Foakes hits unbeaten 174 in draw; Sussex see off Worcestershire
Ben Foakes diligently hit his highest first-class score on an Edgbaston pitch constructed from fast bowlers’ tears. Foakes reached his hundred with two consecutive sixes off Rob Yates and was unbeaten on 174 when Matt Fisher was the last man out after a 10th-wicket stand of 158 in 58 overs. Alex Davies enforced the follow-on – he must have agreeable bowlers – but a thunderstorm intervened and put both Surrey and Warwickshire out of their misery.
An Ollie Robinson special knocked out Ben Gibbon’s off stump to take Sussex to a second win of the season. It was an unstinting and skilful 29.2 overs from Robinson, a Norman castle of a man, running in despite an ankle injury. Jake Libby’s 167 on his favourite pitch – Hove is where he has made the three highest scores of his career – had threatened to carry Worcestershire to victory, until he was caught off Fynn Hudson-Prentice shortly after the new ball was taken, and Robinson was winkled out the rest.
The second new ball wasn’t enough to give Yorkshire a win against Essex at Chelmsford, on a day so warm that the stewards were given free ice lollies. With 11 men around the bat, Jonny Bairstow breathing down their necks, the last pair of Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer saw off the final over. The key partnership was between Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper, a 77-over marathon lasting until the ball before tea when Pepper was lbw to George Hill, who finished with a career-best nine wickets in the match.
Well done Simon Harmer, bad luck Yorkshire. That’s the end of round six – thanks for sticking with us, Lancs-up, bowler-eating pitches and all. We’ll be back on Friday, have a lovely evening.
Division One table
1 Nottinghamshire (played 5) 91
2 Warwickshire (played 5) 79
3 Sussex (played 5) 72
4 Surrey (played 5) 71
5 Essex (played 5) 61
6 Hampshire (played 5) 58
7 Durham (played 5 ) 58
8 Yorkshire (played 4) 53
9 Somerset (played 5) 52
10 Worcestershire (played 5) 21
Final scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 123 and 273-9 DRAW WITH Yorkshire 216 and 426-6dec
Trent Bridge: Notts 333 and 345 BEAT Hampshire 196 and 116 by 366 runs
Hove: Sussex 284 and 256 BEAT Worcestershire 180 and 313 by 47 runs
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 665-5dec DRAW with Surrey 504 and 15-0
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Glamorgan 549-9dec BEAT Kent 212 and 176 by an innings and 161 runs
County Ground: Northamptonshire 238 and 273 BEAT Lancashire 276 and 165 by 70 runs.
Essex DRAW with Yorkshire
Everyone round the bat, but Simon Harmer sees Essex home. A cracking match, down to the last dime. Nine wickets for young George Hill.
Chelmsford: Essex 123 and 273-9 DRAW WITH Yorkshire 216 and 426-6dec
Essex 11 points, Yorkshire 11.
One last over… can Moriarty break the code?
A 26-ball 0 not out from Porter…
Twelve minutes left at Chelmsford…
England No. 4s
To those of you who were reading carefully earlier, Rob Smyth did get on the case (thank you so much Rob). England have had 20 No. 4s during the Tendulkar/Kohli era. Over to Rob:
“It doesn’t include nightwatchmen, I’ve only included people who were the first choice for at least two consecutive Tests in that position (eg Maynard - dropped after two in 1993 but he was the designated No4 for those Tests).
“(In order of first appearance as regular No4, starting June 1992 v Pakistan) Smith, Stewart, Maynard, Thorpe, Hussain, Vaughan, Hick, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Root, Vince, Ballance, Duckett, Ali, Malan, Pope, Denly, Stokes, Lawrence.”
Through the gate! A prodding Rajitha is done by Moriarty and Yorkshire need just one more wicket for victory.
As Dom Bess completes his 32nd over, I’d better start to write up for the paper, but will drop back if anything happens at Chelmsford.
Updated
Six close fielders, as Moriarty wipes his sweaty hands on his trousers. Rajitha prods, prods, flays one for four. Harmer watches calmly from the non-striker’s end, his shadow tickling the umpire’s boots. Sixteen overs left. Two wickets for Yorkshire to take.
