Tanya Aldred's roundup
There was an inevitability about Hashim Amla’s slow march towards his century, hauling Surrey with him in their crucial Championship game at the County Ground. Northants had collapsed in the morning session, losing six wickets for 90, though not before Rob Keogh reached 123 - a fifth wicket for the speedy Kemar Roach, as Surrey collected three crucial bowling points. None of the Surrey top order could stick with Amla, 97 not out at stumps, until he found some ballast from Cameron Steel on his birthday.
George Hill was caught from the last ball of the day in a guitar-string tight game at Headingley. Yorkshire finished with a lead of four over Essex, with eight wickets in hand. After a frustrating summer of injury, Dan Lawrence had jigged to the the only fifty of the match and, assisted by a free-wheeling Shane Snater, given Essex a first-innings lead. Jordan Thompson gathered for four for 60.
England’s Matthew Potts swung and sped his way to six wickets, running through Leicestershire’s defences before lunch. Callum Parkinson then grabbed three Durham wickets, including opener Michael Jones just three short of his century
Another tense game unrolled at Edgbaston with relegation waiting through the trap door. Somerset finished the day just on top, after Jack Brooks’ four for four in 27 balls, helped scroll through the Warwickshire tail. Sam Hain had earlier passed 1000 runs for the season in his 67.
A dapper hundred by Jake Libby put Worcestershire in a promising position at Hove. On a day spent darting between the showers, Libby, unbeaten on 142 at stumps, put on 195 for the first wicket, before Ed Pollock fell for 98, and 54 with Azhar Ali. Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson, out all season with injury, took both wickets to fall.
In the gloves-off promotion game at Lord’s, Mark Stoneman hit a dominant century as he and John Simpson took Middlesex to two batting points and a lead of 72 over Glamorgan.
Lancashire were docked six points after the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Committee found them guilty of two breaches of the code of conduct. The “gut-wrenching” strike removes any remote hope of a Championship run.
• The headline of this article was amended on 14 September 2022 to correct a misspelling of Hashim Amla’s last name.
Updated
So Amla didn’t quite make the hundred, but near enough. Time to give the dog a quick walk while the light lasts – it won’t be long. See you tomorrow, bye!
Regretfully, I’d better write up my round-up, do keep an eye on things for me, it’s getting hairy out there.
Amla into the nineties for Surrey; Warwickshire down to the batting dregs, 180-9. Can Siraj throw the bat for 30 or so?
Our live blogger at HQ writes:
@tjaldred I think that looks pretty terminal... pic.twitter.com/MwAmk5eNPS
— Angela Gilham (@AngelaGilham) September 13, 2022
Adam Lyth is out.
Stumps at Hove, where the weather may save Sussex, Worcestershire 289 for two. Rain at Lord’s, where John Simpson is 28 away from his century, Middx 286 for five, a lead of 72. Michael Jones strides towards a century as Durham sniff Leicestershire’s first innings 202 with just one wicket down.
A wicket at Edgbaston, a third for JAck Brooks in a cracking, match-changing, spell. Warwicks still trail Somerset by 62, three wickets in hand.
Hashim Amla, 74 not out, presses remorselessly onward, in companionship with Cameron Steel. Surrey 181 for 4, trail Northants by 156.
While at Headingley, Adam Lyth and two-match Fin Bean have made it to 17-0.
Updated
Essex all out 225
Over to you, Yorkies. Trailing by 91. Beware Sam Cook.
Sam Hain pulling Warwickshire towards that Somerset total – trailing by just 83 runs. Thanks to the nudge BTL that Hain has passed 1000 runs today, joining, in Division one: Ben Compton and Keaton Jennings (with Harry Brook bubbling under); and in Division Two: Sam Northeast, Wayne Madsen, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shan Masood and Ben Duckett (with Haseeb Hameed nearly there on 976).
Hashim Amla 52 not out – he’s on for a hundred, you heard it here first. Meanwhile Dan Lawrence has been out for the only half-century of the match at Headingley to keep Essex in with a mathematical chance of the Championship.
