County Championship cricket returned for a one-off August special, and strained every sinew to grab a little attention from Lord’s.
In the crucial second division game at Hove, Sussex were missing Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills. No matter. Ollie Robinson took a career best eight for 34 as Middlesex were bowled out for 75. Robinson bowled 11 overs unchanged from the Cromwell Road End to knock Jeetan Patel off the top spot for producing the best bowling figures in the Championship this season. As he led his team off the pitch, Robinson was presented with his county cap by the Sussex captain, Ben Brown. Sussex faltered in reply, but amassed a lead of 53.
At Edgbaston, 19-year-old Rob Yates made his debut first-class century, hitting 22 fours in his 133 not out, as Warwickshire flew almost out of sight of second-placed Somerset. Dom Sibley fell for a duck.
Luke Wood reduced Yorkshire to 38 for five at Scarborough, much to the displeasure of the festival crowd. Jonny Tattersall won them back with 92, in a stand of 121 with Tim Bresnan – whose last three Championship fifties have all come against Nottinghamshire. Notts were 41 without loss at the close, in search of their first Championship win of the season.
James Vince made 47 at the Oval as Hampshire reached 222 for seven against Surrey on a rain-truncated day. The weather also intervened at Canterbury where Essex’s Sam Cook and Mohammad Amir, playing the final red-ball game of his career, took three wickets each against Kent. Daniel Bell-Drummond made 50.
In Division Two, six of Worcestershire’s top seven batsmen made a grand total of nine, the other, Moeen Ali, playing his first Championship game of the year, made 42. No 10 Joe Leach then hit 53 as the last three wickets dragged Worcester to respectability. Fifties from Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh guided Northamptonshire to within touching distance by the close.
At Chester-le-Street Alex Lees stepped into the shoes of Cameron Bancroft with a wonderful 181, his highest score for Durham, to leave Leicestershire struggling.
Ryan Higgins took five for 54 against Derbyshire to put high-flying Gloucestershire in control at the County Ground. And at Colwyn Bay, Tom Bailey and Danny Lamb took four wickets each as Glamorgan were bowled out in two sessions. But Lancashire were thwarted at the last by a 10th-wicket partnership of 52. Samit Patel, on loan to Glamorgan for the rest of the season, hit 54.
A great day’s cricket round the grounds! I was a bit distracted by Ollie Robinson’s exploits - but what deeds from north to south . Rob Yates, Alex Lees, take a bow, and a special mention for Moeen in his first Championship game of the season. I’m off to catch the Hove chugger - see you for more seagulls and wickets in the morning. Good night!
I better concentrate on writing up now - but just to say Yates is still there at Edgbaston- 130 not out, Lees has reached 180 at Chester le Street, and James Vince was caught behind for 47.
Son of the Desert ! For some reason I can’t access comments today but thank you for saving me from myself.
Things are more comfortable now at Hove. TRJ still charging in, but the sense of a wicket being permanently imminent is starting to drift away. Sussex 50 for three.
And little Marnus doing his careful stuff at Lord’s, not that we ever doubted him.
Northants swiftly closing on Worcestershire, 110 for two, just 76 behind. Unbeaten forties for Wakely and Keogh. Moeen has bowled four overs for 22.
And finally... to Colwyn Bay, where Lancashire are finding no daemons - I tell a lie, Alex Davies has been out to Ruaidhri Smith since I last looked. 64 for one, 193 behind Glamorgan who staggered all the way to 257. The ninth and tenth wicket stands put on 112.
I love this ground - great Italian just off the sea-front, wonderful ice-cream parlour on the corner and lots more wind-turbines out at sea. Also, if I remember rightly, the UK’s smallest church, basically a cave, in the sea wall.
In Division Two, Derby are creeping, belly to the brambles, towards 200: 185 for nine. Five wickets for Ryan Higgins. And Alex Lees is still there at Durham - 160 glorious runs, with Jack Burnham keeping him company on 49: 287 for three.
Meanwhile, Sussex lose another, Finch lbw to Toby Roland Jones for a duck (apologies, I should have said TRJ now seems fine): 15 for 3.
In a moment of rare quiet, I’ll try for a quick round-the-grounds scan. At Canterbury Kent are in a spot of bother at 51 for four against Essex, Sam Cook 3 for six. Hampshire 143-4 with James Vince a respectably pretty 35 in an hour an a half. Three wickets for Surrey’s Rikki Clarke. And a hundred for Rob Yates - 114 not out - as Warwickshire reach cruise control against Somerset - 238 for two. Yorkshire have clawed up the hill to glimpse the promised land thanks to 92 from Tattersall and fifty from Tim Bresnan, 213 for nine, Luke Wood 5-51.
Middlesex all out for 75 - Will Beer nicked the last wicket in the end. Robinson 11-2-34-8. Not bad for young un! Ah, that’s nice, Ben Brown has now presented him with his county cap. HE’s had to wait quite some time, but never mind... and that’s tea.
Interesting stat for you: 54 percent of Robinson’s wickets last year were lbw or bowled... and as I write that he takes another! Eight for twenty in 8.5 overs and an hour and 18 minutes. Something in the air for Sussex bowlers at the moment...
The Ollie Robinson train charges on! Seven wickets and counting! Nothing fancy, just relentlessly on target, again, and again and again .This is now a career best at 7-20.
And a fifth! 5-19 - which gives him 200 wickets in Championship cricket! And a sixth! while I was watching him through binoculars - so I can describe his broad chest, cocked wrist and the way he put his fingers to his lips when he took the wicket but didn’t see the wicket itself. James Harris caught by Harry Finch. And Middlesex are in a fix.
A third for Ollie Robinson - who spent last month with the Lions, if somewhat quietly. He’s tall with long arms, and quite a right-arm-heavy action. That’s 43 wickets in the season - 13 of them against Middlesex!
