Tongue stars as Notts beat Surrey by 20 runs to close in on title
Josh Tongue, thundering in on his great long legs, bowled Nottinghamshire to victory in an electric Championship slug-fest at the Oval, giving Notts a 14-point advantage over Surrey going into the final round, and putting one East Midlands hand on the trophy.
It was a game full of unexpected twists with Surrey often on top in their chase of 315. Ollie Pope made 41 until he was caught off Lyndon James then Dan Lawrence and Tom Curran attacked with a bravado that had Surrey members purring. In an inspired bit of captaincy, Haseeb Hameed then called up Liam Patterson-White for one over, Curran charged him and was stumped for 33. Lawrence was lbw for 50 to Dillon Pennington but some clean ball striking from Tom Lawes once more tipped the scales. Hameed switched Tongue to the pavilion end and, bowling with venom, he had Gus Atkinson snaffled at slip, removed Matt Fisher’s middle stump and finally Lawes was caught on the boundary with 20 runs to spare. It was Surrey’s first defeat of the season and Notts’ first win at the Oval since 2008. “I don’t think I have ever played in a Championship match as good as that,” Tongue said after play, five wickets in his pocket, though whether England allow him to play in the final match is yet to be seen. Surrey have the more difficult challenge, travelling to play a Hampshire side desperate to avoid relegation, while Notts entertain Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.
Glamorgan grabbed the second promotion place to end 20 years in the Division Two wilderness after their soggy game at Derby ended in a draw. They join Leicestershire who were crowned Division Two champions with one match to play. Elsewhere, Somerset were unable to unpick Hampshire, despite six wickets for Archie Vaughan, which ends their Championship hopes for another year. Yorkshire batted out a draw at Hove and will play a relegation ding-dong against Durham, who gained valuable batting points thanks to Emilio Gay and Will Rhodes but remain in a precarious position.
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Time to say goodbye from a darkening Oval. It’s been a wet week but worth it for a thrilling last day – Nottinghamshire pipped the Champions to go into the final week with a 14 point buffer. Meanwhile Leicestershire are crowned Party Division Champions and Glamorgan will join them in Div One next year. Worcestershire make the return journey.
We’ll be back next week for one final week of Championship cricket. To you all, thank you and good night!
Updated
Division Two table with one game remaining
1 Leicestershire 218
2 Glamorgan 189
3 Derbyshire 164
4 Gloucestershire 163
5 Middlesex 159
6 Lancashire 153
7 Northamptonshire 140
8 Kent 113
Updated
Final scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham 450-6 DRAW with Worcestershire 591-9dec
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec DRAW with Hampshire 172 and 201-8
The Oval: Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 BEAT Surrey 173 and 294 by 20 runs
Hove: Sussex 250 DRAW with Yorkshire 194 and 109-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire DRAW with Essex 325-5
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 241 and 158-3 BEAT Northamptonshire 206 and 192 by seven wickets
Old Trafford: Lancashire 375-5dec DRAW with Middlesex 211 and 99-4
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 DRAW with Kent 17-0
Gloucestershires BEAT Northamptonshire by seven wickets
Bristol: Gloucestershire 241 and 158-3 BEAT Northamptonshire 206 and 192 by seven wickets
Gloucestershire 19 points; Northants 3 points
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One game left, at Bristol, where Gloucestershire are chasing another 78 from 14 overs against Northamptonshire. Eight wickets left.
Division One Table with one game to go
1 Nottinghamshire 203
2 Surrey 189
3 Somerset 179
4 Warwickshire 168
5 Sussex 150
6 Essex 150
7 Yorkshire 146
8 Hampshire 142
9 Durham 140
10 Worcestershire 100 relegated
Somerset DRAW with Hampshire
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec DRAW with Hampshire 172 and 201-8
Well batted Hampshire, especially anchor Nick Gubbins, I didn’t think they’d last the day. And smashing bowling from Archie Vaughan 6-96.
Somerset 16 points; Hampshire 10 points
Glamorgan are promoted to Division One!
After twenty years in the doldrums, Glamorgan accompany Leicestershire into the top tier next year!
