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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Emma John

Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire all fight back: county cricket – as it happened

Surrey (Organization) Warwickshire Kent Lancashire Cricket Sussex (Organization) Adam Lyth Cheteshwar Pujara Derbyshire (Organization) Jordan Clark
The match between Lancashire and Kent at Old Trafford.
Wickets have tumbled in the match between Lancashire and Kent at Old Trafford. Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images

That’s it for the evening folks, see you back here in the morning for the final day.

Emma John's roundup

Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire can all congratulate themselves on their fighting spirit at the end of this third day’s play. In each case their batters dragged them back into games that they had seemed almost to forfeit with their low scores on the very first day.

In Division One, Lancashire vastly improved on their first-innings total of 145 against Kent thanks to Luke Wells, who fell two runs short of his hundred, and 25-year-old Josh Bohannon, who made his sixth first-class century. Lancashire finished the day on 377 for five, with a lead of 252.

Hampshire rued a dropped catch off Adam Lyth as he began Yorkshire’s reply with a steady half-century, before Jonathan Tattersall (63) and Matthew Waite (47) helped the home side set a target of 214.

Gloucestershire had less luck against Northamptonshire, who added an extra 126 to their overnight score from their final three wickets. Only Marcus Harris provided the kind of score Gloucestershire needed and at 135 for five, they still trail by 27 runs.

Warwickshire had a good day against Surrey despite losing early wickets. They recovered from seven for two to 270 for four, Sam Hain and Will Rhodes ending the day with an unbroken partnership of 127, Warwickshire’s lead 207.

Somerset saved the follow-on against Essex’s 505 for nine declared, although the joy of Matt Renshaw’s century was tempered by concern for captain Tom Abell, who retired hurt on 90. Somerset will resume on 359 for 3.

In Division Two Middlesex kept their heads and compiled a patient response to Durham’s 421 for seven declared. Anuj Dal finished with unbeaten century as Derbyshire continued to pile on runs against Worcestershire, setting them a fourth innings target of 289. And on the second day at Trent Bridge, three quick wickets from Ollie Robinson could not stop Nottinghamshire racking up a 381-run lead against Sussex.

The light is waning at a couple of grounds already and there are probably a few umpires getting twitchy for their light meters, so I’m going to step away from the blog for now to write up for the paper. And in case you miss me, which I highly doubt, I’m just going to leave this here – it’s a piece published today in the New Statesman, one I’ve been working and reporting on for a couple of months now.

… and Somerset have avoided the follow-on at Chelmsford. 356 for 3 on another big batting day there.

Meanwhile at The Oval Warwickshire have built a lead of 200 against Surrey, so that’s been a very good day’s work indeed. Sam Hain and Will Rhodes have put on 125 for the fifth wicket and are playing some lovely shots.

Captain Graeme van Buuren is at the crease with Ryan Higgins at Cheltenham and this really feels like the last chance saloon for Gloucestershire. They’re 135 for 5 and still 27 behind.

Josh Bohannon is looking good for Lancashire. He’s scored a boundary every over since going to his 100. And his side now have a lead of 172 with 7 wickets remaining.

So there is some good news for Worcestershire fans today. Kashif Ali, who scored a half-century on debut yesterday, has just signed a two-year contract. Big up the South Asian Cricket Academy, and well done Tom Brown and Birmingham City University for just cracking on and doing something about the demographic disparities at professional level that everyone was happy to keep just talking about.

There’s bad light at Worcester by the way, so no play there currently. Worcestershire still five down and 181 runs behind the fourth-innings target.

“Hello, is that Fever Tree? Will you swap me an old thigh pad for a can of tonic water?”

Middlesex are really rallying against Durham. They’ve gone from 72-3, and 122-4, to 305-6. John Simpson is top-scoring at number 7, with 74 off 112, and his captain Toby Roland-Jones is giving him good support. Oh and even as I typed that Roland-Jones got out, lbw for 35. So, the rally may have run its course. And they’re still more than 100 runs behind on first-innings scores.

Yorkshire’s game against Hampshire is following a very similar pattern to the one at New Road, you know. Bowled out cheaply in the first, manage to restrict the first-innings deficit to under 60, grind out a lead with your lower order in the second. Not as good a lead, mind, only 151, and they’ve just lost their half-centurion Jonathan Tattersall, and I’m not sure how Dom Bess is going to fare against Kyle Abbott, who’s just come back on. But they’ve definitely got something to bowl at, from a very unexpected start.

Updated

Ben Foakes, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Although there wasn’t much he could do about this one.

