Roundup
Somerset lost by six wickets, in five sessions, at the Ageas Bowl, to leave Surrey within a fingernail of the title. Somerset were dismissed for 116 in their second innings, with six wickets for Kyle Abbott, after failing to reach 200 for the fourth innings in a row. Marcus Trescothick was the last man out for 50, Steve Davies the only other man into double figures. Hampshire wobbled briefly in their chase of 75, losing three wickets to Craig Overton and one to his brother Jamie.
Surrey will win the title at New Road if they get four more points against Worcestershire. Rory Burns made his fourth Championship century of the summer, waving a barrage balloon for the England spot just vacated by Alastair Cook. He rescued his team from the batting dithers, but they still trail Worcestershire by 123. Wayne Parnell had a good day, 42 with the bat and three for 38.
The Roses relegation match at Headingley remained tight as Yorkshire took their lead to 84 thanks to an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 100 between Gary Ballance and Tom Kohler-Cadmore. Lancashire had grabbed a first-innings lead of 43 thanks to 87 from Alex Davies and some lower-order thrashing from Keshav Maharaj; Jack Brooks took five for 66.
Nottinghamshire built a tentative second-innings lead of 60 at Trent Bridge, after struggling to take the last five Essex wickets.
In Division Two there was a two act play at Chester-le-Street. Sussex were bowled out for 122 as Chris Rushworth took eight for 51. Cameron Steel then led Durham’s resistance in the second innings, with an unbeaten hundred, his first of the season, building a lead of 201.
Kent, Sussex’s promotion rivals, have the edge in a tight match at Lord’s, needing just 52 to win. After a flurry of early wickets, Heino Kuhn and Daniel Bell-Drummond produced an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of fifty. Earlier, Middlesex were bowled out for 186, with four more wickets for Matt Henry.
Jack Taylor was left on 98 not out when bad light stopped play at Glamorgan as Gloucestershire built a lead of 147. Warwickshire built up a lead of 284 against Leicestershire, boosted by 64 from Chris Woakes. And on a rainy day at Wantage Road, Derbyshire’s Alex Hughes continued his excellent match with 74 not out.
Updated
Another brainstormer of a day in the Championship. It all happened at the end - belated congratulations to Cameron Steel and Rory “for England” Burns. Come back tomorrow for the two games on a knife-edge at Lord’s and Headingley, and a blunted-knife-edge, at Chester-le-Street. Somerset’s capitulation at The Ageas has pretty much handed Surrey the title this week - unless Worcestershire can do something extraordinary... Thanks for all your emails and comments. Sleep sweetly.
Close of play scores
Division One
Result: Hampshire 148 & 75-4, Somerset 106 & 116
Hampshire won by six wickets
Latest scores:
Yorkshire 209 & 127-3, Lancashire 252 all out
Yorkshire lead by 84 runs
Worcestershire 336 all out, Surrey 213-6
Surrey trail by 123 runs
Nottinghamshire 177 & 116-1, Essex 233 all out
Notts lead by 60 runs
Division Two
Latest scores:
Northamptonshire 255 all out, Derbyshire 118-4
Derbyshire trail by 137 runs
Middlesex 161 & 186, Kent 192 & 104-4
Kent need 52 runs to win
Leicestershire 100 all out, Warwickshire 384-9
Warks lead by 284 runs
Glamorgan 137 all out, Gloucestershire 284-6
Gloucs lead by 147 runs
Durham 103 & 220-4, Sussex 122 all out
Durham lead by 201 runs
No finer time for a first @CountyChamp century of the season!
— Durham CCC 🏏 (@DurhamCricket) September 11, 2018
A gritty, determined effort from @CameronSteel2
194/3; lead of 175 #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/E3IGJN78Cm
Surrey four down/ Burns still there. Jack Taylor on the cusp (98) for Gloucestershire. They’re back on at Lord’s. And England have WON and Anderson has the RECORD!
Now I must round up.
Bad light stops play here at Lord’s: Kent 57/4, need 99 to win.
And Kent are 54/4 in the gloaming.
Burns has fifty (again). He must tour! says Ed Smith. With feeling!
