Key events
And now Harris, Taylor nipping one back twixt bat and pad. Lancs 40-5.
A tall slim figure is walking off the pitch at OT, Williams nipping a nut past Flintoff’s askew inside edge. Lancashire 40-4.
A post lunch wicket at Grace Road, Kelly disgruntled to be given out lbw for 39 to Overton. Leics 121-6.
Chris Woakes is making the most of some Kiran Carlson filler, with consecutive boundaries. Warwicks 330-6, the lead 261, which, and I hate to say it, I think it probably enough.
Some disturbing reports from Portsmouth where there seem to have been protests outside the Marriott hotel by people who thought the Pakistan U19 team were migrants. We’ll have more on the story soon.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 69 v Warwickshire 280-5
Grace Road: Leicestershire 83-5 v Somerset 363
Trent Bridge: Notts 377 v Hampshire 114-3
Hove: Sussex 117-2 v Surrey
Headingley: Yorkshire 335-7 v Essex
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 300 v Kent 113-4
Chester le Street: Durham 252 v Middlesex 156-6
Old Trafford: Lancashire 23-3 v Gloucestershire 212
New Road: Worcestershire 200 v Northamptonshire 106-4
If Lancs get through to lunch three down it will be a small miracle, Williams and Langridge bowling beauties.
Jennings snaffled at second slip off his old mucker Will Williams. Lancs 16-3.
Leicestershire struggling too, 79 for five. A couple for Jake Ball.
As are Middlesex, still 96 behind Durham and six down, Higgins (8) just scooped up at first slip by McKinney, who ended up doing a backwards roll in the process.
A tricky ball, pitches middle, jags back , another beauty from Langridge (on loan from Somerset). Harry Singh on his way for 0.
Lancs last five first-innings scores have all been below 200, which is the worst run since 1962, when they finished 16th, just above Leicestershire. (The worst run is ten first-innings scores below 200 in 1958).
The skies are greying over OT, and Hurst got a beauty from Langridge which he nibbled behind. Lancs 8-1.
In Division One:
Warwickshire’s lead over Glamorgan is 171 already, Sam Hain’s unbeaten 61 leading the way. Warwicks 240-4. A couple of wickets for Ben Kellaway.
Leicestershire are subsiding at Grace Road, no hundred for Rehan Ahmed sadly, and only seven for young Hamza Shaikh. Leics 54-4.
Hampshire had enjoyed a good morning, but have just lost Albert and Gubbins with the score on 73, a wicket each for Pennington and Giles. Hants 79-3 trail Notts by 298.
Surrey have picked away at Sussex at Hove and removed both openers. Sussex 86-2.
Yorkshire have passed 300 at Headingley, forties from Hill and Bess frustrating Essex who are yet to be joined by Sam Cook and have lost Jamie Porter midway through the morning to injury. Yorks 303-7.
Langridge, headband, under lights, runs in from the Brian Statham end. Three slips, hands on knees wait.
With an hour gone, time to wander around the grounds. In Division Two:
Kent are wobbling, 67-3, but young Bertie Foreman is still there on 33. Sam Northeast out cheaply. Kent trail Derby by 232.
A super catch by Jennings at slip gives Stanley a second wicket and bowls out Gloucestershire for 212.
Middlesex are holding up against Durham, 118-3, trail by 134, Holden last out for 43. Two wickets for Carse.
And Taylor and Finch have made early inroads into Northants, 63-2 after Worcs were all out for 200.
Fifty for Ahmed
A maiden fifty for Daz Ahmed in his sixth f-c match. A nice round of applause from the fleeced-up OT crowd. Glos 197-8.
Leicestershire 37-2, both to one-man-brass-band Lewis Gregory. I’d really love to see Rehan Ahmed (16) make a century here. He was so so good last year, my favourite player to watch.
Players return to their counties after non-selection for the Test
Sam Cook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir back on the road.
Sonny Baker will stay with the Test team for the next couple of days before joining up with the Lions on Friday.
“Morning, Tanya.” Good morning Max Bonnell! ( I loved Father Marriot’s Summer Holiday by the way, such a good read).
“Serious question: only a few seasons back Lancashire was pressing for the Division One title. How have they managed to become so bad at cricket, so quickly?”
That’s a question! In short: injuries, loss of form for senior pros, loss of confidence, strange management, odd signings, bad luck. For more details, see BTL!
Anderson at slip leaps like a lampost and holds on, giving Mitch Stanley his first wicket of the innings. Williams trudges away for four, Gloucs 183-8.
