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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Simon Burnton at Chelmsford and Rich Flower (for a bit)

County cricket: Essex beat Somerset, Surrey v Warwickshire and more – as it happened

Essex v Somerset
Jamie Porter leads the victorious Essex players off the field after the defeat of Somerset at the County Ground. Photograph: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo/Rex Shutterstock

And that’s all from me. It’s been a blast. I’m off, with one last shout-out for this week’s Spin. Bye!

Here’s a round-up of today’s action:

Essex resuscitated their title hopes by inflicting a first County Championship defeat of the season on Somerset, whose attempt to chase down a target of 269 started calamitously, with Tom Abell and Azhar Ali dismissed off the second delivery of Jamie Porter’s first and second overs respectively, and never developed any momentum from there.

Porter ended with four wickets while Aaron Beard, having taken four in five first-innings overs, added three more from 4.2 overs in the second. In overcast conditions Essex started the day by losing their last four second-innings wickets for 19 runs, before tearing into Somerset. Other than Lewis Gregory, whose 34-ball 40 – ended by a Beard delivery that snapped a stump and smashed a bail – included three successive sixes off Simon Harmer, no batsman shone, with James Hildreth and Tom Banton the only others to reach double figures in the leaders’ second knock. “We were completely outplayed and didn’t deserve anything from the game,” said Tom Abell, the Somerset captain. “We’ve got a few shortcomings with the bat at the moment which we need to address before the next game.”

At the Oval Warwickshire are just over halfway towards reaching their target of 290, ending the day on 148-3 with Dominic Sibley – who came through the ranks at Surrey before moving to Birmingham in 2017 – unbeaten on 52

In Division Two heavy rain meant that no play was possible at Northampton, while in Bristol action was delayed until after lunch. Glamorgan, currently second in the table behind Lancashire, then added precisely 100 runs to their overnight total before being bowled out for 287, giving Gloucestershire a first-innings advantage of 26 runs. By stumps that had been extended to 67 for the loss of two wickets including Chris Dent, captain and scorer of a first-inning century, for two.

At Hove Durham’s Cameron Bancroft and Ned Eckersley extended their fifth-wicket partnership from an overnight 169 to 282 before the latter fell, caught and bowled by Luke Wells; 5.1 overs and 12 runs later they were all out for 384. Sussex’s response started abysmally, with Wells, Will Beer and Harry Finch all dismissed with the score on two, but David Wiese and the unbeaten Delray Rawlins both scored half-centuries as they recovered to reach 226-9 at stumps, still 153 runs behind.

Updated

And here is confirmation that that is the end of today’s county cricket action. Warwickshire end the day on 148-3, a shade over halfway towards their target of 290.

I’ve not been told that play has finished at the Oval, though this tweet certainly suggests that it has:

Stumps at Hove, where Sussex are on 231-9, still 153 behind Durham’s first-innings total. Delray Rawlins remains unbeaten on 56*, but they look in a deep hole.

Disaster for Sussex at Hove, Wiese is out for 56 and Aaron Thomason follows quickly afterwards for only 3, leaving the home side nine down and still 161 runs behind Durham. Rawlins is still there on 55 and Ollie Robinson, who has a first-class average of 20.93, will hopefully provide support.

Bad light has brought an end to the day’s play at Bristol. Gloucestershire finish on 41-2, a lead of 68 over Glamorgan.

More patient accumulation from Warwickshire at the Oval, Dom Sibley is closing in on a half-century and Sam Hain has added 25 to an unbroken partnership of 52 for the third wicket. With the weather looking fine tomorrow, Surrey could do with a couple of quick wickets.

Delray Rawlins has joined David Wiese in reaching his half-century at Hove and this eighth-wicket stand has now added 108 valuable runs for Sussex as well as securing them their first batting bonus point of the match.

Gloucestershire have lost their second wicket at Bristol, Miles Hammond has been bowled by Daniel Douthwaite and joins skipper Chris Dent back in the pavilion. The home side lead by 61 with eight second-innings wickets remaining.

Encouraging news regarding Brian Lara:

Updated

David Wiese has reached his half-century at Hove and has received valuable support from Delray Rawlins (46) in an unbroken eighth-wicket partnership of 92. Sussex still trail by 178 but look well-placed to avoid the follow-on.

At the Oval, where the only game worth watching in London is taking place today, Warwickshire are making steady progress having reached 80-2 in pursuit of a victory target of 290.

