Lancashire dominate Hampshire as Yorkshire fortunes revive
The grass was brittle-dry at Southport, a hot-fire outfield begging for quick runs. And it was Lancashire who made the most of the conditions, first bowling Hampshire out for 142, with three wickets each for Will Williams and Tom Bailey, and then letting fly with the bat. Phil Salt, opening the innings for Lancashire for the first time in red-ball cricket, eyed up the Championship’s best attack and advanced. He was dropped on four in the first over, off the hard working Keith Barker, and then pounced, combining flambéed attack with, as stumps approached, watchful defence. Lancs finished the day just three runs behind, with the loss of only George Balderson, to the approval of more than 1500 spectators in fold-up chairs and sunhats.
At Canterbury, Jordan Cox turned Kent’s day upside-down with a sparkling century, transforming a miserable 41 for five into a respectable 301 all out. Wes Agar then took two early Surrey wickets to further twist the tale. Sam Billings was left out of the Kent side after “mutual discussions about form.” Alastair Cook, an old-fashioned knight in a sudden surfeit, reached his 74th first-class century accompanied by heat and a welcoming Chelmsford pitch. He was joined in the three-figures club by Matt Critchley, whose gung-ho hundred wearied the Somerset attack. New Taunton signing Shoaib Bashir, a 19-year-old off-spinner, was put through his paces, fizzing down 29 overs.
Yorkshire, winless in the first tranche of Championship cricket, had a good day. Perhaps buoyed by their T20 Blast successes, they filleted Derbyshire for 111, Matt Fisher picking up a career-best five for 30, Ben Coad three for 28. By the close, Yorkshire were already 161 ahead, with five wickets in hand. Shan Masood collected his highest score of the season, Dawid Malan unbeaten on 76. Elsewhere, Sussex fought back against Worcestershire, rain again haunted Gloucestershire, and a century from Sam Hain put Warwickshire in a strong position against Nottinghamshire. Kiran Carlson conjured up another bewitching century, his fourth of the season, as Glamorgan were all out just a sneeze short of 400 at Durham.
They’re pulling on the covers at Southport, the sun still out, the shadows long. Two and a half hours left of daylight. Glorious.
The Hampshire coach Adrian Birrell was brutally honest afterwards: “Lancashire obviously read the pitch very well and they bowled very well to put us under pressure straight away. We looked at the stats and it was very hot and the pitch looked quite hard so we thought if we batted very well it would set it up for us spinning them out on the last day. It didn’t materialise for us with the bat so we are in a bit of a hole and we’re going to have to fight to salvage a draw or a remarkable win.”
Thanks for hanging about and all your messages on this surprise Sunday start. See you tomorrow – good night!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 360-4 v Somerset
Canterbury: Kent 301 v Surrey 18-2
Southport: Lancashire 139-1 v Hampshire 142 all out
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire 361-5
Division Two
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 111 v Yorkshire 272-5
Chester-le-Street: Durham 4-0 v Glamorgan 390
Bristol: Gloucestershire 108-3 v Leicestershire rain
Hove: Sussex 338-9 v Worcestershire
And suddenly it is half past five, time for me to write up, with Yorkshire building a healthy lead against Derbyshire, Kiran Carlson leading the charge for Glamorgan, the rain chasing Gloucestershire, and Carlson and Shipley edging Sussex towards a third batting point. In Division One, Sir Alastair guides Essex, Jordan Clark has been out at Canterbury for 133, giving Kent a breath of a chance, Hain and Mousley building a strong base for Warwickshire and Hampshire running away with things at Southport.
Do keep chatting BTL!
Barker and Abbas have swapped ends. Hants have been dangerous but unlucky, but Lancs have made their own good fortune.Some listlessness and teapots in the field. Hants 63-0, Salt 38, Balderson 25.
Love Ben Foakes? Let me provide some grist to your mill.
Ben Foakes. Worldie. Again.#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/7qmZLT7Eug
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) June 11, 2023
100 for Jordan Cox!
Take that Div One defending champs! Cox reaches three figures with a reverse sweep off Moriarty and gallops onwards, now 122 off 178 balls, 16 fours, two sixes. A very strange looking Kent scorecard, three ducks at Nos 3, 4 and 5, then a huge century, and a flourishing tail. Kent 277-8, from the wreckage of 41-5.
