Key events
Warwickshire need 368 to beat Glamorgan
Ali Martin
Equation set at Edgbaston, where Warwickshire have a target of 368 in circa 75 overs ahead of them, Glamorgan the aim of taking 10 wickets. Pitching is playing OK on the whole – seen the odd one keep low – and there is a short boundary to one side. But I don’t think the Bears will be going for it to be honest.
A concussion check for Matt Fisher after being hit by Matthew Revis (who I was told by those in the know at Headingley is an imposing unit) before Fisher darts at Revis and delivers Joe Root a friendly package at first slip. Surrey nine down.
A quick skit around Division Two
Ben Stokes is 28 not out (one four) in Durham’s 226-6 and unless they collapse spectacularly this one is heading for handshakes.
Louis Kimber, who knows something about a run chase, is 22 not out, Nathan McSweeney 46 not out, at Bristol – Northants, six down, need 70 to beat Gloucs.
Jimmy Anderson has five wicketless overs and Worcestershire are moving along nicely at Southport, 46-0.
And Derby, 11-0, need, pleasingly, 111 to beat Middx at Lord’s.
Real life updates from Headingley, thank you Guy Hornsby
“Morning Tanya, from a surprisingly sunny Headingley. I’ve taken a tactical day off work today to try and get to another ground, so sitting in the pavilion end with blue sky and Jhye Richardson steaming in to Bairstow, Root and Brook is a beautiful sight to behold, at least from a cricket point of view.
“Given I’m a Surrey lifer and a Lancs member (having moved to the other side of the Pennines in 2019) it’s not so great. In fact, given I’m in the tiny middle of that venn diagram, I’ll probably keep my counsel amongst a lively few hundred Yorkshire faithful!
“Isn’t cricket fantastic, though.”
Love it! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there today. I think many of us have mixed allegiances, I know I do. Abbott and Fisher still holding on, Surrey 118-8.
Derbyshire need 122 to beat Middlesex
All rushing to a close now at Lord’s, after TRJ goes for another big swing and is caught behind. Harry Duke, 43 not out, now has only Naavya Sharma for company, and he doesn’t last long, four balls, before becoming a third wicket for Matthew Potts. Vintage Roland-Jones needed now for Middlesex to have a sniff.
A hundred for Colin Ingram
A fine century for Colin Ingram at Edgbaston, brought up with a tickle off his pads for one but containing 13 fours and one six along the way. Trying to work out Glamorgan’s intentions here, they’re 327 ahead with 86 overs of the day remaining.
Brian Halford, club doyen, reckons they should declare now and set up a game in the spirit of MKJ’s approach to captaincy.
Surrey staring down a deep hole, as the excellent Jack White plucks away Jordan Clark’s off stump. Surrey 101-8.
Play at Southport and Bristol
Lancs have declared, eleven ahead, so Worcestershire now get Jimmy Anderson on song under friendly seaside skies.
And Northants start their chase, needing another 105 to beat Derby. Advantage Gloucs, no?
Presumably this is the last time this season (?) Tongue-O’Neill- Stone will be spearheading Nottinghamshire’s attack, so Hampshire can count themselves unlucky. Currently 96-5 with a lead of just 81, so will need pluck and weather to get out of this one, even with Sonny Baker and Kyle Abbott on song.
Ali Martin
Glamorgan, through Colin Ingram on 89, are tightening their grip on this match. But Ethan Bamber is doing his best to loosen it, completing his five-wicket to make it eight in the match plus that handy 46 with the bat.
Somerset enforce the follow on – Sussex trail by 273
Two quick wickets for Gregory and Sussex’s first innings is all over. One last heave for those aching bodies. Overton and co just need to glance at the score from Headingley for inspiration.
Things occurring at fast forward again in Leeds. Shortly after Dom Bess drops yesterday’s anchor Dom Sibley, Sibley nibbles at Jhye Richardson (who felled him yesterday) to that man Harry Brook at slip. Richardson just hitting his straps in his final Championship game for Yorkshire.Surrey 90 for six – no, seven as the other overnight batsman Blake is lbw to White.
RIP England captain MJK Smith
Ali Martin
Good morning from Edgbaston, where the players and match officials lined up before play to pay their respects to Warwickshire great MJK Smith, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Smith captained England in 25 of his 50 Tests between 1958 and 1972, and scored just shy of 40,000 first-class runs.
