Roundup: Labuschagne hits his groove in Glamorgan win
Marnus Labuschagne’s highest score of a difficult summer, an unbeaten 63, ended county cricket’s only remaining unbeaten record as Glamorgan chased 188 to beat Lancashire by six wickets at Sophia Gardens shortly before 12.30pm on day three.
The much-vaunted Australian had not previously posted a fifty in seven Championship innings in 2021. However, his eighth delivered the goods – a high tempo 72-ball knock navigating reverse swing from seamers including Saqib Mahmood.
Labuschagne has been a shadow of the player who dominated county attacks in early 2019, yet here navigated a pitch Lancashire’s Alex Davies described as “substandard” at the close on Friday. He also posted 44 in the first innings.
The Queenslander said: “It was nice to be out there for the winning runs. To do it the fourth innings when the ball has gone reverse, which is exciting to play against because it is something we don’t get much of in Australia in domestic cricket, was very satisfying.”
Glamorgan’s second win came as they advanced from 137 for three overnight, chasing the fixture’s highest score. However, they still have an uphill task to claim a top two finish in Group Three ahead of Lancashire, Yorkshire and the other contenders, Northamptonshire.
Lancashire, the leaders, had hoped to take a significant step towards the top group, but they may be only four points clear of Yorkshire at the end of this round with two still to play and Scarborough to visit next month.
Dawid Malan showed his rounded class with a serene 199 for Yorkshire as they seek victory over Sussex at Headingley. They claimed a first-innings lead of 245 midway through the evening before Sussex closed on a sturdy 38 without loss.
In his first four-day appearance since last August, when he scored 219 in a Bob Willis Trophy draw against Derbyshire here, the left‑hander punished an inexperienced attack to move from 103 overnight before being bowled by off-spinner Jack Carson after lunch for the second 199 of his career.
Malan, who played the last of his 15 Tests in August 2018, missed out on becoming the first Yorkshire player to score double hundreds in two consecutive innings.
Warwickshire went top of Group One with a 191-run win at Derbyshire, who were bowled out for 121 in their second innings. Oliver Hannon-Dalby took four for 24 to secure a fourth win.
Gloucestershire’s strong position at the Group Two summit has been eroded with back-to-back defeats, this latest against Leicestershire at Grace Road. The home side won by an innings and 93 as the left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson returned career-best match figures of 10 for 108.
Somerset will hope to leapfrog Gloucester with a home win over Hampshire. Half-centuries in the second innings for Steve Davies, Tom Abell and George Bartlett secured a lead of 372 and counting.
Essex and Nottinghamshire, two contenders at the top of Group One, look likely to play out a draw at Chelmsford, while Durham are far from out of the equation having won at Worcestershire chasing 86.
Kent, for whom Ollie Robinson scored 120, are playing out a rainy high-scoring game with Northamptonshire at Canterbury in Group Three. That is on course for a draw assuming there is no final day contrivance.
Encouraging start to Sussex’s second innings. They are 23-0 in the 12th over. A little under 12 overs to bowl tonight. Somerset have ploughed on at Taunton to put themselves in control against Hampshire. Half-centuries for Davies, Abell and Bartlett have led them to 315-5, a lead of 364. A win there and they could leapfrog Gloucester to the top of Group Two.
And with that, I’ll be back with my round-up later.
Durham need 86 beat Worcestershire with, I think, 21 overs remaining in the day at New Road. That would keep them in the hunt for a top-two finish in Group One. Looking at the scores there, it would seem to be a proper, hard-fought Championship win.
Yorkshire are all out for 558, a lead of 245 with 23 overs remaining in the day. Jamie Atkins finished with 5-98, a career best in only his third game. At New Road, Worcestershire lead Durham by 78 with one second-innings wicket remaining. Their 329-9, includes 126 for opener Jake Libby.
Ollie Robinson (the other one) has scored a quick-fire 120 not out off 118 balls for Kent against Northants. They are 161-0 after 35 overs in reply to Northants 392. Wonder whether a game may be set up there after the rain yesterday and the delay earlier. Kent have nothing to lose at the foot of the Group Three table, and Northants could do with a win. Wouldn’t rule it out.
Here, Yorkshire are 544-8, leading by 231 with best part of 29 overs remaining. Jamie Atkins has taken four wickets for Sussex and bowled nicely.
Leicestershire beat Gloucestershire by innings and 93 runs
The leaders have been beaten by an innings at Leicestershire, their second defeat in two games. Callum Parkinson claimed 10-108 in the match. Cat firmly amongst the pigeons in Group Two.
