OK, the latest from a brilliantly sunny County Ground, Taunton, is that play resumed at 6.10, with just 7.2 overs to be bowled. Provided we get through them, we will have seen just 22 overs all day. Not much. But Sid and Doris Bonkers are still in the Sir Ian Botham Stand and they’re going nowhere.
It’s one of those days in Somerset, I’m afraid. If you’re still with me, they should have resumed here at 4.50, but a combination of bad light and incontinent clouds deterred them. They have just said that play will restart at 5.35, with 17 overs left, but a few minutes later it started to drizzle again, and more covers came on. The day is being squeezed into oblivion. Worcestershire 135 for four.
There can’t be many people who won’t be pleased to hear the news that Michael Yardy, in the last knockings of his career, has scored his 22nd first-class century. It was brought up with a push through the covers and greeted with a genuine roar – there’s a lot of affection for Yardy, he’s been a great servant to Sussex Cricket and people recognise that he’s had his demons to overcome. You could see how much it meant to the 34 year old as well as he kissed his helmet and acknowledged the standing ovation.
Sussex have avoided the follow-on and are now looking for 14 more runs to get another bonus point which may well be pretty crucial when it comes to reckoning up time at the end of the season.
They’ve come off for bad light here at Taunton, and they’re taking an early tea. We’ve had an hour and a couple of minutes of play but it was worth the wait. In 14.4 overs Worcestershire, who resumed on 44 for four, really took the game to Somerset, hitting 91 runs without further loss.
There has been some impressive play from Ross Whiteley. Like his partner, Ben Cox, he was eight not out overnight but some quality clouting has taken him to 61. His driving was particularly impressive against some admittedly ordinary Somerset bowling, but he reached his fifty with a pulled six off Gregory. The half-century came off 68 balls and included ten fours plus that six. The quieter Cox is on 39. More dark clouds have gathered and some of the groundstaff reckon we won’t get back on.
It’s tea here at Hove and it’s been a good session for Sussex. They’ve added 108 in the session and just lost the wicket of the nightwatchman Oliver Robinson who made an excellent 48 before being caught by Maxwell in the gully off Plunkett – his partnership with Yardy was 97 and it continues to be hard work for the seamers. Yardy is batting away and is 65* as he heads off for a cuppa and a piece of cake. The home side need another 62 to avoid the follow on.
This match isn’t really going anywhere fast. The new ball has been taken but Yardy and Robinson are pootling onwards with the bat. Yardy has made his 50th first-class half century in the last knockings of his professional career and whilst he’s not looked totally fluent he is battling well. Robinson is more than happy to play his shots at times and is going aerial on occasions. The pitch really isn’t offering very much for the seamers and the new ball isn’t, so far, doing very much. These two have added 83. Tea will be in half an hour but this match looks for all the world like it is heading for a draw.
Ok, take two at the County Ground. We’re now scheduled to start play at 3.30 at Taunton, with 43 overs to bowl. We’ll be lucky to get through them all, though. The players are having another warm-up, which is hardly necessary.
As you were! The umpires came out at Taunton, followed by the players, and Lewis Gregory was just about to come in to bowl to Ross Whitely when it started to rain once more. So everyone turned around and mooched back to the pavilion. This provoked some boos from the few supporters who bothered to turn up today. Whether they were protesting against the umpires, the players or the weather was not clear.
Sussex have made a very good start to this truncated day getting through the first hour safely without losing any wickets and picking up their first batting bonus point in the process. Michael Yardy hasn’t looked particularly good but he’s been effective adding 30 to his overnight score. Oliver Robinson is a far better batsman than your traditional nightwatchmen are and he’s played a couple of very nice shots and has a very solid technique that will serve him very well throughout his career.
It’s hard going for the seamers though and we’ll almost certainly see Rashid bowling a very long stint.
Despite the weather earlier, there’s still an OK crowd here at Hove – they have very loyal support down here.
The great news from Taunton is that they’ve announced play will start at 3pm, with 51 overs to bowl. As I write this I can see that it’s spitting with rain once more. But the groundstaff have done a magnificent job and there is an urgency to play. More rain is forecast but we may well get a good chunk of cricket here today.
