Tag: County Championship

County Championship Day Two

A look at goings on in the county championship with the main focus on the west midlands derby. Also a bumper photo gallery with a very special feature image.

The county championship season is into its second day, and most matches have now had some action. I continue to follow the west midlands derby, which shows every sign of being a classic game. Elsewhere, Sam Northeast is cashing in on the feebleness of Middlesex’s bowling – he now has the highest ever first class score at Lord’s, having surpassed Graham Gooch’s 333 for England v India in 1990.

WARWICKSHIRE V WORCESTERSHIRE

Warwickshire fought their way back into things in the later stages of yesterday, and by the close Worcestershire were 316-7 after 93 overs (bad light curtailed play with three overs not bowled, but we were by then half an hour past the scheduled close due to the preponderance of seam bowling on display. This morning Worcestershire advance their score to 360, a fine effort for a side sent into bat. Veteran seamer Joe Leach took a wicket for Worcestershire, but Warwickshire are going nicely at 94-1, skipper Alex Davies on a solid 32*, Will Rhodes a punchier 33*, with Rob Yates out for 26. Yates was once on England’s radar after a superb breakthrough season, but he has done little recently, and a score of 26 with a few nice strokes is not really what is required of an opener in first class cricket. Alex Davies has gone while I was preparing this post for publication – a good started wasted through a poor shot. Will Rhodes is still there, and Ed Barnard has joined him, and got underway with a six.

ELSEWHERE

Lancashire v Surrey saw no play at all yesterday, but they have managed to make a start today – Lancashire are 61-1 in the 24th over. The wicket, that of failed England opener Keaton Jennings, has gone to Dan Lawrence via a return catch. Somerset have five Kent wickets down so far, but Harry Finch and Joey Evison are offering resistance for Kent. Lewis Gregory has three wickets to his credit. The county of my birth, Gloucestershire are involved in one of two fixtures not to have had any play on the first two days (day two washouts already confirmed in both cases), the Derbyshire ground staff, like their Durham counterparts for the match against Northamptonshire being unable to render the surface playable. Glamorgan have decided that 620-3, with Northeast 335*, is enough for them and have declared.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I have a bumper photo gallery for you (don’t forget to click on images to view them at a larger size)…

Mama duck escorts the youngsters.
Four bees in a single shot – this is the original before any sort of editing…
…this is cropped but not otherwise edited…
…and this is cropped and edited…
…while this is an even closer crop focussing on the three ‘loose’ bees…
…and this focuses on the bee of a different species that as already picked a flowers.

County Championship 2024 Under Way

A look at developments so far onn the opening day of the county championship 2024 season, with the focus on the west midlands derby. Also a photo gallery.

Today is the first day of a new County Championship season. One advantage of having 18 first class sides is that it is relatively unlikely even in an English April to be pissing down in nine different locations simultaneously. Many of today’s matches have been affected by weather, with the entire day washed out in more than one location. Warwickshire v Worcestershire, the west midlands derby, has been unaffected and it has been that game that I have been following via http://www.bbc.co.uk/cricket and http://www.cricinfo.com. This post looks at what has happened so far.

THE PRELIMINARIES

Warwickshire featured a first class debutant, Michael Booth, born in Harare, formerly a KwaZulu Natal Under 15s player and now on the way to qualifying by residence for England. The sides were reflective of what might be expected in an English April, with both going for deep batting line ups (Worcestershire had Joe Leach, pretty close to being an all rounder, down at number 10 on their list) and spin bowling barely featuring (Warwickshire have Danny Briggs in their line up, but the nearest thing to a genuine spin option for Worcestershire would be Brett D’Oliveira’s part time leg spin). Mr D’Oliveira is part of a cricketing dynasty now into its third generation of FC cricketers, and they have a connection with Worcestershire that stretches back 60 years – grandfather Basil played his county cricket for them, as did the middle generation, Damian. Warwickshire won the toss and decided to bowl.

BAD BOWLING OR KOOKABURRA EFFECT?

