Pollock guides Worcestershire to victory
A Baz-balling Ed Pollock bamboozled Middlesex to set up a seven-wicket victory for Worcestershire on a capricious Merchant Taylors’ pitch. His 113, in just 77 balls, included seven sixes which crashed into various festival tents, endangering ice creams and scorecards alike. His highest score also made easy pickings of a target of 238 and, after Pollock eventually fell going for another whopper, the captain Brett D’Oliveira hurried his side over the line.
“After the last 10 weeks, where I haven’t scored a bean, I was thinking: ‘I’ve got in, I’m going to make this count,’” Pollock said. “I owe the team a lot of runs, I had a lot of making up to do.”
A three-day victory also for Essex, who wrapped up the remaining four Gloucestershire wickets – Simon Harmer dusting his lapel with eight for 112, 13 for 156 in the match. The winless Gloucestershire could at least be buoyed by the performance of Zafar Gohar, who hit 81 from 75 balls to ensure Essex needed to bat again.
High-scoring draws seemed inevitable at Scarborough, where Surrey’s Rory Burns was finally out for 132, and Yorkshire’s Dom Bess toiled away for five for 126; and Southport, where Keaton Jennings danced to 318 against Somerset, only the sixth Lancashire player to join the triple-century club. There were also centuries for Derbyshire’s Brooke Guest and Leus du Plooy, the Leicestershire trio of Louis Kimber, Wiaan Mulder and Colin Ackermann and Glamorgan’s Eddie Byrom and Sam Northeast.
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A triple-century for Keaton Jennings!
Budge over Headingley, hello Southport! The highest first-class score ever at Trafalgar Road. Well played, TJNMIC.
3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ NOT OUT!!!
— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) July 13, 2022
History maker, @JetJennings. 🌹🌹🌹 https://t.co/7CM6fzlIBH pic.twitter.com/33Fzc2JFrn
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Right, I’m going to have to disappear to write up as I have to make a quick getaway today. If any of you will be at Russell Seymour’s climate talk at Gloucestershire CCC later this eve, please come and say hello.
Don’t say CCLive is prudish:
@tjaldred A fast-ripening eastern Mediterranean tomato in an eastern Mediterranean garden. pic.twitter.com/yVkPVoLOqG
— Romeo Romeo Tango Ψιτιζεν οφ Νοςηερε (@RomeoCCLive) July 13, 2022
And a great effort by Leicestershire in the battle for the Division Two wooden spoon: 439-4, 149 behind. Centuries for Kimber and Ackermann, a near miss for Patel and Mulder fast approaching on 94.
Hundreds for Leus du Plooy and Brooke Guest
From 36-4, great riches. Derbyshire now 260 for four: du Plooy 117 , Guest 109.
Quite the afternoon session at Trafalgar Road, which slightly passed me by what with curating items for the new museum and concentrating on Worcestershire’s win. Jennings now has 224, just 14 short of the 238 he made at the Roses game at Headingley. Two double centuries in the season for the nicest man in cricketTM.
Beautiful day and an absolutely thrilling session of cricket. Brilliantly set up now... https://t.co/FHFIWjQ6Z8
— Jamie Bowman (@JamieBowman77) July 13, 2022
Worcestershire beat Middlesex by seven wickets!
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 188 and 240 v Worcestershire 191 and 238-3
Dolly does it, but Ed Pollock set the platform. Bravo!
Tea-timeish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 310 and 79-1 BEAT Gloucestershire 136 and 252
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 370-9dec v Warwickshire 217 and 145-6
Canterbury: Kent 335 v Northants 303 and 125-3
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire 443-2 v Somerset 446
North Marine Road: Yorkshire 521 v Surrey 410-6
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 296 v Derbyshire 283 and 225-4
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 318 and 302-4 v Nottinghamshire 285
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 188 and 240 v Worcestershire 191 and 226-3
Hove: Sussex 588-9 v Leicestershire 388-4
Tea breaking out round the grounds,, scores to follow:
“If we’re getting this museum going,” says Tom Hopkins with impressive enthusiasm, “can we check if Allan Donald still has Athers’ signed glove knocking around?”
