Rew the hero as Somerset roar back to beat Essex
A day of thrilling finishes closed the fifth round of the Championship. First, at Taunton, where James Rew hauled Somerset to a victory pulled from the ditch of defeat against Essex.
Rew’s uncanny calm belies his years and, at 21, he became the youngest player to make 10 first-class centuries since Denis Compton. Out just before the close for 116, the winning runs were thumped by Craig Overton, a straight six off Simon Harmer for a first victory of the season.
A six also won the game at Lord’s where, with just one over and two wickets left, Zafar Gohar dropped to one knee and took aim at the Grand Stand. Middlesex’s smash and grab had come courtesy of a maiden first-class century from Luke Hollman, a brave innings from Stephen Eskinazi, who retired with a back spasm but hobbled back on again for the greater cause, 59 from Jack Davies, and a ninth-wicket stand between Toby Roland-Jones and Gohar. Kent’s Matt Parkinson bowled beautifully for his three wickets.
A draw at Sophia Gardens was much more than the sum of its parts, eight Glamorgan fielders crowding Derbyshire’s Luis Reece for the final over with one wicket needed, after a brave declaration from Sam Northeast. Ben Kellaway pocketed both career-best batting and bowling figures.
Gloucestershire nearly pulled off a great heist after declaring overnight at Old Trafford. They reduced Lancashire to 160 for six, only for Luke Wells and Tom Hartley to bat the game to a draw. Only the draw at Durham and Hampshire bucked the trend, on a pancake pitch at Southampton where only 20 wickets fell in four days. Durham’s head coach, Ryan Campbell, said: “It is one of those games where you look back on and think: ‘What is the point?’ Until we start to get wickets right in this competition it is pretty disappointing.
“First away game we had a 30-yard boundary and then we had a snake pit, and then you come here and they have already played two games on a wicket.”
Thrill, spills and heartaches. Thanks for your company, it’s been fun. We’ll be back on Friday – bye!
Division Two table
1 Leicestershire (played 5) 95
2 Derbyshire (played 5) 74
3 Middlesex (played 5) 65
4 Kent (played 4) 55
5 Gloucestershire (played 5) 51
6 Lancashire (played 4) 46
7 Northamptonshire (played 4) 37
8 Glamorgan (played 4) 29
Final scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 470 DRAW with Durham 511 and 61-0
Taunton: Somerset 145 and 325-7 BEAT Essex 206 and 259 by three wickets
Headingley: Warwickshire 253 and 186-5 BEAT Yorkshire 205 and 232 by FIVE WICKETS
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 dec DRAW with Derbyshire 350 & 308-9
Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 and 255-8 DRAW with Gloucestershire 589-8dec
Grace Road: Leicestershire 304 and 175 BEAT Northamptonshire 191 and 156 by 132 runs
Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 266-8 BEAT Kent 129 and 473 by two wickets
Updated
Middlesex BEAT Kent by two wickets
Zafar Gohar! Drops to one knee, six into the Grandstand/
Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 266-8 BEAT Kent 129 and 473 by two wickets
Glamorgan DRAW with Derbyshire
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 dec DRAW with Derbyshire 350 & 308-9
Well played!
Eight…
Seven men round the bat…
One over left at Sophia Gardens: one wicket for Glamorgan to grab.
Updated
At Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan need a wicket off 12 balls; at Lord’s, Middlesex need 12 runs off 24 balls, Kent two wickets.
Pendulum swings back at Lord’s: Middlesex need 20 runs from seven overs. Two wickets left.
And Dal is stumped, Glamorgan need just one wicket.
Derbyshire need 49, Glamorgan need two wickets. Five overs left.
Lancashire DRAW with Gloucestershire
A great effort by the Gloucestershire bowlers thwarted by some late-order fortitude from Lancs
Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 and 255-8 DRAW with Gloucestershire 589-8dec
Gloucestershire 13 points, Lancashire 12
Time for me to write up for the paper, but do follow the three thrillers BTL.
The new ball has been taken at OT, and given straight to van Buuren, but Lancs look like they’ll get away with this one.
I forgot Derbyshire – who are almost swaggering to their target – Andersson (64) and Dal (19) the men at the crease. They need 86 from 13 and a bit overs at Sophia Gardens. Five wickets in hand.
Updated
And now Rob Bailey gives an LBW! The brave Eskinazi limps away and the pendulum swings. Middlesex need 51 , eight down.
I’m enjoying watching the Gloucestershire attack, the twirling bouncing-soled van Buuren and the slingy tearaway Singh-Dale. And there’s the wicket! Wells caught behind off vB for a patient 36 from 116 balls.
