I guess I’d better start thinking about writing up while I stare at the Headingley covers. The few remaining fans are starting to slope away. Do keep chatting BTL.
Updated
Rain at Headingley
Covers are on, but it isn’t torrential. The umpires are standing out in it wearing their white coats. Surrey 39 for one.
Another man down at Bristol, and it’s Calvin Harrison, a second for Matt Taylor, to make it seven in the match. Northants 56 for three and wobbling, neeed 191.
And I notice as I press send that Kellway is no more, a fourth wicket for Etham Bamber. Glamorgan 105-4.
Ali has left Edgbaston, so unable to report on Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram’s excellent partnership of 93. This is an impressive harrumph by Kellaway to the selectors after he was omitted from the Lions squad.
Middlesex are thick in their second innings, but have lost crucial cog Ryan Higgins, bowled Montgomery for 34. The lead just 46, four wickets left. Gohar joins Duke (20).
Here at Headingley, another huge shout for Jack White, but is dismayed by a no ball call.
Jake Lehmann and Tom Prest must rebuild after another disastrous start for Hampshire, O Neill (2-15) and Stone (1-12) doing the damage. Hampshire 39-3.
And a wicket at Headingley! Burns throws his bat in the air in frustration, brilliant ball from White, Burns fences straight to Bairstow. Surrey 15 for one . Nearly gets Patel very next ball. White bowling boomerangs.
Harry Brook back
Panic over, Brook jogs back to take his place in the slip cordon. Meanwhile Dom Sibley’s bat has broken, handle dangling off.
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Brook off the pitch with a finger injury
Slight worry for England as Brook jogs off the field after parrying a tricky chance from Burns with a finger tip , looking at his hand.
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Essex BEAT Leicestershire by seven wickets
Chelmsford: Essex 293 and 104-3 BEAT Leicestershire 333 and 60 by seven wickets
A morning of madness does for Leicestershire on a pitch sparked up by overnight rain.
Essex 20 points; Leicestershire 5.
Yorkshire have enforced the follow-on
The light roller squeaks off the pitch Jhye Richardson throws a medicine ball around.
Teatime scores
Chelmsford: Essex 293 and 104-3 BEAT Leicestershire 333 and 60 by seven wickets
Southampton: Hampshire 214 and 36-3 v Nottinghamshire 229 rain
Taunton: Somerset 526-8dec v Sussex 155-3 rain
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 252 v Glamorgan 360 and 74-3
Headingley: Yorkshire 486 v Surrey 204
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 154 and 221 v Northamptonshire 127 and 10-1 Northants need 239 to win
Beckenham: Kent 523 v Durham 173-5 no play today
Southport: Lancashire 231-7 v Worcestershire 270
Lord’s: Middlesex 177 and 209-5 v Derbyshire 376
Updated
Worrall has a huge wahey at Cliff and is snaffled by Bairstow, to finish Surrey’s innings – 204 all out, 282 behind. We wait to hear if they follow on. Four wickets for Hill, three for Revis.
How are Essex doing? Nearly there, thanks to Charlie Allison and Matt Critchley. Just 21 needed, seven wickets in hand.
Northants need 249 to beat Gloucestershire
An innings of this and that, stuck together by Bancroft (82), Bracey (48), Boorman (36) and Taylor (18). Three wickets for Sanderson and Conway. They’ll take tea before Northants need to chase the highest score of the match to win.
Harry Brook is into his second over, old teammater Fisher has a dart, well stopped by YJB, agile as ever. Jonny leaps the other way to finish the over. Surrey 188-9.
Shoaib Bashir leaves the field with a hurt hand
Leus du Plooy had just about guided Middlesex to parity, before stroking a gorgeous looking cover drive straight to Shoaib Bashir, who has hurt his hand in the process of diving to collect the catch and leaves the field. Out for 95.
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Surey are nine down, biffer Abbott gone, saucy delivey from Revis, pushed forward, edged behind. Yorkshire are sure they’ve got Fisher now… but off the pad.
