Roundup
Essex pipped Hampshire in a thriller on a firebrand pitch at Chelmsford, thanks to Simon Harmer. He walked off patting a top pocket stuffed with wickets, seven for 161 in the second innings, and career-best match figures of 15 for 207.
Hampshire were chasing 299 and, at various points, victory seemed possible. But once the big-hitting Felix Organ fell, the top order wobbled and six wickets fell for 65. The tail wagged but Harmer had the last laugh when, with 12 needed, Keith Barker tried to tonk him only to fall short of the rope and into the hands of Paul Walter.
James Vince, the Hampshire captain, was not happy. He said: “Due to the conditions we had to play village cricket really and attack the short side and hope you got lucky.”
The openers Ben Compton and Joe Denly gave Kent hope of pulling off a draw against Surrey after an unbeaten partnership of 121 following-on. Kent’s first innings had been cracked open by the 19‑year‑old Tom Lawes who took three for 10 in 18 balls on his Championship debut.
Fifties from Luke Wood and Steven Croft gave Lancashire a first-innings lead against Gloucestershire at Bristol; and a hundred from Colin Ingram kept Glamorgan interested in an unlikely run-chase against Worcestershire at New Road – though the second new ball waits in the morning.
Dom Sibley’s second hundred of the Championship season, a mellow affair, pretty much ensured a draw between Northamptonshire and Warwickshire at Northampton; while Derbyshire did not enforce the follow-on, and are wobbling at 127 for seven, with Jack Brooks taking five for 46. Mohammad Rizwan had earlier made his first century for Sussex.
Middlesex are following on against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Updated
A win for Essex in a cheek-squeezer at Cheltenham - but the other six games live on for another day. Thanks for all the chatter and the lawn-mower advice. Good night!
I’m going to write up now, but have half an eye on Glamorgan, who might just shimmy this away from under Worcestershire’s nose. 188-4, 144 to win. Colin Ingram and Billy Root the main men. Do keep things ticking over BTL.
It’s all gone a bit Pete Tong for Derby at Hove, where they wallow in 72-5 in their second knock. Jack Brooks has four for 37 including Masood for 37. Derby’s lead is already 287 so its all largely irrelevant ... but Sussex take their plaudits when they can
The Chelmsford pitch: a tale of two teams
James Vince: “We got the highest score of the game in our second innings by 50 runs. Due to the conditions we had to play village cricket really and attack the short side and hope you got lucky.
“The pitch from day one was turning a hell of a lot. The disappointing thing today was that we had talked about getting through the new ball – mainly for the spin than the seam – and we did that very well.
“We did the hard work and we saw as the ball got older it spun less, then they changed the ball a couple of times. We had one that came out after 30 overs which had writing on it and then we lost six wickets in next to no time and the ball started seaming around from the other end as well. They said they felt that there wasn’t a ball exactly the same so they went for a newer one rather than a slightly older one.
“All the effort we put in to get to the stage where we felt the game was in our hand, then it got taken away from us. It leaves a bitter taste especially as we got so close. There were some uncontrollables there that stopped us from getting all the points.
“Harmer took wickets right from the word go. In the first innings a lot of the guys tried to play it properly and defend the good ones but it was just doing too much and you are never going to survive a few overs before one bounced over the shoulder. He is a world-class bowler who is going to exploit those conditions.
“We were hoping to come up and go man for man against a decent Essex team and let the best team come out on top, but the conditions prevented that from happening.”
Simon Harmer: “It was the type of wicket we are more accustomed to here at Chelmsford. There was a bit of turn but it was an even competition between bat and ball. I can’t say it was too one-sided because if you applied yourself there was plenty of runs on offer, a lot of them were batter error.
“I would have been extremely disappointed if we had lost that. There were a few nervous moments, with the four leg byes with the penultimate ball I started to think we needed to start boxing a bit smart but all’s well that ends well.
“It isn’t idea to go for that many runs. There needed to be a bit of cat and mouse with their batters. I needed to bowl an attacking line and their best option was the slog sweep. My mindset was that if you could do that for 299 runs then I’ll take my hat off, shake your hand and say ‘well done’.
“We always knew we would get to a point in the season where the wickets would start to deteriorate and get wickets that would turn. You aren’t going to get seven wickets like that at Chelmsford over a season so when it is your day you need to cash in and make sure you go big.”
@tjaldred Lord's is a private, capitalist establishment. It's never been "of the people". Should we care that they cater to their ilk: Boris Johnson's alma mater?
— Ravi Nair #FBPE #PerfectPorkPie #JohnsonOut#FBPPR (@palfreyman1414) June 28, 2022
We care because of what it represents I guess. And if Lord’s claims to be @HomeofCricket, it has bigger responsibilities than just any old traditional club. By sacking off games like Eton v Harrow, there will be wider opportunities, eg England women play their first ODI at Lord’s for five years in September.
