Vitality County Championship 2024, Round 10, Day 1 - June 30th - Live Cricket Streaming, Latest Scores, Match Reports – All Matches – Division 1 and 2

Here are all the latest scores, match reports and news for the Vitality County Championship 2024, Round 10 June 30th – July 3rd  2024.

Sunday 30th June

Division One

Durham vs Worcestershire, Vitality County Championship Division One
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, Chester-Le-Street

Ben Stokes top-scored with his first half-century of the season as 23 wickets fell on a day full of drama in the Vitality County Championship match between Durham and Worcestershire at Seat Unique Riverside.

Stokes made 56 in a welcome return to form for the home side in their innings of 190, but Nathan Smith impressed for the visitors by claiming figures of four for 36, while Ben Allison and Matthew Waite notched three and two wickets apiece.

Worcestershire looked to be making steady inroads in their reply at 71 for two but lost their final eight wickets for 41 runs as Matthew Potts claimed four for 29 to bolster his credentials for selection in the first Test of the summer.

Durham entered their second innings with a 78-run lead, but lost three quick wickets after only extending their lead to 111 at the close.

Worcestershire made the most out of advantageous conditions after winning the toss on a gloomy Chester-le-Street. Smith found his line and length immediately to pin Durham captain Scott Borthwick lbw with the fifth ball of the innings. Tom Taylor followed suit with a full length to find Colin Ackermann's outside edge as Gareth Roderick claimed a fine diving catch in front of first slip.

Division One's form player David Bedingham responded with a flurry of crunching boundaries, highlighting his pristine touch at the crease. The South Africa international reached 21 before making a rare lapse of judgement, leaving a hooping Ben Allison delivery that crashed into his off-stump. Alex Lees took the attack to Matthew Waite's first over, scoring two boundaries, but the bowler won the duel as the Durham opener became the fourth wicket of the session.

Ollie Robinson and Stokes stemmed the tide of wickets with a stand worth 46. After being overlooked for the England Test squad, Robinson produced another classy innings, finding the off-side boundary with ease. He made his way to 35 and looked well set to add another score of fifty-plus to his tally, only to fall to a cracking inswinger from the returning Smith before lunch.

Stokes upped the ante after lunch, chancing his arm with booming drives down the wicket. The England skipper did have the odd element of fortune, but still worked his way to a timely half-century from 73 balls ahead of the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. However, Allison returned with a short ball that Stokes' gloved behind on an attempted hook to fall for 56.

Durham's innings unravelled after his departure courtesy of Smith and Allison to dismiss the hosts 10 shy of 200.

Potts made early inroads into the Worcestershire line-up by removing Roderick for nine, but the visitors made quick runs against the new ball to put Durham's bowlers under pressure.

Borthwick turned to Stokes for inspiration and his introduction into the attack should have brought a wicket from his first ball, but Libby was dropped by Bas de Leede at point. Undeterred Stokes found Libby's outside edge from the following delivery and Lees claimed a routine catch at third slip.

Kashif Ali defied Stokes and Peter Siddle in difficult conditions as the bad light halted play for 30 minutes. The break favoured the home side as the Worcestershire batting ranks collapsed from 71 for two to 112 all out.

Siddle started the rout by dismissing Rob Jones and Adam Hose before Ben Raine pinned Ethan Brookes lbw. Potts then took centre stage in his second spell, tearing through the lower order, including Taylor and Smith in successive deliveries.

Amir Virdi survived the hat-trick ball and his resistance allowed Kashif Ali to bring up his fifty with six over the leg-side boundary before the he was final wicket to fall to Raine.

Batting didn't get any easier in the sunny twilight as Lees, Borthwick and Clark all fell for the hosts with Smith and Taylor amongst the wickets once more with the game very much in the balance heading into day two.

Hampshire vs Kent, Vitality County Championship Division One
The Rose Bowl, Southampton

James Vince’s season continued to burst into life with his second century in a week as the Hampshire skipper and Ben Brown dominated Kent in the Vitality County Championship.

