Ackermann takes edge off the cold for Durham
Three Essex players fielded in snoods at Chester-le-Street, with Jordan Cox adding a hand warmer for good measure, as the temperature tiptoed to 7C and the coffee van did a roaring trade. But three batters flourished in the chill: Colin Ackermann, who played a sedate anchor role for 112, his first century for Durham, and David Bedingham and Ollie Robinson who sparkled. Bedingham, fresh from his 138 off 99 balls against Worcestershire, was soon into his stride, pinging Harmer into the health club for six. Robinson made his fifth Championship half century in consecutive innings before being caught for 90. Essex plugged away, dismissing Durham shortly after Ben Raine ensured a third batting point with a six.
Fifteen wickets tumbled on a basil-green wicket at the Oval. First Hampshire were routed for 156, with three wickets for Dan Worrall, Gus Atkinson and Jordan Clark. Then Surrey too slipped about, Hampshire winkling out four of their brightest – Dominic Sibley, Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence – for just 44. Ryan Patel steadied things but was bowled before stumps.
Ben Duckett enjoyed himself at Edgbaston for Nottinghamshire, with a rapid 197 not out – there were four wickets for Warwickshire’s Olly Hannon-Dalby – while Tom Banton was run out for 92 at Kidderminster as Somerset crept past 300 despite Jason Holder’s brutal spell of three wickets in 12 balls for Worcestershire.
In Division Two, an unbeaten stand of 71 between Joe Root and Harry Brook provided pretty entertainment for Yorkshire, and much frustration for Derbyshire who dropped four catches either side of lunch. Shan Masood made 40 consisting entirely of fours.
Emilio Gay’s quickfire 88 put Northamptonshire in a good position against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Marchant de Lange stormed away with six for 49 as Middlesex were bowled out for 203 at Bristol against Gloucestershire. Tanya Aldred
An all action day, with 15 wickets falling at The Oval and hundreds for Ben Duckett and Colin Ackermann. That’s it from us for today, back tomorrow at 10am. Have a lovely evening.
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 358 v Essex 5-0
The Oval: Surrey 123-5 v Hampshire 151
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire 367-8
Kidderminster: Worcestershire 14-0 v Somerset 309-9dec
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 82-3 v Middlesex 203
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Northampton 337-6
Headingley: Yorkshire 276-3 v Derbyshire
Right, I’d better write up for early deadlines. Do keep chatting BTL, drinks are served from six.
They’ve called it a day at Headingley, Yorks 276-3.
Northants pressing on, 282-4. A wicket for Rehan Ahmed, Bartlett 49 not out.
And six wickets for Marchant de Lange at Bristol, where the top scorer was Josh de Caires with 37. Middx 203 all out; Gloucs 28-1 in reply.
The new ball is in Essex hands. Durham 325-6.
Ben Duckett has raced away at Edgbaston, 161 not out, has now put on 131 with Jack Haynes. Notts 308-4.
Things not quite so good for Somerset where Jason Holder has bowled three and caught one. Pretorius hanging around well though with Tom Banton (54). Somerset 235-7.
Lawrence joins the procession of wickets at The Oval. Burns at the other end, 13 not out off 54 balls. Two to Abbott, one each for Fuller and Wheal.
Michael Keane was quite right about the mischief in the green, green pitch:
Wheal knocks Smith's leg stump out of the ground just before tea 🤩 https://t.co/op3sIXrsUd pic.twitter.com/i8grp3zhCV
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) April 26, 2024
An enthusiastic round of applause from the stoical/deepfrozen crowd and a huge hug from Coughlin as Ackerman reaches his hundred. Nicely done. The sun is now shining in a milky blue sky, but only reaches the far sightscreen of the ground. A limp St George’s flag flutters over Lumley castle.
Another dropped catch at CLS, Ackermann immediately drives Critchley for four to go well into the nervous nineties.
“Curtly Ambrose, Richie Richardson, Viv Richards and Andy Roberts at Grace Road today. Publicising the World Cup and I believe that Andy Roberts is being presented with his Leicestershire cap!” Thank you Mike. They’re getting around, I believe they were at Headingley last night for a special gala dinner.
Look who's popped by to watch the Foxes. 🦊
— Leicestershire CCC 🏏 (@leicsccc) April 26, 2024
An honour to welcome Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Viv Richards, Sir Richie Richardson and Sir Curtly Ambrose to Uptonsteel County Ground this afternoon. 🙌
Sir Andy and Sir Viv will be back tomorrow too. 😃
📸 - @John_M100 pic.twitter.com/MCTZR5NeEO
Talking of which, there is a rain delay at Headingley – where Joe Root is unbeaten on 65, and Harry Brook fast catching him up on 44 off just 37. Yorks 276-3.
Updated
Oh! it seems Surrey are 43-3 at tea. Pope, Sibley and Smith back whence they came.
Arrive back in the press box from my chocolate-mission (a Twirl for Paul Edwards, a Twix for me) just in time to see the umpire send Carse on his way for 18. Can report a long queue of cold men and women in woolly hats for the coffee van but not one person in line for a Mr Whippy.