Lancashire DRAW with Middlesex
Old Trafford: Lancashire 375-5dec DRAW with Middlesex 211 and 99-4
Lancashire 14 points; Middlesex 9 points
Durham DRAW with Worcestershire
Riverside: Durham 450-6 DRAW with Worcestershire 591-9dec
Durham 14 points; Worcestershire 12
I’m going to write up now for the paper but do chat on BTL.
There are four matches in play:
In Division Two
Gloucestershire are 11-1, and need 147 to beat Northants at Bristol.
You’d expect handshakes at Old Trafford soon, where Middlesex are 86 behind but still have seven wickets left. This will, I think, send Glamorgan up.
In Division One
Durham need 24 more runs for maximum batting points against Worcestershire.
And Somerset need four more wickets to defeat Hampshire.
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"Throughout this season we have missed a beat"
Surrey’s head coach Gareth Batty looked as if he had been through the wringer when he spoke after the match. “I think that throughout this season we have missed a beat now and again in our Championship cricket but, as always, we will be going to Hampshire next week and trying everything to win that match and see where a result gets us.
“All credit to Nottinghamshire for coming here and beating us on our own patch, and I thought Josh Tongue was very very good in this game. We have some work to do now as we learn from this defeat.”
"I don't think I've ever played in a Championship match as good as that
A jubilant Josh Tongue after Nottinghamshire’s victory against Surrey: “I don’t think I have ever played in a Championship match as good as that, but we really stuck at it out there in the field and we eventually got the victory.
“We have always spoken in the dressing room about staying in the present when we are bowling and staying patient, and that’s exactly what we did today.
“I knew that I could keep coming back and bowling new spells. I’ve done it a few times before this season and feel good about my bowling. I knew that if I was asked to come back at the end that I could give it 100 per cent.
“Haseeb (Hameed) was brilliant today – so chilled. Even when I was hit for a four he was so good about it, kept on encouraging me and talking to me from mid off.
“The key wicket was when Liam Patterson-White got Tom Curran, with a very good stumping by Kyle Verreynne, because he and Dan Lawrence had batted so well in their partnership.”
Sussex DRAW with Yorkshire
YJB and James Wharton bat Sussex home. Next week, Sussex need just five points against Worcestershire to stay up while Yorkshire, who entertain Durham, need to avoid defeat to ensure Division One status.
Hove: Sussex 250 DRAW with Yorkshire 194 and 109-3
Sussex 12 points; Yorkshire 11 points
Notts deducted one point for a slow over rate
Notts have been deducted one point for a slow over rate – which means they are 14 points ahead of Surrey with one game to go. They will need ten points from the next game to secure the Championship.
Tea time scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham 277-3 v Worcestershire 591-9dec
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 129-5
The Oval: Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 BEAT Surrey 173 and 294 by 20 runs
Hove: Sussex 250 v Yorkshire 194 and 85-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire DRAW with Essex 325-5
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 241 v Northamptonshire 206 and 171-5
Old Trafford: Lancashire 375-5dec v Middlesex 211 and 26-1
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 DRAW with Kent 17-0
What a magnificent afternoon, and an unreal bowling performance by Tongue, who dragged Notts back into that by the toenails. Notts win at The Oval for the first time since 2008, Surrey’s first defeat of the year, leaving Notts going into the final round with a 14 point lead.
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WICKET! Lawes c Slater b Tongue ee (Surrey 294 all out) Notts beat Surrey by 20 runs
Lawes throws the bat at Tongue, it flies… but only to Slater at the point boundary!! Five for Tongue – who leads the players off. Incredible!
71st over: Surrey 294-9 (Worrall 1, Lawes 33) Surrey need 21 to win Worrall survives two balls and they steal the leg bye on Hutton’s lbw appeal. Another single, and another, to huge applause from the crowd. A consultation at the top of Hutton’s mark, and another, Hameed’s long arms wave the fielders around. We’re not going to take tea at the usual time, the session will continue to 3.30.
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70th over: Surrey 290-9 (Worrall 0, Lawes 31) Surrey need 25 to win Encouragement from the stands between balls, silence as Tongue thunders in, long, long legs, elbows out. Lawes wants to win this on his own: swings – an inside edge to the rope. Then an outside edge to the third man boundary. Tongue, unimpressed, hits Lawes on the body.
