.png)
1 hour ago
7
Key events
A wash out at Wantage Road
Bathos in the battle of the chasing pack. Northamptonshire currently trail Kent’s first innings 345 by 271 runs.
Close of play at Derby
Something more pitiful than petering to a close. Derby (still) 79-3..
Play is restarting at North Marine Road. It’s a bit chilly and rather grey.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 279 v Surrey 183 and 51-4 no play yet today
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 149-9 v Hampshire 162 no play yet today
Hove: Sussex 250 v Somerset 202 and 167-2 no play yet today
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire 299-7 no play yet today
Scarborough: Yorkshire 263 v Leicestershire 43-0
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 79-3 v Middlesex no play yet today
Chester-le-Street: Durham 384 v Gloucestershire 137 and 50-2
Northampton: Northamptonshire 74-0 v Kent 345 no play yet today
New Road: Worcestershire 12-1 v Lancashire 180 no play yet today
Patel and Gumbs have done well in this truncated session, calm and careful, but not too careful. They are applauded off as we take lunch at Scarborough, Leics 43-0.
A good handful of spectators at North Marine Road, scattered on the wooden bleachers like piles of washing waiting to be carried upstairs. At CLS, Bancroft drives Aldridge silkily for four through the covers.
Inspired by a conversation on the BBC, is this Gloucestershire v Durham game the biggest CC mismatch this century?
A couple of bowling changes at CLS, but not exactly respite, as Potts and Carse are replaced by Aldridge and Stokes. Though well played Miles Hammond who sends Stokes spilling away for a couple of fours in his first over. Glos 33-2.
I’m enjoying the different shapes of the Yorkshire cordon – the barrel chested YJB, the neat and tiny Adam Lyth, the lean lampost-like George Hill and man of the people Dom Bess. Gumbs, in a baggy (nylon) jumper lets a ball from Cliff pass harmlessly by. Leics 29-0.
Patel ushers White off his hip for four with a satisfying crunch. He’s only got four more games left for Leicesteshire, before moving to Southampton for 2027. Leicestershire 27-0
Wicket 52 for Matthew Potts. Ollie Price plays what looks pretty immaculate defensively, but the ball has jagged and up goes the finger, caught Robinson 3. Glos 7-2.
Three slips lick their lips at Chester le Street. Carse and Potts are menacing in swing bowling heaven. Carse is marching back to his mark with purpose.
An early lunch at Derby and Chelmsford
The waiting game.
Carse with the breakthrough
Alas poor Gloucestershire. Joe Phillips drives and third slip Ackermann gobbles it up. 0-1.
Incidental Scarborough flotsam and jetsam: YJB was chatting to his little boy when I came in, who was holding tightly onto a blue ball. And the England Lions Strength and Conditioning man was spotted yesterday in the pavillion. Just under an hour late, YJB leads the players out. I’m hoping for another fifty from young Sheridon Gumbs.
Some entertaining heave and ho from the Durham tailenders. Carse has gone after bashing a couple of fours and a six, but Potts has read the same cue card. But now he’s out too. Durham 384, lead Glos by 247, which will probably be plenty.
Noon start at Scarborough
Lunch at 1.10. Everyone out in the middle practising and the groundstaff are sanding (? )the outfield.
Weather watch
Remaining cloudy this afternoon. England and Wales will have with spells of rain and showers, heavy at times. Elsewhere, it will be drier with a few showers or patches of rain. Windy in the far south.
Could we stay cautiously optimistic? Anyway, they’re underway at Durham, who lead Gloucestershire by 197, with two wickets in hand. I’ve just got to disappear for 20 mins, back shortly.
An optimistic Mitch Killen yesterday, who joined Gloucestershire on Wednesday on loan.
“I think the boys bowled pretty well, I think we stuck at it pretty well. Maybe leaked a few too many runs, a few four balls and stuff. I think as a unit we stuck at it pretty well to keep them down, it’s quite a good side we’re playing against and they’re quite aggressive, so to keep the run rate at a decent pace is good.”
“You’ve always got to look to win the game, so I think for us, it’s just a case of batting time.”
Unfortunately for Gloucestershire, the sun is blazing in the north east.
Some reading while you wait.
Rain
Hmm, there are an awful lot of delays around, everywhere in fact except Chester le Street – though that might be to come.
Inspection at 11.30 at Scarborough
The wet patches on the wicket need a closer look.
Roundup: Yorkshire fireworks light up Scarborough
Despite a morning washout, play broke out at Scarborough and Yorkshire’s tail wagged entertainingly against Leicestershire. George Hill bashed a merry 62, while Dom Bess and Ben Cliff added fireworks to please a crowd dressed in pink and purple to support the local Saint Catherine’s hospice.
John Simpson’s unbeaten 64 was crucial in giving Sussex a small first- innings lead at Hove as Craig Overton (four for 66) and Lewis Gregory (three for 55) fought back with the ball. Somerset’s Tom Lammonby then made batting look easy with a breezy 74 not out.
A couple of days after announcing his retirement at the end of the season, Dean Elgar jigsawed a crucial century for Essex. The South African struck around for nearly four hours, backed up by a silky 43 from Charlie Allison. Rahul Chahar grabbed six wickets but Surrey then slumped to 51-4, still 45 behind.
There was a century of a different hue for Durham’s David Bedingham, hit off 99 balls and full of punchy gorgeousness. It was his fifth ton of the Championship season. Ben Stokes biffed 45 before Sai Kishore floated one between bat and pad as Durham built a lead of 194 over Gloucestershire.
There was no first hundred of the year for Zak Crawley, removed by Ben Sanderson for 89, as Kent had a staircase-and-trapdoor kind of day in the Division Two eye-baller. They lost eight for 94 against excellent Northants bowling, then added 89 for the last two wickets thanks to Daniel Bell-Drummond’s captain’s knock of 70.
Nottinghamshire endured a terrible start to the day at Edgbaston against Warwickshire. Haseeb Hameed and Freddie McCann were both dismissed for ducks, but the in-form Joe Clarke knitted a support blanket with a stylish hundred, ending the day unbeaten on 146 as he passed the 1,000-run mark for the season.
Lancashire were invited to bat at New Road on a dish-dirty morning, and though Keaton Jennings opened with a studied 55, he had to watch the middle order cascade away. Ben Walkden and Tom Bailey added late-order fibre, with four wickets for Worcestershire’s Beyers Swanepoel.
Glamorgan tootled to 149-9, just 13 behind Hampshire at Sophia Gardens as the game heads to a one-innings shootout, while there was time for Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins to take two wickets at Derbyshire.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 279 v Surrey 183 and 51-4
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 149-9 v Hampshire 162
Hove: Sussex 250 v Somerset 202 and 167-2
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire 299-7
Scarborough: Yorkshire 263 v Leicestershire 12-0
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 79-3 v Middlesex
Chester-le-Street: Durham 331-8 v Gloucestershire 137
Northampton: Northamptonshire 74-0 v Kent 345
New Road: Worcestershire 12-1 v Lancashire 180
Preamble
Hello. Wherever you are, here is the salve of county cricket to carry you through the day. There are lots of people about on a Scarborough bank holiday Saturday, walking dogs along the North Bay and making early sandcastles, maybe some of them will make it to North Marine Road. We’ll be here all day, do join us.
