Leicestershire deny Notts to leave Somerset top
To the peeling of bells in the West Country, Leicestershire played out a draw at Trent Bridge, meaning that Nottinghamshire drop behind leaders Somerset in the Championship table, albeit by just four points.
Josh Hull’s 97 on Friday proved only the tip of Leicestershire’s tail as the last wicket pair of Tom Scriven and Josh Davey added 106, passing the follow-on and then continuing past lunch. Haseeb Hameed just had time to make his second century of the season before the teams shook hands. The draw also improves Leicestershire’s chances of survival, in the relegation zone but just seven points behind Yorkshire.
Sussex completed victory over Essex in an hour and 20 minutes to tuck their feet under the mid-table of respectability. But it wasn’t without a scare or two as Matt Critchley threw the grand piano at their bowlers, last man out for 96. James Coles, who has had a quiet season after the Hundred hoohah, finished with seven wickets in the match and a valuable 79. Essex now look nervously at the the three matches ahead.
Northamptonshire had just gained ironic applause for reaching 50 from the Wantage Road crowd when they were all out in 22.2 overs. Callum Parkinson was the chief destroyer with six for 20 as Durham hit cruise control towards promotion. Northants’ chances of joining them were dealt a double blow when Kent finally winkled out Worcestershire, despite a doughty unbeaten century from Brett D’Oliveira. Kent tuck in behind Durham, 15 points clear of Northants
Derbyshire folded like a damp newspaper in the face of Gloucestershire’s Sai Kishore (five for 20), losing a eye-watering 10 wickets in the final session of the match, bowled out for 105. Earlier James Bracey and Miles Hammond had both danced to centuries, Bracey becoming the first Gloucestershire keeper since Harry Smith in 1919 to make two hundreds in a game. A visibly thrilled Gloucestershire, who were 37 for five on day one, have won just two games this season, both of them against Derbyshire.
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Goodbye!
There was something in the ether this round – five scores below 120, though Northants snatch the booby prize after just scraping to 50. You’ll just about time to clean your teeth before we’re back on Tuesday, at 10.30am. Thanks for your company, have a lovely evening.
Division two table - three games to go
1 Durham 210
2 Kent 170
3 Northants 155
4 Middlesex 132
5 Worcestershire 130
6 Derby 114
7 Lancashire 97
8 Gloucestershire 63
Division One table - three games to go
1 Somerset 167
2 Notts 163
3 Warwicks 162
4 Sussex 140
5 Glamorgan 124
6 Surrey 124
7 Essex 122
8 Yorkshire 120
9 Leicestershire 113
10 Hampshire 88
Final scores
Chelmsford: Sussex 275 and 230 BEAT Essex 177 and 281 by 47 runs.
Southampton: Warwickshire 398 BEAT Hampshire 115 and 154 by an innings and 129 runs
Trent Bridge: Notts 451-8dec and 178-1 DRAW with v Leicestershire 365
Taunton: Somerset 441 BEAT Glamorgan 194 and 183 by an innings and 64 runs
The Oval: Surrey 83 and 187-9 BEAT Yorkshire 185 and 82 by one wicket
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 237 and 359-5dec BEAT Derbyshire 278 and 105 by 213 runs.
Canterbury: Kent 238 and 358 BEAT Worcestershire 217 and 295 by 84 runs
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 247 and 200 BEAT Lancashire 151 and 136 by 160 runs
Wantage Road: Durham 205 and 261 BEAT Northamptonshire 263 and 50 by 153 runs
Gloucestershire Beat Derbyshire by 213 runs
A pinch-me-crazy match. Derbyshire have lost ten wickets in a session. Bottom of the table Gloucestershire have now won twice this season, both times against Derbyshire. Sai Kishore leads Gloucestershire off with 5 for 20. Fletch calls Derbyshire’s batting “abject.”
Bristol: Gloucestershire 237 and 359-5dec BEAT Derbyshire 278 and 105 by 213 runs.
Lancs v Gloucestershire is suddenly more spicy on Tuesday.
Super bowling change by Bancroft as Ollie Price comes back and immediately gets Morley lbw, despite an pitcure-book straight bat. Bashir and Randell have eight and a half overs to survive. Derby 92-9.
But now Martin Andersson, who had nearly half the score with 37, must walk into the shadows, pushing forward and gobbled up at first slip by Cameron Bancroft. Derbyshire 85-8.
