Graham Hardcastle sends his last report of the day from Taunton
We are heading towards tea and a draw at Taunton, where Yorkshire are still batting at 375-9 after 133 overs of their second innings, which is a lead of 328 with only 31 overs left. Both sides will come out of this match with decent hauls - Yorkshire 13 points and Somerset 12.
Graham Hardcastle writes from Taunton
Would you Adam and Eve it! Adil Rashid has become the second man in the match to fall for 99, caught at short fine-leg by Alfonso Thomas as he attempted to help part-time off-spinner Johann Myburgh around the corner, leaving Yorkshire at 331-8, a lead of 283 with a little under 50 overs left in the day.
Rashid had only just lost his seventh-wicket partner Tim Bresnan, lbw to the same bowler, but Somerset’s couple of successes since lunch have come a little too late to force a win. Rashid fell one short of a fourth hundred in eleven Championship matches against Somerset, and he now has 711 runs in that time.
Tom Cooper, Somerset’s Australia-born Dutchman, also fell for 99 yesterday.
Will Macpherson has news of a result
SURREY WIN BY THREE WICKETS
That’s that, then. Roy produced a gem of an innings to register 50 from 41 and end 60 not out, the winning runs coming with a decidedly KP-ian slap through midwicket on one leg. The over before, Coles was convinced he had him LBW, before Roy clubbed him down the ground for four. Serious knock, and Surrey’s first half-century of the match.
For Kent, Coles bowled well but Adam Riley – who is on England’s radar – struggled to find his own radar and picked up only the wicket of Steven Davies after lunch. Full report on its way.
News from Will Macpherson in Kent
This game is very nearly over. Since lunch, Surrey have added 36 but have lost two wickets – Steven Davies caught at slip off Riley and now Gary Wilson nibbling, caught behind off Coles, who has been excellent. Gareth Batty at the crease with Jason Roy, who has been really positive since the break.
So just Tom Curran and an injured Luke Fletcher to come, then. Surrey need 16, Kent need three wickets. Game on – it’s all you out there Jason Roy.
Will Macpherson’s lunchtime report
That’s lunch and Surrey are 141-5. Davies is looking excellent - as he has all season - but Jason Roy, playing in probably the third of his six gears, has offered chances. He edged Riley past slip for four and survived a fine last over before the break from Coles, edging through a vacant third slip and playing and missing next ball. With 54 required, this is very much Surrey’s to lose after a trickier early spell. Lunch well, all.
Graham Hardcastle sends another report from Taunton
One wicket in the morning session is not what the doctor ordered from Somerset’s point of view, and you would have to say that this match is now heading towards a draw with Yorkshire reaching lunch at 275-6, a lead of 228 with a minimum of 65 overs left to bowl in the day. Adil Rashid is 71 not out and Tim Bresnan unbeaten on 16.
I mentioned earlier in the match that Somerset’s decision not to select a spinner could hurt them, and so it is proving. With Pakistani bowler Sohail Tanvir and West Indian Chris Gayle, who will debut for the county on Friday, now registered for Twenty20, Somerset say they have had to de-register Tanvir’s compatriot, Abdur Rehman.
Jack Leach is injured, but Matt Maynard still has twirlers George Dockrell and Max Waller available for selection.
Graham Hardcastle reports on Somerset v Yorkshire
Somerset will be glad to see the back of Jonny Bairstow for 66, although the damage may have already been done during a sixth-wicket partnership of 117 with Adil Rashid. Yorkshire currently stand at 235-6 with a lead of 188 and the best part of 75 overs left in the day.
Bairstow, caught behind off Alfonso Thomas, has an enviable record over eight Championship matches - 16 innings - against Marcus Trescothick and co having scored 736 with six fifties and one hundred here in 2011. Mind you, Rashid has a decent record against Somerset too, but I will leave that until later. First-innings centurion Tim Bresnan is now at the crease.
Will Macpherson reports from Kent v Surrey
That’s a huge wicket for Kent. Surrey’s hundred is up after Dom Sibley and Steven Davies steadied the ship. Davies twice slapped Stevens through the offside in typically elegant fashion, while Sibley looked at ease against Adam Riley. But Ivan Thomas has snared Sibley, taking the edge with one that moved away, and Darren Stevens did the rest at second slip. 108-5 and Jason Roy at the crease.
