England County Cricket News
Nottinghamshire hammered Hampshire to take a 12-point lead at the top, while Lancashire fell to another bad defeat
A second consecutive win – a 366-run evisceration of Hampshire – lifted Nottinghamshire 12 points clear at the top of Division One. Haseeb Hameed’s team are clearly the outstanding team in the Championship with more than a third of the season already gone.
Continue reading...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.
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.
Continue reading...It looks hot at Hove, the sun umbrellas up around the ground, slips picking at their sleeves. Gibbon thinks he’s had a driving Coles caught behind, but no cigar. Sussex 94-3, a lead of 198.
A Sunday morning start to proceedings at Trent Bridge after Hampshire initially lose the ball following a wild delivery from Brad Wheal. Liam Patterson White has reached fifty, the partnership with Jack Haynes an invaluable 113.
Continue reading...Ed Barnard and Zen Malik celebrated centuries as Warwickshire put up a first-innings total of 665 against Surrey
When Abbas played for Hampshire his trousers always used to be slightly too short. The Notts kitman/woman seems to have measured his legs correctly. A magical slip of a man. At the other end Brett Hutton is an old fashioned, underrated, broad of beam tricksy English seamer. A pleasing combination and not easy to face on this pitch.
And there is Abbas’s first wicket for Notts! Gubbins a 13-ball duck. Hants 31-2.
Continue reading...He may have been due a rest anyway but Latham and Webster in Warks team means no Michael Booth, their second-leading wicket taker (and tormentor of Harry Brook last week). Booth, Zimbabwe born, is qualifying for England but still an overseas player at present.
More on the PSL’s shift to the UAE.
Continue reading...There were plenty of thrilling finishes this week, but more could be done to eradicate dull draws
If you were asked which recent England player had delivered these results – lost by five wickets, won by 504 runs, drawn, lost by five wickets – you would guess Jonny Bairstow, wouldn’t you?
Continue reading...The Bears and Leicestershire secured victories inside three days on another busy weekend of action
After pulling a muscle on 99, diving for the line during a quick single, Cox completes his hundred muscling a reverse-sweep before hobbling off to field concerned phonecalls from England. A fabulous hundred. Essex 251-4 and a lead of 312.
How is Warwickshire’s chase going? Pretty well, although Hamza Shaikh has just been caught by YJB off new boy Buckingham and Davies lost his off stumps to a screamer from Ben Coad. Only 125 more needed.
Continue reading...Josh Tongue was on form again as Nottinghamshire beat Sussex to move ahead of the pack in Division One
Josh Tongue’s second five-fer of the season will have England’s chief selector, Luke Wright, licking his lips at the prospect of getting the tall pacer back in the phalanx of fast bowlers all countries need these days. For now, Haseeb Hameed is having his say about his speedster’s work and Nottinghamshire sit atop Division One as a result.
Continue reading...Zafar Gohar’s half-century helped Middlesex secure a draw against Derbyshire in the only County Championship match in this round to make it to the fourth day
And now Eskinazi slips through the Derbyshire fingers, gloved behind – the ball seems to fly off the gloves of Guest and loop just short of the sprawling close fielders. Derbys 94-1.
A couple of cricketing letters:
Continue reading...The usual suspects may take the big prizes come the autumn, but it’s been a spring for the underdogs
In a round short on thrills, there was a sensational fourth morning at Chelmsford, where Worcestershire’s Ethan Brookes and Essex’s Jamie Porter were both cast in the role of a hero who wasn’t quite – for different reasons.
Continue reading...…Worcestershire have already lost a wicket, and unfortunately for them it was Matthew Waite, a fourth wicket for Porter. The bowlers are in shirt sleeves, the keeper up the stumps, the three slips neatly arranged in height order.
Ali reports from Birmingham, where it is “pissing down”. It isn’t currently raining in Manchester, but is very soggy – think pile of newspapers accidentally left out in the rain by the newsagent. Rain too at Derby. Elsewhere, however…
Continue reading...Attacking hundreds from Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence helped Surrey to 390 for three on the third day against Sussex, who made 435 in their first innings
A first missive: and a very happy Easter to you Tim Maitland:
“Salutations Tanya!
“I’m struggling to concentrate on the cricket at the moment. It doesn’t help that my beloved Western Bulldogs (Long story short: some disreputable caddies on the LPGA decided I needed an AFL team and I didn’t have the sense to ignore them) are playing St. Kilda right now.
“But it’s not just that.
“I’m finding it hard to get a sense of who is in form, especially with the bat. Maybe it’s because we were distracted by Tom Banton’s 371, which he’s followed with scores of 6, 0 and 5. How long a lead does a triple centurion get before his chain is yanked?
“If Surrey’s Dom Sibley adds significantly to his 40 overnight, does he hold the crown after a 66 at Essex and then 100 not out and 1055 against Hampshire? Incidentally he made 3 in his one game for Khulna Tigers in Chittagong, which is officially called Chattogram, which would be a great name for a social media platform wouldn’t it?
“Or is it Tom Haines? His 174 against Surrey in this round of matches is, weather permitting, potentially match winning and his second innings 141 set up the victory against Somerset last week.
“As for bowlers... have you got anything? [Ed – My immediate thought is Fergus O’Neill?]
“The Bulldogs, incidentally, have living legend Marcus Bontempelli aka The Bont back for the first time this season, but as I speak our 6 ft 10 in young superstar-to-be ruckman Sam Darcy has just hobbled off with an injured knee, which would be a disaster for the Doggies.”
Dom Bess has ushered Yorkshire over the 300 line with a boundary but he’s losing partners, Ben Raine has bowled Sears to collect his fourth wickets of the innings.
And Cameron Green, reluctantly, must leave the field at Canterbury – tries to stare down the umpire after he gives him out (unluckily) lbw, but the ump keeps his finger raised until he turns tail. Gloucs 385-9.
Continue reading...Warwickshire, Sussex and Nottinghamshire lead the way, with fancied Surrey, Essex and Somerset still winless
Ethan Bamber knows a bit about drama (he is the son of Olivier Award-winning actor David Bamber), so it was no surprise that he finished a thrilling chase with a theatrical six. His 30 not out for Warwickshire against Durham was hardly a bit part, but it was a match in which there were 22 starring roles, county cricket delivering its unique storylines across not three acts, but four days.
Continue reading...Warwickshire edged Durham by a wicket while Sussex dismissed Somerset for a first Division One win since 2015
An extravagant target…after some slap and tickle by the Leicestershire tail. Ben Mike 38 not out, three wickets for Jack Morley.
A few wickets round the grounds in this first half hour:
Continue reading...