It’s turned into a beautiful evening here in Canterbury, boasts Lizzy Ammon. Kent have broken the third wicket partnership between Cosgrove and Eckersley which was worth 118. It was Matt Coles, again with a lovely inswinger, who picked up the wicket trapping LBW Eckersley for 67. Cosgrove looks like he is going to make Kent pay for dropping him on 48. As we know he is a hugely powerful striker of the ball and he is punishing anything that is bowled with any width outside off or that strays on to his pads. He is 69* from 91 deliveries. Rob Key has again returned to his opening bowling partnership of Coles and Thomas but this pitch is playing very well and the layer of grass on it has made very little difference. Leicestershire are 195/3 with 24 overs remaining in the day
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Tea and completely unnecessary carrot cake time at Lord’s, munches Ali Martin, where Durham’s openers have steered the ship to 35 for no loss in reply to Middlesex’s 463 all out.
It’s not all good news for the Middle Saxons however, with Tim Murtagh pulling up lame two balls into his opening over and clutching the hamstring. That injury, after suffering a side strain at Taunton, could see the Irish seamer out of Friday’s one-day international against England
Have enjoyed a closer look at Mark Stoneman, who has played the shot of the day with an on-drive off the bowling of James Harris and sits 21 not out alongside Keaton Jennings, who is unbeaten on 13.
It’s tea here at Canterbury and it’s been Leicestershire’s session, writes Lizzy Ammon. The early swing that the opening bowlers found has all but disappeared and the third wicket partnership between Cosgrove and Eckersley stands at 10. There was a let off for Cosgrove when he was dropped by Matt Coles at first slip off the bowling of Darren Stevens – it was a bad drop, it came right to him at catchable height. It’s fair to say Stevens was less than pleased. After the early removal of the openers, Kent have been guilty of dropping too many balls short and wide outside the off stump. Mark Cosgrove in his 142nd first-class match is approaching 10,000 first-class runs and is the sort of player who will make Kent pay for the let off they’ve given him. Leicestershire 141/2 at tea.
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Ned Eckersley has passed 50 for the second time this season; he and Cosgrove have put on 78 for the third wicket at a decent lick going at around 4.5 an over, reports Lizzy Ammon. Batting has got substantially easier but the Kent first and second change bowlers Claydon and Stevens have bowled plenty of short wide stuff that has been duly dealt with. Rob Key has now returned to his opening bowler Matt Coles who has been the pick of the bowlers by some way in the 25 overs we have had. Leicestershire 111/2 in the 26th over. The weather is now officially lovely and we are expecting to get the full 67 overs in.
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At Lord’s, Middlesex are 463 all out following a fifty for John Simpson, a first of the season for the talented young Middlesex wicketkeeper, writes Ali Martin.
Coming from 90 balls, the left-hander played beautifully and was ably supported by Ollie Rayner in a stand of 41 until the latter was pinned lbw by Chris Rushworth with a full-bunger.
His replacement Tim Murtagh added 11 in a stand of 15, only for the No10 to attempt a big yahoo off leggie Scott Borthwick and find his stumps disturbed. Why attempt the shot two balls after your senior partner has nudged a single for his half-century? It’s a Murtagh mystery...
Simpson then went on the attack, pulling John Hastings for a meaty four over mid-wicket, only to attempt an uppercut next ball and spoon the ball to mid-off. Simpson caught Rushworth bowled Hastings 58 … and now it is over to the Durham openers.
Ned Eckersley and Mark Cosgrove have weathered a tricky period to bring up the fifty for Leicestershire, writes Lizzy Ammon. Having lost Robson second ball, Leicestershire lost their other opener six overs later when Matthew Boyce was trapped in front from an impressive inswinger by Matt Coles. Coles has been getting impressive movement swinging it both ways. Both Coles and his new ball partner Ivan Thomas have now finished their opening spells and the sun is out, batting should get a bit easier from here on in. Leics are 54/2 in the 16th over of the match. With the revised timings, Tea is at a fixed time of 4.10pm and we’ll play till about 6.30.
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The worst possible start for Leicestershire losing opener Angus Robson second ball of the day when Matt Coles coming down the slope got a ball to rise steeply and take a thick outside edge straight into the bread basket of Sam Northeast at second slip, reports Lizzy Ammon. Coles is getting a decent amount of swing with the new ball from the Nackington Road end but Matt Boyce who has come into the side having not featured last week is playing him well so far. There’s actual blue sky at Canterbury now but the new ball combined with the green pitch is going to require patience, concentration and application from the Leicestershire batsmen.
