Here’s the report from the day.
Bad light stops play at Southport
with Notts 76-2. A gentle chorus of boos.
Time for me to write up for the paper, with Kent (85-2) battling; the Surrey lead over Essex 312, with two wickets left; Warwickshire 185-5, lead Somerset by 313, and the doom descending so quickly at Southport that Anderson was taken off after one over. Notts 75-2.
Anderson and Lyon bowling in tandem brings almost instant results! HH the man to go for 41, superbly caught by Hurst off Lyon. Notts 71-2 and perhaps the dam has broken (again). Its getting dark out there again.
Here at Southport, Anderson has come back on, proffering handwarmers to Chris Green. Hameed and Young doing a stoical job of seeing Notts towards tomorrow – when the weather forecast is not great. Lyon nine overs into his spell. If you’re in the area, and fancy seeing a few overs of Jimmy, entry is now free. Ah and here comes Jimmy again.
Middlesex are five down in their surely doomed chase of another 253, de Caires and Davies the latest two tasked with bolting the barn door.
And Marnus (43) is still in place for Glamorgan in their grand task of batting out the match at Cheltenham, but he’s lost Byrom and Root. Glamorgan 135-2 need a fanciful 458.
Hello again Martin ODW. “I can’t help but feel that the ridiculous gravitational pull of The Ashes is more than partly responsible for us losing James Anderson to Test retirement. On this evidence, he’s clearly still the best red ball pace bowler in England and would, in normal circumstances, play a full summer against both WI and SL, only being curtailed by the perceived need to blood others for a Test series in Oz that is still a year and a half away.”
Worcestershire beat Durham by six wickets!
Worcestershire 112 and 231-4 BEAT Durham 190 & 152 BY SIX WICKETS
A cracking recovery after being bowled out for 112, and the first win of the season a real boost before the final run in of games starting in August. Kashif Ali magnificent, unbeaten on 76.
Durham three points, Worcestershire 19
Updated
Rocky Flintoff and Archie Vaughan named in U19 Youth Test squad
England Men U19s Youth Test squad: Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire – captain), Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire), Charlie Barnard (Lancashire), Jack Carney (unattached), Jaydn Denly (Kent), Rocky Flintoff (Lancashire), Kesh Fonseka (Lancashire), Alex French (Surrey), Alex Green (Leicestershire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Freddie McCann (Nottinghamshire), Harry Moore (Derbyshire), Noah Thain (Essex), Archie Vaughan (Somerset).
Throw in Jaydn Denly and Farhan Ahmed as well, that’s quite a well-connected squad!
Updated
Nathan Lyon's 800th first-class wicket!
It’s all happening. Lyon pleads, the umpire takes a while, but at last the finger goes up. Slater sent on his way, ball thudding into pad. Anderson, incidentally, is off the pitch at the moment. Notts 40-1.
Tea-time scores
Division One
Surrey 262 and 162-6 v Essex 180
Somerset 284 v Warwickshire 412 and 125-2
Lancashire 353-9 v Nottinghamshire 126 and 34-0
Hampshire 505-8dec v Kent 343 and 30-1
Durham 190 & 152 v Worcestershire 112 and 208-4 Worcs need 23 to win
Division Two
Leicestershire 179 & 372 v Middlesex 86 and 167-3 Middx need 299 to win
Gloucestershire 179 and 610-5 v Glamorgan 197 and 85-1 Glamorgan need 508 to win
Sussex 143 & 237 BEAT Northamptonshire 97 and 220 BY 63 RUNS
Yorkshire 451-9dec BEAT Derbyshire 76 and 171 v BY AN INNINGS AND 204 RUNS
Updated
Just thinking how lucky those who’ve attended the Lancashire outgrounds have been this summer* – Lyon and Stokes on show at Blackpool; Lyon and Anderson here at Stockport.
*excluding those poor sods who took a day off yesterday and watched the rain all day
Sussex coach Paul Farbrace on Ollie Robinson's non-selection by England
“He’s disappointed because he’s been someone with an excellent record when he’s played for England. We’re delighted as a club that he’s not been selected because he’s playing for us. And the way he’s bowled, other bowlers around the country must be good bowlers to be selected in front of him.
“It’s a simple case of England wanting him to keep being consistent when he plays. He’s been very consistent with us. The last month he’s been outstanding, in red and white ball cricket. His attitude has has been spot on. He’s trained well, practiced well, he’s turned games for us as he did here in the first innings. Perhaps got off to an ordinary start, didn’t quite get his line right to the left handers, and then came back and blew them away and took four-fer and gave us a 47 run lead. And this morning his two vital wickets clicked the game our way. He set us up to push on to victory.
