Roundup and results
Debut centurion Alex Milton and 10th wicket partner Steve Magoffin gave Somerset a scare with a record partnership of 136 in 39.2 overs either side of tea as Worcestershire attempted to salvage a draw from nowhere at New Road. Chasing 443, the Division One’s bottom side started day four on 50 for two and slipped to 165 for nine before wicketkeeper Milton’s four-and-a-half-hour unbeaten 104 in his first Championship appearance led the remarkable resistance to 301 all out.
The pair broke a 112-year record for their county’s 10th wicket; the previous best of 119 between William Burns and George Wilson also coming against Somerset at New Road in 1906. In the end, Somerset’s fourth win, by 141 runs, cut Surrey’s lead at the top to 34 points with six matches to play. It was an otherwise polished performance, with notable contributions from seamers Jamie Overton and Josh Davey and Pakistan overseas batsman Azhar Ali. Overton claimed eight wickets in the match and Scotland’s Davey seven, while Azhar hit a debut hundred having replaced injured Australian Matthew Renshaw.
Given the dominance shown by a Surrey side who have won their last five outings, Somerset’s hopes of a maiden Championship title are slim. But they do have Surrey to play at Taunton in the penultimate week of the season. They just have to hope the race is still on by then.
These were Overton’s first Championship wickets of 2018 in his second appearance having recovered from a side injury. The 24-year-old, who picked up four wickets in each innings, went at more than four an over. But he bowled with significant oomph, the prime example of which being when he burst through Moeen Ali’s defences with the final ball of day three.
He was not the only one frustrated by 22-year-old Cardiff University product Milton and veteran Australian seamer Magoffin, with the former proficiently pulling, cutting and driving. Overton wrapped up the win when Magoffin (43) uppishly drove to backward point with 24 overs remaining.
Ben Stokes played on to left-arm seamer Matt Taylor for nine as Durham fell short chasing 340 at Cheltenham. Gloucestershire’s second win helped them climb away from the foot of Division Two. Durham had reached lunch in reasonable health on 111 for one and later 168 for two, but they fell to 201 for six and 298 all out. Mark Wood, unable to bowl in the second innings because of a foot injury, finished 61 not out.
Leg-spinner Matthew Critchley claimed six wickets as Derbyshire defended 314 to beat Northamptonshire in a mid-table Division Two clash at Chesterfield. Critchley’s figures of six for 109 contributed to match figures of 10 for 133, both career bests. Northants, who started the day on 174 for three on a Queen’s Park turner, slipped to 274 all out to lose shortly before lunch. Critchley, a 21-year-old who played one-day cricket for the Lions during the winter, had never previously taken more than three wickets in a first-class innings.
Results and latest scores
Tour match
India 322/6 (84 overs); Essex yet to bat
Division One
Somerset 337 & 362/9 dec; Worcestershire 257 &301. Somerset win by 141 runs
Division Two
Derbyshire 260 & 342; Northamptonshire 289 & 274. Derbyshire win by 39 runs
Gloucestershire 362 & 252; Durham 275 & 298. Gloucs win by 41 runs
India have reached the close in Chelmsford on 322 for six after Dinesh Karthik finished the first day of this tour match against Essex unbeaten on 82. It was a recovery for Virat Kohli’s team after they stumbled to 44 for three in the morning session. But half-centuries from India’s captain, Murali Vijay, KL Rahul and Karthik helped them recover. This three-day match is likely to see India bowl for the majority of the second day, with spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja likely to take advantage of bone-dry conditions here.
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And that’s a wrap. A very entertaining week in the Championship concludes with Gloucestershire beating Durham by 41 runs defending a target of 340. Mark Wood finished 61 not out, but Ryan Higgins had Chris Rushworth caught behind to help Gloucestershire climb away from the foot of Division Two with their second win.
India started the final session well against Essex, with KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik taking their sixth-wicket stand past a hundred.
Rahul, likely to bat at No3 ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara in next week’s first Test against England at Edgbaston, reached his half-century in 77 balls while Karthik, India’s probable No6 batsman in the Tests, did likewise in just 51 deliveries. But the stand was finally broken when Rahul holed out to the spin of Aaron Nijjar on 58 as India were reduced to 261 for six.
Somerset have won by 141 runs to cut Surrey’s lead at the top to 34 points with six to play, including a meeting between the two at Taunton in September - penultimate week. But what an effort from Worcestershire’s debutant wicketkeeper Alex Milton and Steve Magoffin. who shared 136 for the last wicket, breaking a 112-year record for their county’s best ever 10th-wicket stand. The game was up when Magoffin uppishly drove Craig Overton to backward point with a minimum of 24 overs remaining in the match. They had batted for 39.2 overs. Milton, playing his first Championship match, finished 104 not out off 181 balls. But when all’s said and done, their side are still rooted to the foot of Division One and on course for relegation. At Cheltenham, Durham are 269-8 in pursuit of 340. Mark Wood is still there on 42.
