Key events
Day two roundup: Ogborne piles on pain for Hampshire
Hampshire were frustrated by Somerset’s wagging tail, but wiped out the deficit before bad light stopped play at Southampton. There was no century for James Rew, caught uncharacteristically skewing a half-volley for 86, one of three wickets for Codi Yusuf.
Tom Abell made 49, Lewis Gregory was out to Kyle Abbot for the ninth time in 13 matches, but it was 22-year-old Alfie Ogborne who caused Hampshire the most pain, whooping three sixes in an enterprising last-wicket stand. Hampshire lost Toby Albert to a leg injury early on, but Nick Gubbins’ undefeated 70 helped them to a 96-run lead.
After play, Somerset’s head coach, Jason Kerr, was asked about Rew’s chances of playing for England: “He is a good enough player to play international cricket … he’s an incredible talent and one that should get international recognition. If he opens the batting then great, I appreciate the middle-order is quite stocked at international level, but a player of that talent should be knocking on the door.”
At Wantage Road, it was the turn of Nathan McSweeney (87 not out) and James Sales (78 not out) to turn an unprepossessing Northamptonshire start to an innings into a substantial stand. They came together at 98 for four and added an unbeaten 131 for the fifth wicket. Earlier, Ben Sanderson had wrapped up his second five-wicket haul of the season and Zafar Gohar, last Middlesex man out for a delightful 83, was substituted out of the match after picking up a groin injury. Luke Hollman is his replacement.
In his long career, this is the first first-class match James Anderson has played at Bristol, and it looks as if the visit will be a victorious one after a 17-wicket day. Gloucestershire lost their final four wickets for 12 runs in a five-over tumble first thing, George Balderson finishing with five for 34. Gloucestershire’s attack then pulled the tablecloth on Lancashire, reducing them to 180 for eight thanks to excellent bowling from Matt Taylor, who pocketed a career-best six for 43.
Matty Hurst and the tail then pushed the first-innings lead to 104. Keaton Jennings crafted a vital 70 in his first innings of the year. The substitution rule rumpus rumbled on with the revelation that Lancashire had been forbidden to replace Ajeet Singh Dale with Tom Bailey, despite them both being right-arm bowlers, because of Bailey’s superior experience.
Ethan Bamber and Keith Barker kept Warwickshire in the hunt at Edgbaston, running through Essex’s top three on a rain-affected day. Charlie Allison (40 not out) and nightwatchman Sam Cook (5 not out) saw them through to the close at 110 for three under a milky blue sky. Earlier, Sam Hain, who played brilliantly and with clever acceleration for his 88 not out, and the tail had dragged Warwickshire to 190.
Good night!
Events in Bristol peter on past seven o’clock. Time for us to go, thanks for your messages and see you tomorrow – bye!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 238 and 146-1 v Somerset 288
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 v Essex 110-3
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 and 59-3 v Lancashire 240
Northampton: Northants 229-4 v Middlesex 341
Six wickets for Matt Taylor
Lancashire are all out for 240 – a lead of 104. Taylor six for 43 and time for me to write up. Do keep popping in below the line.
Rain at Warwickshire and Wantage Road. Hurst and Sutton have steered Lancashire to a lead of 94 over Gloucs; and Jake Ball breaks through with his first ball at Southampton – Prest lbw for 43, Hants 114-1.
Bad light at Wantage Road
The day draws to a (temporary?) end at Wantage Road, with Northamptonshire in a pretty good position – 229 for four, with half centuries for James Sales (78) and Nathan McSweeney (87), who have added 131 for the fifth wicket. They trail Middlesex by 112 runs.
Hypocaust, on bluesky, has linked to this documentary on Canadian cricket, which I haven’t seen, but looks worth a watch.
Five wickets for Matt Taylor
Is Ollie Sutton, Luke’s son? I just fell into a rabbit hole trying to find out. Anyway, he’s batting because Lancs are eight down. Paul Coughlin was Taylor’s fifth wicket.
Rain in Birmingham
Dark skies, covers on. The forecast predicts showers moving away so we might get more play this evening.
Gloucs are almost into the Lancs tail now as Matt Taylor picks up a fourth – George Balderson for a thoughtful 19-ball- duck. Paul Coughlin, who had such a great match last week at OT, joins Hurst (8 not out). Lancs 174-7, lead Gloucs by 38.
Nick Gubbins gets a second life soon after tea, let through his fingers by Lewis Gregory at first slip. Hampshire have made up the deficit without losing a wicket, though they have lost Toby Albert to a twinged leg.
