Rothesay County Championship 2025 – Round 1 Day 2: Live Cricket Streaming, Latest Scores, Reports – All Matches – Division 1 & 2 – April 5

Rothesay County Championship 2025 kicks off with Round 1 Day 1 on April 5th. Follow live cricket streaming, live scores, and detailed match reports from all Division 1 and Division 2 fixtures.

County Championship Division One

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Essex vs Surrey Starts at 11:00

Rory Burns and Ollie Pope retreated into survival mode as Surrey chased an initial target of 433 to make Essex bat again after a chastening day for the reigning champions in the Rothesay County Championship at Chelmsford.

Surrey were still 473 runs adrift of Essex’s formidable first-innings total in the 42 overs they faced under lengthening shadows at the end of another warm day. Burns clocked up his 75th first-class fifty in anchoring the Surrey reply after losing opening partner Dom Sibley in the fourth over. At the close the second-wicket pair had put on 101 with Burns 59 not out and Pope unbeaten on 45 in Surrey’s 109-1

Essex’s 582-6 included three centuries – not forgetting Paul Walter’s 95 – as Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper emulated first-day centurion Jordan Cox. Critchley was left 145 not out, six runs short of his highest first-class score, while Pepper’s 109 came off 162 balls during a fifth-wicket stand of 216.

Dan Lawrence was chief toiler as Surrey were kept in the field for 148 overs but had the comfort of taking 3-169 from a marathon 35.2 overs – nearly as many as he bowled in any entire season during eight years at Chelmsford before moving to the Oval.

When Surrey responded, Sibley lasted just eight balls before he was trapped plumb on his crease by Sam Cook. It was only the third wicket to fall in the day, and seventh in two days.

It might have been worse for the visitors, but Critchley spoilt an otherwise perfect day on a personal level when had put down a simple chance at short midwicket when Ollie Pope was 10.

Instead, it got considerably better. Pope whipped Shane Snater through the covers for one four and clubbed Jamie Porter through midwicket for another. Rory Burns, at the other end, got an inadvertent edge to one from Snater that flew over the boundary at third man.

By mid-evening session, Essex had spin at both ends as Critchley joined Simon Harmer in tying down the Surrey second-wicket pair to a trickle of runs. Burns, though, was sufficiently expansive to reach fifty from 114 balls with seven fours.

  Essex had barely been troubled throughout four-and-a-half sessions on a batsman-friendly wicket. Critchley and Pepper had come together during the previous evening after the dismissal of Cox. When they were parted 56 overs later, they had ground the champions, metaphorically at least, into the turf.

The pair took an equal share in the fifth-wicket partnership, mixing watchfulness with tempered aggression, as they steered Essex to four batting points and well beyond.

However, when he had reached 92, Critchley survived a chance when Ryan Patel could only parry the ball above his head at square leg off Lawrence. Surrey were made to pay for that soon after when Critchley hooked Matt Fisher for the single that took him to a 208-ball hundred.

Perversely, Critchley’s 14th of 17 fours, lifted over square leg from a widish delivery, took Lawrence’s bowling analysis into three-figures. To compound that, Critchley then swept Lawrence over midwicket for the first six of the game.

Pepper turned Taylor leg-side for the two runs that not only took him to his century but also brought up the 200-run stand. He celebrated by launching Lawrence straight back down the ground for six, but next ball cross-batted to wide mid-on to provide his former Essex team-mate with some long-overdue consolation.

Lawrence claimed a third wicket when Noah Thain, having hit a run-a-ball 26, picked out Roach on the long-on boundary at which point the signal came from the dressing room to call a halt to Surrey’s misery.

Surrey’s overseas fast bowler Kemar Roach said: “It has been a pretty tough first innings of the season for us, but I think the guys stuck at it very well. I think everyone has been asked to give a big effort on a pitch that offered very little. Obviously, the buys have settled with the bat now and hopefully tomorrow we can push on and set the game up.

  “It was a very, very tough pitch, probably one of the flattest I’ve played on in England. But that happens when you play away from home with an attack like ours, we’re going to get flatter pitches. It’s something you have to get accustomed to – hopefully not for too long. But I think as a batting unit we’ve done pretty well so far.

  “It’s been nice weather, warmer than I thought. We’ve got tired bodies from the first innings, but we can rest overnight and hopefully go again in the morning. It’s about putting the runs on. It’s a massive total from the first innings but it’s about us getting close to that, or surpassing that, and then see where we go from there.”

Essex centurion Matt Critchley said: “It’s been a pretty good day for us from a team point of view. The wicket’s probably a bit flatter than we’d like but hopefully there’s enough in there to try and get 19 wickets over the next few days. We bowled pretty well there. We got some chances early on, but I dropped one – one of the easier ones as well. But we got to pretty much where we wanted to be with the bat, scored at a decent rate throughout, and gave ourselves enough overs in the game to bowl them out. Hopefully it goes that way. If it doesn’t, at least we’ve played cricket the right way so far.

  “We’ve got to try and come up with some plans overnight how we’re going to get the wickets. Hopefully it breaks up a bit and takes a bit of spin. In the last over there was a bit coming out of the foot-holes, but nothing much has gone off the straight yet.