A hundred for Alastair Cook!
Easing Essex towards 300, cricket’s only playing knight makes his 74th first-class hundred, in a career spanning twenty years.
Updated
Buckethats and Bazball
A great read by Ali Martin on Ben Stokes and all that:
Phil Salt, opening the batting for Lancs for the first time in red-ball cricket, is having a rye old time. He just lofted Mohammad Abbas up and away to the rope. Lancashire’s attacking brio has already brought a change of bowling , Kyle Abbott replacing Keith Barker (4-16). This is a Baz-ball approved innings.
A century for Kiran Carlson!
A fantastic season for Carlson, this his fourth hundred of the season, and his second against Durham in 2023. Glamorgan 265-4.
Abbas quietly asks Balderson if he edged behind, Balderson shakes his head and waves his hand. Next to me Jamie Bowman says that Abbas was built for one thing only, and it is so true. Liquid fast-bowler runs through his veins. Four overs in, Lancs have raced away to 18-0 and Hants need a breakthrough.
And first blood goes to Phil Salt, in his first red-ball game this season, who on-drives him for four and then – ah shucks – he’s been dropped at first slip by Fletcha Middleton – straight into the bread basket and out again. Salt responds with an off-drive for four more. An eventful first over. Hants 8-0.
Keith Barker has the new ball and stands at the top of his mark.
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 235-3 v Somerset
Canterbury: Kent 211-8 v Surrey
Southport: Lancashire v Hampshire 142 all out
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire 224-3
Division Two
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 111 v Yorkshire 182-2
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Glamorgan 251-4
Bristol: Gloucestershire 45-0 v Leicestershire rain stopped play
Hove: Sussex 205-7 v Worcestershire
Key event
With a wild swoosh, Crane makes a bid for the boundary and is caught by Blatherwick. Hampshire all out 142, which is more than it could have been, less than it should have been. Williams 3-14, Bailey 3-29. Hampshire’s top-scorer, Keith Barker with 44. Tea will be taken, tea scores to follow round the grounds.
In the party division, the refreshments are from Betty’s tea room. At Chesterfield, Yorkshire already have a lead of 42 over Derbyshire’s dismal first innings, 153-2. 48 to Lyth, while Shan Masood is 45 not out off just 37 balls.
Meanwhile – wow! – Glamorgan. Since the de Leede double strike, Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson have put on 165 at a pretty lick. Carlson 95 not out.
Still raining at Bristol (45-0), while the clouds have also reached Hove, where Sussex are 205-7 – Leach 5-51, Oli Carter 76 not out.
And here at Southport, Abbot skies a catch, Hampshire wriggle to 142-9, with tea on the horizon.
Marnus in baggy green mode:
Love this team 🇦🇺 #WTC2023Final pic.twitter.com/tLl9w8GczA
— Marnus Labuschagne (@marnus3cricket) June 11, 2023
This Trafalgar Road pitch can’t quite make up its mind, a short one leaps out of the tracks from Mitchell, then Barker thuds Hartley for six into the sightscreen and is bowled next ball for 44. Hants 134-8. Spin’s first wicket.
Let’s stroll round the Division One grounds. Keith Barker irritating Lancashire here at Trafalgar Road with some tasty blows, 32 not out, Hants 116 for seven in June bloom, sunhats on, collars up.
Kent have lost Evison – to Moriarty – for 58 – to break the sixth-wicket partnership of 121. Cox still there on 66, Kent 173-7.
Alastair Cook 89 not out at Chelmsford, just 11 away from his first hundred of the season. Essex 206-3; while Al Davies fell just seven short of his hundred, lbw to Harrison. Warwicks 170-3.
The rain stopped, play restarted at Bristol. After 3 and a half overs, the rain started again.
Paul Edwards has just taken orders for mid-afternoon drinks in the Trafalgar Road tent.It’s a tough old life.
Fifties for Al Davies and Jordan Cox
Nicely done Al, now 79 not out, Warwickshire 141-2. While Jordan Cox is 55 not out, the partnership with Evison now worth exactly a hundred to haul Hampshire to respectability. Just realised that Surrey are fielding Dan Moriarty for the first time this year.
Just thinking about Keaton Jennings, who made his royal 318 here last year against Somerset. His hamstring injury is as tricky as they come so Lancs are not putting a date on when he’s expected to be back.
