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And continued…”There’ve been a few that have hit the glove today. Crane the latest getting attention after being hit. That might concern the Umpires more than the lateral movement that’s been there both days.”
From the frenzy of the Grace Road scorebox, Mike Daniels has replied. “Too much going on to email! Ben Mike the big surprise getting three wickets and now Holland’s got his second, 55-6!”
The new ball does the trick, a third for Aitchison, as Clark shoots to Jewell at second slip. Durham 261-6.
Mike Daniels, what is going on at Grace Road? Glamorgan 51-5.
Five wickets for Olly Stone
Perhaps seventh place wasn’t such an anomaly after all. Surrey 118-6. Stone, who has drifted out of conversations recently, red hot.
Forget the table, Leicestershire have Glamorgan where they want them, 33 for three, Tribe, ul Hassan and Kiran Carlson all gone. A wicket each for Holland, Mike and Hull.
Essex first had to watch Somerset pile up 469, with a particularly irritating 48 for No. 11 Pretorius. They then lunched, and are now 1 for two. (both to Gregory)
Kate Cross retires
The end of an era as Kate Cross announces her retirement from professional cricket. She made her Lancs debut as a 13-year-old in 2005, and a year later, became the first woman to join Lancashire’s Academy,
She has taken 239 wickets for all Lancashire teams, and 140 for England, making her debut in October 2013, spanning the amateur and professional eras, an ultra-reliable, metronomic, talented cricketer.
“Winning two trophies with Lancashire in 2025 was really special and will always be one of the highlights of my career.” she said. “To do that in a Lancashire shirt, having been part of the Club for so many years, meant a huge amount to me.
“Retiring hasn’t been an easy decision, but it feels like the right time. I’m excited to see what comes next, and I hope to stay involved in the game I love. Before that though, I look forward to playing out the rest of the season with Lancashire as we look to challenge for more silverware.”
A treat to meet Mavis the long-haired vizsla and Pooch the basset hound at lunchtime, as well as watch tennis ball cricket games all over the field. No oyster catchers today but there were some last week, and a buzzard flew by this morning.
Lunchtime scores
Southampton: Hampshire 119-6 v Yorkshire 171
Grace Road: Leicestershire 151 v Glamorgan 25-2
Taunton: Somerset 469 v Essex
The Oval: Surrey 105-4 v Nottinghamshire 184
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 44-1 v Sussex 156
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Durham 210-5
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 150 v Worcestershire 26-1
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Northamptonshire 134-5
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 47-1 v Kent 350
A few extra minutes around the grounds to make up for time lost to rain yesterday. Shoaib Bashir whistles though one more over before Durham lunch on 210-5. Scores to follow.
A message from Tom Fuller, who is at The Oval and has been listening intently to the PA. “At lunch today there will be a talk by two member of Chertsey CC, who will be speaking about their campaign to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the invention of the middle stump.” Love it! Get in there Tom.
Wickets wickets – at Southampton, Hampshire are now six down and still 54 behind Yorkshire. Adam Lyth, six overs, two for six. And Olly Stone (3-27) has Surrey 97-4, 87 behind Notts.
And over at Old Trafford, Noman Ali gets his first over in Championship cricket. He could be a particularly wise end of season signing for Lancs if the pitches stay as dry as they have been.
Time for an over of Bashir before lunch.
Hello Paul McIntyre! “Great to read your up-beat commentary from a storm-lashed Normandy coast this morning. But hard to reconcile the pictures you paint with your recent remarks on players “run ragged” by the schedule. They seem to be holding up pretty well, notably the former England captain who clearly doesn’t feel like putting his feet up.” This is true! And someone else picked me up on that too. Maybe run-ragged was too much. Tired perhaps? I may be over-empathing because I get so knackered in the heat.
A stat courtesy of David Griffin – that was Stokes first appearance at Derby in a first-class match, his only previous Championship match against Derby was at CLS in 2013, when he made 0 and 8.
He also tells me that Dora Byard, whose name is attached to the nets, was a lady who donated a generous amount to the club in her will at the turn of the century.
Stokes out for 53
Dal gets his man. Stokes prods, gets a leading edge, and Dal collects casually in his follow-through, as if he’s catching an apple thrown from the fruit bowl. Stokes throws bat over shoulder and trudges off. Durham 182-5.
Fifty for Ben Stokes!
Four through gully takes him to 49, another through the slips brings fifty. Eleven boundaries, 56 balls and a can-do swagger. Nearly out next ball though, the ball looping just short of mid off.
Time for Bashir v Stokes?
As Stokes adopts a woodchopper position and hauls the bat, and misses, at Potts, Paul Hulliday asks:
“Is Stokes looking hungry?” I would say yes, hungry. And that is vintage, crack, pulls Potts up and over for his ninth four.
Sussex have lost six wickets this morning against Warwicks, now 140 for nine, Woakes now had four. Prest and Gubbins are pressing on safely for Hampshire, Hants 96-4 against Yorkshire.
Leicestershire are all out for 151 against Glamorgan, which could have been worse; Somerset have lost three quick wickets against Essex, but James Rew is still there on 47. Surrey have just lost nightwatchman Fisher this morning against Notts, Surrey 68-2.
And Alex Lees is out for 63, bending his knees and steering Potts to Brooke Guest. Durham 152-4.
As Stokes respectfully observes the Derbyshire batting, time to trot around the grounds.
Stokes respectfully pushes Anuj Dal away, then levers four past the diving fielder at midwicket for another four and moves onto 23. Durham 139-3.
What is wrong with everyone, driving along Sir Frank Whittle Road as if Ben Stokes isn’t out in the middle. A maiden from Aitchison.
