Northamptonshire 684-2dec
Old Trafford: Lancashire 351 v Derbyshire 235-3
Lord’s: Middlesex 183 v Worcestershire 191 and 200-7
Preamble
here
Good morning! Rain is skitting about Manchester this morning – the good news is the grass looks very lush, not so promising for events at Old Trafford. Lots of interest around the grounds today, and things may get polished off at Chelmsford, Trent Bridge, Hove, Durham and Canterbury, where Kent are in a particular pickle.
Play starts at 11am, grab a brew and join us.
