Roundup: Cook just short of two centuries, Ballance helps Yorkshire fight back
Alastair Cook fell 10 short of posting two centuries in a first-class match for the first time as Essex put themselves into a winning position against Kent at Chelmsford.
On Monday’s first day, Cook compiled a near five-and-a-half-hour 125 and added a third-day 90, the feature of Essex’s second-innings 181 for six, a lead of 312. Kent fought hard to reduce their hosts from 55 without loss to 175 for six. But Cook, caught at first slip off Wiaan Mulder before play was halted at 4.10pm, kept his side on course for victory.
Gary Ballance continued his run-laden start to 2019 for Yorkshire, who turned their game around against Hampshire. Ballance came to the Headingley crease early in the day when Yorkshire fell to 20 for two in their second innings, trailing by 34. Keith Barker had openers Harry Brook and Adam Lyth caught at second slip, but when rain halted play 15 minutes before tea, Ballance was 83 not out in 207 for three, a lead of 153.
Ballance shared 141 for the third wicket either side of lunch with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who hit a confident 69. Ballance is 17 away from his fourth Championship hundred of the season and his fifth in five matches dating back to September. He has passed 500 four-day runs for the summer and averages 104.2.
Eighteen overs were possible at Edgbaston, where Warwickshire added 50 to their overnight 26 without loss in their second innings, losing Dom Sibley and Rob Yates. They lead slumbering Surrey by 181.
There was no play possible for a second successive day at Cheltenham between the Division Two leaders, Lancashire, and Gloucestershire, where there may not be any more play due to wet patches on the wicket.
Meanwhile, Middlesex’s women chased 26 for the loss of four wickets off the last ball of a reduced five-over game to beat Surrey in the first competitive women’s fixture played between two counties at Lord’s, winning the London Cup.
Thanks for reading and commenting today. Graham will post his round-up of today’s action later this evening and will be back in the hot seat tomorrow. Bye
A few more close of plays. They’re now off at Edgbaston, Hove and Grace Road, but they are underway at New Road between Middlesex and Worcestershire. There are 28 overs remaining in the day. Middlesex are 222-3 in their second innings, leading by 287. Dawid Malan is 113 not out.
Rain has also stopped play at Lord’s, where Surrey women are 28-3 after seven overs of their T20 clash (18 overs per side) against Middlesex.
The weather is now affecting every ground in the country at present, apart from the women’s T20 at Lord’s between Middlesex and Surrey, where Surrey are 18-3 in the fifth over of an 18-over game. Lauren Bell, Katie Wolfe and England’s Sophia Dunkley have all struck.
We are off for rain at Headingley, forcing an early tea. Yorkshire are 207-3, leading by 153. Gary Ballance is 83, and his stats are quite remarkable. He is closing in on a fifth Championship century in as many matches, four of them this season and the sixth of his career against a Hampshire side whose only way of stopping him would seemingly be to sign him! I jest. There is no way Yorkshire would let him go.
Oh no, Sir Alastair has fallen for 90, 10 short of his second century in the match. Kent are fighting hard, but they still have it all to do at Chelmsford. Essex have gone from 55-0 second time around to 181-6, a lead of 312. The only other game with play at present sees Leicestershire at 110-4 chasing 234 against Derbyshire. They are at tea.
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Tom Kohler-Cadmore has fallen for 69, ending a 141-run stand with Ballance (62). He was lbw playing across one from Ian Holland’s seamers, leaving Yorkshire at 161-3 with a lead of 107.
Three games in play around the country. Essex are 135-4 against Kent at Chelmsford, leading by 266. Sir Alastair Cook has 74. In Division Two, Leicestershire are 89-3 against Derbyshire needing 145 more to win. Hasan Azad and Colin Ackermann are at the crease at Grace Road.
Gary Ballance has reached his fifty and Yorkshire’s lead is 90 at 144-2. Ballance has 55 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore 59. At Chelmsford, Sir Alastair Cook is unbeaten on 73 not out in Essex’s second-innings 130-3, a lead of 261. He hasn’t yet reached two hundreds in the same first-class match. This would be his 66th first-class ton if he gets there.
