We are nearly halfway through the season but there is no real narrative in Division One. Is that a good thing?
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
Continue reading...Yorkshire polish off Surrey but Lehmann defies Notts: county cricket, day four – as it happened
Yorkshire finished off their thrashing of Surrey but Nottinghamshire were unable to break down Jake Lehmann’s defences
Good morning from Edgbaston, where the players and match officials lined up before play to pay their respects to Warwickshire great MJK Smith, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Smith captained England in 25 of his 50 Tests between 1958 and 1972, and scored just shy of 40,000 first-class runs.
A promising start, cricketers marching out everywhere except Bristol and Southport.
Continue reading...England head to training camp with fresh faces but post-Ashes identity still a mystery | Ali Martin
Brendon McCullum will have to adapt to a new environment as Test setup looks to move on from thrashing
In selecting Emilio Gay and James Rew for their Test squad to face New Zealand, England have in one sense been true to their word. The Ashes mea culpa included a promise to give more weight to domestic performances. Both men tick that box.
Yet as the team picks up the pieces after the 4-1 defeat in Australia, wounds licked and lessons learned, perhaps the question is whether they are staying true to themselves more broadly – or even, who actually are they these days?
Continue reading...County cricket talking points: title challengers must beware of the Bears
Warwickshire hammered Yorkshire to go second in Division One as league leaders Nottinghamshire were held by Surrey
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
Continue reading...Glamorgan beat Somerset to claim first home win in Division One: county cricket, day four – as it happened
Nightwatchman Ryan Hadley scored 50 not out from 231 balls in Glamorgan’s two-wicket victory at Sophia Gardens
With four overs lost. Things are about to sprout into action elsewhere.
“Now then, Tanya!” Hell0 there Tim Maitland.
Continue reading...Middlesex, Durham and Essex wrap up wins: county cricket, day three – as it happened
Naavya Sharma took three wickets in one over as Middlesex claimed victory over Lancashire
Harry Duke has a great head of blond hair, very Tudor prince bob. Four slips as Harris charges in to Jones.
Jones seems to have decided that attack is the way forward. His toes are twitching to come forward to Higgins.
Continue reading...Glamorgan’s Norton claims hat-trick on debut, Sibley on song for Surrey: county cricket – as it happened
Glamorgan teenager Tom Norton pegged back Somerset while Warwickshire skittled Yorkshire to take control of their match at Edgbaston
No hundred for Falconer on Championship debut, a chorus of bouncing slips and an imploring Tom Bailey enough for the umpire to raise an off-you-go finger to an lbw shout.
Poor Zak Crawley out again cheaply, chopping on . I really hope this doesn’t disintegrate into a Haseeb Hameed 2019 summer and that someone has an arm round his shoulder. Kent 13-1.
Continue reading...England poised to pick Marcus North as men’s selector over Steven Finn and Darren Gough
Former Australia batter has worked at Durham since 2018
New selector expected to have final say on squads
Marcus North, the former Australia middle order batter, has emerged as the leading candidate to become the new England men’s selector, with an official announcement expected in the coming days.
The 46-year-old has worked as director of cricket at Durham since 2018 and was among those interviewed for the equivalent role with England four years ago – only to miss out to Rob Key in the final stages of the process.
Continue reading...Ollie Robinson is English cricket’s biggest enigma who could make an unlikely Test comeback | Ali Martin
Seamer has been given the cold shoulder since February 2024 but is back in the conversation this summer
Pop quiz: in the last five years, who is the only England seamer to have sent down 50 overs in a Test match more than once?
The answer, if the headline and picture haven’t given the game away, is a certain Ollie Robinson. Yep, the same seamer who has been overlooked by England since February 2024 on account of not being fit enough for the demands of the job.
Continue reading...County cricket: Nottinghamshire go top but Surrey are starting to purr
The champions took top spot in a round of games that was lit up by Emilio Gay, Ben Sanderson and Adam Thomas
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
Continue reading...Kent v Derbyshire, Somerset v Yorkshire, and more: county cricket, day four – live
Updates from the final day of the latest matches
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Derbyshire’s unlikely run-chase against Kent is already in tatters at 34 for four. Three wickets for Matt Milnes: Came, Jewell, Montgomery and Madsen all done and dusted.
Kevin Hand says that Glamorgan are on track for their biggest ever thrashing of Hampshire. And just to hurry things along, Felix Organ is obligingly lbw to Jamie McIlroy. Hampshire are six down, and still trail by 190.
Continue reading...Emilio Gay shines for Durham, Northants grab first win: county cricket, day three – as it happened
Emilio Gay scored his third century of the season while Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson rampaged through Worcestershire
A fifth wicket at Canterbury, where events are hurtling towards a conclusion. Shoaib Bashir, whose throw ran out Northeast, now catches Ekansh Singh off Rory Haydon, who is having quite a game – eight wickets and counting. Kent 65-5.
Mike Daniels has an eye on events from the Grace Road scorebox: “You feel, with conditions as they are and a new ball in 10 overs, that Leics won’t be long in being asked to follow on, short of a miracle.” Eskinazi and Ajaz Patel have just picked up a batting bonus point, though Eskinazi doesn’t want to be wafting like that too often.
Continue reading...Olly Stone shines for Notts, Surrey’s Sibley hits century: county cricket, day two – as it happened
The Nottinghamshire bowler took five Leicestershire wickets at Grace Road while Dom Sibley dug in against Sussex
A wicket at Grace Road, where Notts are pounding Leicestershire round the ground. Jack Haynes a fourth wicket for Ben Green. Joe Clarke is approaching his hundred. Notts 426-5.
A pretty good looking crowd at Taunton, some huddling against a brick wall for warmth. Joe Root at first slip polishes the ball, Will Smeed, slow starting again, still on nought. Jack White on the money.
Continue reading...Cricket’s George Costanza: McCullum makes himself look vital by not turning up | Barney Ronay
England head coach survived Ashes review but going missing for 43% of the county season is straight out of Seinfeld
George: Right now I just sit around pretending I’m busy.
Jerry: How do you do that?
George: I look annoyed. Think about it. When you look annoyed all the time, people think you’re busy. [Rolls his eyes, slaps his forehead, does look busy.]
Does anyone remember Brendon McCullum? You know. Baz. It was a thing. People said “Bazball” in parliament. It was probably in the dictionary, one of those new zeitgeisty words, like rofl. Distinguishing marks? Hat. Jawline. A way of standing. Sports socks provocatively splayed on an ornate balcony. Look, it doesn’t really matter. But has anyone actually … seen him?
Continue reading...Surrey step up security for visit of Sussex: county cricket, day one – as it happened
Day one of the latest round of County Championship matches saw Surrey host Sussex amid beefed-up security at the Oval
Thomas Rew is making his Championship debut, alongside brother James, at Taunton. Yorkshire have lost Adam Lyth, lbw Ogborne, for 8. Yorks 26-1.
And an early wicket in glorious Canterbury sunshine, Dawkins dollies a catch back to Haydon. Kent 21-1.
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