Sussex are in some disarray at Hove, having slumped to 147-7 in reply to Durham’s first-innings 384. David Wiese is still there on 42 and he will be hoping to lead a rally with the tail.

Glamorgan are all out for 287 at Bristol. Gloucestershire will start their second innings with a lead of 26, not a huge advantage but better than nothing. Three wickets each for Payne, Higgins and Shaw.

With play here at Chelmsford having ended some time ago, I’m going to head homewards. I’ll be back soon(ish), and in the meantime the fine folk of the Guardian sports desk will keep things ticking over.

And they’ve also got the kettles on at Bristol, where a close game appears to be breaking out.

Tea is being taken at Hove, where Sussex are 96-5 in reply to Durham’s 384.

Here’s a report on Essex’s victory over Somerset from the ECB Reporters Network:

Essex proved themselves as serious County Championship title contenders as they condemned table-toppers Somerset to their first defeat of the season.

Fast bowler Jamie Porter followed up his five for 51 in the first innings by blasting through Somerset’s batting line-up with figures of four for 22 - as the early pacesetters were bowled out for 117 to lose by 151 runs at Chelmsford.

Somerset had arrived at Chelmsford with a 30-point advantage at the summit of Division One, as their quest for their maiden Championship title appeared unassailable.

But they departed with Essex only 13 points adrift, breathing down their necks and looking ominous at home - with the county recording a quartet of hefty victories against Kent, Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and now Somerset at the County Ground.

Somerset were given 269 runs to win, having briskly taken the last four Essex wickets, but were bowled out inside 33 overs.

Porter pounced with the second ball of each of his first two overs - as opening pair Tom Abell and Azhar Ali failed to deal with his pace. Captain Abell drilled straight back at Porter before Pakistan star Ali edged to Tom Westley at third slip.

James Hildreth and Tom Banton attempted to counter-attack in the hope of ticking down the runs quicker, with the latter hooking a six off Aaron Beard.

The introduction of Harmer, as often happens, brought about the end of a 31-stand with the last delivery of his primary over - as Banton flicked to a stooping Nick Browne at short mid-wicket.

Hildreth, who survived a tough drop from Ryan ten Doeschate at short leg on 25, departed on the stroke of lunch when his attempted upper-cut flicked behind to Adam Wheater.

After the interval, Somerset collapsed, with Porter and Harmer sharing three wickets in 17 balls.

Steven Davies was caught on the crease as he edged the spinner to Alastair Cook at first slip, George Bartlett was well caught by Dan Lawrence at gully before Jamie Overton mimicked his first innings dismissal by picking out Browne on the square-leg boundary.

In-form Lewis Gregory provided a punchy antidote to the slide with four maximums off Harmer, including three in a row, all over various degrees of mid-wicket. But having reached 40 from 33 balls, Beard snapped both Gregory’s middle stump and a bail with the second ball of his return to the attack.

Beard wrapped up the victory as Tim Groenewald picked out Browne at deep square-leg and splayed Jack Brooks’ stumps.

Earlier, Essex’s second innings was wrapped up in 9.5 morning overs as Groenewald claimed his 16th five-wicket haul in First-Class cricket. Fast bowler Groenewald, who was only playing due to Craig Overton’s groin injury, followed up his three wickets the previous evening by collapsing Harmer’s off-stump with his second ball of the morning.

He thought he had Peter Siddle latter in the same over, as the Australian edged to Jamie Overton at second slip - but the two umpires convened to agree the ball had not carried, much to the ire of Somerset.

They need not have worried as Gregory had him and Adam Wheater caught in the slips soon after before Groenewald wrapped up the innings when Porter nicked to second slip.

Updated

At the Oval Surrey have been bowled out for 325, setting Warwickshire a target of 290. They are 22 without loss after nine overs at tea.

Updated

The result here leaves Essex second in the table, 13 points behind Somerset after seven games. Here’s their captain, Ryan ten Doeschate:

If you look at how Somerset’s season has gone they have managed to manufacture results, those are the sort of things you need to swing a championship your way – picking up points when things aren’t going your way.

Their six wins from seven games is very impressive and for us this was a must win game – it would have been very hard to catch them if they were 55 points ahead at the halfway stage. We are only at the halfway stage and I think Hampshire also have enough points to be challenging but Somerset will be there or thereabouts.

If we play good cricket and stay in our bubble and not look too far ahead then that last game of the season at Somerset will be the showdown for the season.