Tom Bailey gets in early in Gloucestershire’s second innings, George Scott sent on his way in the fifth over. Can this Lancs attack cut through Gloucs in enough time to knock off the runs.?They’re currently 19 runs behind Surrey in the Div One table. Meanwhile, at The Oval Kent have whizzed to 38 without loss in their follow-on.
Over in Taunton, Nat Sciver is saving England’s bacon. Follow it here:
While at Lord’s, Harrow are playing Eton (the last match in NW8 - take your time lads).
Time to go
‘The right time’: Eoin Morgan confirms international cricket retirement https://t.co/VZubs0wMjR #englandcricket #EoinMorgan
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 28, 2022
The official vegetables of CCLive!:
@tjaldred
— Romeo Romeo Tango Ψιτιζεν οφ Νοςηερε (@RomeoCCLive) June 28, 2022
Tanya, this is what the wild greens look like after cooking. We had them at room temperature last night, with olive oil and lemon juice. pic.twitter.com/wCBqugV8NE
Tea-timeish scores
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 238 and 223 v Hampshire 163 and 286. Essex win by 12 runs.
Bristol: Gloucestershire 337 and 3-0 v Lancashire 402
Northampton: Northants 451 v Warwicks 250-5
The Oval: Surrey 673-7dec v Kent 331
Division Two
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 551-8dec v Middlesex 318-6
Hove: Sussex 337 v Derbyshire 551-8 dec and 3-0
New Road: Worcestershire 271 and 199 v Glamorgan 139 and 117-3. Glamorgan need 215 to win.
Kent follow-on!
All out 331: Lawes 4-51
And in Division Two:
Glamorgan are making a decent fist of their run-chase. Ingram 44 not out. Charlie Morris and Josh Baker chip away. Glam 111-3, needing another 221.
Sussex prepare to bat again - all out 337, 214 behind. Hayden Kerr finishing things off with 3 for 63. Rizwan eventually out for 130 - his first Sussex century.
And John Simpson and Luke Hollman, holding it steady for Middlesex as they inch towards the follow-on. Middx 302-6.
Updated
And while all that was happening, Lancashire have scraped together a lead of 64, thanks to an unbeaten fifty from Luke Wood - dispatched from the Netherlands without a game on England’s ODI tour. Lancs 402-9.
At Wantage Road, Sibley is out, for 102, and Warwicks need another 74 to avoid the follow-on, with five wickets in hand. Three wickets for Jack White. Warwicks 228-5
At The Oval, meanwhile, a very different match is swinging in one direction. Duffy follows Cox (a battling 47) back to the pavilion and Kent have only two more wickets to lose before padding up and doing the whole thing again.
Essex win by 12 runs!
Keith Barker fancies doing a YJB, and launches himself at Simon Harmer, but the ball falls short, to Walter, and Essex win! Harmer got some tonk but finishes with 6-191 and 15 wickets in the match.
Updated
It’s all getting horribly tense at Chelmsford - 13 needed by Hampshire after four leg byes!
Century for Dom Sibley!
260 balls. Six fours from the slow lane. Warwicks 209-3, still 242 behind.
And Hampshire are creeping closer...just 45 to win.
Kent wobble, losing three for 14 as debutant Tom Lawes, dissed BTL, gets his revenge. Kent 287-6.
At Wantage Road, after 256 balls, Dom Sibley is on 98...
Nice bowling change.
..and straight into the commentary box: Sky Cricket confirm Eoin Morgan will be joining their commentary team for all white ball games against India and South Africa this summer https://t.co/KfHhvFKcpM
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) June 28, 2022
Eoin Morgan retires with the Test team playing his way. Not a bad legacy. On top of that amazing day in 2019, he always seemed to have cricket in perspective, for himself and his players. Bravo and good luck.
This looks great fun:
Who doesn’t like a bit of beach cricket? 🏖🏏
— Sussex Cricket Foundation (@SussexCricketFd) June 27, 2022
Slinfold Primary were the eventual winners of the Y6 @Chance2Shine Beach Cricket Festival last week - Well done to all 7️⃣ schools. Thanks to @WestWittBeach for having us! 🙏
Amazing to have this day back in the calendar! 😍 pic.twitter.com/Ggk395XTt7
Updated
A 14th wicket for Harmer - equalling a career best - as Hampshire get stuck. Hants need 84, two wickets left.
Eoin Morgan retires from international cricket
The much-trailed rumour is true.
After 13 years with England, seven of them as captain when he remodelled the team in his own image and led them to the Men’s Cricket World Cup for the first time in 2019, Morgan retires.
