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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Dominic Booth

County cricket: Surrey v Nottinghamshire, Somerset v Durham, and more – as it happened

Durham Somerset Surrey Cricket Nottinghamshire Championship (Event)
Archie Vaughan of Somerset celebrates a wicket with his teammates
Archie Vaughan is mobbed by Somerset players as he celebrates the wicket of Ben McKinney – his maiden first class scalp. Photograph: Harry Trump/Getty Images

Roundup: Farhan Ahmed makes history with 7-140

Nottinghamshire spinner Farhan Ahmed became the youngest player to take five wickets or more in an innings in first-class cricket in England – but his efforts may be in vain after Surrey made a first-innings 525. Ahmed claimed 7-140 at Trent Bridge but after captain Rory Burns had struck 161 on day one, Indian international Sai Sudharsan added 105 to put Surrey in a commanding position as they push towards a third consecutive Vitality County Championship title. Notts closed on 144 for three in reply with skipper Haseeb Hameed (68) and Brett Hutton out just before the close.

Jack Leach claimed three wickets as Somerset built a strong position on the second day against Durham at Taunton. The home side began by extending their first-innings score from an overnight 395 for six to 492 all out, James Rew dismissed for 103 and Kasey Aldridge making 44. Callum Parkinson finished with 4-136. By the close, Durham had replied with 272 for six, Leach taking 3-103. An unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 102 between Brydon Carse (59 not out) and Ben Raine (51 not out) kept the visitors in the game after they had slumped to 170-6.

Michael Pepper added a maiden first-class century to two hundreds in this season’s T20 Blast to put Essex in control against Worcestershire. The 26-year-old had only passed 50 once before this summer, and his previous highest red-ball score of 92 came three years ago at Durham, but his unbeaten 112 off 125 balls turned the tide in Essex’s favour as they seek to end a run of three games without a win. Pepper was joined at 227 -7 by Shane Snater (53) and the pair put on 136 in 26 overs to lay the foundations for a 138-run first-innings lead.

Will Rhodes marked his penultimate home game as a Warwickshire player with a double century to put his side in total control over Kent. Former captain Rhodes, who is heading to Durham on a three-year deal struck 201 off 295 balls, hitting 32 fours, to lift Warwickshire to 420 and a first-innings lead of 264 as they chase a first championship win of the season. Kent then closed on 157-3.

A superb all-round display by Liam Dawson put Hampshire in a dominant position against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford. After making an unbeaten 104 and putting on 71 for the last wicket with Mohammad Abbas, Dawson bowled 28 overs unchanged from the James Anderson End, taking 4-46 as the home side replied to Hampshire’s 389 with 193-8.

In Division Two, Jonny Bairstow completed an excellent 160 and George Hill hit a career-best 169 not out as Yorkshire declared on 601-6 in their first innings at Headingley. However, on a benign pitch Middlesex should be confident of claiming a draw having closed on 141-1.

Sussex took control against Derbyshire at Hove as they look for a victory that would strengthen their promotion push. The Division Two leaders reduced the visitors to 73-5 after they had piled up 607 -8 declared. Wayne Madsen held them up and was unbeaten on 79 at stumps on day two as he put conditions in perspective but Derbyshire are still 429 runs behind on 178 -6.

And Colin Ingram hit an unbeaten 206 to became the first batter to reach 1,000 first-class runs this summer with Glamorgan in charge against Leicestershire. Ingram’s fifth century of the summer helped the hosts close on 431-7 to build an advantage of 180 runs for the Welsh county. PA Media

Updated

Close of play scores

Taunton: Somerset 492 v Durham 272-6

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 420 v Kent 156 and 157-3

Chelmsford: Essex 404 v Worcestershire 266 and 2-0

Old Trafford: Lancashire 193-7 v Hampshire 389

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 144-3 v Surrey 525

DVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431-7 v Leicestershire 251

Headingley: Yorkshire 601-6d v Middlesex 141-1

Hove: Sussex 607-8d v Derbyshire 163-6

And that’s all from this live blog today. Thank you very much for joining me on my county blog debut. It’s been a blast. Well a Champo, not a Blast. Xaymaca is back tomorrow; then I’ll be on duty for day four on Sunday.

