.png)
9 hours ago
8
Key events
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.