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They’ve taken tea at New Road, where Worcester are 299-9 with a minimum of 26 overs remaining in the match. Tenth wicket pair Alex Milton and Steve Magoffin have already batted for 37.2 to share 134. Forget the victory target of another 144, that isn’t happening. But a draw just could, even if it is still not favourites by any stretch. Down the M5 at Cheltenham, Durham are now 257-6 with 83 more needed. Michael Richardson and Mark Wood, who couldn’t bowl in the second innings due to his foot injury sustained earlier in the match, have shared 56. Wood has 36 of them.
Alex Milton has his century off 172 balls at New Road. What a remarkable effort that is. Worcestershire are 291-9, and the partnership is 126 with Steve Magoffin, who is unbeaten on 36. At Cheltenham, Durham are 233-6 needing 107 with Michael Richardson and Mark Wood at the crease.
It’s tea at Chelmsford and, with a scheduled 34 overs of the day remaining, India find themselves 201 for five following a session that saw captain Virat Kohli depart for a fluent 68.
A 54-run partnership between Dinesh Karthik and KL Rahul has taken the tourists past 200 after they had been 147 for five following Kohli’s dismissal. But in a non-first-class match where India can in theory play 11 batsmen given all 18 members of their squad are available for selection, the scoreline is less important than the manner of their dismissals.
Four of the five India wickets to fall have been caught behind the wicket, with the other bowled. It suggests that England’s bowlers might have some joy come next week’s first Test at Edgbaston so long as they find the lateral movement that so many of India’s batsmen struggle with. Aside from Kohli, Rahul, who was unbeaten on 37 at tea, has looked the most adept at coping with the conditions. Murali Vijay was more substance than style but he showed commendable cojones to grind out 53 from 113 balls before being bowled by Paul Walter.
Century partnership for the last wicket between Alex Milton and Steve Magoffin has taken Worcestershire from 165-9 to 271-9, with Milton unbeaten on 90 and Magoffin 34. The county’s record 10th-wicket stand is in danger of going - 119 between William Burns and George Wilson versus - yes, you guessed it - Somerset at New Road in 1906. I remember it well.
Virat Kohli looked in good touch today but the India captain has been dismissed for 68 after edging Paul Walter to Varun Chopra at first slip. India, currently 158 for five and with Lokesh Rahul and Dinesh Karthik at the crease, are in a bit of trouble against what is effectively Essex’s second XI bowling attack. Remember there’s no Jamie Porter, Neil Wagner or Simon Harmer playing here, the trio rested for this three-day match. But Kohli, who hit 12 fours in his 93-ball innings, did at least make a positive start ahead of next week’s first Test against England at Edgbaston.
Worcester still going (234-9). Wicketkeeper Alex Milton has 76 not out on Championship debut. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes is out for nine at Cheltenham as Durham slide. They are five down for 192 chasing 340. He has played on to left-arm seamer Matt Taylor. A bit of a leaden footed poke outside off stump.
Ben Stokes is at the crease for Durham at Cheltenham. They are 180-3 chasing 340 to beat Gloucestershire, with Stokes on six after Graham Clark fell to Ryan Higgins. Worcester still going at New Road. Alex Milton and Steve Magoffin have put on 50 for the last wicket to take them to 215-9. A small matter of 228 more to win. Milton, the 22-year-old Surrey born ex-Cardiff MCCU player, has his maiden fifty.
Virat Kolhi has reached his half-century in 67 balls in Chelmsford, the India captain pulling Paul Walter for four as his team reach 131 for three against Essex. But there’s also some news in about India’s reasons for cutting this warm-up match to three days. Originally meant to be a four-day game, the visitors took the decision to cut it less than 24 hours before the scheduled start. Speculation in the Indian media suggested the tourists were unhappy with the practice facilities, scorched outfield and state of the pitch at the County Ground. But Ravi Shastri, the India coach, has revealed it was a decision purely down to getting the best preparation for his team ahead of next week’s first Test against England at Edgbaston.
“There was no complaint from the Indian management about anything,” said Shastri. “We are getting in there, into the Test match venue, because it wouldn’t have served the purpose here [Chelmsford]. Instead of an extra day here, I think an extra day [of training] there would be more valuable. More familiarity with the venue and the conditions where you are playing the first Test. If we had played four days here we would have lost that one day there because of travel.”
