Hello everyone, I clean forgot about tidying up the blog after getting my head around’s Glamorgan three centurions and the lingering effects of the very drinkable and too-regularly-topped-up white wine at yesterday’s Wisden dinner. This then comes to you belatedly, with apologies, and courtesy of South West train’s excellent wifi.
A day of centurions - Root Billy, Marnus Labuschagne, Kiran Carlson, Gary Ballance, Zak Crawley, Daryl Mitchell and Hamish Rutherford, with very highly commendeds to Root Joe, Surrey’s Will Jacks, Ben Foakes and Ryan Patel, and Liam Trevaskis, Tom Lace and Ollie Robinson. Bowling rosettes to Lewis Gregory and Tom Bailey and a large sympathy card for Leicestershire who scratched their heads this morning and decided to insert Worcestershire.
Thanks for all your many comments,put your feet up in warming socks and see you tomorrow. Good night!
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Surrey’s endless supply of talented young batsmen, bat on. Jacks and Patel too pass fifty.
Please excuse me briefly to write up - but keep up the commentary BTL, I’ll be back soon.
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And at Trent Bridge, Notts are all out for 263 scored at a right lick but perhaps a touch impatiently. Lewis Gregory 6-68 . Come on Tres, get the old feet dancing, they’re all cashing in today.
I see Joe Root has now overtaken Gary Ballance in the Yorkie run-orgy at the Ageas Bowl- peculiarly, he’s still only hit five fours though. Brother Billy has hit 8 in his 63 not out at Sophia Gardens. Just saying.
A couple of wickets each for Bailey and Anderson at Lord’s - Middx 191/4. Rutherford 73 not out at Grace Road, Worcs 240/3, Tom Lace out for 83 at Gloucester, another valuable little innings, and a second wicket for Blessing Muzarabani: Labuschagne for 121. And Durham trudge on ...
shhhh...
(122/5)
Arghg, I don’t know what happened to the Division Two scores and now tea has been and gone. Sorry about that all.
And that’s fifty for Ryan Patel, as the pigeons pick search for scraps on the perfect looking Oval outfield.
Tea-time scores (hundreds galore)
Division One
Kia Oval: Surrey v Essex: Surrey 223/4 (Foakes 69; Siddle 2/65)
Ageas Bowl: Hampshire v Yorkshire. Yorkshire 224/2 (Lyth 67, Ballance 73 not out, Root 71 not out; Edwards 2/45)
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Somerset: Notts 237/8 (Nash 58; Gregory 4-43)
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Kent: Kent 229/4 (Crawley 108)
And another hundred - this time for Marnus Labuschagne for Glamorgan.
Surrey as easy on the eye as ever as Jacks stretches his long arms and legs to burnish four. Then Patel, a short-armed pull and a punchy drive, and something in my tea says Essex are in for a long afternoon.
Foakes out, alas, for 69. Zak Crawley holding his breath on 99. Will Jacks gets off the mark with a six. And Matt Renshaw, who bled runs last year for Somerset, grinds out 36 before being caught off Matthew Milnes. So many methods, so many moods.
A fruitless search for pictures of Daryl Mitchell on the Guardian library, so have this instead
First Class century number 3️⃣6️⃣ for 🐐 @mitchwccc 🙌 #MitchForEngland #LEIvWOR
— Worcestershire CCC (@WorcsCCC) April 11, 2019
cc @englandcricket pic.twitter.com/7KDTBztyPK
Ballance and Root bat on for the Yorkies, curiously Root has only hit one four in his forty not out.
Dawid Malan now accompanying Eskinazi after Tom Bailey made the breakthrough for Lancashire at Lord’s and somehow, stealthily, in a CCLive blindspot, Daryl Mitchell has run the race to 100, off 170 balls, helping Worcestershrie to 197/2.
Foakes is fluency itself here at The Oval - two fours off Siddle. His driving in particular has been lovely as he goes on to 68.
Zak Crawley, 89 not out, with reports below the line of much playing and missing. While at Trent Bridge Tom Moores is trying to keep it real, 34 not out, Gregory4-43.
Thoughtful correspondence from Abhijato Sensarma:
Ever since the dawn of professional cricket, the scorecard has been said to be say only ‘half the story’. The minutes batted column, the last saving grace of first-class matches, are slowly disappearing too. Can it not be that annotations are used for cricketing scorecards?