“His his record suggests he’s a very good Test match bowler. And what he’s shown us in county cricket has been excellent. So, we’ve got no complaints on that point of view. We don’t pick the England team that’s up to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes to pick who they think is the right selection. We all want England to do well, and I’m sure Ollie will be highly motivated to push himself back into selection again.”
[On press stories about Robinson] “People are entitled to write what they want, aren’t they. It’s up to whoever the player is, whether it’s Oliver or someone else, to do their responding on the pitch, and show their quality on the pitch. His record suggests he’s actually a very fine test match bowler. And he’s had an indifferent little period. A lot of sportspeople go through that. Broad and Anderson have been through that themselves. I remember Alistair Cook going through tough periods where the media wanted him dropped, and various pundits were not very complimentary about him as a person.…. If you’ve got the courage to go out and play international sport, the one thing you have to put up with is the criticism that comes with it. You have to put up with people, be it journalists, be it pundits, whatever it might be, that want to get their articles read.”
Yorkshire beat Derbyshire by an innings and 204 runs!
Derbyshire couldn’t eek it into day four.
Yorkshire 451-9dec BEAT Derbyshire 76 and 171 v BY AN INNINGS AND 204 RUNS
Six wickets for Coad, four for Fernando and Yorkshire are on a roll – 2 wins in a row and the first time they’ve won back-to-back Championship matches by an innings since June 2015.
Derbyshire 3 pts, Yorkshire 24 pts.
A first wicket-less spell of the day for Jimmy – 3-1-4-0 – and he is replaced by Will Williams. The wind has picked up a bit, the branches of the tall balsam poplar waving in a leisurely way to the spectators. Notts, with that HH four, 21-0.
A quick squint elsewhere, as a train rattles past the long line of spectators with their backs to the railway line and their faces to Ben Slater’s second dig.
At The Oval, Jamie Smith’s 70 has probably given Surrey enough runs to play with but they haven’t been able to grind Essex into the dust. Currently 135-6, a lead of 217.
Warwickshire are trying to pull away from Somerset, at 110-1 they already have a 238 run lead. Leach bowls Davies for 50.
Kent are 20-0 following on after being dismissed for 343. Jack Leaning 118; four for Barker, three for Abbas, two for Abbott.
And Worcestershire are in touching distance of victory at Chester-le-Street. At 182-3, they need another 49. Kashif Ali (57) and Adam Hose (44) doing the heavy lifting.
And here we go again
From the Harrod Road End, James Anderson.
Nottinghamshire 126 all out and will follow-on
A direct hit by - the otherwise wicket-less - Nathan Lyon, runs out Paterson for 19. Jimmy, 7-35, takes off his cap and leads the players off – with a small, definitely not extravagant, wave of the Lancashire cap. Slater carries his bat for 64 and will shortly be back out there for more of the same.
Follow-on enforced. ✅@jimmy9 finishes the innings with figures of 7/35! 👏
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) July 2, 2024
Tom Bailey picked up two with Nathan Lyon completing the set with a run out.
🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/RwLT6VeQ5Z
Updated
Apologies, I’m having a few wifi problems. Notts have inched the score to 119-9 with batting suddenly feeling a little bit easier what with the sun out and Jimmy put briefly out to pasture.
5o for Ben Slater!
Deserves a little paean of its own, resilience amongst the disarray. Gets there with a boundary off the man himself. 52 from 110 balls. Notts 95-9.
“Lovely Jim,” shout the slip fielders in encouragement to the poor old man at the start of his run-up.
“Just had a gander at GOAT’s 6fer.” [now 7-fer] writes Dean Kinsella
“We’re absolutely sure he has to retire from Tests, are we?” That’s one for Rob n Baz n Ben. On this showing, at least he should go out with a bang.
In the pavilion, amongst the sausage rolls and the cottage pie, members sit with eyes on just one person – the ridiculously slim and fit 42 year old with a small point to prove. Keaton Jennings, hands in his pocket at second slip, is finding his job inexplicable much easier than it has been all season. And Jimmy bowls a stinger into the pitch and Paterson pulls his hand away from the bat handle.
Against all odds, Dane Paterson survives the rest of the over. Notts 84-9. Anderson 7-24.
Anderson snares number seven!