Shastri’s explanation contradicts the official announcement given by Essex and the England & Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday, which cited the current heatwave in the south-east and India’s worries about their players being subjected to an extra day in the middle in 30-plus degrees temperatures.
Yet remarkably Shastri admitted India wanted to make this a two-day fixture. “We were ready to even play a two-day game and use that one day for full day of practice here, the centre pitch,” he said. “But when they explained about the tickets we said fine we’ll play a three-day game. And travel on Saturday to be able to practise on Sunday.”
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Somerset on the brink of victory with two post lunch wickets for Jack Leach, who had Luke Wood caught at mid-off and Dillon Pennington caught behind or at second slip. I’m not entirely sure in truth given a ricochet off Marcus Trescothick at second slip. Even the replay isn’t conclusive. I think it’s second slip. Anyway, it’s not that important in the grand scheme of the game. Worcester 170-9 chasing 443.
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Derbyshire beat Northants by 39 runs
Derbyshire have defended a target of 314 against Northants on a Chesterfield turner. Leg-spinner Matt Critchley, who has been on England’s winter development programme, has claimed career best figures of 6-106 to secure match figures of 10-139 (also a CB). Northants were three down overnight and lost their last seven wickets for 87 to slip to 274 all out, with Prestonian Critchley taking five of them. That is Derbyshire’s second win from eight this season and leaves them 51 points adrift of second-placed Sussex in Division Two. Northants are four points further back. Derbyshire are sixth, but that will change if Durham avoid defeat at Cheltenham, where they have reached lunch on 111-1 chasing 340.
In Division One, Worcestershire are 157-7 at lunch chasing 433 to beat Somerset at New Road. Ross Whiteley has gone for 39, caught behind off Jamie Overton. So much for my theory about a Nathan Astle style recovery, hey.
India reached lunch on 100 for three after enduring a torrid opening morning of their only warm-up match ahead of next week’s first Test against England at Edgbaston. They were five for two against Essex after the early losses of Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara and then 44 for three after the dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane. But in what could be an ominous sign for England, Virat Kohli, the India captain, has been in fine touch as he reached lunch on 32 from 34 balls. Kohli did offer one chance, when he edged Paul Walter on six and saw the ball fly perilously close to the outstretched glove of Essex wicketkeeper James Foster. Other than that, though, he has looked untroubled, hitting six boundaries in a fluent knock that bodes well for his prospects in the upcoming Tests.
This is an Essex team missing six first-team regulars as well as England opener Alastair Cook, who is here at Chelmsford but resting up after he hit 180 for England Lions against India A in Worcester last week. It means as good as Kohli has been, he is facing an attack shorn of Neil Wagner, Jamie Porter and spinner Simon Harmer.
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Alex Milton (18) and Ross Whiteley (38) are holding Somerset up at New Road. They have shared 62 and counting for the seventh wicket to steady the ship following that clatter of four wickets. They are currently 133-6 chasing 443. It is surely only delaying the inevitable defeat for a Worcestershire side pinned to the foot of Division One and needing something remarkable to escape the clutches of relegation. Having said that, I recently watched a re-run of that Nathan Astle double century which nearly de-railed England at Christchurch in 2002. So, with Whiteley there, I guess you can’t 100% write off a home fightback just yet as unlikely as it is.
Virat Kohli has belatedly come to the crease in Chelmsford after Essex picked up their third wicket – Ajinkya Rahane caught behind on 17 off Matt Quinn to end a soporific 39-run partnership with Murali Vijay. Kohli, the India captain, was in decent enough touch during the recent ODIs against England but will want a big score here as he tunes up for next week’s first Test at Edgbaston. Kohli, coming in at No 5 in this innings, one place below his usual slot, averaged just 14 during India’s last Test series here four years ago but is a much better batsman now and rightly regarded as one of the best in the world. With his side 46 for three, he certainly needs to score some runs to stop this getting any more embarrassing for India.
Further wickets for spinners Matt Critchley and Hamidullah Qadri, and Derbyshire are very much in the hunt at Chesterfield, where Northants are 247-6 and still needing 67. Qadri bowled Alex Wakely through the gate for 68 before Steven Crook edged Critchley to a diving Alex Hughes at second slip. Josh Cobb and Seekkuge Prasanna are at the crease. Looks like it’s turning.
India have been living dangerously in Chelmsford after the early dismissals of Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara left them struggling on five for two in the third over against Essex.