This match is being played with Kookaburra balls rather than the Duke ball that is usually used in this country. Warwickshire have not bowled that well, their field settings have sometimes been awry (the debutant should have had a scalp in his first over but for a bizarre slip field setting featuring a second slip and a fourth slip but no one in between – Booth got one to take an edge which would have gone directly to third slip had such a fielder been in place.), and there has been little sign of trouble for the Worcestershire batters. Jake Libby did fall to the debutant for 38, courtesy of a fine boundary catch, but that remains Warwickshire’s only success. More than half way through the day Worcestershire are 179-1, with veteran keeper batter Gareth Roderick on 67 and promising young batter Kashif Ali on 68. Hannon-Dalby has been particularly poor with the ball, and time may also be catching up with former Durham man Chris Rushworth. This is not a surface for spinners, and Briggs has bowled economically but not threateningly. The other two bowlers used by Warwickshire, Will Rhodes and Ed Barnard are both workaday practitioners. Dan Mousley, allegedly an all rounder, has not been called on and neither has youngster Jacob Bethell. As I write this Roderick has edged one from Rhodes into the slips to make it 180-2, Roderick gone for 68. Worcestershire are still well on top – to take the second wicket as tea approaches when you have chosen to bowl is unambiguously a poor day in the field.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

95 Days To The Start of The County Championship

Noting that the county championship is only 95 days away, by featuring Tom Soar’s career best. Also the first photo gallery of the new year.

Welcome to a new year. I have decided to make the main body of my first post of 2024 fit with the start of a new county championship season being 95 days away. I then have a photo gallery to share – today has been largely bright and sunny and I have been out and about.

TOM SOAR’S CAREER BEST

Tom Soar is not an illustrious name in the history of cricket, and fast bowling was his main occupation (323 FC wickets at 23.82 with a best of 8-38). His highest score with the bat was 95, and it came in a truly remarkable match.

Somerset had batted first and posted a total of 315, Ernie Robson top scoring with 74. Hampshire began poorly in reply and it would have been even worse for them had Somerset keeper Wickham pulled off a stumping chance against Major Robert Poore. Poore survived, which would have felt ominous to Somerset, given that at Portsmouth earlier that season he had already smashed them for two centuries in the match. Hampshire were 62-4 when Soar joined Poore. The pair put on 196 together before Soar was out for 95. Poore was now joined by another army officer, Captain Teddy Wynyard, and just over four hours this pair proceeded to hammer 411 runs, before Wynyard fell for 225. Poore was out a few balls, for precisely 300 runs more than he had scored at the time Wickham missed that stumping. Hampshire declared at 672-7, an advantage of 357. A dispirited Somerset could only manage 206 at the second time of asking and lost by an innings and 151 runs.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

A gathering of gulls.
Moorhen
White duck
Swans
Blue tit.
I think this was a skein of geese, going by the shapes of the birds.
Blackbird
My first starling of 2024
Jackdaws
Sparrows

The Closing Stages of the County Championship Season

We are about to go into the final session of play of the County Championship season of 2023. Surrey are already confirmed as champions – although they lost a hard fought match against Hampshire their only rivals Essex had already crumbled to an innings defeat at the hands of already relegated Northamptonshire. Durham and Worcestershire are the promoted sides, which leaves only the question of whether Kent or Middlesex are the other side to go down.

DERBYSHIRE V GLAMORGAN

This match, the one I am currently listening to is between two sides who have both had poor seasons. Derbyshire are winless, and due to their craven cowardice in delaying their declaration today until the target stood at 384 in 70 overs, nowhere near a tempting enough carrot to lure Glamorgan, whose position is already settled, into going for the target, and thus almost certainly guaranteeing the draw. Derbyshire will finish at worst second from bottom, but that is only because Yorkshire were hit with a punitive points deduction, which has been enough to guarantee them last place in the table.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE V MIDDLESEX

Another match involving a declaration on the final day, but Middlesex, knowing that a draw was effectively valueless to them in their quest to stay up did dangle a carrot, and Nottinghamshire are making the chase look quite easy at present. Kent and Lancashire are pretty much certain to draw – Lancashire are still batting in their second innings and are 181 ahead of Kent, which means that unless Middlesex can scramble nine wickets from somewhere in less than a full session they will go down.