69th over: Surrey 282-9 (Worrall 0, Lawes 23) Surrey need 34 to win One from Hutton’s over which gives Lawes the booby prize of facing Tongue.
68th over: Surrey 281-9 (Worrall 0, Lawes 22) Surrey need 34 to win What an over! First Atkinson’s wicket, then a huge lbw appeal against Fisher first ball, Tongue has his hands on his head in anguish, be can’t believe it isn’t out. Suitably furious, he throws down a bouncer which booms off Fisher’s arm guard to the rope. And then the second wicket from a ball too fast, too good.
WICKET! Fisher b Tongue 0 (Surrey 281 for 9)
Middle stump flat on its back! An awesome delivery nips back. Fisher hangs his head. Two in the over.
WICKET! Atkinson c Patterson-White b Tongue 11 (Surrey 277 for 8)
Jubilation for Notts! A birdsnest of handslapping and leaps as Atkinson slopes off. Quick and on target from Tongue, Atkinson gives slip some catching practise.
67th over: Surrey 277-7 (Atkinson 11, Lawes 22) Surrey need 38 to win At mid-on Hameed folds his arms – is there anything else up his sleeve? Hutton continues, Atkinson nearly drags him back into his stumps. The sun comes out.
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66th over: Surrey 275-7 (Atkinson 10, Lawes 21) Surrey need 40 to win Josh Tongue changes ends, running in now from just in front of the pavilion. He rubs his foot in the footmarks, falls into deep conversation with his captain. After one run from four deliveries, Lawes unfurls another four, a wristy cover drive on the up.
65th over: Surrey 269-7 (Atkinson 9, Lawes 16) Surrey need 46 to win Hutton trundles in, Surrey take a quick single but Hameed’s throw is wild from mid-on. I think he was safe anyway. Another quiet over, just two from it.
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64th over: Surrey 267-7 (Atkinson 8, Lawes 15) Surrey need 48 to win Nos 8 and 9 are playing with real confidence, you’d never guess what was on the. The slips fold their arms, the fielders bite their nails.Just two from the over.
63rd over: Surrey 265-7 (Atkinson 7, Lawes 14) Surrey need 50 to win Hutton replaces Tongue after that unsuccessful two-over spell. He beats Lawes with his second ball, but is tonked square for four from the third – lovely shot. And another, down the ground, beating a desperate, sprinting Hameed and Clarke to the rope.
62nd over: Surrey 256-7 (Atkinson 6, Lawes 6) Surrey need 59 to win The floodlights wink bright in the gloom, the flags gusting into the wind. Pennington pounds once more from the pavilion end. Surrey milk some singles and Lawes is hit, winces but presses on.
61st over: Surrey 253-7 (Atkinson 4, Lawes 5) Surrey need 62 to win Tongue, back, 12 big steps to the crease. HH polishes the ball on his long sleeves. Some tight Notts fielding saves boundaries, but Lawes off-drives the penultimate ball furiously for four.
60th over: Surrey 246-7 (Atkinson 2, Lawes 0) Surrey need 69 to win Pennington rushes in from the pavilion end, running away from the Surrey members increasingly packing the decks. Lawrences trudges off after that lbw and I can see Tongue taking his jumper off for the next over.
WICKET! Lawrence lbw Pennington 50 (Surrey 246-7)
Lawrence is not happy, hit as he shuffles across his stumps but the umpire has no hesitation. Two wickets in two overs and the equation changes again.
Fifty for Dan Lawrence
59th over: Surrey 244-6 (Lawrence 50, Atkinson 2) Surrey need 69 to win HH gambles on Patterson-White for the first spin of the innings. Applause for the fifty partnership, applause for Lawrence’s 50 off just 53 balls. And then Curran has a rush of blood to bring Notts back into the game. Great little innings though.
WICKET! Curran st Patterson-White 33 (Surrey 244 for six)
Spin does the job! A pumped up Curran decides to charge the ball, misses and pays the price.
Elsewhere, at a gallop.
Hampshire are successfully stonewalling at Taunton. Hants 90 for three.
Emilio Gay and David Bedingham both in the runs as Durham go for batting points at CLS. Durham– 173 for three.