As I’m reading this excellent interview with Usman Khawaja by Andy Bull..
…another Hampshire wicket falls , Dawson snaffled smartly at third slip. Hants 78-7.
And another at Southport, and a third for Williams, as Organ is caught behind (Salt not Bell in the gloves) for two. Hampshire 72-6, and the spectators only four wickets from seeing Barker, Abbas et al, scrubbing their mark in the grass.
What I said earlier about it being a day for batting – it was just a flightly suggestion. Kent, though, have recovered, 104-5, and an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 64.
Southern Vipers retain the Charlotte Edwards Cup
And Raf’s report from New Road, where Southern Vipers easily beat The Blaze to hold onto their crown.
Australia are World Champs - report
Hampshire in danger of collapsing in front of the madding Southport crowd, as Ben Brown sends the ball into the clouds, returning safely into the bosom of Josh Bohannon. Hants 69-5.
Almost as good as a Vince cover-drive. That before lunch wonder ball from Will Williams.
Our apologies to WILL² as there was no chop-on from Vince… 😮💨😮💨
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) June 11, 2023
🌹 #RedRoseTogether https://t.co/OQMLgw2VIe pic.twitter.com/MowGSyH0qK
Fifty for Alastair Cook!
In Essex’s 123-1.
Yorkshire pad up, as Derbyshire limp to 111 all out.
And there will be an inspection at Bristol at 2.30pm.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 111-1 v Somerset
Canterbury: Kent 80-5 v Surrey
Southport: Lancashire v Hampshire 57-4
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire 91-1
Division Two
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 108-9 v Yorkshire
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Glamorgan 89-3
Bristol: Gloucestershire 38-0 v Leicestershire rain stopped play
Hove: Sussex 81-3 v Worcestershire
Noooo! James Vince is bowled with the very last ball before lunch. Hampshire 57-4 and maybe Lancs read this pitch right after all.
Ben Brown off the mark with a giddy little four, as we have a peek at Division Two:
Oh Derbyshire – why this? 99 for 9. Coad 3-25, Fisher 4-26, Thompson 2-28.
Glamorgan’s progress has been temporarily de-Leeded, with two wickets in two overs for Bas, 85-3. It was about this time last year that he provided lots of big-hitting entertainment in the white-ball love-in, in Amsterdam.
It is still raining at Bristol (Gloucs 38-0) and a third wicket for Leach at Hove, Sussex 69-3.
Umpire Mallender (I think) pauses long and hard and then sends a disconsolate Nick Gubbins on his way, lbw to Blatherwick.
The Trafalgar Road public address announcer tells us that Australia have beaten India to become World Test Champions, “and we’re all delighted.”
With twenty minutes till lunch, a skip round the grounds. India are down and nearly out – 210 needed, but just one wicket left.
At Chelmsford, Cook and Westley have calmed any approaching stormy waters after Browne was out, 90-1 against Somerset. Cox and Evison and fashioning a rearguard out of a sow’s ear at Canterbury, Kent 66-5. Three for Sean Abbott, two for Jordan Clark. Vince and Gubbins looking chirpy, if slow going, here at Southport, as the wagtails perch on the dry grass – Hants 49-1.. And Warwicks 54-1 against Notts.
A Tongue – but not tooth- less Worcestershire have Sussex 47-2, both wickets for Joe Leach. Clark and Haines the men out, already missing that man called Smith.
Glamorgan have sped along to 65 for one, Zain-ul-Hassan the man gone for 24.
And Vincey baby is looking glorious.
Never mind the heatwave, in 2023 the rain always falls on Gloucestershire. Play suspended with Gloucs 38-0 against Leics.
Great spot by Jamie Bowman sitting next to me – both umpires (Bailey and Mallender) and the match referee – Mike Smith – are ex England Test-cricketers. Smith is wearing a very smart and pressed blue checked shirt.
And if you want to watch the tail end of the WTC game, Daniel Gallan will keep you royally entertained:
I see that Jake Ball has now picked up 200 f-c wickets for Notts, as well as 150 for the Outlaws, Rob Yates today’s victim, Warwicks 30-1.
A Crawley-less Kent are melting in the heat of Surrey’s attack – 35-4, ducks for Bell-Drummond and Denly. Three wickets for Abbott. This, too, could come to a swift conclusion.