Of course, the official version can remain as it is, but when one looks at such features digitally, especially considering the match reports are sometimes not available, or not telling us the complete story of gripping encounters, annotations can make the scorecard more user friendly.
The Ranji Trophy in India is a prime example - no organisation wants to commission a dull match report for every game in a season, but there is enough quality cricket in them for the stand-out performers to be remembered and honoured. An Ashok Dinda 12* from number eleven might not catch many eyeballs when people look at the records years later, but the line stating “His stoic innings allowed the centurion batsman to form an important partnership with him to get the team into the first-innings lead” will inform the people of his contribution’s importance.
The element of subjective essential will remain there, of course, but most of the time an edge-filled innings will be called out for what it was while a Kohli ODI masterclass can be anointed as the greatest of all time. Scorecard writers may as well develop an own style of theirs and become important, like OBO and BBB writers are nowadays after the advent of the internet.
A sentence can be enough to address each individual performance for an innings (bowling and batting) in such a scorecard, while the best of the lot can be offered more space, along with a a chance for the ‘scorecard writer’ to use his own style of writing, dry sense of humour, or simple poetic appreciation.
In an age full of new fans and people who might not appreciate the beauty of numbers alone, such additions can be an exciting addition to scorecards, which have so far been a purely statistical and rather dry aspect of this beautiful game.
And that’s fifty from Foakes, with a gorgeous straight drive and then a scampered two. “Shot,” purrs Ed Smith from the press box.
Off a mere 63 balls, with ten fours.
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A good afternoon for the Root boys -Billy 18 not out, Joe 29 not out. Here’s a lovely shot from Billy - because younger brothers don’t always have it easy.
150 UP// This powerful cut shot from Billy Root brings up the Glamorgan 150 👏
— Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) April 11, 2019
Glamorgan are 151/3 #GoGlam 🏏 #GLAvNOR pic.twitter.com/0AoWL1Ksma
Both Middlesex men have now passed fifty - Gubbins and Eskinazi in an unbeaten partnership of 103. Only one wicket for a snazzy line-up of Anderson, Onions, Bailey, Bohannon, Maxell. Is that a knell?
Anyone at Edgbaston? Young Zak Crawley going at a fair lick - 13 fours in his 76. Here’s what he did in the winter
Root and Ballance starting where they left off at Trent Bridge - GB 41 not out, Root 16 not out.
Oh lovely Ben Foakes. Will he get a chance in the Test team? Should he be batting higher for Surrey? Super start here in partnership with Patel.
Bancroft digging in for a gritty 16 off 101 balls for Durham.
Ben Foakes looking 👌 early in the afternoon session.
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 11, 2019
WATCH LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/Bz89a9MbcJ pic.twitter.com/PItdNZnS3j
Interesting little read here on The Cricketer. Gordon Hollins on The Hundred
Younger people have more distractions than we did when we were growing up. We had cricket, rugby and football [but] the last round of Sport England funding saw awards go to 64 sports. Electronic devices don’t dominate every day, they dominate every minute of a youngster’s day. Unless we react and appeal to more people, cricket is going to suffer down the line.
Foakes tucks Siddle off his hips for four then an on-drive for four more. Unfortunately, Ed Smith is still eating his lunch.
Patel off the mark with a bootiful extra-cover drive. It’s still hand in pockets cold here though there’s enough sun for tiny shadows to flit about the players feet.
A hairy start: Foakes dropped at second slip off Siddle for 0.
Maybe there had been a max exodus for tea and sandwiches ? On the plus side, the castle looks gorgeous.
🍝 LUNCH:Our seamers making the Durham batsmen work hard for every single run. The scoring rate this morning: 1.81. 56 for 2. #gosbts pic.twitter.com/yckcdoPicD
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) April 11, 2019
Vic’s thoughts on the Almanack:
Division One
Kia Oval: Surrey v Essex: Surrey 86/3 (Stoneman 45; Siddle 2/19)
Ageas Bowl: Hampshire v Yorkshire. Yorkshire 112/2 (Lyth 67; Edwards 2/31)
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Somerset: Notts 125/5 (Nash 58; Gregory 3-32)
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Kent: Kent 96/1 (Crawley 50 not out)
Division Two
Emirates Riverside: Durham v Sussex: Durham 56/2
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Northants: Glamorgan 94/2 (Labuschagne 28 not out)
County Ground: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire: Derby 72/2 (Reece 27 not out)
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Worcestershire. Worcs 104/2 (Mitchell 44)
Lord’s: Middlesex v Lancashire Middlesex 84/1 (Gubbins 43 not out; Eskinazi 38 not out)
And that’s lunch with Surrey 86/3. Lunch-time scores to follow.