Play has been abandoned for the second day running at Cheltenham, where some, but not sufficient, improvement has been reported in the wet patch on the pitch. They’ll try again tomorrow, but I’d be surprised if we’re noting end of match scores as Lancashire 47-2 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 205. For all the majesty of out grounds, these are the issues they bring.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore has reached a 96-ball fifty and has now moved to 54, the highest score of the match so far. Yorkshire in decent shape after an extremely confident start to the afternoon. They are 111-2, leading by 57.
Play has resumed after lunch at Headingley, one of only three venues where they are playing around the country, Chelmsford and Grace Road being the others.
Yorkshire are 97-2, leading by 43. Tom Kohler-Cadmore has 45 and Ballance 27. I would suggest it was a pretty good morning for the White Rose county, and Hampshire need a wicket. Taking up the bowling duties after lunch are Keith Barker and James Fuller.
Seems like the bad weather is wider spread now than just down the M5. They have taken an early lunch at Edgbaston following bad light. Warwickshire are 76-2 in their second innings against county champions Surrey, leading by 181. There is also an early lunch at Hove due to rain - Glamorgan are 218-1 in their second innings, trailing Sussex by 16. Marnus Labuschagne is 131 not out and Nick Selman unbeaten on 64. They have shared 218 for the second wicket.
Back up to Division One, and Essex are going nicely against Kent at Chelmsford. They are 73-1 in their second innings, leading by 209. Alastair Cook is unbeaten on 47, adding to his 125 earlier in the match.
Here at Headingley, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Gary Ballance are going well as Mason Crane comes into the Hampshire attack for his first over of the match. Yorkshire’s third-wicket stand amounts to 61. The hosts are 81-2, leading by 27. Ballance, now on 17, was the subject of a huge lbw appeal a few minutes ago from Fidel Edwards as he looked to pull a ball which wasn’t there for it. Height looked to be going against Edwards, however. Kohler-Cadmore has 39.
The not so surprising news from Cheltenham is that, as the players take an early lunch, the prospects of any play today between Gloucestershire and Lancashire are bleak. There is also an early lunch being taken at Worcester, where Middlesex are the visitors. Leicester have lost their first wicket in pursuit of 234 against Derby at Grace Road. Ateeq Javid has been caught behind off Tony Palladino. They are 17-1.
Yorkshire are into the lead and have got their courtesy of a half-century partnership between Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Gary Ballance, the latter with a stunning career record against Hampshire - particularly at the Ageas Bowl. At 71-2, they lead by 17. Kohler-Cadmore has led the way with 34, while Ballance has been kept on 14 for some time now. He plays and misses at Ian Holland as I type, leading to some oohs and aahs from behind the stumps.
Derbyshire have been bowled out for 214 and have set Leicestershire a target of 234 for victory at Grace Road - what would be the highest score of the match. Here, Yorkshire are level at 54-2 with Gary Ballance and Tom Kohler-Cadmore at the crease. This is the key partnership for the hosts.
Marnus Labuschagne has his third hundred in four Championship games for Glamorgan, who are 180-1, trailing by 54, against Sussex at Hove. At Edgbaston, Warwickshire have lost Dom Sibley and Rob Yates lbw to Gareth Batty. They are 53-2 in their second innings, leading Surrey by 158.
We were chatting in the Headingley press box yesterday about Henry Olonga’s recent appearance on the Australian Voice and I’ve come across this little gem with a Yorkshire connection. Enter Michael Bevan and his daughter Liv...
A second wicket at Headingley, with Adam Lyth also falling caught at second by Weatherley off Barker for nine. Yorkshire 20-2, a score which has now moved to 30-2 with two Tom Kohler-Cadmore boundaries. The deficit is 24.
In Division Two, Derbyshire’s lead is up to 211 (192-9) against Leicestershire at Grace Road. They have lost Tony Palladino lbw to Chris Wright this morning.
