Will Macpherson reports on a draw between Hampshire and Middlesex
We’ve shaken hands and – scoop alert - it’s a draw! Middlesex 185-5.
James Franklin trolled us a bit here. Nick Gubbins, Joe Burns and Sam Robson all had a bowl since tea, and were all horrible. Somehow, Robson got a blooming wicket too, with Adam Wheater edging through to John Simpson which, frankly was a bit embarrassing, because Robson’s leggies are grim. That was his first Championship wicket. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was his last, too. Sean Ervine looked distinctly unamused to have to walk out to bat, too. Earlier, Ollie Rayner got James Vince and not a soul noticed.
Goodbye and good night – it’s been an enjoyable four days even if that petered out into a damp squib at the end. See you all soon!
Richard Rae reports from Grace Road
An extraordinary collapse that saw Leicestershire lose eight wickets in scoring just 21 runs left Lancashire on the brink of victory at tea at Grace Road.
Lancashire captain Steven Croft delayed his declaration until the visitors had passed 200 in their second innings, with Alex Davies scoring 54 and Ashwell Prince an undefeated 76, setting Leicestershire a target of 323 to win off a minimum of 59 overs.
The Foxes began well enough, Lewis Hill and Angus Robson taking the score to 20 before Hill edged a Tom Bailey out-swinger to Paul Horton at first slip. Bailey then bowled Ned Eckersley, half-forward, without scoring, and Mark Cosgrrove, trying to pull out of a hook at a Kyle Jarvis bouncer, succeeded only in giving Davies a simple catch behind the wicket.
Neil Pinner was also out hooking, lifting his sixth ball, from Jarvis, straight to Simon Kerrigan at long leg, before Robson edged Bailey to Croft at second slip. Ben Raine lasted only two deliveries before Bailey swung the ball through a less than secure defence, and Niall O’Brien pushed forward at a Bailey delivery without getting to the pitch and edged to second slip.
Tom Wells and Clint McKay added 12 for the eighth wicket, but Wells inside edged a well-pitched up delivery from Jordan Clark into his stumps to send the Foxes into the break in total disarray.
Will Macpherson’s teatime report
So that’s tea as this game ambles towards its conclusion. Carberry tried one hook too many and stuck it straight done long leg’s throat. Dragged himself from the field very frustrated. It’s 146-3 and the lead is 197. But it all means very little, of course. On handshake watch from 30 mins after tea.
Interesting incident a moment ago, as James Vince was hit on the back of the head by a James Franklin short ball. He’s wearing one of those new-fangled Masuri helmets with the padding on the back of the head, and it looks like that’s where it struck him. All the Middlesex players were straight to him, the umpires declared a dead ball and he looked fine. Andre Adams and the medic (potential band name) went out with a new lid and to give him the once over. Shaken but clearly not stirred, because after a five minute delay he creamed the next two deliveries through cover and down the ground for sumptuous (one day we will call them Vinceian) boundaries. He’s lovely to watch and doesn’t appear to be hurt by the blow, which is the most important thing.
Will Macpherson reports
There’s a few people here and Michael Carberry is putting on a bit of show for them. He’s gone from 17 off 91 to a 50 off 110. Back-to-back-to-back boundaries off TRJ got him going and there’s been a lovely low drilled hook for six too.
Richard Rae writes from Leicestershire v Lancashire
The declaration came, finally, when Lancashire were on 203-5, meaning that leicestershire’s target to win the game is 323 off 59 overs.
That, it seemed to most here at Grace Road, was taking caution far too far, and the fact the Foxes have already lost three wickets would seem to bear that opinion out. , Lewis Hill was caught by Paul Horton at first slip off Tom Bailey for 10 - despite the fact wicketkeeper Alex Davies dived across him, Ned Eckersley was bowled, also by Bailey, on the back foot when he should have got forward, and Mark Cosgrove, who tried to pull out of a hook at Kyle Jarvis but succeeded only in looping a simple catch to Davies. At 25-3, a win for the Foxes would now seem to be out of the equation.
Will Macpherson reports
We’re back out after lunch and Jimmy Adams has been snared, caught behind off James Harris for 37. That brings a third James, Vince, in for a hit, which I’m very pleased about. He’s started a bit scratchy, which is unlike him. In other news, England’s official ODI and T20 captain Eoin Morgan is here, fresh off the plane from Hyderabad. I’m saying 5.10 for the handshake here, by the way.
Will Macpherson’s lunchtime report
More of the same up until lunch at the Ageas (four days of this and I still don’t know what I should be calling this place). Jimmy Adams and Carbs have been steady against Finn – who hasn’t got the rewards a decent performance has deserved in this match – and big Ollie Rayner, who’s wiling away at the Hilton Hotel end not looking at all threatening. Hampshire’s Danny Briggs is playing for the seconds over on the adjacent Nursery Ground.
Last in a very fine set of media lunches coming up, they’ve looked after us well down here. It’s 70-1, so I’m prepared to start taking sweepstake offers about what time hands will be shaken and a draw declared.
