Roundup: Amla stands tall on day of draws
And with one last prod, it was over. Hashim Amla turned in one of the great stonewalling performances for Surrey at the Ageas Bowl to finish 37 not out from 278 deliveries and deny Hampshire victory. Surrey started the day on six for two following on, but Amla’s eye-popping powers of concentration over 64 maidens in total saved the day as Hampshire rued three dropped catches.
On a gloomy and rain-shortened final day, Lancashire chipped away at Kent’s batting but met immovable objects in Jack Leaning and James Logan. Tom Hartley finished with his best first-class figures of four for 42. The draw, and results elsewhere, confirmed Lancashire and Yorkshire’s qualification for Division One.
Middlesex took the game into a fourth day against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham. Set 420 to win, they lost both openers with only two on the board, but Stevie Eskinazi and Daryl Mitchell added spine. Rain ruined any chances of a result at Edgbaston but in the two hours possible, Durham’s David Bedingham caressed an unbeaten 92 and Craig Miles of Warwickshire picked up five wickets.
A kind pitch and heavy rain killed the game at Taunton where Leicestershire’s Harry Swindells and Ed Barnes skipped to career bests – 171 not out and 83 not out respectively – in their draw with Somerset. Ben Brown hit his 20th first-class century as Sussex drew with Glamorgan at Hove.
Results
Warwickshire 237 all out; Durham 253-7
Match drawn
Hampshire 488; Surrey 72 & 122-8
Match drawn
Somerset 461-9 dec; Leicestershire 475-7
Match drawn
Lancashire 259-9 dec; Kent 74 & 149-8
Match drawn
Sussex 226 & 263-6 dec; Glamorgan 215 & 154-5
Match drawn
Latest score (day three of four):
Gloucestershire 248 & 272; Middlesex 101 & 97-3
Middlesex need 323 to win
Time to go home, with the sweet sound of the Halle choir, practising in East Stand, in my ears. Thanks for all your company over the last four days. We’ll be back on Sunday, enjoy tonight and all hail Hashim Amla!
Glamorgan DRAW with Sussex!
Both sides take 12 points.
Updated
Durham have been deducted two points for a slow over-rate.
Lancashire 258-9 draw with Kent 74 and 149-8
A smashing effort by Logan and Leaning to play out the rampacious Lancs attack. Lancs will qualify for Division One as soon as the game finishes at Hove.
Overton out for 11! Felix Organ the man- Surrey 8 down!
I’d best pause to write up - OT and the Rosebowl the streams to be on.
There’s a bowling change at OT, but it’s not Anderson, it’s Wood. 45 minutes left. At The Rosebowl. Surrey still seven down, though Amla has just been dropped at leg slip. Middlesex have lost Handscomb lbw to Worrall for 14. 56-3. Amla has just been
I’’m trying to think of a nickname for Amla based on this innings to match the Divine Ponytail or the Burnley Lara. But I’ve got day four brain fade. Someone BTL must be feeling inspired with time to kill
Slowest County Championship innings (>100 balls) thread:
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) July 7, 2021
Brian Hardie made 4 in 142 mins for Ess v Hants at Chelmsford in 1974. Based on prevailing over-rates he would have faced about 125 balls.
Thinks: better check Surrey score. 97-7. Amla still there 30 not out on 224 balls. Can JOverton hang on? He’s only got another 45 mins or so.
Some mid-term stats:
David Bedingham still leads the County Championship and by some distance after his 92* today #countychampionship pic.twitter.com/zNAealyDI5
— TheCricketGuy (@Tim32_cricket) July 7, 2021
Updated
Last hour has been called here, so the action will continue till 6.05. Two wickets needed for Lancashire to be sure of a Div one spot.
Hartley! Promoted from the bench in the 22nd minute, takes two in three balls! Kent on the rack. A career best 4-34.
Stevens has to go! Lbw to Luke Wells for 17. Kent 129-6, trails by 56. We’re down to Milnes and the tail. The last hour starts at either 5 ‘o clock or when 16 over are left, whichever is the later.
Round the country, batting sides are showing dog with bone type tenacity. Kent are 5 down; Glamorgan 2; Middx 2 (but with another day to go) and Surrey 6 (Amla still there).
