Key events
Worcestershire – what are you doing? The pressure of winning a game weighing heavy – 75-7. Harmer now 3-13.
George Bell is a brave man, crouching as if to pet a puppy at Morley’s feet as Anderson glides in. It still takes a shift of brain gear to realise that he won’t be bowling for England again. Going by yesterday, Northants have another couple of Anderson overs to contend with before he takes a break. Northants 124-4.
A Sunday missive from Tim Maitland. Hello!
”I’ve been wondering how Somerset’s Tom Banton has been coping with his meager returns (6, 0, 5, 26, 3, 12, 13 and most recently 6 for a grand total of 71 runs) since his mammoth 371 against Worcestershire at the start of April.
”His struggles remind me of a feature I wrote for some golf magazines back in 2011 about the unprecedented void in winning experience of the world’s top golfers caused by Tiger Woods’ (and actually also Vijay Singh’s) domination of the game.
”Conveniently, it was the week that Graeme McDowell returned to the States after winning the 2010 US Open, perfectly teeing up my work by saying “Ï’d always joked that if I won a Major, you wouldn’t see me for dust: I’d be on a beach sipping cocktails.”
”His thrust being, that he was desperate for anyone who could tell him how you actually start again after such a huge triumph.
”As an aside, I spoke to Gary Woodland that week who, having just won his first PGA event, thought that his experience playing basketball on scholarship at Washburn University before switching to golf at the University of Kansas, would help him “down the stretch” in golf tournaments because winning was a daily occurrence in basketball. He claimed only one more tournament in the next seven years and, while he does have the 2019 US Open victory to keep him warm on those cold winter nights, still has only four victories to his name.
”More pertinent to Tom Banton’s plight, I also chatted with Justin Rose, who of course finished fourth at the 1998 Open Championship as a 17-year-old amateur, turned professional immediately and missed the first 21 cuts of his professional career: “It’s almost as if you have to be careful what you wish for,” he said.
”Having never won anything more heady than a pub quiz myself, I came to the conclusion that success can mess with your mind just as badly as failure. I suspect Tom Banton, who might have allowed himself to imagine a future England call-up had his form after his triple hundred met his expectations, or at least his hopes, might be inclined to agree.”
Very true, I’m not sure that being the most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most talented, promises you a life of equilibrium.
Old Trafford bathes in sunlight once again. Jimmy Anderson is running in again from his own end and Brooke Guest rolls him off his hips for four. A very cosy field.
Saturday’s round-up
After a tumultuous few days, Lancashire ground their way past 450 against Derbyshire at Old Trafford. But despite the diligence of the batting, that wasn’t why the people came. The only batter to get a standing ovation? Number 11: James Anderson, 309 days since his last Test, 318 days since he did a turn for Lancashire at Southport.
The spectators, allowed on the field of play between innings, paused to stare at the heavy roller then drifted over to where Lancashire were warming up, phones pointed at Anderson as he flexed a hip there, shimmied through a rope ladder there.
The mechanics all seemed good. Still lean as a race horse. Still wearing the fat white wristbands. Still a sharp haircut. Still immaculately turned out. He took the ball at the Jimmy Anderson End to huge applause. And back the clock wound – puffed cheeked approach, head down unwind. And if he wasn’t quite pitch perfect immediately, it only took 18 balls for him to angle in the ripest peach from the peachiest tree and clip the top of Caleb Jewell’s off stump.
A second followed soon afterwards, David Lloyd, discomforted by a series of bouncers, jagging his head back but gloving behind. Anderson finished with two for 24 from his five overs and Derbyshire, four down at stumps, will see more of him on Sunday.
The 22-year-old George Bell, who made a useful 57, was watching closely: “That was class. I always enjoy it when he’s bowling, especially when I’m stood in the slips, something I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to do. A bit of extra bounce, a bit of zip as well, he’ll find anything on that pitch that there is to have.”
At Chester-le-Street, nightwatchman James Minto, 17, became the youngest Durham player to pass 50, ping-ponging leaders Nottinghamshire for 67. Half centuries for Adam Lyth and Emilio Gay took Durham to within 87 runs of parity.
Sussex were made to follow on by Somerset at Hove, after Craig Overton thundered through three wickets and swallowed three slip catches for good measure. After Daniel Hughes and Tom Haines put on 100 second time around, Sussex then lost four for 21.
Peter Hanscomb once more waved merrily to his old county Middlesex, hitting 89 to give Leicestershire the upper hand – just – at Lord’s. Zafar Gohar grabbed four wickets.
Glamorgan piled on the runs at Sophia Gardens, with half centuries for the free-flowing Ben Kellaway, Sam Northeast, Kiran Carlson and Timm van der Gugten, before reducing Northants to 49 for three in their second innings, still 190 behind. Cameron Green rescued Gloucestershire with 102 not out against Kent.
Eighties from Ben Foakes and Australian Kurtis Patterson put Surrey in a comfortable position against Yorkshire at the Oval, while Warwickshire were whistled out cheaply by Kyle Abbott, before Fletcha Middleton gave Hampshire a solid lead of 265.
Essex were routed for 157 at New Road, Tom Taylor the pick of the bowlers. Worcestershire then collapsed to 58 for five before stumps – but a solid lead of 259 buttressing their back pocket.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chester-le-Street: Durham 320-4 v Nottinghamshire 407
Taunton: Somerset 338 v Sussex 152 and 127-4
The Oval: Surrey 384-7 v Yorkshire 255
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 194 v Hampshire 300 and 159-6
New Road: Worcestershire 358 and 58-5 v Essex 157
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 424 v Northants 185 and 49-3
Bristol: Gloucestershire 307-4 v Kent 424
Old Trafford: Lancashire 458 v Derbyshire 112-4
Lord’s: Middlesex 232 and 10-0 v Leicestershire 274
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Preamble
Good morning! It’s another sunny one and at Old Trafford it is Jimmy Anderson part two. Northants and Sussex are in trouble but some intriguing games bubbling up elsewhere, games start at 11am, do join us.
