Tag: Woodland Brown

A Switchback Ride at The Oval

A look at developments in the ‘James Southerton’ derby (Surrey v Sussex) and two photo galleries.

Another round of County Championship fixtures got underway yesterday. My attention is focussed on Surrey v Sussex (aka the James Southerton derby – that worthy, a slow bowler who also holds the record for being the oldest ever test debutant – 49 years 119 days old on day one of the inaugural test match in 1877, took advantage of a loophole in the qualification system to habitually play for both counties, one being the county of his birth and the other that of his residence), which forms the text part of this post.

DAY ONE

I missed the entire morning session due to a committee meeting of the West Norfolk Autism Group, and joined the coverage at the start of the afternoon session, with Sussex at that point on 105-7, Jordan Clark 5-16. The afternoon and evening both belonged to Sussex as the pitch flattened out and their lower order batted very impressively. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was the first star with a fluent 50, but he was to be overshadowed by Jack Carson and Oliver Edward Robinson. Carson, an off spinner who can bat, and Robinson, a medium pacer who is also Sussex’s current captain and can bat, each had one previous first class century when they came together. They over doubled the score from 167-8 to 340-9 before Carson fell for 105. Robinson took a blow and was injured, but batted on until a six took him to 100 not out and Sussex to 358-9, at which point he declared, hoping for an early wicket or two before the close. In the event Surrey got through without losing a wicket.

GALLERY ONE

This gallery comes with a preamble – I walked through Kettlewell Lane Park at about 8:30AM yesterday, and all was as it should have been. I walked back through that little park about five hours later and saw that a large number of bushes, in all of which I had previously photographed insects, had been cut down, and only a few survivors left.

The first picture showing the devastation at Kettlewell Lane Park – this wall was lined with bushes.
The same story further along – the empty patch on the far side of the path was covered in bushes.
There were many more bushes in this are as well.

DAY TWO

Today so far has belonged to Surrey. At the time I started this post they had lost only one wicket, Burns bowled by Crocombe for 77. Ryan Patel has just gone to a catch by Hughes off Carson for 67. Dominic Sibley, the immovable object at the top of the Surrey order, has just completed a century, his second off the season, off 236 balls, while Ollie Pope is newly arrived at the crease. Surrey are now 264-2 a mere 94 behind Sussex’s first innings total. The weather has just become questionable down in London (it is still splendid here in Norfolk, though rain is expected tomorrow morning, just in time for GEAR (The Great East Anglian Run). I hope the weather does not do too much damage to this match.

GALLERY TWO

We finish with more photos…

Hampshire v Somerset

A look at developments on the first two days of Hampshire v Somerset in the county championship and a large photo gallery.

There are only a few matches taking place in the county championship this week. One of them, which I am focussing on, is between Hampshire and Somerset.

DAY ONE

I missed the entire morning session and the start of the afternoon session. Just as I was tuning in Hampshire, who had won the toss and chosen to bat, lost their fifth wicket with only 119 on the board. Two more wickets followed quickly before Jake Lehmann and the lower order staged a fightback, boosting the total to 238. Somerset lost three wickets fairly early, but then James Rew, surely soon to be an England cricketer, and Tom Abell took control of proceedings, and by the close Somerset were 154-3.

DAY TWO

I again missed the morning session, this time due a commitment at the library. Hampshire took four wickets during the session. Somerset had gained a lead, but it looked like being a slender one when Jack Leach was run out to make it 250-9. Then Alfie Ogborne, culpable in the Leach run out, redeemed himself by scoring a new career best of 38 to boost the lead to exactly 50. Hampshire lost Toby Albert injured (though under new playing conditions for this season they can introduce a like for like substitute if they can find one) but no wicket fell until the score had reached 114, when Tom Prest was pinned LBW by Jake Ball. The score is now 119-1, a lead of 69 overall. Incidentally about the new substitutes rule there has been one would be injury replacement blocked, when Ajeet Singh Dale of Lancashire was injured yesterday, and they initially wanted to replace him with Tom Bailey, which the umpires deemed to be not sufficiently ‘like for like’, so Ollie Sutton was called in from a second XI match instead.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I have a bumper haul of photographs to share…

Championship Capers

A look at events on the final day of action in round two of the 2026 county championship and a photo gallery.

Today was the final day of action in round two of the 2026 County Championship. What follows is my take on a day that ended just about an hour ago.

NEW SIGNINGS SHINE FOR SUSSEX

My first port of call was Hove where Sussex were playing Warwickshire. The match looked very interestingly poised at the start of play. However the potentially classic finish did not arise because Jack Leaning and Tom Price, each of whom had been playing elsewhere last season, batted superbly and carried their side to a five wicket win, Leaning scoring 120 not out and Price 70 not out. In all their stand was worth 144, about 100 of them on this final day.

