Key events
Trouble, more trouble for Middlesex in bright sunshie just before lunch as Leus du Plooy gets an inside edge onto his stumps. Middx 52-4.
The bell tolls for Gloucestershire. Fateh Singh, in only his third FC match picks up his fourth wicket, his second caught and bowled of the innings. Sorry Glos have lost six for 31 and lead by just 22 with three wickets left.
Durham need 296 to beat Northants
And they’re racing along. Big Ben McKinney and Alex Lees have hit 48 from the first 11 overs. But wait – that is the best catch I’ve seen this year. George Bartlett up, and up again, stretching with one hand, chimp reaching for a branch at deep gully. McKinney gone for 23. Durham 48-1.
Gloucestershire are in a pickle too – 106-5, lead Worcs by just seven.
Meanwhile at Taunton, Jack Leach celebrates his 35th birthday by thrashing Suthar for six. Somerset 410-8.
Middlesex need 231 to beat Kent!
And it’s not too pretty either. New unstoppable Kent have reduced Middx to 27-2, both wickets to Matt Milnes. Holden and du Plooy with the rebuild.
Thomas Rew out for 149
A standing ovation for the 18 year old ginger prince. What an astonishing innings. Notts finally got him out turning Webster off his legs and into the gloves of Davies. Overton also out for 111 – the partnership 233. Somerset 390-8, lead Warwicks by 268.
His championship career now reads: 0, 30, 68, 127*, 35, 149
Glamorgan need 195 to win
And, oh, what is that? Horrendous running. Billy Root called for the run, Tribe started, but then went back and somehow they both ended up at the non-striker’s end. A furious Root stalks off, run out 0. Glamorgan 0-1.
I was going to say it was weird how Tom Lawes was allowed to swap for Atkinson despite being a much better batter but in fact they average almost exactly the same, 19.something. This game is skipping away from Glamorgan – the lead 189. It should be enough but….The last pair have now added 99 – the lead 189 over Surrey.
Durham are rattling through Northants now. Another catch by Ben McKinney, who has been a safe pair of hands since he dropped Vasconcelos in the first over of Ben Stokes spell on Friday! Sanderson the man gone, a second wicket for Aldridge. Northants 240-9.
A hundred for Craig Overton
The partnership between Tom Rew and Craig Overton has now passed 200 – the lead over Warwickshire 244 – and Overton has a hundred of his own! A third of what has been a rich season. still think he would have done a job at The Oval.
A seventh wicket for Tom Helm at Canterbury. Parkinson followed shortly afterwards for a duck and Kent, 257-9, – lead Middlesex by 230. Game on!
And Romeo’s pets’ corner is open here – place the pet to the CCLive reader.
I’ve just been chatting to young Thomas Ridley who is doing the Counter Press website for Durham cricket, The Chester. Worth a look for those of you who want more Durham news.
Look up to see Guthrie striding off, driving to mid on into the hands of a diving mid-on, Ben Raine. Northants 230-8.
Time to go round the grounds.
And Potts strikes! Bartlett, surprised, pops one up to backward point.northants 204-7.
Matthew Potts throws his bowling marker on the ground and is opening the bowling from the Finchale end. It’s still quite nice and cool here in north country, long may it last.
Roundup: Leicestershire canter to first top-tier win in 23 years
On the day the England and Wales Cricket Board whisked Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson away from County Championship action, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Hampshire and Derbyshire stole the show, tucking wins under their belt within three days.
At Grace Road, Leicestershire, without a win this summer, rolled over Yorkshire by an innings and 39 runs – their first victory in Division One since 2003. Dan Moriarty (51), with Dom Bess (40) and then Jack White (21), bashed 95 for the last two wickets, but it was too little, too late.
Hampshire’s dreadful season also had a timely fillip, beating Sussex by 118 runs in front of a large and vocal crowd let in for free on Father’s Day. Sussex needed 253 for victory and Dan Hughes and Tom Alsop sailed them safely to lunch but things hit choppy waters from there as Sussex lost seven for 26, with Eddie Jack grabbing a career-best four for 36.
Essex were undone by Nottinghamshire on a turning Chelmsford pitch that had been designed for Simon Harmer. Instead, it was Notts’ spinner Liam Patterson-White who finished with career-best match figures of nine for 109 as Essex were bowled out for 221 to lose by an innings. Fergus O’Neill pocketed five for 39.
It was another miserable day for Lancashire, who were dismissed before lunch at Chesterfield to tick off a fourth defeat of the season. Derbyshire’s Ben Aitchison completed a happy match with five for 49. Seventeen-year-old Joe Moores biffed a maiden first-class 50, clonking four sixes along the way.
Stokes warmed up with Durham and there was some dismay that his substitute Colin Ackermann would not be allowed to bowl. Stokes also had a hand in Northamptonshire bringing in substitute Gus Miller, called up to replace Luke Procter, whose finger had got in the way of a Stokes straight drive.
Miller top-scored in Northants’ second innings with a pretty 61, becoming the second Augustus to play for Northants after Richard Augustus Agincourt Beresford, whose niece Elisabeth wrote The Wombles. At stumps the Northants lead was 245, the game nicely in the balance. Matthew Potts again bowled with verve to pick up three for 58.
While there was no place for James Rew in England’s squad for the third Test, his brother Thomas stroked a second century for Somerset in eight days. His A-levels done and dusted, he hit an unbeaten 133 in an enterprising fightback against Warwickshire alongside Craig Overton (89 not out) to take the match into a tantalising fourth day.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Chelmsford: Nottinghamshire 457 BEAT Essex 184 and 221 by an innings and 52 runs
Sophia Garden: Glamorgan 358 v Surrey 105 and 398-9
Grace Road: Leicestershire 453 BEAT Yorkshire 185 and 229 BY an innings and 39 runs.
Taunton: Somerset 208 and 341-6 v Warwickshire 330
Hove: Hampshire 191 and 220 BEAT Sussex 159 and 134 by 188 runs.
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 364 and 25-1 BEAT Lancashire 161 and 226 by nine wickets
Chester-le-Street: Durham 405 v Northants 450 and 200-6
Canterbury: Kent 416 and 233-7 v Middlesex 443
New Road: Worcestershire 388 v Gloucestershire 289 and 59-1
Good morning from beautiful Chester le Street and welcome to the final day of Championship cricket until August 20. Only five games to keep an eye on today after Notts and the unlikely trio of Leicestershire, Hampshire and Derby won in three days, but still plenty to enjoy especially at Taunton, where young princeling Thomas Rew and old hand Craig Overton have given Somerset something to bowl at. Amid the chaos, play always starts at 11am. Do join us.
