Tanya's roundup
The first round of Kookaburra matches brought five high-scoring draws, but three surprise thrillers in Division Two after some sporting declarations.
Northamptonshire raced to a four-wicket victory after Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones set them a sporting 311 in two and a bit sessions – centuries from James Sales and Luke Procter, plus some swinging at the end, saw them home.
Kent pulled a draw from the jaws of defeat at Blackpool thanks to a sensational 130 from Grant Stewart in an eighth-wicket stand of 182 with Joey Evison (77 not out). Jimmy Anderson finally removed Stewart, with eight overs to go, but Kent clung on. Lancashire are yet to win a Championship game this season.
Derbyshire’s Harry Came and Caleb Jewell put their feet on the accelerator with an opening stand of 177 in 31.3 overs, in search of 316 for victory. But Gloucestershire kept chipping away and Derbyshire were eventually left desperately defending, men in earholes and around bat.
There were no more outings for Jofra Archer in the mid-table battle between Durham and Sussex at Chester-le-Street. A first Division One century for Danial Ibrahim, still only 20, and a stubborn 85 from John Simpson eased the game to a draw.
Centuries of different hues – Tom Westley’s caution and Michael Pepper’s oompah – frustrated Hampshire at Chelmsford, despite two early wickets for Liam Dawson.
Jonny Bairstow bowled one over to close the high-scoring feast at Trent Bridge. As the clock ticked towards 4.50pm, Bairstow trotted in for six balls of off-spin – only his second over in professional cricket. Earlier Yorkshire had shuffled past 500, with Matthew Revis unbeaten on 93. Liam Patterson-White and Farhan Ahmed bowled 112 overs between them. Nottinghamshire remain leaders of Division One, but only just.
Yorkshire’s head coach, Anthony McGrath, summed up the feelings of many. “The match as a whole was not a great watch … I’m still not sure why we are using the Kookaburra ball,” he said. “We don’t play Test cricket in England with a Kookaburra and if we are thinking about the next series in Australia playing with a Kookaburra, then the people who are going to play in that series probably need to be using a Kookaburra ball as well.”
Centuries from Sam Northeast and Colin Ingram on a Grace Road batting paradise handed Glamorgan a draw against Leicestershire; while Warwickshire and Somerset went through the sleep motions at Edgbaston.
Updated
They’re shutting up CLS, time for me to go. See you Sunday? Good night!
Final scores
Chester le Street: Durham 327 DRAW with Sussex 361 and 322-6dec
Chelmsford: Essex 296 and 358-6dec DRAW with Hants 453
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 487 and 148-1 DRAW with Yorkshire 510
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 351 and 161-4 DRAW with Somerset 498 and 229-8dec
New Road: Surrey 291 and 53-1 BEAT Worcestershire 214 and 125 by nine wickets
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 187 and 526-6 DRAW with Derbyshire 398 and 296-8
Blackpool: Lancashire 639-9dec DRAW with Kent 374 and 328-8
Grace Road: Leicestershire 576-7dec v Glamorgan 353 and 342-6dec
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 435 and 313-6 BEAT Middlesex 413 and 332-8dec
Back again after searching for quotes. I see we’ve shaken hands everywhere apart from Gloucestershire – a thriller – Blackpool – what happened Lancs? – and Wantage Road – poor, brave, TRJ.
Now I must write up the round-up for the paper. Do keep chatting BTL.
Back just in time to see them shake hands out in the middle on the dot of ten to five. Ibrahim 121 not out.
I’m back. I don’t seem to have missed much. Hang on – Jonny Bairstow is bowling for Yorkshire?
Please excuse me for a little while as I write something out.
A hundred for Danial Ibrahim!
In his first game of the season. His second first-class hundred. And just a wet behind the ears 20 year old. He gets a huge hug from Hudson-Prentice and waves his bat at the balcony.
Latham and Hain are bumbling along at Edgbaston, Warwicks 87-2, need another 290.
James Sales and Luke Procter are dancing along at Wantage Road, 116 for two, need another 195. There’s time to pick their ears, do a couple of sessions of Dualingo, and still get the runs.
Came and Jewel doing even better for Derbyshire, 134-0. need another 182 to beat Gloucs.
Poor John Simpson, on 85, falls to a flying take by Alex Lees and everyone briefly
wakes up.
Two wickets in four balls for Tom Bailey as Kent slip on a banana skin and slide all the way down the stairs. Jaydn Denly bowled for 57; Harry Finch caught by a flying Jennings for a duck. Just three wickets needed for Lancs now.
One Durham man crouches on the ground, two cradle their heads in their hands, another – Ollie Robinson – puts his hands on his hips after he lets slip a catch off Matty Potts. That could be the one chance of the entire day.
Meagre pickings for Sam Northeast this time around, just the 139 before he dances a skew-whiff drive at Trevaskis and is caught somewhere out in the deep. Ingram hovers on 94. Glamorgan 266-4, a lead of 43.
At Blackpool, four wickets for Green, none for Anderson.
Luke Procter has fired five fours as Northants advance on Middlesex – 242 more needed, Vasconcelos reclining in the ice bath, caught for 11.
I hope HPG is here to see Lancashire’s first win of the season.
And they’ve taken the new ball at CLS. Ben Raine bustles in – a huge, two-armed, full-throated lbw appeal against Ibrahim. Out plead the spectators. Not out shakes the umpire. Next ball, Ibrahim sends skitting through cover to the rope.