200 for Ingram! After Will Rhodes, it’s the second double of the day and another excellent innings from the belligerent Glamorgan batter.

We’re still playing at Chelmsford, Old Trafford, Edgbaston, Sophia Gardens and Hove … I’ll sum up all the scores at 6.30pm or when the majority have reached COP.

The late August sunlight is now creating stretched shadows across wickets, which is always a pleasant sight.

Team Zaltz on this one.

Good people deserve good things and Colin Ingram is one of county cricket’s good guys.

Notts lost nightwatchman Brett Hutton to close on 144-3 against Surrey. The champions will believe they can, and will, do more damage tomorrow.

They’re trudging off at Taunton now with Durham 272-6. There’s a fair few overs left to bowl in other places around the country.

Raine has 50 and his partnership with Carse is now worth a century. They’ve halted Somerset’s momentum rather sharply and while it will take a good few more runs to achieve anything like parity, they’ve added some intrigue to that game.

Surrey will be happy to see Durham providing some resistance, for certain.

Hameed is gone and it’s Will Jacks who has done the trick for Surrey to break a long partnership worth 134. Hameed was leaving but the ball spun back and bowled him on 68, with McCann still there on the same score. Joe Clarke next in.

George Bell has 14 off 60 balls for Lancs. Nuggety. Iyer is playing a few more shots at the opposite end.

Every time I glance over at the Somerset stream, Jack Leach is bowling. He’s already rattled through 30 overs in this innings. But Carse and Raine – who sound a bit like an 80s cop duo – continue to defy the home side, the latter approaching his 50 after patting back a Vaughan maiden.

100 for Pepper!

Essex’s lower order could be the difference here, with that window of opportunity for Worcestershire now firmly shut. That’s thanks mainly to Michael Pepper, who is approaching what would be a mightily impressive hundred. He’s taken them from 227-7 to 386-8.

Still no further joy for Somerset, with Brydon Carse – back playing cricket after serving a suspension for gambling – reaching his half-century. He’s a handy cricketer to have back in your side and will be in England’s white-ball setup for the foreseeable. 251/6

Young Freddie McCann now has two first-class fifties in as many matches, as he and Hameed continue to blunt the Surrey attack.

And did someone order a Big Col double ton? Ingram is on 173 as Glamorgan build a healthy lead over Leicestershire.

Venkatesh Iyer is an international allrounder who is batting at No 8 for Lancashire and only bowled two overs in the first innings. That is puzzling to say the least.

He and George Bell are trying to build a partnership, slowly, after a disastrous early evening for the hosts at Old Trafford.

It’s been a wicketless spell for Surrey since tea, with the draw definitely favourite at Trent Bridge for now … yet down at Taunton Somerset have found themselves up against an aggressive duo in Carse and Raine, who have put on 55 for the seventh wicket in an unbroken stand.

Listening to Paul Allott on the Lancashire stream has been entertaining. “Best of luck to everyone from here on in. I’m off,” he announces, steam emerging from both ears.

No doubt there will be some similar sentiments BTL … I’m almost scared to check.

You know that thing about watching a car crash but not being able to tear your eyes away from it?

Yeah, Lancashire. 122/6

“Absolutely nailed on for a draw at Trent Bridge,” says Durbs BTL as Hameed pushes one into the off side to bring up a measured 50. McCann is with him and has 47, with Notts 99/1 and fans of Surrey’s rivals will be hoping this carries on.

Down at Hove, Aneurin Donald can barely believe it as he’s bowled through the gate by Jack Carson, reducing Derbyshire to 73-5 with Sussex having assembled 607-8 declared.

And another. Bohannon throws his head back in disgust as he flicks John Turner straight to short mid-wicket. And this is all going a bit wrong for Lancashire, after that promising Bohannon-Jennings stand.

Oh, Hurst is gone, popping it up to Middleton at silly point. Dawson with his third. Hampshire on the charge. Lancashire 114-4.