Thoughts from Gary Naylor I see Kiran Carlson is next in for Glamorgan. He’s one of the players I’m looking out for this year to see if he can make the step up in consistency his game needs. Tremendously quick hands, but so very raw.
Nash alone on the burning deck at Trent Bridge.58 not out; Notts 119/4. Lewis Gregory 2-32 to add to his superb start to the season.
REPLAY: Lewis Gregory already has 14 wickets this season at an average of 7.35! 🔥🔥#NOTTSvSOM #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/UsFoLwtw9V
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) April 11, 2019
Get up, try and find some socks and Surrey lose two wickets. Stoneman nibbling at Siddle for 45; then Pope after one glorious boundary.
Oh Notts - three down, really? At the Ageas Bowl Adam Lyth has beaten Chris Nash, Mark Stoneman, Nick Gubbins and Zak Crawley to the first fifty of the round. While up at the Riverside, Durham seem to be scoring at half the speed of everyone else.
- Three fours in Marnus Labuschagne’s 22 not out steadying the great ship Glamorgan at 62/2. He’s got a lot to live up to following Usman Khawaja - who prettified the scorecards last year, scoring hundreds in his first three games for the club.
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Burns trudges off for 31, caught behind off Jamie Porter -and a small corner of the book of fairytales gets ripped out. Next up Ryan Patel, Guildford’s man with the golden arm. And arghg, apologies, I forgot to mention earlier than Liam Plunkett is playing.
A surprisingly slow pitch at The Oval and Surrey looking in no trouble at all. In fact, a remarkably wicket-light morning so far... with only Durham in a rocky place. at 35-2. Bancroft just realising just what he’s let himself in for.
Surrey off to a super start in an unbeaten partnership of 66. Rory Burns 37 not out, Stoneman 29 not out.
Ed Smith arrives to see Burns dropped at slip.
I fancy some of whatever Slater and Nash had for breakfast - cancel that, whatever Nash had for breakfast. Notts 51/2 off 10 overs - Slater just out for 24.
Robson’s was Jimmy’s 300th first-class wicket for Lancashire. Many bouquets for how he’s kept himself both fit and hungry for more.
WICKET WATCH Here's how @jimmy9 took his 300th first-class wicket for @lancscricket Sam Robson caught at second slip by @Gmaxi_32 Middlesex 14/1 #MIDvLAN pic.twitter.com/xXyFqq5DiL
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 11, 2019
And early April wickets for Jimmy Anderson (Sam Robson ) Fidel Edwards (Harry Brook) and Ryan Higgins (Billy Godleman).
A fascinating little stat, forty percent of the IPL audience in India are female.
And this is for Glammy fans everywhere.
SHOT// Nick Selman opens his boundary count for the season with this lovely back foot punch for four 👏
— Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) April 11, 2019
Glamorgan 13/0 #GoGlam 🏏 #GLAvNOR pic.twitter.com/UWGpljtw5p
REPLAY: Not much doubt about this! Super start for Somerset and Jack Brooks 👍#NOTTSvSOM #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/yq7PJCW0bW
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) April 11, 2019
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And an early wicket at Trent Bridge - Duckett for a duck. A couple of boundaries for Burns suggests he’s in the mood - though it’s a long time to keep in form till the first Test in July, and the second in August.
Peter Siddle opening the bowling from the Vauxhall end, without a woolly hat
And a huge CCLIVE hello to Adrian Armstrong who writes from Lord’s:
Just arrived at Lord’s for my very first day of County Championship watching. More excited than anyone of my age can reasonably expect to be.
Surrey have won the toss and will bat as the sun goes in at The Oval.
Ravi Bopara out with an injury
And two Cricketers of the Year in the UK:
Congratulations on being chosen as 'Cricketers of the Year' @Tammy_Beaumont and @roryburns17 - a photo with @the_topspin and a leather-bound @WisdenAlmanack with dinner in the Long Room @HomeOfCricket pic.twitter.com/J7JqxaJXV2
— CS (@Claresk1nner) April 10, 2019
TEAM: A late change to the XI, as Ravi Bopara withdraws through injury and Rishi Patel comes into the side. Robbie White also goes straight into the team. Match updates to follow from 11am 💪#SURvESS pic.twitter.com/qfYg9EXdL0
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) April 11, 2019
Good Morning from a sunny south London. An americano at an Italian coffee shop a few hundred yards from The Oval, a complimentary easter egg hidden on the saucer, Madonna on the radio and a full round of Championship matches to look forward to – what’s the cricketese for la dolce vita?