Warwickshire 237 DRAW with Durham 257-3
Persistent darn rain the culprit. Durham 13 points, Warwickshire 11.
Rolling back the years: Stevens smears Wood up over extra cover where Anderson leaps, gets his fingers to it, but can’t hang on. Looks pained, but is ok.
To the background of a passing tram, much, much vocal encouragement from the Lancs fielders; but they’re running out of time. Can they dislodge the determined Leaning?The irrepressible Stevens? The overs tick by. Kent 118-5.
Glamorgan need 228. Sussex nine wickets. Carson is into his third over- he’s the man.
Can Amla do it? In the final session, Surrey will have to face 36 overs with Hampshire free to take the new ball after 11. Call to anchor.
Ah, shame, De Caires has gone early again, for four, cold comfort in the dismissal of his partner Robson for a duck? Middx 27-2.
We’ve just had a fire alarm in the media centre so are now parked down in the stands where Hartley has Leaning( I think) in all sorts of trouble.
Tea-time (ish) scores
GROUP ONE
Trent Bridge: Notts 307 all out BEAT Derby 149 all out and 122 all out by an innings and 36 runs
Edgbaston: Warwicks 237 all out v Durham 253-7 Rain
GROUP TWO
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 488 v Surrey 72 and 72-5. Amla 26 not out (171 balls). Run rate 1.16.
Taunton: Somerset 461-9dec DRAW with Leicestershire 475-7
DAY THREE: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 248 all out and 272 v Middlesex 101 all out and 23-2.
GROUP THREE
Old Trafford: Lancashire 259-9 dec v Kent 74 all out and 103-4.
The County Ground: Northants 170-9 and 152 all out LOST to Yorkshire 158 and 217 by 53 runs
Hove: Sussex 226 all out and 263-6v Glamorgan 215 and 29-1.
Somerset 461-9dec draw with Leicestershire 475-7
All over at Taunton, where a kindly pitch and heavy rain combined to kill the game. Swindells and Ed Barnes had taken their unbroken eighth-wicket stand to 203, with two career bests. 171 not out to 22 year old Swindells and 83 not out to 23-year-old Barnes .
It is raining, barely, but definite drops. Lancashire walk off, reluctantly with Kent 88-4.
I should add, as an asterisk to events at Hove, that Glamorgan currently have the second lowest number of batting points of any county. (Stat courtesy of Ken Grime.)
Sussex have declared! Glamorgan need 274 to win and keep their hopes of top divisional cricket alive.
Kuhn is beaten, not by pace. but guile. Has a rogue dart and it caught by Wells off Hartley. Kent 71-4. Gloucestershire are all out, Middlesex’s target 420. Or four sessions. Or supper time.
Lamb is giving Kuhn the hurry up, two balls in a row beat the hung out bat, must have breathed heavily in his ear as it sped past. Kent 71-3.
Perhaps time to get Jimmy back on for Kuhn?
Lovely to see Ollie and Tom Price put on 64 together at Cheltenham, though Ollie’s dismissal has precipitated a collapse of three for 2, in 10 balls. Two wickets to Mitchell, one to Murtagh. Incidentally, I notice de Caires bowls too - three overs for 7.
Poor Jack Leaning is hit in the box and -oooh that looks very uncomfortable, is doubled up down in pain
Surrey have lost Patel, for 16, but Amla is still there, for a two and a half hour five.
Gary Naylor, I’m in awe, even with the extra oomph.
I've done many of the Tour's classic cols on a bike @tjaldred. They're tough rides, physically demanding and the cold gets to you at the summits.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 7, 2021
That said, accessing 1100cc of Yamaha power made a difference.
Updated
Make that 40-3 at OT, after Joe Denly clips kindly to Alex Davies off Danny Lamb. Kent 145 behind.
Hartley has replaced Luke Wood. Danny Lamb has replaced Jimmy (just the one wicket). Kent 40-2. Tasty enough for Jamie Bowman’s home made chutney.
Home made chutney in the Old Trafford press box from @JamieBowman77 pic.twitter.com/suj6Zy1NZE
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) July 7, 2021
IT’s raining in Taunton.
A wicket! Jimmy-boy! Cox fences; Rob Jones parries and it is collected by Wells. Jimmy is now bowling to five slips. Kent 31-2.