The match at Bristol rolls into the last hour. Derbyshire still seven down.
Middleton joins the party. Aitchison, who had already trudged through 39 overs, gone for nine. Derby 76-7
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Andersson and Aitchison have batted out eight overs as Ollie Price takes a break. The long armed Ed Middleton has a go. I’m going to start writing up, but will keep an eye on events at Bristol.
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And then there was one. In the Bristol sunshine, there are 24 overs left for six-down Derbyshire to play out.
Notts draw with Leicestershire
To the peeling of bells in the west country, they’ve called it a day at Trent Bridge, after HH scored his second century of the season, an unbeaten 109. The draw means Notts drop to second in the table, though just four behind Somerset. Leicestershire remain in the relegation duo, but are just seven behind Yorkshire.
Trent Bridge: Notts 451-8dec and 178-1 DRAW with v Leicestershire 365
Nottinghamshire 15pts, Leicestershire 11pts.
And another…Kishore magics a bunch of flowers that turns into a slippery soap bar when it gets near to Brooke Guest who is bewildered, Derbyshire 51-6.
Wicket number four for Kishore as Donald is bowled. Derby, who are the only side to have lost to Gloucestershire this year, are in danger of a unenviable double.
One, two, three, four, five, six men round the bat at Bristol. Sai Kishore fizzes in.
Someone fired up the Ollie Price machine, Bin Naeem lbw for 17. Enter new white-ball call-up Aneurin Bevan. Derby 40-4.
Kent beat Worcestershire by 84 runs!
A third wicket for Matt Milnes as Adam Finch fences to third slip . Three also for Mahmud and Dudgeon. Dolly undefeated on 103 and applauded off the ground. Advantage Kent.
Canterbury: Kent 238 and 358 BEAT Worcestershire 217 and 295 by 84 runs
Kent 19 points. Worcestershire 3 points.
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The last thing I heard BBC Derby’s Dave Fletcher say before tea was something along the lines of “even we can get bat through one session.”
Sai Kishore has just taken his third… Derby 32-3.
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Notts haven’t declared, Derbyshire have lost two, as have Worcestershire! Dolly remains on 103.
Time for a quick cup of tea, back soon.
Tea-time scores
Chelmsford: Sussex 275 and 230 BEAT Essex 177 and 281 by 47 runs.
Southampton: Warwickshire 398 BEAT Hampshire 115 and 154 by an innings and 129 runs
Trent Bridge: Notts 451-8dec and 100-0 v Leicestershire 365
Taunton: Somerset 441 BEAT Glamorgan 194 and 183 by an innings and 64 runs
The Oval: Surrey 83 and 187-9 BEAT Yorkshire 185 and 82 by one wicket
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 237 and 359-5dec v Derbyshire 278 and 20-0
Canterbury: Kent 238 and 358 v Worcestershire 217 and 283-7 Worcs need 97 to win
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 247 and 200 BEAT Lancashire 151 and 136 by 160 runs
Wantage Road: Durham 205 and 261 BEAT Northamptonshire 263 and 50 by 153 runs
Over at Trent Bridge, HH has put his foot down – 66 from 74 balls. Notts 100-0.
But no, with sandwiches in sight, Taylor is lured into Keith Dudgeon’s lair – a hot-damn lbw . The pendulum swings again, Worcs 283-7, 97 needed.
100 for D'Oliveira
A first hundred of the season! Full-throated applause from somewhere, I’m guessing the dressing room. Kent’s target drops to two figures. Canterbury is bathed in sunshine.
Ooooh. Worcestershire’s target drops to 100. The immacuate Dolly on 98 and the new ball due imminently.
Gloucestershire declare on 359-5 Derbyshire need 319 to win!
Will they have a dabble? About 45 overs to get them. Derby 1-0 after two overs.
Belatedly, the reason Durham weren’t playing Carse this match was because he “is rested for this fixture due to pre-arranged workload management with the ECB.” Which seems a bit odd, especially as he wasn’t picked for the white-ball series.
"The worst batting performance I've had as coach"
Northants’ headcoach Darren Lehman isn’t pulling any punches: “That’s the worst batting performance I’ve had as a coach in my time because we just didn’t withstand any pressure. I mean, I got bowled out for 60 when Stuart Broad got eight for 15, and actually, he bowled beautifully that day, and we didn’t play and miss. And the Aussies actually didn’t bat too bad that day.
