Key events
As Durham breathe down Derbyshire’s neck, fielders in every eyeline, time for me to write up for the paper. Do chat on BTL.
A hundred for Charlie Allison and Ricardo Vasconcelos
Allison’s a vital knock in Essex’s 302-3 against Somerset, deficit almost cleared; and Vasconcelos grinding Lancs into the OT dust. Out for exactly 100 in Northants 235-4, the lead 382, two wickets for Noman.
Oh Derbyshire. Already three down, for ten. First, Jewell caught off Carse, then a double for Potts in one over, Harry Came lbw bashed on both pads, and Madsen also lbw for a two-ball duck.
Five months late to this story, but Oscar has just told me about Kent employing a faith healer during the winter to “warden off the evil spirits.”
So Popes-Foakes won’t be saving the day at The Oval after all, after a fed-up Foakes loses his middle-stump to Pennington for one. A brute of a ball and Foakes wanders back to the pavilion. Surrey 45-4 and in the five minutes I was distracted chatting to Oscar from the Cricketer, lose a fifth, Mahipal Lomror a second for Pennington.
Durham declare 295-6 (Stokes 66 not out) Derby need 423 to win
Stokes biffing fours for fun, though not before letting go of his bat and watching it fly to square leg. And there’s the declaration! Derby will need 423 to win.
The umpires have a chat about the light and signal ignition to the scorers. Stokes has a cross-legged one handed slog off Bashir for four more.
Montgomery almost loses his hand as he makes the foolish error of trying to stop a Stokes missile. The Durham lead now 409 and a declaration imminent. Surely.
A 38-ball fifty for Stokes
Gets there with a two-step dally down the pitch and smashes six onto the roof of the media centre above me head. Crash.
Apologies for completely missing the fact that Lewis Gregory is injured, after falling on a ball and hurting his hip in the first innings, which might explain the Essex scorecard – 251-3 (Allison 78, Critchley 40). They trail Essex now by just 60.
Meanwhile, at The Oval, Surrey lose a third. Burns for 16. Another 289 needed. This has Foakes-Pope rescue-act written all over it.
And a third wicket for Bashir as Durham continue the search for quick runs. Ollie Robinson gone for five. Brydon Carse’s arrival will push harder on the accelerator.
Now Bashir gets the treatment, Stokes opens up and pokes six the temporary-permanent stand. Nearly gets out messing about, then smacks four over mid off.
Stokes gets his eye properly in by frying panning Mongomery and his arm-behind-back ways for a straight six. Can’t get hold of him next ball with a reverse-sweep, then a single to deep midwicket. The Durham lead 365.
Graham Clark has a grand slog-sweep-swish and is caught. A second wicket for Bashir.
Tea-time-ish scores
Southampton: Hampshire 197 and 7-0 v Yorkshire 173 and 301 Hampshire need 271 to win
Grace Road: Leicestershire 151 and 257 v Glamorgan 152 and 4-0 Glamorgan need 253 to win
Taunton: Somerset 469 v Essex 158 and 232-3
The Oval: Surrey 162 and 32-2 v Nottinghamshire 184 and 306 Surrey need 297 to win
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 161 and 91-3 v Sussex 156 and 207 Warwicks need 112 to win
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 156 v Durham 283 and 222-4
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 150 and 107-2 v Worcestershire 267
Old Trafford: Lancashire 137 v Northamptonshire 284 and 121-1
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 249 v Kent 350 and 254 Middx need 356 to win
Montgomery’s seventh ball of the innings is a short pie and lofted down the ground for six by McKinney. Next ball is aimed the same way but McKinney is walking while the ball is in the air and Andersson completes the catch. McKinney out for a fabulous 140, Durham 222 for four and they take tea.
Hampshire need 278 to beat Yorkshire
Fourth innings a go-go. Yorkshire all out 301, four wickets for Organ and useful thirties from Bairstow and Hill.
Stokes is content with a tinker and a single.
