Roundup
Moeen Ali, unusually restrained, posted his first Championship century since April 2016, while Daryl Mitchell’s third of the campaign helped put bottom side Worcestershire on course for a crucial win.
Moeen shared an unbroken 199 stand for the second wicket with experienced opener Mitchell. The watchful pair look to have posted a match-winning effort against a Yorkshire side in danger of being sucked into the relegation picture, and they batted with great skill and patience on a pitch offering plenty of assistance for the seamers to secure a lead of 94 and counting.
In fairness to a Yorkshire attack including two bowlers making their first Championship appearances of 2018 in captain David Willey and Matthew Fisher, they were unlucky not to strike more than once. Mitchell and opening partner Tom Fell (45) left alone superbly, in particular. After reaching his 191-ball hundred off Adam Lyth’s off-spin, Mitchell drove the next ball through the covers to take the visitors into the lead at 217 for one.
Mitchell and Moeen, who clubbed the first ball of the evening for six over long-on off leg-spinner Josh Poysden, continued to turn the screw as they advanced from 111 for one. Moeen flayed Jack Brooks over cover to bring up his 160-ball century before offering a tough catch to Fisher at deep square-leg with the day’s last ball.
Leaders Warwickshire are close to an immediate return to Division One after beating Gloucestershire by an innings inside two days at Edgbaston, their sixth win in nine. Will Rhodes starred with a first-innings century. Dawid Malan fell lbw for a golden duck to Rory Kleinveldt as Middlesex were forced to follow-on against Northamptonshire.
Back in Division One, relegation-threatened Lancashire claimed a first-innings lead of 36 over leaders Surrey in the pink-ball clash at the Oval, with second-placed Somerset cheering on the Red Rose as they bid to complete victory over Essex at Taunton. Struggling Hampshire are also on top against Nottinghamshire at the Ageas Bowl.
Close of play scores
Division One
Yorkshire 216 all out, Worcs 310-1 Worcs lead by 94
Somerset 324 & 32-1, Essex 191 all out Somerset lead by 165
Hampshire 277 & 253-4, Notts 166 all out Hampshire lead by 364
Surrey 211 & 197-4, Lancs 247 all out Surrey lead by 161
Division Two
Warks 277, Gloucs 127 & 103 Warks win by innings and 47 (result)
Sussex 440 all out, Derbyshire 315-5 Derbyshire trail by 125
Northants 346 all out, Middlesex 187 & 32-1 Middx trail by 127
Leicestershire 220 & 126-5, Kent 195 all out Leics lead by 151
Glamorgan 154 & 126-5, Durham 295 all out Glamorgan trail by 62
Updated
We have our first result of the round. Warwickshire have beaten Gloucestershire by an innings and 47 runs at Edgbaston to strengthen their promotion bid at the top of Division Two.
Glamorgan are also heading towards a two-day defeat at 56-5 in their second innings against Durham at Cardiff. They are 85 in arrears. Here, Moeen has 97 and Worcestershire are now 302-1. If he gets there, it will be his first Championship century in two years.
Warwickshire are closing in on victory over Gloucestershire at Edgbaston, inside two days. The visitors started their second innings 150 runs in arrears and have slipped to 85-8 in the early stages of the evening, with Australian Ryan Sidebottom taking four them.
A bit of transfer news
Glamorgan’s young batsman Aneurin Donald has joined Hampshire, initially on loan for the remainder of the season. Donald, 21, rejected a new contract with his home county, and it is not surprising their chief executive Hugh Morris says he is “disappointed”. Donald is not playing in Glamorgan’s ongoing clash with Durham at Cardiff.
Is life being breathed back into the Championship title race? With Lancashire back in front against Surrey at the Oval at 241-8 in reply to 211, second-placed Somerset are on top against Essex at Chelmsford. Replying to Somerset’s 324, the visitors are 145-7, with two wickets each for Josh Davey and Jack Leach.
We have taken an early tea because of rain at Scarborough, but it actually looks to have stopped now. I don’t expect to much of a delay here, although it wouldn’t surprise me if we were delayed later on by a bit of bad light.
