Roundup: Durham and Sussex shine as rain hits play
Rain badly affected play at all but one of the Championship matches, spreading its fingers first north, then south and east, sparing only Chester-le-Street.
There, nearly a full day was possible and Durham finished happier, with Derbyshire still 112 runs behind. After an opening stand of 83 between Luis Reece and Billy Godleman, Derbyshire lost wickets regularly as first Ben Raine and then, in a flash of inspiration, Gareth Harte took aim. Godleman made 66 before becoming the first of Harte’s victims in a spell of three for 10. An unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 53 between Matt Critchley and Leus du Plooy added late grit to Derby’s batting.
At Aigburth, no play was possible after lunch on a good day for wading birds. The morning session was dominated by Lancashire’s vigorous lower-order against Leicestershire. Tom Bailey hit a powerful 57, going to his fifty with a six that rose over the sight screen and on to the grass tennis courts beyond. When he departed that left Josh Bohannon. But as well as he worked the singles and, as his partners ran low, hit out, he was stranded on 98 when Richard Gleeson fenced and was caught on the stroke of lunch.
Bohannon, two short of what would have been a maiden hundred for Lancashire, threw his bat in the air in frustration before pausing for breath and returning to shake his partner’s hand. As the players retired inside for cards, Lancashire could comfort themselves that with their 449 total they had achieved five batting points for the first time in two years – and as the pitch sweated nicely under layers of plastic sheeting.
Play was truncated at Lord’s but not enough for Middlesex, whose top order was picked apart by Sussex’s Ollie Robinson, moving the balls both ways to five slips under obliging skies. He finished with four for 23, including a spell of three for eight in 14 balls. At 61 for four, Middlesex need 282 more to make Sussex bat again, 51 to avoid their worst defeat since the second world war.
Glamorgan’s last pair had great fun in the morning session at the County Ground, flashing 95 from 69 balls to take the total well past 500. Michael Hogan crashed two sixes in what was only his third first-class fifty. Rain truncated Northamptonshire’s reply but Ben Curran made a sweet 48 in an unbeaten opening stand. They still trail by 270 runs.
At Headingley, Dom Bess too was left stranded in the 90s, nine runs short of what would have been the second first-class century of his career. Bess and Jonny Tattersall added 90 for Yorkshire before Tattersall fell and the tail collapsed. Essex faced six overs before the rain, time enough for Alastair Cook to edge Ben Coad to slip for two.
Warwickshire pottered to 311 for seven against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston, with Adam Hose 84 not out; and at Guildford Surrey struggled against the Overton twins, who grabbed two wickets each. Surrey, 188 for five, trail Somerset by 156.
And thus ends the wettest day of the season so far. Every match touched by rain, except Chester-le-Street, where Durham still hold the ascendancy. Still lots to play for - though neither Leicester, nor Middlesex, nor Northants will sleep easy tonight. It’s tricksy at Guildford - will the Overtons roll over Surrey in the morning? Join me here to find out. Thanks for sticking with it through the dank, damp day. I’m off to somewhere warm. Sleep well!
Just because. Photograph: Barry Mitchell/REX/Shutterstock
A pied wagtail heads towards the tent, tiny claws sinking into the Aigburth sponge. Don’t be too upset but the round-up calls. Rain seems set in everywhere except Chester-le-Street, where Durham have the sniff of a first-innings lead.
Rain dance at Aigburth. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images
Now, as the rain sets in everywhere except the north east, is their moment of glory - Durham have the ascendancy. The mighty Rushworth, the meddlesome Harte (3-10), the reliable Raine, have Derby 133 for six, still 160 behind.
Gareth Harte: 3-10. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Mullaney gets a couple and Warwickshire reach 311 for seven before the rain falls again. Only Durham v Derby ploughs on. Derby 109-2, trail Durham by 184. Godleman 60 not out.
Did anyone see Sky’s late night analysis-chat thing with Bob Willis last night? Tymal Mills was on and I thought he was bloody great. Intelligent, modest, knowledgeable.