The first wicket of the day falls here at Headingley. Harry Brook’s disappointing start to the season continues as he edges a back of a length ball from Keith Barker to Joe Weatherley at second slip (15-1, a deficit of 39). Gary Ballance has arrived at the crease to join Adam Lyth. Hampshire would be delighted to get him before Yorkshire move into the black.
Aneurin Donald continues to deputise behind the stumps for Tom Alsop, who was taken ill on day one. Alsop batted yesterday, but he went to hospital afterwards.
Looks like there is some rain down the M5 corridor. Delayed starts at Cheltenham and Worcester. In all fairness, they wouldn’t have started had it been dry at Cheltenham due to the state of the pitch.
While we have the seven county fixtures in action, the women of Middlesex and Surrey are playing an historic T20 fixture at Lord’s, the first competitive women’s game between two counties to be played at the Home of Cricket (4pm start).
The two sides are playing for the London Cup, and it is part of the MCC’s Cricket week, sitting alongside fixtures such as Harrow v Eton and Oxford v Cambridge.
We are just about to get underway at Headingley. Adam Lyth is batting with a hamstring twinge sustained as he wheeled away in celebration following his superb catch at second slip to dismiss Joe Weatherley yesterday.
The view from Headingley
Lovely start to day three at Emerald Headingley pic.twitter.com/XP7W4gRtOp
— Graham Hardcastle (@tykestravels) May 29, 2019
Preamble
Good morning from Headingley, where it is day three and definitely a pivotal day in this fixture.
The weather – sunny as I type – looks more settled than it has done over the last couple of days, and Hampshire just about hold sway at the halfway stage with a lead of 49. Yorkshire will resume on 5-0 in their second innings.
This has been a funny old game. Only Sam Northeast and the excellent James Fuller have reached 50, while 10 others from both sides have made it into the teens without going on to post any score of substance. The bowling from both sides has been impressive, led by Fuller, Fidel Edwards and Ben Coad. But the batting has at times been reckless.
I still can’t fathom what Rilee Rossouw was thinking yesterday. He came in with Hampshire 80-3 before lunch replying to 181 and played a shot a ball in a six-ball knock which yielded a four and six. Then, immediately after hitting David Willey over long-off into the Trueman Enclosure here, he top-edged an ugly swipe and was caught at first slip for 12. Had he batted positively but properly, he could have easily taken this game away from Yorkshire. As it is, they are very much in the hunt in swinging conditions. A 200 target could be very tricky for Hampshire to chase.
There are two other games ongoing in Division One. At Edgbaston, Warwickshire have ‘slow out of the blocks champions’ Surrey on the rack with a lead of 131 and all 10 second-innings wickets in hand (26-0). Jeetan Patel keeps on keeping on and claimed three wickets in an over yesterday. He must be one of the best overseas signings of the modern era?
Ironically, Essex also lead Kent by 131 at Chelmsford, but they are yet to start their second innings. They will do immediately this morning.
In Division Two, leaders Lancashire (47-2) and Gloucestershire (205) are in for more frustration at Cheltenham College due to a wet pitch. Overnight rain after day one seeped through the join in the wheelie covers on both ends of the pitch, forcing yesterday’s abandonment. Some media colleagues present down there aren’t particularly hopeful of any further play in the game. There will be an inspection at 10.30am.
It should be one heck of a finish at Grace Road, where ball has dominated bat between Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The visitors lead by 179 with two second-innings wickets in hand. Leicester already require the highest score of the match to claim victory.
Middlesex are all over Worcestershire at New Road. Dawid Malan has enjoyed an excellent return from injury - 45 in the first innings and 107 not out in the second - with Middlesex 195-2 in the second innings leading by 260 as they chase their first win of the summer.
Glamorgan, with plenty still to do to avoid defeat to Sussex at Hove in a clash between Jason Gillespie’s current and former county, have at least made a decent start to their second innings at 137-1. They trail by 97, with Australian Marnus Labuschagne on 77 and Nick Selman 45.
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