Tea-time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
The County Ground: Northants 339 v Surrey 114-4
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 117-4 v Somerset 219
Headingley: Yorkshire 134 all out v Essex 206-7
DIVISION TWO
Grace Road: Leicestershire 202 v Durham 100-1
Lord’s: Middlesex 253-3 v Glamorgan 214
Hove: Sussex 220 v Worcestershire 268-2
Apologies to Mark Stoneman who has made his hundred, showered and done the crossword since I last glanced in at Lord’s. Middx lead Glamorgan by 29, with half the team still to bat. Stoneman 128; John Simpson (nominated, wisely, BTL for the team of the year) 57 not out.
They’ve taken tea at Hove, with the drizzle falling and Worcestershire all dolled up for an evening’s batting. Worcs 268-2, a lead of 48 against Sussex.
Essex pick up a batting point, to go with their bowling haul, at Headingley, with Dan Lawrence 57 not out and Shane Snater 46. Essex 201-for seven. At Northants, Amla has dropped anchor for his 34 off 104. Surrey 103-4, still 236 behind Northants, and no rain is forecast in Northampton for the next few days.
Sussex bring saved by the south-coast weather temporarily. Worcs 268-2, a lead of48. Libby 133 not out, Pollock out for 98.
At Edgbaston, Will Rhodes has been caught behind for 38, bringing in new boy Jayant Yadav. Have been browsing the Warwicks averages, as you do. This time last year, Rob Yates was being talked about as an Ashes tour candidate, with 793 runs at 37 (he was top of the Warwicks averages); this year, Sam Hain has made nearly 1000 runs and is averaging 76, while Lamb and Burgess average in the forties, meanwhile Yates has 141 runs at 11 in eight games.
Jamie Smith bowled by Luke Procter , Surrey 80 for four. Meanwhile Dan Lawrence is doing things for Essex – for the first time in what feels like a while. He’s only made one f-c score of more than fifty this season . Currently 42 not out, Shane Snater 43 not out, in a more than handy seventh-wicket partnership. Lead of 39 over the Yorkies in a low-scoring math.
Jonny on the magnificent Nat Sciver:
How is shouting in the changing room an offence (other than annoying your teammates?)
Very frustrating to have been deducted 6 points. I’m gutted that I was implicated in this after hitting my bat on the ground after being bowled last year v Glamorgan at Cardiff and shouting in frustration whilst inside the changing room at Northants. 1/2 https://t.co/xs28t27hyF
— Luke Wells (@luke_wells07) September 13, 2022
Thank you to Geoff Wignall for this action picture of Alan Ward.
At Edgbaston, Warwickshire are fighting back, a 45-run partnership between Sam Hain and Will Rhodes. A couple of wickets for Lewis Gregory to go with his innings stitching-together 60.
Those two Worcestershire wickets, I should have said, to Sussex’ s Jack Carson, rolling his arm over for the first time this year. Fifteen overs, two for 28 – a tasty little aperitif.
A hundred for Jake Libby!
Yesterday’s fightback a distant memory for Sussex, as Worcestershire compile 249-2 and counting. A second first-class century of the season for Jake Libby, rolling over the line with back to back boundaries.
Play will restart at Lord’s at 2.20pm, if no more rain.
Matthew Potts finished up with six for 52 to ruin Leicestershire. Feet up now, while Jones and Dickson go about their work. Durham 24 for 0.
Here he is in England gear, as the system is over-riding my attempts to use a picture from today’s game.
Ben Geddes tries to make his point with a flourish but reaches only Vasconcelos behind the stumps: Surrey 46-3.
Interesting, Ryan Patel gone too at Northampton. Both openers back in the box – Surrey 44-2. Hashim Amla hasn’t had a bumper season this year – hundred time?
Essex pushing Yorkshire for the lowest first-innings of the round – last round’s centurion Feroze Khushi goes for one to Ben Coad. Essex 97 for five.
Great interview by Joe Root.“There’s been a lot of talk about the Hundred as a great opportunity to get people into the game,” Root said. “Well, there’s no reason why Test cricket can’t do that.” But was it a cryptic crossword?
Anyone?
Babar Azam's cover drive related question in 9th grade physics syllabus (federal board) (via Reddit) pic.twitter.com/I2Tc9HldsG
— Shiraz Hassan (@ShirazHassan) September 13, 2022
Hummus sandwich here we come – back shortly.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
The County Ground: Northants 339 v Surrey 26-1
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 25-3 v Somerset 219
Headingley: Yorkshire 134 all out v Essex 79-3
DIVISION TWO
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187-9 v Durham
Lord’s: Middlesex 184-4 v Glamorgan 214 rain delay
Hove: Sussex 220 v Worcestershire 187-0
Sadly the archive doesn’t have a picture of Alan Ward – who has had more mentions in CClive in the last two weeks than ever before. Unlucky for Ben Coad – but the record belongs to Sam Cook.