Warwickshire beat Derbyshire by 191 runs
Warwickshire have won for the fourth time in eight games this season and are top of Group One after eight games. They have completed a win over Derbyshire at the County Ground, bowling the hosts out for 117 in their second innings thanks largely to Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s 4-24.
Warwickshire and Leicestershire are closing in on three-days wins over Derbyshire and Gloucestershire, respectively. The latter two counties are both eight down in the second innings and still millions behind. Callum Parkinson has taken five wickets in the second innings for Leicester after doing so in the first. His first two five-fors in first-class cricket. A highly impressive young cricketer.
Arlott takes hat-trick in RHF Trophy
Seamer Emily Arlott has taken a hat-trick for the Central Sparks as they defend a target of 225 against champions Southern Vipers at Hove. They are 42-5.
Dawid Malan falls for 199
Incredible. Malan is bowled by Jack Carson and misses out on becoming the first Yorkshire batsman to score double hundreds in two consecutive innings. Yorkshire 459-6, leading by 146. That is also the second time in Malan’s career he’s been out on 199.
Derbyshire are 85-5 needing another 224 more to beat Warwickshire at the County Ground. Looks pretty unlikely, doesn’t it. Olivier Hannon-Dalby has taken three of the wickets. Here at Headingley, Dawid Malan is 188 not out and chasing back-to-back double centuries for Yorkshire. His first was in the Bob Willis Trophy last August. 444-5 and a lead of 131 over Sussex.
Essex 21-3 in reply to Nottinghamshire’s 293 at Chelmsford. Brett Hutton has taken two, including Sir Alastair caught behind for five. And the Northern Diamonds have beaten Sunrisers by nine wickets in the RHF Trophy at Fenner’s chasing only 54. Bit of a thumping that. Sorry, no, a lot of a thumping!
Northamptonshire, in a scramble for a fifth batting bonus point, have fallen short of 400 against Kent at Canterbury, losing their last five wickets for 30 to slip from 362-5 to 392 out. Guess who’s taken five? Yep, Darren Stevens. Unbelievable.
Marnus Labuschagne talking to the ECB Reporters Network after top-scoring with 63 in the second innings of Glamorgan’s win over Lancashire. Particularly interesting about the reverse swing ...
“This morning, it was key for us not to lose back-to-back wickets. I think losing one was alright, but we needed to make sure that we consolidated and built a partnership. We were only two 20 to 30-run partnerships away from winning. It was nice to be out there for the winning runs. To do it the fourth innings when the ball has gone reverse, which is exciting to play against because it is something we don’t get much of in Australia in domestic cricket - to get through that period and to build a partnership with Chris Cooke to get to the end, was very satisfying.”
150 and counting for Dawid Malan
Jeez, he looks a classy player. This is actually the first time Yorkshire fans have seen him in the flesh since he joined from Middlesex in late 2019. He has two 150 plus scores in four four-day matches for the county. 381-4.
Play due to start at 1.10pm at Canterbury. Just up the road at Chelmsford, Nottinghamshire have moved to 293-9 in their first innings against Essex in the other game which saw no play due to rain yesterday. At New Road, Worcestershire are 159-5 in their second innings trailing Durham by 91. Jake Libby continues his excellent summer, however, with 78.
Dawid Malan is 146 here at Headingley and batting in cruise control. Yorkshire 374-3. I don’t think I ever batted in second gear during a dodgy league career around the north west, never mind cruise control!
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Glamorgan beat Lancashire by six wickets
You have to laugh. The only remaining unbeaten record in county cricket has disappeared. And the result was flashed up on the scoreboard here at Headingley, where cheers and claps rung out. Yorkshire 340-3 in the 92nd over, with Dawid Malan on 123 not out. Labuschagne, by the way, finished 63 not out.
Derbyshire are chasing 309 to beat Warwickshire at the County Ground and thus claim their first win of the season at the eighth attempt. They have bowled the visitors out for 155 second time around this morning, with South African seamer Michael Cohen claiming five wickets.
Glamorgan need eight to win with six wickets left. Be some collapse to blow it from there!
Crikey, must be soggy at Canterbury. Further inspection at 12pm. Glamorgan nearly there – 168-4, needing 20 more. Marnus Labuschagne’s 46 not out represents a season’s best. Nothing for Joe Root and co to worry about this winter, hey!