Yorkshire – ?! – are 18 for three at Hove, still 38 behind. Lyth, Bean and Agarwal all back in the pavilion. Yorks 18 for three, all the wickets to Coles.
Singh Dale has two wickets in his penultimate game for Gloucestershire, Northants 97 for four, a lead of 62. Expect Saif Zaib (18 not out) to save the day.
And Lancashire’s batters are making merry, 344 for five. Hurst 57 not out.
The floodlights are on; Tongue pounds in. Anticipation in the stands. HH and Tongue in discussion and fiddle with the field. Lawrence bangs four to finish the over. 86 needed.
Surrey's target drops below 100
Make that a target of 92 – three fearless fours off Pennington’s over, which goes for 17. Notts need wickets, Surrey aren’t hanging around.
Surrey are not taking the Hampshire approach, Tom Curran picks up Tongue and heaves him to the rope, then Lawrence sledge-hammers Pennington to the deep midwicket rope. The target now only 105.
Music to Surrey ears from Warwickshire head coach Ian Westwood:
“We want to finish as high up the table as we can so we will go to Nottinghamshire next week and give it everything. We will be keen to put in a good performance no matter what the permutations in the league table. We have got a lot of pride as a team and hopefully we have shown that this year.”
A moment of madness from Ryan Patel who topples backwards going for a pull and splices the ball into the air where HH waits and takes the catch at mid on. Surrey five down, need 122.
Essex almost safe after Edgbaston draw
Barring some extremely unlikely results next week, Essex are are safe in Division One for another year.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire DRAW WITH Essex 325-5
Warwickshire 9 points, Essex 10.
Tongue provokes an edge, Patel on 1, but Verreynne diving across first slip can’t hold on. Tongue bends from his middle, like a torpedoed ship.
Leicestershire are Division Two Champions after drawing with Kent!
A soggy if inevitable end to the game at Grace Road leaves Leicestershire uncatchable, and rising to Division One as Division Two Champions.
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 DRAW with Kent 17-0
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Afternoon session
Tongue from the pavilion end at The Oval, thunders in. Fast, on the money. Four from the over.
Glamorgan DRAW with Derbyshire
They cut their loses at Derby
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Glamorgan take 9 points, Derby 11 points, which ends Derbyshire’s hopes of promotion. Glamorgan are nearly there.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham 109-2 v Worcestershire 591-9dec
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 82-3
The Oval: Surrey 173 and 163-4 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 Surrey need 152 to win
Hove: Sussex 232-8 v Yorkshire 194 no play yet today
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5 no play yet today
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 DRAW with Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 241 v Northamptonshire 206 and 55-3
Old Trafford: Lancashire 239-3 v Middlesex 211
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play yet today
More and more heads are now visible in The Oval stands as they go into lunch, the game, definitely/defiantly in the balance. Surrey need 152 to win.
WICKET! Pope pokes, McCann tumbles to his right and Lyndon James celebrates. Surrey suddenly four down, and a skittish Pope goes for 41.
I know nothing. Big Josh Tongue comes back into the attack from the Vauxhall end, and Foakes pushes forward, edging to first slip. Surrey 149-3.
Surrey have reduced the target to 168 and suddenly it all seems quite manageable.
Hampshire meanwhile have lost the stonewalling Albert – a third wicket for Vaughan – 65 for three.
Washington Sundar and his shirt
To those who spotted that Washington was wearing 100 on his shirt yesterday as against ECB regulations – Hampshire have been asked to ask him to change his number.
Pope is getting the treatment here, the ball suddenly capricious, keeping low. He nearly falls over playing his next shot. But he’s still there. Surrey 128 for two.
With an hour and a bit gone, let’s wander around the other grounds.
Gubbins and Albert have dropped anchor at Taunton – 7 off 69 balls, 6 off 46 balls respectively. Hampshire 53 for two – trail Somerset by 229.
Durham have lost a second in the CLS draw, McKinney for 16. Durham 61 for two.
Gloucestershire are all out 241, a lead of 33 over Northants, who are batting again
Lancashire lost Luke Wells early for 62, but are ploughing on – Jennings a steadfast 50, Bohannon a rapid 52. Lancs 179-1.
No play yet at Derby, Hove, Edgbaston, or Grace Road.