Riley isimportant for Kent here and is - to be honest - not looking great. The pitch is turning a little and there’s been some uneven bounce, but he’s not taken advantage of it. Skipper Sam northeast has set him attacking fields but he’s struggling to contain, or threaten. He’s getting a lot of support from his fielders out there - there’s plenty of chirp.
Updated
Graham Hardcastle reports form Taunton
Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid have safely navigated the first 45 minutes of play to take Yorkshire to 210-5, a lead of 163. The second new ball has just been taken by Alfonso Thomas. Bairstow is 50 not out, his second fifty of the match. A crucial sixth-wicket partnership between Bairstow and Rashid stands at 93.
It is also thought that Jamie Overton’s 18-ball fifty yesterday is the fastest by a No11 batsman since balls faced was recognised as the preferred method of measuring milestones in 1983.
Updated
Will Macpherson writes
So, we’re 35 minutes in and Kent have two crucial breakthroughs. First, Rory Burns, defending deep in his crease with soft hands to Darren Stevens, found the ball spinning back at him and, as he tried to kick it away, slowly rolling up to the stumps and dislodging the bails. Burns couldn’t believe his misfortune and dragged himself very slowly from the crease.
Then, after Stevens had caused Kumar Sangakkara a bit of trouble, Matt Coles pinned him on the pad and the finger went up. Surrey are 75-3, Kent are ticking and we have ourselves a game.
Make that three crucial breakthroughs, as Matt Dunn lofts Stevens to Key at mid-on. Even more of a game now.
Updated
Will Macpherson sends his first update of the day
Good morning all from a delightful morning in South East London. Absolutely idyllic. The bell has been rung and their players are on their way out.
Surrey, needing 151 and with nine wickets in hand, should be fine here, but Adam Riley will have taken encouragement from the seven wickets shared by Zafar Ansari and Gareth Batty yesterday. Ansari was first out yesterday so Rory Burns is joined by nightwatchman Matt Dunn. It’s his namesake Coles to bowl first up.
You can hear Rob Key shouting: “Here we go then Colesy, right up him.” Lovely stuff.
Graham Hardcastle sets up the day from Taunton
Good morning and welcome to the county blog, where myself and Will Macpherson will guide you through day four at Taunton and Beckenham.
After three overcast days in the West Country, the sun is shining as Somerset and Yorkshire prepare for what could be a thrilling day. I’d rather be Somerset at present with the visitors 124 runs ahead with five second-innings wickets in hand. They probably need to bat for the best part of 50 overs to make the game safe, but being bowled out beforehand could even open the door for them to have a crack at the win this afternoon.
These two sides don’t seem to do boring. Here, in 2009, Somerset chased down 478 on the final day and in 2010, 362. Yorkshire declared on both occasions. Last September, with Yorkshire already confirmed as champions, they had Somerset 151-9 chasing 182 during the final two sessions of the season at Headingley.
At Beckenham, Will is expected to watch Surrey chase down 195 to beat Kent in Division Two. They are 44-1 overnight with Rory Burns and night-watchman Matt Dunn at the crease.
Elsewhere in the country, Durham are on the verge of a Division One win over Worcestershire at New Road, and they would go top of the table. Back in Division Two, leaders Lancashire are favourites to beat Derbyshire at Southport.
Morning all,
Today we have Will Macpherson at Beckenham for Kent v Surrey and Graham Hardcastle at Taunton for Somerset v Yorkshire. Here are the reports from yesterday:
Somerset v Yorkshire
Somerset’s Overton twins put Yorkshire in danger of a rare defeat
It was a good job they both did well because these Overton twins, Jamie and Craig, are a competitive pair who do not particularly like it when one succeeds and the other does not. It was certainly a case of “anything you can do, I can do better” as they opened the door for Somerset to inflict a rare defeat on Yorkshire during an enthralling third day.
Sussex v Warwickshire
Chris Jordan sends England reminder after inspiring Sussex
Chris Jordan hit a thrilling unbeaten 56 to give Sussex a dramatic victory overWarwickshire. In his first match for the county this season having been released by England, the pace bowler came to the crease with his side requiring 92 to win with four wickets remaining and his swashbuckling innings guided Sussex to victory to bring on scenes of unexpected jubilation on the home balcony.
Enjoy the cricket.