Vince had skirted around form with 305 runs in 11 innings before exploding with a sensational unbeaten 166 against Warwickshire last week before following it up with 149 not out at Utilita Bowl.

He and Brown put on 245 for the fourth wicket after the top order had faltered to 56 for three to put Hampshire in command.

Wicketkeeper-batter Brown joined Vince in the three-figure club late in the day to reach an unbeaten 106 as Hampshire ended the day on 310 for three.

Having been stuck in, and endured an 80-minute rain delay shortly after play had started, Hampshire found themselves in a spot of bother.

Fletcha Middleton had recorded twin fifties at Edgbaston but uneasily left his bat hanging for the fit again Grant Stewart to kiss the outside edge.

Australian Charlie Stobo was next up to bulldoze the top order when Nick Gubbins, unfortunately, padded into his stumps to leave Hampshire 24 for two.

Vince quickly got moving with his first scoring shot naturally a drive through the cover boundary.

But lost Toby Albert after nine overs together when the opener loosely drove to second slip – with Jack Leaning not showing any ill effects from the broken hand which had kept him out for seven weeks.

From then on it was the Vince show, with luscious shots while toying with the now ineffective visiting bowlers.

Before that mesmerising century earlier in the week, he only had a pair of fifties in the Championship and Vitality Blast 53 to show for a disappointing opening to the campaign.

But this was peak Vince, dismissing any loose bowling for boundaries – with 10 of his boundaries piercing through the covers.

There were barely a handful of occasions when he was out of control of the ball, and none went close to hands as he started in fourth gear and never relented.

The fifty came in 56 balls, the century – his 30th in first-class matches – zipped by in 115 deliveries with a tuck off his legs. There was even time for him to pass 12,000 red ball runs for Hampshire.

If Vince was an aggressive and effortless Ying, Brown was a watchful and determined Yang.

Everything the former Sussex captain did was controlled. Boundaries came when they came but he never went searching for them.

But when there was a little width, a punched cut would appear. A ball down his legs and a full-blooded sweep of pull would materialise.

His 25th century arrived in 183 balls as the floodlights started to glow, as the green-tinged pitch which initially looked perfect for bowling had long since flattened out.

Hampshire century-maker Ben Brown:

"It was a great day. It was a really good partnership with Vincey there which was nice after we lost a few wickets early.

"It was some tricky conditions this morning with it being overcast and there was a little bit in the wicket so I didn't expect to be walking off with Vincey at the end of the day.

"Vince changed the feel of the day. When he goes off like that it is hard to stop. It is distracting for the opposition playing against someone playing those shots and timing the ball so well.

"He is playing brilliantly. Once he gets into that rhythm he can be all-consuming in the way he plays. Sometimes he makes it look so easy you feel like you should be playing better! It looked like he was batting on his own pitch!

"Sometimes it can be difficult at the other end as well, I didn't find it easy at all but he is there with a run-a-ball 70 and I'm scrapping away. Eventually it got easier as it always does.

"We start again in the morning. They'll have a new ball, and the new ball did a bit, so we'll have to work hard again.

"I've been feeling good for a while. I just try to stay positive in the middle and get a good feel of conditions. I'm playing well, feeling good, I just have to make it count."

Lancashire vs Nottinghamshire, Vitality County Championship Division One
Trafalgar Road Ground, Southport, Southport

A fourth century of the season by Keaton Jennings steered Lancashire into a strong position on 344 for eight after the first day of this Vitality County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Southport.

It was a masterful, battling unbeaten innings of 183 off 258 balls (26 fours and 4 sixes) by Red Rose captain Jennings that held the Lancashire innings together after the visitors had threatened to take charge after  lunch.

