County roundup: Goldsworthy glistens
The County Championship returned, the heat padding round the boundary of Southport’s Trafalgar Road ground like a cat. It was the beginning of three July rounds of Championship cricket, stretching into the first week of the school holidays, with outgrounds given their chance to unroll the bunting and white canvas.
At Southport, a somnolent crowd watched Somerset settle in for the long game against Lancashire, fighting back after an early double strike from Tom Bailey. Lewis Goldworthy, 21, stroked his way to an unbeaten 103, his first century for Somerset, and the 18-year-old James Rew made a promising 70 on his Championship debut.
Adam Lyth reached his hundred with a six for Yorkshire at his home ground, on his way to 152 in an unbeaten sixth‑wicket stand of 239 alongside Jonny Tattersall (104) at a scorching Scarborough. Surrey ploughed through eight bowlers.
The wickets tumbled at Merchant Taylors’ School with Middlesex rescued from 68 for six by half-centuries from No 7 Luke Hollman and No 9 Tom Helm. Worcestershire fared little better in reply, 100 for five at stumps after Tim Murtagh plucked out the openers, and Umesh Yadav, on debut, followed up. Yet another rescue job for Ed Barnard awaits.
The Canterbury festival proved fluctuating for Northamptionshire’s opening pair against Kent: Ricky Vasconcelos caught off the first ball of the day, Emilio Gay making 112. At Chelmsford, Simon Harmer’s five for 44 strangled Gloucestershire after they won the toss. Alastair Cook and Tom Westley both made fifties in Essex’s reply.
Chris Rushworth scrambled seven for 44 at the Riverside, despite a century from Derbyshire’s Leus Du Plooy against Durham. Leicestershire bore a long day in the field after Sussex knocked up 407 for four, with 150 for Tom Alsop. There was bad news for the captain, Tom Haines, whose sustained a broken hand while batting, out for six weeks.
Nottinghamshire’s Brett Hutton took four wickets to restrict Glamorgan to 318, and Warwickshire recovered from 104 for seven to reach 217 against Hampshire, despite Kyle Abbott’s five for 45.
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There’s a live band playing in the hospitality tent at Southport and the heat of the day is drifting away. Kids are earning pocket money picking up rubbish and happy punters chat and nurse a pint as the groundsmen cover up the square. It’s been a good day. That’s it from me - thanks for all the messages. Good night!
Time for me to write up now, to the gurgle of the crowd and the clonk of the bat. Pls feel free to keep on chatting BTL.
Er Worcestershire? Currently folding more quickly than a tombola ticket, 49-5. Surely Barnard can’t rescue them again? Two wickets to Murtagh, a first for Yadav, and one for Helm and Roland-Jones. Replying to Middx’s 188 all out.
And finally, Alsop has gone on and on at Hove, currently 143 not out of 360-3. Cheering news after the injury to Haines.
A hundred for Leus du Plooy!
And 90 not out for Anuj Dal, in a plucky Derby comeback from 85-5 against Durham. Currently 251-5.
Also, I forgot to say that Surrey have used eight bowlers at North Marine Road.
Pleasing symmetry from the Glamorgan card, double figures all the way down apart from Nos. 1 and 11. 299-9. Brett Hutton the pick of the Notts bowlers with 4-61.
Head down, Rew trudges off, with 70 to his name after tipping Williams to midwicket. Just 30 away from pinch yourself time, but an excellent Championship debut. The new ball does its work. Somerset 250 for five.
Warwicks all out at last for 217, with a fifth wicket for Kyle Abbott.
Adam Lyth - who I’ve just learnt reached his hundred with a six over the ice creams at long off - is still there in at Scarborough, on 116, Fraine on 67. An unbeaten partnership of 157. And nearly time for the landladie and lords to rattle for tea.
Sensational eighth and ninth wicket stands (McAndrew 63) has taken Warwickshire to respectability: 217-9 from 104-7.
Here, a new ball at the tennis courts end - Tom Bailey, all rangy limbs, is the man with it.
Rotten luck for Tom Haines - a broken hand after being hit on the hand this morning. Get well soon. Poor Sussex, without their talisman.
Following an assessment this afternoon, we can confirm that captain Tom Haines suffered a broken hand whilst batting this morning against Leicestershire.