I didn’t know this, but you’re quite right - he seems to have given Donald his glove from the famous duel, with the giveaway red mark on the glove signed and circled. However, it was handed over for Donald’s benefit auction, so we might struggle to get our hands on it.
The spirit of Shan Masood lives on at Derbyshire, where du Plooy and Guest have put on 166. Derbyshire 203-4, a lead of 190 over Durham.
“On the subject of Mike Gatting,” continues Steve Cox. “I was thinking about him on a recent camping holiday (sad I know). He was obviously a very talented batsman and England Captain but when I hear his name I think of.
! Ball of the Century
2 Swearing at the umpire in Pakistan
3 The reverse sweep in the World Cup final
4 Elasticated cricket trousers
5 Taking a catch, throwing the ball in the air then trying, and failing, to catch it again
6 Barmaids
7 Food poisoning from a dodgy Chinese in India
“History can be so unfair sometimes.”
So true. But I’d also add the rebel tour to that list, which, aside from being a more than dubious moral choice, was a complete disaster. The ANC had been unbanned so demonstrators followed the tourists everywhere, Ali Bacher later admitted that he was worried Gatting might be killed and the tour, funded by the apartheid governement, was eventually cut short.
Ed Pollock out for a rollicking 113, but he’s more than done his job - Worcs need only another 68 to win. Keaton Jennings is still in, for a more sedate 162. Lancs 369-1. Does anyone happen to be at Trafalgar Road? Is there an obvious reason why Virdi hasn’t bowled more than 11 overs? He doesn’t seem to have been that expensive.
Eddie Byrom’s majestic innings comes to an end at Sophia Gardens, lbw to Liam Patterson-White for 144. A fifth first-class century. Glamorgan 259-3, a more than handy lead of 292 over Notts.
Against the new ball, chasing 238 ... as per Ben Stokes the other week: "People know what they have to do to bang the door down and get in this team." https://t.co/vRTgtUyvHY
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 13, 2022
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“Surely,” writes Steve Cox, “you can’t leave out Mike Gatting’s elasticated trousers.”
A few bits of memorabilia from this moment in time:
A hundred for Ed Pollock!
And a seventh... and shortly afterwards, his century! 67 balls, seven sixes, nine fours, making a tough pitch look like an eiderdown. Baz-balling, as Tom Petty nearly sang.
I see Josh Bohannon has eased his way to 60 (polishes her lapels). Lancs 306-1, Jennings 130 not out.
And a sixth six, which narrowly misses decapitating the BBC commentators.
“A cricket clothing museum?” writes Simon McMahon. “Viv’s maroon cap was one of the things that got me into cricket. Would his chewing gum count? Warnie’s floppy hat would have to be there too. Maybe anything worn by Jack Russell. And Dickie Bird’s umpire coat and flat cap.”
Meanwhile, at Merchant Taylors’, Ed Pollock smacks a fifth six into the Worcestershire tent - 79 not out as Worcestershire chase another 121 to win. Maybe, just maybe, with nine wickets left, Ed Barnard will not have to pad up.
Surrey stumbling, if that’s what you can call 307-5 . Was somehow expecting them to declare at 750-6 tomorrow lunchtime. Anyway, Will Jacks is bowled by a sweaty Thompson for just seven.
Essex beat Gloucestershire by nine wickets
Chelmsford: Essex 310 and 79-1 BEAT Gloucestershire 136 and 252
Essex 22 points, Gloucestershire two points.
Which leaves poor winless Gloucestershire stuck at the foot of the table in west-country solidarity; and Essex on the tails of the top three.
“Can I suggest a triptych of a millinery kind for a clothing museum: Hoopers wide brim maroon hat; Waugh’s baggy green; and Greig’s crash helmet?Elsewhere perhaps, Jack Russell’s sunhat in it’s end of career incarnation.”
I like it Geoff Wignall!