Tea-time scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 238 and 38-0 v Somerset 288
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 v Essex 79-2
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 v Lancashire 170-6
Northampton: Northants 149-4 v Middlesex 341
Another wicket at Bristol, Arav Shetty flicking the long-legged Henry Brookes high in the air where it falls gently to Boorman at deep backward square. Lancs 170-6, a lead of 34. Matt Taylor 3-19.
Albert shuffles off the pitch, leaning on his bat, retired on 17. Tom Prest replaces him, wheeling his bat round and round. Hampshire 22-0.
Paul Walter and Charlie Allison have got Essex going again after Ethan Bamber and Keith Barker removed Dean Elgar and Luc Benkenstein cheaply. Essex 79-2, 111 behind Warwickshire.
Oh dear. Toby Albert looks in a bit of trouble at Southampton. He’s taken off his left pad, is sitting on the grass and giving it a massage. Everyone mills about, Hampshire 22-0 in their second innings.
At Wantage Road, Saif Zaib has been out cheaply, yet to pass 20 this season. Gut Nathan McSweeney’s unbeaten 52 has helped Northants to 129 for four.
Wow, Lancashire are making a dog’s dinner of their innings against the mighty Gloucestershire. They’ve just lost four for 25, including Marcus Harris for 11. Lancs 151-5, Jennings out for 70. Lancs 151-5, lead by 15.
Somerset 288 all out
And that’s that! Alfie Ogborne c and b Eddie Jack for an excellent 38. Somerset’s lead a quite handy fifty.
This must now be very irritating for Hampshire. Abbott throws a bouncer into the pitch but Ogborne ducks easily away. He’s now 38 not out and the Somerset lead 50.
Josh Bohannon will be kicking himself not to cash in against Gloucestershire, squared up by a smashing ball from Matt Taylor, and loses his bails. Keaton Jenning 62 not out, eyes on the three-figures prize. Lancs 129-2. only seven runs behind.
Apologies to those of you without a Telegraph link, but the excellent Will Macpherson, once of this parish etc, has drawn up a list of the best Championship players of the 21st century.
To sum up: fifth, Marcus Trescothick; fourth, Ryan Sidebottom; third, Mark Ramprakash; second, Darren Stevens; first, Mushtaq Ahmed.
Ogborne plonks Dawson for four, then a towering straight six.
This is an interesting read on a potential Africa Cup T20 competition.
How Ball survived that over, I’m not entirely sure. Some entertaining backing away and wild yahooing.
If you’ve got a few minutes, Jake Ball v Sonny Baker is worth tuning into.
“Hi Tanya,” hello Geoff Wignall!
“Ali Martin is of course quite right (how often is he wrong? -enough of that, Ed) on the subject of substitutes.
“I can’t for the life of me comprehend how a right arm seamer, however redoubtable, chosen as a twelfth man can be adjudged an unfair improvement on the right arm seamer picked ahead of him.
“Is Peter Such trolling the Lancs selection process?”
A silly mix up at Southampton. Ogborne starts to run, stops, weakly sends a harrying Leach back, who is then out by a easy few inches. Somerset 250 for nine. The lead just 12 over Hampshire.
Ali Martin
I feel like I’ve been transported back in time watching Keith Barker hoop the ball past groping openers in his first spell back at Edgbaston. Difference these days being that Warwickshire don’t have a spinner like Jeetan Patel to bowl into the pancakes his big size 12s create.
Sonny Baker is in over 15 now, he’s put in a good shift. Always throws both hands in the air as he finishes his follow through – so close, they say, so close.
Northants are three down for not much, in the Middlesex mould, a couple of wickets for TRJ, the walking exemplar of of indefatigable. I wonder if Saif Zaib will have another miracle summer, currently 10 not out. Northants 63-3.
Somerset have a lead thanks to captain fantastic Craig Overton, but no more, as he flat-splats Liam Dawson to Gubbins, out for thirty. Somerset 242-8.
If you just heard thunder crack above your head in the Birmingham area, it’s because I asked Ali about the subs rule. “I hate it. I think cricket is an endurance sport, in part. Beareavement etc, fine of course.”
“I also think the like-for-like becomes daft if they’re judging it on experience (Bailey not allowed for Singh Dale).”
All up and going again after lunch, so far without great incident.