The Somerset captain, Tom Abell, has been talking after his side’s defeat at Essex:

We were completely outplayed this week and didn’t deserve anything from the game. We’ve got a few shortcomings with the bat at the moment which we need to address before the next game. It is no means the end of the world and we are still in a great position and have been playing great cricket in the Championship. We weren’t good enough this week and have lost comprehensively because of that but we will be back next week for Hampshire.

There will always be periods when you don’t play at your best but in that there have been times when we haven’t been at our best that we have shown that fight and character to wrestle back the momentum in games which we didn’t do this week. Next week is massive for us, we need to get back to winning ways. We need to be on the ball and I am confident we will be.

Their game against Hampshire starts in Taunton on Sunday.

At Bristol, where play only got under way at 2pm, it’s now raining wickets (well, mizzling).

At Hove, where Durham crumbled from 372-5 to 384 all out before lunch, Sussex’s reply started in the worst possible manner, the third wicket falling with just two runs on the board. They have recovered somewhat, but at 50-4, with Stiaan van Zyl their top scorer so far with 21*, it’s a long road back.

Essex beat Somerset by 153 runs

The most emphatic of endings to this match, as Aaron Beard takes out middle and off stumps, Brooks is the last batsman to fall, and Essex’s victory is confirmed. Beard has bowled fewer than 10 overs in this match, and taken seven wickets. He finishes with astonishing match figures of 9.2-1-45-7.

Updated

Somerset’s first defeat of the season is but minutes away from being confirmed. Tim Groenewald is their ninth wicket to fall, caught at deep square leg.

Here’s a milestone for all the milestone fans out there, coming through from the Oval where Tim Ambrose has taken a catch.

Gregory has gone, Aaron Beard not just finding middle stump but breaking it, and a bail as well. I think the ball clipped the inside edge on its way through, but it all happened in a bit of a wildly destructive blur. So in the last couple of overs most of the equipment has had to be changed. Somerset are 110-8.

The world has gone crazy at Chelmsford, where Lewis Gregory looks like he wants to win this, and in short order as well. Simon Harmer’s eighth over has started with three successive sixes, the last of which cleared the ground and has forced a delay while an alternative ball is located. Another 29 sixes and Somerset are home and dry.

Meanwhile in Bristol, play is about to get under way.

Somerset seem really keen to get home. Jamie Overton is the latest to fall, hoiking wildly to deep square leg, a very strange shot in the circumstances. It’s 73-7 now, and they’re 196 notional fairytale runs behind.

Some afternoon reading for you, in the shape of this week’s Spin:

The situation is looking increasingly bad/impossible for the league leaders, with Somerset now six down to Essex and still 202 runs behind. It’s 67-6, with George Bartlett gone for eight, caught low down at gully.

Some scores on the doors. At Chelmsford Steven Davies has just become Somerset’s fifth second-innings wicket to fall, caught by Cook at slip off the bowling of Harmer:

First Division
Essex 216 & 183 v Somerset 131 & 65-5
Surrey 194 & 247-6 v Warwickshire 230

Second Division
Gloucestershire 313 v Glamorgan 187-4 (play is due to start here at 2pm)
Northamptonshire 299 v Leicestershire 6-0 (play has been abandoned for the day due to rain)
Durham 384 all out v Sussex

Hello again! Turns out Anne’s Pantry offers some fine curry action. The umpires have returned to the field here at Chelmsford, where the sun is also currently winning its battle with the clouds, making it rather hot in the press box. Elsewhere:

Updated

I’m off to discover what delights await at Chelmsford’s finest eaterie, Anne’s Pantry, this lunchtime. Back shortly (fingers crossed)!

Updated

Another Somerset wicket falls just before lunch! Siddle bowls short and Hildreth leans back, raises his bat, and flicks through some catching practice for Wheater! And that is lunch, with Somerset on 64-3, still 205 runs away from a very distant-looking victory.

They have broken for lunch at the Oval, where Surrey lead Warwickshire by 207 with five second-innings wickets in hand.

STUMPS at Northamptonshire, where it hasn’t stopped raining and isn’t about to.

Somerset settled down after losing both openers for a combined one run in their second innings at Chemsford, with Tom Banton and James Hildreth putting on 39, but the partnership has just been broken, with the 20-year-old Banton falling for 24. After the sun briefly threatened to break through the clouds have very much settled back in, with a very pleasant cooling breeze. As I type Simon Harmer is bowling, with a slip, a leg slip and short leg in place as Essex keep pushing.

