Surrey following on here at Trent Bridge, after Jackson Bird picked up the final two wickets of their first innings to see the visitors 225 all out and 221 runs behind. Ravi Rampaul went lbw for a third-ball duck, shouldering arms, to finish off Bird’s 17th over, before the first ball of his 18th saw Tom Curran struck in front on 35. Hat-trick avoided by Rory Burns, who clips the first ball for a couple. Big task ahead, however.
Play has been abandoned for the day, which will frustrate both teams. The groundstaff have worked all afternoon on trying to clear the water, but it is obvious that even with modern drainage the ground has taken too much water. And of course, the moment the announcement is made, the sun comes out once more. Expect Hampshire to have a quick flog for a bonus point in the morning, and then bowl, mindful that they could be a bowler light. On this front, Reece Topley appears to have at least one fracture close to the knuckle of his right hand, and possibly another as well.
Bad light brings tea at Trent Bridge three balls into the 66th over, and sees Surrey 222 for eight, trailing by 224 runs. Curious one, as the floodlights have been on for 20 minutes but it is gloomy to be fair. Nottinghamshire’s Samit Patel struck just before interval to end a handy eighth-wicket stand of 47 between Tom Curran and Gareth Batty, with the latter suckered into a flick off the pads and picking out the diving Greg Smith at midwicket on 15. Their 58 minutes together was needed, with the pair coming together at 174 for seven. Tom Curran remains 32 not out, having earned a life on 16 when Harry Gurney put him down at mid-on off the bowling of Brett Hutton, with Ravi Rampaul at the other end yet to score.
Two wickets in two overs sees Surrey 174 for seven and deep in trouble, trailing by 272 runs. The second of the afternoon, after Jake Ball trapped Jason Roy lbw, saw Ben Foakes out for 38. It’s fair to say 39 didn’t feel like it was coming for the right-hander, who was stuck on that number for 17 balls before his eventual demise, caught behind off Harry Gurney. In that time Brett Hutton saw appeals for caught behind and lbw turned down, with Chris Read then failing to collect a ball for a certain run out in the same over. Gurney was then convinced he had his man caught down leg before eventually finding the outside edge. And now Hutton has just followed this up by bowling Sam Curran with a yorker for 20. Tom Curran, four not out, has just been joined by Gareth Batty.
Updated
Nottinghamshire’s morning at Trent Bridge, it’s reasonable to say, with Surrey 106 for four from and trailing by 340.
Australian seamer Jackson Bird got the ball rolling first thing by removing both openers, Rory Burns and Arun Harinath, caught behind, with he and new-ball partner Jake Ball, who had Kumar Sangakkara playing and missing, then ably backed up by Harry Gurney and Brett Hutton. Gurney had Steve Davies caught by a flying Riki Wessels at first slip for eight – the ball leaving him a touch – before Hutton picked up the prized scalp of Sangakkara for 32, squaring him up to see Steven Mullaney hold a low catch at second.
Three catches have gone down too. Greg Smith shelled both Sangakkara and Jason Roy at fourth slip off Gurney, with Hutton giving the latter another life as he put down a sharp return catch - a half chance, perhaps. Both of Roy’s lives came on four, and he goes into lunch unbeaten on 16, with Ben Foakes, eight, for company.
Terrific diving catch at first slip by Riki Wessels sees Steven Davies out for eight, flashing hard outside off stump, and Surrey 71 for three at Trent Bridge. A first wicket for Harry Gurney, who has kept up the bright start made by Jackson Bird (two for 27 from eight) and Jake Ball. Caught the second of those Bird dismissals, with Arun Harinath caught behind similarly swishing. Feels like the pitch has quickened up a touch and still a bit in it. It was not a 446 in a day pitch.
The clouds really do seem to be lifting a little here and the rain appears to have stopped. But it would take a considerable time to clear up.
Strange evening yesterday. An evening run of about 6km was inadvertently extended by another 4km because of a wrong turn in an unfamiliar environment. Then, with Jordan Spieth leading the Masters by five shots, I decided that enough was enough and time for sleep. So lessons all round there.
Reece Topley, it transpires, has suffered a suspected broken hand while batting yesterday. He was struck on it while facing Boyd Rankin, during his career best innings of 15. He could be out for a decent while if scans confirm the break.
It is hammering down in Southampton. Not April showers but relentless puddling rain, and the absence of any wind, as a contrast to yesterday, means it shows no signs of abating in the foreseeable future. This is a real shame for as Ian Bell – who I bumped into in the lobby of the hotel here – said, there is a decent game in prospect. Hampshire, through Ryan McLaren and some tail-hanging-around rather than wagging, got themselves out of trouble. Keith Barker bowled well enough for his five wickets, but Bell’s assessment was that it was never an 80-for-7 pitch.
We also agreed that the no-toss rule could have a place later in the year, when the pressure to “get a result” might be greater but at this time of year it offers a freebie to the away team at a time when teams will almost always want to field first in any case. As he pointed out, Warwickshire’s first two matches are away and already there is an advantage for them in that.
Elsewhere, it was good to see plenty of runs at Nottingham, to which Trent Bridge ground Ali will once more be descending once he has mastered the vagaries of the public transport system (in this regard, he is the Manchester United of the Guardian cricket team), Steve Steven Mullaney’s century underpinned Notts’ 446 from 91 overs. At Chester-le-Street it was Keaton Jenning’s century that held the Durham innings together, before they were able to take three quick Somerset wickets.
Down a division and Gloucestershire’s decision to buck the trend and take a chance with the toss in order to bat first only played slight dividends, with Essex replying to 262 all out, Alastair Cook already bedding himself in for the summer in reply. Meanwhile, at Northampton, Ben Duckett, with an unbeaten 178, has made Sussex pay heavily for their decision to forego the toss, and Northants will resume on 296-2.
Morning all.
Ali and Mike will be here soon. In the meantime, here are their reports from yesterday’s action:
Nottinghamshire v Surrey
The first championship hundred of the season, scored at a brisk pace by the opener Steven Mullaney, set the tone for Nottinghamshire to dominate newly promoted Surrey on day one at a sunny Trent Bridge after the visiting captain, Gareth Batty, elected to bowl.
Taking advantage of the new toss regulation, which gives the away side the option to bowl first, Batty could scarcely have imagined the ease with which Mullaney and Riki Wessels in particular were able to score, with the former’s 113 from 114 balls the foundation of 446 all out. Continue reading
Hampshire v Warwickshire
Sunny it may have been, at least until the brooding clouds edged their way in an hour after tea and brought a premature end to proceedings, but this was not a pleasant day to be playing cricket, let alone watching anoraked and huddled in the stands. A spring wind biffed across the ground so that trousers flapped like sails on the Solent, and hands were jammed into pockets lest a finger‑cracking new‑ball sizzler fizzed to the slips.
By the time the players drifted to the sanctuary of the dressing rooms it was Hampshire, at 189 for eight, who had turned the day on its head. Embarrassed by Keith Barker and the new ball, they had found themselves variously at 59 for six before lunch and 87 for seven not long after it. Already Warwickshire, fancied championship contenders, were sitting pretty, bossing the game. Then it changed. Continue reading
Enjoy the cricket.
