Key events
Teatime scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 446 v Nottinghamshire 160-3
Old Trafford: Lancashire 114-3 v Middlesex 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 63-2 v Northamptonshire 250
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 19-2 v Yorkshire 434-5
Bristol: Gloucestershire 377 v Derbyshire 128-0
Hove: Sussex 262 and 123-2 v Leicestershire 108
Reader, they survived. Tea scores to follow
Skies closing in at OT, Lancs have five mins to survive till tea…
Much applause as Vilas nudges Yadav behind for four. Yadav, whose jogging run-up doesn’t match what happens at the end of the run-up, stares, long legs apart in a frustrated triangle.
Lancs open their mid-afternoon snack box to find a deluge of banana skins. Spin the culprit, as Bohannon is bowled by Yadav and then Salt misses a straight one from De Caires. Three for 16 gone in less than 20 mins.
And back to Div Two: it seems Yorkshire’s innings ended when Ben Cliff, on his Yorkshire debut, was called for a very very sharp single by Dom Bess:
At Bristol, Harry Came and Luis Reece have picked up 96 on what I’m guessing is a pretty good batting pitch. Glos earlier collapsing to Anuj Dal (6-69) -from promise 326-4 to pah! 377 all out.
While at Hove, Sussex (100-1) have built up a lead of 252 already over browbeaten Leicestershire (108 all out).
The Daemon De Caires strikes with his first ball , a twitch of the shoulders, a flick of the ball. Lancs 80-1, Jennings lbw to one that drifts.
Down in the Party Division, where the bunting is already going up round The Riverside, Yorkshire are approaching 500. Shan Masood caught Northeast b Harris/HPG 192. Yorks 482-7 – in fact that’s it, all out for a fine fat 500. Harris 3-131, Kiran Carlson 3-147.
Mullaney (53) and Clarke (29) going great guns at Canterbury after Notts’ snotty start: now 95-2, 351 behind points-seeking Kent.
Seven wickets for Hannon-Dalby!
Belatedly, congratulation to OHD, who – without fuss – picks up Northants’ heart and takes enormous bites. Northants lose 5-33 and miss the chance to take advantage of Middlesex’s miserable batting. In reply, between the showers, Warwickshire are 16-0.
Luke Wells drives Ro-Jo straight down the ground. Bamber rocks side to side as he approaches, haircut a shorn meadow on the sides, rhubarb on the top. Lancs untroubled: 39-0. Time for spin?
Let’s whizz round the grounds.
Kent, now in touching distance of Middlesex, have Notts on the ropes. Both wickets to Michael Hogan, Slater and Haseeb (630 runs at 33.15) back in the clubhouse.
Back out at OT. Jennings and Wells v Bamber and Higgins. v the weather.
Can’t resist this 100 per cent cuteness overload from New Zealand. Thanks for the nudge HPG.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 446 v Nottinghamshire 15-1
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 0-0 v Northamptonshire 250
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire 434-5
Bristol: Gloucestershire 377 v Derbyshire 20-0
Hove: Sussex 262 and 7-0 v Leicestershire 108
Stevie Eskinazi is concussion substitute for Max Holden
News from Middlesex: Max Holden, struck in the head during today’s pre-match warm-up, has mild concussion, and will play no further part in the game against Lancashire. Stevie Eskinazi is his concussion substitute.
What a season for Durham. Seasoned by Stokes, baked in the north east, they stuck to their Bazball intentions from the start. This was Matthew Potts in March on the draw.
“It’s worse than a loss. You’d rather lose every game this year and know you’re doing it with the right intent to try and win the game,”
Kudos to captain Scott Borthwick and coach Ryan Campbell in particular.
Durham win promotion!
And with a Leicestershire whimper, they’ve done it! Without breaking sweat. Durham are promoted to Division One of the Championship for first time since 2016 when they were hit by the hurricane of forced relegation.
Luke Wells ends Lancashire’s frustration, Robson steps back, the ball creeps through the gap, and trickles into the stump – 86 fine runs out of a final 194. Quite the recovery from 19-5. Three for Wood, three for Bailey. I’m not convinced they’re going to come out straight away – clouds gathering with intent.
