Close of play at The Oval
But we’ll be back tomorrow to see how this one finishes.
Time for me to write up for the paper as this damp day drips to a close. Play currently at Durham, Hove and Old Trafford. BTL remains open for all those who want to mull things over.
Rain at Taunton
Moments after Ali Orr was dismissed lbw by Archie Vaughan, the rain starts and the players troop off. Hampshire 35 for one.
Asia cup confusion
Pakistan are 9 for two against UAE in their delayed Asia Cup game. It seems Pakistan initially refused to play after asking for referee Andy Pycroft to be removed. They claimed that Pycroft, the match referee for the game against India, told captain Salman Agha not to shake hands with Suryakumar Yadav at the toss.
The PCB tweeted that they had asked the team to attend the game and said that Pycroft had apologised to “the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team.”
Affection for those sitting, waiting, in The Oval stands.
Meanwhile, some Australian Ashes news:
An inspection at 5.15 at The Oval
I think we should give in to the inevitable here.
A lovely spin from Jim Wallace on fast bowling:
Free entry at Hove tomorrow
A chance to wave goodbye to the summer.
Rain at Hove, which leaves us with play at CLS (treacley), Old Trafford (going through the motiony) and Taunton – where Hants have made a better fist of their second innings (31-0).
Stumps at Bristol
Two wickets and 93 runs scored on a truncated day in the west country.
Sussex have inched a lead of 30 against Yorkshire, Robinson and Hunt the men at the crease. A draw at CLS means both sides can live with a draw here in terms of relegation. A Hampshire defeat will interest all of the above, and they are currently 18-0, 264 behind at Taunton.
Roderick (137) and Brookes (34) push on against Durham – 434 for six. Maybe they’ll just bat through the match.
Somerset opened with Leach and Vaughan, but so far Orr and Middleton have seen them off, Hampshire 15-0.
A further inspection at 4.30 at The Oval
I think it might be curtains here for the day.
Anderson scan
Lancs are without Jimmy today, who felt some soreness in his side yesterday and is waiting for the results from his scan. Lancs bowled out Middlesex for 211 – four each for Aspinwall and Bailey. Currently 9-0 in warm sunshine in reply.
I went to sit outside at The Oval. It is very dark, the floodlights blazing through the gloom. No news yet on any possible resumption.
Seven wickets for Jack Leach!
Living his best life: 24.3-9-69-7. Hants trail by 282 and will, surely, soon be following on.
Teatime-ish scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 420-6
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 172
The Oval: Surrey 173 and 66-0 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 256 bad light stopped play, Surrey need 249 to win
Hove: Sussex 220-7 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 rain stopped play
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 211
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play today
Stumps at Derby
The bathwater dribbling away on what could have been a thrilling penultimate game.
An inspection at The Oval.
Play at Old Trafford!
They’re on in Manchester, though it all seems quite futile when you look at tomorrow’s forecast. Gohar and TRJ have taken the score past 200.
Bad light stops play at The Oval
A good time for Notts to regroup, with Surrey 66 for 0.
Thanks to James for this snippet: Surrey’s highest fourth-innings chase here at The Oval is 334 in 1987 against Middlesex. They won by two wickets.
And rain starts to fall, but we play on.
Surrey pass 50 rather more quickly than Notts would have hoped.
Five wickets for Jack Leach
The terror of Taunton. Hampshire seven down still trail by 322.
FIVE FOR LEACH!! Hampshire seven down, Jack Leach is inevitable!!
— Somerset Cricket 🏆 (@SomersetCCC) September 17, 2025
WPA Live Stream ➡️ https://t.co/2e49ehsnyO#WeAreSomerset#SOMvHAM pic.twitter.com/7pLElnuMLo
Meanwhile, a first wicket for Shafiqullah Ghafari in the County Championship.
SHAFIQULLAH GHAFARI!!! 🤩
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) September 17, 2025
The first Afghan to take a wicket for Durham & his first pole in the @CountyChamp 🇦🇫#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/IT7wbEyPpS
An edge, a drop! Burns (18) edges to first slip in Tongue’s first over but Patterson-White can’t hold on. A narked Tongue rubs the ball at the top of his mark.
