And that’s very much all from me. Here’s a round-up of today’s action. Bye!
Northamptonshire wrapped up victory against Sussex by an innings and 120 runs, with Tom Taylor becoming the curse of statisticians and sentimentalists everywhere for clean-bowling Jack Carson to finish the match.
Ben Sanderson and Gareth Berg had taken five wickets each in Sussex’s first innings and were very close to repeating the feat in the second, with Sanderson holding a five-four lead when Taylor intervened.
Stiaan van Zyl had been Sussex’s best hope, coming into the day unbeaten on 71, but the South African added just one run. Delray Rawlins swiftly secured his second duck of the match and the rest was a procession, with the visitors never recovering from a chaotic opening on Thursday, when they were at one stage 25 for seven.
Theirs was the only positive result in Group Three, with Kent drawing at Yorkshire after another weather-affected day in which Gary Ballance was run out for 96, and Lancashire enlivening their draw with Glamorgan with a dramatic and ultimately successful last-wicket chase for a batting point.
Having secured their first County Championship victory in 1,043 days this month, Nottinghamshire won for the second time in a week, inflicting upon Essex – who had endured just one defeat in the past two summers combined – a second loss in three winless games, this by an innings and 30 runs. This match also was effectively decided on the first day, when Essex were bowled out for 99 and Notts cantered past that total. Nick Browne’s second half-century of the match was ultimately irrelevant, the Essex opener only adding four runs to his overnight total of 60 before he was caught behind off Luke Fletcher.
For Notts the 22‑year‑old Lyndon James was a straightforward but dropped catch in the slips away from claiming his first five-fer on his seventh first‑class appearance, but nevertheless did enough to suggest that figures of four for 51 – coincidentally conceding precisely as many runs as he had himself scored with the bat – will not be career best for long. With Warwickshire and Worcestershire drawing at Edgbaston, Notts thus ended the week top of Group One, and Essex second bottom.
The match between Somerset and Hampshire was one of only two to feature any play on Saturday, albeit not very much – the other, also in Group Two, seeing Middlesex beaten by Gloucestershire inside three days. Hampshire went into yesterday still trailing by 147 with six second‑innings wickets remaining but succeeded, through a display of attritional if laudably resolute batting, to inject some tension into what had appeared a one-sided game.
Joe Weatherley scored 44 off 209 balls, Lewis McManus added 19 off 78, and Felix Organ – who has a first-class century and two fifties to his name, all scored as an opening batsman, and is considerably smarter with the bat than the average No 9 – scored a 108-ball seven of the most admirable stubbornness.
Just as Somerset’s bowlers seemed to be running out of steam and ideas, however, he edged a Josh Davey delivery to Craig Overton, who took a fine low catch at second slip – Davey and Overton both ended the innings with five-fers – and Mohammad Abbas was never likely to hold back the tide for long. The 31-year-old lasted seven balls, long enough to allow Keith Barker to complete an excellent half-century and take his side’s score very slightly beyond Somerset’s. Set a target of two to win, Eddie Byrom scored the requisite runs off the first and only ball of their second innings.
Elsewhere in Group Two Surrey drew with Leicestershire, with Surrey’s Mark Stoneman scoring 119 before becoming the fifth and final batsman to fall to Chris Wright.
Leicestershire draw with Surrey
Ed Barnes demolishes Rikki Clarke’s stumps, Surrey are all out for 324 and that will be that!
Leicester get their bowling point, Reece Topley top-edging high to cover off Callum Parkinson. Amar Virdi comes out, and Surrey need 30 runs from 40 balls to get the last batting point.
So only one match remains. Surrey are 316-8 against Leicestershire. They need 350 to get another batting point, Leicestershire need one wicket for another bowling point, and there are seven overs to play.
Lancashire draw with Glamorgan
Lancashire reach 301-9, Jimmy Anderson coming in as last man and scoring a valuable five, and he hits the game’s final runs, tickling Lancashire to a batting bonus point and with that hands are shaken.
