Surrey closed in on victory as Somerset faltered to the county champions’ spinners – not the usual turn of events in April. Dan Lawrence grabbed three with his flat-footed whirlygigs from the Vauxhall End, and there were two for Cameron Steel. Surrey had added 70 in the morning, with Kasey Aldridge picking up the second five-fer of his career. Despite fifties from Tom Lammonby and Lewis Goldsworthy, Somerset finished the day just 61 runs ahead with only four wickets in the bank.
Jordan Cox rolling-pinned 116 from 89 balls against his old county as Essex built up a stout second innings lead; Ben Compton had been last man out for 165 as Kent limped past the follow-on target.
Nottinghamshire once again suffered calamitous subsidence, losing six for 19 in the evening session – this after mislaying six for 34 in their first match. Ben Duckett had skipped to 63 before being the first of Nathan Smith’s four wickets in seven balls. Earlier, Smith had shepherded Worcestershire’s lower order with 58.
Despite knocking up 517, Durham failed to avoid the follow-on against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, and lost two second-innings wickets in the evening gloom. Lancashire were on top against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl thanks to 172 from Keaton Jennings and 99 from George Bell, run out itching for the golden single.
In a round notable for hundreds by captains, Sussex’s John Simpson flashed an unbeaten 205 against Leicestershire which, alongside 134 from Danny Lamb, allowed him to declare on 694 for nine. Chris Cooke’s 126 put Glamorgan in the box seat against Derbyshire at Sophia Gardens.
Idiosyncratic fifties by Joe Root and Harry Brook, alongside 113 from Adam Lyth, helped Yorkshire plunder the Gloucestershire attack before pulling the rug away from their second innings.
Nathan Fernandes became the youngest man since 1862 to make a century on first-class debut for Middlesex. He was joined in three figures by Max Holden (211 not out) and Leus du Plooy (196 not out), the two plundering Northants for an unbeaten 350 for the third wicket.
As the groundstaff peg out the covers at The Oval, and the light starts to dip, time for me to go home. We’ll be back tomorrow with a result or three in sight. Have a lovely evening, good bye!
Probably time for me to try and connect my neurons to write up for the paper, with:
Essex 67-2, leading Kent by 187,
Hampshire 2-0, trail Lancs by 115, in a probable draw at the Rose Bowl,
Duckett hitting his straps at Trent Bridge, 58 not out as Notts lead by 162,
Somerset 152-4, actually make that five, a perplexed push at Dan Lawrence, a perfectly swallowed catch low by Craig Overton at slip. The Somerset lead still in single figures.
Ben Raine six away from his century in Durham’s 490-7, though they still need another 58 to avoid the follow on.
And in Division Two: a century for Chris Cooke and five wickets for Alex Thomson as Glamorgan stretch their lead over Derbyshire towards 400; Glos have already lost Chris Dent in their quest for another 477; Leicestershire 36-0 chasing a suffocating deficit at Grace Road and – wow Middlesex – both Holden and du Plooy in the 160s as they approach 500 with just two down at Wantage Road.
Poor George Bell, run out for 99, as Lancashire are all out for 484, a lead of 117 over Hampshire. Four wickets for Liam Dawson, who didn’t forget his craft over a winter on the franchise circuit.
Surrey, meanwhile, will have to bat again. Somerset lead by one; a fifty for Goldsworthy.
James Rew all fine and dandy with a high elbowed drive straight back down the ground. Now spin from both ends at The Oval, with Dan Lawrence resuming at the Vauxhall Road end. Baggy shirt and the deliberately firm tread of someone not yet fully sure of where he fits in. Somerset 139-4, the sun gone now, the flags blowing.
Fifties for Root, Brook and George Hill and Yorks chugging along, the lead over Gloucestershire 497. Time, unless I’ve missed something, for a declaration
Sussex can be very pleased with their winter shopping, tempting Simpson over from Lord’s. With his double hundred in the bag, the captain duly declares on 649-9: the lead over Somerset 356.
John Simpson pulls a short ball. Photograph: John Mallett/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock
Plonk my bottom down just in time to see Tom Banton limply waft at Cameron Steel and be caught at backward point. Somerset four down, trail by 22. A second wicket for Steel and this could be over very rapidly.
They’ve taken tea at Chelmsford at change of innings; at the Rose Bowl George Bell is in sight on a first first-class century, accompanied by Tom Bailey. A couple of wickets to Holland and to Dawson, to keep the spinner narrative going. Lancs lead by 82.