Good confectionary news just in, from Steve Laville, via Tim Sanders:
‘There most definitely was [a confectionary stall]. at Headingley. At the bottom of what used to be called the Football Stand End, and Ian Botham’s 6 definitely headed in that direction! It was actually the only 6 of his innings’.
And a third wicket at Chelmsford, a second for Hull. Where is SirAlastair when you need him? Westley gone, adding a one to his first-innings two. Essex 32-3, need 69.
Fifty for Sean Abbott
Vital runs here by Abbott, tiring out these Yorkshire bowlers before Surrey follow-on. Cliff charges in, lovely rhythmic run-up, orange soles to the press box.
Make that 12-1 as Ethan Bamber strikes with his first ball after the restart
Wow, what a catch from big Beau Webster as Ethan Bamber makes it two in the over. Bamber went full, Kiran Carlson went to drive it, and a thick edge flew quickly to third slip where the giant Webster managed to pluck it above his head. Glamorgan effectively 120-2
Ethan Bamber on the charge here ... three wickets in the space of seven deliveries to see Glamorgan 13-3 ... another thick edge, this time seeing Sam Hain initially parry the ball up before gobbling down (?) the rebound. Asa Tribe the batter to go.
Oooh, wickets now at Chelmsford – Tall Paul and Dean Elgar both lbw. Essex 25-2 need another 76.
Here, Sean Abbot slams Cliff for six into the Western Terrace where Adam Lyth scrabbles amongst the seating. Next ball a huge lbw appeal, umpire unmoved.
Oooof! A super catch by George Hill at third slip, right hand, low – a second pouch to go with four wickets. Blake the man out, Ben Cliff the bowler, who viewed the catch from ground level after falling over. A relief for Joe Root who couldn’t quite hold on to a screamer off Blake’s bat. Surrey 152 for eight.
Play is about to resume at Edgbaston, with a lovely burst of warm Birmbados sunshine having replaced the grey clouds and rain that forced everyone off. Glamorgan 12-0 leading by 120 runs
Essex need 101 to beat Leicestershire
Suddenly looks much easier to bat… Essex 19-0.
Five wickets for Sonny Baker
No hat-trick but a fourth first-class five-fer to take with him to Lord’s in early June. He celebrates with a Tiggerish bound. Notts lead by just 15 runs, fantastic turn-about by Hampshire.
Confectionary stall news – over to you Tim Maitland.
“The commentary is from 20 seconds in, during this BBC tribute to Richie. I have to say, there’s no sign of a confectionary stall. Steve and our friend Toby might know more…”
A good-news bluetit update from Des Platt.
“You didn’t quite make it in willing them out before the local cricket started, but … seven very healthy looking young blue tits squeezed out of the box.
“There’s lots of thick vegetation around my garden for them to hide in so they should be as safe as any young bird can be.
“Right , off to the cricket now. Are you seeing the beginning of the end of this great Surrey team? I saw previous Surrey champion team disintegrate in front of me at Old Trafford in 2003 as Carl Hooper pulverised them to go from 29 to 100 whilst Garry Keedy scored one. They used the usual tactics of putting everyone back on the boundary which still get used by teams and never work . Hooper simply scored 2s, 4s and 6s. They were never the same again; cruising to the championship and an hour later, they were destroyed.”
This is a good question. I picked them as champions, because Stewart was back in charge and I trusted in the juggernaut. But though they grind out big scores, so do the opposition. I think the bowling needs a point of difference.
George Hill comes back on from the football stand end. Surrey 125 for seven.
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Fifties for Dan Hughes, Keaton Jennings. Leus du Plooy and Cameron Bancroft
Riches indeed on a wicket-taking day. Gloucestershire now lead Northants by 150; ensuring they will have to chase the highest score of the match to win. Du Plooy and co have reduced the Middlesex deficit to single figures.
Lancs have lost Harry Singh (36) after lunch.