Ned Eckersley has completed his maiden first-class century for Durham, against Sussex. He and Cameron Bancroft (who has just passed 150) have added 263 for the sixth wicket: it’s 353-5 now.

Porter and Beard have been bowling in tandem for Essex, who appear to be deliberately targeting the Shoreditch hipster.

And another one! Azhar Ali is caught at slip off Porter for one. It’s 7-2 now, and another 262 needed.

There are definitely wickets in the water in Chelmsford today. The Somerset captain, Tom Abell, has fallen to the second ball of the innings, caught and bowled by Porter. On the plus side, James Hildreth has just scored a run. It’s thus 1-1, with 268 still needed.

Updated

Five-for for Groenewald! Essex’s second innings has been wrapped up for 183, leaving Somerset to get 269 for victory. Groenewald finishes with 5-51 from 14.3 overs, a very fine effort. Last to fall was Jamie Porter, who gave a regulation catch to Overton at slip, and Essex lost four wickets for 19 runs in 9.3 overs this morning.

Surrey have lost their first wicket of the day, and now lead Warwickshire by 137 runs with six second-innings wickets remaining.

Siddle has gone now, and this time there’s no doubt, as he sends the ball chest-high to Jack Leach. This morning Essex have lost two wickets for three runs.

And another one! But no! Peter Siddle edges to second slip, where the catch is taken low and celebrated by Somerset while the batsman looks quizzically at the umpire, uncertain that it carried. From my seat I thought it probably had, but the umpires have a better view and decided that it hadn’t. Groenewald makes clear his displeasure, and one of the umpires is moved to have a word with his captain, Tom Abell.

Their quest to do so has just been hampered by the dismissal of Simon Harmer, bowled for a nine-ball duck, from his second ball of the day, by Tim Groenewald. It’s his fourth wicket of the innings, and Essex are thus 166-7.

Play has indeed begun on time here, with Lewis Gregory starting the bowling. Essex lead by 249 with consensus being that another 50 would probably leave them in a match-winning position.

Hello world!

Welcome, from (occasionally) sunny Chelmsford, where it has rained heavily overnight but the covers are off and we are hopefully all set for a fine day’s play. Here and elsewhere, the current state of play is like this:

County Championship Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 216 & 164-6 v Somerset 131 (Essex lead by 249 with four wickets remaining)
The Oval: Surrey 194 & 141 v Warwickshire 230 (Surrey lead by 105 with seven wickets remaining)

County Championship Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 313 v Glamorgan 187-4
Northampton: Northamptonshire 299 v Leicestershire 6-0
Brighton: Durham 259-5 v Sussex

And onwards, with the smooth tones of yesterday’s Press Association’s County Championship review:

Essex seamer Aaron Beard celebrated a new contract by taking four wickets in 13 balls as County Championship Division One leaders Somerset were dismissed for just 131 at Chelmsford.

Beard and Jamie Porter - who has likewise signed on until 2021 - shared nine wickets between them as Essex took a first-innings lead of 85 and then reached the close on 164 for six in their second innings.

A magic spell from Beard saw Somerset go from 63 for two to 74 for six by the mid-point of the 33rd over, with Somerset captain Tom Abell (36) and George Bartlett (25) the only batsmen to make any sort of impression for the visitors.

Ex-England skipper Alastair Cook made 47 before falling to Groeneweld in Essex’s second innings.

Surrey sought to make up for a disappointing first day at the Kia Oval as they bowled out Warwickshire for 230, conceding a first-innings lead of 36, before reaching the close on 141 for three.

Sam Curran, Jordan Clark and Morne Morkel finished with three wickets each, while Mark Stoneman made 71 off just 85 balls to help the hosts take a lead of 105.

In Division Two, Chris Jordan took three wickets in just eight balls for Sussex but Durham ended the day on 259 for five thanks to a brilliant century from Cameron Bancroft and strong support from Ned Eckersley.

Jordan ripped through the Durham top order as the visitors went from 64 for one to 90 for five.

But captain Bancroft, having decided to open the batting, stood firm and ended the day unbeaten on 120, while Eckersley was on 70 at the other end come stumps.

Chris Dent’s 105 provided the backbone of Gloucestershire’s innings at Bristol but once he was dismissed the hosts went froM 210 for two to 313 all out, with Glamorgan reaching 187 for four in reply before stumps.

Alex Wakeley hit 65, his second Championship half-century of the season, as Northamptonshire made 299 against Leicestershire, who then closed six without loss.

Updated

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