Bonus pointwatch: Surrey are 298-8 at Leicester, two from a batting point, and Leicestershire one wicket from a bowling point. If and when both get them, the match will presumably conclude.
Bonus pointwatch: Leicestershire have bagged a bowling point by taking a seventh Surrey wicket. Mark Stoneman goes for 119, and Surrey are 292-7, eight points from a batting point.
Yorkshire draw with Kent
It is now actually all over at Headingley. Hands are shaken after Duanne Olivier is caught by Marcus O’Riordan off the bowling of Jack Leaning for seven. Yorkshire were thus bowled out for 321.
Warwickshire draw with Worcestershire
It is definitely all over at Edgbaston, with Warwickshire 70-3 when it was called off.
DRAW 🤝
— Warwickshire CCC 🏏 (@WarwickshireCCC) May 9, 2021
Bears pick up 13 points after play was called at the earliest possible time.
Match Report 📝 https://t.co/L86D2ddwqX
🐻#YouBears | #WARvWOR pic.twitter.com/HAgNtLVjzZ
Bonus pointwatch: Glamorgan are two wickets away from a bowling point at Old Trafford, and Lancashire 30 runs away from a batting point; Yorkshire will get a batting point if they can score 36 off the next six overs with no wickets in hand; Surrey are 29 runs from a bonus point at Leicester, and Leicestershire two wickets away.
And then there were three. Play continues at Leicester, Old Trafford and Headingley, though there isn’t much more to play for than bonus points.
The covers are coming off at Headingley, and there’s some more cricket in this yet!
Somerset beat Hampshire by 10 wickets
Eddie Byrom hits the first and only ball of Somerset’s second innings off his pads for two, and it’s all over!
Yorkshire haven't drawn with Kent yet
Yorkshire were rather premature with their announcement that their game with Kent was over, but the wicket is currently covered, and it’s just a matter of time.
We apologise for confusion. It seems as if the game has actually just been paused for bad light and it's not the end of the game. But it is now raining #OneRose
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 9, 2021
Felix Organ is officially a history-maker.
Felix Organ's 7 off 108 balls for Hampshire v Somerset today is the lowest score by a batsman facing 100+ balls in a County Championship innings where we have balls faced (since1997) beating 8 off 104 balls by Mohamed Sheikh Derb v Northants at Northampton 2005.
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) May 9, 2021
Yorkshire draw with Kent
Rain falls again at Headingley, and that is very much probably that (though the umpires are still out there, and on commentary they’re talking about this being “hopefully only a temporary delay”.
MATCH DRAWN: @YorkshireCCC finish on 308-9 from 103.1 overs. @YorkshireCCC 13 points, @KentCricket 14. White Rose remain unbeaten with three wins and two draws from five games. Coad 27 not out #OneRose
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 9, 2021
Somerset set two to win
WICKET! Abbas is lbw to Josh Davey, who claims a five-fer, and Hampshire are all out for 258. Somerset have thus been set a target of two to win, and I reckon they might pull it off.
Updated
Keith Barker has completed his half-century for Hampshire. He’s got six first-class centuries to his name, and is ludicrously overqualified to bat at No10.
Organ has fallen! Felix Organ holds out for 107 deliveries before being caught at second slip, an excellent grab low to his right by Craig Overton off the bowling of Josh Davey. Hampshire are 250-9, trail Somerset by just seven runs, with 25 overs and a bit of loose change to play. Now, can Muhammad Abbas stick around for a while?
What an innings this is from Felix Organ. 101 balls faced, five runs scored. Magnificent.
Century! Mark Stoneman has completed his century for Surrey off 208 balls, apparently with an all-run four. Ollie Pope celebrated by hitting his next two balls for four and six. Surrey are 234-2, and trail Leicestershire by 262 with a lot of cricket to squeeze into the final session.
Play has restarted at Headingley but is delayed at Old Trafford, with a restart due in five minutes (though it looks like the wicket is still covered as I type).
There are 32 overs remaining at the Ageas Bowl, and there’s no shifting this Hampshire pair. Organ and Barker have seen off 22 overs so far, so are nearly halfway to saving the match.