  “It’s nice that a few of us went on to get hundreds. Peps [Michael Pepper] played well when I was out there with him and Coxy [Jordan Cox] was exceptional yesterday. Some of the shots he played, you can see why he’s been in the England squad over the winter, and I’m sure he will be going forward.”

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Hampshire vs Yorkshire Starts at 11:00

Yorkshire 121 & 189/6 lead Hampshire 249 by 61 runs

New Yorkshire captain Jonny Bairstow led from the front to rally his side on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire.

Bairstow struck 56 in an innings which mixed good fortune and international level shot making, as he and Adam Lyth put on 105  to take the first-innings deficit into a 61-run lead by close.

Lyth ended the day unbeaten on 57, having scored his fifty in a career-slow 176 deliveries, and Brad Wheal took four for 41.

Ben Brown had earlier been left stranded on 49 as George Hill and Jack White both took three wickets each to stem Hampshire’s advantage.

If the first day of captain had its struggles, the second was closer to ideal for Bairstow - other than an inside edge into his own groin!

On the opening day, Bairstow had won the toss and taken a stunning catch but his side had been routed for 121 – although the leadership’s response was cavalier and to move on quickly.

That approach picked up five evening wickets, and the other five were seen off before lunch – with Hampshire’s lead only rising to a manageable 128 runs.

The first wicket of the day was not from Bairstow’s captaincy handbook, as Toby Albert was left flat-footed by Liam Dawson wanting a quick single before Will Luxton swooped to run him out.

From then on, it was a ‘bowl straight, hit the batter on the pads, and appeal’ spell as the last four wickets fell lbw – one for Dom Bess, one for White, one for Ben Coad, and one for Hill, who ended with three for 36.

Dawson missed a sweep off the spinner Bess, Brett Hampton gave White his third on Yorkshire debut, Abbott lasted just two balls before Coad pinned him with a nip-backer and Hill ended the innings when Baker missed a straight one.

Yorkshire had barely missed fast bowler Ben Cliff, who was absent with a damaged side.

That left Hampshire one run shy of a bonus point, and Brown stranded on 49 after a fine attacking innings marshalling the tail during his first match as club captain.

Brown’s disappointment would have been reversed as a potential two-day finish looked a distinct possibility when Brad Wheal whipped out two early wickets.

Fin Bean got an on drive very wrong to chip to mid on, before James Wharton had the ball speared into his pads next ball – Dawid Malan let the hat-trick ball sail past his off stump.

Yorkshire barely put a foot wrong in the remaining 63 overs of the day as they slowly by surely cancelled out their deficit and created a foothold to turn the match around.

Lyth barely played a shot through the afternoon. He took 74 balls to reach double figures, with his first boundary not coming until the 61st over, and the 123rd ball he had faced.

As in the first innings, Malan was comfortable, reached the 30s and then failed to live up to his potential. Wheal picked up his third as he found a prod behind.

At 53 for three, and still behind by 75 runs, Bairstow came to the crease.

The light glinting off his bat sticker after unfurling a luscious cover drive early in his innings only added to the aura around him, while also chuntering away with whichever opposition player was in earshot.

There were three lives before he had reached 20.

Firstly, Dawson spilled a caught and bowled, then Nick Gubbins had the ball bounce off his head and for six before Gubbins’ substitute Joe Weatherley dropped a tough diving catch with the following delivery.

But after that it was the typically pugnacious and determined Bairstow that stuck around to pick up his 102nd first-class half-century in 92 balls.

He was eventually bowled by Sonny Baker – who also dismissed him in the first innings – before Hill followed four balls later.

Lyth sluggishly reached 50 in 176 balls, but also lost Luxton - caught down the legside - before the close.

Hampshire fast bowler Brad Wheal:

“We are pretty happy with the position we have ended the day in, but we had to fight hard to get into that position.

“We would have liked a few more first-innings runs and then Yorkshire batted well today.

“It was nice to start like that, it settles the nerves. I was challenged to bowl into the wind so it was nice to get on a bit of a roll.

“The wicket was pretty slow and low. Those two guys batted nicely, they are two experienced players and they showed that today. We tried to play boring cricket until Sonny cracked it open.

“We feel we have a good hold on the game but we still have a lot of work to do tomorrow. We need to knuckle down to make sure we don’t have to chase too many.”

Yorkshire batting coach John Sadler:

“We would have settled for that this morning, taking those last five wickets to get back into the game.

“It was a tough start with the bat, but the way Jonny and Lythy played was phenomenal. It wasn’t Lyth’s most fluent innings but the power of the mind to stick with it was a credit to him.

“It has been a tough wicket with no pace in it so it isn’t easy to score on it, but the way Lyth stuck to his plans, concentrated and soaked up pressure…I have nothing but admiration for the way he batted.

“There are times when you have to soak up a bit of pressure and times when you have to put pressure on the opposition, and it is about knowing when to adapt your game accordingly on the situation.

“Jonny has been brilliant. He has grabbed hold of the guys and is leading from the front.