Sibley gets himself into a right old pickle, a sort of ugly walking right angle, and ends up poking Hutton to slip. Surrey 107 for two.
Surrey will be relieved to see the temporary end of Josh Tongue, as Dillon Pennington takes over from the pavilion end. Ominously for Notts, the notoriously skittish Pope is settling into his work. Four byes fly past Verreynne.
Two wickets at Bristol already this morning – Graeme van Buuren and Zaman Akhter – but Jack Taylor is 60 not out and has guided Gloucestershire into a lead. Gloucs 230-7.
A thrilling over from Tongue, full of venom, which Pope does well to survive, but 16 from it. Surrey 96 for one, the target 219.
Hampshire lose a second wicket at Taunton, Middleton the man to go, guiding the ball into Kasey Aldridge’s giant paws off Archie Vaughan. This match is heading only one way. Hampshire 38-2 following on, 244 behind
Worcestershire have declared and Durham has already lost a wicket.
And a wicket at The Oval! Burns playing across the line to Josh Tongue, Nottinghamshire’s danger man. Surrey 74 for one.
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Delays around the country
At Hove, Edgbaston, Derby and Grace Road.
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Burns squats on the pitch in his regular way before making his way to the middle alongside Surrey’s regular rock, Dom Sibley, a vital anchor for Surrey’s chase. Here we go.
No play before lunch at Derby - Glamorgan close on promotion
No play today would suit Glamorgan very much – they would be elevated to Division One, alongside Leicestershire, with an unassailable 25-point lead over Derbyshire.
Taha Hashim watched Phil Salt go bananas in Ireland.
County structure latest:
Wednesday's round-up
Rain and bad light stalked The Oval as Nottinghamshire and Surrey inched towards a denouement. There was time for Notts to add another 37 runs for the last two wickets, including a corking straight drive for four from Josh Tongue. On the next ball, though, he edged behind to Matt Fisher, who finished with 11 wickets in the match. Brett Hutton was left unbeaten on an invaluable 42 for the visitors.
Set 315 to win, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley clinked down the pavilion steps, applauded by Surrey supporters sitting through the gloom. Burns had a lucky escape when he was fumbled at slip in Tongue’s first over, and he and Sibley saw Surrey safely through to mid-afternoon, when bad light stopped play with the hosts 66-0. The destination of the title may hinge on whether Surrey can successfully chase the remaining 249 runs on day four.
Worcestershire’s relegation from Division One was confirmed when they failed to pick up a third batting point at Chester-le-Street. Gareth Roderick collected 151 as Worcestershire batted all day, frustrating a Durham side desperate for their own bonus points. Sussex and Hampshire, also in the relegation mix, had mixed days. A draw looks likely at weather-hit Hove, where John Simpson’s 66 gave Sussex a 38-run first-innings lead over Yorkshire, but Hampshire are in trouble at Taunton.
The visitors were forced to follow on against Somerset after some ripping bowling from Jack Leach, who finished with a season-best seven for 69. “I have done an Ashes tour before and it didn’t go how I would have liked, so I feel like I have got some unfinished business in Australia,” Leach said. “I would love to go as part of the current team, I love what Baz and Stokesy have created … I feel good. I believe I would be in a good place to contribute for England, but we will just have to wait and see.”
Scores on the doors
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 591-9
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172 and 35-1
The Oval: Surrey 173 and 66-0 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 Surrey need 249 to win
Hove: Sussex 232-8 v Yorkshire 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5 no play today
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259 no play today
Bristol: Gloucestershire 158-5 v Northamptonshire 206
Old Trafford: Lancashire 105-0 v Middlesex 211
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play today
With the final round in mind – Notts at home to Warwickshire, Surrey away to relegation-threatened Hampshire, the win matters more to Surrey – who have a tougher final round. The weather forecast for next week is decidedly mixed.
Preamble
Good morning and welcome to The Oval for the season’s overflowing glass of champagne. A game that will almost certainly seal the season.
On the pitch, the players kick a football around. In the sky, the clouds shuffle without venom. In the stands, fans, some queueing before the gates opened, sit like single sunflowers waiting for the last summer rays.
It should be a humdinger. Do join us for the action at The Oval and round the grounds, play starts at 10.30am.