We’re under way at Hove. We had a minute’s silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives in yesterday’s air crash. Michael Yardy has a maximum of 14 days professional cricket left before he retires and he’s safely negotiated the first over and the nightwatchman Oliver Robinson who has a first class century to his name this year has begun the day with a sumptuous drive off Sidebottom.
We’re also having a debate about the heavy roller – because it’s the law you have to discuss it at least once a match.
Well well well. There’s going to be cricket. We’re starting at 2pm with 67 overs left in the day. Sussex resume 175/4 still 170 away from the follow-on score – it’s Yardy and the nightwatchman Robinson who’ll make their way out in half an hour. It’s almost sunny now. Daft British Weather.
The pre-game football is in full force, Yorkshire unsurprisingly take theirs very, very seriously; Sussex’s match is a bit less intense.
No play yet at Taunton, and it’s still raining. Having said that it has brightened up overhead and we may get some cricket later in the afternoon.
Wandering around the Colin Atkinson Pavilion I overheard someone say “This England team has real depth with Moeen Ali batting at eight.”
The trouble is, though, England have to have a proper batsman at No8 because their line-up has got more holes in it than you would find at a shooting range. This is a very exciting England team, with the potential to achieve wonderful, mind-boggling things, but we can’t call it great yet. The batting, in particular, is just too inconsistent.
In the little talked about but terrific Ashes series of 1972 England had Tony Greig at six and Alan Knott at seven. That’s what I call batting depth. In the 1981 series, the first Ashes series I reported on, I remember Botham at seven and Knott at eight. That’s what I call batting depth.
Come to think about it, Greig, Botham and Knott weren’t bad to watch either. But they still managed to score serious runs.
Apologies for the ramble – but there’s nothing going on here!
There’s a bit of a danger that some cricket is going to break out here at Hove. We’ve lost the morning session and will have lunch at 1pm and then Messrs Hartley and Bainton will squelch over to the middle to have an inspection at 1.15pm. The covers are already off – swift work from the groundstaff.
Away from the cricket, I had a night out in Brighton last night – there’s nothing like a Saturday night out in Brighton to make you feel every one of your advancing years.
The news from Taunton is very dismal. No play before September, by the look of it. I can see a couple of cricket fans in the Sir Ian Botham Stand – they must be Sid and Doris Bonkers – munching sandwiches and pulling from a Thermos. The players haven’t arrived yet.
It’s been raining all night here and it’s still raining. It feels like the time to build an Arc. There certainly won’t be any play before lunch and we are most unlikely to see any action before tea. It would surprise no-one if we saw no cricket all day. Taunton is not a bad ground for draining – not Lord’s, exactly, but not bad. But it is all hands to the bilge pump today. And the forecast for tomorrow is not much better.
All of which makes Somerset’s decision to bat on and on the more difficult to fathom. If they had declared earlier, at 450 or 500, say, they might have garnered a clutch of bowling points by now. It is always dangerous to captain according to what the weatherman says but in this case the forecast was dire, and unanimous, so Somerset overcooked the runmaking somewhat. Just to remind you, they declared at 565 for five and had Somerset 44 for four at tea on Saturday, since when we have not seen a ball.
Good morning everyone. Welcome to the County Blog for day three of this round of matches. I’m at Hove where I am afraid it is raining a lot. If, and it’s a big if, Sussex found themselves on the back foot by the end of the day losing Ed Joyce late on in the day after he’d scored his first century of the season.
Paul Weaver is at Taunton, where the forecast also looks a bit grim which might be Worcestershire’s only hope struggling as they are at 44-4.
Elsewhere, the game at Chester-le-street has moved on a pace and is well into its third innings. Warwickshire are struggling a bit at Trent Bridge after a timely century by Hales helped Notts to a first innings total of 600.
In Division Two, it’s raining at Bristol where Surrey have got themselves a handy first innings lead. At Grace Road there were centuries for both captains in what looks like a close hard fought game.
It looks like the weather oop north is much better than it is down here so we’ll attempt to keep you posted on the games that are in action. In other news, it looks like both Ben Stokes and Joe Root are going to be rested for the forthcoming ODI series but if they’re being rested they won’t be available for their counties.
Anyway, grab yourself a cuppa and croissant. I’m off to get some brownie points and make a brew for my colleagues.