His back problems and subsequent diagnosis had somehow completely passed me by when I had my fingers in other pies. For others like me, this is from cricinfo:
“his career reached a watershed in 2015 when he was diagnosed with a congenital back condition: his spinal cord and vertebrae are unusually close together and bowling fast too often can agitate his spinal cord. It threatens to consign him to a future as a white-ball bowler, and he has to tailor his training carefully even to cope with that but with Twenty20 growing in importance neither Mills nor Sussex - nor even England - have abandoned hope that he can make an impact.”
So, we have two games currently being played - at Lord’s and Chester-le-Street.
Ooooh! Derby lose a wicket - Reece for 34, off, aptly, Raine. Derby 83/1.
Smashing picture from Lord’s - five slips for Ollie Robinson.
Five slips as Ollie Robinson bowls to Sam Robson at Lord’s. He doesn’t need them though, bowling Robson for 23 and Middlesex fall into even deeper trouble at 33-2. #MIDvSUSpic.twitter.com/B8YEzN6uiQ
Ben Foakes falls at Guildford, just after passing fifty. Surrey 119/4. Joverton 2-16, and I’ve just clocked that he has been recalled from his loan spell at Northants which was supposed to last till June 13. Injuries forced Somerset’s hand.
Sorry we’ve had a few technical issues. All fine now - I hope. The rain is pretty set in here at Liverpool, no play also at Birmingham and Northants. But elsewhere, we play on...
The rain turns steady. Groundstaff pull the sheets on to the middle, one, two, three, four, five, unfolding like never-ending plastic duvets. Round the ground brown tip up plastic seats sit damp and empty while drizzle plops into unfinished pints of beer with a sigh. Men in late middle age zip up and settle in for a stoical hour sitting in the rain. Why?
And sweet god, Gleeson flails at Klein and is caught behind. Bohannon whirls his bat in the air, and walks off , before thinking better of it and walking back to his partner and shaking hands. Not out 98 - and that, my friends, is the way it goes. Lancashire 449 all out; Klein 3-89.
Cut off in his prime: Josh Bohannon stranded on 98. Photograph: Alan Martin/Action Plus via Getty Images
When you’re, say, in the south of France, fall asleep with your sunglasses on, wake up and wonder why everything is so gloomy? That’s what it is like at Aigburth right now - except with no big reveal when you lift the specs to be dazzled by the sky.
Bohannan has it in for Parkinson. Four. Six over his head. 98 not out - a waft of declaration passes in front of the tent.
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan slow-cooking up a storm at Cardiff. Sri Lanka 175 for six off 29 overs, K Perera 75 not out. Nabi’s 4-28 from eight has turned it from flat to curious to intriguing.
They’ve taken an early lunch at Lord’s - Middlesex 24 for one, trail by 319. Northants 35 without loss in the wake of Glamorgan’s ridiculousness. Fingers crossed for wee Ben Curran.
England women’s squad to face West Indies on Thursday - Sarah Taylor returns from injury.
England squad: Heather Knight (Berkshire, captain), Tammy Beaumont (Kent), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Kate Cross (Lancashire), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Alex Hartley (Lancashire), Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire), Amy Jones (Warwickshire), Laura Marsh (Kent), Nat Sciver (Surrey), Anya Shrubsole (Berkshire), Sarah Taylor (Sussex, wicketkeeper), Fran Wilson (Kent), Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire), Danni Wyatt (Sussex).
And a thunder-footed Graham Onions is out for two. Lancs 418 for nine.
Bailey, who must have been under instruction to get on with it, cuts once too many times, and is caught by Wright off Dexter for 57.With the unreliable forecast, Lancs presumably relying on not having to bat again. Josh Bohannon 77 not out though... Lancs 415 for eight. It’s overcast and Leicestershire’s openers are feeling twitchy.
And in World Cup news, South Africa’s Dale Steyn is out because of his shoulder injury, to be replaced byBeuran Hendricks.
World cup dreams dashed; Dale Steyn Photograph: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images
Wow and big Tom Bailey steps, heaves and lofts hugely - six! - up and over the sightscreen at the Mersey end, and on to the grass tennis courts beyond. That’s his fifty and Lancashire galloping away here, 410 for seven.