Updated
“As a cyclist yourself, how do you view today’s Tour de France stage with two climbs of Mt Ventoux?” asks Andrew Benton. “Thank goodness for electric bicycles, I say!”
I once went cycling in the Loire valley, and had to get off my bike and push. I hope that answer the question.
A wicket! But it isn’t Jimmy. Robinson edging to Vilas. Kent 18-1.
No wickets in Jimmy’s first over.
James Anderson leads out the Lancashire team and will take the new ball at his own end. The sky is not quite brooding - frowning?
Lunchtime scores
GROUP ONE
Trent Bridge: Notts 307 all out BEAT Derby 149 all out and 122 all out by an innings and 36 runs
Edgbaston: Warwicks 237 all out v Durham 253-7
GROUP TWO
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 488 v Surrey 72 and 24-3.
Taunton: Somerset 461-9dec v Leicestershire 475-7
DAY THREE: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 248 all out and 198-6 v Middlesex 101 all out. No play yet today, due 1.10pm.
GROUP THREE
Old Trafford: Lancashire 259-9 v Kent 74 all out. No play yet today, due 1.10pm.
The County Ground: Northants 170-9 and 152 all out LOST to Yorkshire 158 and 217 by 53 runs
Hove: Sussex 226 all out and 183-5 v Glamorgan 215 all out.
Not much has happened in the last half hour, except Ben Brown moving onto fifty at Hove. Lunchtime scores to follow. Just how sensational will Surrey’s “run” rate be?
Play due to start at 1.10 at Cheltenham too.
Have arrived at Old Trafford to find home made apple tarts, the players out on the outfield and that Lancashire have declared with a lead of 185. Rub your hands everyone, and set your streams for 1.10pm.
At Hove, Sussex have chiselled a lead of 174: the chief archietct Ali Orr, just out for 80. Brown (42) and Ibrahim at the crease. Right, I’m just going to cycle to OT in trust that they will start on time after lunch. Back in 20 mins.
Another wicket at Edgbaston, a fifth wicket for Craig Miles, as Durham creep towards parity, just 12 behind.
Blimey, it. must be flat at Taunton - Leicestershire just 17 behind now. Swindells an incredible 152 not out, Ed Barnes 71 not out. If Hampshire win... it does mix things up in group 2. Current top 3 standings:
Somerset 119
Gloucestershire 109
Hampshire 108
Surrey have scored six runs in the first 70 minutes of the day. What happened to the cocksure Surrey of the everybody-hates-us-years? Still, sensational resolve by Hashim Amla (one from 50 balls.)
A wicket at Edgbaston! Eckersley caught by a leaping Hain. Durham 213-6.
India’s players are all over the Euros - after Pant at England/Germany , Bumrah at Italy/Spain.
🇮🇹 v 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/k04r82D1ox
— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) July 7, 2021
Shelia Seymour sends an email through the showers:
“ A 75 year old Yorkshire woman, yet JA is my favourite cricketer. I was brought up in a small village near York where nearly everyone played cricket. It’s in the blood! Now i live in Church Fenton between Leeds & York. We have a super club with 3 junior teams & 2 adult teams. The beat goes on!”
Thank you Shelia! I assume your JA is the one with the 1002 first-class wickets? And the perfectly cultivate beard (as I noted on Monday evening when he bounded down to talk to the press.)
The rain has washed out the morning session at Cheltenham. Gloucestershire won’t be too worried - yet - such was the speed of Middlesex’s capitulation in the first innings.
Another fifty for David Bedingham! He’s so greedy this season. He and Eckersey have put on 65 so far at Edgbaston, as this rain-affected match twiddles towards a draw.
For anyone who missed Jimmy Anderson’s works of beauty with the bat in the last over of yesterday.
The #BurnleyLara 😍👏
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) July 7, 2021
🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/oNw4PtilGa
Just in case the weather relents, and Jimmy is still in the zone, his best match figures:
For Lancashire: 11-109 v Sussex at Hove 2009
Career Best: 11-71 for England v Pakistan at Trent Bridge 2010
A reminder that he took 7-19 in Kent’s first innings on Monday.
Updated
Nightwatchman Amar Virdi chips Keith Barker (2-0) to Felix Organ at midwicket - Surrey 9-3. Can they make it till lunch?