Updated

Matthew Hurst has still yet to score off 16 balls. Lancs will be praying he doesn’t fall into the same trap as fellow youngster Flintoff, who faced nine dots and got frustrated, before holing out off Dawson. There looks to be no such inclination from Hurst …

He guides it down to third man for four off his 17th delivery.

They’re back out at a sun-soaked Old Trafford. And yes, I will continue to make positive references about the Mancunian weather. The sunshiiiiiiine, you could say.

Durham have definitely decided on an aggressive approach versus Somerset’s spinners. It’s Raine’s turn to hit back-to-back boundaries. Nothing is shifting Lewis Gregory away from a spin-first approach, though. He’s ushering Archie Vaughan back into the attack.

Ben Raine has joined Carse at the crease, with Goldsworthy’s round-arm left armers getting dispatched in back-to-back balls by the England white-ball man.

Bas de Leede, what have you done? Do not take a run to Tom Abell when he’s lurking at cover like that. Six down now for Durham.

They’re currently taking tea at Sophia Gardens, Headingleys and Old Trafford, such is the way of these things in the Champo. And now at Hove, too, with Derbyshire’s Madsen and Donald taking it to 62/4.

Durham have slipped from 128-1 to 159-5 and they’ve lost their ballast, in Alex Lees, in the process. All five wickets have fallen to spin, with Lewis Goldsworthy’s part time left-armers accounting for the former England opener. The Nut has cracked three out; Vaughan 1-42 off 14 overs on debut.

Rocky Flintoff out for a duck

I’m back, with an iced coffee rather than a brew – it is 21 degrees after all – and torn between who to watch bat. Aneurin Donald or Haseeb Hameed. The wonders of multiscreen to the rescue!

Rocky Flintoff has gone for a duck, top-edging to sub fielder Felix Organ! Again it’s Dawson who does the damage – a century and two wickets for him already today.

“What Derbyshire need now is a calm, level headed bat who can grind his way to a decent score,” says High Peak Geek. “Hello Nye.”

That’s Aneurin Donald, of course, who of course is already on 11 off 11 balls. Stick in, Nye.

And breathe. Scores level at Chelmsford, Jennings trapped LBW by Dawson on the stroke of tea at Old Trafford, Lees anchoring Durham against the Somerset spin twins … it’s been a really good day of county cricket so far. BRB.

Teatime(ish) scores

DIVISION ONE

Taunton: Somerset 492 v Durham 150-4

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 420 v Kent 156 and 0-0

Chelmsford: Essex 266-7 v Worcestershire 266

Old Trafford: Lancashire 102-2 v Hampshire 389

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 34-1 v Surrey 525

DVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 315-5 v Leicestershire 251

Headingley: Yorkshire 601-6d v Middlesex 44-0

Hove: Sussex 607-8d v Derbyshire 39-4

McCann and Hameed walk off for their Trent Bridge cups of tea, the former on a brisk 23 not out.

I’ll run through the teatime scores on the doors in the next post, before grabbing my own 4pm brew.

It’s actually been less about Hameed and more about Freddie McCann, 19 and playing in his second first-class game, expressing himself. Will Jacks has been introduced for an over of spin before the tea interval, but he doesn’t look too threatening.

Right, I’m going to have a few minutes watching Haseeb Hameed try to dig in against this Surrey attack. Because what’s better than watching Haseeb Hameed digging in?

It was 201 and out for Will Rhodes, with Warwickshire 420 all out versus Kent and a mammoth 264-run lead is theirs.

Derbyshire are now 23/3 down at Hove, having lost Luis Reece and Brooke Guest. Derby fans, I have no words for you right now.

Clap emoji.

Will Rhodes reaches 200. It has come off 291 balls and included 32 fours and it’s been the kind of display that will have Warwickshire fans pining for their former captain to stay on a little longer. Sadly for them, he’s off to Durham next season.

Talking of opening bowlers getting a wicket in their first over with a hefty first innings score on the board … step up Jordan Clark. He’s got Ben Slater with his second ball, completely castled, stumps everywhere!

It’s Surrey’s world and we’re all just living in it.

Sussex have followed Yorkshire in calling time on their innings, ending on 607-8 v Derbyshire, and declaring after Jack Carson fell on 97.

