County roundup
James Hildreth composed his first century since July 2019 to shovel Somerset into a promising position at The Oval. Hildreth, the acting captain, dug his way out of a rotten run of form on a pitch primed for spin and against a Surrey attack including Ravi Ashwin.
Kent were forced to ring for reinforcements after 14 members of their first team had to isolate following a positive Covid case in last Friday’s Vitality Blast squad. The fast-assembled second-string team bowled superbly to dismiss Sussex for 181, with four wickets for Jas Singh. Batting proved harder and they sunk to 69 for five.
The duel at Cheltenham finished to the satisfaction of both sides as Gloucestershire built and Hampshire whipped away. A first‑wicket partnership of 61 between Miles Hammond and George Scott was followed by James Bracey being bowled for a duck. More mini-partnerships came and went as Gloucester shoved a batting point in the bag.
Pieter Malan styled out a glorious maiden century for Warwickshire at New Road. He and Dom Sibley (80) put on 220 before a tumble of wickets in the late afternoon, including a maiden Championship scalp for Worcestershire’s 17-year-old debutant spinner Josh Baker.
At Sophia Gardens, rain drew events to a premature close after Northamptonshire had reached 128 for four under heavily curtained skies against Glamorgan. There were three wickets for Timm van der Gugten.
In the Roses clash at Headingley, Keaton Jennings fashioned his second Roses century of the season as Lancashire enjoyed a dominant day. Put into bat by Yorkshire Jennings and Alex Davies put on 161 for the first wicket. Jordan Thompson took the two wickets to fall.
Sam Robson’s unbeaten 138, his second century of the season, boosted Middlesex’s chances at Merchant Taylor’s School. Robson and Josh de Caires, Michael Atherton’s son, added 73 for the first wicket, and solid partnerships continued through the afternoon against Leicestershire.
Tight bowling from Durham kept Nottinghamshire’s batsmen in check at the Riverside, with three wickets for Chris Rushworth, on his 35th birthday, and Ben Raine.
Essex held on to their dreams of qualifying for Division One, after bowling Derbyshire out for 146.
That’s it from me tonight - well played Pieter Malan, Sam Robson, Keaton Jennings, James Hildreth and second-string Kent (at least with the ball). I’ve just been Covid-pinged - terrible timing - so I won’t be at The Oval tomorrow, but back in the kitchen with the radio. Sending good vibes to you all before the match, I’ll be watching with the dog! Have a wonderful evening, Good night!
Close of play scores
Group One
Derbyshire 146 v Essex 86-3
Durham v Nottinghamshire 312-9
Worcestershire v Warwickshire 245-4
Group Two
Gloucestershire 214-6 v Hampshire
Middlesex 280-3 v Leicestershire
Surrey v Somerset 280-6
Group Three
Glamorgan v Northants 128-4
Kent 69-5 v Sussex 181
Yorkshire v Lancashire 273-2
I’d better concentrate on the round-up , I’ll leave you with James Hildreth on 99...
Play has been abandoned for the day at Cheltenham - rain.
Gloucestershire 214-6.
The wet stuff has also swept over New Road, where play has been suspended with Warwickshire 245-4.
Lewis Goldsworthy falls two short of what would have been his maiden first-class fifty, the dream-buster: Jordan Clark. Hildreth remains stuck on 99. Somerset 257-4.
Right, lets see what new Kent can do (Sussex 181 all out).
Essex lose the first wicket of their reply (Alastair Cook for 5 boundary 30) 41-1 and Worcestershire debutant Josh Baker takes his first Championship wicket - Sam Hain for 11. Warwicks 245-4.
Nervous 99s for James Hildreth...
Sussex lose their ninth wicket as second-string Kent put in a swinging performance. And respect to whoever wrote 18 year old Jas Singh (4-51) a Wikipedia entry this morning. Covid-depleted Sussex 176-9.
A hundred for Keaton Jennings! His second century this season against Yorkshire, those tasty tykes. Lancs 204-1. A useful reminder that Lancashire beat Yorkshire by an innings earlier this year at the Old Trafford Roses game.
An email knocks on the door from Tim Sanders
Hello Tanya !
I knew I recognised that picture of Brian Close and Garry Sobers. It headed this appreciation by Mike Selvey, who witnessed as a lad Brian Close’s captaincy and bravery in that 1966 series:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/16/brian-close-garry-sobers-catch-mike-selvey
Thanks Tim!
At Headingley, Keaton Jennings is nibbling on the coat tails of 100. Lancs 202-1.
Hildreth and Goldsworthy have now put on 115 for the fourth wicket, a very chirpy day for Somerset.
Play has been abandoned for the day at Cardiff - rain.
Northants 128-4.
