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Tanya Aldred’s county roundupKent will fight another year in Division One after collecting all eight bonus points available at Canterbury. They bowled out Somerset for 202 before powering to 405 for seven, with an opening stand of 176 between Zak Crawley and Tawanda Muyeye and a half-century from Ollie Robinson in his final game before he moves to Durham.
Kent’s position was confirmed when Warwickshire declared against Hampshire at Edgbaston. At the lunch interval on what Kent had declared “Stevo day” the retiring Darren Stevens did a lap of honour shaking hands with the crowd, and Kent announced they had retired the No 3 shirt in his honour.
Kent’s survival means a shootout between Warwickshire and Yorkshire to join Gloucestershire in Division Two. Just 32 overs were possible at Edgbaston, on a day when the players played push me‑pull me with the weather, but Rob Yates did grab a hundred in what has been a frustrating year.
Yorkshire stumbled badly at Headingley, first being bowled out for 183, as Zafar Gohar took five for 40; then allowing Gloucestershire to build a lead of 211.
In the Division Two promotion games, Nottinghamshire are almost assured Division One status after scoring 662 for five declared against Durham, with centuries for Lyndon James and Steven Mullaney. Middlesex were thwarted by the weather in their match against Worcestershire at New Road, but there was time for Pieter Malan to hit a half‑century. Centuries for Shubman Gill and Chris Cooke put Glamorgan in a powerful position against Sussex at 533 for nine declared.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed that Essex would not be docked any points for an unfit pitch following their match against Lancashire at Chelmsford last week. The match ended in just over four sessions, with 26 wickets falling on the first day. The match referee Wayne Noon adjudged it “poor”; the ECB then had to judge to decide whether there should be a points deduction based on whether – with the information available – Essex had actively sought to prepared the best quality pitch they could
Lancashire’s director of cricket, Glenn Chapple, had called the pitch “completely ridiculous” after Lancashire at one point found themselves six for seven in their second innings just before stumps on day one.
It’s dark and time to close the blog – with Kent safe, Notts there bar the locks,but Warwickshire-Yorkshire-Glamorgan-Middlesex still ripe with possibility. Till tomorrow, good night!
Kent are safe from the drop and will play in Division One next yearWarwickshire’s declaration ensured that. So its’a t Yorks v Warwicks shoot-ou to join Gloucestershire in Division Two next year.
With bad light stopping play at Hove, Canterbury and New Road, Durham one down, the Yorkies in a spot of bother (Gloucs 196-5) and Hampshire just starting their innings – I’m going to have to pause to do the write up.
Warwickshire declare
Ali Martin
They’re about to resume at Edgbaston and the news is Warwickshire have declared on 272 for four. Time for a bit of a dart at the Hampshire openers before the light becomes a factor.
Beautiful symmetry – Tom Curran drives high and straight, and holds the pose as his middle and leg stumps leave the ground. Pure Will Williams. Surrey 110-5. rain approaching fast from the left.
Fifties for Ollie Price and Jack TaylorAs Gloucestershire extend their lead over Yorkshire to 185…trouble at t’mill.
Bad light halts Middlesex’s innings at 141 for two.
Sussex are not playing the game – currently 65-o at Hove against gnashing-of-teeth Glamorgan. Tom Curran playing a very different innings to his barnstorming maiden century the other week – currently 7 from 35 balls: Surrey 106-4.
They’re back on at New Road, Middx 127-2. Sussex are merrily 57-0 off seven overs against Glamorgan.
Brooding skies over OT.
At Wantage Road, Essex – heady with avoiding a points deduction – have Northants 19 for one, Emilio Gay out, of course, to Sam Cook. Rain at OT and Edgbaston. Kent powering onwards against Somerset – the lead now 174 – Ollie Robinson bowled for 52 in his penultimate innings for Kent.
Cover on; cover off at Old Trafford.