A NOTE ON OVERSEAS PLAYERS

Those who have studied my all time county XIs will have noted that on those occasions on which I named an overseas player (and I never picked more than one) I nearly always opted for a bowler. The use Surrey have made this season of Sean Abbott, Daniel Worrall and Kemar Roach underlines the value of high quality overseas bowlers. On the other side of the scale I would put Sussex, third in division two, in spite of losing only one match all season – they have had 10 draws in 14 matches. Their main overseas star has been Cheteshwar Pujara, a pure batter, and for a few matches, a side that was struggling to take 20 wickets was further skewed in favour of batting when they opted to allow Steve Smith to have some pre-Ashes batting practice. Pujara may have been justifiable, but signing a second overseas pure batter when struggling for wickets was on any reckoning misjudged.

A CLAIM FOR A PLACE ON THE INDIAN TOUR

England’s next test tour is to India, a place where spin bowling is important. The best specialist spinner in England is Jack Leach, and Rehan Ahmed is very promising young cricketer. In addition to these two I would draw attention to the man whose 800 runs and 40 wickets has helped Hampshire to third place in division one, Liam Dawson. If England go on a test tour of India without Dawson in the form he is currently enjoying their selectors will be guilty of dereliction of duty, as they will also be if anyone other than Foakes is named as keeper.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

County Championship Action

A look at goings on in the County Championship, where the current round of fixtures is into its final day.

The current round of County Championship fixtures, now into its final day, has been massively impacted by the weather, but two games which are hugely important to the outcome of the championship both have chances of outright results.

TOP V BOTTOM

Surrey would have expected their game against Northamptonshire to be an easy one given the positions of the two sides, but Northamptonshire have played very well. After scoring 357 they dismissed Surrey for 185, an advantage of 172. With the match into its final day and nothing less than a win good enough for Northamptonshire they enforced the follow on. Burns and Sibley are currently holding out for Surrey, with the score 52-0 in the 36th over of their second innings. Surrey will head the table going into the final round of games, the question being how much by.

ESSEX V HAMPSHIRE

Essex, Surrey’s only challengers, are locked in battle with Hampshire. Essex led by 113 on first innings, and launched an all out assault in their second innings, declaring at 153-8 to set Hampshire 267 to win. Hampshire are currently 29-3, Harmer two wickets and Sam Cook one. Hampshire are at liberty to approach this anyway they please – they will finish somewhere in the middle of the table whatever they do, while Essex have to keep pushing for wickets.

ONE CONFIRMED RESULT

The match at Old Trafford has been officially confirmed as a draw – Lancashire were 277-7 in the only innings that the weather allowed to happen.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

A large black beetle (next pic is closer up).
I was an eyewitness to the making of the wheel tracks in this picture – a large flat bed lorry (empty) cut off a a significant portion of the corner at the junction of Raby Avenue, Columbia Way and Loke Road (turning from Raby Avenue into Columbia Way).

Middlesex in the Mire

A look at the mess Middlesex are currently in – facing relegation and in trouble with the ECB.

Middlesex, winner of more county championships than anyone else bar Yorkshire and Surrey, are in terrible state right now, facing relegation to the second division and in deep financial trouble. This post explores their situation.

FINANCIAL MALPRACTICE

Middlesex have been adjudged by the ECB to have become overly financially dependent on that organization. The following punishments have been meted out:

“The ECB will henceforth reduce payments to Middlesex by £150,000, of which £100,000 will be suspended until 31 October 2025. The points deduction, equivalent to the maximum points for one win in each of the County Championship, the One Day Cup and the T20 Blast, is also suspended until 31 October 2025.”

The above quote comes from an espn story about the situation which can be read here.

Middlesex have been treated rather more kindly than were Durham a few years back when that county was guilty of offences of a similar nature.

ON FIELD WOES

Middlesex are facing relegation, which with their very limited capacity for attracting new players given the punishments hanging over them will be hard to come back from. They are struggling with both bat and ball – their two former test match openers Stoneman and Robson have both had poor seasons with the bat, and the middle order is inexperienced, while their bowling attack is toothless – they barely even have an 80mph bowler in their ranks, never mind a 90mph one. Josh de Caires, the off spinner, has had two good matches with the ball recently, but Middlesex lost both times, as the opponents had a better spinner available to them – Liam Dawson and Simon Harmer respectively. Indian leg spinner Kuldeep Yadav is there for the tail end of the season, but at the moment the only question in their current match is whether the Manchester weather has done enough to save them from defeat. Kent, currently just behind Middlesex and in the second relegation slot (Northamptonshire are pretty much beyond redemption at the bottom of the table) are going to get at least a draw from their game against Nottinghamshire, fourth from bottom, and may well manage to win it, which would put Middlesex in real jeopardy, not only in the R zone, but adrift of third bottom by a double figure points margin.