Aaaaannd … Derbyshire are already one down in reply, Jaydev Unadkat sends Harry Came packing in his first over.

Yorkshire will soon be fielding, as the declaration finally comes. Bairstow will not be keeping wicket though, as Jonny Tattersall takes the gauntlets.

Keaton Jennings is a lucky man, chopping down almost onto his own stumps off Abbas, who is now operating with the keeper standing up. Bohannon has looked more fluent than his partner, with this partnership beginning to frustrate Hampshire.

Sudharsan got his century. It felt inevitable for a long time, although he quickly lost partners at the other end, with Surrey now all out for 525, Farhan Ahmed finishing with 7-140, including the wicket of Sudharsan for 105.

Neil Thompson emails in about Ahmed: “As impressive as his 7-for has been, when does safeguarding become an issue for a 16 year old being out through a 50 over stint? Are there not rules in the county champs like there is in grassroots cricket?”

The simple answer, Neil is no, and especially not for spinners.

Bang bang for Worcestershire. Amir Virdi gets the big wicket of Tom Westley and then Logan van Beek gets rid of Paul Walter, after a good catch by Rob Jones. From 201-4 to 214-6 and with two new batters at the crease, the visitors have an opening at Chelmsford here.

Hampshire have turned to the spin of Liam Dawson to break the Jennings-Bohannon partnership, which has been super-duper disciplined. Maybe I – and a few commenters – was too quick to write off the Lancashire batters. There’s barely a cloud in the Manchester sky at the moment.

“Surrey seem to have collapsed a bit here,” says Dr Cozzer, ironically. They’re 506/8. He also asks: “Has Hameed ever bowled in the Championship before?” after his one over today.

The answer of course, is yes, and he’s even got a first-class wicket to his name.

Sudharsan is content to push it around 1s and 2s for now.

Archie Vaughan surely cannot have expected so many overs in his first innings as a Somerset County Championship bowler. He’s sent down 11 overs in a spell either side of lunch, with Leach now into his 12th at the other end.

Ollie Robinson has joined Lees, who has withstood the pressure well so far. For Durham, it’s really about crease occupation.

500 up for Surrey. Suharsan into the 90s, but there’s nothing nervous about the 22-year-old.

Bat big, bat once.

It’s great to see the county-reared trio of Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone and Matt Potts operating together in the England attack. Potts has just ripped one through Angelo Matthews to get England’s fourth.

Just when I thought Somerset should consider some seam, Leach gets the breakthrough. He and Vaughan had been operating in tandem since lunch without much success, with Lees and Borthwick playing batted positively – until the Durham skipper falls to The Nut. Craig Overton with the safe hands to dismiss Borthwick for 35.

Matt Parkinson gets Ed Barnard for 65, but it remains a struggle for Kent at Edgbaston. They’ve lost Grant Stewart to injury – having bowled just one ball after lunch – and Will Rhodes continues to look like an immovable object at the other end. 372/5.

Yorkshire and Sussex could both surpass 600, Surrey are approaching 500 … that Kookaburra ball, eh? It just won’t go away. It’s always waiting there, just around the corner. Ready to make its way back through the sludge and smash through the glass pavilion, looking easier to hit than ever.

Eesh, watching Lancashire’s batting is one for the purists right now. They’re not even endangering the two-runs-per-over mark. Hampshire haven’t given them anything, to be fair, with Mohammad Abbas hammering away at a length.

John Simpson has hit his fourth Championship century of the season – what a signing he’s been for Sussex. He’s got so much to offer, still, even now at 36. Jack Carson is with him and has rattled on to 71. Time to declare, Sussex?

Rehan Ahmed has snared Billy Root cheaply and Glamorgan are having a mini-wobble, albeit Colin Ingram – AKA Big Col – is still there and looking in stellar nick. Chris Cooke has joined him in the Bute Park sunshine.

A part of me hopes we get Archie Vaughan bowling at the same time as Rocky Flintoff is batting today. Another part of me will feel ancient if and when that happens.