Davies pulls, rolls the wrists, but Richards is waiting under the shade of the stand at deep midwicket and catches it low in the breadbasket. A third wicket for Parky! Middlesex 312-7, 53 needed.
Updated
Eskinazi has returned to join the in-touch Davies. 55 needed, four wickets in hand.
Updated
Parky strikes! Hollman caught at short leg for 103. Nerves, nerves, nerves, at Lord’s.
“There was also a run out, is one way of putting it,” writes Gary Naylor. “THERE WAS ALSO A RUN OUT! is another.”
"What's the point?" Ryan Campbell criticises Hampshire pitch
Durham’s head coach doesn’t pull his punches: “It is one of those games where you look back on and think ‘what is the point?’. We played as well as I expected us to play.
“Until we start to get wickets right in this competition it is pretty disappointing. First away game we had a 30 yard boundary and then we had a snake pit, and then you come here and they have already played two games on a wicket.
“I’m not going to tell everyone else what to do but it is disappointing to play on things like this. If you want to play good first-class cricket you need good cricket wicket. This one gave the bowlers no chance. Some of the things that are going on, I’m not sure what is going on.”
A hundred for Luke Hollman
Well played! A first f-c hundred, in his first match as a specialist batsman. He takes off his helmet, gives the badge a kiss, and waves his bat at his teammates crowded onto the Lord’s balcony.
Despite DBD’s best effort, it seems Middlesex are going to chase this down! Hollman is one short of his hundred, Jack Davies a steadfast sidekick. 102 needed.
Division One table
1 Nottinghamshire (played 4) 70
2 Warwickshire (played 4) 66
3 Surrey (played 4) 60
4 Durham (played 5 ) 58
5 Hampshire (played 4) 55
6 Sussex (played 4) 52
7 Somerset (played 5) 52
8 Essex (played 4) 50
9 Yorkshire (played 4) 43
10 Worcestershire (played 4) 18
Hampshire DRAW with Durham
Southampton: Hampshire 470 DRAW with Durham 511 and 61-0
Hampshire 12 points, Durham 13
Time to go home after only 20 wickets fell in four days.
As the Manchester crowd potter on the grass at the tea break, we go into the final session with a locked-on draw at Southampton, a nail-biting run chase at Lord’s, Lancs in really deep trouble at OT and Derbyshire needing to bolt the door at Sophia Gardens.
Teatime scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 470 v Durham 511 and 61-0 bad light stopped play
Taunton: Somerset 145 and 325-7 BEAT Essex 206 and 259 by three wickets
Headingley: Warwickshire 253 and 186-5 BEAT Yorkshire 205 and 232 by FIVE WICKETS
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7dec v Derbyshire 350 and 136-4 Derbyshire need 202 to win
Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 and 178-6 v Gloucestershire 589-8dec Lancs lead by 39 runs
Grace Road: Leicestershire 304 and 175 BEAT Northamptonshire 191 and 156 by 132 runs
Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 243-5 v Kent 129 and 473 Middlesex need 122 to win
Lancs not looking entirely at ease here.
Tom Latham to play for Warwickshire next week
The Bears hope that Latham, whose arrival in Birmingham was delayed because of a hand injury, will be available for Surrey’s visit next Friday.
And now Madsen – time to hammer down the hatches, lads. Two wickets each for Leonard and Kellaway. Derby 122-4.
Derbyshire have lost Lloyd, Jewell, Came and energy. 119-3.
And another at OT! Balderson caught behind off van Buuren. Lancs 160-6, leading by 21, and now knee deep in the dirt.
The rain has ceased at Southampton and Lord’s. Lees and Gay are back batting and Middlesex, powered by eau de Rew, creep closer in north London. But with Geddes gone for 15 and Eskinazi retired hurt, they will have to be clever. Middx 222-5, need 143.
What a pose!
A picture I took of Kapil Dev bowling in the MCC v Rest of the World match at Lord's, August 20th 1987. He took 0 for 54 and 1 for 21 on a pitch which favoured the batsmen. In 221.1 overs, the Rest of the World bowlers only took 10 wickets for 739 runs (there was also a run out) pic.twitter.com/8G867oCguA
— Historic Cricket Pictures (@PictureSporting) May 5, 2025
A third catch for Bancroft, a third wicket for Tom Price. Exit Bohannon, squirting to second slip. Lancs 152-5, the lead 13.
… as is Lord’s, where Middlesex have reduced their target to 159 but the rain has returned.