A sellout crowd had turned up hoping to see James Anderson in action for Lancashire one more time, evinced by the collective groan that rose around the Trafalgar Road ground when it was announced Haseeb Hameed had won the toss and opted to bowl. Those present had to settle for watching one of Anderson’s potential England successors instead.

Dillon Pennington, selected for the first time alongside Anderson in the England squad announced today, put in a strong shift that returned two for 70 from 23 overs across five separate spells on a slowish pitch.

Pennington's lively six over opening spell conceded just three runs but went without reward and it was the first change bowler Dane Paterson who struck first, nipping one back to bowl Luke Wells for 7.  

Jennings and Bohannon steered Lancashire to 59 for one at lunch in a session shorn of 22 minutes due to rain but the visitors fought back strongly with three wickets in the afternoon.

Wicketkeeper Joe Clarke, having taken over the gloves from Tom Moores, dropped an edge by Bohannon off Olly Stone but redeemed himself by holding onto a near identical edge by the Lancashire batter off the very next ball.

Pennington snared his first wicket when George Bell edged to second slip for 8 after an uncomfortable 39-ball stay at the crease followed by Matty Hurst tamely chipping Lyndon James to Stone at midwicket for 2 to leave Lancashire 120 for four after the Notts attack had skilfully dried up the run scoring during the afternoon.

It was Red Rose skipper Jennings who held the innings together with a mixture of calculated attack and strong defence that saw the left hander deposit Paterson over square leg for six while his 16^th four brought up a 179-ball hundred.

Jennings found strong support from George Balderson who made 41 and twice lofted consecutive Liam Patterson-White deliveries into the Harrod Drive gardens overlooking the ground, in an 88-run partnership that wrestled the initiative back for the hosts.

In a lengthy 41-over final session that saw 194 runs scored, Chris Green (9) and Tom Bailey (20) were both lbw to James (three for 53) while Will Williams edged Pennington behind for a duck.

But Jennings opened up as started to run out of partners, hammering a tiring attack and taking 47 balls to go from his hundred to reach 150 as he deposited Stone for six onto the adjacent railway line and ramped Paterson over long-on for six more.

Notts cause was hardly helped by three chances of varying difficulty offered by Jennings being put down during the evening that ended with Lancashire having a strong total that they will look to bolster tomorrow – and with, for those spectators attending, Anderson likely to both bat and bowl.

 

Keaton Jennings, Lancashire said:

“It was a good day today. It was one those where you get into a position where you could push the game on.

“Luckily it came off, a few went over the rope and found the gaps so hopefully we can get past 350 and get another point.

“It felt really hard work this morning, but I thought the guys played beautifully.

“I thought they bowled a bit short in the morning and it got slightly easier as they day went on. But there were balls jumping from a good area which made it hard work.

“They had to bring their main guys back in the afternoon which damages you a bit for the new ball. At the end of the day you try to take a few calculated risks.

“It’s a ground I enjoy playing at, going back to when I played here with Durham. It has a really nice atmosphere. So to come here and push into a nice position in the game is awesome.

“I’ve always been a believer that it’s about team performance and success so to contribute to team success is what I want to do. I grateful that today has been my day.”

 

Lyndon James, Nottinghamshire said:

“I thought for most of the day we were pretty good.

“We started really well, including the middle session. I think we bowled beautifully and built a bit of pressure.

“It’s frustrating that it slipped a little bit in the last session.

“Credit to Keaton Jennings, I thought he played beautifully. He put us under the pump at the end of the day.

“We’ve got come back tomorrow and take those two poles as quick as we can.

“It’s a good pitch with not as much pace as we’re used to Trent Bridge but it had a little bit of bounce in it so you always felt like there was a ball in there for you.

“This was the best rhythm I’ve felt in a couple of games. I just tried to land the ball in a decent area as consistently as much as I can, and tried to get a bit of bounce with my height.

“It’s a pitch where you have to be patient. When we bowled well they had to soak up a bit of pressure. If bowlers do get tired you can try to accelerate and score quite quickly so we’ll see how we go tomorrow.”