Excellent commentary-box confusion here. “It’s cut by Amla and ... where’s that gone? ... on the bounce to ... Oh, he’s caught it? ... Nobody reacted! There was no reaction whatsoever! ... I couldn’t see where that had gone.”
No bother for the Skip 👐
— Leicestershire County Cricket Club 🏏 (@leicsccc) May 9, 2021
SUR 201 for two
🦊 #runningfoxes | #ANewBreed pic.twitter.com/N64A0Zn4XE
Felix Organ has scored his fifth run for Hampshire. He has faced 76 balls. At the other end Keith Barker is going comparatively crazy, with 26 off 60.
Updated
The good news from Old Trafford is that it is no longer raining. The bad news is that bad light has stopped play.
Updated
Here’s your teatimely update:
Group One
Edgbaston: Warwickshire, on 45-2, lead Worcestershire by 24 runs with eight second-innings wickets remaining
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire beat Essex by an innings and 30 runs
Group Two
Lord’s: Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by seven wickets
Leicester: Surrey, on 199-1, trail Leicestershire by 297 runs
Southampton: Hampshire, on 219-8 in their second innings, trail Somerset by 38 runs
Group Three
Old Trafford: Lancashire, on 208-5, trail Glamorgan by 136 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire beat Sussex by an innings and 120 runs
Headingley: Yorkshire, on 260-7, trail Kent by 45
WICKET! RAIN! TEA! It’s a triple whammy at Old Trafford, where Josh Bohannon is dismissed three balls after completing his half-century and Lancashire go into the break on 208-5, still 136 behind Glamorgan.
𝗪𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁, 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 & 𝘁𝗲𝗮
— Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) May 9, 2021
Taylor picks up a wicket just before it begins to rain and an early tea is called by the umpires
Lancashire 208/5 trail by 136
Watch live 📺 https://t.co/znRPomFfvV#LANvGLAM | #GoGlam pic.twitter.com/EXt0yoDsTb
It’s a slow day for the scorers at the Rose Bowl, where Hampshire are on 198-8 after 110 overs, averaging 1.8 an over, and currently in the middle are Felix Organ, who has scored four off 49, and the comparatively free-swinging Keith Barker (10 off 35). They trail Somerset by 58 runs, so runs are entirely immaterial at this stage, but they still have a few hours to survive if they are to escape with a draw.
There is now play under way in every match that hasn’t already been decided, with play having started at Headingley and Leicester.
An early breakthrough for Worcestershire, with Joe Leach having Robert Yates caught behind for five. Warwickshire trail by 16, and another, well, quite a few wickets for, well, hardly any runs might make this interesting.
Declaration! Worcestershire move the game on!
Worcestershire have declared on 364-8, a lead of 21, and will now attempt to skittle Warwickshire in very short order.
We’re approaching last knockings at the Rose Bowl, where Lewis McManus has just been dismissed after a near two-hour innings of 19. Keith Barker comes out to join Felix Organ, and Hampshire are 186-8, still 71 runs behind.
Oliver Hannon-Dalby, a man who makes beanpoles feel a little stumpy, runs in, and starts with two dots. Then Ed Barnard smears one through the covers, top-edges the next over slip for four more, and after two more dots Worcestershire have pocketed the batting bonus, Warwickshire missed out on the bowling bonus, it’s 35-8, Worcs lead by seven.
Worcestershire are 342-8 against Warwickshire. Warwickshire have to take another wicket in the next over to pocket another bonus point, Worcestershire need eight runs to pocket one themselves. As for the overall match situation, Worcester trail by one run.
WICKET! Somerset finally dismiss James Vince, excellently caught in the slips off Craig Overton. Vince made quite a nuisance of himself with a 116-ball 42, and Somerset celebrate his dismissal as if they’ve just won the World Cup. Hampshire are 177-7, and still trail by 80.
News from Headingley: there will be some cricket, but a result looks unlikely. Play starts at 2.45pm.
