Sussex have beaten Worcestershire by an innings and 63 runs
After Saeed Ajmal chipped down the ground for four, Magoffin brought one into him and disrupted his stumps. It’s been a clinical performance from Sussex, who took the initiative on the first day and powered on to just before tea on day four.
Even with the weather that punctuated these few days, the visitors have cracked on regardless and not been flustered in bitty sessions and early finishes to win their first Championship match since beating Warwickshire at Hove in May. For Worcestershire, they drop to the foot of Division One, eight points behind Hampshire.
Sussex climb to 130 points, in seventh, two points again of their south coast rivals.
A quick take on the Surrey story:
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Worcestershire 210 & 231-9 v Sussex 510-5 dec
It’s an important game, this, and one that Worcestershire are about to lose to go eight points adrift at the bottom of the table. But let’s step back for a moment and applaud what has been a brilliant maiden Championship hundred from Joe Clarke. He faced 174 balls for it, scoring 17 boundaries in the process.
He’s impressed England selectors, some of whom feel he is one of the top three young talents in the country. He’s a pretty uncomplicated player – and I do mean pretty. There are as many unfussy drives as there are wristy flicks into gaps. He managed to pick Sussex’s field even when he had four men in front of the bat – short cover, mid off, mid on and mid wicket in his field of view.
His best shots have been down the ground, particularly one to Steve Magoffin, which he basically defended down the ground for four.
When Jack Shantry was out LBW, having been subject to four consecutive appeals before the fifth was given, Saeed Ajmal came out as number 11 and Clarke took the strike. After batting out five dots to Jordan and the field closed to prevent him from picking up a single to keep the strike, he threaded one effortlessly through cover for four to move to three figures.
It was a subdued celebration – a modest punch of the air, a wave to the balcony, a hug from his partner. While he has appreciated the task at hand, he also appreciates that his side are in a good deal of trouble, even with his contribution.
Game over at the Oval
My word, what a way to finish the season and seal promotion. The captain’s taken a blooming hat-trick, and completes a mighty fine six-fer, all taken since lunch.
My word, so let me explain. First, Palladino was caught off bat and pad, by Foakes diving forward, then next ball Footitt was bowled through the gate by an extravagant turner. Ben Cotton then received a carbon copy and lost his off-stump. A massive cheer from a smallish crowd ends the match.
Derbyshire all out for 149. Surrey win by an innings and 98. Gareth Batty six wickets for 51. Wowzer.
Worcestershire 210 & 171-6 v Sussex 510-5 dec
Luke Wells fascinates me. I misread him early: tagging him as an opening batsman first, a bit-part spinner second. But, truly, Luke Wells is the finest method actor the game has seen (at Worcester, this match).
On many occasions, he has stood at the bottom of his five-step run-up (sizeable steps, mind) and flicked the ball up with his wrist only to then bowl nothing but off-breaks. That was until this year when, in search of more spin options, he decided to serve up mostly leggies. And he’s not done too badly, taking 22 wickets at 37.04 so far.
Last night he took a wicket with a cracking ball that found the edge of Daryl Mitchell’s bat, requiring a superb catch from Chris Jordan. But today, he might have just bowled one of the worst spells of leg-spin I’ve seen in the east-Midlands, on a Friday. Long-hop, followed long-hop, followed tick, followed long-hop.
He was taken out of the attack after three overs, Chris Nash walking over to him and giving him a little nod of the head as if to say, “mate, what was that?” Ollie Robinson replaced him at the top end and took a wicket seventh ball, as Ben Cox, who had batted well for his 31, swiped across the line and was bowled.
Wells aside, it is young Worcestershire batsman Joe Clarke who is stealing the show: he’s on 85 and has played things absolutely perfectly. He’s defended resolutely but he has not got bogged down, finding gaps by subtle changes of his bat angle and pushing down the ground with ease.
Joe Leach has just been given out LBW for Ashar Zaidi’s third wicket of the innings. The match is gone so we’re just hanging on for Joe Clarke’s maiden Championship ton...