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 261-5 v Essex
The Oval: Surrey 22-1 v Hampshire 151
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire 221-4
Kidderminster: Worcestershire v Somerset 179-5
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Middlesex 201-9
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Northampton 242-3
Headingley: Yorkshire 274-3 v Derbyshire
Back to my seat just in time for tea, Durham have sparkled along to 261-5, with Harmer snaring a couple of wickets, including Robinson, who looked nailed on for a century, for 90.
A hundred for Ben Duckett!
A bit of a Tina turnaround at Edgbaston, where Will Rhodes has got the ball to do a bit and picked up the in-form Will Young and the in-form Joe Clarke in the same over, both caught behind off tickled edges to Michael Burgess. Cloudy overhead, floodlights starting to come on, it’s suddenly got a little trickier. Still, Ben Duckett, watching on at the other end, has just fiddled a single to bring up his century from just 126 balls with barely an error along the way. Nottinghamshire, 177 for four, need another hero.
Please excuse me for a little while, I’ve just got to speak to Maddy Orr for a piece for the Guardian next week.
Ali unprofessionally distracts me with this as Robinson and Ackermann continue to make mincemeat of this Essex attack. Durham 196-3.
Elsewhere in Division One:
Duckett just six short of his century at Edgbaston, Notts 170-2; Hampshire inching towards 150, but have lost Fuller and Gubbins, 145-8; and Umeed and Banton in at Kidderminster, Somerset 133-3.
Greetings from Edgbaston, Tanya and chums. Apologies, have been head down writing about England’s possible T20 World Cup squad this morning - out next Tuesday - while Ben Duckett has been impishly making merry on another slow pitch, with Ben Slater offering support from No3. I’ve actually been pondering Duckett for a spot in that 15-man squad, given the rest of the batting is very right-handed and his sweeping on slow surfaces is so dangerous. Anyway, that will all be in the Observer on Sunday. I’ve also observed Josh Tongue bowling during the lunch break as he makes his way back from a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery. A gentle trundle, it’s fair to say, but encouraging nonetheless. Oh, and as I type that Oliver Hannon-Dreamy has just feathered a catch behind off Slater on 65. Nottinghamshire 162 for two, with Duckett 89 from 104 balls.
At Durham, the umpires are handed the ball, they turn it over in their hands, wrinkle their noses, and hand it back to Sam Cook.
Then, almost immediately, Ollie Robinson drives – with gusto – for four, and that’s his fifth consecutive half century of the season.
Joe Root has slowly made his way to 25 in Yorkshire’s 155-2, Lyth 63 not out.
Oh Lythy 😍 pic.twitter.com/zetzOF6LfM
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) April 26, 2024
And a wicket for Goodman at Bristol, du Plooy for 20: Middx 127-4.
And more from Mike Daniels at Grace Road, “Currie gets Gay soon after lunch. He’s confirmed that the ball that got Lloyd in the last match was an overspun off-cutter, not a knuckle ball!”
Northants currently 154-2 there, both openers gone but Procter and Nair pressing on.
“The pitch at The Oval is very green,’ writes Michael Keane. “If there weren’t stumps in it you’d struggle to pick it out as the cut strip. But not 6-down-before-lunch green. Mind you, maybe I’ll see a result before I have to go to work at 5…”
A recovery, of sorts, since then, with Hampshire 104-6, Gubbins 41 not out finding solace with James Fuller (18*).
Updated
Veggie mince and dumplings for lunch at Durham, followed by an interesting first over of the afternoon as Robinson flays Cook for three fours and is dropped by Snater, the ball just plopping out of his hands.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham 129-3 v Essex
The Oval: Surrey v Hampshire 91-6
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire 110-1
Kidderminster: Worcestershire v Somerset 87-2
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Middlesex 105-3
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Northampton 128-1
Headingley: Yorkshire 128-2 v Derbyshire
Updated
A second no-ball of the over for 19-year-old Noah Thain, whose mullet is of a more traditional 1980s Patrick Swaze style rather than the Snater shaved sides. An energetic run up and follow through. One more over till lunch.
Found my binoculars – the three Essex snood wearers are Elgar, Harmer and Jordan Cox – who also seems to be wearing something like some over gloves round his middle which I assume has those hand warming pads in.
It’s been a tricky morning for Middlesex: 67-3
Marchant de Lange with an absolute seed to dismiss Nathan Fernandes! pic.twitter.com/Y2YFxCSir5
— Gloucestershire Cricket (@Gloscricket) April 26, 2024
Less so for Derbyshire, Yorkshire are already 92 for one, with Shan Masood screaming along, currently 40 not out scored entirely in fours!
Oh that’s done it. Bedingham 52 and out, from nowhere, loses his bails to Porter. The umpires reset the off stump and Bedingham strides back. Durham 84-3. Most unexpected.
Six into the health club off Simon Harmer, and that’s fifty for Bedingham! Off just 47 balls. Nine fifties and 11 hundreds for Durham so far.
Hello Tim Maitland! “Controversy of sorts at Headingley over Bean’s dismissal, in as much as he shouldn’t have been facing the delivery that got him out.