In Division Two, Sam Hain passes fifty for Warwickshire as their lead becomes more than good-enough for Leicester (216). Jack Taylor nears the third century of the round, 80 not out against Glamorgan as the Gloucestershire lead grows to 115. Durham lose a third wicket, 144/3 - Cameron Steel 71 not out.
And here at Lord’s Kent need 113 to win, and the sun comes out.
Yorkies go into the lead, with seven wickets in hand. And Trent Bridge is a batsman’s paradise one more: Notts 56-0 and scores level v Essex.
Updated
In answer to Glenn Wallworth, ages ago (sorry Glenn),
The Cricketer Village Cup final takes place this Sunday at Lord’s between Folkton & Flixton Cricket Club and Liphook & Ripsley Cricket Club.
Good luck to all.
Pope out for 48, caught Milton - please insert Paradise Lost joke. It’s too late in the season for me. And I haven’t read it.
Ping pic.twitter.com/IWhj7OoNF4
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) September 11, 2018
Yorkies 35/3, a second for Bailey. I think the sweeter smelling rose is red.
Updated
(Off topic, but - did you see that ball from Rashid?!)
A fabulous catch by Dawid Malan and Kent’s chase starts badly, Zak Crawleu gone for four.
And from PJ below the line : “If Tanya is looking for the next century-maker in this round, maybe should have a bob or two on young Ollie Pope, who although he is a long way off (44*) is playing like a man on a mission.”
I do hope so! What a strange summer he’s had. I saw him score a century at Guildford and he looked a super player (and seemed a lovely bloke in the interview afterwards).
Kent - what is this? 13/2.
Here at Lord’s, Kent start their chase of 156. James Taylor is still here so, Joe Denly, this is your chance. Elsewhere, normal service has resumed with the Surrey batting-machine (87/2), and they’ve called it a day at Wantage Road with Derbyshire 137 runs behind, six wickets remaining.
And back to this business, Hampshire have won, beating Somerset by six wickets. Which wasn’t what Somerset were dreaming of when they won the toss yesterday morning and decided to bat. So that means...
Victory for @surreycricket and the Championship is theirs 🏆
— County Championship (@CountyChamp) September 11, 2018
They just need to beat Worcestershire now after title-rivals Somerset lost to Hants
Scorecards & Videos: https://t.co/4HuqSRqjoF pic.twitter.com/DOBSLWHGrt
In the Test, India require 166 with five wickets remaining and this is the stat to think on:
First time in this millennium two Indians have scored centuries in the 4th innings of a Test and they were the top-2 run-getters among Indians in the latest IPL season.
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) September 11, 2018
KL Rahul & Rishabh Pant, take a bow! #EngvInd
Updated
Tea-time scores
Division One
Headingley: Yorkshire 209 and 25/2 ; Lancashire 252 (Davies 87; Brooks 5-66)
Still playing: Ageas Bowl: Somerset, 106 and 116 (Abbott 6-40) ; Hampshire 148 and 70/4 (C Overton3-22)
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 177 all out; Essex 233 (Harmer 48; Mullaney 4-68)
New Road: Worcestershire 336 (Whitely 91; T Curran 4-61); Surrey 36/2
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 103 (Robinson 5-29) and 72/1 (Lees 43); Sussex 122 (Rushworth 8-51)
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 137 all out; Gloucestershire 221/6 (J Taylor 61 not out)
Grace Road: Leicestershire 100 all out; Warwickshire 271/5 (Sibley 106)
Lord’s: Middlesex 161 and 186 (Henry 4-40); Kent 192 (Fuller 4-49)
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 255; Derbyshire 118/4 (Hughes 74 not out) RAIN STOPPED PLAY
A fabulous hundred by Pant at The Oval... but at Headingley it’s a different story. Yorkies 20/2. Hampshire have lost another, but need only 25 to win.
Hampshire look as if they are going to win after the early scare. Only just realised that Vince made a pair in the match. At Grace Road, Warwickshire’s lead over Leicestershire moves on to 150. And the Middlesex lead is building here at Lord’s on a pitch that Darren Stevens has described as “two-paced.”
Keep an eye on the Test - it’s getting interesting...
It’s suddenly much easier to bat at Chester-le-Street where Durham are 44-0, giving them a heady lead of 25.