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) July 11, 2022
Tom is expected to be out for at least 5-6 weeks. Everyone at Sussex would like to wish our captain a speedy recovery. 💙 pic.twitter.com/u9tiVXvy49
It’s a day to be in and out quickly, not stick around and grind ball after ball
Kudos then to Essex’s Alastair Cook and Tom Westley who have made 35 off 98 and 17 off 89 balls between them. A bold attempt to bore Gloucestershire’s bowlers into submission. 65-1.
Apologies all for the lack of updates, I’m having a few issues staying connected.
A hundred for Tom Alsop!
Well played! Sussex well on top against Leicestershire, 290-3.
TOM ALSOP 💯
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) July 11, 2022
Can he add to it? ➡️ https://t.co/usJjyTOElL#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/wFbWkw0OQu
At the tennis ball end at Trafalgar Road, George Balderson stretches and bends before striding into the action once more, a huge lbw shout, but too high we think. Somerset a leisurely 217 for four- - riches by the standards of this season.
Fifty for James Rew! On his championship debut at well, with the heat under that helmet almost unbearable.
A hundred for Adam Lyth!
A fantastic steadying job by Lyth of the depleted Yorkies! Currently 104 not out, with additional beams installed by Tattersall on 47 not out. A second Championship hundred at his home ground.
Tom Alsop slurping Earl Grey three short of his century at Hove where Sussex are by far the fastest scoring county today - despite the injury to Tom Haines.
And excellent work by Worcestershire to whittle out Middx for 188, despite an unbeaten 50 for Tom Helm.
Teatime-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 37-1 v Gloucestershire 136 all out
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Warwickshire 161-8
Canterbury: Kent v Northants 203-2
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire v Somerset 191-4
North Marine Road: Yorkshire 242-5 v Surrey
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Derbyshire 170-5
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 203-6 v Nottinghamshire
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 188 v Worcestershire
Hove: Sussex 284-2 v Leicestershire
I’m at that stage of the afternoon where my eyes are battling me for a rest. Nathan McAndrew js attempting to bat Warwicks out of their slump - 163-5. And thats’ fifty for Lewis Goldsworthy! He raises his bat round the sleepy crowd,
News from the Riverside is that Durham are onto their fourth ball of the day. I thought the problems were supposed to be sorted with the initial dodgy Dukes? Anyway, Derby 158-5, du Plooy 62 not out.
A hundred for Emilio Gay
A second first class century for Gay! The first was also made at Canterbury, back in 2021.
Can't stop laughing. Must hear this "commentator" pic.twitter.com/H4EcTBkJVa
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 11, 2022
DIVISION ONE: An early wicket at Chelmsford, where Brown succumbed to Tom Price for 6. Essex 22 for one after bowling out Gloucestershire fo 136.
Warwicks 132-7, with No.s 8 and 9 putting on the second largest partnership of the match (28).
Emilio Gay’s 89 not out guiding Northants to a more than respectable 164-2. (Rickelton out for 55)
Zumerzet digging in, 144-4, Goldsworthy 35 not out; and Yorkshire 195-5, thanks to Adam Lyth’s 85 not out
South Africa have won the toss and are batting in the ODI at Northampton, where Katherine Brunt has reduced them to 44-2 off 12. You can follow it with Daniel Gallan here.
I’ve had to retreat to the back of the tent to escape the heat which is slightly reducing my viewing radius but Tom Bailey has just beaten the bat with a couple of beauties. Goldsworth has stroked five cigarello fours in his 28. Somerset 129-4.
Last I glanced at Warwickshire’s scorecard they were DOMinating. Dom’s gone, for 56, and Warwicks are scrambled at 112-7. Barker 2-53, Abbott 3-32. Take your pick from losing 7-41 or 5-16.
How many wickets makes a full Rushworth? Four for 22 in his man bag at the moment at Chester-le-Street where Derby are 113-5.
Romeo’s delicious sounding rice and spinach combo.
@tjaldred Spinach with rice. pic.twitter.com/rCUdIsI5Q4
— Romeo Romeo Tango Ψιτιζεν οφ Νοςηερε (@RomeoCCLive) July 11, 2022
Will Williams makes the cut Somerset feared, removing Tom Lammonby lbw for 42. The heat continues to make things uncomfortable in the middle but, at the risk of sounding off, other cricketing countries are being affected more seriously.