Inspection at 545 at EdgbastonGutting for Warwickshire, as Gloucestershire build a could-be-challenging total at Headingley: 158 for five. Jack Taylor and Ollie Price have put on an unbeaten 89 for the sixth wicket. I’m not sure I fancy the Yorkies with anything over 180 – the current lead 170.
Head coach Ian Salisbury on gardening leave at Hove All not well at second-from-bottom placed Sussex.
Sussex County Cricket Club say head coach Ian Salisbury is currently “not part of the business”, having not taken charge of the first team since mid-August. t.co/cwkjDOzAK5
— BBC South East (@bbcsoutheast) September 27, 2022 So, after consultation: Glamorgan can be promoted if they win with maximum points and Middlesex are bowled out below 300 and don’t win. Does that sound right?
Notts declare!Just the 662-5.
Glamorgan declare, Kent get a third bonus point, Derbyshire – sorry, I haven’t mentioned you all day, are 298 for one thanks to centuries from Reece and Godleman. Notts – still batting. Rain at New Road.
No gold for Lancashire this year
O
Four hundreds at Trent BridgeNotts are bashing poor Durham: Hameed (115), Montgomery (178), James (159 not out) and Mullaney (129). Do they want 700? 800? Currently 651 for four and seven weary Durham bowlers.
It briefly rained at Old Trafford, now the sun is out again, but clouds hover stage left. Surrey 105-4.
No points deduction for EssexThere will be no points deduction for Essex after last week’s game at Chelmsford against Lancashire finished in just over four sessions. The match referee Wayne Noon rated it as poor, after talking to umpires, head coaches, captains and groundsman. The ECB then had their own enquiry to decide whether there should be a points deduction , based on whether – with the information available – Essex had actively sought to prepared the best quality pitch they could.
Lancashire head coach Glenn Chapple called the pitch “completely ridiculous” after the first day, when 26 wickets fell, and Lancs at one stage found themselves six for seven:
“We’ve got lads in really good form having really good seasons who are desperate to win a game, and they’ve just found the pitch unplayable really.
“Obviously the surface of the pitch looks poor. The ball is coming off it different every time. If you watch the batters’ innings through they can’t lay a bat on it.”
MCC u-turnEton v Harrow will go ahead next year, as will Oxford v Cambridge, after an MCC compromise with revolting members. MCC confirmed that the Special General Meeting due this evening, has been cancelled – and instead there will be a further vote on the fixtures next May.
Tea-time scoresDIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 298-4 v Somerset 202
Old Trafford: Lancashire 512 v Surrey 96-4 rain
Wantage Road: Northants v Essex 231-9
Edgbaston: Warwicks 272-4 v Hampshire
Headingley: Yorkshire 183 v Gloucestershire 190 and 110-5
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 281-1 v Leicestershire 249
Trent Bridge: Notts 577-4 v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Glamorgan 489-8
New Road: Worcs 225 v Middlesex 111-2 rain
YouBears tearing down trees
Ali Martin
There’s a bit of pongo unfolding at Edgbaston, with Will Rhodes driving in the fast lane and Dan Mouseley whacking the ball in the direction of Moseley. Rhodes has just taken Holland for four, six, four before smacking one back into the right-armer’s wrist and forcing a brief stoppage in play. Technically a chance but even Chris Jordan might have struggled to hold on, such was the ferocity of the shot. Warwickshire 263 for four in the 70th over and have secured a second batting bonus point.
As they take tea round the grounds…
Amla strides slowly off, like a hedgehog contemplating his winter hideaway, another smart catch by Jennings, another good ball by Balderson – who is having quite the end to the season.
Ali Martin
Well, I suppose I only have myself to blame. After praising the ability of Yates to reset after each stoppage, a five-minute pause for rain is followed, first ball, by the opener driving at an inswinger and being bowled by Ian Holland. To make matters worse for Warwickshire, as they get wind of wickets tumbling at Headingley, they’ve now lost two in four balls with Sam Hain wafting behind off James Fuller on 44. The hosts are now 216 for four, with Will Rhodes and Dan Mousley both new to the crease.
