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Tall Paul on his surprise promotion up the order for Essex:
“A few years ago when I wasn’t playing first team I opened a lot for the twos, Then I did a few games with Cooky during Covid time, so it’s not completely unfamiliar for me. It has been a really nice challenge because it something new, something to prepare for. I think I’ve dealt with it well so far, though it is still early in the season. It’s about turning up every day and giving it your best shot.”
Sciver-Brunt is Edwards' first choice for England captaincy.
She’s an outstanding cricketer and and the best candidate. My main worry is if she actually wants to do it.
Saturday's round up
A fit looking Saqib Mahmood, with a tentative mullet, bowled in his first Championship game for Lancashire since May 2024. In he steamed from the Statham End at Old Trafford, up against Leicestershire’s tyro opening partnership of Sol Budinger and Rehan Ahmed.
Budinger was dropped between first and second slip on a duck, and Leicestershire then made hay, fizzing past 100 in 19.4 overs. Ahmed, a pocket rocket with wrists of steel and a high‑fashion post‑shot pose, punched thrillingly through the covers, flashed extra‑cover drives, whipped with elan.
Tom Hartley caused trouble in his six overs from the James Anderson End towards the close and, after Budinger fell to Mahmood, Ahmed played out the last 20 minutes with an extravagant, and tight, defence.
Earlier Tom Scriven had collected a career-best five for 46, as Lancashire lost their last four wickets for 21 runs. Marcus Harris, once of Grace Road, made his fourth half-century in his fifth innings since arriving in Manchester.
A hundred for Ben Compton, scored at quite the lick, kept Kent in the game at Canterbury, after Gloucestershire strode past 450, a 27-ball 51 by Marchant de Lange ensuring a fifth batting point. James Bracey was left unbeaten on 151, Nathan Gilchrist putting in his Easter egg career best figures of seven for 100. Zak Crawley collar up, was then caught for one.
A possible rival for his England opening spot, Tom Haines, brightened the twinkle in Rob Key’s eye with a second hundred in consecutive matches, 174 in seven‑and-a-half hours against a Surrey seam attack of Dan Worrell, Jordan Clark, Gus Atkinson and Matt Fisher, who dedicated their day to slowing down the Sussex scoring rate. Ben Foakes conceded just one bye on a pitch with, at times, unreliable bounce. Surrey reached 90-1 at stumps.
Seam bowling to stick in the scrap book from Fergus O’Neill (five for 19) and Brett Hutton (five for 38) left Warwickshire in deep trouble at 93 all out. Nottinghamshire, going out to bat just as the sun came out, then stretched to 204 for five, led by a cast-iron 75 not out from captain Haseeb Hameed
After three ducks in four innings, Emilio Gay came good at Chester le Street with 105, he and Alex Lees (148) pounding Yorkshire into the north-east dust with an unbeaten second-wicket partnership of 242. It was Gay’s first century for Durham.
A second century of the season for Max Holden, tempo dictated by lunch, helped Middlesex into a promising position at Lord’s. There were three wickets for Timm van der Gugten, and Glamorgan’s fielders stayed perky on a trying day.
Paul Walter, settling nicely into the opening slot left vacant by Dean Elgar, hauled Essex out of a hole with 104, and, together with a career best 49 not out from Noah Thain, gave Essex a lead of 210. Sri Lanka’s Kasun Rajitha picked up four Worcestershire wickets on debut.
At Southampton, fifties from Nick Gubbins and Liam Dawson gave Hampshire a 10-run lead, after Somerset had been bowled out for 184. Migael Pretorius was the one thorn in Hampshire’s side, making 47 from a 48 run last-wicket partnership for Somerset.
It was a good day for Northamptonshire in Derby, Ricky Vasconcelos (82) and Luke Procter (97 not out) reducing the deficit to less than a hundred.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 264-1 v Yorkshire 307
Chelmsford: Essex 179 and 233-6 v Worcestershire 202
Southampton: Hampshire 194-3 v Somerset 184
Hove: Sussex 435 v Surrey 90-1
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 93 v Nottinghamshire 204-5
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 307 v Northamptonshire 236-3
Canterbury: Kent 318-7 v Gloucestershire 472
Old Trafford: Lancashire 263 v Leicestershire 120-1
Lord’s: Middlesex 353-4 v Glamorgan 199
Preamble
Good morning! And a very happy Easter to all those who celebrate, buns, bunnies, church and chocolate. For those who don’t, or who want a little extra on the side, let me present the County Championship – day three, round three. Play starts at 11am, we’ll be here all day.