I should have said earlier, we’ve been denied three centuries today. Since Tom Abell and Luke Wells departed the crease in the 90s, Haseeb Hameed was caught behind off Sean Hunt for a fast-paced 94 at Trent Bridge. Not that it’s done his side any harm, they’ve just taken their lead past 300 with four wickets in hand and Sussex look screw like a team with a lot to do to save this match.

Updated

There’s a lot riding on Jack Haynes’s shoulders at New Road. The 21-year-old is 19 not out off 61 balls, and he’s Worcestershire’s last remaining top order batter as they squint at that far-off target of 289. From the waypoint of 93 for 5. It’s a long, long road they’re travelling.

Updated

An extra jaffa cake each for Essex...

You don’t want to leave those son, part two:

Teatime-ish scores

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford: Essex 505-9 dec v Somerset 288-2

Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 317 & 82-2 v Northamptonshire 479

Old Trafford: Lancashire 145 & 230-2 v Kent 270

The Oval: Warwickshire 253 & 179-4 v Surrey 316

Scarborough: Yorkshire 159 & 185-4 v Hampshire 218

DIVISION TWO

Chester-le-Street: Durham 421-7 dec v Middlesex 252-6

New Road: Derbyshire 130 & 343 v Worcestershire 185 & 75-5

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 240 & 200-5 v Sussex 143

Finn Allen has hit his maiden T20 century for NZ in 54 balls against Scotland. And been stumped two balls later.

Gloucestershire have lost their second wicket against Northants and it’ll require some stickability from Marcus Harris and Miles Hammond if they’re going to fight this one out. They were 42-2 when Oliver Price went for a seven-ball duck, still 120 behind, although they’ve just reduced the deficit to under a hundred.

Elsewhere in the British Isles, New Zealand have been racking up the runs against Scotland in their first T20. They’re scoring at 10 an over in Edinburgh, although Scotland have taken just taken a second wicket, Glenn Phillips out to Hamza Tahir. Finn Allen’s the big danger, though, currently 69 off 40 with four sixes to his name already and, you’d assume, a fair few more in his quiver.

They’re taking an early tea at New Road, where rain has begun to fall. It’s some relief for Worcestershire, although not much, given they’re 75 for 5 chasing 289 to win. And let’s not forget they bowled Derbyshire out for 130 on the first day…

You’d call this an afternoon of consolidation, I think. After all that frantic activity in the first two days we’re experiencing a sort of third-innings calm as several teams prepare themselves for the grand finale.

So we’ve got teams who have been hanging on in there with the bat, like Lancashire, who are now 189-2 against Kent thanks in no small part to the work of Josh Bohannon, not out on 60. Jonathan Tattersall’s doing a similar job for Yorkshire, who have lost Adam Lyth for 59 and are now battling to add to a fairly modest lead of 84 from four wickets down.

Meanwhile Nottinghamshire have survived that early squall from Ollie Robinson and are now well in control at Trent Bridge. Haseeb Hameed and Lyndon James have put on a hundred partnership and the lead over Sussex is already more than 250.

Updated

And now Luke Wells has got out on 98 at Old Trafford… we’ve had two potential centurions denied in the past few minutes. What is it Gertrude says? “When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions.” Well, at least Tom Abell can get back out there if his leg feels better, although I wouldn’t have thought Somerset woudl want their captain risking it.

Poor Tom Abell, he’s been forced to retire hurt on 90 with a hamstring injury. Opener Matt Renshaw’s still out there for Somerset, not out on 107, and he’s been joined by George Bartlett who’s already 10 off 10 balls.

Haseeb Hameed has gone to his half-century at Trent Bridge, and it’s been full of stylish shots. He’s taking the game away from Sussex here, and Notts now have a lead of over 200 with just three wickets down.

And there’s been another wicket at Chester-le-Street, courtesy of this lovely catch from Nic Maddinson.

This is a great piece by James Wallace about living your life under the spotlight but what it’s really got me thinking about are dressing room team talks… I love the fact we get to see some them today, and understand more about how players motivate each other. Makes me think of Al Pacino’s Tony D’Amato speech from Any Given Sunday…

Updated

Gloucestershire have finally brought an end to the Northants innings on 479, which is a lead of 162. Now I’m sure that betting is rightly frowned upon on the CCLive blog but do we want to make any predictions? I reckon Ben Sanderson will have his tail up after a lovely performance with the bat, and is going to wreak some swift damage.

Lancashire have gone ahead of Kent at Old Trafford, still only wicket down.