Lancashire have started at a snail’s pace and, after the early loss of Luke Wells and with an inexperienced middle order to come, you can totally understand why. I’d suggest they’d need Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon to make a bulk of their runs if they’re to get near Hampshire’s first innings 398.

Leach is wheeling into Scott Borthwick and Alex Lees now, with men hanging around the corner on the legside for the catch. Durham have been no shrinking violets despite the scoreboard pressure; they’re playing shots. Vaughan brings a contrasting threat at the other end, spinning it away from the two left-handers with his off-spin.

I enjoyed this comment after my idle – note *IDLE* – predictions:

“Dominic hasn’t so much found the Jinxing Knife as gone straight for The Guardian Chainsaw Massacre.”

John Simpson is next on my possible century watchlist; then Sai Sudharsan and then … maybe Ed Barnard? He’s gone to the brink of a half-century in no time at all. Will Rhodes is 146 not out at the other end.

We’re back under way in most games.

PJ Rowntree agrees that the runs will keep flowing this afternoon:

Some massive scores again, as in the early rounds of the CC when this ball was used. YJB finally out, but not before making 160, Will Rhodes heading to an equally massive score and I daresay Colin Ingram will add a few more to his lunch time score – who’d want to be a bowler?

Not that I’m a county standard cricketer by any means, but I pretty much gave up bowling a few years ago. (I’m a 31-year-old club 1st/2nd teamer).

Fancy some of my idle predictions for the afternoon session?

Yorkshire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Glamorgan to pile on the pain with the bat before some of them declare. Spin to tie Durham in a knot down at Somerset; Lancashire to toil at home to Hampshire’s seam attack; the most balanced game – and toughest to call – looks to be Essex v Worcestershire. A couple of early wickets after lunch could see the Pears on level terms or better.

Looking forward to it. Keep your predictions coming BTL – and feel free to tell me where I’ve got it drastically wrong.

Moment of the session?

As I break for a quick sandwich before the afternoon madness, feel free to continue the chat BTL.

I note there’s a fair amount of discussion regarding the return of the Kookaburra ball for this round of matches, and the rather loftier scores that have come with it …

Lunchtime scores

DIVISION ONE

Taunton: Somerset 492 v Durham 29/1

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 323-4 v Kent 156

Chelmsford: Essex 151-4 v Worcestershire 266

Old Trafford: Lancashire 13-1 v Hampshire 389

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Surrey 452-7

DVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 201-3 v Leicestershire 251

Headingley: Yorkshire 480-6 v Middlesex

Hove: Sussex 525-6 v Derbyshire

Somerset finish the session with spin at both ends and half-chances galore, Leach challenging both edges and Vaughan, 18, having enjoyed that golden moment. Durham walk off for lunch 29/1.

With Rocky Flintoff due to bat for Lancashire later, it could be a momentous day for the sons of England noughties legends.

Lunch will be taken around the grounds; I’ll sump up the scores in my next post.

Vaughan takes wicket in first Championship over

Step aside, Jack Leach … enter Archie Vaughan! The off-spinner has taken a wicket in his first over in first-class cricket, straightening the ball from round the wicket to McKinney. He’s mobbed by his Somerset teammates, what a moment for the young man.

We interrupt this Jack Leach Special to inform you that Jonathan Marc Bairstow has been dismissed. Jonny has his stumps disturbed by Luke Hollman on 160.

It’s now only Leicestershire who have gone wicketless since the start of the day …

I’m staying with Leach v Durham for a bit here. It feels like something will happen. His second ball spits past McKinney’s inside edge, before the leftie sweeps to deep square for one. Lees on strike.

Nut watch: it’s an early look at Jack Leach for Somerset before launch at Taunton. Men around the bat, pitch sufficiently dusty. McKinney thrashes the first ball through extra for four.

John Simpson could join today’s 100 club although maybe not by lunch time. He’s into the 80s and Sussex are up and beyond 500 against rock-bottom Derbyshire, whose noses are firmly in the dirt, presumably praying for a declaration.

Colin Ingram is a fine, fine batter. Should have played way more international cricket for South Africa.

As mesnilman says BTL: “Get. In. Big Col.”

