Belatedly, good night!
Close of play scores
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
Lancashire make towering total in Blackpool
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.
I see Somerset are having one of their ho-hum sessions with the bat. Time for me to think about writing up for the paper, do please chew things over BTL.
Bohannon slams Parky for six more over long off, up and to the left of the press tent. [Stokes is out] The Lancs lead now 93.
Bertie Foreman!
Bertie Foreman has just taken 9⃣ (yes, nine!) wickets in the first innings for the 2nd XI against Lancashire! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HKYFDGzu9b
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) June 24, 2025
200 for Finlay Bean, 100 for Josh Bohannon
Red and white rose hundreds. A double for Bean at Trent Bridge; and a single for Bohannon at Blackpool, as he punches Parky for four, pulls off his helmet and raises his bat towards the dressing room. Warm applause chases around the ground.
A huge carrot cake has arrived in the press box, as Kent bowl no ball no. 28.
At Chelmsford, Essex are now three down and I think Hampshire will fancy this – Cox lbw to Jack for 12, Dawson with the first two wickets.
The sun is out at Blackpool, bare legs on show in the bleachers. Another six from Turner swings into the wall.
Warwickshire are all out at Edgbaston – giving Somerset a lead of 147. Four wickets for Coverton, two each for Leach and Pretorius. Can Somerset’s openers do it again?
Leicestershire have a foxy air once more. Declaring with a lead of 223, they have reduced Glamorgan to 50 for three.
And Yorkshire have avoided the follow-on at Trent Bridge, with Finlay Bean fast approaching 200.
Some pleasing symmetry courtesy of Paul Edwards. It was a year ago tomorrow that Luke Wells made 150 against Kent at Canterbury, and on the same day Josh Bohannon, currently 89 not out, ended the day unbeaten on 182 – eventually lbw to Parky for 205.
Some tea-time reading.
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 327 v Sussex 361 and 83-3 Bad light stops play
Chelmsford: Essex 296 and 44-1 v Hants 453
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 487 v Yorkshire 320-5
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 326-7 v Somerset 498
New Road: Surrey 291 and 53-1 BEAT Worcestershire 214 and 125 by nine wickets
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 187 and 241-3 v Derbyshire 398
Blackpool: Lancashire 376-3v Kent 374
Grace Road: Leicestershire 576-7dec v Glamorgan 353 and 36-3
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 435 v Middlesex 413 and 107-1
Lancashire take the lead and go off for tea, scores to follow.
Turner smacks six dangerously close to the snazzy red cars parked on the top of the Blackpool bowl, advertising a car showroom. Lancs have hit cruise control.
Worcestershire coach Alan Richardson picks at the bones:
I think we knew that it was going to be a real challenge. Surrey have been a very good side for a long period of time now, and you look down their lineup, you know that it’s going to take a real good effort and a real good performance to be able to challenge them, but one that we thought that we could do, and I think we left ourselves quite a bit short in terms of how we went about our work in the first innings.
I thought it was a really brave decision to bat first, but I think a correct one. We found ways of getting out, which didn’t help us. Certainly, there’s a little bit of sloppiness throughout the innings.
What was disappointing was that we gave them probably 160 run start, which is not ideal, and when we got behind the game that becomes very difficult and has a huge knock on effect.
While Rory Burns praises his bowlers:
They are brilliant. Fish led it in both innings and was pretty relentless in the nature that he went about it. And obviously Nathan today with a six-fer.
(On Matt Fisher) You know, he’s a great character as a bloke. He really takes that into his cricket. So what you see is what you get and he has slotted in brilliantly, slightly different to what we’ve had before, in terms of a skill set that he can that he can execute.
After bowling 22 wicketless overs in the first innings, Matthew Potts has bowled Hughes and Haines, and Ben Raine has sent Tom Clark on his way. Sussex 50-3,, lead by 84.
At Trent Bridge, Patterson-White has a third, YJB for 41. Finlay Bean still there on 170 – the deficit 185
An email! Hello Romeo:
“An excellent idea (13.29) addresses players’ concerns (they may come up with some other moan)“ why thank you, “but the powers that be want to diminish the CC any way they can. I was incensed when I read Matt Hughes’ article.”
I don’t really think the two Richards want to diminish the CC, but it’s how you find the best way through the thicket. What is the aim?What is cricket for?
Milestones at Blackpool
Fifty for Josh Bohannon from a rasping four. And 150 for Luke Wells, a straight six over Parky’s head and out of the amphitheatre. They’re searching for it in the trees bordering the car park. And now a wicket! Parky gets his man for 152, caught, greedily, on the long-off boundary.