“But this performance, especially against spin, we’ve played spin well all year. A couple of good balls, a couple of poor decisions, and that can happen when you get bowled out for 50.
“If we want to play Division One cricket, that’s the standard you got to withstand, and we haven’t done that both times we’ve played them [this year]. So that’s a challenge for the group. You know, you get to a level, but we’ve got to be better than that.
“But take nothing away from Durham. They’re a Division One side., I’m surprised they’re in this division, and they won’t be now. They’ll be straight up, and they’ll contend for the Division One title next year.”
Du Plooy to leave Middlesex
As flagged BTL, Leus Du Plooy, is to leave Middx after three seasons after recommitting to his native South Africa. That means he can no longer be played as a local player, thus invalidating his original deal. Since joining, he has played in 38 first-class games, scoring 2795 runs at an average of 51.75, with seven centuries and a highest score of 263, against Gloucestershire.
While the Canterbury crowd were in danger of drifting off, Keith Dudgeon, who has been skulking around the outfield all day, sends Waite’s stumps flying. A big, fat, inside edge -out for 37. Worcs 265-6.
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100 for James Bracey
Well played! He becomes the first Gloucestershire batter since 2007 to scores hundreds in both innings of a match, and the first Gloucestershire keeper to tonk them since Harry Smith in 1919.
After nine overs, Notts have 29, with one boundary. The fireworks in cold storage till November.
Marcus North said, ““Aneurin Donald and Henry Crocombe are two promising players who have earned their places on the back of impressive performances in domestic cricket.
“Aneurin has had an exceptional season for Derbyshire in the Vitality Blast and also with Trent Rockets in The Hundred while Henry is a player we have had an eye on all summer.”
Call ups for Donald and Crocombe
In case anyone missed the white-ball squads for the Sri Lanka series announced yesterday:
T20 squad
Harry Brook (Yorkshire – captain)
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Tom Banton (Somerset)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
James Coles (Sussex)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Aneurin Donald (Derbyshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
ODI squad
Harry Brook (Yorkshire – captain)
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Tom Banton (Somerset)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Henry Crocombe (Sussex)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Matthew Waite tonks for consecutive fours off Grant Stewart. Kent are starting to pine for that new ball, due in 22 overs. Worcs 252-5 need 128.
118 and out for Miles Hammond
He steps, flicks and is caught by Montgomery, a second wicket for Andersson. Boorman soon follows for a nine-ball one. A super innings by Hammond that should have saved Gloucestershire from defeat number 10. James Bracey 86 not out.
At last! McCann sprints in and trapping Scriven lbw for 54, leaving Davey unbeaten on 49. Leicestershire, from 23-2, 365 all out, trail by just 86. Fireworks from Notts approaching?
More praise for Henry Crocombe, this time from Essex captain Tom Westley:
“Crocombe has that X factor where he can change a game and he showed us that in this game. He bowls at high speed which is a challenge in itself. But that was the defining moment in the match. It’s hard to swallow. I think we played good cricket for a large percentage of the game but when you have 30 minutes like that it turns the game on its head.”
Three games to take us to tea. Scriven and Davey are rather amusingly adhesively attached to the Trent Bridge crease.
Hammond and Bracey press on at Bristol, Gloucs 302-3 have a lead of 261 over Derby.
And Mahmud has whistled out another Worcestershire batter as the tension builds at Canterbury. Worcs, five down, need 151. Backbone D’Oliverira not out 76.
101 not out for Miles Hammond
Sneaked under the bar while the pots and pans were crashing down at Wantage Road and Chelmsford. Well played, and to James Bracey, who is undefeated on 64.
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Lunchtime-ish scores
Chelmsford: Sussex 275 and 230 BEAT Essex 177 and 281 by 47 runs.
Southampton: Warwickshire 398 BEAT Hampshire 115 and 154 by an innings and 129 runs
Trent Bridge: Notts 451-8dec v Leicestershire 352-9
Taunton: Somerset 441 BEAT Glamorgan 194 and 183 by an innings and 64 runs
The Oval: Surrey 83 and 187-9 BEAT Yorkshire 185 and 82 by one wicket
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 237 and 268-3 v Derbyshire 278
Canterbury: Kent 238 and 358 v Worcestershire 217 and 199-4 Worcs need 181 to win
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 247 and 200 BEAT Lancashire 151 and 136 by 160 runs
Wantage Road: Durham 205 and 261 BEAT Northamptonshire 263 and 50 by 153 runs
Northants 50 all out in 22.2 overs. Durham win by 153 runs
A slash to first slip puts the full stop on a dismal morning for Northants that could have huge repercussions on the rest of their season. Stokes 2-9, Parky 6-20, Potts 2-13.