Two in two for Sonny Baker
First O’Neill done by pace, stump somersaulting backwards, then Stone so plumb lbw that Baker (four for 41) doesn’t bother looking back. Notts 220-9, lead bottom-of-the-table Hants by just six.
It’s lovely in the sunny seats now at Headingley. I overhear two men talking about their morning position “right next to the legendary confectionary stall”. When I go back to the press box I’m told there was never a confectionary stall at Headingley. Please tell me this isn’t true? Video of Botham’s innings here but I haven’t found the precise shot.
What a crazy morning, with Leicestershire taking the biscuit at 51-9 and counting. Snater four for eight. Warwicks have avoided the follow-on. Surrey look as if they might have to. Time for a quick circuit, back shortly.
Lunchtime scores - wickets, wickets, everywhere
Chelmsford: Essex 293 v Leicestershire 333 and 51-9
Southampton: Hampshire 214 v Nottinghamshire 206-7
Taunton: Somerset 526-8dec v Sussex 105-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 252 v Glamorgan 360 and 12-0
Headingley: Yorkshire 486 v Surrey 103-7
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 154 and 101-5 v Northamptonshire 127
Beckenham: Kent 523 v Durham 173-5
Southport: Lancashire 125-2 v Worcestershire 270
Lord’s: Middlesex 177 and 97-3 v Derbyshire 376
Updated
No hat-trick but Surrey head into the last over before lunch, 98 for seven.
Leeds delirium! Adam Thomas is caught behind by a snorter from Hill (3-10). Surrey 93 for six. Ten minutes overtime for Surrey to stagger through before a delayed lunch. And Hill is now on a hattrick after Jordan Clark is double up and bowled….
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Cracking catch by the sprightliest middle-aged/late-youthed(?) man in Leeds, Adam Lyth, at cover. Lawrence gone for a free-flowing 21. Surrey 90-5.
A lot has happened at Chelmsford and not in Leicestershire’s favour. They’re now 41-5, Sam Cook (3-18) filleting the top five, with help from Porter and Snater. Sub Nick Kelly out for a duck on his Leicestershire debut.
And Patel too is gone, top-edging a pull off George Hill and walking backwards to watch Revis take the ball at square leg. Surrey 65 for four. Young Adam Thomas joins Dan Lawrence.
Back out at Headingley
Floodlights on, man on tractor zipping around the boundary with the long string. Patel and Lawrence resume.
Ethan Bamber walks off for a more-than-handy 46 that has taken Warwickshire past the follow-on mark with a flourish of fours and sixes. The amphibious ambidextrous Ben Kellaway, bowling right-arm off-breaks, was the man to strike for Glamorgan. It leaves the hosts 220 for eight, trailing by 140.
“Good morning Tanya,” hello there, Geoff Wignall.
“The county match at Southport is ordinarily my most nostalgic time of the season - it, or rather they (two three-day games and one one-dayer in county week) used to fall in the school holidays and were sunny and swallow -abundant in memory.
“This year not so much, having seen the photos.
“But aside from that, is Jamie Porter the best uncapped player in the land (tyros excepted)? He’s certainly seen lesser talents be selected in his time.”
Suggestions from the press box: Ed Barnard, Ben Raine, Tom Abell (incidentally, soon to be Dom Bess’ best man.)
Rain at Headingley
Surrey will be very happy to get into the safety of the dressing room only three down. It’s heavy now, the groundstaff running against the squall.
As the clouds nustle into position above Headingley, Surrey lose another. A crouched Jamie Smith drives at Revis and hinges a catch to third slip. Surrey 65 for three. And now Hill has Ryan Patel flirting – it’s suddenly very difficult to bat out there.
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Lots happening in Division One too:
Four wickets have fallen at Chelmsford: two cheap Essex ones, all out 40 behind Leicestershire, and two cheap Leicester ones, Rishi Patel and Sol Budinger Porter-and-Cooked. Leics 22-2.
And three wickets at Southampton, Kyle Abbott now has four, Notts 154-6 and still 62 behind Hampshire.