Wow, McKinney cover drives Andersson for four, like with the deep clock of woodblock , then straight drives him for four more. Bashir gets McKinney and in comes Stokes…
Olly Stone! Wickets seven and eight of the match, Sibley and Thomas caught behind off fire. Surrey 17 for two.
Ali Martin
Just bumped into the ever-friendly Olly Hannon-Dalby, who was off to the Colts Ground for a tune up with the bat. That he thinks his thick, unbranded slab of willow might be needed says a bit about the match situation and a pitch that is nibbling. Warwickshire have been set 203 to win but Sussex have already sent three back to the pavilion, with Sean Hunt, Jaydev Unadkat, and Henry Crocombe picking up one apiece to see the hosts 43 for three. Game very much on.
100 for Ben McKinney!
After the blazes of glory, he jogs to his century with a single – 10 fours, four sixes, 130 balls. What a treat to watch. Durham 163-2, lead Derbys by 290. So much talent, now learning how to channel it.
Surrey need 329 to beat Notts
The highest score of the game v the pitch getting easier. Notts were all out for 306, with some helpful bish-bash from the tail and 21 extras. Four wickets each for Fisher and Worrall.
Andersson gets some reward, arrow straight on Rhodes’ pad, lbw for 52. Durham 157-2.
McKinney lofts Bashir for two sixes, he makes it look so simple when it works, and now rifle-shots Andersson over deep midwicket for six more. He flies to 96.
While McKinney (76) and Rhodes (50) tuck into Durham, time to look around the other Div 2 grounds.
Bancroft and Phillips have given Glos a better start to their second innings, 74-0 against Worcs at Durham, still trail by 43.
Northants’ top two are making hay as well, Vasconcelos and Procter have eased Northants to 89-0, the lead over Lancs already 236.
And Middlesex are winkling out Kent, who have lost four for 13 and are now eight down. Three wickets for Higgins. Benjamin 23 not out. The Kent lead 312.
This is sublime by McKinney.
Well played Essex, who have dug in at Taunton. Allison and Critchley have added 67. They still trail Somerset by 117, seven wickets in hand. Their first innings is now looking like a nasty fever dream.
Warwickshire need 203 to beat Sussex
Here we go. Sussex were all out for 207, with Tom Haines (67) the only. man to really get in. Three wickets for Bamber, two each for Woakes, Booth and Barnard.
Cat and mouse between Randell and McKinney as the clouds come over. Meanwhile at MTS, Tom Helm removes Ekansh Singh and Ben Compton (65) in successive balls.
Notts have a lead of 300 at The Oval, thanks largely to Joe Clarke, bowled Fisher for 95. Useful runs for Haynes and Verreynne too. Four wickets for Fisher, four for Worrall.
A bit of spin, a spot of dust, for Shoaib Bashir, into his second over.
No maiden hundred for young Gumbs, bowled for 93 by Van der Gugten. He turns around and has a slow look at his stumps before wandering away. Leicestershire 199 for seven.
Ooof that was some shot by McKinney who pulls Aitchison round the corner to bring up the hundred.
Fifty for Ben McKinney
From six foot seven McKinney reaches 50 with some wristy magic, then in the same over drives Potts ramrod straight for four more. 68 balls, eight fours. Durham 86-1 lead by 214.
This is a fascinating read:
Bang, at Southampton, Wharton grabbed at short leg off Organ for 47. Bang, Fisher adds a second wicket to his wicket before lunch, Stones caught Foakes for a duck at The Oval. Bang, Sussex lose an eighth at Edgbaston, Crocombe edges behind off Bamber for 5.
Lunchtime scores
Southampton: Hampshire 197 v Yorkshire 173 and 208-6
Grace Road: Leicestershire 151 and 178-6 v Glamorgan 152
Taunton: Somerset 469 v Essex 158 and 135-3
The Oval: Surrey 162 v Nottinghamshire 184 and 258-7
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 161 v Sussex 156 and 185-7
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 156 v Durham 283 and 59-1
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 150 and 15-0 v Worcestershire 267
Old Trafford: Lancashire 137 v Northamptonshire 284 and 4-0
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 249 v Kent 350 and 167-4
A gorgeous four down the ground for McKinney and that’s lunch. Durham 59 for one, scores around the grounds to follow.