Could this be a promotion-losing session for Middlesex? They haven’t taken a wicket, with Bairstow now past 150 and into dangerous Making A Point To England Selectors territory. Leicestershire have also failed to get a wicket this morning, with their promotion hopes hanging by a thread.

There’s been a change of innings at Taunton, too, with Somerset bowled out for 492 thanks to lower order contributions from Gregory, Aldridge and Overton. After losing a wicket from the first ball of their innings yesterday, that aint bad going. Again, conditions suit the batters – it’s dry, it’s sunny and it’s Taunton – but scoreboard pressure does funny things.

Lees and McKinney are opening up for Durham against the new pill.

Lancs are batting. Luke Wells hits Kyle Abbott’s first ball for four, then third ball there’s a big appeal for LBW as he shoulders arms. I sense this won’t be easy for Lancashire, even on a placid Old Trafford pitch and with the sun shining.

Sound the alarm: Surrey have lost a wicket! Jordan Clark is the man who’s been dismissed, Liam Patterson-White snaffling a caught-and-bowled to dismiss him for 53. It was starting to look like a procession for the Surrey duo. Cameron Steel has joined Sudharsan.

Gary Naylor of this parish emails in:

That Luke Wells is the preferred spinner over Tom Hartley in this match does not augur well for the erstwhile England man. With Division Two cricket beckoning next season for Lancashire, he really should look for pastures new, especially if he doesn’t make the Blast quarter final XI (I doubt that he will). Lancashire seem to be in as much of a mess as their hideous ground these days.

Lancashire have finally bowled Hampshire out. Phew. Abbas falls to Wells to leave Dawson stranded on 104*. Their 389 is way more than Lancs would have bargained for, mind. The hosts have a major job on their hands at OT.

Another hundred has been notched up! George Hill flags Tom Helm to the leg side to bring up three figures – and his partnership with Bairstow is now worth more than 200.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Sussex have happily gone on to 471-6 with John Simpson marshalling the lower order. Glamorgan’s third wicket pair of Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson have taken them to 167-2. And in Div One, Essex have lost Robin Das but are 117-2 in reply to Worcestershire and Warwickshire are in total control of Kent, 274-4.

High Peak Geek corrects me BTL on my assertion that Dawson has frustrated Lancashire today:

Sorry Dominic, as a Lancs fan I think I speak for most of us when I say it is, as usual, Lancashire who have frustrated us no end.

I’m going to grab a quick coffee and then I’ll scoot around the grounds and update you on goings-on. How many will Dawson finish on?

A century for Liam Dawson! This has been a masterful display of batting with the tail. He’s gone from 46 to 100 in this first hour, with two sixes seeing him rapidly through the 90s. He’s frustrated Lancashire no end this morning.

Ah … Surrey have actually missed out on 400 within the 110 overs needed for points. They’re 398-5. Only a minor source of frustration for Alec Stewart’s boys, I’m sure.

Somerset have passed 450, which means maximum batting points – and they still have Craig Overton to come. A reminder that they started this game 35 points behind Surrey, with Essex a further three points back. Both counties would dearly love Surrey – who are approaching 400, still for five – to lose. But Surrey don’t tend to bother with that losing lark.

Jordan Clark has raced to 43, blunting Notts with a couple of straight sixes, and it’s all looking rather serene for Surrey this morning. Surrey 386-5.

There’s sure to be a few declarations in the minds of captains at the moment. Who will be first to call their lads in? (Probably not Rory Burns, to be fair).

Lancashire have allowed Liam Dawson to totally dictate matters this morning, dominating the strike to protect Mohammad Abbas and brutally hitting finding the boundary almost at will. The Hampshire all-rounder, on his 200th first-class appearance, is 77 not out.

Updated

Yorkshire are the latest side to bring their 400 up. Boy there are some runs about in this round of fixtures. YJB goes on his merry way to 122 and George Hill, with him, is not out on 70.

Kent picked up the early scalp of (England’s) Jacob Bethell, but Will Rhodes has since gone past a hundred, with Ed Barnard joining him. Warwickshire’s lead is growing and Kent’s spell in Division One looks, in the words of Alan Partridge, moribund.