“There is nobody better in world cricket, and he’s proven in many times, at sticking his chest out, taking it on, being positive and putting the pressure back on the other team. That is how he lives and breathes and I know the lads will follow him.”

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Somerset vs Worcestershire Starts at 11:00

TOM Banton made history at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton as Somerset assumed a position of dominance on day two of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match against Worcestershire.

The 26-year-old batsman made the highest first-class score in the county's history, his 344 surpassing the 342 made by Justin Langer against Surrey at Guildford in 2006. The right hander faced 381 balls, struck 53 fours and a six and batted for just over eight hours. He became only the eighth Somerset player to register a triple century and the first since James Hildreth in 2009.

In a dramatic finale, Banton pulled Kashif Ali to the mid-wicket boundary off the penultimate ball of the day to break the record and make it a day to remember for all Somerset supporters.

On a day when records tumbled, Banton and James Rew staged a mammoth stand of 371 in 86.3 overs as the home side amassed 637-6, a substantial first-innings lead of 468. Rew raised 152 from 275 balls, striking 14 fours and 2 sixes, he and Banton establishing the highest fifth wicket partnership in Somerset history, eclipsing the 320 made by John Francis and Ian Blackwell against Durham UCCE at Taunton in 2005.

It was a day to forget for the Worcestershire, who toiled in the sun and now face a mammoth task if they are to save the game over the course of the next two days.

All notion of a Worcestershire fightback on day two was dispelled in a morning session that went altogether in Somerset's favour, Banton and Rew extending their partnership to record-breaking proportions. Banton set the tone, moving from his overnight score of 84 to post his fourth first class century in quick time from 124 balls, glancing Matt Taylor off his legs to raise that landmark with his 20th four.

Worcestershire deployed seven different bowlers during the session, but Ben Allison was the only one to inconvenience the batsmen. When Rew, having advanced his score to 31, took on the seamer and top-edged a pull shot to deep mid-wicket, Tom Hinley contrived to drop a sitter.

Thereafter, Worcestershire ambition unraveled with indecent haste. Ensuring the Pears were made to pay for their profligacy, Rew went to 50 via 102 balls, dispatching a short-pitched delivery from Allison through mid-wicket for his eighth boundary as Somerset's lead entered three-figure territory. The hundred stand occupied 165 balls, while Banton clipped Adam Finch to fine leg to register his career-best first-class score, eclipsing the 133 he made against Kent at Taunton 11 months earlier.  

Rew lofted Hinley high over long-on for the first six of the match, Banton went to his maiden 150 from 173 balls and, in what seemed like no time at all, the pair established a new record Somerset stand for the fifth wicket in matches against Worcestershire, surpassing the 176 mustered by Australians Bill Alley and Colin McCool at New Road in 1959. Out of sorts with the ball and increasingly prone to errors in the field, Worcestershire conceded 131 runs in the session, Somerset reaching the interval on 318-4, a lead of 164. 

If Worcestershire hopes were invested in the new ball, which was taken shortly after lunch, they were sorely disappointed as the Banton and Rew show continued unabated, these extending their alliance to 200 from 298 deliveries.

Rew may be just 21, but he has already established a reputation for consistency in excellence. There was almost a sense of inevitability that, having registered his 16th half century in first-class cricket, he would go on to achieve his ninth hundred in his 41st match. On this occasion, he brought up the landmark in 186 balls, pulling Taylor for his eleventh four to elicit a standing ovation from an audience of more than 1,500. 

They were on their feet again moments later, acknowledging Banton's maiden double hundred, a landmark attained via 241 balls with 33 fours. A breakthrough indeed for a player who, until recently, was typecast as a one-day specialist. It was fitting that Banton should then cut Taylor for four to establish a new Somerset record fifth wicket partnership with Rew.

Having banked maximum batting bonus points, there was still time for Banton and Rew to extend their partnership to 300 from 413 balls before tea was taken with Somerset on 482-4, a substantial lead of 328.

Ethan Brookes afforded Worcestershire overdue relief when taking a brilliant return catch to end Rew's five and-a-half hour innings, after which Banton took centre stage during a dramatic final hour.

Somerset batsman Tom Banton said: "It's a weird feeling and I was a bit emotional up there in the dressing room. This is the best day I've had in cricket and will probably be the best day I'll ever have. It feels special and you cannot take it for granted. These days don't come along very often and you have to make the most of them. I won't lie, I was pretty tired out there and I kept saying to myself 'just keep batting, keep going'. There were a few moments when I felt I wanted to be back in the dressing room, but I wanted to go for it (the record) tonight, so I tried to play my shots when possible. It was also a great day for James Rew and it was special seeing him go about his work. But we cannot get too carried away, because this is a good pitch and we still have a game to win over the next two days."

Worcestershire assistant head coach Kadeer Ali said: "It was a brutal day to be honest. Tom Banton was outstanding. To come out at 30-3 and play like that was special, and his partnership with James Rew was brilliant. They applied themselves on a good pitch and put us under pressure. Banton didn't give us an opportunity until he was on 320 and he and Rew countered us brilliantly. But we've had some tough days in recent years and have been here before. We will have a good rest and come back fighting tomorrow. We believe we can bounce back."