Hameed and Duckett putting together a decent partnership at the fourth time of asking,, Notts 57-0, lead Worcs by a hundred. Meanwhile Durham have advanced to 409-6, in sight of the follow on. Only one hundred, Lees’ 145, but sixties from Robinson and Clark and 46 not out to Ben Raine.
An addendum. Mike Davies message not only came from Grace Road, but the score box at Grace Road “The only manually operated one on the circuit. The last two wickets have fallen at 500+ scores. The “Last Wkt” display only goes up to 499!”
Harry Brook pulverises the unfortunate van Buuren into the car park. Meanwhile at The Oval, Lawrence’s idiosyncratic offies got rid of Renshaw, but Lammonby has continued to gather riches, reaching 50 in 78 balls.
Mike Daniels writes in from, I think, Grace Road. “Hundreds here for Oh! J.Simpson who’s looking to push the scoring on along with Lamb, who’s looking to slaughter the toiling Leics bowlers. Not many kind words said about kookaburras here.”
This round has certainly shifted the usual April narrative – though I know April isn’t as bad as we think it is to bat in.
Masood out, Root joined by Brook. Meanwhile at Chelmsford, Kent have all but avoided the follow-on, though Gilchrist caught behind for 41. Ben Compton still there on 150.
Hundreds for John Simpson, Danny Lamb and Max Holden
A Sunday afternoon wander round the Division Two grounds where Joe Root has just swept a six, overtaken Shan Masood and moved onto 40 at almost a run a ball. Yorks 270-2, a lead reaching into the stratosphere.
A useful partnership of 85 between Chris Cook (63) and Dan Douthwaite (21) keeping Glamorgan afloat at Sophia Gardens.
Hundreds for John Simpson and Danny Lamb making Sussex the sixth side to pass 500 in this round, the lead over Leicestershire 173 and a hundred for Max Holden in Middlesex’s 283-2 (Fernandes caught for 103) at the Wantage Road run factory.
Had time yesterday for to read this in the FT, a lovely read by Samanth Subramanian.
I wrote a little essay about why we consider some batsmen beautiful and others not so much -- and more curiously, why there's so much unanimity on who belongs in which category.
I particularly liked this paragraph on whether you can coach a young cricketer to play beautifully.
Gower thought about this hypothetical. You could, he supposed, give them some hints. Don’t try to hit the ball too hard. Your arms go here. Your legs go like this. “But in the end, they will all end up with their own game. It’s like the position of the nose on your face, or the size of your ears,” he said. “If you play sport in a way that looks beautiful, it’s like you’ve lucked out genetically.” Besides, why would you even try? You’d want your ward to score runs. “If you do it beautifully — well, that’s just cream on top.
Apologies for the late lunch, I was listening to two distinguished cricket writers, Bruce Talbot and Mark Baldwin, put the world to rights over their lasagne. Mark’s theory, repeated to Kevin Howells on Five Live, is that Jamie Smith would be a better future England No. 3 than Ollie Pope. On the field, Renshaw and Lammonby have eased Somerset to 33-1.
It took eight balls! Sean Dickson caught off Dan Lawrence opening the bowling from the Vauxhall Road end. He’s not too happy about it but off he must trudge. Somerset 0-1.
A fifth wicket for Kasey Aldridge as Jamie Overton loses his stumps. Surrey all out 428, a big fat lead of 143. I fear for Somerset in this 20 minute window.
Just 19, on first-class debut, came through the Middlesex age-group system, studying Business and Management at Royal Holloway Uni, signed a rookie contract in November 2022. A dream debut! ( and a pitch he’ll want to take with him).
Nathan Fernandes of Middlesex acknowledges the applause on reaching his maiden first class century. Photograph: Andy Kearns/Getty Images
Essex chipping away at Kent: two for Porter, two for Snater. Denly gone for 16, Compton still there, 122 not out.
Jenning (139)s and Bell (33) sailing along at the Rose Bowl, Lancs 310-4, trail Hants by just 57.
Worcestershire have lost a couple of wickets this morning but in sight of 300, Nathan Smith, fresh from three wickets in the first innings, 49 not out.
And Lees batting on towards 150 at Edgbaston, Durham 279-4, still trail by a three-piece suite.
A first of the season for Jennings, and another captain’s hundred in a round where skipperes have flourished (see also DBD, Alex Davies, Shan Masood).
Surrey have bustled past 400, helped by a huge six by Jamie Overton; while Durham have lost Ollie Robinson for 60, Lees still there on 120. Durham 254-6.
