Tanya's county roundup
Kyle Abbott produced one of the greatest performances in the history of county cricket to throw an enormous pancake over Somerset’s hopes of winning their first Championship title. At a blue‑skied Aegeas Bowl he followed his nine for 40 in the first innings, with eight for 46 in the second – collecting 17 for 86, the best bowling figures for Hampshire and the best figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker shyly gathered 19 for 90 in black and white in 1956.
Somerset, left to chase 281, had lunched merrily after reaching it 62 without loss. But a revitalised Abbott, now pitching the ball up, took the post-sandwiches ball and Murali Vijay swatted him to mid-on, From there, Somerset fell to 100 for seven. There was a brief respite as Abbott rested, but he returned to mop up two of the last three wickets to leave a shellshocked Somerset licking their wounds.
“I reckon that is the best I can bowl,” he said. “Everything I wanted to do worked. It just happened to be one of those days – it was incredible. It only takes one or two balls to think that I’m in it. Once I hit my length at my optimum speed then from there it puts my mind in a different space.”
The result means that the Championship will be decided in the final round of matches, when Essex visit Taunton next week. Somerset must win, as Essex will go into the match with a 12-point advantage after beating Surrey by an innings at Chelmsford. On a day for South African bowlers, Simon Harmer took seven for 58 to rapidly run through Surrey’s lineup and take his tally this season to 78. Earlier he had made a smote-heavy 50 not out as Essex built an unassailable lead.
Not a man to be overshadowed this match, or this month, Darren Stevens rolled into Yorkshire’s batting after tea, with four for 12. Six down at the close, Yorkshire require another 507 to win. Sam Billings had earlier made his second century of the game before Kent declared.
Nottinghamshire found themselves in the peculiar position of posting 498 in their first innings, yet in trouble by the end of the third day – 105 for five, a lead of just 115 against Warwickshire. Dominic Sibley was the man responsible for almost wiping out Notts’ run advantage, carrying his bat for 215.
In Division Two, Gloucestershire easily knocked off the runs at New Road, to be in a strong chance of promotion to Division One for the first time in 14 years. Sussex’s promotion hopes were finished after defeat against Derbyshire; Glamorgan kept their outlandish hopes alive at Sophia Gardens, and Northamptonshire still need two wickets to be on the cusp of Division One. At Old Trafford, the game sprung into life after Lancashire lost five wickets in the final session.
Close of play scores: Division Two
Sophia Gardens Glamorgan 435 & 251-5 dec v Leicestershire 263 & 32-2. Leics need 392 runs to win
Old Trafford Lancashire 259 & 289-8 v Middlesex 337. Lancashire lead by 211 runs
Northampton Northamptonshire 217 & 315 v Durham 131 & 212-8. Durham need 190 runs to win
Results:
Derby Derbyshire 138 & 437 v Sussex 231 & 163. Derbyshire won by 181 runs
New Road Worcestershire 221 & 128 v Gloucestershire 235 & 115-4. Gloucestershire won by six wickets
Close of play scores: Division One
Trent Bridge Nottinghamshire 498 & 105-5 v Warwickshire 488. Notts lead by 115 runs with five wickets remaining
Headingley Yorkshire 269 & 44-6 v Kent 482-8 dec & 337-7 dec. Yorks need 507 runs to win
Results:
Chelmsford Essex 395 v Surrey 174 & 181. Essex win by an innings and 40 runs
Ageas Bowl Hampshire 196 & 226; Somerset 142 & 144. Hampshire win by 136 runs
Derbyshire beat Sussex by 181 runs
And knock Sussex out of the promotion race.
The lights are on here at Old Trafford and the mood is gloomy, Lancashire have lost their seventh wicket, Jones caught at gully off Cummins. The lead is 198.
I’d better write up now, on what has been an extraordinary few hours in the Championship, perhaps the day the winner was decided. An exceedingly glum one for Somerset, who went from optimistic lunching to losing seven for 14, and all ten wickets in a session. Arise Kyle Abbot. With Surrey on the brink of defeat - Essex will travel to Taunton with a comfortable lead. The weather forecast for the south-west next week is mixed.
Kyle Abbott finishes with 17-86 for Hampshire against Somerset - the best figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker's 19-90 in 1956 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QNVcnWFLwV
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 18, 2019
Leicestershire 19-2. Azad still there, of course. A couple for Lukas Carey. Come on Leicestershire, take it into day four.
And poor old Sussex down and nearly out (of the promotion race), 146 for 8, 197 needed. Ben Brown holding on, of course, 25 not out. Against Derby! This will hurt.