A second victim for Craig Overton at Taunton, nightwatch Carson, Dan Hughes 41 not out. Sussex 80-2.
Big Dom is gone, turning George Hill round the corner straight into the paws of crouching leg slip Dom Bess. Surrey 58 for two.
Wickets. Wickets! In Division Two:
At Bristol – Price gone, Gloucestershire now 30-4, lead by 57 – enough already?
At Lord’s – Ben Geddes has joined Sam Robson back in the pavilion, Middlesex 20-2, trail by too many.
At Southport – where George Balderson has been removed by Swanepoel for 19, Lancs 44-1.
Nothing doing yet at Beckenham.
An early wicket at Headingley as Jhye Richardson gets one to snort off the pitch and surprise Rory Burns, who can fend only to gully. Burns strides down the pitch and pokes pointedly at the offending area before stalking away. Surrey 41 for one.
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Good morning Des Platt!
“I was up at 4:45 this morning hoping to see the young blue tits leave the nest as the first one was at the hole for the last couple of hours yesterday without leaving. Two textbooks I have on the subject say that they often leave at dawn. I’ve had blue tits or great tits nesting 15 years in the last 16 and have found they very rarely do as the book says. Mind you, I don’t blame them not leaving because it is damn cold here and I’ve actually put the heating on for an hour which is most unusual for me in May.
“I was hoping they would all have gone before my team Rainford, play at my local club Rainhill in a cup game later. I support Rainford because of the amateur philosophy ; Rainhill pay out a lot on pros. Rainford are just a bunch of mates who have done very well these last four years competing against semi professional teams but it is getting harder each year.”
How lovely! Crossing everything they venture out before your cricket game. I once delayed my kids going to school to see some butterflies hatch from one of those kits you can buy. It was amazing but they took their time and we were very late. I got a wrist slap.
OK, scratch Beau Webster from the below, he’s just been wiped out by Tom Norton, a full delivery, and an edge snaffled up by Colin Inrgam low at first slip. Warks 141-7
Not much to report yet here at Headingley. St Michael’s church looks lush and lovely with greenery and that many-capped slip cordon awaits.
Paul Edwards phones in from Southport, where he’s enjoying bobbing home to get his seeds and cereal for breakfast before play. The sun is out, but there’s a chill, and not too many spectators through the gate yet. And the first ball of the day is a no ball.
Glamorgan haven’t just been promoted to make up the numbers, they’re in Division One to compete. And with two wins on the board already, they could put themselves in pole position for a third if they get the better of today’s play at Edgbaston. Warwickshire are 123 for six and need two all-rounders, Beau Webster and Jordan Thompson, to take a huge chunk out of what is a 237 run deficit.
In other news, am enjoying one of the rare good days as a folically-challenged man following an outbreak of head lice back at base. Blimmin’ school kids.
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Weather watch
Sunshine and showers, say the Met office, heaviest and most frequently in the west. Sorry, Southport.
"It could have bee very different"
A very happy Ben Aitchison, having a match to remember: “It was great fun. I’ve just said to Wayne, we were having a laugh out there and really enjoying ourselves. That’s what makes it so much easier when you’ve got someone at the other end who it is a joy batting with. There were balls out there that were doing all sorts and we couldn’t get near to them, so you just had to laugh it off and then go again.
“I nearly didn’t go out as second nightwatchman last night because I got told at the last second to get my pads on and I was almost not ready. So it could have all been very different. I definitely didn’t think that (a hundred) was going to happen this morning, but obviously very happy.
“I was on 64 and I was starting to think about it then as I’d had a little bet with the gaffer as well that I probably can’t tell you about here. It was when I got to 97 where the field was still up and I knew I was one four away and that’s when I thought I can actually do this.”
Apologies for plugging my own writing, but this is such a wonderful cricket set-up.
