Key events
A strange sight at Chelmsford, with every fielder on the rope….they go for the second run and a diving Brookes just beats the throw. And his reward is to be hit amidships next ball by Porter. We must leave him briefly, rolling on the ground, to see what’s happening elsewhere in Division One.
And on he goes: Brookes pulls, a stylish low whisk between deep square leg and fine leg for four. Then a straight six back over Shane Snater’s head. Forty-four needed. Make that 40 with four byes…Westley stops Snater at the top of his mark and points around the field. Tall Paul joins in…
Apologies, there is, of course, another Division Two game: at Lord’s, where TRJ picked up an early wicket, a filthy Kiran Carlson given out caught behind. But, since then, Cooke and van der Gugten have added another 34 runs. Glamorgan are 51 behind, six down.
And Brookes heaves Harmer once more – this time, they think, into the river.
Brookes still going – Harmer, clonk, six’; Rajitha, hoof, four Worcs need 55 more..
A couple of quick wickets at Hove – both to Jaydon Seales. Foakes removed for 60, Ryan Patel for 24. Surrey lead by four runs.
Rajitha gets his man, Allison for a duck, but now, nine wickets down, Brookes is on the attack – two successive sixes off Rajitha keeps the dream alive.
Around the grounds: in Division Two, there is only one game in town, Kent v Gloucestershire at Canterbury. Ollie Price and Miles Hammond are continuing their work, Glos 154-2, a lead of 233 runs. A declaration mid afternoon- weather permitting?
As well as Porter, the tall, rangy Rajitha is now causing some trouble at Chelmsford. Not sure how long Allison and Brookes will be able to stick around.
And a text-book slip catch to the tallest of those three slips, Paul Walter. Tom Taylor is tempted by one waving at him just outside off stump. A fifth wicket for the excllent Porter, Worcs 192-8.
…Worcestershire have already lost a wicket, and unfortunately for them it was Matthew Waite, a fourth wicket for Porter. The bowlers are in shirt sleeves, the keeper up the stumps, the three slips neatly arranged in height order.
Ali reports from Birmingham, where it is “pissing down”. It isn’t currently raining in Manchester, but is very soggy – think pile of newspapers accidentally left out in the rain by the newsagent. Rain too at Derby. Elsewhere, however…
Free entry at Chelmsford
Last day of the Easter holidays fun? Could be a cracking couple of hours.
Delayed starts ..
at Derby, Old Trafford and Edgbaston.
I’m not sure if Amit is still here, but I read your comment yesterday after work. Thank you for the pointer! For those, who like me, had missed this story: Vaibhav Suryavanshi made his debut for Rajasthan Royals earlier this week. At 14(!) he was already the youngest player to ever feature in the IPL but soon trumped that by hitting Shardul Thakur over extra cover for six first ball. He thumped 34 from 20 balls, in Rajasthan Royals two-run defeat by Lucknow Super Giants.
Photograph: Surjeet Yadav/AP
Read more here. I can’t actually find the youngest Championship player, but Rocky Flintoff and Farhan Ahmed were both 16 when they made their debuts. Wiki suggests it could have been Charles Young , who was 15 when he played for Hampshire against Kent in 1867.
RIP Jeff Evans:
Sunday’s round up
Surrey teammates Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence gave the Hove faithful an Easter treat with hundreds of a deliciously attacking hue. Pope’s 102 was his first Championship hundred for two years, and his first away from The Oval for eight. Lawrence survived one fluffed catch and flayed six sixes in his 92-ball century.
An awful last half‑hour of the day left Lancashire in deep trouble against Leicestershire. Set eight overs to survive, the steady Old Trafford pitch turned toxic track in the hands of Ian Holland and Logan van Beek. Keaton Jennings was bowled off his second delivery. Anderson Phillip, who only landed in Manchester just over a week ago, found himself once more walking out as nightwatchman– for the third innings in four. Nine balls later he was walking back. Michael Jones soon found his off stump dancing behind him. In the end, 16 for three felt like a lucky escape.
Earlier, Tom Hartley had wheeled through 44 overs as Leicestershire ticked along to 491 for eight declared, a lead of 228. Peter Handscomb’s 142 not out punished the tired bowlers, after Rehan Ahmed skipped to his second first‑class hundred.
Ben Compton’s 178 ushered Kent towards safety at Canterbury. Gloucestershire then built a lead of 191 in their second innings before the light dipped. At Lord’s, Glamorgan chances of survival shrank thanks to two wickets in two balls from Middlesex’s Toby Roland‑Jones. Migael Pretorius (five for 64) and Tom Lammonby (three for 26) restricted Hampshire’s first‑innings lead, and Sean Dickson’s undefeated 55 kept Somerset alive.
Worcestershire were set 295 to win at Chelmsford, but Essex picked away, with three wickets for Jamie Porter. The tail must find 110 today on a hybrid pitch. Nottinghamshire need four wickets to beat Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Northamptonshire declared on 500 for eight at Derby, with a century from Saif Zaib and 150 from Luke Procter. Yorkshire rattled through Durham, taking the last nine first‑innings wickets for 126 – after Alex Lees had made 172 and Emilio Gary 152.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 427 v Yorkshire 307 and 132-4
Chelmsford: Essex 179 and 317 v Worcestershire 202 and 185-6 Worcs need 110 to win
Southampton: Hampshire 336 v Somerset 184 and 103-1
Hove: Sussex 435 v Surrey 390-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 93 and 163-6 v Nottinghamshire 367
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 307 and 202-3 v Northamptonshire 500-8dec
Canterbury: Kent 393 v Gloucestershire 472 and 112-2
Old Trafford: Lancashire 263 and 16-3 v Leicestershire 491-8
Lord’s: Middlesex 470-9 v Glamorgan 199 and 186-5
Weather watch
A downbeat Met office: “A rather cloudy start to the day, with outbreaks of rain across western parts. Rain moving eastwards through the day, followed by sunshine and showers. Some of the showers will be heavy at times, with hail and thunder.”
Preamble
Good morning from a damp Manchester. Overnight rain and drizzle in the air does not make for happy Foxes. But there is still time…
With Nottinghamshire and Essex, as well as Leicestershire, still chasing wins, there is much to play for. Points means prizes (maybe). Play is due to start at 11am, pull your umbrella from under the stairs and join us.