I’m wondering, somewhat cruelly, can Notts manage to lose this match from a first-innings score of 498? Currently 46-3, a lead of just 56.
Yorkshire 16/3. Darren Stevens three for six. God love His Tubbyness. This time next year, Kent must remember to tell him his contract is up again.
And at Old Trafford, Lancashire are teetering on the edge of having a match on their hands. 271 for 6 after Vilas meandered in front of a straight one.Lead 193.
If Glamorgan win.. and Leicestershire need a somewhat unlikely 419 to stop that happening...Gloucestershire still have a small battle on their hands in the next round. They will be 16 points clear, so they will need to pocket those bonus points to be sure...
I see that Lyth has shouldered arms to Darren Stevens. Suddenly I feel rather weary. Yorkshire 15/2.
☝️ OUT | @Stevo208's on 🔥!
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 18, 2019
Lyth goes and Yorkshire are 9/2
LIVE STREAM ➡️ https://t.co/25sPGZr6eP #SuperKent pic.twitter.com/h4lCYcbGSW
Poor Keaton Jennings, played on for 97, his second of the summer, still no century this season.
AND YORKSHIRE ARE 4-1, Revis lbw Darren Stevens 0. Just the 547 to win.
Updated
So, Abbott finished with Hampshire’s best-ever bowling figures, the fourth-best Championship figures ever and the first 17-wicket haul in the Championship for 80 years. He also put on 119 with James Vince for the ninth wicket to give Hampshire a more-than-comfortable buffer.
It means that, unless Essex fail to beat Surrey, Somerset will have to beat Essex at Taunton next week.
Updated
Hampshire beat Somerset by 136 runs
Abbott 17-86 - eight for 46 in the first innings.
Nothing like something happens anywhere.
Congratulations Sam Billings!
💯 | UNREAL! A hat-trick of centuries in three innings for our captain!@sambillings becomes the:
— Kent Cricket (@KentCricket) September 18, 2019
- First Kent player since Martin van Jaarsveld to score a ton in each innings of the same match (2008)
- First man ever to do so in the @CountyChamp at Headingley#SuperKent pic.twitter.com/5BKqzNKEyu
Updated
Tea-time scores
Division One
NOT TEA:Southampton: Hampshire 196: Dawson 103, Gregory 3-63 & 226:Vince 142*Somerset 142: Bess 37, Abbott 9-40 and 141-8 Abbott 7-43. SOMERSET NEED 140 TO WIN.
Chelmsford: Surrey 174 Smith 34, Foakes 34; Porter 5-62, S Cook (5-53) and 110-5 Harmer 5-29 Essex 395: Lawrence 147, ten Doeschate 103; Clarke 3-52
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 498: Mullaney 179, Clarke 125, Coughlin 49; Brookes 3-131 Warwickshire: 488: Sibley 216 not out, Hain 76
Headingley: Kent 482-8 dec & 1276-5: Robinson 97, Billings 99 not out Yorkshire 269: Fisher 47*; Milnes 5-87, Stevens 2-50
Division Two
New Road: Worcestershire 221: Wessels 72, Higgins 4-55, Payne 3-57 & 128: Morris 29*; Higgins 4-34. Gloucestershire 235 and 115-4. GLOUCESTERSHIRE WIN BY SIX WICKETS.
Old Trafford: Lancashire 259: Livingston 84, Croft 55* & 235-3 Jennings 90, Livingstone 57 Middlesex 337: Simpson 167*, Sowter 52; Bailey 5-78, Parkinson 3-49.
The County Ground: Derbyshire 138 & 437 :Reece 184, Godleman 106; Robinson 5-88; Sussex 231: Van Zyl 60; Reece 5-63 and 94-4 Dal 3-11. SUSSEX NEED 251 TO WIN.
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 217 & 315: Levi 60, Rossington 52, Procter 86 not out; Raine 4-93 Durham 131: Eckersley 37; Sanderson 6-54 and 122-6 Hutton 3-38. DURHAM NEED 280 TO WIN.
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 435 Cooke 96, Lloyd 66, Patel 66; Wright 5-64 and 171-4 Brathwaite 68 not out. Leicestershire 263 Wright 60; Smith 3-43, Patel 4-58
Billings takes tea on 99; while Sibley carries his bat for Warwickshire, 215 not out. After a brief respite at the Ageas, Abbott comes back into the attack and Somerset lose their eighth wicket, Coverton for 10. Abbott now has 16 - the last man to do that in the Championship was that seaming sensation, Martin Bicknell.