How have Middlesex, with the advantage of having a base at the most famous ground in England, got themselves into such a horrendous mess?

PHOTOGRAPHS

I have lots of photos to share…

Nearly full grown cygnet doing a cormorant impression.
The butterfly, a woodland species that seems to be faring well this year, is a pleasant sight, its chosen resting spot less so!

Surrey Thrash Warwickshire

A look back at Surrey v Warwickshire in the county championship, a mention of the state of play between Essex and Middlesex and a photo gallery.

Surrey consolidated their position at the top of the County Championship table by claiming victory over Warwickshire yesterday morning. Essex, Surrey’s closest challengers, are poised for victory over Middlesex, in spite of off spinner Josh de Caires claiming eight wickets in the first Essex innings.

DAY ONE – THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

An unbeaten century for Foakes and 50+ scores from Sibley, Jamie Smith and Steel (the latter also unbeaten overnight) enabled Surrey to end the day on 339-4 and seemingly destined for a massive score.

DAY TWO – WICKETS GO DOWN LIKE NINEPINS

Surrey seemed to have lost the initiative when their last six wickets only advanced their score by a further 57, Foakes last out for 125, his 15th FC century and an innings that left him 16 short of 8,000 FC runs. However by the lunch interval Warwickshire were 38-3 and in deep trouble. They never looked like extracting themselves from this situation, and their first innings ended for 161, giving Surrey an advantage of 235. With Warwickshire clearly demoralized Surrey rightly went for the jugular, sticking their opponents back in. Warwickshire were soon 35-5 in their second innings. The sixth and seventh wickets offered some resistance, with Dan Mousley completing the only Warwickshire 50 of the match along the way, but Warwickshire ended day two 124-7 in the second innings, still 111 short of avoiding the innings defeat. The Surrey bowling performance was typical of them, with the wickets widely shared rather than any one bowler dominating proceedings. Their general approach this season has been to select four specialist batters, Ben Foakes and give themselves six genuine bowling options, a luxury permitted them by the presence of all rounders and the fact that almost all of those picked purely as bowlers have some degree of skill with the bat. Essex, their closest rivals, are less well served by all rounders/ bowlers who can bat reasonably well and tend to select six batters, a keeper and rely on four bowlers doing the job.

DAY THREE – THE LAST RITES

I was at work when this unfolded, but it took very little time. The key dismissal was that of Mousley, ninth out for 61. Warwickshire had folded for 138 in their second innings, giving Surrey victory by an innings and 97 runs.

ESSEX V MIDDLESEX

This is the key match among those still in progress from a Surrey point of view, as Essex are the only side with any serious chance of denying them the championship. Middlesex are showing little appetite for the battle, the scores as I type being Essex 304 and 319-7 declared, Middlesex 179 and 41-3, meaning that Middlesex need 404 with seven second innings wickets standing. Middlesex are in serious danger of relegation – the two relegation slots would seem to be between Northamptonshire (almost certainly doomed), Middlesex and Kent.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Glamorgan’s Record Breaking Resistance Act

A look at a resistance act by Glamorgan that has rewritten the first class record books and a substantial photo gallery.

As the 2023 County Championship heads towards a break for the Vitality Blast (which kicked off yesterday, overlapping with this round of matches), the match between Sussex and Glamorgan is heading towards a draw, but today’s action has seen several Glamorgan records go and one all time first class record. The Glamorgan innings is still ongoing at the moment.

THE MORNING SESSION

Kiran Carlson was sixth out, having reached a career best 192, and when Chris Cooke also fell in the morning session it looked like Sussex would have a gettable target. However, Michael Neser and Timm van der Gugten saw Glamorgan through to lunch with no further loss.

