Tom Lawes is in the wickets at the Oval as Surrey look to restrict Northamptonshire’s first innings total. Photograph: Paul Dennis/TGS Photo/Shutterstock
Tom Lawes is in the wickets at the Oval as Surrey look to restrict Northamptonshire’s first innings total. Photograph: Paul Dennis/TGS Photo/Shutterstock
Rain spilled over the country, like a badly kept secret. But it wasn’t enough to stop games fizzing into life in the Championship’s penultimate round.
Leicestershire, powered by victory in the One-Day Cup, and needing a win to stay in the promotion hunt, reduced Yorkshire to 155 for 9 at Grace Road, with four wickets to Will Davis. Finlay Bean top-scored with 40, passing 1,000 runs for the season in the process.
Worcestershire, their rivals for promotion, made a bright start against Durham, though not as explosive as the unexploded second world war shell discovered in the nearby River Severn. Jake Libby, lucky to survive a run-out appeal, also passed 1,000 runs – for the second time in three seasons.
A thousand runs too for Tom Westley (50), but the Chelmsford plaudits went to Adam Rossington, who at last wrestled off a difficult season with a hundred to put Essex in a good position against Hampshire.
Essex are chasing Division One leaders Surrey, who reduced battling Northamptonshire to 171 for six, with a second consecutive half-century for Karun Nair.
Middlesex, fired out for 121, largely by Olly Hannon-Dalby, were given life by Tim Murtagh, in his last appearance at Lord’s, who worried Warwickshire with three for 17. Tom Lammonby made his first hundred of the season, for Somerset against struggling Kent at Taunton.
With the New Road groundstaff battling the wind, time for me to leave. Thanks for sticking with us on a wet, but fast-moving day. Till tomorrow, good night!
And that’s the run! Nudged into the leg side. A handsome round of applause from the fleeced-up spectators. The fifth Division Two player to cross the Rubicon this year.
Five frantic moments at New Road: first Jake Libby is run-out, according to the television, but not the umpires. Now on 44, still needs the one run for a thousand in the season. Meanwhile at the other end, Gareth Roderick reaches a fine fifty before losing his middle stump to De Leede.
Bas de Leede, who flies out to India to join the rest of the Dutch team pre World Cup after this match, takes over at the New Road end, and immediately hits Gareth Roderick in the box. Poor Roderick rolls around in pain. Worcestershire 70-o, going along very nicely, with my nerves about the greenness of the pitch totally unwarranted.
Scaffolding on the cathedral tower, four slips having their trousers ruffled by the warm wind. Worcestershire holding on. Libby, on 21, needs 45 for a thousand runs for the season.
Creeping clouds here at New Road, while Yorkshire are wobbling at Grace Road: 96-4. I’ve just noticed that Durham have Ian Botham wines on the back of their shirts.
At The Oval, an excellent effort by Hassan Azad, 47 from 144 balls, has dragged Northants to respectability on a rain affected day – 100-2. Essex 167-5 in that crucial game against Hampshire.
Oh, and a third wicket for Hannon-Dalby, Middlesex eight down, but at least they made it to three figures: 100-8.
Middlesex and Kent locked in an apparent battle to steal the last relegation spot. Middx 99-7 against Warwickshire; Somerset 127-1 against Kent, at four an over. Kent are on to their fifth bowler already.
Ben Raine, broad of backside and shoulder, trots in. Roderick drives his second ball for four. A big lbw shout to his last. And Worcestershire survive the first over of the day. At the Diglis End, Fernando gives the ball a thorough polish on his trouser leg.
Play will start here at New Road at 3.45 with 36 overs to be attempted. Full physical jerks in process now: stretches, football, sidesteps, medicine balls.
The rain has now reached Chelmsford, where they’ve taken an early tea with Essex 140-5. Matthew Critchley 25 not out. Tea at Lord’s too: 74-5. And the Oval, Northants 82-2.
This is the most promising things have looked for a while at New Road. Nearly all the covers off, and the umpires due to inspect at 3pm. Pity the poor captain who loses the toss. Five hardy souls have just parked themselves on the top row of the Basil D’Oliveira stand.
Lancs coach Mark Chilton on Tom Hartley, called up for England’s ODI matches against Ireland to replace the injured Craig Overton. Hartley has only played three List A games, but a fistful of T20s.
“One of our key objectives is to try and improve players and get them to a level where they get picked for international and franchise teams. It’s really good reward for his efforts and we’re delighted for him.
“He made an impact in the white ball game at the start of his Lancashire career, but he’s always had a real ambition to keep developing his red ball cricket, and he’s continually worked on that.
“What I’ve seen from Tom is gradual improvement across his whole game.
“He’s a tall spinner and his qualities in short format cricket are being able to bowl the ball into the pitch, hit the top of the stumps a lot, and cramp batters for room (to play their shots).
“In red ball cricket it’s about adding the subtleties and variations of pace and flight into his style. He’s not quite a traditional up-and-down type of spinner, because he’s coming from a good height and if he can get some drift and drop on the ball, and a few more revs, that’s what he’s continually working on with the coaches.
“The other aspect of his game is his batting and to see where he is now, again he’s made continual gradual improvement and that’s what we are trying to do, create an environment where players carry on getting better and see how far they can go.”
The indefatigable ground staff pick up the damp covers again at New Road, skies slightly more hopeful, possibly, in a good light. Before today, the word was that the pitch would “do a bit”. We’ll have to wait and see if that holds. A further inspection at three o’clock.
Lammonby and Abell whizzing along at Taunton, at almost six an over. Would it be awful to suppose that it won’t last for long? Kent should be energised by the scorecard from Lord’s – Middlesex 74-5.
James Vince swallows an edge from Dan Lawrence, in his penultimate game for Essex. Some turn from Dawson, which is good news for Hampshire, but also Essex, with Harmer lurking in the cupboard. Essex 96-4.
And if anyone is passing New Road, the PA announcer has just told the bucket seats that the ladies pavilion with its delicious cakes will be open at 2.30.
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