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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ed Aarons (later) and Tanya Aldred (earlier)

County cricket: Warwickshire close on Division Two title – as it happened

Olly Stone has been among the wickets for Warwickshire again following his England call-up.
Olly Stone has been among the wickets for Warwickshire again following his England call-up. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Roundup: Brooks seals Yorkshire survival, Warks in charge of Division Two decider

Jack Brooks took five Worcestershire wickets on his Yorkshire farewell as his side guaranteed their Division One status by claiming the two bowling points they needed.

The Tykes were safe when Somerset-bound Brooks trapped Ed Barnard lbw to leave the home side on 255 for six, and he ended the day with five for 83 from his 19 overs. Daryl Mitchell’s 127 and 60 from Moeen Ali helped the home side to 319 for eight at the close on day one at Worcester.

Essex bowlers Jamie Porter and Sam Cook claimed four wickets each to condemn newly-crowned champions Surrey to a day to forget at the Kia Oval. Only England batsman Ollie Pope made it past 20 as Surrey were skittled for 67 in just 27 overs. Murali Vijay and Tom Westley took full advantage as Essex reached stumps 130 ahead on 197 for two with Westley unbeaten with 93.

James Hildreth made 137 to help second-placed Somerset bat themselves into a strong position against Nottinghamshire, now the only team Lancashire can overhaul in the relegation battle. Hildreth’s contribution, as well as fifties from opener Marcus Trescothick and Steve Davies, steered the visitors to 353 for seven by the close at Nottingham with Harry Gurney taking five for 66.

England opener Keaton Jennings top-scored as Lancashire’s batsmen attempted to back up the work of their bowlers against Hampshire. Jennings was bowled for 48, but the captain Liam Livingstone was still there on 46 at stumps with the visitors on 123 for four.

Lancashire must win the match and score a maximum 24 points to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Hampshire had earlier been dismissed for 187 with Sam Northeast’s 42 the most significant contribution.

In Division Two, Will Rhodes dominated an unbeaten opening partnership of 148 as second-placed Warwickshire enjoyed the better of their title showdown with leaders Kent.

Rhodes’ 102 and 37 from Dominic Sibley guided their side to within 19 runs of the visitors’ first innings total of 167 after Keith Barker, Chris Wright and Olly Stone had taken three wickets apiece.

Wickets tumbled at Northampton as Sussex found themselves trailing by 49 runs, five overs into their second innings at the end of day one. Having taken four for 32 as Northamptonshire dismissed Sussex for just 118, bowler Ben Sanderson scored 36 in a 10th-wicket partnership of 60 with Ben Cotton to help his side to 171 all out, and the visitors had reached four without loss by the close.

Derbyshire opener Luis Reece struck with bat and ball to peg back Gloucestershire at Derby. Reece’s 59 provided the backbone for the home side’s modest total of 184, but he then took four Gloucestershire wickets, all of them lbw, to leave the visitors with 100 for five overnight.

Matt Salisbury returned figures of six for 37 as Durham took control of their clash with Middlesex in Paul Collingwood’s final game for the county. The visitors made just 121 after winning the toss and electing to bat with England bowler Mark Wood helping himself to three for 23, and Gareth Harte’s 76 not out established a 106-run lead with Durham closing on 227 for five.

Glamorgan’s Kiran Carlson hit 83 and Craig Meschede 55 to frustrate Leicestershire in Cardiff. The home side will head into day two on 331 with two first-innings wickets remaining, as they search for just their second win of the season. PA

Updated

Close of play scores

Division One

New Road: Worcestershire 319-8 (Mitchell 127, Moeen 60;
Brooks 5-83) v Yorkshire
The Oval: Surrey 67 all out, Essex 196-2 (Westley 92no, Vijay 80)
Essex lead by 129 runs (latest)
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Somerset 353-7 (Hildreth 137, Trescothick 71, Davies 55; Gurney 5-66)
Ageas Bowl: Hampshire 187 all out v Lancashire 123-4
Lancashire trail by 64 runs

Division Two

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 148-0 (Rhodes 102no), Kent 167 all out
Warwickshire trail Kent by 19 runs
Northampton: Northants 171 all out, Sussex 118 all out & 4-0
Sussex trail Northamptonshire by 49 runs
Cardiff: Glamorgan 331-8 (Carlson 83, Meschede 55) v Leicestershire
Riverside: Durham 227-5 (Harte 76, Richardson 50) v Middlesex 121 all out (Salisbury 6-37)
Durham lead Middlesex by 106 runs
Derby: Derbyshire 184 all out (Reece 59; Miles 5-50) v Gloucs 100-5
Gloucestershire trail by 84 runs

That’s all from us for today, but stay tuned for close of play scores and a roundup of the day’s action. And don’t forget to catch up on Gary Naylor’s latest talking points:

From PA, here’s more on Warwickshire’s dominant opening day:

Warwickshire took huge strides towards the Division Two title by totally dominating the opening day against rivals Kent at Edgbaston.