Catching practise for first slip as Pennington obliges with the edge. Saqib Mahnood runs on with the drinks.Notts 84-9.
No hat-trick. Spoil sport Dillon Pennington, now seeing up close how it is done.
Tom Bailey on a hat-trick!
Sun out and suddenly having to squint into the middle, as the leaden-footed Stone gets a thick-edge to captain Jennings at slip first ball. Er – could this be over today?
It won’t be ten! Tom Bailey breaks the sequence by getting Calvin Harrison caught for 12. Notts 81-7.
Lunchtime scores
Surrey 262 and 72-3 v Essex 180
Somerset 284 v Warwickshire 412 and 25-0
Lancashire 353-9 v Nottinghamshire 74-6
Hampshire 505-8dec v Kent 305-8
Durham 190 & 152 v Worcestershire 112 and 87-3
Division Two
Leicestershire 179 & 372 v Middlesex 86 and 74-2
Gloucestershire 179 and 534-5 v Glamorgan 197
Sussex 143 & 237 BEAT Northamptonshire 97 and 220 BY 63 RUNS
Derbyshire 76 and 57-4 v Yorkshire 451-9dec
Lunch at Southport!
Lyon with the last over before lunch, the sun suddenly out. Rages past the bat, Slater , the great survivor, 42 not out. The players walk off, high fives all around from Lancashire who haven’t had a better morning since Jimmy took 7-19 against Kent under grey Manchester skies.
And that’s a drop I think, Harrison (on 5) by the keeper, Lancashire’s other bowlers not having so much luck today.
Alas, poor Notts, here comes Nathan Lyon.
Updated
Those Jimmy Anderson wickets in full - so far
Six wickets in James Anderson's first spell in four months.
— Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) July 2, 2024
He's pretty good, isn't he? pic.twitter.com/ok4Q0X8KCu
Updated
Stokes in the wickets too
The skies darken over Southport, Notts 44-6.
In other news:
Having made it to 56-0, Worcestershire have just lost three for eight. That man Ben Stokes has 2-16.
Northants are nine down and pretty much out, Broad still there on 35, but 74 still needed against Sussex.
Updated
Anderson's opening spell: 10-2-19-6
And a huge sigh of relief for Notts as Anderson’s spell comes to an end – and George Balderson takes over from the Harrod road end. He gets some gentle advice from the great man.
Jimmy bowls his tenth on the bounce. An example of his work:
THAT’S 5 for @jimmy9!! 🫡
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) July 2, 2024
🌹 #RedRoseTogether https://t.co/QUGjt6SpZu pic.twitter.com/eEhOCiFKm8
Six!
The crowd are hunched in fleeces, silent in reverence, and Patterson-White spoils Jimmy’s figures with a boundary. How dare he?
Ah – Jimmy’s revenge – wicket number six as he squares up Patterson-White and Williams dives at gully. A sixth wicket in six consecutive overs.
Updated
Five for Anderson!
And Notts slip almost completely under the Anderson steamroller. Jimmy sends one into James’ ribs and he gets a leading edge to gully. An inevitable five-fer, Notts 34-5 : Anderson 5-13 off 8 overs.
“Can I start the clamour for Jimmy to continue playing county cricket long after his farewell to the Test arena? I consider myself lucky to have been born at the right time to have watched his career in it’s entirety, and I’d like a bit more thank you very much.”
You’ll find a crescendo of support from those sitting around the rope here today Martin ODW. The man doesn’t bloody age – forget serums and creams, 1000 plus first-class wickets is what you need to keep you young. Oh and enforced retirement.
Is Rob Key watching?
And a fourth! Ben Slater snaffled by Josh Bohannon under the helmet as the ball rears off a length like a dog at the postman. Lancashire’s players almost laughing.
Good morning Tim Maitland! “Just got back from wrestling both dogs at the vets, in time to see Ben Coad get Mitch Wagstaff for a golden duck with the first ball of Derbyshire’s second innings.Not an ideal start when you need 375 to avoid an innings defeat.”
Ah yes, to Division Two! Where things are even worse for Derbyshire, now 4-2 at Chesterfield, both Wagstaff and Reece gone for 0.
Northants have lost three wickets this morning, two to Robinson. They need another 101 to beat Sussex but, at seven down, it’s not looking so likely
And another! Keaton Jennings collects at slip as Clarke is tempted into the drive. Anderson 6-2-7-3. Notts in deep trouble at 22-3.
And a second for Anderson! The hesitant Young pushes forward and gets a tickle which flies through to Matty Hurst. Ball on string.