Worcestershire fight back! Sibley caught behind off Finch -see below for a non-plussed reaction from Sibley - while Sodhi picks off Malan for 141.Warwicks 230-3
𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗛 👏#WeAreWorcestershire 🍐 https://t.co/StxirtJ5tY pic.twitter.com/NJJTlyWzVH
— Worcestershire County Cricket Club (@WorcsCCC) July 11, 2021
A drop at the Oval behind the stumps, where the Surrey spin triplets are not yet having the success the pitch was anticipating. Somerset 212-3, Hildreth 68 not out, his highest score of the Championship this year; Goldsworthy 34.
Congratulations to Sam Robson for his second hundred of the season, seven years since his last Test. His average? A fair to middling 30.54. Middx 186-2.
Raining at Cheltenham too, as it sways in from the west. Gloucestershire 214-6.
Derbyshire’s afternoon continued much as their morning did - bowled out for 146. They are yet to win a Championship game this year. Three wickets for Snane Snater. du Plooy the top scorer with 43. Now, what can Essex do with the bat? In the other Group One game, Notts haven’t had it all their own way, James and Mullaney rebuilding again (185-5), while at New Road, Warwickshire have hit cruise control thanks to unbeaten 79 from Dom Sibey and 141 from Pieter Malan.
Tea time (ish) scores
Group 1
Derbyshire 146 all out v Essex
Durham v Notts 185-5
Worcestershire v Warwickshire 220-1
Group 2
Gloucestershire 213-6 v Hampshire
Middlesex 182-2 v Leicestershire
Surrey v Somerset 197-3
Group 3
Yorkshire v Lancashire 176-1
Glamorgan v Northants 128-4 Rain stopped play
Kent v Sussex 148-7
A minute silence was held before the start of play today in memory of former Northumberland CCC team manager Bill Graham who has sadly passed away, aged 82. pic.twitter.com/EmNuIzt5R2
— Northumberland CCC (@NlandCCC) July 11, 2021
Updated
“How is it that Middlesex can be 148-1 after a Pantsville USA performance against Gloucestershire last week (test and T20)? Good luck to them, anyway,” writes Andrew Benton.
“I hear Scotty saying “We givin’ it all she’s got, captain” as an accompaniment to Glos’s innings - I fear their luck is about to run out. A huge disappointment as they’ve had a great season so far and have kept battling out the wins to get themselves in second place and in contention for the top tier. Hope they don’t get pipped at the post.”
I feel for them too. But they’re plugging away, Ollie Price and Jack Taylor have put on 34 for the seventh wicket, currently 207-6 at Cheltenham.
Surrey are currently hampered by Jamie Overton’s temporary absence after being hit in the groin. Somerset 191-3, Hildreth 54; Goldsworthy 27 .
No ton for Davies - lbw Thompson for 84. Next time Al. Lancashire 163-1.
Even Middlesex don’t seem to be sure what has happened to Steve Eskinazi, who has retired injured on 23, with what looks like “a soft tissue injury”. Sam Robson currently 85 not out in Middlesex’s 148-1.
Over at the Riverside, no-one has gone on to a big score. Notts are currently 155-4, with Joe Clarke the last man out for 48. He is due to face a direction hearing on Friday at Mold Crown Court for his charge of affray, after an incident in Powys in 2020.
Updated
Keaton Jennings is playing catch up at Headingley, with Lancashire hugely on top after an unbeaten first innings stand of 150. Jennings 68, Davies 74. While at Canterbury, Carter and Coles have building coloured block on coloured block in a 37 run partnership - Sussex 118-4.
Updated
“Geoff Hurst: the only man to retire from first-class cricket, and go on to get a hat-trick for England?” asks Andrew Watson. I’m going to say yes without even looking, that’s how brazen I am.
It is now raining in Cardiff, with Northants 128-4 (three wickets for van der Gugten, Charlie Thurston 36 not out).
If you feel like flicking half an eye on the women’s T20 game at Hove, follow it here:
Shafali Verma has just hit Katherine Brunt for five fours in a row. I’m sure Brunt is taking is well.
A first Warwickshire century for Pieter Malan!
Mason Crane! Off with Higgins bails, gone for 25. Gloucestershire 157-5.
WICKET | @masoncrane32 finds the stumps!
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) July 11, 2021
152-5 (46 overs)
📺 Follow the action live at https://t.co/cNkJ7vdkkn or on the free Hampshire Cricket App 📲 pic.twitter.com/02fRjWk6HV
Fifty for Dom Sibley, 99 for Pieter Malan as Warwickshire dominate at New Road, 149-1.
Dom Bess is having a go at crumbling this Lancashire dominance. Lancashire currently 117-0, Davies 63, Jennings 46. Feels like Davies has reined himself in a little - who wants to be a walking cliche ?