Worcestershire are currently 235-1, leading by 19, with Daryl Mitchell 109 and Moeen Ali 66.
Sexy Sussex, misery at Middlesex and Ed Smith picking Matt Parkinson (maybe), Gary Naylor fires down six scintillating deliveries for his County cricket talking points...
And Daryl Mitchell reaches his third hundred of the season, all three against the Roses rivals after two in the win against Lancashire at New Road a month or so ago. This one came off 191 balls, and Worcestershire are into the lead at 221-1. Superb effort from Mitchell.
At Edgbaston, the Division Two leaders Warwickshire have been bowled out for 277, taking a 150 lead over Gloucestershire, who are 10-0 second time around. Craig Miles finished with five wickets for the visitors.
Lancashire are into the lead at the Oval. They are 213-7, with debutant Josh Bohannon 36 not out and Joe Mennie, in his penultimate game as overseas, 20. They lead by two.
Here, Moeen has just reached his fifty off 85 balls. Worcestershire 204-1, trailing by 12.
Daryl Mitchell is into the nineties. Worcestershire are 190-1 and trail by only 26. Mitchell has shared 79 and counting with captain Moeen Ali, who has moved to 40 and has played with notable restraint on a pitch which is far from a featherbed.
Lunch around the grounds
Here in Scarbados, Worcestershire are 151-1 and in control against Yorkshire, who haven’t bowled badly this morning, especially in the last hour or so of it. On another day, it could have been 120-5. But Daryl Mitchell is there on 73 with Moeen Ali on 18.
Notts are all out for 166 against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl and have conceded a lead of 111. Fidel Edwards with an excellent 6-50.
Essex have reached lunch at 39-3 against Somerset following those aforementioned wickets for Josh Davey.
They are about to start in the pink ball fixture at the Oval, where Lancashire are 134-6 replying to Surrey’s 211. After early bother, Surrey have the edge.
In Division Two, Will Rhodes is 136 not out for Warwickshire, who are 244-6 at lunch in reply to Gloucestershire’s 127 at Edgbaston. Rhodes has posted three hundreds since his winter moving from Headingley.
Derbyshire have started their reply to Sussex’s 440 all out confidently at Hove. They are 44-0.
Middlesex are struggling at 71-4 in reply to Northants 346 all out at Wantage Road. Dawid Malan out for a golden duck, lbw to Rory Kleinveldt.
Kent are 157-6 as they reply to Leicestershire’s 220 at Grace Road, while Durham are 157-5 and lead Glamorgan by three runs at Cardiff. Alex Lees lbw to Craig Meschede for a debut 69.
Closing stages of the morning around the grounds, and Essex are in early bother against Somerset at Taunton as they reply to 324 all out. They are 39-3 having lost Nick Browne, Varun Chopra and Tom Westley, with Scottish seamer Josh Davey picking up two of them.
Updated
Here’s Jack ‘the Headband Warrior’ Brooks celebrating the wicket of Tom Fell
Updated
I mentioned Dieter Klein in the preamble. About three years ago now, I actually played against him in a league pre-season friendly.
Our firsts at Standish in the Palace Shield were short and ended up drafting me in to play at Lowerhouse up nearly Burnley. We played through snow that day, and it was the coldest I’ve ever been on a cricket field.
Anyway, I ended up bowling against him and he carted me everywhere. I didn’t feel I bowled too badly either.
I confess to not knowing a great deal about Klein at the time, and I thought he was a batsman given that later in the game he trotted in gently off a couple of paces.
So imagine my surprise about six months later when I turned up at Grace Road to cover Lancashire in a Royal London game against Leicestershire only to find Klein carded to come in at No 11 on his debut having signed a short-term contract with the Foxes.
“I thought he was a batsman?” I questioned. “No, no, definitely a left-arm seamer.”
It was an episode which highlighted the gulf between league and county cricket.
Klein has just been brought into the attack, with Kent 130-5 replying to 220. Pakistani seamer Mohammad Abbas has four of them. Looks a belter of a game.
Here, Yorkshire have struck. Jack Brooks has trapped Tom Fell lbw for 45. Worcestershire 111-1 with Moeen Ali in to join Daryl Mitchell.