In a low-scoring round, Lancs win the prize – all out for 137, a first-innings deficit of 147. Balderson stranded for a lonely four. Four wickets for Sanderson, three for Guthrie. With Kent also on top against Middx (158-3, fifty for Ben Compton,)Northants have their eye on the prize.
Here at Derby, Randell now runs in from the Racecourse end. He and Shoaib Bashir put their heads together and earnestly mull something over as McKinney gets a new bat. Immediately McKinney edges four past the slips, then picks up another with a trademark tall one legged clip through midwicket.
Gloucestershire have finally winkled out Worcestershire at Cheltenham for 267, a more-than-handy first-innings lead of 117. D’Oliveira last man out for 83, four wickets for Sai Kishore.
Fifty for Sheridon Gumbs
The highest score of the match for Gumbs at Grace Road, who has moved onto 63 and brings up Leicestershire’s 150 with a cover drive. Three wickets for ul Hassan.
Noman is no more. Lancs 120-8.
It’s clouded over here and Durham have safely negotiated three overs of Aitchison. The slips fold their arms and chat into their beards. Durham 22 for one as Aitchison keeps McKinney quiet for another over.
Jonny is in for Yorkshire, batting at eight after injuring a digit while keeping yesterday. He’s got Wharton for company and Yorkshire need them to be adhesive, the lead is just 150.
Four wickets for Sanderson now in Mancheseter Flintoff (15) and Walkden (0). Noman gets to try out OT for size.
To Grace Road, where Leicestershire have lost three wickets this morning, and lead by just 123 with five wickets left. Gumbs still there on 46. After last year’s annus mirabilis, Rehan Ahmed is averaging 28.62 this summer, with just one hundred. He made 3 and 15 in this game.
Anything Potts can do…that man Ben Aitchison gets Lees first ball as he obligingly prods a ball to gully. Durham 0 for one.
I see Lancs have slipped to 107-5, Shetty (37) followed by Moores (1) an over later.
Five wickets for Matthew Potts!
Iced with panache by plucking out Shoaib Bashir’s middle stump. Derbyshire 156 all out, trail Durham by 127. Potts 5-45 leads Durham off, after taking 8-66 against Derbyshire up at CLS in June.
Carse looks sensational, 100 per cent pure thoroughbred. Way too good for Derbyshire yesterday, even if the wickets column doesn’t show it. But the press box have been mulling that if he pitched it up and hit the stumps more he’d be unplayable. And boom, he does, and bowls Nick Potts for 2. Derbyshire 153-9.
Ali Martin
Morning … just arrived at Edgbaston, where moments later Chris Woakes wiped out the leg stump of James Coles. Being the man he is, still felt duty bound to turn to the umpire and appeal. A bad misjudgement from Coles, who made that big double hundred back in June but struggled under the weight of that huge contract during the Hundred. Sussex 95 for four, leading by 90 as I write this.
Keaton Jennings has gone at OT. Rocky Flintoff comes out. Lancs 84-3.
We’ve just been mulling over the possible comings and goings at Derby. Div 2’s leading wicket taker Ben Aitchison has another year on his contract – but that might not stop other clubs cold calling. And there’s a fourth wicket for Matthew Potts as he bowls Dal with a pearler. Derby 146 for eight.
The first wicket of the day came at The Oval in this ding-dong bout between Surrey and Notts. A third wicket for Worrall, Haynes lbw for 34. Notts are four down, leading by 179, but batting does, usually, famous last words, get easier at The Oval as the match goes on.