Jack Leach is thrilled by his ball to bowl Washington Sundar, bouncing around Taunton in high-fiving glee. And so he should, a beauty that bounced outside the off stump and zipped through the gate. Somerset 121-6.
STOP THAT JACK LEACH!!! Hampshire SIX down!!
— Somerset Cricket 🏆 (@SomersetCCC) September 17, 2025
WPA Live Stream ➡️ https://t.co/2e49ehsnyO#WeAreSomerset#SOMvHAM pic.twitter.com/2HSpmhMwjN
A change of bowling at The Oval – Josh Tongue comes on at the pavilion end.
Updated
Ireland have got off to a flying start in the T20 v England. You can follow it with OBO master Rob Smyth here.
As a baby wails somewhere in The Oval stands, a look at the three other games in play.
Gareth Roderick’s 110 has not saved Worcestershire from relegation at CLS. Worcs 370-5. Potts’ run-out in red- ball cricket havent brought him any great dividends in this match: 25-7-68-1.
John Simpson (43) and Jack Carson (18) have guided Sussex to within 26 runs of Yorkshire at Hove. “I just feel we are one big partnership away from getting the batting unit right back into it,” Jaydev Unadkat said last night.
At Taunton, Washington Sundar is 23 not out, Hants 102-5, Vaughan and Leach whirling away.
There is no play anywhere in Division Two.
Stumps at Edgbaston
Essex well on the way to the draw that will confirm their Division One survival.
Updated
Play at Grace Road abandoned for the day
Hopefully we will get play tomorrow to accompany the tea and champagne event.
A second wicket for Archie Vaughan at Taunton, and it is Ben Brown who loses his off stump. Hampshire will be batting again by tea if they’re not careful, 92-5.
Brett Hutton thinks he has Sibley caught behind in his first over. At least he wants the umpire to think that , and so do the slips, and actually Sibley starts walking off…. but no finger is raised.
Worcestershire are relegated from Division One
Tis done. After the miracle of 2024, Worcestershire slip back down to Division Two after they fail to collect batting point number three. So now just one promotion and one relegation place to work out. And the Championship itself.
Talking of which, here come the umpires at The Oval, Notts in a huddle. And down the steps clink Sibley and Burns.
Surrey need 314 to win
Now we have the equation as Dillon Pennington’s off stump is removed by Atkinson for a valuable eight. Notts 256 all out; Fisher, 6-73 and eleven in the match. Game on.
Updated
Dillon Pennington pings four and receives a bouncer from Fisher as his reward. The lead creeps past 300.
Appreciation for Josh Tongue’s corking straight drive from the AI conference attendees eating their lunch in the stands. But that’s the end of his musings as he’s caught behind off Fisher trying to repeat the stroke. Wicket number 11. Notts 241-9, the lead 299.
Notts have the better of the opening exchanges. The lead inches up to 285.
Hello John Starbuck: “It’s probably best to keep the numbers down to two, otherwise they would multiply like mad and defeat the purpose of being able to identify the player quickly.
“Mind you, that there are so many with duplicated numbers (99, 66, 22 etc.) points to a superstitious streak amongst players, especially when so many turn out to be captains, of a sort. Check out your county team next time and see how many you can spot - the same numbers on both sides also happens sometimes, but there you go.”
Play at The Oval
After a quick circuit of The Oval, I can report that it is brisk verging on chilly. Atkinson and Fisher with the ball.
Updated
“Watching the Somerset stream,” writes Ian Deuchar. “Why is Washington Sundar wearing shirt number 100 when ECB regulations clearly state a maximum of two digits? Does he have special permission or is another points deduction on its way to Hampshire?”
I can’t answer for the ECB, but a person close to Washington says “There is no meaning, he just wanted to experiment with a number.”