Lancashire all out, with a lead of 43, a valuable 38 from Maharaj. Brooks 5-56.
ALERT: Hampshire are 25/3 and need 50 more...
It was a year ago that Toby Roland-Jones pulled up with a stress-fracture of the back. Good to hear that he’s up and running and positive again. Winter well TRJ.
Lancashire have a lead of 13 at Headingley with one wicket in hand. And what is this madness? Surrey are 4/2. Parnell 2-3
Over at Trent Bridge Essex limp into the lead with two wickets remaining... Worcestershire all out for 336. They get the performance of the round award: a jinx-in-a-box, to be played at a time of their choosing.
Trescothick last man out for fifty! With a highly commended for Steve Davies as the only other man to make double figures. Hampshire need 75 to win.
And they’ve only scored two centuries all season ... by Malan and Gubbins, both on the same day against Sussex in May.
Middlesex have only passed 250 in the first innings of a CC match all season. Take that stat-fans!
This is bewildering: Somerset 91/9 - giving them a tasty lead of 49. Which can’t possibly be enough,.. Blame? Everything, to wit: pitch/outfield/technique/ball/attitude/IPL/Lord’s lunch/jinxes.
Another lbw here, Andersson for 3, Middlesex have now lost 4-13 since lunch. A lead of 83, with four wickets left.
Updated
Sussex all out for 122. Which astonishingly/inevitably gives them a lead of 19 against Durham. Chris Rushworth 8/51.
https://twitter.com/DurhamCricket/status/1039493184915730432
Couple of juggles but it's 8 for @ChrisRush22!
— Durham CCC 🏏 (@DurhamCricket) September 11, 2018
Live stream: https://t.co/UzmCwcwkLc
111/9 #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/AvB7VdDdgh
Make that a sixth down at Headingley for 175 - Brooks 5/47.
Ah, Lancs have lost another, Al Davies, 13 short of a September century. Will there be another hundred this round? (If Warwickshire don’t get back on.) Middlesex 104/5 - a lead of 73.
Re the tour party. BTL thoughts, if I surmise them correctly...J Overton, Burns and Leach in favour. And I’ve heard the Denly rumours too.
Yum, lovely fruit platter at Lord’s. They’re back on here, Malan resuming on 32, Gubbins on 25. Floodlights on. Cancel that, Gubbins OUT!
Still rain delays at Grace Road, Sophia Gardens, Trent Bridge and now Wantage Road.
Lunch-time scores:
Division One
Headingley: Yorkshire 209 all out; Lancashire 165/4 (Davies 86 not out; Brooks 3-40)
Ageas Bowl: Somerset, 106 and 72/6 (Abbott 5-28) ; Hampshire 148
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 177 all out; Essex 133/5 START DELAYED BY RAIN
New Road: Worcestershire 288/6; Surrey START DELAYED BY RAIN
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 103 (Robinson 5-29); Sussex 96/8 (Rushworth 7-36)
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 137 all out; Gloucestershire 133/5 START DELAYED BY RAIN
Grace Road: Leicestershire 100 all out; Warwickshire 190/3 START DELAYED BY RAIN
Lord’s: Middlesex 161 all out and 98 for 2; Kent 192 (Fuller 4-49)
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 255; Derbyshire 118/4 (Hughes 78 not out)
Updated
And yet more wickets... Lancashire lose Dane Villas for a duck, a third for Brooks. Somerset 61/5, with a lead of 19.
And a second Middlesex wicket goes down at Lord’s - both to Darren doughty Stevens. Middlesex 64/2, a lead of 33.
A second for Brooks at Headingley, Livingstone for 7. Lancs 153/3. And Robson is out for 36 at Lord’s, where batting has looked a bit easier this morning. 62/1.
Thank you Krikket (and Cricviz) for this stat BTL:
“The average for openers in the County Championship this summer has been 28.95, the lowest since 2000.”
The difference is that then England weren’t desperately searching for openers. They had Trescothick, in his debut international season, and Atherton - albeit with only a year to go in his Test career - with Nasser Hussain at No.3
A couple more go down at Chester-le-Street, with the two “established” batsmen, Salt and Wells, back in the hutch. 33/3.
Middle stump's gone for a ride. Two in two!
