Tanya Aldred's county round-up
Fanciful? Metronomic. Absurd! Jimmy Anderson grasped his 1,000th first-class wicket in a startling spell of bowling that dismantled Kent’s batting in less than a session. His seven for 19 was a masterclass in what Anderson does best: a glorious medley of balls that seamed and swung, hooped and wavered.
With the skies suitably glowering, Kent, for reasons best known to themselves, won the toss and decided to have a bat. Did they gulp when they saw Anderson, tall, Test-match fit, white wrist bands on each wrist, pausing at the James Anderson end?
Perhaps in his first over, when Zak Crawley was bewitched by one that swung away. Or the second, when Jordan Cox nibbled behind, or the third when Ollie Robinson repeated what he had just got away with and boxed the ball to Dane Vilas. Perhaps in his sixth, when Jack Leaning fenced to second slip. Definitely by the final ball of his seventh, the four-figured big one, when Heino Kuhn, who had suffered through an unplayable over, finally got a tickle to an outswinger.
A thousand wickets. Nineteen years of first-class cricket. The first Lancashire fast bowler since Ken Higgs in May 1968 to do it. Anderson smiled, readers, he beamed, as he was enveloped by teammates and they ruffled that famously dark barnet.
Two more wickets would follow before he finished his 10-over spell, when Matthew Milnes gloved and Harry Podmore feathered behind. Only one man got after him. Darren Stevens, their combined age, 83. At the end of the spell, dispatched to deep midwicket, there was more applause from the doughty spectators who had sat through four sessions of rain for this.
When Danny Lamb (three for 16) took the final wicket, Kent dismissed for 74, Anderson took off his cap, ruffled his hair, bashfully lifted the ball in the air, turned to the James Anderson end, and led the players off.
But even that wasn’t the complete story, as Kent found the gumption to fight back in the final session despite a ding-dong 47 from Alex Davies on a historic afternoon.
Dom Bess’s turn and bounce was too much for Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. Bess finished with his best first-class figures of seven for 43, worrying the middle-order and skittling out the tail. Harry Brook guided Yorkshire to a handy second-innings lead of 147, despite four wickets for Simon Kerrigan.
Ben Stokes took three for 55 in his first outing in Durham whites for a blue moon, as Warwickshire were bowled out for 237 bolstered by another classy hundred from Rob Yates.
A glorious 174 not out from Colin de Grandhomme, batting at No 6 on his Hampshire debut, piled the pressure on Surrey at the Rose Bowl. Looking up at a mammoth total of 488, Surrey lost four quick wickets in reply, with Keith Barker taking three for 15.
Some vigorous wagging by Somerset’s tail, with numbers eight, nine and 10 all scoring 70s, helped them stack up 461 before declaring. Leicestershire lost three quick wickets before rain stopped play.
There were more runs for Sussex 16-year-old Dan Ibrahim, who scored his second first-class fifty at Hove against Glamorgan. Miles Hammond top scored for Gloucestershire against Middlesex with 75 on the opening day of the Cheltenham festival; while fifties from Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett helped put Nottinghamshire in a promising position against Derbyshire.
Just checking back in quickly to check out and say we’ve spoken to James Anderson after play and he was genuinely thrilled. What’s more, he didn’t even realise he’d quite reached a thousand, “ I though it was a bit of an over the top celebration for five wickets.” A legend walks amongst us. Thanks for sticking with us through the rain, see you tomorrow, good night!
Except just quickly, Jennings is out, sweetly caught by Crawley off Quinn for 14. Lancs 67-2.
They’re off for rain at the Rose Bowl, Surrey 42-4. And I better get my head around the round-up, please do update BTL while I’m away.
A wicket! A daft shot by Davies to Quinn’s second ball. Lancs lose their first wicket for just ten behind Kent’s first innings total. Davies’ fifth fifty of the year - but no centuries.
Updated
Keith Barker has grabbed 3-15, Surrey slumped to 41-4. While careful Warwickshire are 195-4, Ben Stokes has bowled 13 overs in his first Durham run-out for a while, 1-46.
Tight as a drum at Hove: Glamorgan trail by 39 with two wickets left, having just lost two for nothing.
Very remiss of me not to have mentioned that Dom Bess took 7-43 in Northamptonshire’s first innings. Career-best bowling at the age of 23 - just the 15 years younger than Anderson.
