Surrey 337 for eight
Things are winding down at The Oval, where Gary Wilson was recently caught at slip, and Tom Curran bowled, both by Rory Kleinveldt with the new ball. Northants have been dire - yes, I mean that - in the field and Surrey are picking off runs at ease.
Surrey 315 for six
Cricket is happening here, but it’s just drifting towards the close (18 overs more). Sam Curran doing the thing where he looks lovely, while Gary Wilson does the thing where he looks quite scratchy. Hampshire are putting up a bit of a fight, aren’t they? Not over yet, but nor is it at Headingley. Interesting times now Somerset are out of the way.
This has been a joyless day for Middlesex as the Toms, Fell and Kohler-Cadmore continued their fourth wicket stand throughout the afternoon, By tea they had added an unbroken 212, already Worcestershire’s highest partnership of the season. It has been relentless batting on a decent enough pitch. By mid-afternoon Fell had reached his third hundred of the season, and went into the interval unbeaten on 164, with Kohler-Cadmore seven short of his own century. WIth Worcestershire 322 for three, a lead of 224, and Nottinghamshire well on top against Hampshire, Middlesex’s hopes of second place seem just about shot.
The bowling has been industrious, and occasionally unlucky, but according one source has been” their worst bowling of the season”. So the night out that the three seamers had with your correspondent worked its magic.
Surrey 268 for six
TEA: Nothing to report from here.
But, SOMERSET ARE SAFE!!! Horrid collapse from Worcester. And Sussex miss out on a second batting point by two runs, which is cruel. Hampshire still in the market for that.
Surrey 267 for six
Sangakkara cover drives for his ton, then promptly gets out. Flicking to short leg and looking disinterested. Can Somerset do it today?
Surrey 257 for five
Kumar has 96, and he’s just ghosted his way there. Been brilliant. Roy had looked good until he was just struck plumb in front by White. Wilson knocking it about casually too. Crucial batting points for Hampshire and Sussex. Just two required for Somerset now too. People here enjoying what’s happening at Chelmsford…
Surrey 172 for four
Samit’s in the England squad! That is all.
OK, not quite all. Adam Rossington – whose shape has raised a few eyebrows today, along with that of Rory Kleinveldt – has just taken a superb catch at short leg to dismiss Steve Davies. It deflected off Rossington’s body and he dove forward to take the catch. Clever. Roy could have been stumped second ball but Murphy’s botched it. Sanga looking brilliant, bringing his 50 up with six over long-off.
Sussex and Hampshire’s inept-off appears to have turned into a counter-attack-off, although I gather Samit has put the brakes on Hampshire’s by snaring Ervine. Brown gone for Sussex too and they are both neck and neck six down. Less and less for Somerset to worry about you would think.
Middlesex have got recent history of coming from behind to win a game that had seemed doomed for them, but this, a game they almost certainly have to win to secure second place in the championship, might prove a step too far. It has not been a productive morning for them. The early wicket of Damien D’Oliveira, who miscued a long hop loosener from Neil Dexter to mid on and dragged himself off in disgust, was followed by a second wicket when Joe Clarke was brilliantly held at second slip by Ollie Rayner to give Tim Murtagh a wicket.
That though is as good as it has been for Middlesex, as the two Toms, Fell and Kohler-Cadmore, both powerful drivers of the balll, have taken the score to 191 for three at lunch, a lead of 93. Fell drove the last ball of the session from James Harris to the chestnut trees at extra cover, moving to 94 with his fourteeth boundary, while his partner has 38, the pair having added 81 at almost four runs per over. Neither has offered a readily discernible chance although when 76, Fell hooked a bouncer from Harris for six just over the head of Murtagh at long leg, the fielder having strayed a crucial couple of yards off the rope. When 87, Fell reached 1000 championship runs for the season, the youngest, at 21, to do so in the top division this year.
Surrey 108 for three
Lunch on a lovely, lovely day at the Oval. Northants have found their way through five bowlers, and the fifth, Graham White, has a wicket with the final ball of the session. White’s pitched one on Ben Foakes’s leg stump, then turned it past the edge and took off-stump. Foakes had earlier dumped Rob Keogh for six, while Sanga has played some lovely strokes, as per.
Elsewhere, things are really spicy. Vince went and got out at Trent Bridge, so Hampshire will do well to avoid the follow-on, while Sussex are now five down too. All smiles at Taunton, even if they don’t have a wicket yet.
Surrey 73 for two
Maurice Chambers has his second wicket of the day with his second long-hop, as Burns picks out the man in the deep. Pretty careless. Sanga has just hit one of those cover drives that you want to put in your soft-top and drive to Paris for the weekend with. Sensual, I tell you.
