The amble of an approach, the deceleration at the crease, the round-shouldered anti-celebration, Darren Stevens’ five for 50 in the late spring of middle age thwarted Sussex. Only Harry Finch with 66 and a late-innings flourish from the tail managed any resistance as Kent won by an innings. Earlier, Jordan Cox and Jack Leaning had continued where they left off, both completing unbeaten double centuries in a partnership of 423 , Kent’s highest for any wicket in first-class cricket.
Lancashire galloped to an innings victory against Durham to chalk up their first victory in the Bob Willis Trophy. After a quick throw of the bat by the Lancashire tail, Durham started their second innings trailing by 128 runs. By the end of the fifth over their cloth was in tatters at five for three, with Tom Bailey and Luke Wood bowling beautifully. They limped towards three figures, but were further gutted by Liam Hurt, who notched up his best first-class figures of four for 27. Durham, who have just six points from two games, go back to the drawing board.
Derbyshire just had time before stumps to knock off the 12 runs required for victory over Leicestershire at Grace Road and, with two wins under their belt, are top of the table, the joker in the pack of the North Group. Leg-spinner Matt Critchley took a career-best six for 73 on a pitch starting to bubble and Ed Barnes, on loan from Yorkshire, took two wickets in an over on his first-class debut.
Hampshire need just 98 more to win, despite injury to a second bowler, this time Ryan Stevenson, who ran into a marquee. Felix Organ’s four wickets kept the Middlesex score within reach.
Half-centuries from Graeme van Buuren and Ryan Higgins ensured that Gloucestershire’s bowlers would have something to run in for today on an increasingly moribund pitch against Warwickshire.
Jonny Bairstow top-scored with a boundary-laden 75 in a tight tussle at Trent Bridge. Zak Chappell’s three wickets gave Nottinghamshire hope of their first win in 23 first-class matches.
A century by Billy Root cemented a grand fight back by Glamorgan’s batsmen from the unpromising position of 203 for six, still more than 50 behind the follow-on target. The architect of their precariousness was Joe Leach, with an astonishing spell of 7-5-3-4.
Handy contributions all the way down the Essex order set Surrey a stiff target of 310 more runs on the final day at Chelmsford. Amar Virdi and Adam Finch, on loan from Worcestershire, took four wickets each in 33 degree heat.
What a fantastic day’s cricket! Congratulations to Derbyshire, kings of the North Group, to Lancashire and to Kent. Five games left, could bubble into thrillers. Don’t miss a beat. Thanks so much for your company and all the tasty recipes. A glass to Darren Stevens. Good night!
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Down and nearly out for Leicestershire, I’m afraid. Sussex too. I must leave them to their fate though as I write the round-up. Just noting an impressive fight back by the Yorkies there and Hampshire, sneaking under the radar, need 142 to win. Over to you CCLive.
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Oh my, a fifth for Stevens!
An ode to Darren Stevens.
@tjaldred
— Add your name (@PaulFrame85) August 10, 2020
DI Stevens is out there. He can't be reasoned with, he can't be bargained with. He doesn't feel remorse or fear and he absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until your team is dead.
And some very sad news landing on Dan Lawrence, who has had to leave the England bubble due to a family bereavement.
A little night music from Tim de Lisle
The amble of an approach, the deceleration at the crease, the round-shouldered anti-celebration: he’s got it all. Darren Stevens, 4-42, doing it for 40pluses everywhere in the spring of middle age. Sussex, 91-5, deep and falling deeper in the mire. Still over a hundred behind Kent.
.@Stevo208 finds top of off and Rawlins departs - Sussex are 89/5
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) August 10, 2020
Live Stream ➡️ https://t.co/AVnqkufPvz #SuperKent150 pic.twitter.com/SHyifLwmWh
Aye-up, coughs Tom VDG:
Perhaps Yorkshire might want to consider their player retention methods. Their ex-players seem to be outperforming the current team pretty impressively in the Bob Willis trophy: Lees got a century in the last round and 66 (along with a duck) in this match; Bresnan boshed out a century and has been picking up wickets; Hannan-Dolby, admittedly having left several seasons ago, is doing the business for Warwickshire; Jack Brooks is still rocking the headband to good effect at Somerser and Jack Leening has a double century to his name! Anyone I’ve missed?
