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Some sad news from Australia overnight, the death of Bob Cowper – the first man to score a triple century against England at home, a feat that belonged to him alone for 37 years until Matthew Hayden’s triple against Zimbabwe. Rest in peace.
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 123 v Yorkshire 216 and 114-1
Trent Bridge: Notts 333 and 171-6 v Hampshire 196
Hove: Sussex 284 and 66-3 v Worcestershire 180
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 665-5 v Surrey 98-1
DIVISION TWO
Canterbury: Kent 156-8 v Glamorgan 549-9dec
County Ground: Northamptonshire 238 and 140-6 v Lancashire 276
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Saturday's round-up
Three batters shone in Warwickshire’s mammoth 665 for five declared against Surrey on a baked Edgbaston pitch. New Zealand’s Tom Latham hit the highest score on debut for Warwicks, with 184; Ed Barnard flamed a career-best 177, but it is Zen Malik who is in danger of becoming a motivational message. Malik came to Birmingham via six years of touting himself around the counties, SACA, Staffordshire and Glamorgan’s second XI – where he made two centuries against Warwickshire last year and was quickly hoovered up by performance director Gavin Larsen who called him “the best uncontracted player he’d seen”. And now in his second first-class game, aged 27, he lofted Dan Lawrence back over his head for an effortless, twinkle-toed, maiden hundred. Barnard continued his happy day by trapping Rory Burns lbw for 27 before stumps, but another brutal day for the bowlers seems inevitable on Sunday.
Mohammad Abbas, as slippery and as slight as ever, showed his old county Hampshire just what they were missing, with five wickets on his Nottinghamshire debut. The pick of his wickets was a gleaming marble that kissed the top of Ben Brown’s off stump and sent it dancing into the dust. Kyle Abbott’s brisk 67 kept Nottinghamshire’s lead to 137 before he pulled on his bowling boots, took the new ball and quickly removed both Notts openers. Just to keep it interesting, Notts then lost three for nine, before Liam Patterson-White and Jack Haynes steadied the ship. A lead of 308 should be more than enough with Abbas ready once more to prowl at the top of his mark.
A disciplined George Hill undressed Essex at Chelmsford, zipped out for 123 on a moody pitch that furrowed brows. There had been a resurgence of sorts from 59 for six, when Michael Pepper and Noah Thain added 46, but the end came quickly – Hill’s six for 51 his second-best Championship figures. Adam Lyth then hit his second fifty of the match as Yorkshire eased into an extremely comfortable lead. There was just time for Wharton to slam a six onto the press box before stumps.
Five wickets for Fynn Hudson-Prentice, and six catches for John Simpson, put Sussex on top against Worcestershire at Hove. Tom Taylor continued his good game with the joint top-scorer with 32, after taking five-wickets on Friday. Sussex had built a lead of 170 by stumps, despite losing both Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes without a run on the board.
Run-machine Marcus Harris added a third Championship hundred to his Lancashire tally for the summer. His 121 against Northamptonshire took his total for the year to 706 – leaving a thousand runs before the end of May a tempting possibility with two rounds left. Northants bowlers were not helped by their soapy-fingered fielders. A Lancashire first-innings lead of 38 was not imposing, but Northants second innings also failed to thrive.
Ben Kellaway duly picked up the nine runs he needed for his maiden first-class century, but kept going with increasing confidence, flaying Matt Parkinson for three successive sixes to finish 181 not out when the declaration came. At 549 for nine, it was Glamorgan’s highest score against Kent. Then came the Kentish collapse, though from 23 for five, 156 for eight at stumps was a tablecloth of plenty. Chris Benjamin’s 68 not out was his highest score for Kent. “Theoretically, you meant to put the scoreboard out of your mind,” said a phlegmatic Adam Hollioake, the Kent head coach, “but we’re all human beings, and unfortunately, scoreboard pressure does exist.”
Preamble
Good morning! A dog walk with a lovely friend, too much coffee in the garden, and now some county cricket. Do join us to see if Northants, Kent, Hampshire, Essex and Worcestershire can escape their fates. And good luck to the Warwickshire bowlers, it could be a long day. Play starts at 11am.
