Anderson gets Cook wicket in battle of England legends
Seventy-eight years of experience stared down the pitch at each other at Chelmsford, where decades of clean and tidy bowling met the ageless knight.
Jimmy Anderson did neck exercises at the top of his mark, rhythm already established after Nick Browne had kindly shepherded the third ball of the innings into the hands of Luke Wells at slip in the deceptive April sunshine. There was time for Alastair Cook to purr his old mate through the covers for four before Anderson tethered his man, Cook exiting stage left for an lbw that technology may not have smiled at. All the cogs in the machinery seemed in good working order for the Ashes.
Earlier, Lancashire had opted to bat after winning the toss, but had to bank on a maiden fifty from their young wicketkeeper George Bell to inch their innings towards respectability. Sam Cook frisked five more wickets to the pleasure of the Essex CEO, John Stephenson, who said: “There’s no way England can ignore [him].” Simon Harmer fielded in a snood pulled up to his nose.
At The Oval, the 2022 champions, Surrey, were visited by likely pretenders Hampshire, who rescued their innings from the doldrums of 114 for six on a pitch where the ball nipped about like a rogue pea on a plate. Ben Brown, who fell five runs short of his hundred, and Keith Barker put on 96 for the seventh wicket, grinding runs and gathering a bonus point. Rory Burns and Dom Sibley saw Surrey through till stumps.
A career-best seven for 84 for Lewis Gregory, on a pitch the colour of a lime jelly, kept Somerset in contention at Trent Bridge. Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett– one careful and slow-flowering, sitting 28 balls on 0, the other attacking and lucky, reaching fifty with a reverse-swept six off Jack Leach – cantered to an opening partnership of 125 for Nottinghamshire.
Duckett was lbw to Craig Overton, who had earlier walked off the field after three overs, striking fear into the hearts of Somerset supporters. But it was Hameed’s wicket which precipitated a collapse of five for 22. Stuart Broad opened the bowling for Notts, and immediately had Tom Lammonby dropped behind the stumps.
Middlesex’s top order continued its impression of a dropped trifle, as Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson (three for 19) tucked in. Ryan Higgins was, once more, left to pick up the pieces, backed up by John Simpson – their only two players to make double figures.
Durham’s batters yet again started the round in fine fettle, this time against Worcestershire. David Bedingham, who at the start of the season expressed a wish to play for South Africa, made a glorious century.
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And with Anderson and Cook rolling back the years, and Durham and Leicestershire showing everyone how to bat, that’s all from me for today, good night!