EXPERIENCE TELLS FOR LANCASHIRE

A fine second innings bowling performance by Derbyshire after both sides had topped 350 first time round left them needing a mere 138 to win. When they moved past halfway to that target with only three wickets gone it looked like they were in control. Then wickets started to fall, and as things got nervier it became more and more a time for experienced heads, and in contemporary cricket they do not come much more experienced than Sir James Anderson, 44 years of age and still going strong. Sir James’s scalps included those of Derbyshire’s in form batter and his near namesake Martin Andersson to give his side hope and Ben Aitchison to virtually seal the deal. He also trapped Anuj Dal LBW for 0, and had Shoaib Bashir caught by Harry Singh to put Derbyshire nine down. The final wicket fell in somewhat comical fashion, a mix up between Zak Chappell and Mohammad Abbas leading to the former being run out. Derbyshire had subsided from a high water mark of 73-3 to 108 all out and defeat by 29 runs. Anderson had figures of 9.5-3-18-4. If Sir James needs further inspiration to keep going he might look up the details of Ernie Robson, a Yorkshire born swing bowler who played for Somerset and played his last season in 1923 at the age of 53.

CAPSIZED BY AN OVERLOAD OF RUNS

Surrey and Leicestershire eventually shook hands on a draw, with Surrey 263-4 in their second innings, 92 ahead and barely more than an hour to go until stumps. This game yielded 1474 runs for 24 wickets (Surrey 783-13, Leicestershire 691-10), and average of 61.47 per wicket. I consider this pitch to be unfit for a four day game by reason of being too favourable for batting, and were it up to me would certainly be docking Surrey points for it.

A LUCKY ESCAPE FOR KENT

The last match standing was at Canterbury, where Northamptonshire were trying their utmost to win in the face of resistance from Kent in the person of Ben Compton (114 not out from 287 balls) and the local weather. The combination of Compton’s resistance, a long rain delay and the light closing in at about six o’clock thwarted Northamptonshire, and with Kent an effective minus 253 for five and having taken only two wickets themselves the match ended in a very one-sided draw. Northamptonshire themselves were once arguably even more humiliated in a match in which they escaped defeat, against Gloucestershire in 1907 – they had been bowled out for 12 (the lowest ever total in a completed championship innings) in their first innings, and were 40-7 in the final innings when the rain made its final intervention.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Runs Galore

A look at happenings in the county championship, with a focus on Surrey v Leicestershire, and a photo gallery.

The second round of matches in the 2026 county cricket championship is now into its third day. This post focuses mainly on events at The Oval where Surrey are facing Leicestershire.

THINK THAT’S A BIG SCORE?

Surrey might well have been feeling pretty good about things when they responded to being put into bat by scoring 520 in the first innings. Leicestershire have moved into a comfortable first innings lead, and with day three approaching its end they are effectively immune from defeat. Rishi Patel anchored the early part of their innings with 164, being fifth out with the score at 412. At that point wicket keeper Ben Cox joined Stevie Eskinazi, and they put on 227 for the sixth wicket before Jordan Clark pinned Eskinazi LBW for precisely 100. Cox and Ben Green have taken the score on to 661-6, with Cox passing 150 for the first time in his career. It has just started to rain at The Oval, which may well be the end of day three there. The rain seems to have stopped as quickly as it started, and play is back on at The Oval. Leicestershire are now on to 673-6

ELSEWHERE

Scoring has generally been less extravagant elsewhere, but most matches are still in progress (unless the weather has intervened). Gloucestershire are plummeting towards a hefty defeat against Durham, being currently the equivalent of minus 229 for eight – 201-8 following a first innings collapse for 175 in the face of a Durham score of 605-5 declared. Kent may escape in their match against Northamptonshire, but if so it will be more than they deserve. First they allowed their visitors to plunder 684-2 declared – the highest ever first class innings to feature the loss of just two wickets, beating a 682-2 declared by West Indies v Leicestershire many years ago (Everton Weekes scored a triple century in that innings), then they collapsed for 178 in their own first innings, and lost Zak Crawley early in their second innings, although Sam Northeast, back where he started his career after playing for several other counties over the years, and Ben Compton are enjoying a good stand for the second wicket. Worcestershire are closing in on a win over Middlesex, in a game that has not seen ridiculous scoring. Middlesex need 76 more runs, while Worcestershire need one more wicket. Somerset have beaten Essex by 10 wickets in the one result to be confirmed thus far.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

Midweek Mixture

Today it is mainly about the photos, but I make a mention (and link to) this year’s number one in the Classic FM hall of fame – Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man – a Mass for Peace” in the intro.

Today has been warm and sunny (to the the extent that for the first time in 2026 I have been out and about in short sleeves), and I have lots of photographs to share. Over the Easter weekend the Classic FM Hall of Fame countdown happened – the top 300 pieces of classical music as voted for by listeners. Though the county cricket had most of my attention I listened to the last stage of each day. I mention this because this year for the first time in the history of the countdown (now 31 years) the number one slot went to a living composer – Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man – a Mass for Peace” (click here for a recording) gaining the accolade.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Now for those photographs…

Today’s pictures start here.
This Orange Tip gets the nod for feature image.