Key events
A fizz-bang piece pick up and throw from Tom Bailey runs out Broad for 19 to rid Lancashire of the frustrating Broad. Northants 403-7.
Elsewhere, Rew and Gregory and inching Somerset towards semi-respectability – 124-7 –Durham are all out for 387, Notts for 347 and Yorkshire for 456.
Here, by way of contrast, is Hassan Ali receiving his full county cap, Jimmy Anderson again handing out the prize.
“Good morning and all the joys of spring – red ball cricket high on that list – Tanya.” And to you Geoff Wignall.
“Time was when the award of a county cap was a significant moment in a player’s career, often not coming until the second season. When did this change to caps being handed out at the start of a fortnight’s loan? It seemed to pass me by.”
Ah, I have the answer to this. The cap that Turner was presented with was a second XI cap, with a closed bud. If he was capped properly, his cap would carry the red rose in full glory. Yorkshire do the same thing, only of course with a white flower.
D’Oliveira injured
Good morning to Tim Maitland, our BTL eyes at Headingley.
“More bad news for Worcestershire. Skipper Brett D’Oliveira has gone off the field injured, seemingly unlikely to return. He tried to take a steepling hoik from Jordan Thompson, spilled it and instantly signalled to the pavilion, suggesting that at least one of his digits was no longer pointing in a satisfactory direction.
”Yorkshire have just passed 450 too.”
McKinney out, and more
A clatter of wickets this morning round the grounds. McKinney after passing 150 but not adding much to his overnight score, Ben Coad after a flurry of fours, Rehan Ahmed after a juggled slip catch, Grant Stewart for 56 and Somerset have lost two wickets and are now struggling at 91 for seven. James Rew the highest scorer with 27 not out.
Two slips for Anderson Phillip, Jones and Jennings, vigorous with early morning optimism. And it is justified! The ball after Zaib has fizzed one to the boundary, he slashes at a wide one with iron feet and is caught behind for 116. Northants 363-6.
John Turner came up to talk to the press last night after his Lancs debut, and an ice bath. He spoke very well, laughed about how much he plays with his hair when bowling and said that he had played under Dale Benkenstein at school in South Africa, so was thrilled to be playing for him again at Old Trafford.
Two divisions or not two divisions?
Friday’s round-up
Young England white-ball bowler John Turner, sent on a 14-day loan to Old Trafford from Hampshire, was handed his debut Lancashire cap by Jimmy Anderson. A few hours later it was revealed that plain Jimmy was soon to be Sir, knighted in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list.
Knight or not, Anderson won’t have been too sad to miss bowling on an Old Trafford pitch as hard as briskly-baked biscuit, thanks to the sunniest March on record and Manchester’s rain taking an overdue holiday. Turner ran in with vigour, and some menace, but tirelessly as he and the Lancs attack bowled, Northamptonshire waved them off. Saif Zaib made a calm and, at times, charming century, while James Sales, in kissing distance of a ton, shovelled the ball straight to mid-on, slumping off the ground like a man destined for the gunge tank.
Durham’s accomplished young man in the wings, Ben McKinney, collected a second Championship hundred, a calm 143 not out against Warwickshire, while Ben Stokes watched from the sidelines. Briefly marooned in the 90s, he reached three figures with a fizz and put on 109 with Matthew Potts (53).
South African Kyle Verreynne was Nottinghamshire’s linchpin as they fought back from 78 for five at Trent Bridge. His collected 111 frustrated Essex, with Rob Key keeping an eye on Sam Cook, who bowled both beautifully and unluckily, for his two wickets.
A century of iron will by Dom Sibley knotted Surrey together at the Oval. Sibley carried his bat – only Geoff Boycott has done so more times since the second world war – while Hampshire, led by Brad Wheal, chipped away at the hallowed lineup.
A topsy-turvy game at Hove left Sussex on top, despite collapsing in the afternoon sun. A late flurry of wickets from Fynn Hudson-Prentice saw Somerset floundering in the dirt at 62 for five at stumps. At Headingley, Yorkshire made the most of top-notch batting conditions, Dawid Malan leading the way with 98. Worcestershire’s slips were given Jonny Bairstow’s finest glower after he was somewhat unluckily given out, caught behind for seven.
Everyone’s favourite boom or bust cricketer Zak Crawley was lbw to Toby Roland-Jones for a four-ball duck at Canterbury. Kent were batting after tea after bowling Middlesex out for 222, but were soon themselves in trouble, finishing 172 for six. Sol Budinger (81) got Leicestershire off to a flying start at Grace Road, the toiling Derbyshire bowlers having to watch the scoreboard tick past 400; while Gloucestershire’s Cameron Bancroft hotfooted it off the plane to make light work of Glamorgan, scoring 163 in his first game as red-ball captain.
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 343-7 v Warwickshire
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 328-8 v Essex
The Oval: Surrey 253 v Hampshire 55-1
Hove: Sussex 294 v Somerset 62-5
Headingley: Yorkshire 425-8 v Worcestershire
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 368-3 Glamorgan
Canterbury: Kent 172-6 v Middlesex 222
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Northamptonshire 355-5
Grace Road: Leicestershire 423-9 v Derbyshire
Preamble
Hello! It’s a magical morning again, cornflower skies, nodding bluebells and a first willow warbler of the year. The coffee is brewing and Huey Morgan is playing David Bowie’s Modern Love. April perfection.
On the pitch, there were centuries for Dom Sibley, Cameron Bancroft, Saif Zaib, Ben McKinney and Kyle Verreynne but trouble on the horizon for Somerset, and the game in fast-forward at Canterbury. Time for me to set off to Old Trafford, home of gentil soon-to-be-knyght Jimmy Anderson. Back shortly.