Just going to grab some lunch, back shortly.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 320-5 no play yet today
Taunton: Somerset 454-8dec v Hampshire 61-4
The Oval: Surrey 173 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 219-8 no play yet today
Hove: Sussex 119-4 v Yorkshire 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5 no play yet today
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259 no play yet today
Bristol: Gloucestershire 158-5 v Northamptonshire 206
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 189-8 no play yet today
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0 no play yet today
Play after lunch at Chester le Street and The Oval
Leslie, hop on that tube!
Lunch at Taunton: a shocker of a morning for Hampshire, who are 61 for four, 393 behind. Leach 8-5-8-3.
Aiiieee, Craig Overton can’t quite get to an edge from Washington Sundar (1) at slip off Leach.
Leslie, I take that back, they are now unpinning the covers at The Oval.
Albert, greedy for more aims to smack Vaughan for another boundary, rocks back in his boots but succeeds only in giving Vaughan an easy catch. Hampshire 58 for four. Vaughan, incidentally, wears number 66 on his shirt.
Updated
“May visit The Oval today but have heard that the start is delayed.” asks Leslie Moss. “What is the latest news?” The covers are on, it is dingy, and the radar says we are due rain at two.
Archie Vaughan, who has had a quieter summer this year, is whalloped for six by Toby Albert. But Albert is nearly run out next ball as he has to dodge his partner half way down the pitch. And there’s another six – bang into the stands. Hampshire 57 for three, Vaughan’s over has been dispatched for 19.
Updated
Rain at Bristol
The players withdraw to the warmth of the dressing-room. Gloucestershire 158-5, trail by 48. Vital not out twenty-somethings from Jack Taylor and Graeme van Buuren.
Jack Leach grabs three
Four men round the bat at Taunton, Leach on the prowl. Orr, Middleton and Gubbins already playing dominos in the pavilion. Hampshire 30-3.
A second CC game for young Northants spinner Nirvan Ramesh, just 17. It looks decidedly chilly at Bristol and Ramesh hunches his shoulders against the wind. He’s a slip of a thing, massaging the ball before wheeling in with crossed arms. Glos 156-5.
The big covers are coming on at The Oval. Lee Fortis strides around in his big boots with a broom.
Play at Hove
The weather is clearing from the south west. George Hill, who must be close to a berth on the Lions tour, has the ball.
Jack Leach makes an early breakthrough at Taunton, Ali Orr for 8. A degree of turn to rustle Hampshire’s batsmen’s brains. Hampshire 13 for one.
Two wickets at Bristol – the men in possession, James Bracey and Ollie Price, a second and third first-class wicket for Ben Price. Gloucestershire 118-5, still 88 behind.
Cake with the Foxes
Thanks to the BTL pointer to this opportunity for a slice of victoria sponge with Lewis Hill and Rehan Ahmed. Can personally recommend the home-made cakes at Grace Road.
Promotion = Celebration 🎉
— Leicestershire CCC 🦊 (@leicsccc) September 17, 2025
Afternoon Tea with the First Team 🍰☕
📅 Thu 18 Sept | 3pm | Charles Palmer Suite
💷 £10 members / £12 non-members (+£3 Prosecco)
📲 To book: call/text Lindsey on 07929097676, email lindsey.jeffcoat@elior.co.uk - or book in person!#Foxes🦊 pic.twitter.com/mzTepV3bbf
Somerset declare!
Kasey Aldridge is run out for 180 after risking a quick single. Somerset’s second-highest score of the season and a great way to sign off at The County Ground before he packs up his kit and heads to Durham. Somerset declare at 454-8.
Oval update
It isn’t raining any more, but it is still dark and dreary. An impressive number of people sitting stoically in the stands in their anoraks.
Play at Taunton and Bristol
Kasey Aldridge has continued where he left off yesterday, now 167 not out, with Craig Overton powering to a quick 20. Somerset 410 for seven.
Price and Bracey press on at Bristol, Gloucesteshire 91 for three.