Almost immediately, Zafar gets Critchley, who’d played really well. Pushing forward on the front foot and trying to play into the offside, he was trapped leg before. Palladino is in now, and the umpires are chatting lots about the light. It is gloomy, but with two spinners on it’s absolutely fine to play. Surrey are three wickets away from promotion.
Bit frustrating for Surrey, this. Batty had Tom Milnes caught at bat-pad by Burns again, but since, Derbyshire have resumed Project: Dig In. Madsen and Critchley have been at it for 15 overs, and the later – just 18 – has soaked up 48 balls for his magnificent 5. A wicket has never looked far away, but it’s just not happening, especially for Ansari. Madsen is on to 73 and is playing a very admirable hand indeed.
It’s pretty cold and gloomy, and it’s 144 for six.
That’s the breakthrough! Durston goes for a decent 57 as Batty, who’s been probing away with no luck, gets him LBW in the fourth over after lunch. Three balls later and the youngster Hosein is gone too. There are four round the bat, and Batty gets one to spit and turn, Hosein prods forward and gets an inside edge, which spoons up to one of Surrey’s wicketkeepers, Rory Burns, stationed at short-leg. It’s 99 for five and Wayne Madsen has a job on his hands.
Should be added that Ansari is looking far less threatening than his skipper, and Angus Fraser is here in his guise as England selector…
Worcestershire 210 & 101-6 v Sussex 510-5 dec
The players should be making their way out any minute now for what will probably be the last session of the match. Just four more wickets are needed for a vital win for Sussex. After the 11am rain delay, we got back on at about quarter to 12 and two wickets fell between then and lunch.
Left-arm spinner Ashar Zaidi squared up Alex Gidman, Worcestershire’s top scorer in the first innings with 60, after the rain delay: hit on the back leg as he went forward to defend. Then a second LBW, in the over before lunch, saw off Ross Whiteley, who look disparagingly at the umpire, then the inside edge of his bat, before walking off.
Chris Jordan was bowling over the wicket to the left-hander for the decision and, at first glance, it looked to have pitched outside leg-stump. The speed of the umpire’s decision – finger up before the appeal had really got going – suggested there was no doubt in his mind.
Fair play to Derbyshire here, they’ve dug themselves out of a hole. The Currans made a mockery of the top order with a wicket each and a run out for Tom in the first 30 minutes to reduce the visitors to 13/3. But since, Madsen and Durston have dug in dutifully for 22 overs and an hour and a half to share 69 up to lunch. Durston has looked fluent, cutting Burke consecutively for four and cover-driving then pulling Tom Curran.
On a turning deck, though, Surrey went for spin at both ends, and although neither Ansari nor Batty looked all that threatening, it is spitting and it looks a matter of time. The two deliveries before the interval were a case in point – Batty thought he had Madsen caught at slip, then LBW, but no dice. Both times, he held his hands on his head and just gave the umpire a you-know-what-I’m-thinking glare. Wouldn’t want to be on the end of one of them from Batty.
It’s got a bit gloomy here so the lights are on. There are some dark clouds to the east, but I wouldn’t they’ll hit. Derbyshire dine on 78 for three. Decent fightback, but Surrey should do the job. This partnership the key.
Since that shambolic run-out, the sailing has been fairly plain for Derbyshire, with Madsen and Wes settling, each playing some lovely drives. Scurran has been replaced by Burke, and Tom Curran pulled up – then fell down - with an ankle injury last over, which he duly completed, so it can’t be too bad. Both Batty and Ansari are warming up, about time we saw a bit of them. Surrey’s slip cordon is still three strong, and every single one of them – Sanga, Burns and Davies – is a keeper.
Worcestershire 210 v 76-4 v Sussex 510-5 dec
Advance apologies from New Road – the wifi here has been threatening to choke over the last three days and, today, it seems like it’s spluttering to an end. A shame, really. We’ve had some good times.
There was a moment when I tried to send an update on day one, championing a rebuilding effort between Brett D’Oliveira and Joe Clarke, who had rebuilt from 13 for two with a partnership of 80. By the time my update made it through the interwebs, they had collapsed to 110 for six. Oh how we laughed.