200 first-class wickets for Sam Cook 👏
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 13, 2022
According to @EssexCricket, he is the first English bowler to reach 200 first-class wickets while averaging under 20 in more than 50 years 😲
Should he be in England's Test plans?#CountyCricket2022 pic.twitter.com/QYpPo9ycGD
Cook played for the Lions against SA – so must be in dispatches, depending on the recovering injury list, of whom, Mark Wood is “wangin them down,” Woakes is close, Saqib Mahmood and Jofra Archer less so.
Two boundaries, but no more. Rory Burns off and away for ten, and Northants have the breakthrough before lunch.
And news from a CCLive watcher at Lord’s, “Now widdling down with the hover cover firmly in place for an early lunch. Not such a pretty picture.”
Hope the cloud shifts during the lunch break.
North a bit, Kemar Roach has taken five for 95, to bowl Northants out for 339. Rory Burns has hit two boundaries in Surrey’s reply.
Kemar Roach took 5 wickets as title chasing Surrey bowl Northamptonshire out for 339. #LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/9mj9BBmI0b
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) September 13, 2022
An email lands from Glenn Springett:
”Just doing my daily perusal of scores around the world, and I noticed there’s an England Legends v Sri Lanka legends game on later today.
Looking at the playing 11, so many big names of yesteryear are in and around the same age as Jimmy Anderson - it really does put his longevity in context as being pretty amazing stuff!
Dimi Mascarenas, one of my favourite bits and bobs players of days gone by, is only 4 years older than Jimmy!
Still, when I went to a new barber recently I thought I’d ask for a Jimmy-style cut while I still have some Barnet left - we had to google a picture for the barber’s benefit.
Perhaps Jimmy is only an icon for those of us of a certain vintage? Or maybe it says a lot about the lack of first class and test cricket on free to air telly and the game’s exposure to the average person, but that’s another matter…
Thanks for keeping us Cricket anoraks updated on the CC, as many people’s minds turn to the footie.!!”
That is a pleasure!
Raining at Lord’s where they’ve taken an early lunch and Mark Stoneman is eating up the deficit with 98 not out. Northants are all out for 339; Warwicks 18-2, Essex 53 for 3 on what must be a capricious Headingley pitch. Worcestershire are cruising against the Sussex babes in the wood – 158 for 0. Rotten luck for them that Finn was hit by injury.
Er, Edgbaston? Somerset all out 219; Warwicks 17 for two. Davies and Yates back in the pavilion with a combined total of nine to their names.
Things are occurring at Grace Road: Leicestershire’s merry 97 for two is now a murky, mud-clutching wellies score of 130 for eight. Leics so far have lost eight for 56. The much-missed Matthew Potts four for 32.
Only eight men in Northamptonshire CC history have scored more first-class centuries than Rob Keogh. He slots into place next to Ben Duckett.
A hundred for Rob Keogh!
Does it the hard way with a four off Kemar Roach – a third Championship century of the season, and Northants’ second century of the match.
Updated
Lancashire hit back over points deduction
Lancs have called their six-point deduction “gut wrenching” as it removes all hope of an (extremely unlikely if mathematically possible) Championship win. The gap between them and leaders Hampshire now increases from 29 to 35.
The penalty was imposed by the Cricket Discipline Commission, activating part of a suspended 12-point sanction first issued in November 2021, and relating to a series of incidents dating back as far as September 2020. The two further breaches of the code this summer were by Dane Vilas and Luke Wells, both found guilty of “minimum level 1 offences”. At the hearing, Lancashire had argued that they had introduced a new code of conduct since the initial penalty – and that the 2022 transgressions were minor.
“Following all our hard work throughout the winter and in the County Championship this season, to be deducted points for what are, in our opinion, minor discretions is gut wrenching.” said director of cricket Mark Chilton. “In our opinion, both fixed penalties we received were unduly harsh punishments, which could have gone either way, and it is this inconsistency in the decision making that makes this difficult to take.