— Durham CCC 🏏 (@DurhamCricket) September 11, 2018
Live stream: https://t.co/UzmCwcwkLc
29/3 #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/01ss2YAj9e
And Lancashire lose a second (151/2), Jack Brooks gets Steven Croft for 11.
Something very poignant about this photo:
EARLY LUNCH 🍽
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 11, 2018
We're taking lunch at 12pm at New Road and will start the day's play at 12:40pm if there's no more rain. pic.twitter.com/4PuJdBtPuj
A vote for Parky from HPG, BTL:
GET PARKY ON (the plane to Sri Lanka).
And to general astonishment, Lancashire press-on, towards, it seems, Div One safety. 140/1. Alex Davies 78 not out. At Wantage Road, Derbyshire lose a wicket, Tom Lace for 38, while Alex Hughes passes fifty. And Sussex and Somerset stiffen, a little, their resolve.
Somerset now 20/4 - still trailing Hampshire by 22 runs on first-innings. Abbott 4/16.
This is Will’s thoughts on Ed Smith’s hits and misses over the year, ahead of the announcement of the tour party next week. Anyone like to nominate a player they’ve had an eye on this season for that first-class plane ticket to Sri Lanka ? Does Rory Burns deserve to make it? Leach? Bess? Wanted: blue-sky thinking on a grey-sky day.
An early lunch being taken at Trent Bridge and Sophia Gardens.
UPDATE | It's still raining here at Trent Bridge and there'll be an early lunch taken at noon #NottsvEss pic.twitter.com/YCKaJ8Twew
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) September 11, 2018
Oh Somerset, come on! 13/3. .. Abbott 3/10..
Updated
And so it continues... Durham all out 103. Sussex 0 for one, Tom Haines for a duck.
A (very) early wicket at Headingley - to the first ball of the day. Lancashire 116/1. And Somerset doing their very best to get it all over and done with, currently 4/1, Ben Green out for 0. Is that a Trescothick hundred I can smell in the air.???
🎥 @BenCoad10 with the breakthrough with the very first ball of the day! Coad is now 1-25 with three maiden overs.
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) September 11, 2018
📺 https://t.co/LjlAx0Zwi6 #YourYorkshire pic.twitter.com/rqSAtZdIbv
And the quietly ace Rob Smyth is covering the final day of the Test series here:
“Genius at the hard art of unshowy resistance,” Barney Ronay on Alastair Cook.
Gloomy news round the grounds - no play yet at Headingley (due to start 10.45), or New Road, Trent Bridge, Grace Road and Sophia Gardens (rain).
We have a change of innings here at Lord’s, Kent all out after adding only three to the overnight score, Grant Stewart out for 63. That’s a lead of 31. Change of innings too at The Ageas - where Hampshire have a handy lead of 42 over Somerset. Meanwhile at Chester-le-Street, Durham have lost two wickets for four runs - four wickets for Robinson -currently 96/9.
Lord's in September: pic.twitter.com/YTjpQrciRL
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) September 11, 2018
Lord's in September 2: pic.twitter.com/teWim75fR3
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) September 11, 2018
The lovely pavilion stewards in their autumn-wear were called Philip and Roy.
Just been for a walk around Lord’s - now I’m going to bore you with my photographs, just like those post-holiday slide-shows we sat through, beaker of Ribena in hand, in the 1980s (younger readers, this really did happen). Ok, here we go....
Preamble
Good morning from Lord’s. The mowers are out and the players are warming up on the Nursery Ground, where leaves from the lovely old trees have turned and are already falling.
After the 116-wicket Championship madness of yesterday, today may bring a result or two. Two games are nearly half completed - here at Lord’s and at the Ageas Bowl - with Trent Bridge and Sophia Gardens not far behind.
Some overnight news - yesterday’s Lord’s sensation Darren Stevens has signed another one year contract with Kent. What an reliable evergreen old pro he has turned out to be - he joined Kent in 2004, has scored nearly 15,000 first-class runs, made 40 centuries in Championship and one-day cricket and taken 720 wickets. From a 45 year old to a 42 year old - take a bow!
It could be an on and off day round the country. They’ve already had a shower at New Road, Headingley and Grace Road and the slate sky doesn’t look too encouraging here. September cricket - wickets and weather...
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