Got my eyes on scorecards more than cricket, mind. Sussex have lost another wicket, Matt Machan, while Hampshire have lost another two. Tricky to stay up from that position you’d say. Immensely jealous of all at Trent Bridge though, as they’ll have seen James Vince ghost to 34 off 31. What a beautiful player to watch. Somerset are all out, so can get stuck into Warwickshire’s top order.
Surrey 44 for one
Steady start at the Oval, with not a great deal to report. A couple of oddities: David Murphy, diving to his left, dropped Harinath in Azharullah’s first over, then Maurice Chambers’ second delivery was released so late that it bounced behind him, and hit the umpire. No harm done. Weird though. Burns – who has passed 1,000 runs for the season – is going very nicely but Harinath is out now, top-edging a pull off Chambers, which Murphy ran round to take. Lots of keen Surrey eyes on events at Chelmsford, too: interesting to see Anderson get Cook.
In the relegation battle, things seem spicy just about everywhere. Five wickets and a makeshift opener already at Headingley; last wicket fun and a fifth bonus-point at Taunton; and another Hampshire batsman out as they desperately try to scramble points. This, I feel, is moving day.
There can’t be many better walks to work than that from the cathedral, along the river bank, to New Road. It is the autumnal equinox and autumn very much in the air, but the sun was shining, although a bit of cloud coming over now. Middlesex will be hoping that it helps them get back into the match after a pretty shabby first day. Worcester resume on 79 for one, so only 19 behind on first innings.
Still, a very pleasant evening last night with the three Middlesex seamers so was able to tell them a few tales of how good we were ( of course). Also pointed out to them that Leicestershire’s nine, ten, jack had made 167 runs between them which was 167 more than they had managed collectively. The early breakthrough they wanted came from Neil Dexter however., in his last match for the county before joining Leicestershire ,Having begun the day with a no-ball, he took the wicket of Damien D’Oliveira , caught at slip,from the last ( extra) ball of the over.
This is more like it!
I watched it rain all day yesterday (and then briefly get sunny around the time they called it off) at The Oval, but it’s a veritable belter today, not a cloud in the sky and unseasonably warm, so Surrey’s push for the Division Two title can get under way again. If I look east, the skies are blue for as far as the eye can see (actually quite far, but maybe no quite as far as Chelmsford), so I’ve no doubt the other match in the title race (for that is what such events are called), Lancashire’s visit to Essex, will be getting underway on time too. At The Oval, we’ve had the warm-ups, Surrey won the toss and will bat.
Before we get to everything else, a word first for Leicestershire’s Zak Chappell, who pulled off some quite extraordinary end of season hijinks on a green seamer at Derby yesterday, but there wasn’t enough space in my report to actually talk about it because of important matters like, you know, promotion and relegation. 96 from No10? When you’re walking out at 154 for eight? Just casually doubling the score? Sounds mighty fun to me. What japery and well done that man. A word also to Mark Footitt, the quite brilliant spoilsport who yorked him four short of a ton to conclude a supreme bowling performance, his seven for 71 taking him several past 70 for the season, which has a nice ring to it.
Anyway, back to the nitty gritty at the bottom of Division One. All sides made strides yesterday, with Somerset, who have the least to do, making the biggest move and grabbing four of the seven points they needed. Hampshire took three of lots at Trent Bridge, while Sussex will surely pick up the third of the nine they need at Headingley this morning. To avoid this getting seriously bum-squeaky, Sussex really need to follow up a good bowling effort with a solid batting showing. They’ve improved lots in this department lately. Hampshire need a massive score, while Somerset just need to power on past 450 (Hildreth should look after that), then take six Warwickshire wickets and, like that, they’re safe. My maths battles hard in these situations.
Elsewhere, Mike Selvey is on hand at New Road – he really does write beautifully about cricket at that place – and yesterday he got to see Shannon Gabriel bowl like the wind to skittle Middlesex for another small first innings total. Today, he’ll get to see Tom Fell and Joe Clarke and their wrists have a bat, the lucky thing. In the final game of the round at Bristol, where I suspect Gloucestershire are still nursing heavy heads after their Lord’s exploits on Saturday, Glamorgan and England under-19 starlet Aneurin Donald is nine away from a maiden first-class ton, so I trust all you Glammy BTLers have had everything crossed for the last 15 hours.
Enjoy the cricket. It’s a beautiful day.
Updated
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 Selvey on Worcestershire v Middlesex
Enjoy the cricket