Parky is having a bowl. His baggy trousers are grubby but he’s wearing the gorgeous Kent cable knit with prancing horse. Some high-voltage appealing, but no cigar.
150 for Finlay Bean
We know he likes a big score, and Bean is making life tolerable for Yorkshire at Trent Bridge. YJB has a steady 41 – just three boundaries – and together they’ve reduced the deficit to 210.
Wells makes whoopee against Agar: 4, 4, huge jolly six over midwicket. Lancs 270-2, and a hundred partnership with Bohannon.
Surrey BEAT Worcestershire by nine wickets
Easy does it.
New Road: Surrey 291 and 53-1 BEAT Worcestershire 214 and 125 by nine wickets
Surrey points; Worcestershire points.
England are absolutely cruising in the Test, it almost makes me wish for a soupcon of jeopardy.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned that Luke Wells has a century (distracted by Bethell-watch). Now 126 not out, with Parky unfortunately taking quite the pounding (0 for 72 from 16). Lancs 255-2.
Also, re game reforms, I’m sure the idea was to avoid the situation where teams didn’t know what they were playing for. Which surely means everything has to be pushed back a year …
Anyway, the school sports day is over at the athletics track next to Stanley Park, but a good crowd remains watching the cricket. Some distracted by the Test being show in the bar.
A fifth wicket falls at Edgbaston, Barnard fishing. Warwicks 235-5, a third for Coverton.
How about next year in the CC, each team plays 14 games but each player only plays 12 – thereby reducing their workload. More opportunity for young players, the same number of games for fans. Am I missing something obvious?
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 273-6 v Sussex 361 and 0-0
Chelmsford: Essex 296 v Hants 400-6
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 487 v Yorkshire 221-4
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 229-4 v Somerset 498
New Road: Worcestershire 214 and 125v Surrey 291 and 11-0
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 187 and 148-2 v Derbyshire 398
Blackpool: Lancashire 225-2 v Kent 374
Grace Road: Leicestershire 471-7 v Glamorgan 353
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 418-9 v Middlesex 413
Updated
Rain sends the players scurrying off at Blackpool, lunchtime scores to follow.
Bethell out for 20
Coverton punches the air, Bethell looks horrified. He hooks, the slips go up and he is sent on his way.
Durham are all out – five wickets for Gurinder Sandhu on debut. They trail Sussex by 34. Two wickets each for Robinson and Hudson-Prentice. Archer’s final figures: 18-8-32-1 and he looked as if he cranked it up again this morning, though that assesment made while squinting at the stream.
A soft-stepped two-step and Bethell gently sends Leach for six.
Patel and Sibley are at the crease, Surrey need just 49 to win. Nathan Smith finished with six for 38 from Worcestershire’s sad little 125 all out.
Bethell has broken the shackles at last, almost removing Jack Leach’s fingers as he flambes him straight for four. Warwicks 206-3.
Maximum bowling points for Sussex as Durham fold, Potts caught off Robinson for 2. 320-9.
A hat-trick for Ryan Higgins!
McManus (ball six); Keogh (ball one); Guthrie. Northants melting.
How are Worcestershire doing? Collapsing and quickly. Matt Fisher has four, Nathan Smith has five. Worcs have lost five for 13 mid-morning. The lead over Surrey just 48.
Somerset are not giving Bethell any fancy-dan chances. He’s got one from 24 balls and so far this morning, Warwickshire have made 29 for two in 18 overs.
Updated
While the showstoppers strut their stuff at Edgbaston and CLS, a trot around the Division Two grounds.
Five wickets for Zafar Gohar at Wantage Road, but not before Saif Zaib has reached a fabulous century in what has been a fruitful season. Northants 350-8, trail by 63.
Leicestershire have lost Chris Wright and Lewis Hill (70) this morning, but they already have a lead of 79 against Glamorgan, 432-5.
Cameron Bancroft is doing his best to provide some stability to Gloucestershire’s top order, he’s lost Ollie Price, caught off ZaK Chappell. Glos 83-2, trail by 128.
And a wicket at Blackpool as nightwatchman Tom Bailey is finally removed for 25 after an adhesive hour. Evison again the wicket taker. Lancs 167-2, Wells 73 not out.
Bethell-time
Al Davies prods big Craig to Tom Kohler-Camore who takes a fabulous diving catch – which brings in Jacob “two and two together Bethell. Warwicks 181-3.
A hundred for Liam Dawson!