Some lovely packed lunches provided by Southport and Birkdale, and in the best traditions of school trips I’ve eaten everything but the fruit already.
Lovely out-ground cricket @SNBCC. Hampshire bring Abbas, Barker and Abbott. Lancashire provide a prickle-dry field. Seats in the shade in demand. pic.twitter.com/drUNTQN4s5
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) June 11, 2023
Derbyshire, come now, think about the festival. Now 35-6 with four days looking unlikely.
A sensational drop and roll catch at gully dismisses Weatherley for 15. Hants 20-2 . And here comes James Vince, touching his toes on the way to the crease.
Hampshire scamper through for a quick single, the thud of boots on bone-dry pitch is deep and loud. One of the houses round the ground has cut down some of their back garden trees so there will be few shady areas as the sun rises.
Make that Derbyshire 15-4. Fisher and Coad share the wickets. Shan Masood licks his lips against his old county.
A day for batting so far round the grounds – and as I tap that Fletcha Middleton is caught behind, Hampshire 10-1 – with the only other wickets to fall at Chesterfield (Derbyshire 15-3) and Hove (Sussex 14-1).
A lovely buzz around the ground and – for the moment – some restful cloud and a light breeze. A loud appeal ricochets by to no result, and we have the first drinks break of the day. Right, what’s on round the grounds?
Damply nursing my hand with ice after a ball arrived in the press tent. Screaming fast outfield, Lancs have won the toss, Hampshire are batting. I fancy a Vince century for my Sunday. Two spinners for Hampshire, one for Lancs. No Parky.
Updated
Division Two table
1 Durham (6) 105
2 Sussex (6) 76
3 Worcestershire (6) 66
4 Glamorgan (6) 66
5 Leicestershire (6) 63
6 Gloucestershire (6) 42
7 Derbyshire (5) 37
8 Yorkshire (5) 33
Division One table
1 Surrey (6) 104
2 Warwickshire (5) 79
3 Hampshire (6) 79
4 Nottinghamshire (6) 68
5 Somerset (6) 67
6 Essex (6) 60
7 Middlesex (6) 50
8 Lancashire (5) 46
9 Kent (6) 43
10 Northamptonshire (6) 38
Preamble
Hello again! June flames in dry grass and high pollen as we return to the red ball dance. I’ve shifted west to Southport, blissfully five degrees cooler than Manchester, where the ground is prickly and hay-yellow, despite a thunderstorm last night. Surrey-chasing Hampshire are the visitors, Lancashire lolling down in eighth place.
There’s one more festival game, at Chesterfield, where winless redballers Yorkshire are the visitors, while there is free entry at Bristol for Gloucestershire v Leicestershire. I’m just going to search for morning coffee amongst the fold up chairs and groundsman’s hut – back shortly!
Since last we met...
Yorkshire have won!– five Blast matches -while Colin Graves has pulled out of the race to be the next chair of the club. Meanwhile , no luck for Middlesex in the Blast, who sit bottom of the south table with eight defeats in eight matches.
There’s been a bit of scrabbling round the houses: Warwickshire’s Craig Miles joining Durham on a red-ball loan, a thigh injury has ruled out Gloucestershire’s Marchant de Lange for the season, Michael Neser will stay with Australia for the Ashes series in fact Glamorgan are somewhat stuck together with sticking plaster.
Durham are not happy, nor are other counties, with the travel up and down the country in white ball pursuit before restarting the Championship today
The @DurhamCricket T20 skipper Alex Lees says the players are fatigued and the current schedule is no good and needs a re-think.
— Martin Emmerson (@Martycricket) June 10, 2023
They drove back from Leicester last night. With road closures I doubt they were home before 1am.
Nets today then @CountyChamp returns tomorrow.
Oh and this:
Moeen Ali turns 36 on 18th June. Stuart Broad is nearly 37, James Anderson nearly 41. If Mark Wood, 33, plays with Ali, Broad & Anderson on 16th June v Australia, it will be the first time for 94 years that the main four bowlers for England will be over 33 years of age. pic.twitter.com/51LXf5m0f5
— Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians (@ACScricket) June 10, 2023
This week's fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Somerset
Canterbury: Kent v Surrey
Southport: Lancashire v Hampshire
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire
Division Two
Chesterfield: Derbyshire v Yorkshire
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Glamorgan
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire
Hove: Sussex v Worcestershire