An instant, and extremely honest, reaction from Ryan Higgins to his unlucky runout earlier this afternoon.
𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 ☝️
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) May 5, 2025
Superb reactions yet again from Parkinson!
🎥 Live Match Centre: https://t.co/ugMrXRmf8w pic.twitter.com/y60LV45Hp4
At Sophia Gardens, Derbyshire are attacking this run-chase at quite the canter, 72-1 from 15 overs. But Lloyd is out, after a run a ball 42. One to watch…
Friendly rain at Southampton may put this game out of its misery.
Matty Hurst nearly has a thousand runs for Lancashire – but no milestone today , as he gets an inside edge onto his stumps which leap with joy. Lancs 143-4, with a lead of four. This could yet bubble into something exciting for the hunched-shouldered few in the stands.
To the reader who had trouble buying a ticket at Taunton yesterday, Somerset have been in touch to say you definitely should have been let in. If you email me at the address above, I can send more details.
Derbyshire need 338 to win
The Gloucestershire declaration comes at lunch. Derbyshire need 338 off 65 overs.
"Some ding-dong battles"
Craig Overton chews the fat after pancaking the winning six at Taunton:
“It was probably the most important innings I have played for Somerset. Beating Essex is always special because we have had some ding-dong battles with them over the years.
“The win could be massive in turning our season around. It hasn’t been the start we wanted, but now we can look forward with confidence to moving up the table.
“We had to leave some live grass on the wicket to give our bowlers something to work with and all credit to our groundstaff for producing a pitch that made for a very good game.”
Jordan Cox injury update
From Chris Silverwood. “We will have it scanned tomorrow, having given time for the edema and bruising to settle down. I think we all heard the moment it happened when he gave a cry after playing a shot.
“It is too early to say how serious it is. We should know more tomorrow. Jordan doesn’t seem to have much luck when it comes to England call-ups, but his century here on a testing pitch showed just what a good player he is. His time will come.”
Updated
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 470 v Durham 511 and 14-0
Taunton: Somerset 145 and 325-7 BEAT Essex 206 and 259 by three wickets
Headingley: Warwickshire 253 and 186-5 BEAT Yorkshire 205 and 232 by FIVE WICKETS
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 v Derbyshire 350
Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 and 98-3 v Gloucestershire 589-8dec
Grace Road: Leicestershire 304 and 175 BEAT Northamptonshire 191 and 156 by 132 runs
Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 146-3 v Kent 129 and 473 Middlesex need 219 to win
Thank you to Romeo for this stat.
“First-class best score for young Ben Kellaway, and 8,000 first-class
runs for Chris Cooke, who made his Glamorgan debut (in the 2nd XI)
almost fifteen years ago. A great servant to the club.”
Now that’s over, and with Lancashire not looking entirely at ease against Akhter, let’s wander around the grounds.
Glamorgan have a lead of 228, Kellaway and Cooke have put on nearly 100. A declaration must be coming but they’ll be wary of giving Derbyshire a sniff of doing what Somerset have just done.
Rain has brought an early lunch at Lord’s where Middlesex need 219, didn’t lose a wicket, but did lose Stevie Eskinazi to a back injury which left him in agony.
And Durham are batting again at Southampton – with a first-innings lead of 41. There doesn’t really seem time for anything much to happen on this ptich.
Lancashire’s Tom Smith has been prowling the boundary for Gloucestershire – who must have temporarily run out of bodies. And, suddenly Gloucs have another – the big one, Marcus Harris. Advances to van Buuren and is stumped by a delighted Bracey for 24. VAn Buuren does a sprint of delight. Lancs three down, fifty behind.
Somerset BEAT Essex by three wickets!
What a comeback! Big Craig does it with a six, collecting fifty on the way. James Rew the pillar in an astonishing second-innings chase. Vic Marks calls it his best innings for Somerset – and that’s good enough for me.
A belated season launch for Somerset, a pocket picked for Essex, who also have an injury worry with Jordan Cox – whose side strain was probably the turning point of the game.
Taunton: Somerset 145 and 325-7 BEAT Essex 206 and 259 by three wickets
Updated
Rew gone! Tries to sweep Harmer, misses and is clocked on the pad. Amazing innings. Nine needed.
Craig Overton puts those long levers into full operation and drives Simon Harmer down to the rope; then James Rew with high elbow pistol shots Rajitha down the ground for four more, and another, a swivelled pull. Somerset strolling to victory.
The floodlights are flickering into life at OT as Singh-Dale races in, delivering mini-bombs.