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Warwickshire vs Sussex Starts at 11:00

Day 2: Warwickshire, 223 for three, trail Sussex, 528 all out, by 305 runs.

Bowlers continue to suffer in the Birmingham sunshine as an opening-round runfest unfolds between Warwickshire and Sussex in the Rothesay County Championship Division One at Edgbaston.

Sussex have returned to the top tier in style by amassing 528 all out after captain John Simpson added a superb unbeaten 181 (262 balls) to Tom Clark’s opening day century. Warwickshire’s injury-hit attack, led by debutants Ethan Bamber (four for 105) and Tazeem Ali (three for 103), plugged away nobly but found the going tough in good batting conditions.

Sussex’s hopes of turning that strong total into a victory were then held up by the home batters who responded with 223 for three. Rob Yates closed the second day on 113 (148 balls) after captain Alex Davies launched the reply with an aggressive 66 (65 balls).

Edgbaston pitches in recent years have tended to flatten out as matches lengthen, so it is difficult to see either side forcing a victory. Both would probably be happy enough with a solid draw from their season-opener.

Sussex resumed on the second day on 386 for five and were given early impetus by Jack Carson’s punchy 28 before he lifted Ed Barnard to deep square leg in pursuit of his fourth boundary of the over. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was soon lbw to Bamber but the implacable Simpson was joined by Danny Lamb (35, 71) in a stand of 85 in 25 overs.

Lamb and Ollie Robinson fell lbw to successive balls from Tazeem and Simpson’s hopes of challenging his career best 205 ended when Jayden Seales scooped Michael Booth to mid-wicket.

Warwickshire opening batters Davies and Yates enjoyed their moments of good fortunes against the new ball attack of Robinson and Seales but batted positively and the score advanced briskly as soon as the ball softened. Davies hit 11 fours on his way to a 48-ball half-century as his side eased to 112 without loss from 21 overs at tea.

They reached that point without taking risks which made Davies’ departure, slashing the third ball of the evening session, a wide, short offering from Seales, to third man all the more strange. Hamza Shaikh (23, 48) helped the steady Yates to add 56 in 14 overs but was undone by a lovely ball from Carson. Having seen a flighted delivery driven for four earlier in the over, the off-spinner looped up another which turned sharply to bowl the batter through a drive.

That left Warwickshire, needing 379 to avoid the follow on, 172 for two with 17 overs left in the day. Yates chugged on to a 132-ball hundred but the departure of Sam Hain, who edged Seales to slip with 17 balls left in the day, sent Sussex off the field with a spring in their step and feeling that a strong morning tomorrow could keep the door open to them returning to Division One with a very impressive win. 

Warwickshire batter Rob Yates said:

“I couldn’t have asked for a better personal start. I’m in a really nice position overnight and the game’s in a nice position overnight.

“It’s a really good cricket wicket. There is enough there to keep the bowlers interested but also enough there for the batters. Chatting in the dressing room after day two we were saying there is a game to be won here. No four-days games are won easily but crazy things can happen. You have just got to earn the right to be in a position to put the opposition under pressure, but we have a big job to do first just to get level with them so we won’t be getting too far ahead of ourselves. 

“Alex and I managed to find a few boundaries early on which gave us a good start. I didn’t go away last winter and I think that did me some good. I was still working hard at my game but also chilling out a bit and mentally switching off which means that I have come back refreshed.”

Sussex captain John Simpson said:

“I’m just trying to keep things really simple and cash in as much as I can. Taking over the captaincy is spurring me on a bit, trying to drive the team forward, and it’s nice to contribute and get a few runs.

“I think I am thriving on the captaincy. It’s very fresh to me so I am just trying to immerse myself in it and do the best I can and bounce from batting to keeping and back up the words I tell the lads in the changing room and go out there and put them into action,

“We started the season really well yesterday and were pretty good again today with the bat. Then with the ball the first hour and a bit was disappointing but we pulled it back a little bit towards the back end which was great. Sealesy did really well considering he was fresh off the plane and I thought Jack Carson was outstanding.”

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Nottinghamshire vs Durham Starts at 11:00

Day 2: Durham 378 v Nottinghamshire 297/5. Durham lead by 81 runs.

Pic: Nottinghamshire opener Ben Slater drives the ball through the off side on the way to his 92 against Durham at Trent Bridge. Pic credit: Mark Dunn.

A couple of key scalps for seamer Paul Coughlin in the final session left Nottinghamshire with work to do on day two of their Rothesay County Championship match against Durham.

The Sunderland-born 32-year-old, whose had two injury-plagued years at Trent Bridge, bowled key man Joe Clarke (37) and had 19-year-old prospect Freddie McCann (79) caught behind before Nottinghamshire closed the day on 297 for five in their first innings in reply to Durham’s 378, having also lost Jack Haynes just before the close.

Nottinghamshire had looked well placed at 225 for two after opener Ben had provided a platform with a fine 92, before Coughlin’s spell set them back.