🎧We're listening to the #TodayInFocus episode on the flooding in #Bangladesh
— Make Polluters Pay (@MakePolluterPay) July 8, 2022
Nawfat Ibshar, impacted by the floods said: “It’s extremely difficult to watch your country go underwater, to see your people drown. We are still very angry,” https://t.co/bfH6KM5Tf6
A train sounds its horn and chugs past the side of the ground.
It took Simon Harmer a while to creak into action, but the cogs are fully oiled now. Fifteen wickets against Hampshire in the last round, five for 44 today. Gloucestershire 136 all out after electing to bat.
To Scarborough, where Adam Lyth, 46 not out, is running out of partners, Yorks 129-5. The second highest scorer is 19-year-old Will Luxton, who makes his debut today. And congratulations to Jordan Thompson, now the proud owner of an open white rose on his county cap.
@tjaldred Jordan Thompson gets his county cap. https://t.co/WeSc1Q7wXS
— Romeo Romeo Tango Ψιτιζεν οφ Νοςηερε (@RomeoCCLive) July 11, 2022
More fond memories of Trafalgar Road. Alan, you probably sat next to Gary Naylor. No wickets since lunch as Morley wheels in on scorched grass. Somerset 97-3.
@tjaldred Southport - lovely ground. Played school hockey there. Saw Lancs v Middx in 81. 2 things memorable that day. Simon Hughes promised to sign our hats next wicket. He did & got into trouble with skip. Oh and a royal wedding was on. History suggests I made the right choice
— alan (@Lobb66) July 11, 2022
Thank you for this Geoff Wignall:
“I hope there’ll be a sea breeze to remove some of the swelter.Nothing to comment upon, just some childhood Trafalgar Road memories to offer from the days when it was a week long festival, two 3 day matches and a Sunday game:
“Gary Sobers and a very young Clive Lloyd batting together for the International Cavaliers. Unreliable memory suggests they scored 86 apiece in what was probably a fifth or six wicket stand in a 40 over match. I hadn’t even heard of Lloyd before then;
“Basil D’Oliveira depositing three balls onto the railway line in a single session, during a knock of 65 or so;
“Northants being reduced to 10/5 - four of them to Peter Lever - before 11:00 following a 10:30 start, shortly to become 28/6. Whereupon an 18 year old Geoff Cook (possibly on debut?) improved their day with an impressive 60;
Chalkie White, one time Derbyshire offspinner, returning the memorably neat figures of 25-5-100-5;
“and of course it was always, but always sunny, even for junior net practice.
Oddly for all the cricket I saw there, club matches included, and all the high scoring matches it’s hosted I never saw anyone reach a century.Perhaps you will.”
Hope everyone managed a dab or two with a cold flannel over lunch. Paul did his signings, here he is, caught on camera:
And he's almost smiling! If you love the County Championship, this is the book for you. https://t.co/frgnGcYlNv
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) July 11, 2022
And here is Gary Naylor with a round-up of those QF Blast games.
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Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Gloucestershire 104-6
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Warwickshire 87-2
Canterbury: Kent v Northants 95-1
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire v Somerset 89-3
North Marine Road: Yorkshire 106-3 v Surrey
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Derbyshire 83-3
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 103-3 v Nottinghamshire
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 76-6 v Worcestershire
Hove: Sussex 138-0 v Leicestershire
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Fantastic news from Galle, where Sri Lanka have thrashed Australia by an innings in four days. Prabath Jayasuriya 6-59. Amazing.
If you’re interested in Sri Lankan cricket (and apologies if I’ve given this a plug before, I can’t actually remember), you might be interested in An Island XI, the story of Sri Lankan cricket by Nicholas Brookes. I haven’t had time to open it yet but Nick wrote some great pieces for us at The Nightwatchman.
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I’m melting in my Southport tent but the big news for anyone who is here and wants a copy of Paul Edwards’ new book Summer Days Promise is that the man himself will be doing signings at lunchtime. Get down to that hospitality tent.
Breaking News - we are delighted to confirm that “Summer Days Promise” written by our very own @edwardscricket will be on sale at the forthcoming Lancashire v Somerset County match in July.Paul has also agreed to a personal book signing session the details of which will follow. pic.twitter.com/0SKV675T3r
— Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club (@SNBCC) June 23, 2022
Another wicket at Southport as George Bartlett yorks himself - a wicket with Jack Morley’s second ball. The chatter pauses, then reprises at a higher level. Somerset 77 for three.