The two sides, already guaranteed promotion, went into their final game level on points so whoever takes most from this match will go up as champions.

It had all the makings of a titanic duel between the two standout teams in the division this season - but Kent endured a day to forget as they were bowled out for 167 before the home side eased to 148 without loss at the close.

Chris Wright took three for 29, Keith Barker three for 31 and England new boy Olly Stone three for 36, before Warwickshire’s openers, Will Rhodes (102) and Dom Sibley (37), subdued the Kent seam attack with an unbroken 148 partnership.

Warwickshire close the day out on 148/0, having bowled out Kent for 167. The title is headed to Edgbaston by the looks of today.

The final curtain for Paul Collingwood? He’s out for 32 and may not get another chance to bat for Durham in his last ever first-class match, having gone past 12,000 runs on the way.

Worth saying that Worcestershire’s Daryl Mitchell scored big today against Yorkshire; he was out for 127 eventually. His team are now 319/8, having had the better of the day which is at an end as it’s stumps at Headingley.

Updated

Will Rhodes completes his century for Warwickshire, who are cruising against Kent, Meanwhile, Lancs are now a ton up.

Updated

Nottinghamshire’s Gurney gets his fifth wicket with the final ball of the day at Trent Bridge, as Steven Davies is the man to go. That closes Somerset out on 353-7.

Looking good for Warwickshire and their hopes of winning Division Two; they are up to 142/0 and Will Rhodes is on the brink of a century. All going wrong for Kent.

Somerset are now 384-6 after Nottinghamshire’s Harry Gurney gets Lewis Gregory caught behind, the bowler’s fourth wicket of the innings. Lancashire, down among the dead men, are making a fight of things against Hampshire. They have reached 97-2 for two with a 50 partnership between Keaton Jennings and Liam Livingstone.

That’s it from me, thanks for your company!

Here’s the demise of Hildreth. He was walking before it was in the gloves

Wickets aplenty everywhere suddenly! James Hildreth’s vigil for Somerset is over for a brilliant 137, while Essex’s Murali Vijay has departed at The Oval for 80 off the bowling of Jade Dernbach.

Paul Collingwood seems to be enjoying his final Championship innings for Durham and so he should. The 42-year-old is 24 not out having survived a chance when his edge hit Middlesex’s Stevie Eskinazi right in the chops. Elsewhere Glamorgan are almost up the 300 mark against Leicestershire but only have two wickets left.

Yorkshire retain Division One status

And that’s it ... Yorkshire are safe! Ed Barnard is trapped LBW by Jack Brooks, who swiftly follows that with the scalp of Wayne Parnell next ball. But there’s no hat-trick as Ben Twohig survives.

Updated

Lancashire’s chances of staying in Division One rest on them making 400 in their first innings and it’s not looking too clever just now at 42-2. Brooke Guest was the last man out – clean bowled by Kyle Abbott – so it’s now down to Keaton Jennings and skipper Liam Livingstone to steady the ship. No pressure lads...

Worcestershire are making Yorkshire wait for that elusive point they need to ensure survival – Daryl Mitchell is unbeaten on 83 as they reach the 200 mark with five wickets back in the hutch. Over at Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire fans may be getting slightly nervous as James Hildreth passes 100 to take Somerset to 303/4.

Will Rhodes and Dominic Sibley are making steady progress as Warwickshire attempt to build on their excellent bowling earlier against Kent. They are already 50/0 – just 117 runs behind in the match which will decide who wins the Division Two title.

Updated

Meanwhile, Lancashire are certainly not going down without a fight. They’re already batting in Southampton having bowled out Hampshire for 187 to secure maximum bowling bonus points.

Updated

Good afternoon, Ed Aarons here stepping in for Tanya. It’s tea at Worcester where the hosts are 179/5, meaning Yorkshire are almost safe. Meanwhile, Essex are building a healthy lead after skittling out champions Surrey for just 67. They’re 111/1 with Murali Vijay unbeaten on 59.

Updated

I’ve got to pop off now - handing over to the office. See you tomorrow!

And Yorkshire just need one more bonus point for safety.

Northants 63/2 chasing Sussex’s 118 all out. Durham 66/2 chasing Middlesex’s 121 all out. Glamorgan get a batting bonus point!