Ollie Robinson is getting good bounce at Trent Bridge… and Haseeb Hameed is prepared to use it to his advantage. He’s just taken two boundaries off him in this over.

I wouldn’t want to be Middlesex at Chester-le-Street. They’re three wickets down and still 332 runs behind on first-innings scores. And now Matthew Potts is bowling at them.

We’re back! And I’m wondering if the lunch interval is going to give Gloucestershire the break they need to come out and take these last two Northants wickets. James Sales and Ben Sanderson have put on 73 for the ninth wicket so far…

Lunchtime scores

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford: Essex 505-9 dec v Somerset 186-1

Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 317 v Northamptonshire 454-8

Old Trafford: Lancashire 145 & 109-1 v Kent 270

The Oval: Warwickshire 253 & 74-3 v Surrey 316

Scarborough: Yorkshire 159 & 98-3 v Hampshire 218

DIVISION TWO

Chester-le-Street: Durham 421-7 dec v Middlesex 89-3

New Road: Derbyshire 130 & 343 v Worcestershire 185 & 31-0

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 240 & 49-3 v Sussex 143

Lunchtime scores coming as soon as this session’s finished, and then I’m off to chat to a museum curator about Jane Austen (true story). But until I’m back I’ll leave you with the news that Pavel Florin has put himself forward for the BBL draft. Because you’ve gotta dream.

Here’s Joe Clarke getting out to Ollie Robinson. You can’t leave those, son.

Warwickshire have rubbed out their deficit against Surrey, where Chris Benjamin and Alex Davies are bedding in after those two early wickets. They’ve added 60 runs so far for the third.

And Luke Wells has just gone to a 75-ball half century at Old Trafford, where Lancashire are still working hard to draw level with Kent. They’ve just lost the one wicket this morning, Keaton Jennings getting out after a very patient 14, and they currently trail by 29.

Ollie Robinson is doing everything he can to get Sussex back into this game at Trent Bridge. First he’s removed Ben Slater and Ben Duckett in the space of three balls (Notts 28 for 2) and now, after Haseeb Hameed takes a couple of boundaries off Bradley Currie, Robinson’s trapped Joe Clarke lbw. Notts 40 for 3, with a lead of 137.

Worcestershire have finally finished Derbyshire off, with Anuj Dal finishing not out on 112. The home team, who managed 185 in their first innings, now need 289 runs to win.

More woe for Woakes:

A hundred partnership for Matt Renshaw and Tom Abell at Chelmsford… that’s really good work from the Somerset pair, who are batting under the shadow of an enormous Essex score.

And Northants have passed 400 at Cheltenham, thanks to a half-century from James Sales. They’re currently leading Gloucestershire by 90 runs.

Updated

Middlesex seem to be moving very slowly this morning? They’ve added just 10 runs in 17 overs. Unless they, like me, have been quietly making additional contributions that no one has seen or recorded. Maybe someone needs to turn them off and turn them on again?

Nottinghamshire have headed out to bat again with a first-innings lead of 97 after bowling Sussex out for 143.

And Yorkshire have drawn level with Hampshire at Scarborough, but they’ve lost the wicket of Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and will be hoping for Adam Lyth to make the most of the lives he’s been given this morning.

A third century of the season for Anuj Dal! He really deserves it, and probably some kind of a medal for what he’s done for Derbyshire in this game against Worcestershire. He top-scored with 55 in their first innings, when eight of the XI made single-figure scores (coincidentally, that was the same number as Derbyshire’s first innings deficit). And now he’s helped his side to a lead of 270 runs, which no one could have predicted when they were 92 for 5.

It’s Jonty Rhodes’s birthday today… happy birthday to the man who used to have his own little space on my teenage bedroom wall. I’m trying to think of anyone within my lifetime whose fielding has had such a profound impact on the game. Paul Collingwood, perhaps, for England? Mark Waugh was pretty inspirational for slip fielders. I guess today it you wouldn’t look past Ben Stokes. There aren’t many images that are more iconic than Rhodes flying through superman-style through the covers, but Stokes’s one-handed claw catch is up there…

Um… so… apparently I was just talking away to myself for half an hour then? All I can say is I’m very grateful for your concern and I love the idea that Guardian towers were shortly to get phone calls asking whether I had been kidnapped…

What is this shot from Mattie McKiernan, please? It looks like he’s skipping through the opening steps of a Busby Berkeley number. He’s out for 71 although Anuj Dal’s still there for Derbyshire on 94 not out… he needs Ben Aitchison to stick around and help see him through to his century.