THE AFTERNOON SESSION

It has been since lunch that the assault on the record books has been happening, spearheaded by Neser, supported first by Van der Gugten, then by James Harris and now by number 11 Jamie McIlroy. As I write this Neser has completed his maiden Glamorgan century and brought Glamorgan’s score past 700. The first class record came when Glamorgan reached 675, 552 more than the first innings score, relegating Barbados (175 and 726-7), Middlesex (83 and 634) and Pakistan (106 and 657-8) to joint second in this category with a 551 differential, though Pakistan still hold the test record, theirs having happened against West Indies. Glamorgan have beaten their previous record against Sussex, though their overall record, against Leicestershire last season is probably out of their reach at 795. There are some mitigating factors for Sussex – Ollie Robinson has an ankle problem and has not been on the field during this innings, and regular skipper Pujara has a stiff neck and is likewise off the field, Tom Alsop leading the side in his absence. Nonetheless, Glamorgan’s response to facing a deficit of 358 on first innings has been utterly extraordinary. Sussex will be recording a fifth successive draw after coach Farbrace had said they would always go for a win.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Surrey and Somerset Record big Wins

A look at the victories recorded by Surrey and Somerset today and a splendid photo gallery.

The county championship is heading towards its break for the Vitality Blast, and all though today is only day three of four a lot of matches have reached their conclusions. This post looks at two that I followed on the radio.

KENT’S HORROR MORNING

Kent went into day three at The Oval trailing by three runs with six second innings wickets standing. Both overnight batters fell quickly, both to Tom Lawes who claimed his third and fourth wickets of the innings. Kent were still in arrears at that point. Lawes completed a maiden first class five-wicket haul with the seventh wicket of the innings. Sean Abbott claimed the eighth wicket of the innings, and Jordan Clark snapped up the last two. Kent had mustered a paltry 141, leaving Surrey needing 58 to win. Burns and Sibley saw Surrey home by ten wickets, just before the scheduled lunch interval. Surrey look wellnigh unstoppable – they were not by any means at their best this match and they still won it by 10 wickets.

SOMERSET END WINLESS RUN

Somerset came to Lord’s having not won any of their last six matches. Midway through day three of their encounter with Middlesex they had ended that unhappy sequence in some style, routing their opponents by an innings and 13 runs. Craig Overton claimed five second innings wickets, while the rout was completed by Jack Leach. Middlesex now look absolute certainties to be relegated back to division two. I am now following the action between Sussex and Glamorgan. Sussex had an enormous first innings lead (over 350), but Glamorgan are back in credit with only three wickets down, Labuschagne and Carlson in a partnership that is closing on the 3o0 mark. Carlson has had a curious season – this is his third century of it and all of his other innings have been under 20.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I have a splendid gallery for you…

A First Innings Lead In Unorthodox Fashion

A look at the events in Surrey v Kent, particularly the transformation wrought by the Surrey lower order, plus a huge photo gallery.

In this last round of championship fixtures before a break for the Vitality Blast T20 tournament Surrey are playing neighbours Kent, and day two is entering its closing stages. Surrey are about where they would want to be, but not in the way they would have expected.

REGULAR WICKETS AND THEN…

Kent had been restricted to 278 in the first innings, and when Surrey reached the 100 with only one wicket gone things seemed to be going well for them, but then Kent had their best period of the game, and by the time Surrey reached 200 they were six wickets down. With a seventh wicket falling not very long after the 200 was reached Kent may have expected a significant advantage, especially with number eight Sean Abbott being Surrey’s senior remaining batter. However, Surrey moved close to parity in a stand between Abbott and Tom Lawes, and then surged clear as Abbott and Gus Atkinson cut loose. Abbott was ninth out for 78, and then with last man Daniel Worrall at the other end, Atkinson blasted three sixes in the space of a single over to complete a 42 ball half century. Surrey had tallied 362 for a first innings lead of 84. Kent are currently 20-0 in their second innings, but Crawley has already enjoyed one moment of good fortune – a massive lash out drive at the second ball of the innings met fresh air – had there been a fraction of contact then, as has happened so often in Crawley’s career the slips would have been in business. The other opener, Ben Compton, has just gone as I type this, caught by Pope after Will Jacks missed it but fortunately sent it upwards, enabling Pope to atone for the mistake. Surrey thus lead by 64 with Kent having nine second innings wickets standing.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…