Ali Martin
I’ve just popped into breezy Edgbaston for a spell and the last of the Warwickshire wickets to fall, with Nathan Gilchrist eventually fiddling Sam Cook into the cordon off the edge to see the home side 190 all out. Sam Hain finishes unbeaten on 88, having just about kept the walls from falling in. Essex have had to be patient today, which, given the quality of Cook and Co, suggests a pitch doing plenty yesterday does ease a touch when the ball gets older. Big session coming up.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 238 v Somerset 214-7
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 v Essex
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 v Lancashire 73-1
Northampton: Northants 42-3 v Middlesex 341
Some sustenance for Glos fans – Matt Taylor has had the boom-box Luke Wells caught for 27 – Lancs 60-1.
Zafar Gohar was last man out for Middlesex, a third wicket for Conway. Middx 341, a good fightback from 20 for three. Northants 29-0 in reply.
Hampshire have worked hard to reduce Somerset to 210-7, still trail by 28. Rew out for 86, Sonny Baker bowling rockets at Jack Leach.
Sam Hain’s unbeaten 83 has taken Warwickshire to respectability – 183 for nine against Essex.
A fab little factoid from Simon Hughes at Southampton: Lewis Gregory (bowled, 2) has now got out to Kyle Abbot for the ninth time in 13 matches. Somerset 207-7, trail by 31.
A spinner a “false economy”
I’d not seen this before, Mark Alleyne talking to The Cricketer about spin bowlers
“There is still no data to suggest that spinners win you Championships. You are right that they do bowl overs and can help you manage your seam attack, but if you haven’t got the right spinner, then it’s probably a false economy.”
Ooof and meanwhile at Southampton, an incredible ball by Kyle Abbott, a bullet, swerves in to remove Gregory’s off stump, . Somerset 204 for seven, trail by 34. Big Craig still there though.
Somerset suddenly look at risk of not reaching parity. They’ve lost three for 18 this morning, as Lewis Gregory joins Craig Overton at the crease. 193 for six, trail by 45. Three wickets for Codi Yusuf.
Keaton Jennings, in his first innings for Lancs of the year, is up and running. One four, squeezed through the slips. Lancs 37-0.
And tentative Will Smeed is caught, finally going for the big hit, but snaffled on boundary by Baker. I do hope red-ball cricket works for him, he probably only needs one good innings.
Five wickets for Ben Sanderson!
A good shift by Sanderson, 19 overs, and gets his reward, a fifth wicket, Tom. Helm, caught at fine leg. Middlesex will be pleased with their efforts though – 341-9, Zohar 83 not out.
A couple of quick wickets at Edgbaston, now 145 for nine.
At Southampton, Will Smeed, another slow start, nought off 21 balls, lassoos down the pitch to Liam Dawson, but the keeper can’t whip the bails off. Somerset 181 for four.
Fifty for Sam Hain
With a gentle fist pump and a shy wave of the bat, Sam Hain celebrates fifty. He and Barker (22) have pulled Warwicks towards a kind of respectability – 144 for seven.
Hundred-watch in vain as Rew uncharacteristically skews a half volley from Yusuf to backward point. Somerset 175-4.
At Southampton, Kyle Abbott is hustling with admirable vigour. Baker still running in from the other end, elbows horizontally churning. Rew (85) and Abell (41) have now put on a hundred for the fourth wicket. Somerset 175-3, 63 behind.
Gloucestershire all out – Five wickets for George Balderson
And three for Jimmy Anderson, two in an over, old teammate Will Williams lbw and Henry Brookes caught. Gloucestershire all out 136, and I predict a couple of days of toil in the field.
Weather watch
Luckily, there are no games north of the Midlands in this round. The Met Office promise: a mix of sunshine and showers across northern areas today, with some heavy and a risk of hail. Drier and brighter further south, although a few showers developing across Wales and the Midlands into the afternoon. Pleasant in any sunshine.
Kevin James on Sonny Baker: “He’s very exciting this year, he’s always up and you now.” Which is music to a selector’s ear. I like watching Baker too, he’s like a very energetic and giant springer spaniel.
Down at Bristol, Jimmy Anderson has his first wicket of the innings, Matt Taylor’s stumps clattered. Glos 124-7.
I settle down in front of Youtube but instead of events from Southampton, my son has put on Lancs v Gloucestershire. We watch a maiden from the eager Balderson before I put my foot down.