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Fifties for Ali Orr and Dom Sibley
First half century of the round to Sussex’s young opener Ali Orr, only jut slower than a run a ball, making a mess of the Gloucesteshire bowling figures. Sussex 123-0
Fifty too for Dom Sibley, who has slowed down a little, but has still hit 11 fours. Warwicks 77 for one.
“Morning Tanya,” says Simon McMahon. “ I’m in Scarborough at North Marine Road for Yorkshire v Surrey - with Mrs McMahon, who says romance is dead? - and it is absolutely glorious. They don’t call it Scarbados for nothing. After losing the toss, Surrey took two quick wickets but Yorkshire have recovered to 56-2 after the first hour. Looking forward to a great day’s play. Maybe even an ice cream and some fish and chips.”
I should hope so! I love Scarborough, but haven’t watched cricket there since the early noughties - is it full? and will you be having a dip later?
Division Two? Quick wickets for Rushworth has left Derbyshire 35 for three.
Byrom and Ingram were racing along for Glamorgan, until Ingram was caught off Brett Hutton and Byrom lbw to Paterson. Glamorgan 76 for three.
Middlesex are wobbly - 46 for four, a couple for Pennington, one for the soon- to-be departed Barnard.
And Sussex racing along - 85 for 0, but Tom Haines has retired hurt for 24.
In other news I have learnt that the British Lawnmower Museum is just round the corner. (For anyone interested, my neighbour turned out to be throwing out her push-along mower so I trimmed the grass with shears and then paid my son to do the heavy work).
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A trip round the Division One grounds after the first 40 mins:
Essex’s Jamie Porter has removed both openers: Gloucs 26 for two.
Travel through the looking glass to Southampton, and find Warwickshire 44 for o: Dom Sibley 41 from 35 balls and Al Davies one from 23.
At Canterbury, Northants lost Vasconcelos to the first ball of the day, but Gay and Rickelton are rebuilding: 22 for one.
Here at Southport, Renshaw has joined Davies back in the pavilion - a second for Tom Bailey. Somerset 21 for two.
And Yorkshire have lost Hill and Wharton at Scarborough, 22 for two.
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I have many fond memories of watching cricket at Southport (not least on the occasion of Charles and Di's wedding @tjaldred) but not so many playing. Once in an Under-19s match, we conceded 202-0 declared (me 13-0-61-0) but drew, finishing on 154-6. I bagged a golden duck...
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 11, 2022
I waved at the royal train wizzing through Walton on Thames station - beat that!
There was a moment of applause before the start of the game here at Trafalgar Road in memory of Lancashire favourite John Gwynne, who died on the weekend. RIP John and thank you on behalf of CCLive for your enthusiasm and passion for county cricket.
There’s a breeze and a slight haze in the pale blue Southport skies. The teams have a slightly different hue to normal – Somerset’s Tom Abell, Tom Banton and Will Smeede are missing with the England Lions, and Lancashire are without their England white-ball players – Richard Gleeson, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Matt Parkinson. Slow left-armer Jack Morley plays.
And among the deckchairs and chatter, Somerset have lost their first wicket – Steven Davies – and settle in at 9 for one.
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News from Lord’s, where Middlesex have signed Indian quick Umesh Yadav for the rest of the season. He has played 134 times for India, in 52 Tests, 77 ODIs, and seven international T20s, taking 273 international wickets.
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Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Gloucestershire
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Warwickshire
Canterbury: Kent v Northants
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire v Somerset
North Marine Road: Yorkshire v Surrey
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Derbyshire
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex v Worcestershire
Hove: Sussex v Leicestershire
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Apologies for the delay. A few connection issues in the Southport tent, but the company and plentiful supply of biscuits make up for it. Here, Somerset have won the toss and will bat - and they have brought in Amar Virdi for one game on loan from Surrey, on a pitch which is historically favourable to spin.
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Preamble
We’re back! Good morning from the train to Southport, where the windows are open and the buddleias are sprouting off every spare inch of railway track.
This is the first of three July rounds of the Championship, stretching into the first week of the school holidays, and it is outgrounds a go-go. Lancashire entertain at Southport, Middlesex at Merchant Taylors’ school and Yorkshire at Scarborough.
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