Updated
Thank you Peter Ashbourne, as another email makes its way through Sunday trading hours.
Hello Tanya,
Not so ridiculous for the 1966 world cup squad to be warming up with
cricket.
Geoff Hurst was an accomplished cricketer - even playing one first class
game for Essex before settling on a football career. I watched him and
Bobby Moore playing a charity cricket match way back when...
Another at Derby, Hosein for 12. A sorry tale at 98-6.
A reminder that Essex need to beat Derby with maximum points (very possible), and hope that Durham (Notts 116-2) and Warwicks (136-1) don’t win to be in with a chance of Division One cricket in August.
“Hello Tanya,”. Hello Geoff Wignall.
“On the question of the cricket taking place in 1966, alongside the third best team winning the World Cup, that was the summer of Sobers - with a fair supporting cast - when I first fell in love with cricket. Checking back I see that all three of his centuries were 150+, together with a 90 and an 80; there were also some notable debuts including Derek Underwood and the wonderful Basil D’Oliveira. But for the short trousered schoolboy me it was all about the great, non pareil Garfield. As a player he was basically unimprovable.”
Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images
Hampshire have a sniff now, as a fourth wicket falls at Cheltenham, this time Tom Lace lbw for Abbott for 19. Gloucestershire 113-4, Phillips and Higgins the not out batsmen. At the start of this match, six points separated second placed Gloucestershire and third placed Hampshire.
Derbyshire lose their fifth while their sandwiches are still fermenting. Simon Harmer’s first of the innings, Harry Came lbw for 7. du Plooy the mighty sapling, 32 not out.
Sussex are 61-3 against the Kent youngsters. Two wickets for quick Jas Singh, and a lbw just now for Nathan Gilchrist, Harrison Ward for four.
And Lammonby is bowled by R Ashwin! Marooned at the crease as his off stump disappeared. Somerset 113-3 and the runes roll again.
Alex Davies reaches fifty - his vulnerable period. It is his fifth Roses half century. Lancs tasting sweet supremacy - 97-0.
Updated
Apparently, R Ashwin is the first spinner to bowl the first over in a Championship game since August 2010.
Time for the players to resume after lunch, hope you ate well.
Updated
Time to grab the peanut butter, back in half an hour.
Lunchtime scores
Group 1
Derbyshire 77-4 v Essex
Durham v Notts 69-2
Worcestershire v Warwickshire 110-1
Group 2
Gloucestershire 81-3 v Hampshire
Middlesex 82-1 v Leicestershire
Surrey v Somerset 94-2
Group 3
Yorkshire v Lancashire 96-0
Glamorgan v Northants 81-2
Kent v Sussex 50-1 (not lunch)
Gloucestershire are suddenly struggling on what was predicted to be a pancake of a pitch, currently 79-3, with Hammond, Scott and Bracey ( a duck) all back in the pavilion. Two wickets for de Grandhomme.
@tjaldred https://t.co/58oeh8hmII
— Romeo Romeo Tango Ψιτιζεν οφ Νοςηερε (@RomeoCCLive) July 11, 2021
I see craftiness at work at Durham. According to the BBC’s Martin Emerson, they have brought in the boundary ropes at Chester le Street to give Durham a chance to get maximum points. Is this really allowed?!?!?! How far would be too far? You couldn’t have ten yard boundaries?
Ah - a tip off from my lovely friend Adam Collins. Tim Murtagh captains Middlesex for the first time today after Peter Handscombe tested positive on Friday. Middlesex are currently 73-0, Robson 47 and De Caires 17. According to Adam “De Caires is batting nicely - copped a whack on the lid earlier but no dramas. Robbo has accelerated in the second hour.”
Off spin from both ends at The Oval - and Amar Virdi gets a wicket with his second ball! Somerset 76-2, as Steven Davies is lbw.
And here are some cricket related 1966 stories here and here:
Apparently, Geoff Hurst had thought that his future lay with cricket and continued to play second XI cricket for Essex until 1964. And in 1956, Bobby Moore opened the batting for the South against the North.
Alex Davies busying away as usual for Lancashire - 6 fours in his 39. Can he/will he/could he make today the day he moves on from a bustling 54 to a match-defining century? (answer: probably not.)
The glorious mullet is bowling at Cheltenham. No victims yet - it is going to be tricky for him to top last week’s heroics.
Was anyone here watching in 1966? Can you remember what cricket was happening the same year?
Scores on the door after an hour:
Derbyshire 38-3 v Essex - inevitable crumble.
Notts 38-1 v Durham - cut and thrust.
Warwicks 47-1 v Worcester - expect big runs.
Gloucestershire 50-0 v Hants - draw predicted.