Updated
While I was moving rooms, Suits ruthlessly replacing Essex v Yorks on the TV, Jack White removed Shane Snater for a (32 ball) duck. Essex eight down.
Sussex BEAT Worcestershire by 47 runs!
Robinson removes Gibbon’s off stump! Jogs a quarter circle of celebration and is mobbed by his teammates. A second win of the summer for Sussex.
Hove: Sussex 284 and 256 BEAT Worcestershire 180 and 313 by 47 runs
Meanwhile, at Chelmsford, Essex have lost two wickets since tea. Dom Bess getting in on the act and bowling Noah Thain, before George Hill removed danger-man Critchley for a magnificent 75. Essex 209-7.
And Robinson gets his reward! Tom Haines runs in from deep square leg to collect a haphazard swivel-pull from Singh. 52 needed. Nine wickets down.
Ollie Robinson, who has sent through 28 overs, comes again. He has, says the commentor, been grimacing. And I spy a limp. Leans into the wind, thunders in. Taylor lets it fly by.
Updated
Warwickshire DRAW with Surrey
Well played centurions, well toiled bowlers.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 665-5dec DRAW with Surrey 504 and 15-0
Warwickshire 13 points, Surrey 11
Updated
No joy at Hove, they take tea with everything still in the balance for the last session of the match. Worcestershire need 59, Sussex two wickets.
A breakthrough at Essex with the last ball before tea. A unanimous lbw appeal by all the close Yorkshire fielders, and the umpire agrees. A knackered-looking George Hill drops to a squat of exhaustion/delight and is surrounded by his teammates. Pepper can’t believe it, the end of a really doughty innings of 68. Essex 199 for five.
They’re continuing to play for 20 mins at Hove, to see if Sussex can snaffle the last two wickets. I’m just off to make a quick cup of tea.
Updated
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 123 and 199-5 v Yorkshire 216 and 426-6dec Essex need 321 to win
Trent Bridge: Notts 333 and 345 BEAT Hampshire 196 and 116 by 366 runs
Hove: Sussex 284 and 256 v Worcestershire 180 and 294-8 Worcs need 66 to win
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 665-5dec v Surrey 504 and 15-0 rain stopped play
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Glamorgan 549-9dec BEAT Kent 212 and 176 by an innings and 161 runs
County Ground: Northamptonshire 238 and 273 BEAT Lancashire 276 and 165 by 70 runs.
Rain stops play at Edgbaston
Come friendly rain and fall on Birmingham.
Another wicket at Hove, and it is the big one, Jake Libby for 167. A second wicket for Hudson-Prentice, a delighted Sussex frolic about. Two wickets needed for Sussex, or 74 runs from the Worcestershire tail.
Is it too soon to say I think Essex have done this? Unbeaten sixties from Pepper and Critchley and no sign of a devil in the pitch. Twenty minutes till tea.
Third slip James Coles leans to his right and casually pockets a passing edge from Waite. Karvelas’s third wicket. Worcestershire 286-7. Libby still there on 167 but Sussex nearly there.
Warwickshire have enforced the follow-on!
Admirable agreeableness from the bowlers. We may yet get to see Jason Roy in whites again.
A wicket at Edgbaston!
Ed Barnard gets the final wicket at last, Fisher caught behind for 40. Foakes is unbeaten on 174, as strolls off, long sleeves still buttoned, 174 not out in seven and a bit hours. Surrey 508 all out, 161 behind. I can’t see Warwicks enforcing the follow-on.
Division Two table
1 Leicestershire (played 5) 95
2 Derbyshire (played 5) 74
3 Middlesex (played 5) 65
4 Kent (played 5) 57
5 Northamptonshire (played 5) 56
6 Glamorgan (played 5) 52
7 Gloucestershire (played 5) 51
8 Lancashire (played 5) 50
Belatedly, an email from Tim Maitland (sorry Tim, I missed this from this morning):
“While I understand that one shouldn’t draw too many conclusions from watching 10 minutes of highlights, Lancashire’s approach to chasing down what shouldn’t have been too taxing a target of 235 at Northampton should only be viewed in the style of a five year old watching Dr Who in the 1970s: through your fingers, from behind the sofa.