Lyth and Bean making a brisk start at Bristol, now 88-0, a lead of 151; while Ingram and Crane dig in at Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan 99-4, a lead of 138, and Simpson and Lamb do the same at Grace Road, Sussex, 321-6, now in sniffing distance of Leicestershire’s 338.
And on the crisp shirt front at Wantage Road, Fernades and Holden eye up 100 and 50 respectively as Middlesex cruise to 151-1.
And the first wicket of the day to Jamie Porter who traps DBD for 135 Kent 252-2. And, to the strains of an melodious early morning church service, a wicket at The Oval. Jordan Clark is snaffled down the legside by James Rew off Kasey Aldridge. Surrey 365-7.
The five minute bell at The Oval, and a last bit of divot pressing. Adam Collins tells me that Shoaib Bashir bowled nicely yesterday, both sides of the wicket and with control and verve.
Some early throat clearing at The Oval with a handful of Sunday supporters taking their seats. Football for Surrey and fielding practise for Somerset as a groundsman mows a practice pitch. It’s sunny, mild, there are tunes and they look as if they’re having fun.
Not content with the 490 they struck on Friday, Warwickshire opted to continue their dismantling of Durham’s attack at Edgbaston, declaring two runs short of 700. The Bears captain Alex Davies was unable to convert his double hundred into a triple, but his predecessor Will Rhodes went to an unbeaten 178 as every member of Warwickshire’s top three celebrated a three-figure score in the county’s second-highest first-class total. There was less fortune for their No 4, Ed Barnard, bowled for one by a fine, ripping delivery from Callum Parkinson. Last year’s Division Two champions finished the day trailing by 520, but with the consolation of an Alex Lees century incoming in the morning.
Essex, who also put up 400 on day one, settled for 530 before their declaration against Kent, Matt Critchley top-scoring with 151 not out at Chelmsford. But the hosts missed their headline seamer Sam Cook, out due to a thigh niggle, as Daniel Bell-Drummond celebrated his second hundred of the week and Ben Compton his first of the season. Jaydn Denly took his maiden first-class wicket for the visitors and could well bat alongside his uncle, Joe, on Sunday.
Plenty of England’s Test setup were in action at the Oval, but two names from the past stepped up. Dom Sibley and Rory Burns put on 167 for Surrey’s first wicket against Somerset, with the former hitting his 20th first-class ton. Out of the current crop, Ben Foakes went to a half-century but Ollie Pope fell cheaply, while Shoaib Bashir spun the ball with control to dismiss Burns and go at two an over.
Emilio Gay went all the way to 261 for Northamptonshire against Middlesex before being run out attempting a desperate second at Wantage Road. Middlesex have endured a tough opening to the season in the field, having taken just nine wickets for the loss of 1,172 runs. A second-innings shootout is in development at Sophia Gardens, with Glamorgan 74 for four after acquiring a first-innings lead of 39 against Derbyshire. The visiting off-spinner Alex Thomson has 10 wickets in the match, a first in his professional career.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s five-fer for Sussex against Leicestershire at Grace Road was followed by a second consecutive hundred for the opener Tom Haines, while Cheteshwar Pujara showcased his famous patience in compiling 38 off 148 deliveries. Cameron Bancroft was similarly old-school at the top of the order for Gloucestershire against Yorkshire at Bristol, taking 160 balls to reach his half-century. He couldn’t, however, stop his side from conceding a first-innings deficit of 63. Keaton Jennings was another opener in the runs, remaining unbeaten on 85 for Lancashire against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.
Calvin Harrison had a fine day across all three facets for Nottinghamshire against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge. To begin with, his 52 with the bat in a seventh-wicket 146-run stand with Lyndon James, who fell for 96. Then a wonderful low catch at third slip to dismiss Jake Libby. And then, for The Prestige, three wickets with his leg-spin to put his side on top.
Good morning! And welcome to the second Sunday of the season, the sun out, the lilac heady and the Kookaburra ball run ragged.
There have been five scores above 500 already this round, with power to add – though it looks as if the game at Sophia Gardens will follow a more typical early season bunfight – albeit with spin the surprising weapon rather than seam. Mason Crane pocketed four wickets on his Glamorgan debut and there has been a career-best ten for Derbyshire offspinner Alex Thomson, not, I imagine, what he was expecting when he got off the coach on Thursday.
Elsewhere runs, runs, runs, from Dom Sibley to Emilio Gay via Tom Haines. All is perky here at The Oval, and a big thank you to Taha for running CCLive! yesterday so I could eat mum’s hot-cross buns and be perplexed by my dad’s annual egg hunt.
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