Derbyshire 184/8 - Miles 4/50

Scores are level at The Oval, Essex have nine wickets in hand.

Kent 136/9 -Warwickshire march onwards towards the crown.

Would it be indecent to wonder how the Kent batting will manage against Div 1 bowlers next year?

Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I’m neither here nor there

Essex nearing parity at The Oval, and only one wicket down - 58/1.

Worcestershire 149/3- Mitchell 57 not out. Somerset 196/3 - Hildreth 71 not out which brings me to an email from Mark Shaw:

“A song for Somerset? How about ‘Second Place’ by The Get Up Kids? A perennial favourite, that...

“At least James Hildreth has offered a crumb of comfort by going past 1,000 runs in this game.”

Big ayes, all round.

Didn’t realise Ollie Pope had been capped by England before Surrey - slightly peculiar moment for Surrey to award 7 caps - their worst session of the summer?

https://twitter.com/surreycricket/status/1044194185354629125

“Woke up this morning, with the jinx around my bed”

Alas! Trescothick (71). Somerset 162/3.

Hampshire 118/7 now


No! Moeen’s out for 60, but someone else (you know who) is still at the crease for Somerset, 70 not out.

From Grif, in a pub, for you all:

“I’m in a lovely pub listening to ‘The End’ by The Doors, and it sums up Lanky’s season beautifully. In these end of campaign times, what other songs would suit other teams’ fortunes?”

Ok my starter for zero - how about Blur’s “To the End” for Lancashire or Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping for Glamorgan?

Morkel bowls Browne, middle stump still spinning on the grass, for 2. Essex 12/1

And in the forgotten match, Derbyshire are 118/4 against Gloucestershire - 2 each for Miles and Higgins.

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but Glamorgan bat (relatively) serenely onwards -148/4 (Carlson out for 83)

Ok....Sussex 118 all out, Sanderson 4-32. Middlesex 121 all out, Salisbury 6-37

.
Going east - England winter tourist Olly Stone 3-24 against Kent Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Awww - Denly out for 30 at Edgbaston. A third for Olly Stone, whose life has turned upside down since Friday.

Moeen moves on to 52 - eight fours, two sixes and a bucketful of grace. Trescothick 62 not out - nine fours and a sausage.

Hampshire now 110/5, a second wicket for Saqib Mahmood. Lancashire doing all they can - forgot to say congratulations to Brooke Guest who makes his first-class debut today.

And there I was, heading to The Oval tomorrow - Surrey all out for 67, Porter 4-26, Cook 4-27. Well. Let’s see what Morkel can do here.

Wickets-ahoy (38 in the session) Lunchtimes scores

DIVISION ONE

Worcester 82/1 (Moeen 34 not out) v Yorkshire

Surrey 57/7 (Porter 3-22) v Essex

Nottinghamshire v Somerset 100/2 (Trescothick 55 not out)

Hampshire 87/4 v Lancashire

DIVISION TWO

Warwickshire v Kent 78/4 (Denly 29 not out; Stone 2-11)

Northants v Sussex 90/7 (Cotton 2/10)

Glamorgan 109/3 (Carlson 48 not out; Taylor 2-28) v Leicestershire

Derbyshire 92/3 (Reece 59) v Gloucestershire

Durham v Middlesex 113/7 (Salisbury 4-35)

Moeen making it look like hard work...

Tres quietly making his way to 43 not out at Trent Bridge; while Worcester are toughing it out against the Yorkies - just one wicket down before lunch. Ah, and Luis Reece win the race to fifty at The County Ground against Gloucestershire - well played.

Joe Denly -plane ticket in the back pocket - not out 24 at Edgbaston.

Updated

There was something in the water at London on the weekend. Another one down at The Oval - Will Jacks for the second duck of the Surrey innings. Surrey 53/5; a nose infront of Middlesex’s 92/6 at The Riverside, Salisbury 4-31.

Half the Middlesex side out for 80 - four wickets for Matt Salisbury.

Sussex lose a third - Harry Finch for a duck. Sussex 73/3 v Northants.

'
Rain on their parade: Jamie Porter takes two quick wickets at The Oval Photograph: TGSPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

Essex, hope you checked this turn of events with Alec Stewart first. Surrey 41/4 - Burns, Stoneman, Roy and Foakes (for 0) back in the pavilion. Two wickets each for Porter and Quinn.

Loving the surrounds of this New Road pitch - it looks as tired as the season itself. Yorkies in the wickets - Fell out for 19. Enter Moeen, currently top of Div 1 averages -ok, he’s only played two games. (enough on the averages - ed)

Oh dear, Dawid Malan - all the dreams and disappointments of the season crystalised in that dismissal. Chopped Rushworth onto his stumps for 3. Middlesex 43/3.