Wantage Road: Durham 205 and 261 BEAT Northamptonshire 263 and 50 by 153 runs
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Ecstatic applause for the Northants fifty.
No heroic fireworks for Kimber today, a sixth for Parkinson, Northants 45 for nine.
Against all odds, Northants survive till lunch. Northants have to survive another four overs till lunch.
Five for Callum Parkinson
30 ahem for eight. Parky C springs across the Wantage Road turf after bending back Sales’ leg stump.
The umpire replaces the bails after McManus chops onto his own stumps off Stokes’ last ball of his first over. Northants 32-7.
Just what Northants need, a slightly hobbling Ben Stokes. McManus lets the ball fly safely by.
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And two balls later, Bartlett is trudging back for a duck in sunshine so bright the shadow of the floodlights marks the grass like a stamp. Four for Parky, well snaffled by that Ollie Robinson. Northants 27 for six.
Make that 27 for five, as Potts takes a super grab at short cover off Callum Parkinson to send Harrison on his way.
Northants seem to have suffered a slight hiccup while Sussex were polishing Essex off – 26 for four. Parky, opening the bowling as he did in the first innings, has two; Potts the other two.
Sussex beat Essex by 47 runs
A smiling Matt Critchley tips his head back and shakes hands with John Simpson after trying to steer James Coles through the slips but is snaffled by Tom Haines. A sixth win for Sussex who can relax a little. Essex, though, slip into teeth-grinding time.
Seven wickets and an important second-innings 79 for James Coles.
Chelmsford: Sussex 275 and 230 BEAT Essex 177 and 281 by 47 runs.
Essex 3 points; Sussex 20
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Switch streams to find James Coles peering over the seating for the ball as Critchley heaves Crocombe for six. Critchley moves to 96, Eseex need 49.
Leicestershire avoid the follow on!
All hail the tail. Scriven (25), Davey (21) and of course the promoted Josh Hull (97).
Leicestershire need one to avoid the follow-on.
Henry Crocombe spoils the fun and has Snater snappily caught at slip by Leaning, above his head, for 35. Essex, one wicket left, need 58.
A Scriven punch through the covers beats a sprinting HH to the boundary. Three needed.
Back to Trent Bridge, where Leicestershire need seven to avoid the follow-on.
And Critchley steps and slaps another six off Carson – Essex need 60.
Critchley shovels another six at Chelmsford. At Trent Bridge, Olly Stone takes off his jumper again – Leicestershire need 12.
At Chelmsford, Critchley and Snater are keeping things perky. Snater has whacked three fours and a six in his 23 since arriving. The equation is still hugely in Sussex’s favour though – 79 needed, two wickets left.
A glance at the other promotion-chasing game. Kent have winkled out their first Worcestershire batsman of the day, Hasan Mahmud honing in on Adam Hose’s pads, gone for 38. Worcs, 121-4, need another 259.
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Unfortunately for Leicestershire, here comes Olly Stone, and he nearly grabs a wicket immediately but a diving Jack Haynes can’t quite hold on at full stretch at slip. Leics 279-9.
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Northants need 204 to win
Meanwhile, things are hotting up at Wantage Road. Chahal (5-84) is too much for the tail and Durham are all out for 261.
I wonder if Scriven and DAvey will have to deal with Olly Stone soon if they get any closer. 31 to avoid the follow-on.
And there goes Cox, pad and bat propped forward but the ball screams into the back leg, lbw Giles. Leics 259-9.
Five wickets for Dillon Pennington
It looks gorgeous at Trent Bridge. A diagonal shadow is coming off Cox at the non-striker’s end as he watches Holland bat a ball from Pennington (4-44) into the ground. Ah, make that 5-44, as Holland edges to slip next ball. Leicestershire 259-8 – 43 to avoid the follow-on.
Chahal with the wicket of the morning, a Fabarge egg screaming from outside leg to take off stump. Watch and wonder here. Durham 248-8.
Rain or not
Ominous skies outside my window, but play has started on time everywhere.