Gloucestershire 23-3 in their second innings at Grace Road, still trailing Leicestershire by 270. And Hampshire are 311 all out at Taunton, trailing by 49. Josh Davey finished with five-for.
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Plenty of wickets around the traps. Lewis McManus missed out on a hundred at Taunton, where Hampshire are 307-9 in their first innings, trailing by 53. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Katherine Brunt has struck three times for the Northern Diamonds at Fenner’s. Sunrisers are 16-5.
Early wicket at Cardiff. Luke Wood has just got Kiran Carlson caught behind. Glamorgan 153-4, needing 35. There’s also been a wicket at Headingley. Gary Ballance caught behind off the impressive off-spin of Jack Carson for 77. 280-3 in the 79th over.
There will be a delayed start at Canterbury due to damp conditions following yesterday’s torrential rain. Thankfully, play is up and running everywhere else, including at Lord’s, where England have lost Joe Root early – 111-3. Initial eyes are focused towards Cardiff. Glamorgan 143-3, needing 45 more. Labuschagne there on 36. His highest score of the season so far is 44.
Jonny Bairstow is at Headingley this morning. He has netted and done some running with Yorkshire’s strength and conditioning coach, Pete Sim. Bairstow is due to make a handful of appearances for Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast, which gets under way for them here on Thursday against Birmingham Bears. That game, if selected, will also be Tim Bresnan’s first appearance against Yorkshire since leaving them last summer.
Hello from sunny Leeds
It’s shorts weather for the second day running at Headingley, a far cry from the snow which greeted us eight weeks ago today when Yorkshire faced Glamorgan in the season opener. I think I wore three jumpers that day and two coats – sat inside!
Tanya, I seem to remember, even went out at lunch and took orders for hot water bottles from the local B&M Bargains or Poundland. Anyway, I apologise for the early digression.
Here, yesterday, was a day to long remember as Sussex’s debutant Dan Ibrahim became the youngest player to score a fifty in Championship history, aged 16 and 299 days. He looked the real deal in front of a near-2,000 crowd. His composure really stood out before he struck with his medium pacers as Yorkshire slipped to 95-2 in reply to 313.
Unfortunately, things got much harder for the young buck and his mates as Dawid Malan and Gary Ballance shared an unbroken 177 and will resume this morning looking to put a young attack on the ropes from 272-2. Malan (103) brought up a serene century in the final over the day and Ballance has 74.
If Yorkshire can complete victory, it is likely to put them back within a handful of points of Group Three leaders Lancashire, who are on course for defeat in a quite remarkable game at Glamorgan.
On what Alex Davies has described as a “substandard” pitch, Glamorgan are 137-3 needing 50 more to win with Marnus Labuschagne unbeaten on 32. The only remaining unbeaten record in county cricket this summer looks set to disappear. Mind you, get Marnus out immediately this morning and it could be different.
Given the weather up North, I was absolutely staggered to see no play in the Test at Lord’s and also at Canterbury and Chelmsford in the Championship yesterday. When play does resume, Northamptonshire will be 362-5 against Kent in the other Group Three fixture and Notts will be 248-6 against Essex in the Group One top-of-the-table clash.
Worcestershire have it all to do in Group One at New Road against an emerging Durham; 151 behind with seven wickets remaining and Jake Libby 51 not out.
Likewise for Derbyshire at the County Ground against Warwickshire. The Bears, at 132-7 in their second innings, lead by 285. Derby will have to post the highest score of the match to claim victory.
In Group Two at Taunton, it’s relatively even between Somerset (360) and Hampshire (285-7). I’d just rather be Somerset, but Hampshire have Lewis McManus unbeaten on 91 chasing his second career hundred.
Gloucestershire’s popular and profitable start to the season is in danger of coming to a juddering halt. Beaten by Surrey last week, they are on course for a second away defeat at Leicestershire. They are 5-1 second time around, trailing by 281 with Leicestershire still to bat again.
Elsewhere, there are a trio of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy games taking place. I will have a keen eye on the Northern Diamonds game against Sunrisers at Fenner’s. I covered the Diamonds’ win against Lightning at Kibworth on Monday, a low-scoring thriller. I didn’t have much faith in the sunny forecast, didn’t bother with suncream and came away looking like Jerry the Berry from Phoenix Nights. Eek!
All the England players, Katherine Brunt, Nat Sciver, etc are available once more before reporting for Test duty before facing India at Bristol on 16 June. South East Stars also face Western Storm at the Oval, and it is Southern Vipers versus Central Sparks at Hove in a clash between the only two unbeaten teams so far.