Lancashire beat Durham by an innings and 18 runs
Chester le Street: Durham 180 (Lees 66; Gleeson 3-32) and 110-4 (Hurt 4-27) v Lancs 380 (Bohannon 75; Salisbury 4-57)
Tea-time scores
Grace Road: Leicestershire 199 (Dearden 70; Melton 4-22) and 167-8 (Critchley 4-48) v Derbyshire 408 (Madsen 103)
NOT TEA: Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 355 ( Moores 106) v Yorkshire 264 (Thompson 98; Nash 3-20) and 187-5 (Bairstow 75)
NOT TEA: Bristol: Gloucestershire 210 (Charlesworth 51; Hannon-Dalby 6-33) and 157-5 v Warwickshire 247 (Lamb 65; Higgins 4-54)
New Road: Worcestershire 455-8dec (Libby 184, D’Olivera 174; Hogan 3-59, Wagg 3-66) v Glamorgan 374 (B Root 118; Leach 4-67)
Chelmsford: Essex 262 (Khushi 66; Clarke 3-26) and 201-5 v Surrey 187(Jacks 70; Porter 3-35)
Canterbury: Kent 530-1dec (Jordan Cox 238 not out, Jack Leaning 220 not out) and 120-3 v Sussex 332 (Brown 98; Podmore 4-85) and 71-4 (Stevens 3-30)
Radlett: Middlesex 252 (Andersson 92; Stevenson 4-71) and 186-7 v Hampshire 296-9 (Weatherley 98 not out, Northeast 51); Murtagh 4-61)
And on the stroke of tea, Glamorgan are all out for 372, a deficit of only 81. Bravo Billy Root and Graham Wagg. From the ruins of an innings, a daffodil flowered.
Tea scores to follow.
Isabelle Westbury makes a good point here.
It's 32ºC. 2 of Hampshire's bowlers, who took between them 6 wickets in Middlesex's 1st innings, have gone off the field on stretchers. Effectively playing whole of 3rd & 4th innings with 9 bowlers & batters.
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) August 10, 2020
Substitution rules, mmm. (Not sure of solution, btw) #BobWillisTrophy
Although I’m not sure either of the injuries were heat-related in this case, playing in hot temperatures for long hours is dangerous for cricketers, elite or recreational. As climate change bites, this is going to be more and more of a problem for cricket, even in the UK. The Hit for Six report published last year, spelled out the dangers, and yet the ICC do NOTHING. Even though many of their member countries are already being severely hit.
Experiments at the University of Portsmouth revealed that the heat produced by an international batsman with what is essentially a series of shuttle sprints between the wickets is equivalent to running 8km an hour. That’s 8km an hour in full cricket kit – long-sleeved shirts and trousers, padding and a helmet – for what could be eight hours in the hot sun. When the air temperature becomes higher than the skin temperature, the only way the body can try to cool down is through sweating – which becomes difficult when the skin is covered with protective clothing. The body becomes unable to function properly and this can result in anything from heat cramps to the medical emergency that is heatstroke. Joe Root is a case in point, taken to hospital during the Sydney Test of 2018 after retiring hurt with a combination of dehydration and a gastro-intestinal bug after playing in temperatures that peaked at 43.7C. Understandable, when you consider that the ideal temperature for exercise in light clothing is 10-11C.
The report also details psychological responses to heat, with increased body temperature interfering with the efficiency of the human brain. While simple tasks, flipping a coin at the toss, should remain invulnerable to heat stress, more complex decisions – the report suggests, “vigilance (the ability to maintain attention, for example, when batting), short-term/working memory (for example a bowler remembering how the ball bounced off the pitch) and dual tasks (for example, a batter keeping an eye on an incoming delivery while simultaneously manoeuvring to take a shot)” become much more difficult – which, as cat follows mouse, will result in a less skilful and less watchable game. These stresses will also affect umpires – who, if not so active, stand for hours and have to make split-second decisions with unwavering concentration.
The Foxes having a shocker - from 138 for four to 140 for eight before you can swallow a mid-afternoon slice of red leicester. Matthew Critchley the man with the cheese knife.
Death rattle at Chester-le-Street as Liam Hurt grabs his fourth wicket. Now poor Durham are 86-9, four ducks on the scoresheet with power to add.
And golden arm in action.
Haines is given out LBW and Sussex are 35/2!
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) August 10, 2020
Live Stream ➡️ https://t.co/6i7Pcm49ax #SuperKent150 pic.twitter.com/Xzz6qLNrer
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Great little recovery from Gloucestershire, from 30-3 to 112-3: Ryan Higgins (27) and Graeme van Buuren (63). And demoralised Sussex after a day and a session in the field, lose two early wickets - 39-2 and a pipe dream away from Kent. And Middx lead by 119, with five wicket in hand - could be spicey later.