Is that a tear in his eye? The fantastic, the unplayable, Jimmy Anderson.
Gary Ballance’s pads have sent him back, caught lbw by Simon Kerrigan for 26. Yorkshire 64-4; Kerrigan 3-14. Bess joins Brook at the crease. The Yorkshire lead is 53.
29.4 | Bang in front! Kerrigan has his third! ☝
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) July 5, 2021
Yorkshire 64/4.
Watch live 👉 https://t.co/CU8uwteMyd pic.twitter.com/G56LKXEQ5w
Updated
Debutant Ollie Price is now batting for Gloucestershire, his eight not out made purely in boundaries, with his brother Tom next man in. Gloucestershire 187-5
At Old Trafford, shell-shocked Kent are unable to create the same pressure as Anderson did. Not as metronomic. Not as inch perfect. Davies is making hay.
I think Lancs have looked at the weather forecast. Alex Davies whops the last ball of Podmore’s first over for six. Lancashire 11-0 from one over.
Tea-time scores
GROUP ONE
Trent Bridge: Notts 94-2 v Derby 149 all out.
Edgbaston: Warwicks 146-3 v Durham.
GROUP TWO
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 488 v Surrey 16-2.
Taunton: Somerset 461-9 v Leicestershire 60-3.
DAY ONE: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 166-4 v Middlesex.
GROUP THREE
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Kent 74 all out.
The County Ground: Northants 170-9 v Yorkshire 158 and 55-3.
Hove: Sussex 226 all out v Glamorgan 146-5.
Kent all out for 74: Anderson 7-19
Quinn bends, pivots and hooks Wood for six down to fine leg. And then Logan edges behind. Anderson takes off his cap, ruffles his hair, bashfully lifts the ball in his hand, turns to the supporters sitting at the James Anderson end, and leads the players off.
Updated
For your pleasure:
All seven of Jimmy Anderson's wickets today. Take some time out of your day and enjoy this 😍pic.twitter.com/DZUeNJ92Rp
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) July 5, 2021
It could be all over by tomorrow lunchtime at Wantage Road where Yorkshire are 45-3, no joy again for Sam Northeast, stumped by Vasconcelos, a second wicket for Kerrigan. Bubbling up to be another thriller between the two sides.
At tea, Gloucestershire are 163 at Cheltenham, 75 for Miles Hammond; and Glamorgan still trail Sussex by 82, with five wickets left.
Updated
Kent lose another. 51-9. Stevens bludgeons Lamb to Alex Davies at long-off for 19. Why? Why not?
Nottinghamshire 66-2, Hameed 33 not out, after Derbyshire were bowled out for 149. Three wickets for the indefatigable Luke Fletcher.
A wicket for Ben Stokes at Edgbaston! Warwickshire sustained by 72 not out from Yates at the top of the order. 142-3.
Oh Surrey. Currently 2-1, after Stoneman was out for a golden duck. Hampshire a masterful 488 thanks to ...what is this magic - 174 from de Grandhomme.
Leicestershire have lost Hill and Patel for 59, chasing Somerset’s 461-9 dec.
Jimmy has been taken off: 10-5-7-19. Not a bad little spell. He jogs along to deep mid-wicket. Now, what’s been happening elsewhere?
Updated
Stevens is having a go. He gives Anderson a tap through the on side for four, then charges down the pitch, has a windmill of a swing and misses, then edges him through the slips for another four. Jimmy is not amused. We think the combined age of batsman and bowler is 78.
Ooof! Logan is hit on the temple trying to get out of the way of a ball from Wood, backing away and getting in a terrible tangle. The physio is on but he seems ok.
Number 1002!
Another day, another song, another edge, another catch. Podmore follows the play book and feathers behind after 10 balls. Anderson 9-5-10-7. Kent 34-8.
And Darren Stevens pings Anderson through extra cover for a vigorous four. Darren Stevens doesn’t play anyone’s game.
And my brother is not easy to please @tjaldred. https://t.co/rJSigqA2j8
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 5, 2021
Number 1001!
Er, you can stop now Jimmy... Milnes gloves and off he pops. Kent 24-7. (Danny Lamb grabbed one in between to RUIN the chance of all ten)
Updated
Number 1000!
That’s it! Ball number 42! The inevitable meets Heino Kuhn, whose time was limited. An unplayable outswinger lands safely in the gloves of Vilas.