Wisden 2019 was launched yesterday and, in case it passed you by, the Five Cricketers of the Year are Sam Curran, Rory Burns, Tammy Beaumont, Jos Buttler and Virat Kohli – who was also named the Leading Cricketer of the Year for the third year in the a row. I started thumbing through the editor’s notes – touching on The Hundred, Alastair Cook, Sandpapergate, sexist jokes, climate change, and more - but got far too distracted so have returned it temporarily to the handbag. I’m biased, as Lawrence Booth is good friend, but the 2019 edition looks a belter. Read extracts for free here .
Anyway, to the cricket. So much to look forward to, from our first look at last year’s County Champions to Cameron Bancroft’s debut as Durham captain.
SURREY V ESSEX
The first run out for the champs under their Cricketer of the Year captain, but they’re not at full strength – with Sam Curran at the IPL and Amar Virdi, Jordan Clark and Jason Roy injured. Eyes on Ollie Pope who scored a double century against the MCC in Abu Dhabi, and Tom Curran who spent most of last season on the bench through injury.
Peter Siddle strengthens an Essex side who lost their opening game against Hampshire last week. After the unlucky Adam Wheater broke his thumb, Essex have signed Middlesex wicketkeeper Robbie White on loan.
HAMPSHIRE V YORKSHIRE
Unbeaten centuries from Joe Root and Gary Ballance gave Yorkshire a draw at Trent Bridge last week, but they’ll have more trouble on their plate against Hampshire’s Fidel Edwards and Kyle Abbot who bowled Hampshire to victory against Essex. Yorkshire have added fit-again Tim Bresnan to their 13-man squad
NOTTS V SOMERSET
An intriguing game. Notts add fit-again and fancied Zac Chappell to their squad for the first time since his mid-winter transfer from Leicestershire, Paul Coughlin is injured. Somerset, who fought back with great gumption to beat Kent in their opening game, add Jack Leach to their squad.
WARWICKSHIRE V KENT
A chance for the two promoted teams to show their colours. Warwickshire are weakened - Ian Bell, Chris Woakes, Liam Norwell and Olly Stone are all on the physio’s couch. Kent, who were on top for at least half the match at Taunton, have named an unchanged squad.
DIVISION TWO
DURHAM V SUSSEX
Durham’s batting last week suggested that Cameron Bancroft took on the captaincy as some kind of self-flagellation. Let’s see what difference he can make. Ned Eckersley is pencilled in behind the stumps in place of Stuart Poynter. Sussex’s Harry Finch has a hand injury and will be replaced by Michael Burgess.
GLAMORGAN V NORTHANTS
It is debut time for Glamorgan with Billy Root, Charlie Hemphrey and Australian overseas player Marnus Labuschagne all expected pull on the lovely daffodil cap. Northants weren’t able to press home their advantage against Middlesex, but are expected to name the same XI.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE V DERBYSHIRE
Gloucestershire’s Stuart Whittingham, David Payne and Ian Cockbain are all injured and the club have signed Yorkshire seamer Josh Shaw on loan. Derbyshire, victorious against Durham, are expected to be unchanged.
LEICESTERSHIRE V WORCESTERSHIRE
Leicestershire are still without Mohammad Abbas but bouncing on air after their victory over Sussex and 10 wickets for young Tom Taylor. New Zealand batsman Hamish Rutherford (Ken’s eldest son) will make his Worcestershire debut. Ben Twohig is out for the season after knee surgery.
MIDDLESEX v LANCASHIRE
Lancashire’s first game of the season – with all eyes on Haseeb Hameed, who made a double century against the students last week and I spotted in the indoor school at Old Trafford on Tuesday, batting and batting and batting. James Anderson, Glenn Maxwell and Mark Footitt, on loan from Notts, are all in the squad. Middlesex are expected to be unchanged.
Here are the games starting today:
Division One
Ageas Bowl: Hampshire v Yorkshire
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Somerset
Kia Oval: Surrey v Essex
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Kent
Division Two
Emirates Riverside: Durham v Sussex
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Northants
County Ground: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Worcestershire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Lancashire
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