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Alastair Cook’s 42 still the top score of the innings as Essex push and prod at Chelmsford. Chopra the last to go for 39. Essex 172-5, you’d have thought with Simon Harmer ready to pounce, and a dry pitch, the lead of nearly 250 is already enough.
Some injury news: Surrey bowler Conor McKerr has a tear in the cartilage of his right knee and has be ruled out for the season. Is due to have an operation on Thursday.
I’ll try again.
Answer: WhentheylosethreeTestbatsmenforonerunin17balls.
Question: When does a Yorks become a Yorks-up?
Answer: WhentheylosethreeTestbatsmenfortworunsin10balls.
Apologies for doubting Glamorgan - well played Billy Root, 103 not out, Glamorgan sailing past the follow-on into the promised land. Fifty for Graham Wagg too.
No hat-trick. But tumbleweed spotted blowing over the Chester-le-Street pitch.
Meanwhile at Trent Bridge, unbeaten fifties for YJB (73) and Adam Lyth. Yorkies 143-1, a lead of 43.
Cover your eyes Durham-ites: 48-5. Just two ducks so far - a couple of wickets for Luke Wood and three for Tom Bailey. Sorry, in the time it took me to answer the door, now 49-7 with Liam Hurt on a hat-trick....
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So Leaning goes from an unbeaten double century straight into to a stunning slip catch in the first over of Sussex’s reply.
WHAT A CATCH @JackLeaning1!!!! 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) August 10, 2020
Live Stream ➡️ https://t.co/6i7Pcm49ax #SuperKent150 pic.twitter.com/DSnEzW5Mo1
While you ponder YJB’s 44 not out, here are some fabulous recipe suggestions that are too good not to share. Thank you all!
From Dennis Johns:
Not too much to say about Surrey this morning but my word, that article on the haal is one I’ve gone back to time and again. Just glorious writing about a wonderful human thing.
Anna Jones is undoubtedly the queen of modern vegetarian cooking, this is one I make all the time.
The ‘smash’/chermoula you can basically add to almost anything and make it taste nicer even if you don’t want to do the whole recipe.
This is a pretty good black daal, getting ingredients depends where you live (I can get them from my corner shop but that’s the beauty of this exciting part of Sheffield).
And this is a halloumi pie. That’s halloumi, in a pie. Yes. One for all the hallouminati.
And Geoff Wignall:
You could do worse than check out the Minimalist Baker website. They’ve a free e-book or e-pamphlet of recipes but once you’ve joined the site they also send two or three recipes each week. It’s slightly odd in that the vast majority of the recipes are vegan/ vegetarian but just occasionally there’ll be one for chicken or fish.They’re very big on about 17 varieties of veggie burger but plenty of other good stuff too, mostly quite quick and easy.
Phillipa Hoskins:
If you are looking for an easy and very tasty recipe I have just the thing: pasta with courgette and mint. It’s a River Cottage recipe btw - link here.
We have been growing courgettes in the garden this year and probably have one or two plants too many so we have eaten this meal many, many times this summer and haven’t got tired of it yet!
Chris Evans:
@tjaldred for vegetarian food, try @TheCurryGuy cookbook. It was our lockdown special. Really easy to convert the meat dishes with paneer, cauliflower or potatoes.
— Chris evans (@captbnut) August 10, 2020
And Angela Gilham:
@tjaldred I've been gradually working my way through Gill Meller's "Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower" for the designated veggie days this summer. Some stunning recipes.
— Angela Gilham (@AngelaGilham) August 10, 2020
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Lunchtime scores
Chester le Street: Durham 180 (Lees 66; Gleeson 3-32) and 21-4 ( v Lancs 380 (Bohannon 75; Salisbury 4-57)
Grace Road: Leicestershire 199 (Dearden 70; Melton 4-22) and 67-2 v Derbyshire 408 (Madsen 103)
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 355 ( Moores 106) v Yorkshire 264 (Thompson 98; Nash 3-20) and 82-1 (Bairstow 44 not out)
Bristol: Gloucestershire 210 (Charlesworth 51; Hannon-Dalby 6-33) and 51-3 v Warwickshire 247 (Lamb 65; Higgins 4-54)
New Road: Worcestershire 455-8dec (Libby 184, D’Olivera 174; Hogan 3-59, Wagg 3-66) v Glamorgan 257-6 (B Root 84 not out; Leach 4-35)
Chelmsford: Essex 262 (Khushi 66; Clarke 3-26) v Surrey 136-5 (Jacks 70; Porter 3-35)
Canterbury: Kent 503-1 (Jordan Cox 223 not out, Jack Leaning 208 not out) and 120-3 v Sussex 332 (Brown 98; Podmore 4-85)
Radlett: Middlesex 252 (Andersson 92; Stevenson 4-71) and 75-2 v Hampshire 296-9 (Weatherley 98 not out, Northeast 51); Murtagh 4-61)
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A double-ton for Jack Leaning too as he and Jordan Cox smash through the records – at 394 this is now the highest-ever maiden-century stand for Kent.