An aside - just wondering, does anyone BTL have a fail-safe recipe for an EASY chocolate cake?

Gosh hadn’t seen this earlier. A spicy farewell pitch at The Riverside..

Wickets a tumbling - Glamorgan lose a second - Jack Murphy a second for Taylor, 39/2 against Leicestershire. Nick Gubbins is out at The Riverside, Middlesex 39/1. Actually make that 39/2, Sam Robson has joined him - a second for Salisbury.

And Hampshire are 25/2 as Lancs go for the better-late-than-never award. One for Gleeson and one for the tireless Tom Bailey - with 56 wickets (before this round) just one behind Graham Onions as leading Div 2 wicket-taker. Actually equal with Essex’s Simon Harmer too.

The latest on the more than unsavoury Moeen “Osama” claims. Turns out Cricket Australia have been unable to shed any further light on the incident.

Crawley joins Dickson back in the pavilion at Edgbaston, and what’s this? Jason Roy also out at The Oval - a second wicket for Porter. Essex you’re not going to rain on their parade are you? Are you? There’s going to be a beer festival and everything.

Sussex and Glamorgan also a man down - Phil Salt a wicket for Ben Hutton at The County Ground, and Nick Selman lbw for 14 at Sophia Gardens.

At Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire make an early breakthrough - Banton out for 3 to Luke Wood. Trescothick still there - just scrolled through the table to discover his average this season, and had to go worryingly low down It’s 24.71 (sob) and he’s sandwiched between Dan Lawrence and Sam Northeast. Come on Tres, one last haul.

Well blow me down if the next wicket to fall isn’t at The Oval. Mark Stoneman, who didn’t make the cut for Sri Lanka, out for 2, a(nother) wicket for Jamie Porter, who also failed to make Ed Smith’s notebook.

More of the usual super stuff from Gary Naylor:

Kent, whose first-innings batting has been a problem all season, lose the first wicket of the final round of games - Zak Crawley out for 4 to Chris Wright. Kent 9/1

Apologies to those of you whose computers struggle with Twitter links but I thought you’d like to see this ( it might be raining on the other mornings)

Updated

I forgot to mention Graeme Swann. What did you think? Better than I’d expected but a bit, I don’t know, thrusty?

Preamble

This really is it. The last round of Championship matches until next spring. The leaves are yellowing, the conkers are falling, the washing is coming in as wet as it went out, there was dragon’s breath on the walk to school this morning. Time for us all to say goodbye.

But before the farewells – some news. Adil Rashid has signed a one-year all-format contract with Yorkshire. In the words of Martin Moxon: “For now, it will just be for a year because it’s still not clear what career path he’s going to take. He’s back in the Test team and continues to do well, so we’ll see where that takes us.” I think that’s called everyone hedging their bets. Angelo Matthews has been sacked from the Sri Lankan one-day captaincy after losing to Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the Asia cup which leaves Dinesh Chandimal in charge for all formats when England tour this winter. ( India have beaten Pakistan to reach the final of the Asia Cup)

And Nottinghamshire have had the wallet out again – Joe Clarke is leaving New Road for Trent Bridge – the fourth Worcestershire player to opt to leave for Division One Cricket. It is also the fourth signing Notts have made on this late-season shopping trip, which includes - Ben Duckett from Northants, Ben Slater from Derbyshire and Leicestershire’s Zak Chappell.

Right, the games. We have weather permitting, a full hand of fixtures,, with nothing really to play for except love, peace and the end of days.

DIVISION ONE

Worcester v Yorkshire - Yorkshire need two points to guarantee Division One safety. Joe Clarke’s Worcester farewell.

Surrey v Essex – the Championship trophy will be presented at the end of the match as Surrey aim for 11 consecutive matches undefeated.

Nottinghamshire v Somerset – Notts need four points to ensure Division One games next year.

Hampshire v Lancashire – Winning with with 24 points is the only way Lancashire have a chance of staying in Division One (it aint gonna happen)

DIVISION TWO

Warwickshire v Kent – the Division Two title decider and Jonathan Trott’s final game.

Northants v Sussex – this should be an easy end-of-season visit for Sussex, the head of the chasing pack

Glamorgan v Leicestershire – come ON Glamorgan, let’s make it two wins for the season

Derbyshire v Gloucestershire sixth and seventh play each other

Durham v Middlesex – Paul Collingwood’s final match and a chance for Durham atone for the last round’s disaster

Updated

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