Earlier, following a start delayed by 45 minutes after a sprinkler malfunction left pools of water on the outfield, Coughlin had been last Durham man out as Australian fast bowler Fergus O’Neill completed a debut five-wicket haul.

For spectators present when the bails failed to drop after Durham’s Colin Ackermann was bowled on day one, the delay was another freakish occurrence they could have done without under a near-cloudless sky, even if it initially brought amusement.

As the umpires’ attention was drawn to a leaking sprinkler nozzle a few feet from the stumps at the Stuart Broad End, comic scenes ensued as the offending sprinkler and several others then suddenly burst into life, sending players and officials scurrying to avoid a soaking.

The water was turned off after a matter of seconds. Yet enough was deposited on the playing area to hold things up for a frustratingly long period.

Once play did start, the players went off again after just 14 minutes for the change of innings after Durham, 370 for nine overnight, lost their final wicket.

Not that O’Neill was complaining. A leg-before verdict against Coughlin gave the bustling seamer figures of five for 81 on debut.

Durham could have done with O’Neill’s in-form Australia A team-mate Brendan Doggett at their disposal with injuries depleting their pool of seam bowlers here, although in the event, the available quartet served them well.

Doggett, who took 11 wickets in the match to help South Australia win the Sheffield Shield final a week ago, will join them for next week’s home fixture against Warwickshire.

Nottinghamshire openers Slater and Haseeb Hameed negotiated the first 16 overs to be 48 without loss at lunch, Hameed surviving a chance to wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson off England’s Matthew Potts on eight. By tea, the home side were probably where they wanted to be at 166 for two, although they had suffered a blow moments before when Slater fell.

Potts had got his man when skipper Hameed was leg before for 27 but the left-handed Slater looked in imperious form, having just pinged away his 19th four, most of which raced away to the short boundary on the Bridgford Road side.

But when Will Rhodes dropped one in short on the leg side, Slater was irresistibly tempted by the longer boundary, only to find Emilio Gay lying in wait at long leg. His meaty pull could not have picked out the fielder any more accurately, enabling Rhodes to celebrate a debut wicket and end a 95-run stand with McCann.

Clarke began with a streaky four off an inside edge but settled quickly and was building another potentially valuable partnership with McCann until a belter of a delivery from Coughlin uprooted his middle stump.

McCann, a tall, technically elegant left-hander who scored two centuries in five matches after being promoted to the Championship side towards the end of last season, continued where he left off and after 10 boundaries few would have bet against another hundred until he dabbled with a ball he need not have played outside off stump and was well taken by Robinson, before Ben Raine turned the screw by dismissing Haynes leg before for 30 with the second new ball.

County Championship Division Two

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Derbyshire vs Gloucestershire Starts at 11:00

Day 2 Gloucestershire 222 and 128 for 3. Derbyshire 391. Gloucestershire trail by 41 runs.

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen again left his mark on Gloucestershire with the 40th first class century of his career on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Derby.

The 41-year-old’s hundred was his sixth against Gloucestershire and put his side in a commanding position with support from Harry Came who scored 83 and shared a third wicket stand of 177.

Madsen also completed 16,000 first-class runs during his 118 and with Zak Chappell adding a breezy 61 from 67 balls, Derbyshire reached 391, a lead of 169.

Marchant de Lange with 3 for 31 was the pick of the bowlers for Gloucestershire who closed on 128 for 3, still 41 runs behind, with Ben Charlesworth unbeaten on 77. 

Gloucestershire went into day two well aware of the damage Madsen could do and under another cloudless sky, he made the most of some very accommodating bowling.

The visitors' attack, with the notable exception of de Lange, lacked the discipline and consistency to put Madsen and Came under pressure, serving up far too many short and wide balls that could be dispatched to the ropes.

Madsen welcomed Zaman Akhter by upper-cutting the seamer for six before Came reached his 50 which contained 9 fours from 80 balls.

Derbyshire cruised along serenely with 68 runs coming in the first hour with Madsen reaching an inevitable half-century and the 89th of his first-class career off 81 balls.

Gloucestershire’s miserable morning got worse when Came on 64 edged Matt Taylor to second slip where Ollie Price fumbled the chance.

Price made amends with the penultimate ball of the session, trapping Came lbw as he went back to work the ball to leg but at lunch, Derbyshire were 49 ahead with Madsen eight away from another hundred.

Whatever was said in the visitors dressing room clearly made an impression because they had their best spell of the match after the interval.

De Lange quickly had Brooke Guest caught behind and in his next over tempted Luis Reeve into a drive which Ollie Price pouched at second slip.

When Anuj Dal was trapped on the crease by Tom Price, Derbyshire had lost four wickets in 26 balls for 10 runs and the Price brothers combined two overs later to remove Martin Andersson. 

As the wickets tumbled around him, Madsen went to his hundred, the 39th first-class for Derbyshire, from 144 balls, and although Ollie Price dropped him four runs later, the off-spinner finally removed him when he missed a reverse sweep.