Amla taking Parky on – slamming into the seats over long on- after driving him for four the ball before. Surrey 79 for three.
A century for Rob Yates!
Ali Martin
After a season of frustration comes a century for Rob Yates as shouts of “You Bears” echo around Edgbaston. It took the left-hander 179 balls to reach his seventh in first-class cricket, slotting 19 fours along the way. As well as some crisp strokeplay, a feature has been an ability to reset after the countless stoppages for rain. Warwickshire are getting a wriggle on here, with Sam Hain moving to 44 not out and the score to 214 for two from 60.5 overs. And as I type that, we’re off for rain…
An email! Thank you Matt Winter:
“Hello Tanya. Bracey carrying the shire like Atlas. Again. He must be ruddy fed up as another red ball season dribbles into the ditch of history. Can’t fault his loyalty to us but a small bit of me thinks “RUN YOU FOOL””
James Bracey: not for turning. Photograph: Harry Trump/Getty ImagesIndeed – Bracey 39 not out in Gloucs 69-3 – And it seems a lifetime ago that he had that England chance. Some players get oodles of luck, others not so much.
Perhaps Headingley is the game to be at tomorrow – though I’ll have to take a hot-water bottle. As I type that a third wicket falls, GLous 61 for three, two for Coad, one for Bess and the lead 68.
An interesting development reported in the Telegraph – England have offered to host neutral India v Pakistan Tests.
But perhaps the punchiest paragraph comes later on when Nick Hoult writes about the South African T20 league – which seem to be continuing the IPL’s outrageous boycott of Pakistan players. This I had no idea about.
“Pakistan players are also barred from playing in the IPL, a scenario that could spread if IPL owners buy teams in other leagues. For example, no Pakistan players are playing in the South Africa T20 league in February where all the teams have India owners, raising questions about the influence of private investment in national leagues.”
I don’t pretend to know about high finance – but if ultimately the ECB do want private equity in the Hundred, this is a big one.
It’s damp and slidey out there, the wind ruffles Tom Bailey’s trousers unkindly as he walks back to his mark. I feel in my bones that Surrey just want go home – though they won’t want to lose that unbeaten record. Anyone got a warm rock cake just out of the oven?
So maximum batting points for Glamorgan…but now it is raining. Middlesex, who, remember, have a nine point advantage over Glamorgan (pats top pocket like a Middlesex supporter) are approaching fast on Worcestershire’s 225. Currently 107 for 2; Malan 55 not out.
I haven’t listened to this, but might be one for a rainy day in the coming weeks.
Groundsmen in woolly hats standing over the hover cover at OT.
Hashim Amla strides off in what is – reportedly – his last game for Surrey, and the Hover Cover hums into place. Surrey 42-3.
And a black bin bag drifts slowly down past the press box window.
A third wicket for Potts at the Nottinghamshire feast – 441 for four. Montgomery out for 178. Glamorgan striving for the 400 – now seven down, Cooke 69 not out. A handy 44 extras from Sussex.
Always out – Jamie Smith gone for one, lbw to Tom Bailey, done like a kipper. Surrey 38 for three and without Foakes and Pope.
Spotted in the OT box – though not by me – George Bell standing up to Rory Burns to stop his prancing down the pitch, probably resulted in him being stuck in his crease when that Will Williams ball arrived. Bell now right back with the slip cordon, far enough away to sketch a water-colour.
Bails scattering like hundreds and thousands as Rory Burns misses a peach from Will Williams. Surrey 37-2.
An early Surrey wicket – Ryan Patel – and Tom Bailey’s fiftieth wicket of the season. Guided into the safe hands of Keaton Jennings.
Rory Burns very eager to prance out of his crease, 16 not out. All Lancashire’s slip cordon, in fact all Lancashire’s fielders, have their hands in their pockets – handwarmers, surely. Those red-rose fleecy jumpers don’t look as warm as the Surrey cable-knit.
Darren Stevens has a seriously good skin-care regime. Where are the wrinkles?