What a morning! Lunch scores to follow.
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So the Bob has identified the two worst batting line-ups in the Championship. Durham (currently 5-3, trail Lancs by 123, two in two overs from Tom Bailey) and Glamorgan (currently 30-odd needed to avoid the follow-on - despite a brave effort by Billy Root) Is that fair?
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WOW! 19 year old Jordan Cox has a double century in just his fifth first-class game, 25 fours, three sixes and a bucketload of potential.
Rain has stopped play at Chester-le-Street, while Gloucestershire have lost Chris Dent for a duck to BressieLad. 19-1, trail Warwicks by 18.
Not cricket, but does anyone have any easy go-to vegetarian recipes up their sleeve? I’m so bored of cooking the same things all the time. No celery.
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Swerving quickly past the action at Chester le Street, Essex are batting swimmingly, Cook out for 42 but Westley and Chopra smooth as anything. And at Canterbury, Jordan Cox teeters on the edge of a wonderful milestone.
Those rumours of retirement were ridiculous says Jimmy Anderson (ahem).
Jimmy Anderson dismisses retirement talk and vows to silence doubters. By Vic Marks https://t.co/gBkj7V69oq
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) August 10, 2020
A catastrophic first hour for Glamorgan, who have gone from cruise-control to intensive care. Now 203 for 6, they still need 53 to avoid the follow-on. Joe Leach 4-35.
Lancashire all out with a lead of 128 which I suspect Durham will approach with a sense of impending doom.
Salisbury pins Gleeson, Lancs all out. #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/hSuBUNtfbv
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) August 10, 2020
Two fours so far to the ginger prince, batting at No.3 for Yorkshire. How much does he want a century? More than I want a second coffee, and that need is cavernous.
Miserable news for Liam Dawson who is out for the season after rupturing his achilles yesterday.
More injury worries: Chris Rushworth, who is off the field at Durham, and Jake Ball who is off the field at Trent Bridge.
Hampshire all out for 296 with a lead of 44 over Middlesex. The last two wickets were hoovered up by Tim Murtagh, who finishes with four wickets. Business as usual.
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A second for big, burly Joe Leach and at 197-4, Glamorgan need another 59 to avoid the follow-on. Billy Root remains, 60 not out.
Scuttle outside to quickly hang up some washing, all sorts happens. And it is not good news for Glamorgan – Carlson caught at second slip off Joe Leach – or Yorkshire, where a revitalised Zak Chappell persuades Kohler-Cadmore to also edge to second slip. And a first Surrey wicket for Adam Finch. Yorks 12-1, Essex 33-1, Glamorgan 189-3.
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Here is the piece by Osman Samiuddin referenced by Andy Bull. We published The Haal of Pakistan in The Nightwatchman magazine (sorry about the plug) nearly seven years ago, and it is as brilliant a read now as it was then.
And, if you’ve got something to say, please do contact me at tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com or @tjaldred. Only a tenuous connection to cricket required.
“Chal para kaam, chaloji, pakro,” Andy Bull on Azhar Ali and the Pakistan captaincy.
A really lovely piece by Ali Martin on Chris Woakes.
Some news from Taunton:
NEWS: Somerset fast bowler Nathan Gilchrist has decided to leave the Club and join Kent next season#WeAreSomerset
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) August 10, 2020
Preamble
It’s Monday morning so it must be county cricket – except in Northampton, where the match was over in two days, triumphant Somerset juggernauting onwards to Edgbaston, where they face Warwickshire on Saturday.
Elsewhere, let’s see if Notts and Glamorgan’s batsmen can continue the good starts of yesterday. At Canterbury, Jordan Cox and Jack Leaning restart the day after a wonderful unbroken partnership of 231 for Kent. Essex have a lead of 88 after Simon Harmer clicked his fingers and rediscovered his 2019 magic; Derbyshire and Lancashire have batted their way into strong positions, and it has been slow and steady at Bristol. Hampshire’s small first-innings lead was spoilt by injury to poor Liam Dawson, who last night tweeted that he didn’t think it would be “great news” but is waiting for further assessment.
Here in Manchester we still have the swifts and the bushes are full of blackberries, so it doesn’t yet feel like that tipping point in August when the summer starts to slip away.
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