Lunchtime-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 310 and 47-1 v Gloucestershire 136 and 140-6
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 370-9dec v Warwickshire 217 and 72-2
Canterbury: Kent 335 v Northants 303 and 27-0
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire 270-1 v Somerset 446
North Marine Road: Yorkshire 521 v Surrey 281-3
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 296 v Derbyshire 283 and 103-4
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 318 and 172-1 v Nottinghamshire 285
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 188 and 240 v Worcestershire 191 and 56-0
Hove: Sussex 588-9 v Leicestershire 248-3
Did you see that Andy Burnham’s King of the North jacket is now on display at Manchester’s People’s History Museum?
We've a #mustsee at the museum!@AndyBurnhamGM 's workers’ jacket on display until early Sept@artfund #MuseumOfTheYear 2022 shortlisted museum https://t.co/C6V0QspxMX
— People's History Museum (PHM) (@PHMMcr) July 13, 2022
I’m sure various bits of clothing are sitting in various cricket museums, but what would you nominate for display? I’ll start:
1 Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s travelling outfit, that she managed to negotiate out of M and S for one of England women’s overseas tours.
2 Jack Richards’ cravat.
3 Viv’s maroon cap.
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A hundred for Keaton Jennings!
Runs, runs, runs for the Roses at the seaside. Jennings eases to 107 in Lancs’ 258-2. At Scarborough, Burns is not out 127, but he must rebuild with Ben Foakes after a wicket each for Bess and Thompson. Amla, it turned out, wasn’t up for three figures today, caught for 79. Surrey 274-3.
Cook goes! Essex 21-1, the booty to the wild man of the west country, Ryan Higgins.
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An email, which managed to end up in my junk box earlier in the week, apologies to Mike Hill. More memories of John Gwynne:
“John joined Whalley Range CC in 1960, and played for nearly 12 years. He left the club at at the tea interval in a match at South West Manchester in the early 70s, after an argument with the skipper. When bridges were built and we all became firm friends again, somebody pointed out he still owed his match fee… plus interest!!!”
I don’t think I mentioned that Lancs were wearing black armbands in his memory at Southport. He will be dearly missed by darts lovers too.
A terribly sad day with the passing of my friend John Gwynne…. A giant of a man, a giant voice and a huge personality….reunited with Sid Waddell & Dave Lanning - the darting holy trinity ….
— Stuart Pyke (@stuartpykesport) July 9, 2022
There’s always a stat when Harmer’s about:
Harmer takes consecutive 12 wicket hauls in FC cricket for the 2nd time in his career.@EssexCricket
— James McCaghrey (@McLovinstatto) July 13, 2022
or two:
Since 2002 in CC cricket
— James McCaghrey (@McLovinstatto) July 13, 2022
Most 9+ wicket Hauls
2- Harmer, Kasprowicz
Most 8+ wicket Hauls
7- Harmer
3- Kabir Ali
Most 7+ Wicket Hauls
10- Harmer
8- Mushtaq
343 wickets at 20.31
23.5% of his Innings have 5 wicket hauls, since 2002 with 25+ matches only Mushtaq is more regular.
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Kent slumping in the morning heat. Solid work in the middle order dusting to not much, a first-innings lead of just 32 over Northants. Sanderson finishes with 4-63, White 4-62.
109.2 | Sanderson wraps it up. 💪
— Northamptonshire CCC (@NorthantsCCC) July 13, 2022
His fourth for the innings, Cobb taking the catch.
Kent 335 all out, a lead of 32. pic.twitter.com/tjKW76FYGQ
Zafar Gohar! Harmered at the last, but not until he thrashed 81 from an increasingly irritated Essex. And in the time it takes me to refresh the page, it’s all over. Harmer 8-112. Glos 252 all out. Essex need just 79 to win.
This is going to be the day Josh Bohannon re-finds his Championship form: four fours so far on the Southport deck.
Lloyd and Byrom making it look easy at Sophia Gardens, Glam 112-0; while Rushworth has picked up a third, and Salisbury a first, at Chester le Street. Derby 44-4.
Just browsing all the enjoyable chat BTL, wasn’t expecting six degrees of separation between CCLive and Rishi Sunak - who I learnt today is the same height as Tendulkar.
Anyway, to Division Two, where Kimber was lbw shortly after raising his bat, for 104. A second for Finn: Leicestershire 203-2.