At least now I’ve been afforded a bit more time by the rain, which hit New Road at 11:05am, about 10 minutes after nightwatchman Charlie Morris had cut Chris Jordan onto his off stump. He had looked an accomplished presence, getting right behind the ball and hitting a couple of boundaries off Jordan – both off-side, one squarer and more deliberate than the other.
We’re due to come back on at 11:30am, having lost 11 overs with 81.5 more to bowl today. There’s no further rain scheduled, but the forecast for this match has been, well, bollocks.
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The Currans have done their thing. And by their thing, I mean really good bowling with the new ball, to remove both openers without scoring and leave Derbyshire 0-2, which isn’t much use when you’re trying to save the game.
Scurran struck the first blow, tossing down a couple of looseners before getting one to tail away from Billy Godleman’s dangling bat, taking the edge, which Ben Foakes – donning the gloves because Wilson has a neck injury, although Surrey have three other keepers in the side – duly snaffled. Then the Curran Bun (his hair really is dodgy) trapped Ben Slater leg before an produced the mother of all celebrappeals (your move, Stuart Broad) before the finger went up.
So it’s Chesney Hughes (who, somehow, is only 24?!) and Wayne Madsen are at the crease rather earlier than they would have liked. Not sure how long today will last, to be honest.
Oh, there’s some runs, as Hughes clips Scurran off his legs for a couple. Remarkable stuff.
Morning, everyone, great to be back in the chair. No doubt you Yorkies BTL are revelling in that marvellous victory at Headingley yesterday, but what it meant is that we bid farewell to Jamie Bowman, and in I came.
I’m at the Oval, where Surrey could today clinch promotion back to Division One. They lead Derbyshire by 247 runs on a turning pitch that Wes Durston’s apologetic offies have already managed six-fer on. Zafar Ansari is the talk of the town, after four wickets and a ton, but today’s his chance to get one foot on that plane to the UAE. He and Gareth Batty will be licking their lips. The Currans will get a go first on a muggy, cloudy day, mind.
That fine fella Vish Ehantharajah is once again at New Road, where Worcestershire have a real battle on their hands to avoid defeat in the relegation 96-pointer, or whatever we’re calling it, after Luke Wright and Ben Brown – who I think is a seriously underrated cricketer – plundered hundreds yesterday. Worcester really, really need to dig in, especially after a James Vince inspired Hampshire win yesterday. Elsewhere in Division One, Middlesex and Warwickshire are heading towards a rain-affected draw at Edgbaston.
In Division Two, things are interesting, as Kent have Lancashire right on the ropes. It’s a reminder that Surrey are lurking behind Lancs, ready to overtake. Leicestershire and Gloucestershire are cruising to a draw, while coachless Essex are pushing for a win against Northants, who are down to ten, after Richard Levi snapped a digit.
Enjoy the cricket, Vish and I are looking forward to hearing from you.
Morning all,
Today we’re back with Vithushan Ehantharajah at New Road for Worcestershire v Sussex and, after Yorkshire eased to victory over Somerset at Headingley yesterday, we’ve moved on to Surrey v Derbyshire at the Oval with Will Macpherson. Here are last night’s reports:
Worcestershire v Sussex
Luke Wright’s double hundred lifts Sussex above Worcestershire gloom
There are a few reasons why Luke Wright has enjoyed a fruitful couple of years in the County Championship, with 933 runs in 2014 and more than a thousand for the first time this summer. No longer an England regular, he has been more available than ever for Sussex. In addition, his decision to reduce his bowling workload has allowed him to focus more on his batting. And, as it happens, his form this year has been helped by a willingness not to succumb to the curse of the benefit year.
Yorkshire v Somerset
Yorkshire close to retaining title after swatting away Somerset
Yorkshire stand on the verge of defending the County Championship after completing a ruthless demolition job against Somerset on the third day of a one-sided contest at Headingley. The hosts took eight wickets in the morning session to leave Andrew Gale’s side knowing that if second-placed Middlesex fail to beat Warwickshire this week, Yorkshire will need a maximum of six points from their final three fixtures to retain their title. The chance to lift the trophy at Lord’s next week with a win or a draw against their rivals will surely be inspiration enough for a team brimming with confidence after a season to savour.
Enjoy the cricket
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