"He straight drove the previous delivery, the last of that over. The fielder Pat Brown just reach it, but slipped and his foot clearly came to rest on the boundary rope. However he didn’t signal, it was given as three runs and Bean was left to face Anuj Dal.
"To be fair, Derbyshire had already shelled one catch at first slip and let another very catchable ball go between keeper and the same fielder.”
Worrall continuing to slice through Hampshire like a champion chef, Hants are now 49-4, after Worrall removed Vince and Prest in successive balls of his seventh over.
A cracking review of Ben Bloom’s new book, Batting for Time, which is sitting on my bedside table at home, next on the list after Maddy Orr’s Warming Up How Climate Change is Changing Sport.
Lovely review of 'Batting for Time: The Fight to Keep English Cricket Alive' by @DavidKHopps in the latest edition of @TheCricketerMag.
— Ben Bloom (@benbloomsport) April 26, 2024
Buy the book here: https://t.co/JErcrZlPCx pic.twitter.com/ja0qLDUcrp
Here at Durham, Shane Snater, with a small animal stuck to the top of his head, has replaced Jamie Porter. Bedingham looking in perky form, 18 off 22. Durham 31-2.
Division Two – runs a go-go
Stoneman and Fernandes have taken 50 off the first 12 Gloucestershire overs, Middlesex 50-0.
Vasconcelos and Gay making hay too, Northants 56-0.
And Lyth and Bean progressing nicely at Headingley against Derbyshire: Yorks 39-0
Updated
Division One:
At The Oval, Hampshire have lost Middleton for four, Dan Worrall continuing his good form of last week. Jamie Smith is keeping wicket in place of Foakes. Surrey 36-1.
At Edgbaston, another early exit for Haseeb Hameed, a catch for Davies off Hannon-Dalby. Ben Duckett getting in the mood, 36 off 37 balls. Notts 38-1.
Sean Dickson already warming his toes at Kidderminster, lbw to Waite for 16. Somerset 31-1.
Some stats that may pique the interest of CCLive readers. Right, with 40 mins gone, lets pull on the mittens and hurry around the grounds…
Here's my latest blog on Round 3 of @CountyChamp for the Playfair Cricket website. If you were wondering what difference the Dukes ball made compared to the Kookaburra, I've crunched the numbers so you don't have to. https://t.co/5prAVl1rMz
— Ian Marshall (@IanPlayfair) April 24, 2024
And without any additional score (a most unhappy) Alex Lees must also plod back, a second catch for Duke. Cook and Duke looked convinced, but Lees did not. The fielders, in multiple jumpers, wring their hands like anxious vicars.
And Porter snaffles the first wicket at CLS, a nice little scoop and dive by Harry Duke behind the stumps. He’s immediately surrounded by back slapping team-mates. Durham 11-1.
Batting or bowling?
Div One
Durham won the toss and are batting
Surrey won the toss and are fielding (without Ben Foakes, rested by England)
Notts won the toss and are batting
Worcestershire won the toss and are fielding
Div Two
Gloucs won the toss and are fielding
Leicestershire won the toss and are fielding
Derby won the toss and are fielding (Root and Brook playing for Yorkshire)
Pity the poor slip fielders whose captains decided they would bowl first.
Good morning Mike Daniels in the Grace Road scorebox: “Leics win toss and bowl. Hoping to catch sight of Currie’s knuckleball today. Best slower ball bowler I’ve ever seen was Franklyn Stephenson, though I believe he used to bowl it as an off cutter.” Yes! I reckon Courtney Walsh’s was pretty good too.
Durham win the toss, and will bat. No Siddle, they didn’t fancy risking him so soon after he landed. Potts, Parky, Raine, Coughlin and the peroxided Carse, the Durham attack.
Harry Duke is on loan with Essex from Yorkshire for two weeks, and keeps wicket with Pepper and Rossington injured, and Sam Cook captains in Westley’s absence.
Updated
Four teams get a week off this round: Lancs, Kent, Sussex and Glamorgan.
A couple of bits of news around the grounds: Tom Westley isn’t available for Essex as his wife is about to give birth to their second child; Pakistan fast bowler Aamir Jamal (who took 18 wickets in three Tests against Australia last December) has signed for Warwickshire and could play today.
The sun is out but it is freeeezing – woolly hats for everyone warming up out on the field.
Weather watch
Mixed from the Met: Often cloudy, with scattered showers. Best of the sunnier breaks towards the north. Rain, heavy at times, developing over southwest England during the day as cloud covers the southern counties. Feeling chilly once more.
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chester le Street: Durham v Essex
The Oval: Surrey v Hampshire
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire
Kidderminster: Worcestershire v Somerset
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Middlesex
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Northampton
Headingley: Yorkshire v Derbyshire
Preamble
Hello from Chester le Street! Day one of round four today, and although there’s a fine mist in the air here, they’re confident of play with just a few interruptions. No swamp to be seen either, just a groundsman with a wheelbarrow pushing things around. I’m off to find a cup of coffee to wrap my chilblains around – back shortly.