Richard Rae’s lunchtime report from Grace Road
Lunch at Grace Road, as well as being among the best of the county circuit, is today of the early variety, as a shower has closed in on the ground. And very grateful Leicestershire will be for that, because after picking up a couple of wickets to give themselves a faint hope of bowling Lancashire out sufficuently cheaply to give themselves a reasonable target to chase, they spent the next 13 overs being biffed around by Ashwell Prince and in particular, Alex Davies, a 20-year-old wicket-keeper/batsmen from Darwen who does not lack confidence. The pair have so far added 74 runs for Lancashire’s fifth wicket, as a consequence of which they have extended the visitors lead to 265, with six wickets, and more pertinently now, 72 overs remaining. It was not so much seeing Davies skipping down the wicket to smack Charlie Shreck straight back over his head which made one smile, however, as the insouciance with which he smiled and patted opposite number Niall O’Brien on the shoulder when the Leicestershire wicketkeeper marched up to “have a word”, before waving him nonchalantly back to his position behind the stumps.
Will Macpherson writes from the Rose Bowl
There’s nowt happening at the Rose Bowl. Well, Neil Dexter had Liam Dawson caught behind and Hampshire have brought their 50 up with an awesome Michael Carberry pull. But not much, seeing as we need a filthy collapse or a flurry of runs for an interesting game.
Richard Rae reports from Leicestershire v Lancashire
Forty minutes or so into the final day’s play here at Grace Road, and Lancashire are building steadily, rather than spectacularly, towards a declaration. Which begs the question, just how brave are skipper Steven Croft and head coach Ashley Giles prepared to be in pursuit of a win? Because make no mistake, on a wicket that has given the seamers plenty of assistance throughout, this is a real opportunity for the league leaders. Yet the feeling is they might just look to bat through the morning and see where they are at lunch, and only after lunch start throwing the bat.
If so, it seems a dangerously negative approach - dangerous, because it might not leave them enough time to bowl Leicestershire out again. They have just lost a wicket, that of Alviro Petersen, palpably leg before wicket to Ben Raine, but at 72-3 they lead by 191, with 86 overs remaining in the day (less two for the change of innings). There are some in these environs who would maintain that is already enough. Anyone care to suggest when Lancashire should pull out - and guess when they actually will. Oh, hang on - Croft has just gone, leg before to McKay for 1. Also plumb. Maybe they’re going to be bowled out. In fact, ignore everything I’ve just written.
Will Macpherson reports
Forty-five uneventful minutes played at the Ageas, with a couple of appeals all we have to show action-wise. 23 runs added without loss. Finn and TRJ bowled nicely and Harris is now on, after a pretty ordinary (to borrow Warnie parlance, seeing as I’m at the Ageas) performance in the first innings. Finn called for a second cable knit when he came off, which tells you how warm it is. This is going to be a draw. To be honest, if Hampshire are going to bat all day, I at least want scrumptious stylist James Vince to do the batting but a couple of wickets need to fall before he’s in. That cover drive…
Will Macpherson sets up the day
Good morning all. And then there were two – last night, thanks to a shoddy Nottinghamshire batting performance at Trent Bridge, we bid the indefatigable Lizzy adieu, meaning it’ll just be myself (at the Ageas Bowl) and Richard Rae at Leicestershire v Lancashire manning the finest county blog in the land today.
There are four other games going on, of course. Durham are battling after following on at Edgbaston, Essex and Glamorgan are doing battle in Cardiff, Matt Coles and Calum Haggett have taken Kent past Gloucestershire, and Northants and Surrey are playing our a soggy old affair at Wantage Road. Only 28 overs bowled in two days there – precipitation seems to be following Alex Wakely’s men at the moment. The last three games listed there are enjoying their third day today, while for Richard and I, it’s the last.
So how are these two poised? Well, Nick Compton and Toby R-J just about put paid to hopes of a result here at the Ageas, where Hampshire start the day 55 ahead and with ten wickets in hand. A few Hampshire folk are a bit peeved because Fidel Edwards has a shoulder injury which means he’ll play no further part, and apparently it’s not new. Jackson Bird is approaching a return, and it can’t come soon enough. He was diving around in the field as twelfthie yesterday. At Leicester, Lancashire are looking to build towards a declaration before skittling the hosts out. Wouldn’t be the first time they’d lost in such a fashion on their torrid run.
The weather is, of course, the caveat. God knows what it’s got in store. Pray it stays fair…
Morning all,
Today we have Will Macpherson at Hampshire v Middlesex and Richard Rae at Leicestershire v Lancashire.
Here are the reports from yesterday:
Hampshire v Middlesex
Nick Compton frustrates Hampshire and makes England point
Nick Compton insisted that his England career is not over after his 23rd first-class century combined with some lusty late hitting from Toby Roland-Jones frustrated Hampshire and all but guaranteed that hands will be shaken on a draw declared on Wednesday. When Hampshire reduced the visitors to 152 for five and even 287 for nine, the idea of the home side being only 55 ahead with a stalemate so likely at the close seemed far-fetched.
Leicestershire v Lancashire
Lancashire and Steven Croft have edge over Leicestershire
Only 24 overs were possible at Grace Road but they were enough to produce more exciting cricket than will be seen at some grounds over a full day’s play. More than 100 runs were scored and six wickets taken and, on a pitch that continues to offer the seamers every encouragement, Lancashire could only be happy to close leading by more than 150 with eight second-innings wickets and one day remaining.
Nottinghamshire v Somerset
Somerset race to dramatic 133-run victory
The bad weather predicted to hit Nottingham did not materialise, allowing for a wicket-laden and hugely entertaining day of cricket – albeit a disastrous one for the home side – as Somerset picked up their first win of 2015 in dramatic fashion. Nottinghamshire crumbled to 114 all out and, although their victory target of 248 was always going to be difficult in testing conditions, this was a surrender.
Enjoy the cricket.