An early lbw shout against Hashim Amla by Kyle Abbott but 21 minutes in, and Surrey haven’t lost a wicket.
No play before lunch at Old Trafford, which will be taken at 12.30.
As the players walk out round the grounds, news that Ravichandran Ashwin is hoping to play for Surrey in next week’s fixture against Somerset, which might not be the news Taunton wished to wake up to.
Updated
Ali’s look at how Covid might influence the summer.
Update: 11.30 start at Cheltenham.
Delayed start confirmed at OT. Play will start on time at Hove, Edgbaston, and The Rosebowl. It has been damp at Taunton and Cheltenham, but no news of a delay yet.
See below if you want tickets for the Roses match - moved from Scarborough (sob) to Headingley.
Tickets for next week's @CountyChamp Roses match at Headingley are now on general sale ⤵️
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) July 7, 2021
🌹 #RedRoseTogether https://t.co/Mzm3KAKXJ4
Scores on the doors
GROUP ONE
Trent Bridge: Notts 307 all out BEAT Derby 149 all out and 122 all out by an innings and 36 runs
Edgbaston: Warwicks 237 all out v Durham 173-5
GROUP TWO
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 488 v Surrey 72 and 6-2.
Taunton: Somerset 461-9dec v Leicestershire 390-7
DAY THREE: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 248 all out and 198-6 v Middlesex 101 all out.
GROUP THREE
Old Trafford: Lancashire 259-9 v Kent 74 all out.
The County Ground: Northants 170-9 and 152 all out LOST to Yorkshire 158 and 217 by 53 runs
Hove: Sussex 226 all out and 111-4 v Glamorgan 215 all out.
Tuesday's round up
Yorkshire beat Northamptonshire by 53 runs at Wantage Road, set up by a century from Harry Brook. He made hay while wickets tumbled at the other end, Simon Kerrigan pocketing five for 39.
Northamptonshire’s pursuit of 206 could not have started with less pizazz as they lost three wickets for two runs either side of tea. Luke Procter and Kerrigan raised hopes with a ninth-wicket partnership of 49, but the end was swift.
An innings victory against bottom-placed Derbyshire left Nottinghamshire whistling merrily at the top of Group One. Five wickets for Luke Fletcher and three for Dane Patterson decimated Derby, who lost their last four wickets for one run. The 18-year-old Dane Schadendorf, given an unexpected first-class debut when Ben Duckett was called up by England, made 24 and gathered four catches behind the stumps.
James Bracey put his hellish England debut behind him with a sparky 88 at Cheltenham as Gloucestershire built a strapping lead. Middlesex had earlier lost eight for 25 when collapsing to 101 all out; Matt Taylor took four for 19.
Meanwhile, at Hove, Ali Orr stroked an unbeaten 54 to rescue Sussex from the second-innings doldrums of 19 for three. They finished the day on 111 for four with a lead of 122 over Glamorgan.
A cataclysmic day for Surrey at the Rose Bowl left them praying for rain in the crucial Group Two game. Dismissed for 72 in their first innings in reply to Hampshire’s 488, as Kyle Abbot and Keith Barker ran amok, they were left dribbling at six for two following on, with both openers gone: Stoneman for one, Burns for a duck.
A chirpy century from Leicestershire’s Harry Swindells scotched Somerset’s hopes of enforcing the follow-on at Taunton, frustration intensified by Craig Overton’s removal by England and Josh Davey’s sore toe.
Rain continued to thwart Durham and Warwickshire on an attritional day at Edgbaston where only 55 overs of play were possible.
Lancashire built a more than handy lead against Kent at a damp Old Trafford where play did not start till 3pm. Luke Wood made the highest score of the match, an unbeaten 63, while two extra cover drives by Jimmy Anderson off Darren Stevens in sudden bright sunshine during the last over of the day brought a soupcon of joy.
Preamble
Hello! It’s the final day of this penultimate round of the group stages, with four of the six games looking like they’ll end in a result -weather permitting. I’ve just been drenched walking the pup, so can confidently predict a delayed start at Old Trafford.
Surrey, Middlesex and Kent look down and out, but it could be close at Hove. Put the coffee on!
