Myburgh is gone too, playing a very strange drive to sky to Franklin at mid-off. Murtagh is bowling a sensational spell to Trescothick, who is stuck on 21, has been struck on the hand and is groping lots outside off. It’s 57 for two and Middlesex want the weather to stay away.
Not quite TMS but not far off, as a meat and potato pie (made by Scott Borthwick’s grandmother no less) was delivered to the press box. As a non-eater of animals I did not partake in the chomping but others did and seemed to enjoy it.
Meanwhile, the last remnants of Durham’s second innings were devoured by Jeetan Patel - Chris Rushworth lbw sweeping, therefore ending a 48-run stand for the ninth wicket, and Jamie Harrison taken at bat-pad immediately after bringing up an 80-ball 50. Warwickshire require 265 to win and that will be a challenge on this surface.
Middlesex were made to wait for their first wicket as Tres and Abell played rather nicely first up. They pinched some nice singles and Tres has cut and driven handsomely, while Abell unfurled a beautiful cover drive off Murtagh, despite edging between keeper and first slip on 8 off TRJ, who barked a massive groan of disappointment. But now Dial M has his man, Abell pinned plumb LBW with little in the way of doubt from the umpire. It’s 39 for one and who one earth knows what the weather - or this game - is doing.
I say scoring is tough, and then we have three sixes in two overs. Groenewald was brought on, and Franklin heaved him for 14 in the over, including two legside sixes, the second of which Myburgh caught before taking over the boundary. Then Simpson carved Gregory over long on with the same result. Franklin tried a repeat dose but was caught at deep midwicket.
Everyone wondered why he didn’t declare straight away (Simpson expected him to, walking off with him only to be sent back) but Ollie Rayner provides the answer immediately, smoking an unbelievable drive between the bowler and mid-off. Smacked his front foot and down and whacked it back from whence it came. Then the declaration came. In 29 overs they did well to score at 4.55 and their 132 for six set a (notional) target of 219 in exactly 40 overs. It’s tea, and believe it or not, the sun is trying to come out. Should be a fun session coming up, don’t think Somerset can win, but Middlesex will certainly fancy their chances.
And all of a sudden, I think the game of cricket is one of this fine earth’s great gifts again.
Compo and Morgan are gone now too. Compton took 13 runs off a Trego over then perished to the first ball of Overton’s next. Quick, outside off, nicked, well caught down to his right by Tres at second. Superb stuff from Overton, who follows this up with a belting over to Morgan, with two decent LBW shouts and the bat beaten. Trego took advantage of this, as a softened up Morgan guided it to third slip soon after. That’s a pair for Morgan, and a pretty sorry one too.
I reckon a declaration is coming soon and despite being 86 for five, Middlesex can’t lose. Scoring is really tough.
That’s the quickest yorker I’ve seen this season, by some distance. Malan had just creamed JOverton beautifully through the covers, and the big man responded with a jaffer that took out – literally – his middle stump, screaming his delight as he did so. Belting delivery. It was dark when that happened and the umpires rightly ushered them off. Overton needed to be literally dragged off but Eoin Morgan, on a pair, wasn’t so fussed. They’re back out now after just a couple of minutes – one of those days – and Morgan has let two Overton heatseekers – both puffing dust from the pitch – outside off. It’s 66 for three and the lead is 152.
Richard Gibson has news of wickets
Two further wickets post lunch and this contest is moving on at a rapid pace. Gordon Muchall had all his weight on the back foot as he sliced a delivery from Clarke through to Ambrose while John Hastings was less culpable after nicking a good delivery from Oliver Hannon-Dalby. But Ryan Pringle is still there batting sensibly, striking the ball cleanly down the ground for a couple of fours when Woakes returned from the Lumley end. Durham effectively 190-7 second time around.
Since lunch we were off for bad light and we’ll start 50 minutes later, with 20 overs lost, at 2.15 BST (or 2.11 MTS time), 119 minutes after we went off. Really looking forward to watching some cricket, even if I am now bald of head. Been a really frustrating couple of hours hours.