Good news. We have a 2.45pm start with 47 overs to be bowled #OneRose
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 9, 2021
Right then, into the afternoon we go. I still haven’t seen an update from Leicester, where a pitch inspection was scheduled for 1.30pm, or from Headingley, where the outfield was too wet for pre-prandial play, but am very much on the hunt for one.
Lunch
Time for sandwiches. Here’s a lunchtime summary:
Group One
Edgbaston: Worcestershire, on 288-6, trail Warwickshire (343) by 55 runs
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire beat Essex by an innings and 30 runs
Group Two
Lord’s: Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by seven wickets
Leicester: Surrey, on 146-0, trail Leicestershire (496) by 350 runs, with no play so far today
Southampton: Hampshire, on 165-6 in their second innings, trail Somerset by 92 runs
Group Three
Old Trafford: Lancashire, on 108-2, trail Glamorgan by 236 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire beat Sussex by an innings and 120 runs
Headingley: Yorkshire, on 240-5, trail Kent by 65 with no play so far today because of a wet outfield
Halfway through the opening group stage and at least temporarily Notts top Group One and are 21 points clear of Essex. Hands up who saw that coming. The last time they were in the same division, in 2019, Notts finished bottom, Essex were top, and there were 161 points between them.
Nottinghamshire beat Essex!
It’s all over at Trent Bridge! Jamie Porter is caught behind off Luke Fletcher and Essex have lost to Notts by an innings and 30 runs!
Updated
Two balls into a Lyndon James over, with Essex nine down, Notts decide to take the new ball. The bowler, still in search of his maiden first-class five-fer, sends two of the next four down the leg side, doesn’t get the wicket he wanted, and might not get another go.
A good day for Northamptonshire, a bad day for their sofas, who rather like Sussex have taken a hell of a beating.
𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃. pic.twitter.com/HufdRUHQhC
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) May 9, 2021
The scheduled 12.15pm pitch inspection at Leicester has taken place, and they have now scheduled a 1.30pm pitch inspection.
WICKET! Peter Siddle is gone, caught by Ben Duckett off Dane Paterson, and Essex are 185-9.
Updated
Northamptonshire beat Sussex!
It’s all over in Northampton! Jack Carson is bowled by Tom Taylor, thereby preventing a Sanderson-Berg double-five-fer, and Northants have beaten Sussex by an innings and 120 runs.
Updated
DROPPED! Siddle, on a pair, nicks another Lyndon James delivery to third slip but it goes down! That would have been the #Worksopwonderkid’s first ever first-class five-fer, but not to be.
WICKET! Essex are accelerating towards defeat at Trent Bridge, and Paul Walter has edged a Lyndon James delivery to second slip. He goes for 30, Essex are 174-8, Snater and Siddle are in the middle.
Updated
WICKET! Dane Paterson is out for a duck and Essex are 170-7, still trailing Notts by 54.
Surely Northants have got to give Gareth Berg the ball now? No, Tom Taylor continues. Come on Adam Rossington, be fair.
WICKET! Northamptonshire are one wicket from victory, after Ollie Robinson is given out lbw to Ben Sanderson, who banks a five-fer! Slightly generous decision there, I feel. Sussex are 205-9, trail by 130, and are very nearly cooked.
And another! Lyndon James demolishes Adam Wheater’s off stump, a two-ball duck for the Essex keeper!
Notts enjoy referring to James as the #WorksopWonderkid, a hashtag which it seems only they have ever used.
WICKET | Pinned in front!
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) May 9, 2021
The #WorksopWonderkid traps Ten Doeschate leg before for 21!
Wheater joins Walter (21*), with Essex 165-5, still 59 behind.
Watch #NottsvEssex live 👉 https://t.co/1iEGBx7fY1 pic.twitter.com/mkkziy0Oxf
OUT! Ryan ten Doeschate is as lbw as it as possible to get, Lyndon James the bowler, and Essex are 163-4, still trailing Notts by 60.