Lancs cross over “not ideal” and “bizarre” sub ruling
Controversy over the new substitute ruling continued to rumble on after Lancs were not allowed to swap Tom Bailey in for the injured Ajeet Singh Dale in the match at Bristol. Both Bailey and Singh Dale are right arm seamers, but match referee Peter Such ruled that Bailey, who came on as 12th man fielder to replace Singh Dale, was too experienced, and instead Lancs had to call on left-arm allrounder Ollie Sutton, who was at a second XI game at Grace Road.
By the time Sutton got to the ground, everyone else had left.
“There’s always going to be grey areas but if Tom had bowled the next ball, I don’t think anyone would have batted an eyelid,” Lancashire head coach Steven Croft said.
“We certainly weren’t trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. It’s a tough one to take and it’s bizarre how it hasn’t been granted.
“In our eyes, Tom is deemed to be a like-for-like replacement, it’s not like someone is coming in and bowling 10mph quicker. Instead, we’ve had to call up a left-arm seaming all-rounder and that doesn’t sit right with us really.
“I don’t know how it’s come to that conclusion but we’ve got to crack on with it.
“I think it was based on stats and experience, but none of that was stipulated to us when the regulations came out.”
“Top o’ the mornin’ to ya Tanya!” Hello Tim Maitland.
”I’ve finally settled on my retirement home: the place where I can happily continue to revert towards the drooling, incoherent, free-defecating mess that I was when I entered this world. However, I might need your help pooling the immense mental resources that exist BTL on this blog to complete the purchase, because it’s currently occupied by the Northamptonshire Supporter’s Club.
”I’m sure they can be rehomed, given the right incentives, because, if there’s nothing two nightmare spells of Trumpism has taught me, it’s that everything is for sale. Besides a bijou, half-timbered, mock Tudor residence that would allow me to literally roll out of bed at 10-55 to the sound of leather on second division willow is too good to miss out on, isn’t it? The lovely wife (American) is more than happy to use the ground floor on matchdays to offer succour to spectators, indeed she’d like your opinion on whether cricket fans would stump up for US-style, still lemonade (I told her they will if you lace it with enough vodka) and homemade gelatos.
She might need to stock up on the odd sausage roll and scotch egg too, don’t you think? Besides all that, does anyone know what the going rate would be for the finest building in first class cricket?”
Tim, unfortunately I can’t attach your photo, but I would very happily drink still lemonade with ice and perhaps a cinnamon bun for elevenses?
Friday’s round-up
Somerset’s James Rew was a shot of ginger on a rainy Championship day. He purred the last ball of the evening to the rope with a perfect high elbow, to finish unbeaten on 77. With innings of 64, 122 and 48 already this season, Rew’s average is 100 – numbers to lighten an England selector’s step. Thirteen wickets fell around him, with Jake Lehmann (76), who has stepped into James Vince’s boots, again top-scoring for Hampshire. There were three wickets each for Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton.
Essex had time before the deluge to reduce Warwickshire to 113 for seven – the pinpoint Jamie Porter leading the way with four for 36. Sam Hain, with 44, was the rock around which the other Warwickshire players failed to stick. There was a first Essex wicket for Zaman Akhter, a Saca (South Asian Cricket Academy) graduate who moved to Chelmsford from Bristol in the great winter raid on Gloucestershire’s bowling stocks.
Akhter’s old club suffered a mid-order malfunction against Lancashire. Ben Charlesworth and Ollie Price had lifted Gloucestershire to a respectable 80 for one, after Cameron Bancroft was dopily run out for six. But George Balderson (four for 27) then took three for five before and after lunch, and when Graeme van Buuren was caught for a three-ball duck, the innings was in disarray. Lancashire had their own problems when Ajeet Singh Dale limped off the field with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Ollie Sutton, summoned from a second XI match in Leicestershire.
Middlesex made a plucky recovery against Northamptonshire on a bouncy Wantage Road pitch from the depths of 20 for three after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Half-centuries from Leus Du Plooy and Ben Geddes and an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand of 120 between Zafar Gohar and Joe Cracknell brightened the scoreboard, before bad light stopped play.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 238 v Somerset 154-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 113-7 v Essex
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 124-6 v Lancashire
Northampton: Northants v Middlesex 284-6
Preamble
Hello! Happy Saturday morning, may your park run have been fruitful and your coffee tasty. Four games in progress this round, with James Rew’s selectorial nudge the highlight of day one. Play starts at 11am, do pull up a seat.
#Hampshire #Somerset #Warwickshire #Essex #county #cricket #happened #County #Championship
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