James Rew was last man out for Somerset (61); Sheridon Gumbs is first man out for Leicestershire (0). Leics 5-1.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a rubicon that Crawley crossed with that eighty the other week, Ben Aitchisoned for 6. Kent 22-2, surely they won’t let it slip out of their grasp now?
Sussex won the toss at Hove and bat first, perhaps not wanting to risk Surrey’s Indian left-arm spinner Mahipal Lomror batting fourth. They’ve nudged along to 16-0.
We’ve just been pondering the strange career of Tom Hartley, who didn’t play for his Hundred franchise, isn’t wanted in the Championship side, but is now playing for the England Lions. I hope he finds his way. And that’s a fourth wicket for the hard-working Balderson, Kishore bowled for 20. Gloucs 171-7.
Noman Ali gets one over this morning, after not bowling at all at Merchant Taylor’s and barely bowling at Worcester.
A good scattering of people in at OT for a dead match in September. From the Jimmy Anderson end, JimmyAnderson.
And the unstoppable Kyle Abbott, after Notts got away from Hampshire at Trent Bridge.
“When you win the toss and bowl on that pitch with lights on, you frankly should do better. We were quite far off mark and I’m pretty disappointed to be honest.
“It was the most grass I’ve seen on a pitch in quite some while. But we’d kind of expected it, I suppose. Notts are champions and at the top while we’ve not had a great summer so they have the right, really. The par for that pitch was probably between 160 and 180, maybe 200 once the ball got softer.
“Amongst it all in a disappointing season I’ve enjoyed it because of the younger boys. We are not short of effort or commitment and the skills should come. I’m trying to help as much as I can with that.”
Ethan Bamber, whose five wickets ripped through Glamorgan’s top order as they were bowled out for 69, spoke last night:
“I got a good amount of good fortune. The pitch seamed a bit, I think just repeat good balls actually I was lucky to return those figures, I didn’t bowl my best at all. There was a lot down leg-side, a lot of half-volleys and a wicket off a no ball but there was enough good stuff in between.
“It’s a slow wicket and on those surfaces you get a bit of moisture then they dry out and we’re lucky they did a bit early on and it’ll get easier.”
Here’s Ali’s preview of the final Test of the summer, starting at Edgbaston at 11 (I wonder why they don’t start at 10.30?)
Round-up
The three leading contenders for the Division One title, Somerset, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire, each had a profitable day, though Warwickshire swung the biggest hammer after dismissing Glamorgan for 69 at Sophia Gardens.
Ethan Bamber was chief destroyer, with five for 28, passing 50 wickets for the season, while Ed Barnard (three for five) provided able backup. There were no demons in the dirt for the visitors, who eased to 154 for three.
Joe Clarke hit his fourth Championship century of the season to rescue Nottinghamshire from the doldrums of 20 for three as Hampshire’s Kyle Abbott made the most of a bile-coloured pitch. Liam Patterson-White (92) and the tail then sailed Notts past 350. Felix Organ and Nick Gubbins survived four overs of evening torment from Olly Stone and Dillon Pennington.
Somerset arrived at Grace Road to find the mood music gloomy after Leicestershire were charged with breaching pitch regulations during their match against Glamorgan in August. Leicestershire “strongly dispute the allegations”, but risk losing the 19 points from that game if the Cricket Discipline Panel finds against them, a kick in the teeth to their hopes of staying in Division One.
Spirits will not have been any brighter when Somerset’s Josh Thomas and Tom Lammonby added 181 for the first wicket. Thomas, just 21 pocketed his third hundred of the year.
Derbyshire fought back from nought for two after two balls against Kent, thanks to an undefeated 129 from Martin Andersson and 47 extras. Bangladesh pace bowler Hasan Mahmud grabbed four wickets. Promotion chasing Kent had four overs to bat and Ben Compton was inevitably [Ben] Aitchisoned.
George Balderson, three for 35 and a run out, had a good day out against Gloucestershire at Old Trafford; while Essex had the best – just – of a relegation rumble against Yorkshire, who lost five for 18 after a prosperous morning.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 69 v Warwickshire 154-3
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Somerset 354-9
Trent Bridge: Notts 377 v Hampshire 12-0
Hove: Sussex v Surrey no play today
Headingley: Yorkshire 241-6 v Essex
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 300 v Kent 11-1
Chester le Street: Durham 252 v Middlesex 70-2
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Gloucestershire 164-6
New Road: Worcestershire 200 v Northamptonshire 16-0
Preamble
Good morning from an autumnal Manchester, heavy dew, overgrown hydrangeas and a dash of sun. After yesterday’s rain, today looks more promising as the top three jostle for position. We’ll be here all day, do join us.