Richard Gibson reports
A brilliant catch high above his head at third slip by Laurie Evans terminated Michael Richardson’s cameo counter-attack and left Durham 34-5 at lunch, and the game in the balance. Grey skies dictated a bowler-friendly morning but if the weather eases up and Warwickshire can keep their target to around 250 - Durham currently lead by 150 - this match could include a fascinating finale.
Meanwhile, some more international news for you. No, not Brad Haddin out of the Lord’s Test. Oman, brimming with the ideas of new coaching consultant Derek Pringle, have defeated the Netherlands by six wickets in a World Twenty20 qualifier. That’s two wins in a row for Pringle’s men...
Cricket being phenomenally cricket here, I’m afraid. It was raining when they came off at 12.14, but not very heavily. Classic – and I know use this line plenty on this blog – wouldn’t-start-in-it-but-would-stay-on-in-it territory. Thus they set a dangerous precedent that very light mizzle was enough to get them off the ground. That mizzle hasn’t changed in the 30 minutes since, but not a ball has been bowled, despite – in my opinion – it being more than playable.
The umpires essentially decided that early lunch would be taken, which was fine. 12.30 would be the perfect time to do that, they thought. Just 16 minutes and a few overs lost. Lovely job. But no, we can’t eat at 12.30 because the caterers aren’t ready so by the time the food arrives it’ll be 12.45 and we’ll take lunch then. So what I’m saying to you – between ripping chunks of my hair out – is that we’ve just lost 15 extra minutes BECAUSE THE FOOD WASN’T READY.
So, we should resume play at 1.25 (or 1.21 BST because the clock here is fast) with eight vital overs lost to a rain delay that should never have started (although I really don’t want to be hard on the umpires because it’s a thankless task, their job), and has been extended further by catering difficulties. Everyone’s just hanging around and, as the fine fellow from Opta has just said to me, it’s got a real Dads-at-the-maternity-ward feel to it. So, so, so (insert as many sos as you feel my tone requires) frustrating. It’s not like this game hadn’t already lost 122 overs to weather or all three results were still possible. GRRRRRRRR.
Richard Gibson reports
Wow. This game has exploded into life. Chris Woakes was handed the new ball by Varun Chopra and he has been simply stunning. Rikki Clarke has been on the money too and Durham are 9-4. Yes 9-4. Paul Collingwood, already facing a level two charge for first-innings dissent, did not like his lbw decision (umpire David Millns appeared to make a note of his reaction at square leg) but the other three dismissals were fairly comprehensive. First-innings centurion Mark Stoneman nicked a rearing delivery from Woakes, Keaton Jennings had his stumps splattered by Clarke and Scott Borthwick edged a jagger to give Woakes a third success.
Meanwhile, news from the Australian camp that Lancashire’s James Faulkner has received a four-match ban for his off-field misdemeanours.
Updated
.....and that rain is taking us off. Barely more than spit. Very frustrating.
This game is moving along nicely and there’s some quiet optimism in the press tent that we might just manage a result today. Sam Robson creamed a cut in the first over and was looking really nice (although third man was a bit busy to both him and Joe Burns), until he feathered Groenewald behind for 18. No mistake – obviously – from Bates.
Then Burns nicked Trego off to Tres at second (Allenby fields at first now) for 10. That brings an end to the batting part of Burns stay at Middlesex. His numbers aren’t great – 330 at 27.5 with three fifties – but he’s always looked good, often opening, which isn’t necessarily easy for a boy from Brisbane in tough English conditions (just like today). Always felt like a ton was just around the corner but alas, it never came. Nevertheless, he’s become an immensely popular member of the Middlesex squad and it would be no surprise to see him back here at some stage or another.
Anyway, this is cracking cricket, with both teams in the market for a result. Only catch, I think it’s just raining a bit again. Not heavy enough to get us off. Middlesex are 40 for two, 126 ahead and needing to be sensible, probably until lunch, before a few overs of teeing off, then 50 overs at Somerset with a lead of 220-250.
