Key events
Mike Daniels is tucked inside the scorebox at Grace Road, where Martin Andersson’s hundred yesterday has probably ushered the game towards a draw.
“As Tanya says, Cricket in April is here: beanies, cloud cover, hot coffee, floodlights and umpires in gloves, and who can blame them?”
Ignore me, Old Trafford is now ablaze with bright sunshine as Harrison resumes the over that was terminated early last night with the dismissal of nightwatchman Phillip. Hurst has joined Jennings.
“Top of the mornin’ to you Tanya!” Hello there, Tim Maitland.
”I’ve lamented the decline of Nelson in the past, but, as someone who has etched permanently on his retinas the vision of certain parts of David Shepherd’s ample frame jiggling disturbingly each time the scoreboard ticked past multiples of 111, you can surely understand that events at Canterbury are on my mind.
”What if, instead of fading into the memory, Nelson had captivated the minds of the Millenials and Gen Z? The very idea of Middlesex teetering on DOUBLE-double Nelson (222 all out and now 222-6 overnight, for those not paying attention) could have had huge crowds queuing past the Nackington Road End muttering conspiracy theories ranging from the fact that a rip in the space-time continuum is about to swallow the ground whole through to the likelihood of Middlesex losing their last four wickets without troubling the scorer further.
“Cue the massive anticlimax of a jogged leg bye off the first delivery of the day.”
Ken Grime next to me muses on Lancs’ follow-on target – 347 for those interested. Keaton, time for another daddy-ton.
Have arrived at Old Trafford to see the players back in woolly hats and long-johns warming up. A photograper says there is rain in the air, and a steward says snow is forecast next week. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
Saturday’s round-up
The real Manchester spring closed in at Old Trafford, the floodlights warming up as someone pulled the curtain on the sun. Northamptonshire, delighted with the turn of events, just as Lancashire came out to bat, picked away at the red rose. With five overs left, Marcus Harris, who had batted like a prince for his 43, turned a half-volley from Raphy Weatherall off his ankles straight to Justin Broad at midwicket.
Anderson Phillip was drafted in as nightwatchman, lasting six balls, before being speared lbw in the final over to Calvin Harrison. Keaton Jennings walked off in the gloom, yet another fifty under his belt, but Lancashire are 357 behind and four wickets down.
Earlier, Northants had painstakingly reached their highest total here, guided by 95 from Lewis McManus and a highest first-class score of 56 by Harrison. Tom Hartley, playing his first match of the season, picked up three wickets in a long but zone-finding spell of 33 overs.
Middlesex had the best of the Division Two game at Canterbury, which is zipping along at a perky pace. Steve Eskinazi’s 57 plus an unbeaten 73 from Ben Geddes, dropped a couple of times along the way, helped them to a second innings lead of 226, with four wickets in hand. First-innings parity had looked in sight for Kent, but they fell just short when Kashif Ali was run out for 17.
The Yorkshire captain, Jonny Bairstow, declined to enforce the follow-on as they ten-pinned through Worcestershire at Headingley on a pitch that gave some joy to the faster bowlers. Worcestershire had made sedate progress through the morning, only to lose lost eight wickets for 46 in 25 overs after lunch, Yorkshire’s slip-cordon catching with velcro hands.
There were more runs for Jordan Cox, this time a crowd-pleasing 82 in a tightly-fought game at Trent Bridge. Essex closed 46 runs in arrears against Nottinghamshire, with Matt Critchley unbeaten on 50 and another half-century for Paul Walter, run-happy at the top of the order while Dean Elgar is on paternity leave with twins.
Sussex spun Somerset on a dime at Hove, a first Division One century from Tom Haines giving them a lead of 339 at stumps. Haines reached 99 with a straight six, his century with four sent back down the ground with a flourish. Somerset had recovered from 79 for seven thanks to an eighth-wicket partnership of 110 between Lewis Gregory and James Rew, who was stranded on 80 after Somerset lost their last three wickets in 15 balls. Sean Hunt finished with a career-best five for 48.
Three wickets for Dan Worrall, in the running behind Sam Cook and Chris Woakes for an England place this summer, helped give Surrey a first-innings lead at the Oval. Hampshire were indebted to a fizz-bang 37 from Kyle Abbott. After his bat-carrying century in the first innings, there were more runs for Dom Sibley in the second, an unbeaten 55, accompanied by Ollie Pope, who reached his half-century by swatting Sonny Baker for consecutive sixes.
There were runs aplenty at Bristol, Gloucestershire reaching 546, Glamorgan’s reply was led by a half-century from Sam Northeast. Martin Andersson’s maiden first-class century helped Derbyshire out of a sticky situation at Grace Road. His unbeaten 101 from No 8 hauled his side out of the follow-on mire after Leicestershire had made 484.
A disciplined Durham bowling attack had Warwickshire in trouble at Chester-le- Street, until half centuries from Kai Smith and Michael Booth saved their blushes. Ben McKinney had time to pass 150 in the morning before he was caught behind, Warwickshire’s 18 year old Taz Ali then polished things off, finishing with four for 66.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 387 v Warwickshire 287-8
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 347 v Essex 301-5
The Oval: Surrey 253 and 136-1 v Hampshire 219
Hove: Sussex 294 and 246-1 v Somerset 201
Headingley: Yorkshire 456 and 61-1 v Worcestershire 162
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 546 Glamorgan 146-3
Canterbury: Kent 218 v Middlesex 222 and 222-6
Old Trafford: Lancashire 139-4 v Northamptonshire 496
Grace Road: Leicestershire 484 v Derbyshire 346-8
Preamble
Good morning! Palm Sunday dawns dull but fine, at least in the north west. Saturday felt like a transition day, with things primed to spark into life today. Big tests in store particularly for Kent, Lancashire and Glamorgan. Play starts at 11am, do drop by for some Sunday chuntering.