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Something of a meandering afternoon has sprung into life with Durham’s Usman Arshad taking a terrific diving catch at fine leg to give John Hastings his third wicket, writes Ali Martin.
The trap was set for Neil Dexter, with two men out of the hook, and Hastings, having switched to the Pavilion End, serving him up a short ball that was just too tasty to resist. Arshad at long leg picked up on the ball late but got into position for a diving two-handed pouch to remove the right-hander for 33 and see Middlesex 399 for seven.
Michael Vaughan has ruled himself out of the running to become England’s director of cricket, leaving Andrew Strauss as the favourite to fill the vacancy, reports Ali Martin. Read the full story here.
The rain in Kent has moved onwards towards France and we are going to have some cricket, cheers Lizzy Ammon. We’ll start at 2pm; Kent have won the toss and will field first. Leicestershire have made four changes to their side including a first-class debut for the 24-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Lewis Hill whose nickname is, apparently, Show-pony. Matt Boyce, Rob Taylor and Jigar Naik also come into the Leicestershire side. Kent are unchanged from the side that played against Lancashire.
The pitch has a distinct green tinge to it and it’s still overcast, this will be a tricky session for the openers. There are 67 scheduled overs left today.
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A curiously delayed lunch here at a somewhat sleepy Lord’s after a truncated morning session that saw 21 overs bowled and Durham pick up two Middlesex wickets, both from the burly Australian seamer John Hastings, writes Ali Martin.
Resuming on 329 for four, Hastings sent James Franklin packing first thing, bowling around the wicket from the Nursery End and getting one to nip down the slope and crash into the left-hander’s stumps on 18.
And then James Harris, sent in as nightwatchman yesterday evening after the removal of Sam Robson for 178, had a dart outside off stump on nine, only to feather an edge and present Colonel Mustard with the simplest of takes behind the stumps.
Since then John Simpson and Neil Dexter have rebuilt to the tune of 43 runs, with Middlesex now 384 for six.
Early breakthrough for Durham at Lord’s and it is not the nightwatchman James Harris, reports Ali Martin. Instead it is Irish* all-arounder James Franklin who, fresh from the jaw-dropping unbeaten 115 that chased down 402 at Taunton, has had his stumps splattered by John Hastings for 18 to see Middlesex 334 for five. Neil Dexter is the new man in. Should add, above the line, that play started at 11.50 here after a wet morning in the capital.
*I know he’s a New Zealander, he’s just playing on an Irish passport.
Good morning from a very wet St Lawrence Ground here in Canterbury, writes Lizzy Ammon. The rain is persistent and there are puddles on the outfield; it is highly unlikely we will get any play before mid-afternoon. When they finally get underway both sides are on the hunt for their first win of the 2015 season. This is Kent’s first home match of the season, they have suffered two fairly heavy away defeats to Essex and Lancashire. Leicestershire, still searching for their first Championship win in over two seasons, have shown signs of being more competitive in recent times but suffered a defeat at the hands of Northamptonshire in the last round. Leicestershire have added Lewis Hill and Jigar Naik to their squad after they impressed in the second team last week. Kent have named an unchanged squad from the last round.
Meanwhile, the handful of spectators who are braving the weather at the SLG are huddling in the pavilion bar with much needed coffee.
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Morning all and welcome to the county blog, on this most bank holiday of weekends, writes Ali Martin.
We already have one match in progress, with Middlesex versus Durham at Lord’s now heading into its second day. England discard Sam Robson looked in fine fettle as he scored his first first-class century since the second of his seven Tests last summer, taking the visiting bowlers to the tune of 178 runs as the tenants reached 329 for four at stumps after being stuck in. Worcestershire host Somerset in the only other top tier fixture. Relegation battle might be over-egging it, but these are the two bottom sides in the table thus far have enjoyed (endured?) identical starts, points-wise.
In Division Two, our featured match sees rock-bottom Kent host two-years-without-a-win Leicestershire, with Elizabeth Ammon in attendance. Elsewhere, Essex host Gloucestershire following their dominant draw at the Oval last week, in which rain denied them the chance to beat the rather underwhelming Surrey. In Cardiff, Glamorgan welcome Derbyshire, who come into the game on the back of that seven-wicket victory in Bristol, while pace-setters Lancashire travel to Northamptonshire. Have a great day all.