But Chappell crushed any hopes Gloucestershire entertained of wrapping up the innings quickly  by dispatching Ollie Price for two big sixes on his way to a 60 ball 50.

Taylor returned to bowl Chappell and have Jack Morley caught behind but Derbyshire had reasserted their authority leaving Gloucestershire with a lot of batting to do.

They started badly, losing Chris Dent cheaply when he got an inside edge into his stumps going half forward to Chappell in the seventh over.

But Ben Charlesworth and Ollie Price played with increasing authority to add 70 from 98 balls before Derbyshire set a trap which snared Price.

Pat Brown posted a leg gully for Price who turned a ball off his hip into the waiting hands of Andersson and Reece struck another blow when Miles Hammond moved across his stumps and was lbw.

Charlesworth and James Bracey negotiated 

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen said: "Nice to be able to contribute towards what was a pretty decent total for us. I think at the start of the day we would have taken it although from the position we were in just before lunch maybe we could have got a little bit more. 

"Marchant (de Lange) charged in and bowled pretty well and they put us under a bit of pressure and then thank goodness Chappy (Zak Chappell) coming in and playing a really valuable knock to get us a 160 plus lead.

"I still feel like I'm batting as well as I have, certainly over the last 10 years in red ball cricket and while I'm doing that I'm going to ride the wave and enjoy it and hopefully contribute towards what is going to be an exciting year for us."

Gloucestershire fast bowler Marchant de Lange said: "There is still a lot of work to be done in the morning, we all know that. I thought we came out after lunch and put it together pretty nicely but we're not in the ideal position we would like to be so still a lot to be done.

"The first game of the season we all want to be on top but it's a great challenge and character building and it tests us as a group as well. The game has got a lot of ebbs and flows and we've got to manage them.

"I think so far It's a good wicket to play on. There's good carry, good bounce and it's a good cricket wicket. There are bits and pieces for everybody  I think it is slightly getting better but it looks as if it might do something on the last day."

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Middlesex vs Lancashire Starts at 11:00

Marcus Harris’s century on Red Rose debut helped Lancashire take charge on day two at Lord’s.

The Australian Test opener, batting at four, survived an early scare to , share a stand of 120 for the fifth wicket with Luke Wells (38). It was Harris’ 30^th first-class ton and he became the sixth overseas player  to make a hundred on his debut for the county, a trend started by his fellow Aussie, the late Andrew Symonds in 2005.

Keaton Jennings earlier weighed in 55 enabling the visitors to reach the close on 353-9

The Middlesex bowlers toiled hard, with little luck, Zafar Gohar returning 3-77 on debut and Blake Cullen 2-70, the latter’s first County Championship wickets since he dismissed Mohammed Rizwan at Hove in May 2022, such have been the young seamer’s injury woes.

The alliance between Harris and Wells turned the tide of a day where Middlesex had initially held sway.

Their frugal bowling in the morning session especially led to a pedestrian scoring rate of two an over by the visitors on a slow, unresponsive pitch.

Lancashire’s inability to break the shackles brought reward for the home side, Jennings departing to a sharp catch at slip by Robson off the Ryan Higgins, shortly after raising his 50 with the aid of eight fours.

The wicket came in a spell of six overs for one run from the Zimbabwean all-rounder and the pressure he exerted affected other batters too.

Josh Bohannon was in skittish mood from the off, edging one just short of Robson at slip before he’d scored. He’d got to 11 when he slashed at a slightly wider one from Higgins only for Leus du Plooy to grass the chance away to his right hand in the gulley.

Even so, there was further reward for the Seaxes shortly before lunch when Toby Roland-Jones found the edge of Michael Jones’ bat and wicketkeeper Jack Davies took a low catch away to his right.

On the resumption, Bohannon briefly suggested he’d left his pre-lunch struggles behind him, driving Henry Brookes straight for four, but the introduction of Gohar proved his undoing.

Bohannon played back to one from the slow left-armer which went on with the arm and crashed into off stump.

And when Matty Hurst injudiciously hooked a short one from Cullen down the throat of Nathan Fernandes at long leg the visitors were 169-4, still almost 100 in arrears.

Even Harris wasn’t exempt from such rushes of blood to the head, having charged Gohar on 11, inside edging the ball beyond both leg-stump and wicket-keeper Davies. Had he not made the thinnest of contacts the stumping would have been a formality had he not been bowled in any event.

Harris though resolved to make the most of his slice of fortune, knuckling down to take charge, driving with increasing authority before raising his 50 with his eighth boundary, a savage cut to the cover fence.

As the home bowlers tired in the glorious evening sunshine he forged on to three figures reached via an edge out of the clutches of slip to third man.

At the other end, Wells, though playing second fiddle, hit two huge sixes, one over mid-on to get off the mark and the stand reached 120 before he waved lazily at one to be caught behind with the lead at 27.

Harris was reprieved on 123 when dropped at slip by Robson, but late wickets for the persevering home attack offered Middlesex some hope ahead of day three.

 

Lancashire batter Marcus Harris who made an unbeaten 133 on debut said: "It was a brilliant day.

To come in from overnight 0-60 is nice and then still be batting at the end of the day is always good. 