Daryl Mitchell has just reached an 81-ball fifty, and has shared 104 and counting for the first wicket with Tom Fell, who has 39. Amazingly, it is the first century opening stand in a Championship match involving Yorkshire this season.
Notts are 84-7 now at the Ageas Bowl, with Riki Wessels and Steven Mullaney (38) falling to Kyle Abbott and Gareth Berg. Wessels was lbw and Mullaney caught behind.
Updated
Two wickets in as many overs for Derbyshire’s Kiwi quick Lockie Ferguson, who has removed David Wiese and Jofra Archer to leave Sussex 409-9 at Hove, with the hosts still in a healthy position.
Somerset are also nine down at Taunton against Essex (318-9), while Notts are in trouble against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl. They are 67-5 now. Fidel Edwards has claimed a fourth - Samit Patel lbw.
Here, Josh Poysden has been introduced by David Willey in the fifth full over of the day. He has yet to settle on his home debut, pitching short and throwing in a full toss so far. Worcestershire 64-0.
Worcestershire have moved to 52-0 in the early stages of the day, with Tom Fell just driving Jack Brooks handsomely wide of mid-off for four. This is the first time he has opened the batting in first-class cricket. An early wicket at Taunton, where Lewis Gregory has been bowled by Peter Siddle. Somerset 314-8 now.
Good morning
From sunny Scarborough ahead of day two, where Worcestershire have the advantage over Yorkshire at 39-0 replying to 216.
The bad light and rain which lopped off 20 overs from the day’s allocation last night wasn’t the worst thing for the visitors, who could quite easily have been 75-4 at close in bowler-friendly conditions. While we expect the pitch to favour bowlers this morning, the overhead conditions should help things just a touch. If they can muster a lead upwards of 50 or 60, that would put the White Rose county right on the back foot.
The bottom three sides in Division One, Worcestershire, Hampshire and Lancashire, are very much in the hunt in their respective games.
Hampshire are on top against Notts at the Ageas Bowl. Having posted 277 thanks to 70s from James Vince and Liam Dawson plus an unbeaten 60 for Kyle Abbott, Notts slipped to 39-4 before close. Fidel Edwards struck three times, including getting fellow West Indian Kraigg Brathwaite for five.
Lancashire let their advantage slip against Surrey in the pink ball fixture at the Oval. Tom Bailey’s five-for had bowled the leaders out for 211, but they closed on 134-6, with Morne Morkel and Rikki Clarke striking twice apiece.
At Taunton, Marcus Trescothick’s 95 underpinned Somerset’s 308-7 against champions Essex. They will be Lancashire fans for the week, no doubt.
In Division Two, Leicestershire’s Zak Chappell has been subbed out of their clash with Kent at Grace Road, with South African quick Dieter Klein coming in as a concussion replacement after the highly-rated seamer was hit on the head whilst batting as the hosts made 220 all out. Kent replied with 53-3 in a key battle in the promotion race.
Leaders Warwickshire are dominating Gloucestershire at Edgbaston - 171-2 in reply to 121. Will Rhodes with an unbeaten 101 for the hosts.
Not a bad day for former Yorkshire players as Alex Lees, who signed for Durham last week after a wretched run at the top of the order with the White Rose, hit a run a ball 53 not out in their 75-0 against Glamorgan (154 all out) at Cardiff. Matt Salisbury and Chris Rushworth with three wickets apiece.
There were also centuries for Sussex’s Ben Brown and Northamptonshire’s Ricardo Vasconcelos as their respective sides had the better of first days at home to Derbyshire and Middlesex respectively. Sussex will resume on 400-7 and Northants 332-8.
Overnight scores
Division One
Yorkshire 216, Worcestershire 39-0
Somerset 308-7, Essex
Hampshire 277, Nottinghamshire 39-4
Surrey 211, Lancashire 134-6 (day/night match)
Division Two
Warwickshire 171-2, Gloucestershire 127
Sussex 400-7, Derbyshire
Northamptonshire 332-8, Middlesex
Leicestershire 220, Kent 53-3
Glamorgan 154, Durham 75-0
Updated