“We recognise umpiring is a challenging job and mistakes will happen, but at present there isn’t enough accountability surrounding their decisions and too much subjectivity still exists. The sooner we can provide additional support by way of technology and improved processes, the better. Both of our incidents could have been avoided with an ability to review the decisions, and the sooner this is in place, the better.”
Updated
Cameron Steel does the business – two bowling bonus points in the bag for Surrey as Saif Zaib must trudge off lbw.
Right – round the grounds: Vasconcelos made an early exit at Northants, a second wicket for Atkinson.Northants 284 for five against the Championship favourites. Somerset are nine down, though they’ve added a quick twenty odd: Siraj picking up a fifth. Warwickshire shopped wisely there. And Essex lost Nick Browne to his second ball, but Cook and Westley are scurrying along: Essex 28 for one, only 106 behind the Yorkies.
Just putting this here, in case anyone has an attic full of old stuff:
We’re totally happy to take donations to our #KitLendingLibrary from individuals as well as clubs!
— The Cricket Asylum Foundation (@TCA_Foundation) September 3, 2022
This will be provided to individuals who otherwise would not be able to obtain expensive equipment & participate in our great sport.
Thanks @jaisinghhhh @11334_4 @KavSinghBhasin 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/kduRbCGZd5
Weather watch
Play all round the houses.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
The County Ground: Northants249-4 v Surrey
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Somerset 182-8
Headingley: Yorkshire 134 all out v Essex
DIVISION TWO
Grace Road: Leicestershire 97-2 v Durham
Lord’s: Middlesex 132-4 v Glamorgan 214
Hove: Sussex 220 v Worcestershire 87-0
Monday's round up
A dazzling century by Emilio Gay worried Surrey at Wantage Road after Northants lost the toss and were told to get the pads on. It was Gay’s first century on his home ground, and he twinkled throughout, finally out for 145, hooking merrily to deep square leg just before drizzle brought the players off for the day. Rob Keogh finished 75 not out. Tom Curran started his first red-ball game since before Covid as Surrey tried to eat up their seven point deficit on Hampshire, and leapfrog back to the top of the Championship table. The day had started, as it did around all the grounds, with a minute’s silence and a rendition of God Save the King.
Sam Cook became the first English seamer since Derbyshire’s Alan Ward in 1971 to take 200 first-class wickets at less than 20. Fresh from ten wickets against Kent, he snared three for 31, and Shane Snater’s three for 39, as Essex ran through Yorkshire at a damp Headingley which slumped under floodlights all day.
Rain ruined all but 22 overs at Grace Road, where Leicestershire debutant, Sol Budinger, helped his team to 97 for two against Nottinghamshire. Budinger had never played a first-class game before despite being on the books at Trent Bridge, and he warmed to his task with a clamouring six in his 63 not out. All this despite losing a chunk out of his bat to the first ball of the day from Ben Raine. Matty Potts picked up a wicket just before the clouds opened.
It was a damp relegation battle at Edgbaston, where India’s Mohammed Siraj made short work of Somerset’s top order - including Pakistan’s Iman ul Haq – for Warwickshire. However, from 46 for five Somerset fought back - thanks to an unbeaten 60 from Lewis Gregory.
Another recovery at Hove where Sussex wrestled themselves out of the slime-filled pit of 23 for five. Half centuries from Fynn Hudson-Prentice, James Coles and Jack Carson drove the drive for respectability, with Carson playing his first Championship game for nearly a year after recuperating from knee surgery. Worcestershire’s Joe Leach finished with four for 37 and Ed Pollock and Jack Libby picked up easy runs in the afternoon.
James Harris made a happy return to Lord’s in the promotion shoot-out. A spell of three for 0 in nine balls kept Glamorgan in the hunt after they had been dismissed for 214, with Middlesex’s Toby Roland Jones and Tim Murtagh dismissing the top order and Ryan Higgins dismantling the tail.
Preamble
Good morning from a crisp and sunny Manchester – though the mood will not be so warm at Old Trafford, with the news that Lancashire have been given a six point sanction for two Level one offences – one against Warwickshire in June, and one against Warwickshire in July.
Round the grounds, play will start at 10.30am, with Surrey struggling a little against Northants, neck and neck at Lord’s and Somerset recovering after a terrible start at Edgbaston. Let’s hope the rain stays away today.
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