Hutton + Procter +Sanderson = Durham in Division 2 for 2020. 116 for six, still 286 to win.
Here at OT Livingstone goes to his fifty and this game drifts towards an end of season draw. Lancs 225-3, a lead of 147.
Salt and van Zyl in at Derby. They have a chance here if they can make it to ... and there goes Salt. Sussex 72-3, need another 273 to win. Time for a Ben Brown 150.
Sam Billings just ten short of making hundreds in both innings at Headingley. Yorkshire toiling on, just the 474 behind.
Updated
And there it is - 504 mins, 406 balls, 28 fours - Dom Sibley makes it a double-ton to a standing ovation from the crowd.
Simon Harmer adds to his overflowing cupboard of wickets - four for 21 at Chelmsford, Pope the latest to go. No, make that five down, Jacks out first ball - Harmer on a hat-trick. Surrey 80-5, still 141 behind.
Updated
Thanks for the alert BTL. Jim Laker has the only 19-fer in first-class cricket. There have been two 18-fers - FW Lillywhite’s 18-?, Players v Gentlemen at Lords, 1837 and HA Arkwright’s 18-96 MCC v Gentlemen of Kent, Canterbury 1861. The previous best in the County Championship is C Blythe’s 17-48, Kent v Northants 1907. Kyle Abbott currently has 15 at Taunton.
Updated
Adjourning back to Southampton where people better get a hurry on if they want to take advantage of that free parking. Somerset 100-7; Bess lbw Abbott 0. Abbott 6-34, and 15-74 in the match.
Updated
Adjourning briefly to Trent Bridge, where Dom Sibley has moved on to 194 and Warwickshire are just 53 behind.
You might want to cover your eyes.
WICKETS: @Kyle_Abbott87 continues to amaze, this time striking both Banton (2) & Barlett (0) LBW with consecutive in-swinging deliveries.
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) September 18, 2019
The seamer continues his next over on a hat-trick!🔥
📲 iOS: https://t.co/3H80EnOA4p
📲 Android: https://t.co/gImTwZuJKX pic.twitter.com/kakAwa1Mcp
And there goes Davies, caught behind for 52. Abbott has 5-34 and 14 in the match. SOMERSET HAVE LOST SIX FOR TEN - nice even numbers I suppose.
Updated
Hampshire have just announced free entry and parking for the rest of the day.
Abbot on a hat-trick...Somerset have lost five for nine.
Updated
Goodbye, cruel world. George Bartlett, strong contender for young player of the year, goes first ball. Somerset 95-5. Abbot now has 13 wickets in the game. And Surrey slip to 63-3, Smith lbw Harmer.
Anyway, let’s talk about Durham. Brett Hutton has added a wicket to his lunchtime haul, but Watling and Burnham have steadied the ship with 20 each. Durham 59-3 needing an unlikely, but possible, 343.
Somerset have now lost three for six: Hildreth follows Abell and Vijay into the darkness. 92-3, needing 189 to win.
Oh s;kdjfaoifhgaoidjfaos’dfjalk;o********
Bohannon goes for 28 to TRJ. If you enlarge this and look hard you can just about see the footmarks. In real life they’re like a scar across the grass. Lancs 129-3.
At Chelmsford it’s that man Simon Harmer again. He’s grabbed both Stoneman and Borthwick. Surrey 40-2 and it’s down to the young’uns - Smith and Pope.
The answer: @tobyrj21! 🙌
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) September 18, 2019
Bohannon trapped LBW for 28, and Lancashire are effectively 48/3 in their second innings!
Match centre & scorecard 👉 https://t.co/oE9x4T9A44 pic.twitter.com/ZkDv7BANZ2
Eeek. Abbott lathers up and Abell edges him behind. This is not good. Somerset 91/2.
Vijay falls for 29 - to Abbott, who has a peculiar taste for Somerset wickets. Somerset 86-1, need another 195 to win.
Lovely! With a neat little knee bob, Jennings makes his sixth fifty of the season - no hundreds to date. Lancs 126-2.
Another message from a happy Gloucestershire fan:
@tjaldred re Gloucestershire's form at Cheltenham and since then...Hammond who saw it home today is Cheltenham born and raised of course so great to see a local lad make it to Div 1.
— snair (@Samlmnair) September 18, 2019
Just walked round Old Trafford anti-clockwise and feel discombobulated. But I sat in the stands for a bit, which was lovely, and watched Toby Roland-Jones run in, slightly, it pains me to say, ploddingly. Then I came back up to the press box and noticed for the first time how deeply his run up has been trodden into the grass. Think train tracks rather than breadcrumbs, stretching out as he approaches the stumps. The outfield is surprisingly wet even now - September dew rather than overnight rain. Anyway, let’s see what’s happening at Taunton - ah! Hurrah Vijay and Davies (83-0).