Middx 37-0 v Leicestershire - domino-effect.
Somerset 54-1 v Surrey - spin battle.
Northants 42-1 v Glamorgan - even-stevens.
Sussex 0-0 v Kent - Darren Stevens light.
Lancs 50-0 v Yorks - waiting for Jimmy.
Oh Derbyshire. Roll on 2022. They’ve lost another, Brooke Guest for 13.
Essex doing all they can to steal a last-gasp Division One spot. Luis Reece falls to Shane Snater’s fifth ball. Derby 31-2.
Aha! A wicket at The Oval - Conway bowled Jordan Clark for 21. Pace getting the wicket despite spin being bowled at one end right from the start. Ashwin being replaced by Moriarty (Virdi is also playing). All hail Stockbrokerabad.
R Ashwin has been unveiled as Surrey’s secret weapon at the new turning Oval. He opened the bowling and has figures of 5-0-19-0. Somerset 31-0
😬 The first time Ashwin's beat the bat today.
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 11, 2021
WATCH LIVE ⏩ https://t.co/dglhGophyM pic.twitter.com/jiCUf3hv27
Kent’s new-look squad for the start of Canterbury week: Heino Kuhn, Harry Finch, Nathan Gilchrist, Joe Gordon, Harry Houillon, Dan Lincoln, Marcus O’Riordan, Harry Podmore, Hamid Qadri, Matt Quinn, Jas Singh.
Hameed trudges off too, after having his off-stump pinged by vintage Rushworth. Notts 15-1.
Early wickets! At New Road, where Rob Yates was lbw to Joe Leach for a duck, Warwickshire 12-1; and at Derby, where Sam Cook bowled Tom Wood for 2. Derby 9-1.
And according to commentary, the pitch at Cheltenham is lovely and flat, just the way Gloucestershire wanted it. They are 20-0 after winning the toss. Hampshire need to win to qualify.
I haven’t mentioned the Roses game, moved from Scarborough to Headingley because of you know what. Both teams are already through to the top division, but the points they carry through from this encounter could be vital. Lancashire won the Old Trafford fixture in a thriller on the final afternoon with just a handful of balls left. The main men that day were Parky and Mahmood, who are now with England mark 2.
Delayed start at Canterbury
Play will start at noon to give Kent time to reshuffle their pack. Those having to isolate include Ollie Robinson, Jack Leaning, Jordan Cox, Darren Stevens and Matt Milnes, Joe Denly, Daniel Bell-Drummond. Don’t think this won’t affect The Hundred and the likes of DBD who is in a squad, as that starts in ten days and kicks off with a women’s game. But it is a close run thing.
New caps at Worcestershire.
🧢 Congratulations to Ish Sodhi [523] & @josh_baker03 [524] who were both awarded their County caps this morning ahead of their First Class debuts for Worcestershire.#WeAreWorcestershire 🍐 pic.twitter.com/xNMkn7qLz0
— Worcestershire County Cricket Club (@WorcsCCC) July 11, 2021
Who saw Saqib Mahmood yesterday? Our boy done good. And Simpson, and Salt and Gregory. So cheering to see them getting a chance. To say, I was good enough, even if there are players who are even better.
Kent hit by Covid case.
Many thanks to Romeo for this. All the players in Kent’s T20 squad on Friday have had to isolate and the club have called up with a whole new squad for today’s game against Sussex.
@tjaldred https://t.co/52SdCbkmNc
— Romeo Romeo Tango Ψιτιζεν οφ Νοςηερε (@RomeoCCLive) July 11, 2021
Updated
Games
Group 1
Derbyshire v Essex
Durham v Notts
Worcestershire v Warwickshire
Group 2
Gloucestershire v Hampshire
Middlesex v Leicestershire
Surrey v Somerset
Group 3
Yorkshire v Lancashire
Glamorgan v Northants
Kent v Sussex
Updated
Preamble
Good morning! and welcome to the day that isn’t there. When cricketers will perform deeds instantly forgotten and even wise heads at Headingley will be dreaming of Wembley.
But let’s secure a little bit of history for whatever happens in this final preliminary round of the Championship.
First a brief recap of where we are. This is the final round of the first part of the season. After this, the groups divide into divisions. The top two from each group move into Division One - where the battle for the Championship takes place and the chance of making the Bob Willis Trophy final. Third and fourth delve into Division Two, fifth and sixth into Division Three.
The marquee games in this round are: Gloucestershire v Hampshire (gladiatorial, watched keenly by Somerset), Essex (last chance saloon) v Derbyshire, Notts (who only have to draw) v Durham, Warwicks (who will go through with a win) v Worcestershire, Somerset (who need a draw) v Surrey,
Updated