Five wickets in just under an hour, his 51st five wicket haul. Anderson 7-5-3-5. Kent 19-5.
Updated
Who wants to be history? asks Ken Grime, Heino Kuhn, it seems.
NUMBER 999!
Ball 33 of Anderson’s day! Leaning for 2. A carbon copy of a carbon copy, fencing to second slip. Kent 17-4.
Denly has an free-form slog at Lamb and misses. The end of Lamb’s first over, another maiden.
Some news over those historical tweets found on the accounts of Alex Davies, Liam Hurt, Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon and Richard Gleeson. The club said:
“Over the past three weeks, a thorough independent investigation has taken place. This investigation has now concluded and the findings will remain confidential, but significant learnings have been taken on board and the club’s board will take action where required.
“The club also commits to ongoing enhanced education for all players and continues to implement its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy across the whole organisation, working closely with the Lancashire Cricket Foundation.”
There will be no further comment.
Updated
Elsewhere, Northants are all out for 170 (Procter is absent for personal reasons); a lead of 12 runs and Somerset have declared on 461-9 declared - seventies from 8, 9 and 10, der Merwe, Davey and de Lange ruining things for Leicestershire.
Stop what you're doing and tune into a Jimmy Anderson masterclass 😍pic.twitter.com/OwkvEDqpfb
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) July 5, 2021
Young Jimmy Boy wobbling the ball off a golden thread down the pitch. Kent’s batsmen now treating every ball as an undetonated WW2 explosive. Though he does concede his first run, a single into the covers.
NUMBER 998!
Eighteenth ball of the Anderson’s day! Robinson, who had flexed dangerously at Anderson’s previous ball, does it again and is snaffled into the wicket-keeping gloves. Current figures: 3-3-0-3. Kent 5-3.
NUMBER 997!
Ninth ball of Anderson’s day! Off Cox must go, nibbling behind. Kent 1-2.
NUMBER 996!
Off ball 6 of the over. Zak Crawley caught low at second slip by Jones for a duck, bewitched by a beauty that swung away. Kent 0-1.
Updated
“Hello Tanya.” Hello Nicholas Brown.
“My declaration of interest is that I’m a Somerset supporter.
Do you think that this format should continue for the CC next year?
Representatives from three Div. One counties I heard interviewed on a BBC pod earlier in the season wanted to go back to two
divisions.
This seems to pander to the wants/needs of the Div. One counties to poach players from less well financed clubs in Div. Two, which
I’m really not in favour of for any county, even Somerset.
I would definitely be in favour of continuing with this format next year, as on the limited evidence of half a season, there is much
more for supporters to be interested in and follow with the three groups.
Enhanced prize money could be paid for first and second places in the Second and Third groups in the September round of matches to
increase competition.
The end of season totals in the 14 games played during the season could be used to pick the initial groups for next season, so that
next seasons groups have a mixture of counties from throughout the final 18 county list.”
I think it has been a real success last year and this - to date - but as you hint in your letter the proof will be how the rest of the season pans out post Hundred. I must break off there to say that Jimmy Anderson has the new ball at his end.
Updated
I’ve arrived at OT to see the groundsmen staring at the hover cover and Glenn Chapple overseeing the bowlers. The sun is out, there is a crowd. Hats off to their infinite patience.
With thanks to Romeo for flagging this up:
Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser are doing everything they can to stay entertained during isolation! 😂
— SmartCricket.com (@SmartCricket19) July 1, 2021
Who else loves a game of indoor cricket at home? 🏏
🎥 @marnus3cricket #SmartCricket pic.twitter.com/veeotdnVsN
Kent have won the toss and will bat! Under cloudy skies and with Jimmy Anderson bowling. Courage!
Updated
Play will start at Old Trafford at 2pm.
Lunchtime scores
GROUP ONE
Trent Bridge: Notts v Derby 149 all out
Edgbaston: Warwicks 93-2 v Durham
GROUP TWO
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 382-9 v Surrey.
Taunton: Somerset 408-8 v Leicestershire.
DAY ONE: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 77-1 v Middlesex
GROUP THREE
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Kent No play yet (rain).
The County Ground: Northants 140-6 v Yorkshire 158 all out
Hove: Sussex 226 all out v Glamorgan 47-2
Updated
A century for Colin de Grandhomme!