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Southampton: Hampshire 196: Dawson 103, Gregory 3-63 & 226:Vince 142*Somerset 142: Bess 37, Abbott 9-40 and 62-0. SOMERSET NEED 219 TO WIN.
Chelmsford: Surrey 174 Smith 34, Foakes 34; Porter 5-62, S Cook (5-53) and 31-0 Essex 395: Lawrence 147, ten Doeschate 103; Clarke 3-52
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 498: Mullaney 179, Clarke 125, Coughlin 49; Brookes 3-131Warwickshire: 381-5: Sibley 156 not out, Hain 76
Headingley: Kent 482-8 dec & 124-3:Robinson 50 not out Yorkshire 269: Fisher 47*; Milnes 5-87, Stevens 2-50
Division Two
New Road: Worcestershire 221: Wessels 72, Higgins 4-55, Payne 3-57 & 128: Morris 29*; Higgins 4-34. Gloucestershire 235 and 115-4. GLOUCESTERSHIRE WIN BY SIX WICKETS.
Old Trafford: Lancashire 259: Livingston 84, Croft 55* & 95-2 Middlesex 337: Simpson 167*, Sowter 52; Bailey 5-78, Parkinson 3-49.
The County Ground: Derbyshire 138 & 437 :Reece 184, Godleman 106; Robinson 5-88; Sussex 231: Van Zyl 60; Reece 5-63 and 8-0. SUSSEX NEED 337 TO WIN.
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 217 & 315: Levi 60, Rossington 52, Procter 86 not out; Raine 4-93 Durham 131: Eckersley 37; Sanderson 6-54 and 18-2. DURHAM NEED 384 TO WIN.
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 435 Cooke 96, Lloyd 66, Patel 66; Wright 5-64 and 63-2. Leicestershire 263 Wright 60; Smith 3-43, Patel 4-58
A fairy listless morning here at Old Trafford as the players walk in for lunch, the willowy Jennings towering over the neat and compact Bohannon. Lancashire lead by 17. Lunch-scores to follow, with two balls left to negotiate for Somerset’s openers....
Updated
Warwickshire creeping up on Nottinghamshire’s mammoth total. Banks just out for 41; but Dom Sibley still there, 148 in just short of 400 minutes. He should be just what England are looking for, a Grangrind (“obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders”) who just loves batting. A second grafter, after Burns, to ground a line-up of stylists.
At Headingley, Matt Fisher, who top-scored yesterday for the Yorkies, got a couple of quick wickets this morning - Zak Crawley and Daniel Bell-Drummond. Du Plessis followed for 36 which leaves Ollie Robinson (44) and Sam Billings to build on the already hefty lead of 324. Next man in? DI Stevens.
Updated
See this?
SHOT! Lovely from Vijay! He slashes Barker to the backward point boundary and Somerset are 22/0#HAMvSOM#WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/q6TCsIEV3Y
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) September 18, 2019
Mahmood falls for 34, Lancashire 75-2.
A huge roar and a cacophony of foot stamping from the Lancashire dressing-room - 33 not out and a career best for Saqib Mahmood! Lancashire 70-1, trailing by just eight.
Essex all out 395 - three for Virdi, three for Clark, two each for Clarke and Morkel - early wickets but an unbeaten quick fifty from Simon Harmer completing Essex’s grinding of Taunton dreams.
Surrey go out to bat with a deficit of 222 - can they bat it out? Last year’s Surrey, perhaps. This year’s Surrey? Not a chance.
A lovely note, thank you Tom.
@tjaldred my father, who died in January, was a life-long Gloucs man and would be loving this late surge to Division 1. Come on the Shire!
— Tom Wellman (@pauliewalnuts2) September 18, 2019
Saqib Mahmood brings up the fifty partnership at Old Trafford, down on one knee with bat up periscope. Poor Keaton Jennings, less than a year after his last Test hundred but no longer even mentioned in dispatches, 26 not out.
Ken Grime sitting next to me is supplying over by over updates from Taunton. But I won’t do that to you. Just to say it is looking ok after two.
Gloucestershire beat Worcestershire by six wickets
For the first time in 14 years, Gloucestershire can consider Division One a real possibility - after winning at a canter this morning with an unbeaten partnership of 74 between Hammond and Shaw. It is their first Championship double over Worcestershire in 34 years and leaves them, maybe, depending on events, needing just a few bonus points from their last game against Northants next week.
