Northants 81 for one
We’ve been off because there was “a bit of weather about”, but we’re back now, with four overs lost. Currans are back on, which is great.
Interesting stuff happening all over the place. Sussex, all of a sudden, are in for a right royal battle. Hampshire are going to need around 200 to win, and Sussex are going to have to bat for most of tomorrow to save their season. Interesting times.
By the way, the Strangs and the Graces both did the all-10 wickets thing.
Northants 66 for one
Northants are doing much better, but they lost a wicket to the Currans with none on the board. Of course they did. Tom squared Newton up a bit and he got an inside edge through to keeps. Wakely and Duckett have looked much, much better since. Batty’s turned to Harinath before himself, and I think that’s because he’s hosting a jumble sale here tomorrow and doesn’t want it to be cancelled.
Hampshire are on the charge, I see. Great to see Fidel in the wickets, he’s brilliant. Sussex badly need more wickets, or rain, or something.
Northants 110 all out
Amazing stuff at the Oval. The Currans have picked up all ten Northamptonshire wickets. We think that this is the first time it’s happened in a first-class match, but we’re waiting for confirmation. And against Kevin Curran’s old team, too…
Kleinveldt – who had a runner – was out trying to heave to leg. Second seven-fer of the season for Tom, who was quite brilliant. Northants were awful and follow on 300 behind. Poor old Cobb, who was not out having come in at five. Hell of a lot of ineptitude around him. Those Currans are pretty special, mind. Will it finish today?
Northants 90 for eight
Tom Curran, my word. He’s got six, and his brother has the other two. Northants have been pretty insipid again, lots of edges and drag-ons and the like. There’s a possibility that this could be over today. The brothers are bowling in a tandem and just look lovely. Little mirror images of each other, they are. Some doubt over whether Rory Kleinveldt will come out to bat after he left the field in his second over earlier.
See the rain is passing at Headingley. Sussex need to get amongst it, but not as much as Hampshire do. Events at the Oval must be mighty frustrating for Lancashire.
Success for Worcestershire immediately after lunch, with two wickets in four balls for Ed Barnard, replacing Shannon Gabriel at the Diglis end. First to go was Sam Robson, who shuffled too far across his stumps in trying to work the ball to leg and was lbw. Nick Compton was off the mark first ball with a boundary through midwicket, but two balls later was caught at the wicket.
It brought Dawid Malan to the crease, a fellow out first ball in the first innings, his third successive duck. This time he swivelled to pull his first delivery to the square leg boundary. However,there was further success for Worcestershire when Paul Stirling drove firmly at Jack Shantry and was caught at fourth slip. The prospect of an innings defeat and a three day finish loom large for the Middle Saxons. 53-3.
Northants 74 for five
Some pretty spineless stuff from Northants, who are five down and I’m certain they’ll be following on some time after lunch, which has now been taken. Tom Curran has four wickets and could have had five, as Sanga caught Cobb – who has played every single game in every format this season - at first slip, but it was a no-ball. Couple of LBWs and one for Scurran too.
Northants 37 for two
Tom Curran has a couple of wickets at the Oval. Ben Duckett had a little slash outside off and Wilson took a diving catch behind the stumps and Wakely was just trapped in front. I fancy Surrey to win by an innings by about lunchtime tomorrow.
Things elsewhere are a bit more exciting. Hampshire are looking good against Notts, who just lost Mullaney, to bring England’s Samit Patel to the crease. There’s an early lunch at Headingley, where Lyth’s slightly dodgy innings was ended by Hatchett. Serious bowling from Jimmy too, by the way.
Worcestershire finally gave merciful release to the Middlesex bowlers after 70 minutes play. The declaration came with the score 431 for five, which gave Worcestershire a lead of 333 and 40 minutes in which to bowl before lunch. It had taken Tom Kohler-Cadmore five deliveries to move from his overnight 97 to his maiden first class hundred, and he remained undefeated on 130 from 235 balls with 13 fours. The real impetus came after Tom Fell , for 171, and Ross Whitely had gone to Neil Dexter, the unbroken sixth wicket stand bringing 78 from 12 overs, Ben Cox reaching 50 from 37 balls, with six fours and two sixes.
Surrey are all out for 410 after Batty was LBW to Maurice Chambers and Dunn was bowled by White. Little Sammy Curran ran out of partners on 61.
Surrey 403 for eight
Not a great deal to tell you about from the Oval, except that Rory Kleinveldt has gone off, for reasons unknown. Kleinveldt is one of a number of Northamptonshire players who I look at and can’t help but feel their strength and conditioning coach has a nit of answering to do. Graeme White just nearly got a wicket with his first ball but slip’s dropped Curran. Rossington – another who looks better shaped to do my job than his – is the guilty man. An over later and Surrey have their fifth bonus point. No declaration yet.
I see Jimmy’s got a five-bag at Chelmsford (career highlight, no doubt), while in the relegation battle Sussex have failed to build on the early wicket of Gary Ballance. Hampshire need to bowl out Notts in quick time.
A while ago we asked readers to send us photos of cricket around the world. Here’s a selection of your best pictures. They’re great:
Another fine morning at Worcester with Middlesex right up the creek. If time had not been lost and the innings was further advanced then Worcester would have declared first thing to take advantage of the early start. As it is Fell and Kohler-Cadmore will resume their partnership with the latter requiring three runs for his maiden first class hundred.
News from the Oval is that we’ll have an 11am start because the outfield is wet. Bit surprised at that, it’s a beautiful day now.
Well good morning all. The first two days saw two extremes of South London’s tropical microclimate. On Tuesday, it just hammered it down, while yesterday we were bathed in sunshine all day. Today, it’s somewhere in the middle – it’s rained overnight and the clouds have stayed, but the water hasn’t, so we should get a full day’s cricket. Who am I to know, though.
Sangakkara batted like a god yesterday, and Sam Curran played a beauty of a knock late in the day, including this gorgeous cut behind square for four off his toes, which I just felt I had to tell you about. It would be lovely to watch him bat this morning and I suspect he will briefly, before Batty declares on 400. Those points matter. Northants were pretty shoddy, really. Not much time but I actually fancy Surrey to win this. That would be bad news for Lancashire, who faded after a great start against Essex. Difficult to see how they get the win they need.
There were SCENES followed by calm at Taunton yesterday as Warwickshire lost 5 for none (not a typo), mostly to Jack Leach, who I think looks like he’s the clever one in a mid-budget US drama. That kept Somerset up and confirmed what we expected – that the Hampshire or Sussex are going down. Thus those two engaged in an inept-off, both crumbling to sweet-F.A-for-five before fighting back a bit. It’s basically a one innings game at Headingley, while I reckon we could actually see Hampshire declare behind today in their bid to force a win. They’ve got to bowl Notts out again so why not do it sooner rather than later?
Mike Selvey is at Worcester and if you haven’t read the first paragraph of his piece from yesterday (or indeed the whole piece), then I suggest you do that now, because it’s a veritable zinger. Lovely to see the Toms – Fell and Kohler-Cadmore – going well, hope the latter gets his ton first thing. That said, I expressed the same sentiments about Glamorgan’s Aneurin Donald yesterday, and he got out straight away. Looks a batter’s deck, that one in Bristol. Over at Derby, a game is happening.
Enjoy the cricket. There’s only one more day!
Morning all,
We’re back with Will Macpherson at The Oval for Surrey v Northamptonshire and Mike Selvey at New Road for Worcestershire v Middlesex. Here are their reports from yesterday:
Will Macpherson rounds up the action
Mike Selvery reports from Worcestershire v Middlesex
Enjoy the cricket