Initially last night and this morning it was quite hard work. They bowled really well and didn't give us much bad stuff and then it got a bit easier through the middle there.

"To get a hundred in your first game for your new county is always good but to do it at Lords, it is probably the best ground in the world, so it is a bucket list thing and pretty special. It will be good to have a look back at after the game.

"You put a little bit of pressure on yourself to prove you can do well with a different county and playing a different role to one that I've played before as I haven't batted at four much. It was actually quite nice to come off last night and not have to worry about batting straight away.

They said we want you to bat No. 4 and I was happy with that. I've opened the batting in about 170 games and I know how hard it can be, so it is nice to try something different."

Middlesex spinner Zafar Gohar, who took 3-77 on debut said: "I think we bowled pretty well because if you look at it we kept them quite tight and dry. That's what you do in four-day cricket when you are not taking wickets you have to try and keep them dry. 

"It was pretty exciting to get my first wicket for the club. You try and deceive with flight and stuff because these are the limited resources we have being spinners.

"I still get a thrill out of playing somewhere new and making Lord's your home ground is very exciting as it's a very historic ground. You always want to do something you will remember the rest of your life. That's the inspiration I've got every time I play cricket. You always feel it may be the last chance you get, so you try and enjoy it and make it memorable.

"I know we are a bit behind in the game but if we bat well. it is not easy to bat day four on any wicket."

 

 

 

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Northamptonshire vs Kent Starts at 11:00

Day 1: Kent 231 and 171 v Northamptonshire 143 and 107 for seven

Kent’s South African paceman Keith Dudgeon took four wickets to all but shatter Northamptonshire’s hopes of chasing 260 on day two of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.

On a day which encompassed parts of three innings and saw 20 wickets fall, Dudgeon claimed four for 32, including three in nine balls, as Northamptonshire stumbled to 107 for seven at stumps, still requiring 153. Only George Bartlett’s battling unbeaten 54 offers the hosts some faint hopes for tomorrow.

Earlier young Northamptonshire quick Raphy Weatherall again spearheaded a spirited fightback, picking up three Kent wickets in 10 balls, including England opener Zak Crawley (31) who fell to another loose shot.

Crawley and Ben Compton made batting look straightforward in a half-century stand before lunch, but Weatherall had his tail up after the interval and with the other bowlers keeping up the pressure, Kent lost seven for 49 and rued several careless shots which went straight to fielders. Joey Evison though mounted a determined fightback with 52.

Kent had made short work of the Northamptonshire tail first thing, taking the last three wickets and a first innings lead off 88 as the hosts were skittled for 143. Jas Singh who finished with career best figures of four for 35 ended Rob Keogh’s valiant resistance on 64, caught low at second slip.

Singh picked up his fourth when Dom Leech was trapped lbw, Grant Stewart wrapping up the innings when Liam Guthrie was caught down the legside.

With batting conditions easing, Crawley and Compton went into lunch with Kent 61 without loss and hopes of building a daunting target.

Crawley looked fluent, playing a carefully controlled on drive off Luke Procter and taking advantage when Guthrie strayed, turning him off his legs and playing a silky drive through the covers. Compton meanwhile pulled Guthrie behind square and drove handsomely through extra cover.

But it was a more energised Northamptonshire that emerged after lunch, claiming three wickets in seven deliveries. Justin Broad struck first, removing Crawley who upper cut straight to Saif Zaib at cover.

Next over Zaib took an even sharper catch at short midwicket when Daniel Bell-Drummond clipped Weatherall firmly off his legs, while Tawanda Muyeye, top scorer in Kent’s first innings, advanced to the young quick, falling over slightly as he was adjudged lbw. Weatherall was denied the hattrick when he drew the edge of Jack Leaning’s bat, the ball running just wide of the slips.

Weatherall soon had a third scalp. Bowling around the wicket he sent Compton’s off-stump cartwheeling, doubling his first-class wicket tally in two days.

The succession of Kent wickets continued, Leaning turned Guthrie off his legs, the ball flying to sub fielder Tiaan Louw on the backward square-leg boundary.

Evison played a classy on-drive to take Kent into three figures, but they lost a sixth wicket when a fired-up Leech snared Harry Finch lbw, followed by Stewart who hooked Procter to midwicket.

Evison forged an enterprising 36-run partnership with Dudgeon to regain some momentum, before the South African was caught behind off an attempted cut against Zaib. The left-arm spinner then found some turn to trap Singh lbw. Evison finally holed out smiting Leech powerfully to Zaib on the deep-midwicket boundary.

Kent’s bowlers made a perfect start as Vasconcelos left a Dudgeon delivery which jagged back and hit off-stump. Bartlett flashed Gilchrist over the slips for two boundaries and pulled Dudgeon over deep midwicket for six, but lived a charmed life, beaten outside off-stump and surviving several appeals and a nick through the slips.

At the other end, Stewart gave Kent a much-needed breakthrough when he drew the edge of Procter’s bat before he bowled Sales shouldering arms.