“Unless they’d collectively decided there were so many demons in the pitch, the only feasible approach was to swing hard and often before meeting the ball with their name on, it’s hard to understand what Bell, Jennings and Harris were thinking when they got out.
“On a happier note, I spent a bit of time looking at the collected works of Nottinghamshire this year and what really stands out is that no-one really stands out. They’ve had contributions from everywhere and win or draw, appear to have had the upper hand in pretty much every game they’ve played.
“In reverse order, they’ve had centuries from up and down the order: Liam Pattinson-White batting eight, Jack Haynes (5), Freddie McCann (3), Haseeb Hameed (1), Jack Haynes (5 again), Kyle Verreynne (6) and Lyndon James (8).
“It’s been a similar story with the bowling: No sooner does uncapped Aussie Fergus O’Neill leave after taking 21 wickets including two five-fors in his four games, than Mohammed Abbas takes a first innings five-fer that pretty much sets up the win over Hampshire. They’ve also had five wicket hauls from Josh Tongue (twice), Brett Hutton and Lyndon James. It all looks very sustainable.
“I suppose the one test might come if the opening pair of Hameed and Ben Slater creak a bit. The second innings against Hampshire was only the second time this season they’ve both failed to contribute (the other being the first innings of the draw against Essex when both were gone with just four on the board). Opening stands of 62, 113, 81 and 62 have given them several solid platforms to build on.”
Updated
150 for Jake Libby!
He acknowledges the applause, then resumes. He pats his Kookaburra in his crease and is beaten by Ollie Robinson, and again, as he flays haplessly at Robinson but the ball flies over the slips to the rope. Worcs 262-8, the target now 99.
Key event
Foakes and Fisher’s partnership passes 150 and has lasted nearly two sessions at Edgbaston. Everything happening at a half-pace down in Birmingham. The follow-on nearly averted. Surrey 496-9.
The new ball at Hove too. Waite pings a Robinson full toss to the rope.
Back To Chelmsford, where Revis has a weary tread back to his mark and, apparently, stewards are being given free ice lollies. The grass is dry, the sun hot, and the second new ball due soon. Critchley and Pepper have put on 121 and, more importantly, stuck to their task.
James Hayes is plugging away for Sussex with the ball – in his first Championship game. He was recommended by Peter Moores, when Sussex were looking around for a loan player to help their injury crisis.
A wicket, a wicket! D’Oliveira’s off stump a-dancing into the distance, ball slipping between bat and pad, very happy Tom Clark. Four more wickets for Sussex to snaffle.
Amazing continuity.
Sachin Tendulkar moved up to No4 in India's batting order in early 1992. Virat Kohli took over the job in late 2013. Obviously they missed a few Tests here and there, but that is 33 years of unbelievable stability. Good luck to the next guy...
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) May 12, 2025
England have had a few more. Robin Smith was the No. 4 for the first Test of that acrimonious series against Pakistan in 1992, Joe Root the man in possession today. I need to get Rob Smyth on the case.
Ben Foakes has now accumulated 165, his highest first-class score, and this last-wicket partnership is worth 141 – the largest of Surrey’s innings. Everyone at Edgbaston now playing for handshakes in three hours or so.
Everyone back out and here we go again.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 123 and 131-4 v Yorkshire 216 and 426-6dec Essex need 389 to win
Trent Bridge: Notts 333 and 345 BEAT Hampshire 196 and 116 by 366 runs
Hove: Sussex 284 and 256 v Worcestershire 180 and 199-5 Worcs need 162 to win
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 665-5dec v Surrey 461-9 Surrey trail by 204 runs
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Glamorgan 549-9dec BEAT Kent 212 and 176 by an innings and 161 runs
County Ground: Northamptonshire 238 and 273 BEAT Lancashire 276 and 165 by 70 runs.
Updated
And that’s lunch round the grounds – well played the batting teams!
Spin from both ends at Hove as well –as James Coles comes on to complement Jack Carson just before lunch. Worcestershire are half way to their target/have survived a third of the day.