Stokes calls Ashes venues ‘shambolic’
Both Joe Root and Ben Stokes have spoken out about the scheduling for next year’s men’s Ashes series which excludes a Test in the north of England. Trent Bridge will be the most northerly venue. Root called it a “shame” after England’s win at Headingley, and Stokes, on instagram, posting a screenshot of Root’s words, said: “Shame is an understatement tbh!! Shambolic would be more appropriate. Great win though.” There will be an Ashes women’s Test at Leeds next year.
In other news, that didn’t take long. Off goes Aitchison, lbw for 11 to Potts – Derbyshire 135-7.
Potts with the opening over, a maiden. Brydon Carse, who was rapid yesterday, from the Racecourse end.
Roundup: Stokes turns on style with 50 for Durham, Notts fight back
Ben Stokes could have been at Leeds, taking part in the demolition of Pakistan. Instead, he was 80 miles away, bashing 53 and hooplaing two wickets against Derbyshire at the Racecourse Ground.
There were plenty of trademark shots in his 11 fours, including a cross-legged lofted drive down the ground that brought warm murmurs from the crowd perched on white plastic seats. He was eventually out to a leading edge, caught by Anuj Dal like a man taking a kitchen catch from the fruit bowl.
Durham’s innings folded with the appearance of the new ball, the excellent Ben Aitchison, Division Two’s leading wicket taker, picking up his second five-fer of the year against them. The teams took an early tea, a steadying brew for Derbyshire who had to face a Test-worthy attack. Stokes came on first change and made the breakthrough with his first ball. Derbyshire finished gingerly, six wickets down.
The Oval, often the land of plenty, proved as much a minefield for Surrey as it had for Nottinghamshire. Olly Stone, whose constant threat has only been muted by injury, collected an outstanding six for 44, including Ollie Pope for a duck.
Seam bowlers ruled at Edgbaston where 20 wickets were razed in the day. Sussex’s last seven could only muster 44 runs, as Chris Woakes grabbed four for 36, then Warwickshire were whistled out for 161.
There was little daylight between the sides at Southampton. Hampshire limped to a 24-run first-innings lead, thanks largely to 46 from Tom Prest and some lower-order ballast. George Hill finished with five for 29. Adam Lyth’s fifty propped up Yorkshire’s second innings.
Kent took seven Middlesex wickets in the afternoon session at Merchant Taylor’s, with five for Matt Milnes, before losing two of their own, including Zak Crawley for a duck.
At Taunton, Lewis Gregory reduced Essex to two for three in his first eight balls. They reached 158 thanks to Paul Walter and Matt Critchley but were made to follow on. Earlier a tenth-wicket stand of 72 between the No 11 Migael Pretorius and James Rew (74 not out) carried Somerset past 450.
The injury replacement Rehaan Edavalath (63) was Worcestershire’s top scorer at Cheltenham. Ben Allison had earlier grabbed a career-best five for 19 as Gloucestershire were all out for 150. George Bartlett’s 92 propped up Northamptonshire at Old Trafford, while 15 wickets fell at Grace Road in a tightly fought game between 2025’s promoted teams, Leicestershire and Glamorgan.
Scores on the doors
Close of play scores
Southampton: Hampshire 197 v Yorkshire 173 and 135-5
Grace Road: Leicestershire 151 and 79-2 v Glamorgan 152
Taunton: Somerset 469 v Essex 158 and 59-0
The Oval: Surrey 162 v Nottinghamshire 184 and 147-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 161 v Sussex 156 and 84-3
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 127-6 v Durham 283
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 150 v Worcestershire 205-7
Old Trafford: Lancashire 68-2 v Northamptonshire 284
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 249v Kent 350 and 38-2
Preamble
Good morning! It’s a crunchy late summer Saturday in Derby, some of the maples around the Racecourse playing fields crunchy and dry, even the oak leaves an insipid green-white. They need more rain, even if the Championship doesn’t. Whether it is the dry pitches, or the heavy dose of white-ball cricket, some of these games are racing to a conclusion. Lots to keep an eye on, especially with the Test done and dusted in three days. Do join us.