Middx have now made the highest total of the game in their second innings, despite losing TRJ and Tom Helm. The whack-a-day runs coming from newbie Umesh Yadav, with a 35 ball 42 and counting. Middx 238-9.
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A hundred for Rory Burns!
Hundred happy hour. Now Burns joins the club, at Scarborough. Surrey 216-1, with Amla coming up quickly on the inside.
A hundred for Louis Kimber
A second maiden Championship century of the round, after Lewis Goldsworthy. Well played! Leics 174-2.
A wicket at Chelmsford! And it isn’t Harmer. Jamie Porter spoils Harmer’s figures, bowling Ollie Price for 43. Gloucs 149-7, 25 behind, and slipping towards a post lunch slink away.
A hundred for Luke Wells!
Three figures notched up even before the final greetings of the morning at Trafalgar Road had been made. A long day ahead for Somerset in the field. Hope they sustained themselves at the Birkdale cheese shop beforehand.
Big news from South Africa, where CSA have cancelled the ODIs against Australia, in favour of a domestic franchise competition yet to be finalised.
South Africa forfeit an ODI series to host a domestic T20 competition - and this could hurt their qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup! More signs that cricket administrators are placing premium on T20s and ODIs are on the least of their priorities.https://t.co/hTsAhaLAmv
— Arun Gopalakrishnan (@statanalyst) July 13, 2022
And an excellent summary of where South African cricket is, in this week’s Spin:
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex 310 v Gloucestershire 136 and 140-6
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 370-9dec v Warwickshire 217 and 11-0
Canterbury: Kent 287-5 v Northants 303 all out
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire 164-0 v Somerset 446
North Marine Road: Yorkshire 521 v Surrey 191-1
DIVISION TWO
Chester-le-Street: Durham 296 v Derbyshire 283 and 19-2
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 318 and 53-0 v Nottinghamshire 285
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 188 and 180-6 v Worcestershire 191 all out
Hove: Sussex 588-9 v Leicestershire 159-1
Tuesday's round-up
The Essex old hands, Simon Harmer and Alastair Cook, made hay against a beaten-down Gloucestershire. Cook’s 73rd first-class hundred came up with a back-foot glide. His 145 made up nearly half of Essex’s total, Zafar Gofar grabbing five for 84.
Gloucestershire’s second innings then sank into an inevitability vortex as Harmer, who had taken five wickets in the first innings at Chelmsford, picked up five more.
Amar Virdi, on loan to Somerset, didn’t find things as much to his liking as Lancashire’s Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings got stuck into the spinners, putting on 164 at Southport. Wells had to chew his evening meal on 99 not out.
There were no easy runs for England’s out-of-sorts Zak Crawley, out dabbing to midwicket for five, but Kent got within a sniff of Northamptonshire thanks to three scores of 63. England’s Alex Lees also fell for single figures in a topsy‑turvy Durham scorecard, where a wagging tail gave them a slim lead against Derbyshire.
It was the Ed Barnard show again at Merchant Taylor’s School as his unbeaten 69 gave Worcestershire a slim lead over Middlesex, who then built a credible second-innings total with bits and pieces.
At Hove, Lewis Kimber and Rishi Patel helped Leicestershire to recover from losing Hassan Azad to the first ball of the innings, after Sussex flogged 589. Ian Holland rediscovered his form with 99 for Hampshire against Warwickshire, while Nottinghamshire suffered an unbecoming collapse against Glamorgan, losing six for 30 after Haseeb Hameed had made a fluent 70.
Another former England opener, Rory Burns, finished unbeaten on 94 for Surrey after Adam Lyth and Jonny Tattersall notched up Yorkshire’s first triple-century stand for the sixth wicket.
Preamble
Good morning! I am currently on a long train ride with capricious wifi - so I hope this reaches you through laden trees and thirsty grass. We roll into day three with the games at Chester-le-Street, Sophia Gardens, Merchant Taylors’, The Rose Bowl, and most especially Chelmsford, getting spicy; and run-heavy draws in prospect elsewhere. The only real question at Chelmsford: will Simon Harmer scroll through the rest of Gloucestershire’s wickets before lunch? Early lunch.
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