Warwickshire have had an unfortunate post-lunch twenty minutes. Al Davies lbw to Henry for a duck; Rob Yates bowled Leach 13. Warwicks 24-2. Perhaps I should have been at Bethell watch.
Kent, oh dear. DBD and Tawanda Muyeye sent on their way by the Green-Jennings trap. Kent 84 for five. Jaydn Denly still there on 52.
A good handful of these games are meandering towards five o’clock. Except at Edgbaston and maybe Wantage Road.
Re yesterday’s conversation BTL about cricket at Guildford. My brothers reminded me of a Sunday League game in 1987 that we left with an over to go because our dad was waiting outside. Monte Lynch then took three wickets in the over and Surrey won by one run. Anyone else there?
Lunchtime scores
Chester le Street: Durham 327 v Sussex 361 and 186-4
Chelmsford: Essex 296 and 199-5 v Hants 453
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 487 v Yorkshire 510
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 351 v Somerset 498 and 229-8dec Warwicks need 377 to win
New Road: Surrey 291 and 53-1 BEAT Worcestershire 214 and 125 by nine wickets
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 187 and 526-6 v Derbyshire 398
Blackpool: Lancashire 639-9dec v Kent 374 and 74-2
Grace Road: Leicestershire 576-7dec v Glamorgan 353 and 214-3
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 435 and 18-0 v Middlesex 413 and 332-8dec
Middlesex declare - Northants need 311 to win
Fifty for Danial Ibrahim here at CLS, who somehow is still only 20. It’s his first in Division One. Sussex 169-4.
And, oooh, Middlesex have thrown a stick of dynamite into the day (four wickets for Calvin Harrison).
A hundred for Sam Northeast
He likes the Kookaburra ball if I remember rightly ..
…Glamorgan 192 for three, trail Leicestershire by just 31. Ingram has 67.
No surprise that Kent have lost a couple of wickets. A little surprise that Jimmy hasn’t taken one of them. A larger one that Parky opened (c Bohannon b Green 4). Kent 34 for two, 231 behind.
At Wantage Road, van Burren is now 134 not out in Gloucestershire’s mammoth second innings of 432 for four. The lead is 221 and James Bracey looks like he might be batting for a declaration.
And I’ve been pointed in the direction of this, which was Jofra talking to BBC radio Sussex after play on Monday.
A first boundary of the morning at The Riverside, what else is happening around the grounds?
Have arrived at Chester le Street, via petting a couple of King Charles sisters, where Sussex are 123-4 and my mission to see Jofra bowling may be dead in the water.
Jimmy opens the bowling against Ben Compton – unstoppable force v immoveable object. At Edgbaston, James Rew moves to fifty in the first over of the day. Apologies, you’ll now have to entertain yourselves for 20 mins while I now walk to the ground.
At Blackpool, Lancashire have declared. At Chester le Street, where I hope to be soon, they’ve started on time.
Tuesday's round-up
Lancashire accelerated flamboyantly at Blackpool, the tower peering curiously around the clubhouse as Ashton Turner (154 on debut), Josh Bohannon (124) , Luke Wells (152) and Michael Jones (a preppy 41) peppered the boundaries. Two balls were lost over the wall and into trees, one landed dangerously near the two shiny red showroom cars parked on the top of the grassy bank as Kent conceded 639, the highest total in matches between the sides.
Surrey strode into June by dispatching Worcestershire in two-and-a-half days. Nathan Smith – six for 38 – and Matt Fisher – four for 47 – nipped them out for 125, leaving Surrey 49 to win. They sit, temporarily at least, back at the top of Division One.
Jacob Bethell had time to hit an effortless six on his return to county cricket, before he was sent on his way, bottom-edging a pull for 20. Warwickshire just avoided the follow-on against Somerset, and the game seems destined for a draw.
Tilak Varma’s century on debut and Liam Dawson’s hundred and double-wicket day put Hampshire on top against Essex, despite Simon Harmer’s 500th wicket for Essex.
Gurinder Sandhu, Sussex’s 6ft 4in fast bowler, collected five wickets on a damp day at Chester le Street, as Durham lost their last four wickets for 26. Jofra Archer added four overs to his comeback campaign.
Runaway Leicestershire declared with a lead of 223 over Glamorgan, after some hearty bat swinging from Logan van Beek and Ben Green, though a defiant 72 not out from Sam Northeast took the game into day four. Finlay Bean’s 224 helped Yorkshire fight back against Notts.
Gloucestershire fought back against Derbyshire thanks to an all day unbeaten 170 from Cameron Bancroft and 105 from Graeme van Buuren. Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins grabbed a hat-trick against Northants, after Saif Zaib reached his fourth century of the summer.
Scores on the doors
Chester le Street: Durham 327 v Sussex 361 and 111-4 Bad light
Chelmsford: Essex 296 and 108-3 v Hants 453
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 487 v Yorkshire 414-6
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 351 v Somerset 498 and 116-3
New Road: Surrey 291 and 53-1 BEAT Worcestershire 214 and 125 by nine wickets
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 187 and 364-3 v Derbyshire 398
Blackpool: Lancashire 639-9 v Kent 374
Grace Road: Leicestershire 576-7dec v Glamorgan 353 and 131-3
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 435 v Middlesex 413 and 215-3
Preamble
Good morning! I am still on a train shuttling north-east as I went to the wrong Manchester station this morning and was puzzled why my train wasn’t on the timetable…