Updated
An email drops from Mr Ali Martin. “Slights fears over the Metro Bank final I’m down to cover this weekend ... both the match day and reserve day are shaping up to be washouts if the current forecast holds. Just been delving into the regulations ... playoffs and semis have a bowl-out (indoors or outdoors) to settle it but the final needs min 20 overs per side or Hampshire and Worcestershire share the trophy. Fingers crossed things change before then...”
PS. On the subject of bowl-outs, here’s a trip down memory lane...
A further inspection at The Oval when/if the light improves.
Weather stops play
Rain is drawing the curtain across the country. Delayed starts at Durham, Hove, Edgbaston, Derby, Old Trafford, Grace Road and now it has started raining at The Oval.
The umpires are out in the middle stalking the pitch.
Tuesday's round-up
Seventeen wickets fell on a feet-tappingly tense day at the Oval, the game swinging like an out-of-kilter pendulum as the bowlers hunted in packs, with assistance from a pitch with a twinkle in its eye. Nottinghamshire finished the day with a lead of 277 and two wickets left, to leave Surrey the biggest score of the match to chase – but on a pitch that usually irons out.
After a calm first hour Surrey collapsed from 101 for one to 173 all out, only for Nottinghamshire’s batters to repeat the feat, quickly 89 for six against the excellent Matt Fisher, who has picked up 10 wickets in the match and may have bowled himself on to the Lions’ winter tour of Australia. Liam Patterson-White and Lyndon James then added crucial late afternoon runs.
Surrey announced that 80,000 people had come through the gates at the Oval to watch Championship cricket this year – a record for the 21st century.
The two teams who fought out the Blast final on Saturday met again at Edgbaston. After having Somerset in trouble at 99 for five, Hampshire once more came under the pump as Tom Abell and Kasey Aldridge piled on the runs, a century each in a sixth-wicket stand of 221. Abell passed 1,000 runs for the season and Aldridge was unbeaten on a career-best 149.
Leicestershire played pinball at Grace Road against a Kent side containing five teenagers including Corey Flintoff, older brother of Rocky. First Rishi Patel rocked to his second century of the season, then Ben Cox and Shan Masood shuttled to quick 90s before Ian Holland declared on 459 for seven, maximum batting points in the bag.
Essex need a draw to secure Division One safety, and steadily batted themselves towards it against Warwickshire, propped up by Charlie Allison’s 98.
The Division One basement dwellers Worcestershire and Durham scrapped for bones at Chester-le-Street. After a nip‑and‑tuck morning Gareth Roderick (95 not out) and Brett D’Oliveria (84) added 170 for the fourth wicket.
A calm and crucial 94 from Kiran Carlson kept the Derbyshire vultures at bay after they had reduced Glamorgan to 99 for six. Derbyshire need to win to have a chance of overtaking the Welsh side to the second promotion place.
Saif Zaib hit yet another half-century for Northamptonshire, keeping them afloat against a perky Gloucestershire attack at Bristol. There were three wickets for Graeme van Buuren and three for Matt Taylor. The hosts then lost three of their own before stumps.
It was a ding-dong battle at Hove, where both Yorkshire and Sussex are trying to keep their heads above the relegation zone. Yorkshire. The visitors went from 100 for two to 115 for seven, before they were dug out of a hole by Jordan Thompson and the tail.
Only 44 overs were possible at a wet Old Trafford, enough for Lancashire to pour cold water on Middlesex’s promotion hopes by reducing them to 189 for eight.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 320-5
Taunton: Somerset 381-7 v Hampshire
The Oval: Surrey 173 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 219-8
Hove: Sussex 84-4 v Yorkshire 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 65-3 v Northamptonshire 206
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 189-8
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0
Inspection at The Oval
I spoke too soon, they are having an inspection at 10.30am, with the light the biggest issue. The floodlights are on already.
Updated
Preamble
Good morning from The Oval where the sirens are blaring, a church bell just rang ten o’clock and it is not currently raining. Both teams are out in the middle – Peter Moores has Notts in a circle and is giving them a pep talk, while Surrey play football. The Championship could be (almost) decided here, today – do join us, play starts at 10.30am.
