Lyth and Bean feast on runs for Yorkshire in record stand
During a feast of white‑ball cricket, suddenly a dash of red – two midsummer rounds squeezed in while the nights are short and the sun high.
To Lord’s, where Ed Hawkins’s climate stripes were displayed on the scoreboard on Friday, while on Sunday a real ale festival bubbled away in the Coronation gardens. On the field, the game swung giddily as Middlesex struggled against tight early Derbyshire bowling but then soared as Ryan Higgins reached his fourth century of the summer and Toby Roland-Jones slammed a fifty despite snapping his bat in two.
Yorkshire’s Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean piled on 307, the highest opening partnership in first-class cricket at North Marine Road. Gloucestershire could only watch after winning the toss and inserting. Durham bolted to 445 for five on a friendly Chelmsford pitch, taunting the title contenders Essex and taking 16 off Simon Harmer’s first over. There were centuries for Alex Lees (sedate) and Ollie Robinson (rumbustious).
The England fast bowler Olly Stone rescued Nottinghamshire from 190 for seven with an unbeaten 74 against Somerset. Notts had lost four for 11 when he and Calvin Harrison came together to reconstruct the innings.
Jimmy Anderson travelled to Canterbury with Lancashire but did not play. The crowd got their fill at lunch instead, with hundreds watching as he repeatedly bowled at one stump, and then took five minutes to reach the safety of the pavilion after stopping for selfies. There were three wickets each for Nathan Lyon and George Balderson as Kent were bowled out for 244.
Sussex’s John Simpson rattled to his third century of the season, against Leicestershire, while Ian Carter was bowled for 96. Bliss for Sussex supporters, who also enjoyed free admission at Hove. Dan Lawrence was 91 not out as Surrey made hay at New Road.
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Cheerio from a gloriously sunny Lord’s, after a cracking day around the grounds.