The Met Office is optimistic: “A bright and breezy start. Chilly in places too. A few showers around during the day, mainly in the north, otherwise plenty of fine weather with some sunny spells. Feeling pleasantly warm in the sunshine, and as winds ease.”
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All eyes to Trent Bridge, where Leicestershire need 52 to avoid the follow-on, but lost anchor-man Josh Hull for 97.
This was Hull last night:
“I’ve never been in that situation before, playing an innings like that. I haven’t really had the opportunity, so it was all pretty new to me. At the start, the message was just about taking it spell by spell, just bat time, trying to get the ball a bit softer, get the bowlers tired.
“I never felt it got easier, to be honest. There were times when I was seeing the ball a bit better, getting used to the bowlers and I was, like, okay, this is quite fun. And when the second new ball came along, it was dark, under lights, and the ball was nipping and zooming around a lot and it was tough.
“Obviously, I’m a bit gutted not to get to the hundred, but it was something I never really thought about the whole way through. I never really thought I had it in me to play that kind of innings. When I got to 50, and I was like, oh, this is quite cool, I’m happy with that.
“The same coming back out at 60, and then it happened pretty quick, I was suddenly on 90. When I was about 95, I started to think it could happen. But I was trying to very much just think about the game still and what got me to that position. That was my process, just trying to just face as many balls as I could.”
Round-up: Somerset's Championship dream alive as Surrey sneak thriller
Somerset’s dreams of a first Championship pennant continue to bubble and squeak, for now sitting pretty at the top of the table with just three rounds to go. The innings victory over Glamorgan, while Nottinghamshire were hamstrung by the weather and a stoical Leicestershire, put the spring in a west country step.
There were three wickets each for the on-song Jack Leach, Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory, the main resistance coming from Asa Tribe and Sean Dickson, who both made forties, but it was all over before tea.
But Warwickshire were close on their tails after mopping up at Southampton. A match that had started grubbily for Hampshire with the signing and unsigning of Scott Kuggeleijn finished with them dismissed for 115 and 154 to lose by an innings, flailing below the pack at the bottom of Division One. Chris Woakes whipped out both openers cheaply in Hampshire’s second innings and Manav Suthar pocketed four.
There was a high-wire finish at the Oval as Surrey snookered Yorkshire by one wicket and with it the spoils of 19 points to leapfrog them and out of the relegation zone. Surrey’s pursuit of 185 was stop-start-stop and when Ollie Pope went for a 12 that contained only two scoring shots and Ben Foakes was done by a Ben Coad chestnut before lunch, Surrey looked shot. But while Josh Blake’s stoical 43 off 183 balls blocked one end, the tail played shots at the other. With Surrey eight wickets down, and eight runs needed, Auqib Nabi trumpeted Coad out of the ground but was out next ball. Ten scoreless deliveries followed until Dan Worrall finally hoiked a boundary to win.
The wretched season at Old Trafford rolled on, as Tom Helm (four for 36) and co bowled Middlesex to victory. After a promising start in pursuit of 297, Lancashire crumpled, losing seven for 39. George Balderson had earlier grabbed five for 54 as Middlesex spiralled in a similar manner, buoyed up by a sing-song 37 from Toby Roland-Jones.
Nottinghamshire’s campaign was held up by the unlikely figure of the Leicestershire fast bowler Josh Hull, who came in as nightwatcher at Trent Bridge on Thursday night, and had only reached double figures three times in 34 innings. He was finally out after more than five hours at the crease for 97.
Scores on the doors
Chelmsford: Essex 177 and 197-7 v Sussex 275 and 230 Essex need 132 to win
Southampton: Warwickshire 398 BEAT Hampshire 115 and 154 by an innings and 129 runs
Trent Bridge: Notts 451-8dec v Leicestershire 250-7
Taunton: Somerset 441 BEAT Glamorgan 194 and 183 by an innings and 64 runs
The Oval: Surrey 83 and 187-9 BEAT Yorkshire 185 and 82 by one wicket
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 237 and 149-3 v Derbyshire 278
Canterbury: Kent 238 and 358 v Worcestershire 217 and 84-3 Worcs need 296 to win
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 247 and 200 BEAT Lancashire 151 and 136 by 160 runs
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 263 v Durham 205 and 246-7
Preamble
Good morning! Après le déluge, we still have five cracking games on our hands, the most intriguing at Trent Bridge. Can Leicestershire hold on against Stone, Pennington et al? We’ll be here all day, do join us.