News on Joe Burns, Lancashire’s overseas player who had to return back home to Australia early. He has been diagnosed with a protracted post-virus fatigue disorder dating back to an October 2018 viral infection and is recovering with rest and recuperation. He hopes to play cricket again in the near future.
Fifty for Dom Bess! Who wouldn’t be happy for him? Fortune can be a bastard as well as a fickle friend, but he’s got the character to (literally) bounce back. Yorkshire 325 for six.
Hold that pose, Dom lad. Photograph: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo/REX/Shutterstock
Leicestershire, home of Simon de Montfort, the father of parliaments (and other rather less savoury things), has elected a female chairperson to work alongside a female CEO. The first female double-act in county cricket.
And, with a smart straight drive, Josh Bohannon has fifty! Lancashire 371 for seven.
Very very pleased to see Leicestershire have elected a female chairperson. And they have a woman CEO too. Can’t quite believe it’s taken so long for any county to have a double female leadership team in county cricket but there we go
Dom Sibley falls for 87, adding just six more runs to his overnight score. Would it be wrong to hope, for the benefit of any spectators, that his replacement gets his skates on? Warwickshire 202 for four.
Er, just what is happening to Glamorgan? Timm van der Gugten and Paul Hogan knock up fifty in less than six overs and Glamorgan waltz past 500 towards...six?
At Guildford, Stoneman has gone for 21, a wicket for birthday boy Jack Brooks.
It’s raining, again. But the men in white play through. A hardy band of supporters round the boundary put up their brollies and fold their papers small and smaller again.
Abhijato Sensarma has been thinking about Durham.
“At the moment I start to type out this email, EJH Eckersley is 6* off 55 deliveries in a classical attempt at making useful first-inning slower order runs. His partner-in-crime, MJ Potts is 3* (25) too. As they try to survive out in the middle as long as possible for Durham in the Second Division, I do have to send some love their way.
“After all, seeing people who aren’t meant to do much with the willow deadbat their way to underrated glory is surprisingly refreshing in a mad era where England scores above 300 in an ODI and still loses!”
Hmmm, Eoin Morgan escapes censure for a slow over rate, but Archer and Roy aren’t so lucky.
Archer and Roy fined 15% of their match fees for breaching code of conduct. Archer for showing dissent at a wide decision and Roy for shouting an obscenity after a misfield in 14th over
Arrived at Aigburth station, to find a sun and the birds tweeting (is there a more technical term?) in the Triffid-sized horse-chestnuts frowning over the rose-filled front gardens. The teams are warming up on the outfield, Leicester disconcertingly all in black, and after an inspection, play will start at a civilised 11.15.
Somerset 344 v Surrey 0-0 Warwickshire 181-3 v Nottinghamshire Yorkshire 289-6 v Essex
Division Two
Durham 254-8 v Derbyshire Lancashire 347-7 v Leicestershire Middlesex 138 & 9-0 v Sussex 481-9 dec (after day two) Middlesex trail by 334 with 10 wickets remaining Northamptonshire 209 v Glamorgan 452-9 (after day two) Glamorgan lead by 243 with one wicket remaining
Good morning! A confession: it is wet and ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-chilly so I’m writing this in the relative warmth of Liverpool Lime Street before dragging anorak et al to the canvas confines of the Aigburth tent.
The forecast round the grounds today is fair-to-miserable, so expect stop-start-stop with a sprinkling of stardust.
Lots of intriguing cricket to keep an eye on - can Somerset’s bowlers stick it to Surrey at Guildford (where Jack Leach was concussed by Morne Morkel last year)? Can Warwickshire’s batsmen move into first gear? Yorkshire v Essex is in the balance, as is Durham v Derby. I think Lancs are on top at Aigburth, while Middlesex and Northants can expect to pack their bags tonight with a sad face and a lesson learnt.
If you’re still tingling from Pakistan’s take-that-and-party yesterday, don’t forget to keep an eye on Afghanistan v Sri Lanka at Cardiff, OBO here with your two crackers Tom Davies and Rob Smyth.
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