Pujara’s gone at Trent Bridge, one short of a half-century, or, in his case, 151 short of a double hundred. And Archie Lenham, only the third player on the Sussex teamsheet to make it into double figures, has just joined him. So Sussex really are in trouble now, 128 for 7.

Surrey are getting among it! Kemar Roach has his eyes on the stumps this morning, and he’d just fired one through Dom Sibley’s defences in his second over, bowling him for 6, when Jordan Clark followed up with the wicket of Danny Briggs. And now Chris Benjamin has just sent a flying edge off Clark over the head of third slip and Warwickshire are 15 for 2 and looking distinctly nervy.

Cheteshwar Pujara has just scored the first boundary of the day at Trent Bridge to move to 41 not out. How many’s he going to score today, then? He passed his 1,000 Championship runs yesterday in just his 12th innings of the season, he’s scored two double centuries for Sussex already alongside two regular ones. They need him to put in another big one here given they’re 128 behind with five wickets down already.

Dropped in the next over! Joe Weatherley puts Adam Lyth down at third slip off Abbott. And Lyth rubs salt in the wound with another boundary a couple of deliveries later. Yorkshire 32 for 1.

Adam Lyth’s just scored a boundary off the final ball off Mohammad Abbas’s first over at Scarborough.

Here’s the tail of the trails as we get ready to kick off this morning: Yorkshire are one wicket down and 36 behind Hants at Scarborough. Warwickshire knocked a single run off their deficit of 62 against Surrey in the two overs that they batted last night. Lancashire, similarly, took just a couple off their first-innings deficit of 125 against Kent. There’s some pretty decent action in prospect, I’d say.

Start of play scores

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford: Essex 505-9 dec v Somerset 99-1

Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 317 v Northamptonshire 353-7

Old Trafford: Lancashire 145 & 2-0 v Kent 270

The Oval: Warwickshire 253 & 1-0 v Surrey 316

Scarborough: Yorkshire 159 & 23-1 v Hampshire 218

DIVISION TWO

Chester-le-Street: Durham 421-7 dec v Middlesex 43-0

New Road: Derbyshire 130 & 286-6 v Worcestershire 185

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 240 v Sussex 94-5

Tuesday's round up


Two double centurions shone on day two of the latest round of games. Nick Browne’s 234 not out was a 10-and-a-half-hour marathon for Essex, who declared on 505 for nine; their Division One opponents Somerset finished the day 99 for one. Meanwhile, Michael Jones racked up his maiden double-century as Durham posted 421 for seven declared in Division Two against Middlesex, who were 43 without loss at stumps.

Elsewhere in Division One wickets crashed in noisy clumps, no fewer than nine falling in the opening session at Old Trafford. Matt Henry had picked up two by the time he completed his over from the previous evening and finished with five for 45 as Lancashire added a measly 33 for their final six wickets. Kent were then 12 for three before a Joe Denly‑Jack Leaning rescue mission, and a cavalier half-century from Grant Stewart, saw them to 270, a lead of 125.

At Scarborough, Hampshire only gained a footing when Ben Brown and Keith Barker came together at 72 for six; Barker’s run-a-ball 52, and similarly entertaining cameos from the tail, inspired a 59-run lead. Yorkshire finished 23 for one in reply.

The Surrey bowlers Conor McKerr and Jamie Overton contributed valuable runs at The Oval, where a sparkling 65 from Ollie Pope was the top score for the home side. Their 316 gave them a 63-run lead against Warwickshire, who negotiated the final two overs of the day without loss.

Gloucestershire’s bowlers fought back to keep themselves in the game after Northamptonshire’s Ryan Rickelton and Luke Procter put on 111 for the third wicket; Rickleton was out just five short of his century to Zafar Gohar, who took four in the innings. Northants finished 353 for seven, a lead of 36.

In Division Two, Anuj Dal top-scored for Derbyshire for the second time in two days. His 85 not out in a seventh-wicket partnership with Mattie McKiernan helped his side to turn a 55-run deficit into a 231-run lead, after they had bowled Worcestershire out for 185 earlier in the day.

And Ollie Robinson took four for 44 as Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 240 on the first day of their match against Sussex at Trent Bridge, before James Pattinson and Dane Paterson proved equally destructive, leaving the visitors 94 for five at the close.

Preamble

Morning everyone, are we all ready for day three? Unless you’re following Notts v Sussex at Trent Bridge, in which case – are you ready for day two? Apparently we’re going to see a build up of cloud across the country today and some “slow moving, mostly light” showers will be scattered around. What’s your forecast for the day – runs at Chester-le-Street? Wickets at New Road? Simon Harmer to bowl unchanged at Chelmsford?

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