Farhan Ahmed, who was born in 2008(!), is still wheeling away for Nottinghamshire. He’s eyeing a five-for on first-class debut, but Sudharsan and Clark have looked wholly untroubled this morning. Ominous signs for Surrey’s rivals.

22 February 2008, to be precise. What major cricket events are older than Farhan Ahmed then?

Goodness me, Gus Atkinson has a Test century! He’d only hit three first-class 50s for Surrey before …

Updated

Hundred and out for James Rew! He was looking to bustle things along this morning for Somerset, who have passed 400 against Durham, but the young keeper-bat has steered one straight to slip off Brydon Carse, two balls after bringing up his ton. 417-7 with the home side eyeing maximum batting points.

Notts are managing to keep the Surrey duo fairly quiet this morning. The defending champions have reached the 100-over mark on 343-5, which means they only have only 10 overs to score their batting points. Can they reach 400?

“A bright light in the gloom of pretty much everything else,” is my favourite comment BTL so far, via bewilderedpenguin. That’s cricket.

Fifty for Liam Dawson. He gets there with a lofted drive over cover with Lancashire desperately trying to get Hampshire’s last wicket this morning, and get batting. I’m excited to see how Rocky Flintoff fares with the bat later.

Thank you for your lovely introduction messages BTL, I’m humbled. The comments on my articles aren’t usually so nice …

Surrey having India white-ball international Sai Sudharsan at No 6 in the Championship is a cheat code, isn’t it? He’s in with Jordan Clark looking to add quick runs this morning.

Updated

We’re minutes away from the start of play around the country, with little to no threat of rain, I’m happy to report.

There’s a bit of chat about the Gloucestershire v Northants abandonment BTL, understandably. Ricardo Vasconcelos went to hospital with a suspected broken figure before his teammate Rob Keogh was also hit on the hand by a rising delivery from Ajeet Singh Dale.

Northants have been given 11 points for a draw, with Gloucestershire getting nil points. There’s also the possibility the home side could get a further sanction given their pitch was deemed unsafe. Will bring you more as/when we get it.

Jonny Bairstow was doing Jonny Bairstow things yesterday. He doesn’t take kindly to being dropped, that man, which is all to his credit frankly. Whether you think he still warrants an England spot or not, he remains a fine batter.

There is a Test match going on today, of course. Taha Hashim is all over the updates as Gus Atkinson eyes an unlikely Test century.

Start of play – scores on the doors

Here’s how things look around the grounds before day two kicks off at 11am (BST):

DIVISION ONE

Taunton: Somerset 395-6 v Durham

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 207-3 v Kent 156

Chelmsford: Essex 50-1 v Worcestershire 266

Old Trafford: Lancashire v Hampshire 330-9

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Surrey 339-5

DVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 114-2 v Leicestershire 251

Headingley: Yorkshire 372-5 v Middlesex

Hove: Sussex 391-4 v Derbyshire

Bristol: Gloucestershire 125 v Northamptonshire 116-2 – match abandoned as a draw

Updated

Preamble

Good morning all and welcome to day two of this county cricket blog! As with Xaymaca yesterday, this is my debut on the county blog, and what a buzz that is, I must say.

Day one was not short of action: we had a whole game abandoned due to pitch concerns, Michael Vaughan’s son Archie made his Championship debut, while Surrey started strongly on their quest for yet another title. Can anyone stop them? Probably not, but it will be fascinating viewing nonetheless. We may have an England Test match going on, we may have deadline day in the world of football, but where else would you rather be than sitting in the sun basking in the warm glow of county cricket?

Feel free to email me your thoughts or comment Below The Line.

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How ‘sad’ bananas could help tackle food waste
Bananas are a sociable fruit. They thrive in bunches, bound by a unifying stalk which joins them happily together in curvy yellow brightness.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Most restaurants don’t make it. Here’s how Jean-Georges restaurants have survived the test of time—and even a pandemic
Legendary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten also tells young hopefuls that if they can’t handle 14-hour days, the chef life is ‘not for you’.
Fortune
Fortune
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