A promising start, cricketers marching out everywhere except Bristol and Southport.
A fascinating round this, things to keep an eye on everywhere, if the weather is kind. An innings defeat for Surrey? Sussex? Glamorgan giving one of the favourites a bloody nose? A tight to and fro at Southampton. And in Div 2, victory for Derby, surely, an opportunity for Kent, a tight chase at Bristol and batting practise at Southport.
Delayed starts at Bristol and Southport
And maybe more.
Weather watch
Hmm. The Met office are not overly optimistic.
Sunshine and showers across much of the country, some heavy with hail and thunder. A drier and brighter interlude is possible across some western areas, ahead of thickening cloud and outbreaks of rain arriving here by late afternoon.
Sonny Baker: “You don’t have to rev him up”
High praise from Hampshire bowling coach Shane Burger for the irrepressible Sonny Baker after his five wickets on Sunday :
“He has been good all season and got his just rewards by landing the ball in good areas and cleaning up the tail. With Sonny, you don’t have to rev him up too much. It is brilliant to have someone like that. I can’t speak highly enough of him and the energy he brings. But the skillset and high work rate is really infectious and you can see it going through the bowling attack.
“He brings a point of difference to the attack. He has shown in the last year or so that his skill level has gone up. He can swing it when required, he can nip it, he can go through the gears and bowl at a high pace.
“He deserves the England call-up and we look forward to seeing him in England colours.”
A note for your diary. Although the next full round doesn’t start until June 15, we will be covering Surrey’s one-off match against Hampshire June 8-11, so do drop by for cricket-coffee-chat.
Scores on the doors
Chelmsford: Essex 293 and 104-3 BEAT Leicestershire 333 and 60 by seven wickets
Southampton: Hampshire 214 and 82-4 v Nottinghamshire 229
Taunton: Somerset 526-8dec v Sussex 236-8
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 252 v Glamorgan 360 and 192-5
Headingley: Yorkshire 486 v Surrey 204 and 83-5
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire 154 and 221 v Northamptonshire 127 and 144-5 Northants need 105 to win
Beckenham: Kent 523 v Durham 173-5
Southport: Lancashire 281-8 v Worcestershire 270
Lord’s: Middlesex 177 and 278-8 v Derbyshire 376
Sunday’s round-up
Under knotted Leeds skies and hi-fi floodlights, Yorkshire’s Harry Brook threw on his bowling cloak and destroyed Surrey’s top order, already under intense pressure after following on.
Bouncing in from the Howard Stand end, and sending down rapid nip-abouters, Brook first dismissed first Ryan Patel – slapping to cover, then bowled his England teammate Jamie Smith, before Adam Thomas happy-slappied one to point. There would have been a fourth if Jonny Bairstow hadn’t let Josh Blake slip through his gloves. In 15 minutes, Brook (three for 11) had doubled his first-class wicket tally at Headingley.
In between, Rory Burns fenced a snorter from White behind and Dan Lawrence played Matthew Revis into his boots only to watch the ball bounce into leg stump. When the rain came, Dom Sibley was the great survivor on 33, despite being knocked to the dirt by Jhye Richardson. Surrey, filleted by George Hill in their first innings, need 200 to make Yorkshire bat again.
Essex won the first game of the round, after a scattergun of wickets at Chelmsford. On a pitch made spicy by overnight rain, Leicestershire were rumbled by Sam Cook (four for 19) and Shane Snater (four for 12), all out for 60, eight of them extras. Essex had a few scares on the way to a victory target of 101, but Matt Critchley and Charlie Allison took them home.
At Lord’s, Derbyshire’s victory against Middlesex was postponed by Leus du Plooy’s 95; Sonny Baker’s five wickets against Nottinghamshire kept Hampshire in the game; Paul Coughlin’s rapid 50 for Lancashire against Worcestershire enlivened events at Southport; Sussex’s Daniel Hughes’ hundred against Somerset was the highlight of an on-off day at Taunton; and Ethan Bamber’s 46 and three for nought in 17 balls gave Warwickshire hope after the Glamorgan teenager Tom Norton grabbed another four wickets.
Water leaking under the covers at Beckenham meant Ben Stokes having a long net was the best the spectators got.
Preamble
Good morning! Wickets, wickets everywhere yesterday, and from the most unexpected directions – here’s looking at the Keighley express Harry Brook. Lots to keep an eye on today, the last match of this Championship block. Do join us, play starts at 11am.