Let’s leave Young and Slater to Anderson and Bailey for a while and wander round the other Div One grounds.
Rain at The Oval, where Smith and Foakes are due to toy with Essex.
Somerset are in touching distance of the follow-on, Craig Overton attempting to get there in big blows. Somerset 253-8.
Leaning and Stobo are resisting Hampshire’s finest, for now. Kent 238-6.
And Worcestershire are 20-0 chasing another 211 to win at Chester le Street.
Updated
And so it starts....
Hameed with another methodical forward defensive but the ball skids off the bat and flicks off the bails. Anderson in the wickets.
And while Anderson performs ball-polishing duties for Tom Bailey at mid-on, poor Tom Bruce is turning out for Lancashire seconds at Barnsley. And the first drop of the day as Chris Green lets HH through his fingers at midwicket.
Updated
HH survives the over, Anderson’s first over of the summer is a maiden and off we go.
Anderson time
Four slips as Jimmy throws the ball from hand to hand at the Harrod Drive end. The first flies past HH’s bat, the second played perfectly neatly back into the turf.
Lancashire declare 353-9!
Jennings isn’t hanging around for glory, off he goes, unbeaten on 187.
And a couple of balls after the four, Lyon is sent on his way lbw by James and out comes Jimmy to bat . Warm applause from the tip-up seats. Can he squeak the two needed for another batting point?
Updated
A fair crowd are scattered around the boundary as HH leads the players out. KJ resumes on 183 – and Nathan Lyon powers the first ball for four.
Things look better from the tent. The guard wished Lancs luck as the train pulled into Southport station, the players are out practising the middle and it isn’t raining. Lancashire are going to carry on batting, Keaton Jennings in his happy place.
Monday's round-up
Wickets galore at the Oval, where Essex were reduced to 10 men after Jordan Cox had an emergency appendix operation on Sunday. Despite a half-century from Paul Walter, Essex faced a first‑innings deficit of 82, but reduced Surrey to 44 for three on a damp day.
At the Rose Bowl, James Vince – one of England’s batting what-might-have-beens – stroked a glorious 211 to put Hampshire on top against Kent, who finished the day 299 behind with only four wickets in hand.
Worcestershire’s bowlers hauled them back from the brink after Tom Taylor (four for 46) and Nathan Smith (four for 52) reduced Durham to 148 for nine in a wicket-laden game at Chester-le-Street. Ben Stokes was bowled for 26 with the last ball of the day, but Worcestershire will need the highest score of the match to win on a devilish pitch.
Toms Banton and Abell batted responsibly as Somerset inched towards the follow-on target, after Warwickshire posted 412. There were four wickets for Olly Hannon-Dalby. Play between Lancashire and Nottinghamshire was abandoned at Southport, as the wait for Jimmy Anderson went on.
In Division Two, fabulous hundreds from Cameron Bancroft and Miles Hammond, and an unbeaten 90 by James Bracey, left the Cheltenham faithful in good cheer as Gloucestershire built up a lead of 370 against Glamorgan.
Sussex ripped the heart out of Northamptonshire’s batting, dismissing Emilio Gay and Luke Procter in the evening session and leaving the hosts another 147 to chase with six wickets in hand at Northampton.
Leicestershire hold the upper hand at Grace Road, recovering from 63 for four and the threat of Toby Roland-Jones (five for 76) to extent their lead over Middlesex to 404. Lewis Goldsworthy (75) and Ben Green (45 not out), both on loan from Somerset, bolstered the batting, as did a frisky 38 from last week’s hero Louis Kimber.
James Wharton and Jonny Tattersall put on 241, a Yorkshire record for the sixth wicket against Derbyshire. Wharton’s 188 was his first Championship century, and he received a standing ovation from the Chesterfield crowd.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Surrey 262 and 44-3 v Essex 180
Somerset 208-6 v Warwickshire 412
Lancashire 344-8 v Nottinghamshire no play yet today
Hampshire 505-8dec v Kent 206-6
Durham 190 & 148-9 v Worcestershire 112
Division Two
Leicestershire 179 & 311-8 v Middlesex 86 all out
Gloucestershire 179 and 388-3 v Glamorgan 197
Northamptonshire 97 and 137-4 v Sussex 143 & 237
Derbyshire 76 all out v Yorkshire 416-6
Preamble
Good morning! We go again. Day three of this final midsummer round. A few games tumbling towards results today, weather permitting, and, at Southport, Jimmy-watch continues.