Bartlett was settling into his work now, but Dudgeon was determined to get the bulk of the work done this evening picking up Zaib, Keogh and Lewis McManus, all caught by Leaning in the slips. To cap a terrible session for Northamptonshire, Broad was lbw to Gilchrist in the final over, the third batter to shoulder arms.

Northamptonshire bowling coach Rory Kleinveldt said: “From a bowling perspective, I think in the second innings, it was very pleasing to see how we how we fought back into the game, gave us ourselves a chance of possibly chasing this down.

“I mean, the game is not over yet. We still, we still have Barts in there, and we'll definitely have a crack at it tomorrow. But the bowlers showed good character today and got us back into the game and gave us a chance of winning it.

“Raphy Weatherall bowled beautifully in this game. Everyone's bowled well really, to be honest. I think in the first innings we probably let ourselves down a little bit on the extras and our discipline, and that's also come back to haunt us a little bit in the second innings. But in saying that, I thought throughout the game we bowled nicely, and hopefully we can continue that going forward.”

 

Kent’s South African quick bowler Keith Dudgeon said: “It was a bit slow going today. I found it quite hard to run into the breeze, but then obviously hitting my straps when the breeze dropped off a little bit and landed the ball in the right areas. And thank goodness the boys caught them at the back,

“It's a lovely group of boys at Kent. They were pretty quick to give me the nickname The Rhino. I don't know where that came from, but it was so welcoming. I was welcomed into the dressing room. I got a spot straight away. Everyone spoke to me with respect. Everyone was so friendly, that's all you can ask for. Coming in as a as an overseas you never really know what you're going to get and the boys were absolutely awesome, from the coaching staff to the youngsters in the side.”

Kent bowler Jas Singh said: “I didn’t really expect to play the first game, but I was chuffed to perform like that after struggling last year. I'm so happy.

[When Northamptonshire took 10 wickets in the afternoon session] “I think everyone was pretty calm, to be fair. I guess that's just cricket. You lose a couple of wickets and you can be panicking a bit, but the group was very calm, and we knew anything over 200 was a good score on that wicket. The plan tomorrow is to clean up and get three wickets as early as possible, but obviously to stick into the basics and doing everything well as we have done.”

Saturday, April 5, 2025 1st Match Glamorgan vs Leicestershire Starts at 11:00

Veteran bowler Chris Wright smashed an unbeaten 74 to accompany Lewis Hill’s 96, Peter Handscomb’s 63, Sol Budinger’s 56 and Ben Cox’s 51 not out to give Leicestershire a commanding lead over Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.

Former and current captains Hill and Handscomb combined from for a 142-run partnership after weathering a storm from Asitha Fernando who has a debut four-wicket haul for Glamorgan. Other debutant, Shoaib Bashir remained wicketless from 22 overs.

After Hill was dubiously run out, wickets fell cheaply until a swashbuckling innings from 39-year-old Wright for his 15^th first-class half-century took Leicestershire past four batting points in an unbeaten 102-run 9^th-wicket partnership, with Rishi Patel unable to bat.

After resuming for day two in a windy Cardiff with the sun beating down on the pitch that bettered as day one progressed, Leicestershire had a strong start at 65 for 1, trailing Glamorgan by just 164 runs.

Signs for a Glamorgan fightback looked slim throughout the first session, opener Sol Budinger pushed past 50 with ease, so much so that a first career century looked entirely possible despite being dropped on 18 by Colin Ingram the previous evening. With Ben Mike at number three, the run rate seamlessly ticked before the all-rounder was dismissed for 41, lbw to Fernando picking up his first ever wicket for the Welsh county.

While it wasn’t long after when Budinger parted ways, Glamorgan’s high didn’t last long despite a strong spell from Fernando. The Glamorgan overseas seamer thought he had Hill caught behind first ball and Australian international Handscomb playing and missing three times in his first over; a vast improvement from the Sri Lankan from his day one exploits.

It took Glamorgan over an hour after lunch to finally have their breakthrough, Handscomb top edging an Andy Gorvin short delivery for 63 after he and Hill comfortably passed half-centuries in a dominating hour for the Foxes after lunch. In familiar fashion, one wicket for the hosts brought strong spells. From 265 for 3 to 276 for 6, Hill next to go just four short of his first century since June 2023. Then Rehan Ahmed, clipping an angled in half-volley to Eddie Byrom at square-leg to give Gorvin another in a bright spell.

A game of cat and mouse negotiated Leicestershire to tea, a session of two halves as it closed out with Glamorgan restricting the visitors to seven runs in seven overs, Ben Kellaway impressing in an economical spell, Namesakes Ben Cox and Green cautiously aiming to steer the ship, knowing Rishi Patel can not bat due to his thumb damaged early on day one.

Green eventually got off the mark but added nothing of substance followed by Tom Scriven when the new ball was taken. The depth in batting was shown by the 14 career half centuries of Wright walking out to bat at effectively number 11. Fourteen 50s turned to 15 with a handsome straight six off Kellaway to reach the 47-ball milestone dealing almost entirely in boundaries, supported by Cox in their mighty last-wicket partnership as the tiring Glamorgan bowlers began to dwindle.

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