And there it is! Libby’s 13th first-class hundred for Worcestershire, and his first this year. He pulls off his helmet, waves his bat around the ground and gets a bear hug from D’Oliveira. Ten minutes till lunch, with Worcestershire 180-5, need 181 to win.
Updated
Jake Libby inches through the nineties…
This is excellent stuff by Essex as Yorkshire wait for a mistake. Bess and Moriarty now in tandem, Jonny whispering sweet nothings from behind the stumps. Essex 118-4.
I don’t know if Ollie Robinson will get a chance with England again, but he’s not stinted in his efforts today, and the BBC commentators have admiringly mentioned his efforts. He’s sent down 21 overs 1-40, and nine this morning.
Updated
An hour gone:
Critchley and Pepper are hanging on in there at Chelmsford, despite Yorkshire fielders breathing down their necks and Yorkshire bowlers’ parsimoniousness. Essex 93-4
A wicket has just fallen at Hove, where Ethan Brookes’ stumps have gone a-flying, thanks to an inside edge. Sussex 153-5, Libby (88) has been joined by D’Oliveira. This is the partnership.
And Foakes (121) and Fisher continue to defy Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Surrey 421-9.
Updated
This was Kohli on Test cricket, back in 2020, at a time when he also criticised the possibility of four-day Tests, saying, “I don’t think that’s fair to the purest format of the game.”
“It is the representation of life. Whether you get runs or not, you have to clap when others are batting. You have to go back to your room, get up and come the next day.
“You have to follow the routine whether you like it or not. It’s like life where you don’t have the option of not competing. Test cricket has made me a better person.”
An impressive fourth day effort, though Surrey’s last wicket pair have survived the first 40 mins.
Fun fiend for Che Simmons. Well, fun unless you’re Matt Fisher. Simmons up at 86mph at times. pic.twitter.com/U4C9TGh95U
— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) May 12, 2025
Ollie Robinson, who was not at all happy with the ball, gets his way and the umpires switch the ball at Hove.
The IPL to resume “soon” – though it isn’t clear whether those foreign players who have already returned home will return to India.
A hundred for Ben Foakes!
His first of the season, and as elegant and composed as ever, but the only centurion in Surrey’s innings, whereas Warwickshire had three. Surrey 399-9, trail by 266. I wonder if Warwickshire will risk their bowlers again and ask Surrey to follow-on.
Updated
An early wicket at Hove, where the nightwatchman Ben Allison is gobbled up by Hudson-Prentice. Worcs 120-4, need another 231. The smart money with Sussex.
It will be good to keep an eye on Che Simmons today, after he found pace and bounce from that mild Edgbaston pitch. Simmons, 21, born in Barbados but a British passport holder, signed for Warwickshire in 2021 and made his first-class debut last year, sparking interest with three wickets in 15 balls against Essex.
“It was a really good collective effort and to see Che come in and bowl the way he did late in the day was great to see,” said Warwicks coach Ian Westwood. “It was an amazing spell for eight overs with some real pace and bounce and just showed how exciting a bowler he can be.”
The ECB reporters network spoke to Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White last night, whose century yesterday was so well-earned, I don’t think he’d passed fifty in the last three years.
“The last couple of years haven’t gone that well for me with the bat but I’ve been working hard, particularly on my mindset at the crease. I’m naturally an attacking player but I’ve tried to focus on batting time and not getting too far ahead of myself. I feel like it is in a really good place right now and obviously it showed today. It is also really special to make a big contribution with the bat here at Trent Bridge.
“We have such a strong squad here and no spot is guaranteed but I’ve been determined that when I get the chance I will make the most of it. Just to get into the side is a real privilege and a great opportunity to show what I’m all about.
”Having Mohammad Abbas coming in for his first game, taking a five-for, he is a class act and without the effort the seamers have put in I don’t think we would have won so fast. I was pleased for Lyndon (James) - it is always nice to see a close friend perform well. He has worked hard on his bowling and he deserved his success.
“There was a lot of live grass on the pitch the first couple of days, one where you try to utilise the new ball as much as possible. Freddie McCann’s hundred in the first innings was the stand-out performance for me. It was really important for getting us ahead of the game and for him to bat like that in those conditions was really impressive.”