An 18th f-c hundred for Liam Dawson as Hampshire toy with Essex – 353-5. Tilak Varma, incidentally, was prised out by Harmer for exactly 100.
Drissel gets the short-short-long treatment from Jofra as rain skirts CLS and the floodlights come on.
At CLS, Jofra Archer has the ball, ends the over with a nasty skidding missile to de Leede. Another maiden.
I think we’re having a light reading here at Blackpool. Ken reports that Tom Hartley has picked up a wicket against Sussex in the second XI game at Horsham: 24.5-2-69-1. What a strange couple of years he’s had.
100 for Tilak Varma
Well played Tilak Varma on his Hampshire debut. I read something about the Indian top Test five being the most difficult line-up to get into in the world. This is a pretty dress Varma is wearing in the shop window.
At Durham, Graham Clark has moved to a canterous fifty, Durham 261 for five, Jofra yet to bowl today.
Ali reports that the skies are clear at Headingley too, and they should start on time in the Test. Daniel Harris is OBOing here:
At New Road, Worcestershire look in big trouble. Ben Allison, who finished with 5-44 to bowl Surrey out with just a 77 run-lead, pondered yesterday evening’s collapse.
”Not to go into too much detail, but, you know, Richo did sort of say, it didn’t really seem like we actually showed up that session.
“I know it wasn’t the ideal end to the day, but you know, we’re happy as a team that, you know, we fought back, and we were putting a shift and will do tomorrow.”
The weather is skirting around the grounds but, against all odds, we are starting on time at Blackpool. The mopper-sopper is doing its business, and Lancashire are huddling.
Updated
Tuesday's round up
A familiar figure took the field at Chester-le-Street. Tall, neat, trousers nipping at his ankles, right arm wrapped with a sleeve. Red-ball cricket had been waiting for Jofra Archer for 1,501 days but the Sussex captain, John Simpson, was playing by his own timetable. He threw the new ball to Ollie Robinson – another bowler with an England shadow stuck to his boot – and Gurinder Sandhu. It was half an hour before Archer was called up from long leg to take on Durham.
For those whose memories of Archer are forever Lord’s 2019, Smith down on the burning deck, his first spell back was nothing more than solid. A couple of maidens, a handful of bouncers: 4-2-11-0. His second spell, after lunch, once he had checked that everything was in full working order, was spicier. Will Rhodes survived a toe-crusher, before Emilio Gay’s luck ran out and he was lbw to a rapid rasper low on the pad. Colin Ackerman was greeted with a snorter and there were a couple of those missiles that hone in on the body. One further spell made it 14 overs and one wicket for the day, and a nod of approval from Headingley.
On the other side of the country, Jimmy Anderson grabbed a couple of early wickets at Blackpool where the wind ran up the trouser leg and scampered out of the collar. Ben Compton’s 135 for Kent received a standing ovation before Lancashire’s openers accumulated neatly, until Keaton Jennings was out just before stumps.
Tilak Varma made an unbeaten 98 to ease Hampshire to near parity as Essex toiled. Earlier Kyle Abbott pocketed his third five-fer of the season. Yorkshire had a better day with bat than ball, biffed about by Nottinghamshire’s Ishan Kishan, Liam Patterson-White and Dillon Pennington. Mohammad Abbas then removed Adam Lyth with his first ball, but an unbeaten 86 from Finlay Bean steadied things.
Middlesex’s Zafar Gohar spun out four of Northamptonshire’s top five, but Saif Zaib danced to an unbeaten 83 at Wantage Road, and there were more fireworks from Leicestershire as Rehan Ahmed and Sol Budinger sprayed attacking centuries against Glamorgan.
Centuries from Harry Came and Wayne Madsen put Derbyshire in a happy position against Gloucestershire. Tom Lammonby’s 133 was his highest first-class score, though Somerset then lost seven for 91. Worcestershire worked hard to dismiss Surrey, but Matt Fisher and Nathan Smith ruined their top order.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 249-5 v Sussex 361
Chelmsford: Essex 296 v Hants 293-4
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 487 v Yorkshire 154-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 158-1 v Somerset 498
New Road: Worcestershire 214 and 69-4 v Surrey 291
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 187 and 62-1 v Derbyshire 398
Blackpool: Lancashire 120-1 v Kent 374
Grace Road: Leicestershire 389-3 v Glamorgan 353
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 308-5 v Middlesex 413
Preamble
Hello from a damp Blackpool tent. The skies are quizzical and there will be an inspection at 10.30am.