Another one! Stuart Meaker is caught behind off Ben Sanderson, and Sussex are 194-8, still trail Northamptonshire by 141, and the only question now is this: can you think of other games in which two bowlers have got two five-fers? Because Sanderson and Gareth Berg got five each in the first innings and have four each in this one.
At Northampton, Ben Brown falls lbw to Gareth Berg. That’s a ninth wicket of the match for Berg, and leaves Sussex at 169-7, still 166 runs behind and in the deepest of deep holes.
49.4 | Berg hits the front (pad)! 😱☝️
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) May 9, 2021
Berg 4 - 3 Sanderson (9-8 agg)
Sussex 169/7. pic.twitter.com/FUv8EWIqkd
Updated
There’ll be no play at Headingley for at least a couple of hours: the outfield is still too wet, and it’ll take at least until lunch to sort it out.
Glamorgan’s Michael Neser has a wicket, that of Alex Davies, and figures in this match so far of nine overs, eight maidens, for one wicket and one run. Lancashire are 27-1 and trail by 317.
Apparently, I learn from the commentary on the match stream from Trent Bridge, Luke Fletcher is terrified of mayonnaise. I felt this was the kind of important detail that should be reported here.
There has been no play in Leicester, and there won’t be for at least another hour.
Further inspection at 12:15 🔍
— Leicestershire County Cricket Club 🏏 (@leicsccc) May 9, 2021
🦊 #runningfoxes | #ANewBreed pic.twitter.com/8a7jqFnwTa
WICKET! Nick Browne nicks one, Tom Moores pockets the catch and Luke Fletcher, an absolute giant of a man, is producing a performance of similar stature - that was an excellent delivery, is rewarded with his seventh wicket of the match, and there were also, er, two runs with the bat. Essex are 137-4, and still trail by 87.
Updated
Calling that breakthrough in Northampton early was massively underselling it: it was the very first delivery of the entire day.
44.1 | Sanderson strikes with his first ball of the day! 🔥
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) May 9, 2021
Vasconcelos pouches his fourth catch of the match. 🤲
Berg 2 - 3 Sanderson (7-8 agg)
Sussex 159/5. pic.twitter.com/WTanKDlcId
An early breakthrough in Northampton, where Stiaan van Zyl has been caught at first slip by Ricardo Vasconcelos, off the bowling of Ben Sanderson, his eighth wicket of the match. Sussex are 159-5, and trail by 176.
I’ve taken my virtual seat at Trent Bridge, where the sun seems to be shining and play is about to get under way. Luke Fletcher has the ball and is ready to go.
Hello world!
I greet you from a bedroom in my home in London’s trendy enclave of Finchley, my planned outing to Lord’s scuppered, like the Middlesex team, by Gloucestershire yesterday afternoon. That was one of just two of this week’s eight games to see any action whatsoever on Saturday because of the nasty inclement weather, but today, at least in London’s trendy enclave of Finchley, seems significantly better, verging on balmy.
Shorn of a full day’s play, a few games are smelling quite badly of draw at this point. But it could be a big day for teams whose names begin with an N, with Northamptonshire closing in on victory over Sussex and Nottinghamshire, having ended a 1,043-days victory drought a week ago, chasing a second in the space of eight days and against the champions, no less.
As ever, please do send me details of any interesting things that happen in whatever game you are watching. Or, alternatively, recommendations for top-notch barbecue charcoal, I’ve had it with these Aussie Heat Beads.
This week’s matches:
Group One
Edgbaston: Worcestershire, on 198-4, trail Warwickshire (343) by 145 runs
Trent Bridge: Essex, on 129-3 in their second innings, trail Nottinghamshire by 95 runs
Group Two
Lord’s: Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by seven wickets
Leicester: Surrey, on 146-0, trail Leicestershire (496) by 350 runs
Southampton: Hampshire, on 110-4, trail Somerset by 147 runs
Group Three
Old Trafford: Lancashire, on 22-0, trail Glamorgan by 322 runs
Northampton: Sussex, on 154-4 in their second innings, trail Northamptonshire (441-9dec) by 181 runs
Headingley: Yorkshire, on 240-5, trail Kent by 65
Updated