Morgan is the all-time leading run-scorer and most-capped player for England Men in both ODI and T20I matches. He was also part of the England team that won the 2010 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.
In his 126 matches as captain, Morgan had a win percentage of 60 per cent, the best win record by any England Men’s ODI Captain.
He won 16 Test caps over a three-year period scoring two centuries and also holds the world record for the highest number of sixes in an ODI innings, with 17 against Afghanistan at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup at Old Trafford ( an incredible innings!)
In 2020, he received a CBE for services to cricket
“To call time on what has been without doubt the most enjoyable and rewarding chapter of my career hasn’t been an easy decision, he said, “but I believe now is the right time to do so, both for me, personally, and for both England white-ball sides I have led to this point.
“From my start in the international arena with Ireland to winning the World Cup in 2019, I have never lost sight of how integral family support is to any international sportsperson. To my Mum and Dad, my wife, Tara, and our family around the world, thank you for your unconditional support throughout the good and more challenging times in my career. Without you all, this incredible journey would not have been possible.
“I must also thank my teammates, coaches, supporters, and those behind the scenes who have made my career and any successes possible. I am hugely proud of what I have achieved as a player and captain, but the things I will cherish and remember the most are the memories I made with some of the greatest people I know along the way.
“I have been lucky enough to play in two World Cup winning teams, but I believe the future for England’s white-ball teams is brighter than ever. We have more experience, more strength and more depth than ever before. I look forward to watching on with a huge level of excitement.
“To what lies ahead for me, I will continue to enjoy playing at a domestic level while I can. I’m really looking forward to playing and captaining London Spirit in the second edition of The Hundred this year.”
Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, said:
“As with all great players and leaders, he has changed the way the game has been played, and he has changed the way an entire generation and generations to come will play this form of the game. His legacy within the game will be felt for many years to come.
“He is, without question, the best leader I have seen. I wish him well in the next chapter of his career.”
And Harmer has his man as Donald makes space to drive, and hears the death rattle. 29 off 16 balls: Hants 208-7.
Afternoon all!
What can Brown and Donald do at Chelmsford? 104 to win, four wickets up the sleeve. Harmer-time. And as I type that Donald slog-sweeps him high over the rope for six.
Words spoken moments before disaster... 😬 https://t.co/4yCUPS6dc1 pic.twitter.com/fHhexazoXz
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) June 28, 2022
With all eyes on Chelmsford, time to grab a bite to eat.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 238 and 223 v Hampshire 163 and 184-6. Hants need 115 to win
Bristol: Gloucestershire 337 v Lancashire 317-7
Northampton: Northants 451 v Warwicks 164-3
The Oval: Surrey 673-7dec v Kent 264-4
Division Two
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 551-8dec v Middlesex 212-5
Hove: Sussex 249-5 v Derbyshire 551-8 dec
New Road: Worcestershire 271 and 199 v Glamorgan 139 and 36-1. Glamorgan need 296 to win.
Seems Vince isn’t the man.
In Division Two: Holden, 53 not out, and Simpson, 48 not out, are propping up Middlesex: 195-5 but still 356 behind. Lots and lots of batting ahead.
A century for Mohammad Rizwan at Hove! Excellent work. Carter bowled for 56. Sussex 238-4, again a hard day’s toil behind Derbyshire’s 551-8dec.
A first Sussex century for @iMRizwanPak. 💯
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) June 28, 2022
Superb innings. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/64DL9HNJP9
And at New Road, Glamorgan are chasing rainbows. 308 needed, they are 24-1, Lloyd the man out, for 13.
Updated
Right, round the Division One grounds:
Lancs press on in the manner of a slow and steady student. A wicket for Price (3-52) and Higgins this morning - Croft caught behind for 80. Lancs 287-6, fifty behind Gloucestershire.
Dom Sibley, 52 off 178 balls, may not be auditioning for new England, but he’s holding the fort for Warwickshire: 128-2, 323 behind.
At The Oval, a Daniel Bell-Drummond hundred! And out, for 102, off Jacks. Leaning is still there though, 62 not out. Kent 228-3
And Hampshire have lost their fifth wicket - a quizzical Liam Dawson has to go. Hants 140-5.
And Gubbins....Hampshire 135-4. This is on Vince now.
And seven balls later, Harmer swipes Holland. 126-3.
At Chelmsford, the first wicket to a seamer in the match! Fuller is grabbed by Harmer off Beard for 18. Holland still there on 37. Hants 126-2, with the total dropping below 200.