The only surprise is the relative restraint - just one six and 14 fours. Hampshire 364-8. These kiwis walk on water.
There is excellent drainage at Old Trafford and no more rain is forecast so fingers crossed.
The umpires will make an inspection immediately after lunch at 1.10pm. #LANvKEN pic.twitter.com/vcPTkChcsl
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) July 5, 2021
Sussex have been dismissed for 226, with Ibrahim the last man out for 58, and Glamorgan have skipped along to 13-0.
A great round-up here by Gary Naylor of what’s been happening in the Blast - Kent suddenly magnificent and 16 year olds winning player of the match awards.
A sad thread from the ICC on Sanath Jayasundara, Sri Lanka’s analyst. Found guilty of
- Article 2.1.3 – offering a bribe or other Reward to the Sri Lankan Sports Minister to contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of an International Match
- Article 2.4.7 – obstructing or delaying an ACU investigation into possible corrupt conduct under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code
Sanath Jayasundara @OfficialSLC analyst has been banned for 7 years for attempting to bribe the Sri Lanka Sports Minister. The full decision is here. https://t.co/1fm0qpkDvL
— Steve Richardson (@Steve_Rich100) July 5, 2021
Eyes to the Rosebowl where de Grandhomme is on 90 and Felix Organ 54. This Hampshire side are fierce when they want to be - I reckon they’ll have sneaked into Division One by the end of this two-round mini-series.
“Hello Tanya.” Hello Andrew Benton!
“Isn’t the Cheltenham feed great?! The cameras are at spectators’ eye level, nothing high up, so you feel like you’re there, watching from the boundary fence, with a flask of tea and some sandwiches. Super!”
Yes! I’ve spotted - as Hammond frying-pans a short one from Andersson for four - an ice-cream van and a promising outlet called College Coffee. Gloucestershire 52-1: Hammond 23, Bracey 20.
Northants 110-6.! Collapse-claxon, they’ve now lost 4-22. Keogh the man to go, for nine, Olivier the wicket-taker.
Updated
Dan Ibrahim still there for Sussex, 52 not out, as the wickets continue to topple around him. Sussex 200-9.
And a fourth wicket for Dom Bess! It’s the big one, Vasconcelos, for 55, cutting into the gloves of Harry Duke. Northants trail by 48, with five wickets left. Yorkshire will be very keen on winning this match with the weather holding Group 3 leaders Lancashire back.
Stokes looks in fine fettle. Running in smoothly, big bushy beard, effort oozing from every pore. Pieter Malan edges him, not entirely convincingly through gully, and that’s his second over up, 14 runs from them. Warwickshire 52-1.
Updated
Ben Stokes is bowling!
Ben Stokes at Edgbaston having his first red-ball trundle since the India tour. Nearly struck first up too… pic.twitter.com/ca3UV1KHKe
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 5, 2021
Updated
A wicket! For Dom Bess! Panic not, Northampton fans, Vasconcelos is still there. It is Berg who must go, snaffled at mid-off for eight. Northants still trail by 70, seven wickets in hand.
The players will take an early lunch at OT. It is very, very, wet.
Meanwhile, at Taunton, van de Merwe, smirking on the edge of 50, and Josh Davey have put on 58 for the eighth wicket. Somerset would’n’t be Somerset without late-order tonking.
My screen goes blank so I miss George Scott being bowled by Tim Murtagh as Gloucestershire lose their first wicket. On the radio they say Murtagh has taken 868! How has that slipped under the radar? James Bracey strides to to the crease and stands with his hand on his hip at the non-striker’s end.
Dom Sibley falls cheaply at Edgbaston, an eleven ball duck.
At Wantage Road, over-achievers Northamptonshire have had a sparky first twenty minutes, with Vasconcelos nearing his fifty. Young Ibrahim is still there at Hove, 43 not out.
I’m afraid it is bucketing down again in Manchester.
What a treat to turn into the live stream at Cheltenham. Tim Murtagh hurtling in against the background of the stretching trees, a battered white sightscreen, grey-blue sky, tents and the timeless stone of Cheltenham college. I once met Bomber Wells there, selling his latest book. Here is his obit by the late David Foot, I love the image of him arriving for his debut clutching only a doughnut and a bottle of lemonade.
Gloucestershire are currently 6-0.