Richard Gibson is banging on about the cricket in Durham
“If we can just go BANG, BANG, BANG in the morning then we’ll be in a good position,” is an oft-spewed phrase by county cricketers. Well, Durham went BANG, BANG ... BANG at the start of the third day with overnight pair Chris Woakes and Jeetan Patel dismissed quickly before a brief spell of resistance from last-wicket pair Tom Milnes and Oliver Hannon-Dalby. Chris Rushworth finished with figures of 20-7-43-5 to take his Division One wicket haul to 52 for this season, two clear of nearest rival James Harris, of Middlesex. Durham lead by 116 on first innings.
Somerset are done for. Bates tried to pinch a single to mid-on where Morgan lurked, then produced a decent direct hit. Bates run out for eight and Somerset all out for 197, so 86 behind. Middlesex will look to score quickly and set up a target. My hunch is that Somerset would be more likely to bowled out for less than 200 in 40 overs at the back end of the day than chase a total like that down.
It is blooming murky though, so we’re once again at the mercy of the weather.
Well a very fine morning to you all. It’s not even 11am (the clock on the pavilion here is fast so we’ve started every session – all six of them – four minutes early) and I’ve already seen more cricket than I did all of yesterday. James Harris has replaced Steven Finn, who was really excellent on Sunday, which feels a lifetime or two ago, to be honest. We are now 48 hours into Somerset’s 71-over old innings.
WICKET! We have a wicket! And Compton has taken one hell of a catch at mid-off. Groenewald was just really early to Murtagh and skied a drive. It swirled around for about 10-12 seconds and Compton was shuffling about underneath it and, falling backwards, took a sensational catch. Great technique. No addition to the overnight score, and this is just what the doctors of Middlesex ordered. They need another swifto if we’re to get a decent finish. Big Jamie Overton and little Michael Bates – who just scored the first run of the morning – are the men trying to prevent that.
To follow up on from Gibbo’s Yorkshire news, I understand (courtesy of some-time patron of this blog, Lizzy Ammon) that Cricket Australia have confirmed that Maxwell is good to stick around in the UK rather than joining Australia A in India.
Also, it’s free entry here – as I personally think all Champo cricket should be - so if you’re nearby, do head down.
Morning all,
Today we have Will Macpherson at Northwood for Middlesex v Somerset and Richard Gibson at Chester-le-Street for Durham v Warwickshire. Here’s a scenesetter from Richard:
There will be little sympathy outside the Broad Acres given that they are runaway leaders in the County Championship race but Yorkshire have had some ill luck with their overseas signings this summer. As I speculated on here the other day, Aaron Finch’s second spell at Headingley is over.
A fracture of a metatarsal - that bone David Beckham made famous - means he returns to Australia to see a specialist today. He incurred the damage in his foot during last Friday’s Twenty20 win over Durham, completing a frustrating few months for the 28-year-old. A hamstring tear while on Indian Premier League duty sidelined him for seven weeks and delayed his arrival in Leeds, and he then suffered a bruised lung after being struck by a short ball in a second team game.
“That’s the end of the season for Aaron, as far as Yorkshire is concerned,” said the club’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon. “It is a great disappointment for Aaron and the club and we wish him a speedy recovery.”
Yorkshire, who lost early-season import Younis Khan to Pakistan duty before he even arrived and subsequently recruited India’s Cheteshwar Pujara, will now ask Cricket Australia to extend Glenn Maxwell’s spell. They hope he can rejoin after Australia A’s two-week tour of India concludes. He plays his final NatWest Blast game of his current stay tonight. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson returns for the last four County Championship fixtures.
On the field, I will be watching one of their most obvious title challengers Durham - who they face at Scarborough next month - attempt to close a 31-point deficit with victory over injury-hit Warwickshire. Warwickshire resume on 167-7, 147 runs in arrears.
Expert rain summariser Will Macpherson will switch from mizzle, drizzle and puddle analysis to provide news of second-placed Middlesex’s efforts to breathe life into their contest with Somerset at Northwood and we will keep you abreast of significant events elsewhere too.
Enjoy the cricket.