Averting eyes from Leicestershire – who will be handing promotion to Durham shortly unless they can collect a batting point – rain at Edgbaston (Northants 233-7) and Bristol (Glos 376-9). Things moving along at Sophia Gardens where Hill fell lbw to Harris for 71, but Masood pushes on, 147 magnificent runs. Yorks 392-4.
Leicestershire’s morning: 73-3, 75-4, 76-5, 78-6, 93-7, 93-8. Patel hanging on, 43 from 113.
Can Bamber help Robson to his century? A near-run out survived – Robson needs 23. Middx 181-9.
Gloom continues to descend on Grace Road, via Hove. Rishi Patel still on patrol, 40 not out off 107, but he’s fast running out of partners. 90-6. Three wickets to Karvelas, two to Undakat. Hopes. Slip. Away.
TRJ pulls, and neither the square leg umpire or the fielder on the rope can pick it up in the semi-gloom. Middx tripping along nicely – 170 for 8.
In the two other Division One games: Kent have snapped up a fourth batting point – six overs left to pick up 40 more runs for a cup that spilleth over. Finch (47) and Leaning (64) both snapped up by Paterson. Evison and Nijjar tasked with the run gathering.
At Edgbaston, four now for the tireless Hannon-Dalby. Northants plod on: 221-6.
In the crucial Division Two promotion game, Leicestershire are stuttering their way through Monday morning. Three wickets lost in three overs, Colin Ackermann, Umar Amin and Rehan Ahmed. Bang! Gone. Leics 76-5, 186 behind.
Toby Roland Jones has an early swipe and miss, pulls the next for four. Breakfasting with intention. Middx a heady 140-8, remembering that Lancashire aren’t immune to a batting collapse.
Taha Hashim was watching Liam Livingstone power England to victory, yesterday:
Eight games, seven out of the blocks. The early rain at Sophia Gardens has stopped but the covers are still on. At OT, Tom Bailey has eased through a first over.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Canterbury: Kent 387-43 v Nottinghamshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 132-8
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Northamptonshire 200-5
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire 330-3
Bristol: Gloucestershire 333-6 v Derbyshire
Hove: Sussex 262- v Leicestershire 68-2
Sunday’s round-up
Middlesex’s last-gasp campaign to cling on to their Division One place had an apocalyptic start at Old Trafford. With the air as humid as an old dog’s breath, Toby Roland-Jones won the toss, looked to the fretful skies and chose to bat.
As the stats floated about – this being the worst year for Middlesex’s top five since 1894, and the worst year for any top five in the Championship since 1966 – so the heads started to roll. With four Lancashire players at slip, Mark Stoneman prodded at Tom Bailey, gone for a duck. Joe Cracknell drove at Will Williams and lost his bails. Jack Davies gloved a pull after a 33-ball four. Max Holden and John Simpson nicked behind. At 19 for five, it seemed the most catastrophic decision to bat first in Manchester since Kent decided to twist and take on Jimmy Anderson in July 2021.
But here came Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins – the only man to average over 35 for Middlesex this season – rebuilding hopes, brick by brick. Higgins hit the first boundary of the innings in the 20th over and Robson crafted his way to a 150-ball fifty. Robson was still there at stumps, despite rain, bad light and Tom Bailey.
At Canterbury, fellow relegation candidates Kent were flying thanks to a run-a-ball whizz-bang from Zak Crawley. Crawley, dropped on two before cracking four consecutive fours off one Brett Hutton over, slammed 158 from 153 balls.
Matt Salisbury grabbed five for 73 at Hove before Rishi Patel completed a thousand runs to keep Leicestershire in the promotion hunt; Shan Masood made an unbeaten 113 to put Yorkshire on top at Sophia Gardens; Gloucestershire’s Ollie Price made his third first-class hundred. And Olly Hannon-Dalby’s three wickets kept the lid on a determined Northamptonshire.
Preamble
Good morning from Old Trafford! The players warm up, the sun is out, the roller rolls, to and fro, To and fro. Welcome to day two, where Middlesex have a hole to dig out of and Lancs still have a forlorn hope of finishing second.