Critchley gone at Derby, as Derby trudge towards 100 in their leaking gumboots: 95-7. And hang on a minute, I missed Alex Lees’ century: 119 not out - his third of the season. Bravo!
A bit of nifty stuff from Jamie Overton, but Somerset need more than increasing the batsmen’s heart-rate.
Ah! Another wicket here at Hove - a fantastic catch by Tom Haines at gully and a second wicket in the pantry for Ollie Robinson. Middlesex 16 for two - enter Dawid Malan.
The shirts of the four slips are billowing like ships off the Solent. Lovely view through the press box window - I can practically see if they need their fingernails cutting.
Round the grounds, Division Two. Derbyshire 82 for six against resurgent Gloucestershire; Durham 132 for two - Alex Lees just 13 short of a century; Glamorgan can be quite happy with 123-4 against top of the table Lancs, and not just because it is pleasing on the eye and Worcestershire’s tail have rescued them from ignominy - 143-9.
Round the grounds, Division One. Hampshire have made a good start at The Oval (39-0), Rhodes and Yates are taking the day away from Somerset at some speed (158-2), it is still raining at Canterbury, and Tattersall and Bressie-lad have put on 77 to pull Yorkshire out of the swamp (115-5).
A perfect ten minutes sitting on a bench on Hove seafront. Some hardy souls swimming in some big breakers - the wind is running in off a long run today. Warm sun, soothing sound of moving shingle, reassuring sight of wind turbines turning far out to sea. Back at the ground in time to discover that play will start at 2.30 and go on a bit longer than usual.
A little bit of history made at Durham, as Gus Robson scores his first Championship runs for the club. Cameron Steel fell for 24 but Alex Lees still there and flying with the first (and only?!) fifty of the day, after Mo was so cruelly felled by HPG.
Labuschagne becomes the first concussion substitute in international cricket. And on that note...Glamorgan are 65 for three with Billy Root and Charlie Hemphrey rebuilding with lunch in mind.
Tom Lace and Leus Du Ploy have put on 20 at The County Ground against Gloucs. Currently 54 for three, a couple of wickets for Higgins. And Durham are batting in a higher place - 63 without a sniff of a wicket.
After Sibley’s unfortunate demise just when England might be glancing in his direction, Warwickshire progressing relatively smoothly- 60 for one. Play due to start at The Oval at 1.10.
Five wickets too for Luke Wood. Johnny Tattersall showing his teammates how it is done with a swift 22 not out, which is a fingernail away from being what the rest of the team have made altogether.
Hark - a seagull! Sun out here on the south coast - meanwhile in the real world 14 wickets have fallen round the grounds in the first 45 minutes. And play has been suspended at Canterbury.
Befuddled of Hove, not sure if I can keep up with this torrent, nay whirlwind, of wickets. Worcestershire now 16 for four with three for Brett Hutton. Moeen’s still there, at least while I type this. So let’s have a photo:
Wickets wickets everywhere! At Canterbury, where Zak Crawley has been bowled by Mohammad Amir, and Edgbaston, where Dom Sibley is out for a duck. Derbyshire have lost both openers with five on the board, Selman falls victim to the back-to-fitness Tom Bailey at Colwyn Bay, and at Northants Jack Haynes went for a golden duck which brings in Moeen who has already hit two glorious (I imagine) boundaries.
And a shout out to Didsbury Women’s Cricket Club, whose 1st and 2nd XIs are both playing finals in Chester today. A great little club with a big heart. Go girls!
The rain has stopped here at Hove and the umpires are examining the covers, which would make a sensational water slide. The woppa-moppa is on and things are looking up.
Good morning! And welcome back to the county blog – for a one-match-only August extravaganza. I’m in Hove, which was possibly a bum choice, as the rain is falling and the covers are on and lots of people in tracksuits are standing around looking meaningfully in the grass. There will be no play before lunch and possibly beyond. Hey, ho – at least I’ve been given a lunch token for the Tony Greig café!
When, if, the game begins, it is a crucial one for both sides. Sussex, who have carried all before them in the Blast, have had a miserable time in the Championship. Middlesex, who hope for a late bid for promotion, are at full strength with a revitalised Toby Roland-Jones and Lord’s honours board man Tim Murtagh.
Elsewhere, in Division One the leaders Essex take on Kent in Canterbury. Sam Billings has recovered from his shoulder injury and is due to make his first Championship game of the year. Mohammad Amir will play the final red-ball game of his career
Hampshire travel to The Oval where sixth place Surrey will be led by Ben Foakes in the absence of Rory Burns at Lord’s. Sam Curran will start the game, but might not finish if needed by England later in the week; Tom Curran is out for the season.
Second-placed Somerset travel to Edgbaston where Dom Sibley and Sam Hain return after missing the last Championship game with the Lions. Poor, poor, Olly Stone is out for the season with a stress fracture. Dom Bess will play for Somerset, with Jack Leach at Lord’s with England.
Yorkshire and wooden spoonists Nottinghamshire meet at Scarborough where Chris Nash captains in the absence of Steven Mullaney. David Willey is missing for Yorkshire.
In Division Two, third placed Gloucestershire travel to seventh-placed Derby. Josh Shaw is back from a loan spell from Yorkshire ahead of a permanent move next season. Durham and Leicester meet at Chester le Street; and Worcestershire go to flying-high Northants, where lovely Moeen Ali makes his first Championship appearance of the year.
And in probably the game of the round, second placed Glamorgan entertain Div 2 Leaders Lancashire at Colwyn Bay. In a surprise move Samit Patel has joined Glamorgan on loan for the rest of the season, Australian Shaun Marsh is also due to make his debut. Tom Bailey may return for Lancashire.
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