And in the first few minutes, Colin de Grandhomme picks up a fifty on debut for Hampshire. These New Zealanders, they know what they’re doing.
At Edgbaston, they’re going to elongate the day, weather permitting with each session lasting two hours ten minutes. That should add up to 104 overs.
As the players walk out, the rain is permitting action everywhere apart from Old Trafford.
Middlesex are bowling first so we’ll have to wait a little longer ...
There will be an inspection at 11.30 at Old Trafford, but no play really expected until after lunch.
And life moves on, but so quickly: Josh de Caires, Mike Atherton’s son, makes his first-class debut for Middlesex today.
Really pleased this morning to be able to present @Middlesex_CCC playing caps to Josh de Caires and Daryl Mitchell both of whom are making first class debuts for the club at Cheltenham.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) July 5, 2021
I may have spoken too soon about the weather... the Manchester sky is is currently in a prolonged state of emptying its bladder.
Sunday's round-up
As the County Championship resumed for two July rounds, setting the scene for the autumnal divisional split, Devon Conway debuted like only he can.
The New Zealander tucked into 88 runs in his first Championship innings for Somerset before being bowled by Leicestershire’s Callum Parkinson as the hosts luxuriated in a first-innings partnership of 143 at Taunton, with Steven Davies scoring 65. Things fell away after Conway’s dismissal and by stumps Somerset had slipped to 242-7.
The players were on and off amid showers at the Rose Bowl, where an unbeaten 48 from another New Zealander, Colin de Grandhomme, and 58 from Ian Holland guided Hampshire to 229-7. Jordan Clark finished with 4-59 as he and Rikki Clarke bowled gallantly through the day for Surrey. Kiwi giant Kyle Jamieson left the field with an injury after just six overs.
Derbyshire struggled at Trent Bridge on a frog-green pitch and another on-off day. Currently winless in the Championship, they didn’t burnish their batting ambitions, finishing the day 91-5. Stand-in captain Matt Critchley was the top scorer with 23. Luke Fletcher’s two wickets for Notts make him the joint leading wicket-taker this season.
The acting Northants captain, Ricardo Vasconcelos, received his county cap before the start of the game against Yorkshire, was unbeaten on 32 at the close and collected three catches in between. Yorkshire wobbled, bowled out for just 158, and that buffered by a wonderful 71 from 20-year-old George Hill, promoted to open the innings for the first time. Sam Northeast, signed from Hampshire on a short-term loan, made just three.
Dan Ibrahim, the 16-year-old who made 55 on his Sussex debut against Yorkshire, again proved difficult to winkle out at Hove. Unbeaten on 41, he and Will Beer took the hosts from 96-6 to 161-7 against Glamorgan before Beer got out to the last ball of the day.
There was no play at all at Old Trafford, where Jimmy Anderson will battle to take his 1000th first-class wicket, or Edgbaston, where Ben Stokes is due to play for Durham in a Championship match for the first time since July 2018.
Preamble
Good morning! Let’s try again shall we? After rain fully washed out two of yesterday’s games, and splattered great wellies through the others, the forecast is more cheerful today. The weather people promise heavy showers in the north but bright and sunny in the south - with rain to blow in from the south west later.
On the pitch, eyes turn to Old Trafford, where Jimmy Anderson will restart the search for his thousandth first-class wicket, and Edgbaston, where Ben Stokes will be picking up a bat for Durham for the first time in a Championship match for three years. But first, to Hove, where talented young thing Dan Ibrahim is 41 not out and has dug Sussex half way out of a hole.
Finally, the Cheltenham Festival starts today - wishing Gloucestershire merriment and clement weather and James Bracey an ego-boosting century.
Good morning from the Visit @Cayman_Islands Cheltenham Cricket Festival 🏏👋#GoGlos💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/20x2dKAZWO
— Gloucestershire Cricket🏏 (@Gloscricket) July 5, 2021
Overnight scores
GROUP ONE
Trent Bridge: Notts v Derby 91-5.
Edgbaston: Warwicks v Durham No play on Sunday (rain).
GROUP TWO
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 229-7 v Surrey.
Taunton: Somerset 242-7 v Leicestershire
DAY ONE: Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Middlesex
GROUP THREE
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Kent No play on Sunday (rain).
The County Ground: Northants 61-2 v Yorkshire 158 all out.
Hove: Sussex 161-7 v Glamorgan
Updated