Saturday's round-up
A rainy Saturday inspired county nightwatchmen. At Lord’s, Derbyshire’s Ben Aitchison followed up his five wickets with a maiden first-class hundred, stacked with charming drives. As he crossed the line, he got a huge hug from Wayne Madsen and smiled the widest of smiles. Madsen followed up with his first hundred at Lord’s on a tiring day for Middlesex’s bowlers.
Also on overnight duties was Jamie Porter, whose first first-class 50 was the Sellotape Essex needed from the mess of 39 for four. Charlie Allison put on 96 with Porter, and collected 72 before nibbling at Josh Hull. Wiann Mulder (70) and Simon Harmer (33) then punished Leicestershire further and took the to within 52 runs of parity.
Emilio Gay celebrated his England call-up with a duck at Beckenham, where Durham found themselves in surprise trouble on a pitch where Kent merrily gathered 523. David Bedingham was 72 not out at stumps but found little other support. Earlier, Matthew Potts had collected six for 92.
A morning’s play was enough for Surrey to rattle through the rest of Yorkshire’s batting. Matt Fisher gathered four for 92, removing Friday’s centurion Jonny Bairstow in the second over of the day. After Adam Lyth fell for 141, George Hill (34) and Dom Bess (42) hit Yorkshire towards 500.
Rain and Abell were the dominant themes at Taunton, where Tom Abell, Division One’s second highest scorer, reached his third century of the season, accompanied by Craig Overton, who biffed his second. Somerset declared on 525 for eight, and there was just time for Overton to send Sussex’s Tom Haines on his way, before the floodlights failed.
Kyle Abbott bowled Nottinghamshire’s Haseeb Hameed for a duck shortly before a lunchtime ceremony to celebrate the South African’s 500th Hampshire wicket. Sonny Baker, running in with pace, then removed Ben Slater and hit the fingers of Freddie McCann, who subsequently retired hurt. After play, Baker said of his England call-up: “It is a dream come true. I feel like I’ve beaten the bat a lot this season, which has been frustrating, but in terms of the outcomes I’ve had, I’d be lying if I wasn’t pretty pleased.”
Glamorgan picked apart Warwickshire’s batting on a damp day in Cardiff. Alex Davies and Dan Mousely carefully collected 30 apiece, but there were slim pickings elsewhere, to leave Warwickshire 123 for six, 237 runs in the red.
There were chaotic scenes at in a low-scoring shootout at Bristol, after Northants were skittled for 127, with five wickets for Matt Taylor. Gloucestershire then opened their second innings with two tailenders, one – Will Williams – returning to the crease shortly after being out to act as a runner for the other – Craig Miles – who was out soon afterwards.
There was no play at Southport with Lancashire still trailing Worcestershire by 242 runs.
Scores on the doors
Chelmsford: Essex 281-8 v Leicestershire 333
Southampton: Hampshire 214 v Nottinghamshire 124-3
Taunton: Somerset 526-8dec v Sussex 22-1
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 123-6 v Glamorgan 360
Headingley: Yorkshire 486 v Surrey 17-0
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 154 and 21-3 v Northamptonshire 127
Beckenham: Kent 523 v Durham 173-5
Southport: Lancashire 28-0 v Worcestershire 270 no play yesterday
Lord’s: Middlesex 177 and 13-1 v Derbyshire 376
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Preamble
Good morning! From unpromising beginnings under south Manchester skies, it’s a fine truck through the Pennines this morning. Mytholmroyd station looked so pretty and I now know, thanks to the station noticeboard, that it was the birthplace of Ted Hughes in 1930.
A draw already looks on the cards at Headingley, but maybe Surrey will collapse in a heap and surprise us all. Elsewhere, Middlesex need to dig in, Durham are in trouble, everything is going in fast-forward on the hybrid pitch at Bristol, Essex are fighting back, Glamorgan are suprising (or maybe not, after two wins on the bounce) Warwicks, Sussex have a fight on their hands and it is early days at Southampton. Fingers crossed for some play at Southport.
All swings into action at 11am. Do drop in.