It is all quite a turnaround from mid-summer. Up until the Cheltenham Festival Gloucs had won only one of their first eight games. Since then, four wins in five has given them a sniff of the rarified Division One air. And they like it.
Somerset need 281 to win!
Such a strange set of scorecards from the match at the Ageas - two brilliant hundreds from Vince and Dawson, one forty, one thirty, four twenties and 21 single figures scores. The key, as always, is staying in!
And with that Hampshire are all out for 226 - this is Somerset’s moment.
Updated
VINCE OUT! For cruelly-timed but beautiful 142. Hampshire 222-9, a lead of 276.
Hammond and Shaw cruising at New Road - just 26 needed now to give Gloucestershire one hand on Division One; Wright and Davis holding on admirably at Sophia Gardens - just 41 to avoid the follow-on.
Heartwarming stuff:
This is terrific. Pakistan have been one of the countries leading the way for a while now in making cricket available to all those who want to play it, no matter what their circumstances, & this is another example of it... https://t.co/mIe871TZ1s
— Brian Murgatroyd (@murgersb) September 17, 2019
Sussex have ordered Derbyshire crumble, and that’s what’s happening today, losing three for 11 this morning, all to Ollie Robinson, a tricky customer when he’s on a roll.
County caps are funny things. Durham give them out when players make their debuts because they don’t like the sense of hierachy that capped and uncapped players produces, every other club has their own particular parameters. Anyway, congratulations Sam Northeast!
Special moment receiving my county cap today. Extremely grateful to join a host of great names. Also special mention goes to @Kyle_Abbott87 and @vincey14 for their performances today. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/t49wAyRzVM
— Sam Northeast (@sanortheast) September 17, 2019
Start of play scores
Division One
Southampton: Hampshire 196: Dawson 103, Gregory 3-63 & 176-8:Vince 102*Somerset 142: Bess 37, Abbott 9-40
Chelmsford: Surrey 174: Smith 34, Foakes 34; Porter 5-62, S Cook (5-53)Essex 302-6: Lawrence 147, ten Doeschate 78*; Clarke 3-52
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 498: Mullaney 179, Clarke 125, Coughlin 49; Brookes 3-131Warwickshire: 264-2: Sibley 115*, Hain 67*
Headingley: Kent 482-8 dec & 2-0:Bell-Drummond 2*Yorkshire 269: Fisher 47*; Milnes 5-87, Stevens 2-50
Division Two
Old Trafford: Lancashire 259: Livingston 84, Croft 55* & 14-1 Middlesex 337: Simpson 167*, Sowter 52; Bailey 5-78, Parkinson 3-49
The County Ground: Derbyshire 138 & 360-2:Reece 184, Godleman 106*Sussex 231: Van Zyl 60; Reece 5-63
Worcestershire 221: Wessels 72, Higgins 4-55, Payne 3-57 & 128: Morris 29*; Higgins 4-34
New Road: Gloucestershire 235: Payne 43, Higgins 42, Roderick 40, Barnard 6-42 & 54-4: Finch 2-7
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 217 & 235-6: Levi 60, Rossington 52; Raine 3-63Durham 131: Eckersley 37; Sanderson 6-54
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 435 Cooke 96, Lloyd 66, Patel 66; Wright 5-64Leicestershire 191-9 (70 overs): Horton 49; Smith 3-26, Patel 3-44
Updated
Apologies a late start this morning, I walked up the stairs, as the players clunked down, their studs rattling on the steel steps. I forgot to mention last night that Saqib Mahmood came in last night as nightwatchman for Davies. Bamber has three slips and is charging in from the Statham End.
Preamble!
Good morning from an overcast Old Trafford, where Lancashire will try and bat out of the elephant trap they accidentally fell into yesterday as Middlesex remembered how to bat. Elsewhere, all eyes on the Ageas, to see how much larger that cruel master James Vince can make Somerset’s target - currently 230, comfortably the highest score of the match. What a day to score his first red-ball century of the summer.
Elsewhere, Dan Lawrence and Ryan ten Doeschate have put chasers Essex in a good position; Yorkshire are in trouble and Dom Sibley showed his wares to watching selector James Taylor.
In Division two Gloucestershire face a tense morning - 61 needed, six wickets in hand, in a low-scoring game at New Road. Sussex, who had to watch Derbyshire - Derbyshire! - pile on the runs at The County Ground yesterday, can only hope to somehow rescue their promotion dreams today. Northants are well on top against Durham and Glamorgan are within a wicket of enforcing the follow-on at Sophia Gardens