At drinks, they have moved onto 25 for two, with Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane putting on a painstaking stand of 24 from 11.2 overs. Both have been dropped, though, with Rahane spared on four when Varun Chopra shelled a simple chance at first slip off Matt Quinn and Vijay put down on six at second slip off the bowling of young fast bowler Aaron Beard. Captain Virat Kohli should be next in but this is turning out to be a rather hot – temperatures are already past 30C here – and uncomfortable morning for India.
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Another wicket for Somerset, with Worcester now 90-6. Northants have also lost Richard Levi, lbw to Matt Critchley, at Chesterfield as they pursue 314. That left them 187-4. But Steven Crook has come in and serenely moved to 21 off 25 balls to calm the nerves. They are 226-4, needing 88 more. Durham have made a very handy start to their pursuit of 340 to beat Gloucestershire at Cheltenham. They are 75-0 thanks to Tom Latham and Cameron Steel.
Early wickets for Somerset at New Road, where Josh Davey has bowled Joe Clarke and Jamie Overton has ousted Travis Head caught behind. Clarke was stuck on the crease and had his off bail removed, while Head slashed at a wide one and edged behind to ex-Pear Steve Davies. Hang on, it’s five down! Three wickets in six balls as Overton has Ed Barnard caught at second slip by Marcus Trescothick to give him hat-trick ball. Alex Milton survives. Worcester 65-5 chasing 433.
It’s all happening in Chelmsford, Matt Coles, fresh from removing Shikhar Dhawan in his first over, gets Cheteshwar Pujara in his second, another edge behind caught by James Foster. India, struggling on five for two just 15 minutes into the day, have opted to delay Virat Kohli’s entrance, though, sending in Ajinkya Rahane at number four instead.
India’s day has not started well, the tourists losing Shikhar Dhawan inside three minutes after the opener was caught in his crease by Matt Coles and feathered an inside edge behind to Essex wicketkeeper James Foster. Cheteshwar Pujara, seeing his first actin of the tour, joins Murali Vijay at the crease.
The sun is already beating down remorselessly on the parched outfield at Chelmsford but we have some news from the toss. Shock horror, India have won it and have decided to bat first. It appeared a proper toss but this match – shortened to three days only on Tuesday at the request of the tourists – will not have first-class status. India cited the current heatwave for cutting this contest down from four days at the last-minute, a move that will cost Essex thousands of pounds in lost revenue from ticket sales.
They will also be free to select from all 18 members of their squad, although only 11 will be able to bat. Essex have rested a raft of players as well, with Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, the captain Ryan Ten Doeschate, Simon Harmer, Neil Wagner and Jamie Porter all missing.
The good news for those watching this match today is they will get a glimpse of Virat Kohli batting and it will be interesting to see how India’s captain, who averaged 14 in his last Test series in England in 2014, fares.
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Good morning all
Just the three matches still ongoing in what has been a bit of a helter-skelter round of Championship fixtures this week.
Somerset are closing in on a Division One win over Worcestershire at New Road, one which would keep the pressure on leaders Surrey. The hosts are 50-2 chasing 443, with Jamie Overton bursting through the defences of Moeen Ali with the final ball of day three last night. If, as looks very likely, Somerset can wrap up their fourth win in eight matches, it would cut Surrey’s lead at the top to 34 points with six to play. Somerset host Surrey at Taunton in the penultimate round of matches in mid-September. But the way Surrey are going, it could all be done and dusted by then.
In Division Two, the two fixtures yet to finish have little impact on the promotion picture, although still hold great attraction for many given the quality of out-ground venues at Chesterfield and Cheltenham respectively.
At the former, Northamptonshire have the marginal advantage as they pursue 314 to beat hosts Derbyshire, although it is far from a foregone conclusion at 174-3. If the visitors get there on a turning pitch against an attack with two promising spinners in Matt Critchley and Hamidullah Qadri, it would be a ground record chase at Queen’s Park.
At Cheltenham College, Durham are 35-0 chasing 340 to beat bottom side Gloucestershire, who will be confident of claiming their second win of the season. A lot rests on the shoulders of Tom Latham and Ben Stokes for Durham.
India also begin their practice match against Essex at Chelmsford before next week’s first Test, with the game now three days and not four. There have been suggestions in the Indian media that the change comes as a result of concerns over the pitch conditions, but Essex insist it is because of high temperatures forecast in the south.
Returning to the Championship for a second, it hasn’t half been a cracking round of fixtures. A couple of two-day finishes at Hove and Canterbury, one of the best ever hat-tricks going for Jordan Clark at Old Trafford, where Joe Root claimed four for five with his offies as Yorkshire completed a significant Roses victory on Tuesday and a host of other standout performances, including some for Root’s England colleagues. A superb advert for the format which is still king.
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