Weather watch
We had a light dusting, barely dusting to be honest, of rain early this morning in Manchester. There’s a scattering of showers due in the south later, which might shuffle north and west.
You have to feel sympathy for a team when not only are the wheels bouncing down the road, but the chassis fell off at the roundabout. Poor Keaton Jennings must be running out of things to say.
“The disappointing thing for me is we’ve had four, five, six, seven opportunities in the game to win it and we squandered all those opportunities. They lost three or four wickets and they’ve got away from us in both innings.
“It’s massively concerning and emotions aside, it’s just not good enough. Today we’ve been 116 for two and we get bowled out 50 runs later.
“I’ve got to ask questions of myself, the way we were going about bowling to the tail – are the decisions taken at that time the right ones? Obviously not, because the game judges you – it spits out at you what is deserved.”
Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket
For all the fire and fury, Kohli did more to keep Test cricket alive during the last decade than anyone else. A beautiful few sentences:
“There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever. As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for.”
Sunday's round-up
A 14-wicket day at Trent Bridge as Hampshire were steam‑rollered to a 366-run defeat. Liam Patterson‑White and Jack Haynes dominated the morning session with centuries, and Hampshire were set 483 to win, or four and a bit sessions to bat. It wasn’t to be.
Seven wickets fell after tea as Hampshire were whistled out for 116 in their second innings, the top scorer No 11 Sonny Baker, with 27. Lyndon James grabbed five wickets, Brett Hutton four – there was only time for Mohammad Abbas to add two catches to his first‑innings five-fer against his old team. The Nottinghamshire juggernaut steams on, three wins in the bag, firebox ablaze.
There was bouncing delight for the cherry-red caps of Northamptonshire, after snatching a 70-run victory against Lancashire. It was almost 20 years ago that they last beat Lancashire, courtesy of Jason Brown’s 10 wickets and 147 from Usman Afzaal. This time, the crucial intervention came from on-loan leg‑spinner Calvin Harrison, who has an appetite for red-rose batters. With Lancashire seemingly cruising to their target of 236, he had Marcus Harris stumped and Josh Bohannon lbw – which precipitated a collapse of seven for 28 runs.
Earlier, Ben Sanderson had given Northamptonshire something to bowl at when he crashed 65 from 28 balls. The win was the first under Darren Lehmann’s tenure; Lancashire, preseason favourites for promotion, slip to the bottom of Division Two.
At Canterbury, Kent were bowled out for 176 after following on – a spanking by an innings and 161 runs and Glamorgan’s first win of the season. Chris Benjamin was stranded six runs short of a maiden Kent century in the first innings, and three wickets each from Asitha Fernando and Timm van der Gugten soon sliced through the second – all out in fewer than 50 overs. There were firm words from Adam Hollioake: “I wasn’t here last year but I heard about it so we’re not just going to start sulking and feeling sorry for ourselves.”
Despite an unbeaten 85 from Ben Foakes, Surrey are struggling at Edgbaston after Warwickshire reduced them to 369 for nine, 296 runs short of the follow-on. Three surprise wickets from Rob Yates and two from the rapid Che Simmons gave life to the final day.
Worcestershire need 244 to win at Hove, but the force is with Sussex after they removed Henry Nicholls just before the close; 185 from Adam Lyth put Yorkshire on top at Chelmsford.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 123 and 64-4 v Yorkshire 216 and 426-6dec
Trent Bridge: Notts 333 and 345 BEAT Hampshire 196 and 116 by 366 runs
Hove: Sussex 284 and 256 v Worcestershire 180 and 117-3 Worcs need 244 to win
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 665-5dec v Surrey 369-9
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Glamorgan 549-9dec BEAT Kent 212 and 176 by an innings and 161 runs
County Ground: Northamptonshire 238 and 273 BEAT Lancashire 276 and 165 by 70 runs.
Preamble
Good Monday morning and the best of luck to all those sproglets of CCLive! readers currently pouring over a GCSE English Literature paper. Just three games left in this round after yesterday’s sudden denouements – Warwickshire have weakened Surrey in a surprising chokehold, Essex are in deep trouble against Yorkshire and Worcestershire face an uphill chase.
Play starts at 11am, do join us between zooms.