Stokes steps down the track and chunks the ball to mid wicket, next ball Aitchison nearly has him, the ball swinging lethally, then Stokes envelopes a wide one for four down to fine leg. Aitchison takes his cap disgruntled once more, hands on hips.
I love the idea that Stokes does a couple of seasons for Durham, a progress around the grounds to give his public a chance to see him. Catch him if you can in Division Two this year – at Northants, CLS and Old Trafford. Worth it for his presence at the crease alone.
Stokes gets busy against Randell, a cross legged lofted drive down the ground for four, then chomps into a short ball and pull-hauls him for four more.
Lees dropped, edging towards slip where Guest dives in front of Madsen at first slip. Aitchison takes his hat from the umpire with a shoulder-slumped sigh.
Headbanded Randell to Stokes. A healthy crowd watch from the white bucket seats in the permanent-temporary stand. Stokes leaves one that slides across his stumps.
An edge from Stokes…skews through the slips.
Ryan Higgins has taken the first wicket of the day at MTS, Keith Dudgeon, and there’s a wicket here at Derby – a huge, arms in the air lbw shout from Aitchison, and, after chewing it over, the umpire raises his finger sending Bedingham on his way. Durham 107 for three and here comes Ben Stokes…
The sun is out, there’s a ruffling wind, and Ben Aitchison has the ball from the racecourse end. Praise be, we have play around all the grounds.
And hello Tim Maitland!
“I have nothing intelligent to offer today (plus ca change?), but I can warn you that the Met Office radar forecast is showing possible rain during the afternoon session in (surprise) Manchester, Leicester, Taunton and Southampton. Unusually it’s spreading from due north Up North and from the more usual west to east in the South.
”Derby, Cheltenham, The Oval and Riyadh (or wherever that desert is that Middlesex and Kent are playing on) should be fine. Leeds should cop some too, but not enough to affect the seemingly inevitable result.”
Good morning Mike Daniels in the Grace Road scorebox:
“The Glamorgan players in very high spirits during their football warm-up, and why shouldn’t they be? Leicestershire are in a heap of trouble and need to dig deep to stay in the game, which could be a microcosm of their season, with the admirable exception of the One-Day Cup. They’ll probably need their Mexican signing “El Nino” to deliver in buckets over the next few days to avoid another home defeat.”
Lots to read from the Test yesterday, including Taha’s piece on Jordan Cox, who entertained CC Live! with 204 against Leicestershire in June.
Round-up: Thomas hits hundred as Somerset make hay against Essex
After weeks of drought, the rain arrived, like a tolling bell, just in time for the County Championship restart.
Josh Thomas hit the only century of the day on a bonny day for title chasers Somerset. Thomas’s sprightly second first-class hundred, together with 96 on debut from New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls, left Taunton merry after being inserted by Essex on a surface friendlier than it looked.
England’s forgotten man Zak Crawley gambolled to his highest score of the season as Kent rattled along against Middlesex on the corn-coloured grassland of Merchant Taylor’s School. Crawley played with discipline and flair before wafting Ryan Higgins to second slip for 81. Sam Northeast collected 87 against his favourite opposition. The excellent Toby Roland-Jones grabbed three wickets.
Liam Patterson-White saved Nottinghamshire’s bacon with 76 not out in the battle of the big dogs at the Oval. Surrey, lying in an unfamiliar seventh place, had reduced Notts to 104 for eight. Tom Lawes grabbed five wickets.
Fourteen wickets fell in the relegation ding-dong at Southampton. Kyle Abbot’s four for 17 felled Yorkshire, who limped to 173 courtesy of an unbeaten 40 from Dom Bess. George Hill then returned the favour with three for four to leave Hampshire 60 for four.
Durham have the upper hand in the Division Two promotion race, but didn’t get much chance to show their wares on a day of thunder, rain and bad light against Derbyshire. Alex Lees nurdled his way to an unbeaten fifty in front of some doughty spectators.
On the parched grass of Cheltenham, Worcestershire’s Ben Allison whistled up three quick wickets There was just time for 21-year-old Tommy Boorman reach his first Championship fifty in the town when he was born before the heavens opened.
Warwickshire and Sussex eyed each other warily over the Edgbaston covers, the visitors inching to 99 for three. Chris Woakes tempted Daniel Hughes into slashing a catch to gully in his second over. The Toms Haines and Clark then added 69, to an accompanying goose flyover.
An overnight hosing left Old Trafford saturated, though the Manchester grey was brightened when Marcus Harris was awarded his county cap. A Lancashire attack shorn of Jimmy Anderson (calf injury) struggled for accuracy but there was a maiden first-class wicket for Ben Walkden.
Glamorgan’s bowlers picked apart struggling Leicestershire, leaving them 113 for seven. The top scorer was Sheridon Gumbs, who was run out for 22 after flaying between the wickets like a man stuck in a washing machine.
Scores on the doors
Southampton: Hampshire 60-4 v Yorkshire 171
Grace Road: Leicestershire 113-7 v Glamorgan
Taunton: Somerset 348-5 v Essex
The Oval: Surrey 13-1 v Nottinghamshire 184
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex 99-3
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Durham 102-2
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 107-5 v Worcestershire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Northamptonshire 56-2
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex v Kent 299-6
Preamble
Good morning! It’s a beautiful day in Derby, cool but sunny, autumn held up but rumoured somewhere over the horizon. The players are out, keepyuppys left, bowling practise right. The weather is much better here and around the grounds, so we should get most of a full day.
Next time you’re in Derby, I recommend the Bread and Butter cafe ten minutes from the ground, lovely coffee, generous toast. We’ll be here all day so do join us to chew the fat.
#Durham #Derby #Notts #Surrey #county #cricket #day #live #County #Championship