Elsewhere: Ben Brown is out at Southampton, bowled by Yusuf for an epic 162, dragging Hampshire to near parity. Hampshire 468-9. 49 overs and one wicket for Parky, 29 and four wickets for Potts.
Glamorgan are six down at Sophia Gardens, but the lead is 257; Hollman and Eskinazi hang on in there at Lord’s, Middx 115-3.
A hundred for James Rew
A tenth first-class century for James Rew, at the tender age of 21. There can’t have been many calmer. Somerset in tickling distance now – 41 needed.
Updated
And Jennings, whose magic touch has temporarily deserted him, follows suit, also caught Bancroft, this time off Singh Dale. Lancs 50-2.
A wicket at Lancashire, Bell picked up at second slip by Bancroft off Tom Price. Lancs 50-1, trail by 89.
Those Price boys can turn their hands to magic…
Cook’s first over contains an lbw shout, four leg byes and a single. Tick, tock.
If you’re anywhere near Taunton, it’s free for children and a fiver for adults. But hurry up!
New ball at Taunton
Essex’s last chance. Somerset need 63, four wickets in hand.
Good morning Gareth Powell: “I’m not convinced this game is a bore draw. The way we’ve been batting this year, it wouldn’t surprise me if between noon and tea we managed to lose all ten wickets without even catching Gloucestershire.”
I feel suitably chastised.
Four men crouch around Craig Overton, Harmer, hair blowing in the wind, shades on, wheels in. Overton plays out the over.
Here at OT a double bouncing no-ball from Shaw is pulled for four by a laughing Bell. Lancs 32-0.
The new ball approaches at Taunton, but Somerset are striding closer with increased confidence – 79 needed, Rew 80, Coverton 13.
Rain
At Lord’s. Probably not enough to save Middlesex though.
Arrive at OT to find that Gloucestershire have declared – so Wally Hammond can rest untroubled that Ollie Price will beat his record.
Sunday's round-up
Despite a team sparkling with the one-match presence of Joe Root and Harry Brook, Yorkshire lost to Warwickshire by five wickets in two-and-a-half days at Headingley. Root’s 90 was the game’s top score but Warwickshire held their nerve, chasing down 185 with relative ease – debutant Zen Malik’s clinching the game with a six. As well as their second defeat of the summer, Yorkshire also collected a points deduction for a slow over rate. Division One is proving a difficult nut to crack.
Essex’s Jordan Cox, selected by England for the Zimbabwe Test, retired hurt on 103 after straining his side diving for the crease on 99 in a ding-dong match at Taunton. Cox was picked to tour New Zealand last year but was forced out with a broken finger. James Rew inspired a Somerset recovery.
Josh Hull rearranged the stumps of Northamptonshire’s top three as Leicestershire cruised to their third win of the season and settled into their armchair at the top of Division Two. Chasing 289, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Luke Procter and James Sales all found their stumps flying within Hull’s first four overs, and Northants stumbled to 156 all out.
Ollie Price stepped into the huge boots of Wally Hammond and Charlie Barnett at Old Trafford, becoming only the third Gloucestershire batter to make a double century against Lancashire. His 253 not out, full of charming cover drives and neat pulls, kept the fielders on their toes on a pitch that had the home members muttering into their windbreakers. Price put on 203 with Miles Hammond (97), and got an affectionate pat from batting partner and older brother Tom when he passed 200. Tom Bailey was given a letter of warning before play by the ECB’s anti-corruption officer for inadvertently taking a mobile phone on to the field of play on Saturday, and will face an internal investigation by Lancashire.
Daniel Bell Drummond’s 223 put Kent in a strong position at Lord’s, Ben Brown made his first century as Hampshire captain at Southampton, Derbyshire avoided the follow on at Sophia Gardens and had Glamorgan wobbling at 15 for three.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 429-7 v Durham 511
Taunton: Somerset 145 and 216-6 v Essex 206 and 259 Somerset need 105 to win
Headingley: Warwickshire 253 and 186-5 BEAT Yorkshire 205 and 232 by FIVE WICKETS
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 132-5 v Derbyshire 350
Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 v Gloucestershire 589-8
Grace Road: Leicestershire 304 and 175 BEAT Northamptonshire 191 and 156 by 132 runs
Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 81-3 v Kent 129 and 473 Middlesex need 284 to win
Preamble
Happy bank holiday Monday! For those not cleaning out the kitchen cupboard or on their way to the seaside – the County Championship awaits. Five games still in play – a thriller at Taunton, a slow-burn at Sophia Gardens, a fight for Middlesex at Lord’s, and two bore draws at Old Trafford and Southampton. We’ll be here all day, do drop by.