After chatting to people at Surrey yesterday , it seems Gareth Batty (and co) have decided to go with Jacks as the spinner - and to be fair, it is working, the team are top of the table. Moriarty has had a few goes in the Blast, but it has been second XI cricket all the way for Virdi - who was one of four teenagers to appear for Surrey in 2017 v Middlesex, alongside Sam Curran, Ollie Pope and Ryan Patel. It has to sting. Surrey played all three spinners late last summer, but that’s a long time to wait on the sidelines.
@tjaldred A penny for Virdi/Moriarty's thoughts here at the Oval road. Although maybe they're delighted they're not bowling on this flattest of pitches...
— Richard Dixon (@drdickdixon) June 28, 2022
Warwickshire lose their second wicket in their quest to meet Northant’s mammoth 451. Chris Benjamin cracks Simon Kerrigan to mid-on. Warwicks 100-2.
Spot on from Katherine Brunt, yesterday:
"Take care of this cap because you'll never get a first one again."@KBrunt26 presented @Wongi95 her England Test cap yesterday. ❤️
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2022
🏴 #ENGvSA 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/FtXOPJh13L
A wicket at Chelmsford at last! Hampshire stick it out for 45 minutes but Felix Organ loses his stump after a fabulous 65 off 71 balls. Hants 97-1, need 203 to win. The wicket-taker? Harmer of course.
Two wickets at New Road! Neser and Hogan cleaning up Worcester’s tail - Roderick c off Neser for six; Leach c off Hogan for 2. Worcs 166 for eight, a lead of 298.
Daniel Bell-Drummond looked in fine nick yesterday, and The Oval pitch in good shape. There is not reason, in theory, that Kent can’t bat all day. Currently 65 not out in Kent’s 156-2 - just the 517 behind.
And a new ball is needed at Chelmsford as Felix Organ has a massive slog-sweep off Harmer: up in the air and out of the ground! Hants 63-0.
Hampshire survive the first ten minutes and even add another 19 runs. I can’t really believe they’re going to do it against Harmer - but perhaps they’ve supped from England’s cup.
Day 3: start of play scores
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 238 and 223 v Hampshire 163 and 35-0. Hants need 264 to win
Bristol: Gloucestershire 337 v Lancashire 226-4
Northampton: Northants 451 v Warwicks 71-1
The Oval: Surrey 673-7dec v Kent 147-2
Division Two
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 551-8dec v Middlesex 106-4
Hove: Sussex 142-3 v Derbyshire 551-8 dec
New Road: Worcestershire 271 and 147-6 v Glamorgan 139
Monday' round-up
With a bound down the pitch, and a slammed six into the pavilion, Sam Curran had what Tiggers like best – his first hundred in senior cricket, seven years and 120 first-class innings after his debut. He leapt once, twice, rabble-roused his bat towards the dressing-room, kissed his helmet and grinned.
There was time to smash 19 runs off one over from Jacob Duffy before he was bowled by George Linde for 126. Surrey eventually declared on 673 for seven, once Will Jacks had collected the fourth century of the innings – the first time that had happened since 1947. Curran then bowled 2022 run machine Ben Compton in the fourth over, but Kent rebuilt thanks to a half-century from Daniel Bell-Drummond.
In a see-saw game at Chelmsford, Simon Harmer took eight for 46 – the best figures in the 2022 Championship - and then shovelled 61 to plonk Essex into a strong position. But it didn’t go all their way; Liam Dawson took seven for 38 before Felix Organ spanked Harmer for three sixes as Hampshire chased 299.
Sussex’s tricky season continued as Anuj Dal (146no) and Mark Watt jollied Derbyshire past 500 and onto a declaration. Sam Conners removed both openers but Tom Alsop and Mohammad Rizwan (54no) provided some stoicism.
Rain made batting difficult at Wantage Road; while Lancashire still trail Gloucestershire, despite 94 from Keaton Jennings. Mark Stoneman was the only batter to thrive in Middlesex’s reply to Nottinghamshire’s 551-8 declared, which included a century for Lyndon James.
Thirteen wickets fell at New Road as Glamorgan were skittled for 139, Joe Leach taking six for 44, before Worcestershire finished the day on 147 for six, a lead of 279.
Preamble
Good morning! It’s Manchester and the dark clouds are hovering. Luckily, there is no match with a sniff of the north in this Championship round. Some interesting words from Ben Stokes for county players to mull over last night.
“These last three games should have sent a message to anyone who wants to play Test cricket for England in the next two or three years at least,” he said.
“It is the manner in which you play, whether that be bat or ball. It wasn’t going to be about stats; it is the manner in which you play.”
Music to Sam Curran’s ears after his rapid maiden century in senior cricket yesterday. The question is, where that leaves players like Burns or Hameed or Sibley, who might have a shout for an opening spot.