Somerset vs Warwickshire, Vitality County Championship Division One
The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, Taunton

Michael Burgess hit his seventh first class century to cement a determined Warwickshire fightback on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.

Going in at number eight, the 29-year-old wicketkeeper made an unbeaten 126, off 167 balls, with 14 fours and 3 sixes, to build on the good work of Ed Barnard (92) and skipper Will Rhodes (63) after their side had slumped to 40 for four on losing the toss.

Chris Woakes contributed 39 to an eighth-wicket stand of 110 with Burgess that enabled Warwickshire to close on 373 for eight. Migael Pretorius was the pick of Somerset’s bowling attack with four for 72 from 20 overs.

Josh Davey made the first breakthrough with the Warwickshire total on 19 as Alex Davies edged a defensive push to Tom Abell at first slip in the fifth over.

It was 34 for two when Rob Yates, on 15, nicked a lifter from Pretorius and Kasey Aldridge accepted a sharp chance at second slip. The South African struck again in his next over with an excellent delivery that clipped the top of off stump to send back Sam Hain for a duck.

Warwickshire were in a deep hole at 40 when the inspired Pretorius induced Dan Mousley to edge an attempted leg-side shot to give Aldridge another slip catch at which point the seamer’s figures were three for six.

Rhodes survived a couple of scares before lunch, which was taken at 97 for four, the skipper having made 42 and added 57 with Barnard, who was unbeaten on 25.

The afternoon session saw Rhodes move to fifty off 87 balls, with 7 fours, and the partnership with the unflappable Barnard extend past the century mark before Somerset struck two blows in rapid succession.

Jack Leach, preferred to Shoaib Bashir as the only specialist spinner in the side, tempted Rhodes into an error as an ugly mishit saw him cloth a gentle catch to Andy Umeed at mid-on. The following over saw Craig Overton force a defensive edge from Jacob Bethell through to wicketkeeper James Rew.

Barnard remained a solid presence, having moved to a chanceless half-century off 94 balls, with 8 fours. He was unbeaten on 79 at tea, sensibly picking the right balls to attack, and had helped his side to 214 for six, with the help of Burgess, on 33 not out.

Somerset began with final session with the occasional leg-spin of Umeed, who was quickly dispatched for six by Burgess over a short leg-side boundary. It proved a solitary over as Leach changed ends to good effect.

Burgess moved to an impressive fifty off 87 balls, with 5 fours and a six, but Barnard fell unexpectedly with the stand on 99 as the England left-arm spinner bowled him attempting to cut a slightly quicker delivery.

Barnard had faced 159 balls and struck 12 fours on the ground where he claimed his best Championship bowling figures of six for 37 (11 for 89 in match) for Worcestershire in 2018.

A Burgess single of Leach took Warwickshire to a first batting point at 250 for seven. As the time for the second new ball approached, Burgess went on the attack, launching Leach for two sixes over long-on.

It was 291 for seven when the new ball was taken, with Burgess and Woakes looking well set. Woakes brought up 300 with a glorious cover driven four off Overton as Somerset’s bowling lacked the accuracy of the pre-lunch session.

Burgess went to three figures with a straight drive for two off Overton, having faced 146 balls and hit 10 fours and 3 sixes. The pitch was offering precious little seam movement as he and Woakes batted with increasing comfort and aggression.

Woakes suffered a couple of painful blows, one to his right hand, but the England all-rounder battled bravely through until chipping a catch to Umeed at mid-on to give Pretorius his fourth wicket. Michael Booth then survived a caught and bowled chance to Davey to increase Somerset frustration.

Warwickshire centurion Michael Burgess said: “It is definitely a new ball pitch. Batting up top this morning was tough, but Will Rhodes and Ed Barnard did a fantastic job after we were 40 for four.

“They set up the day for us. It was easier for the middle order as the ball went softer and I was able to capitalise, hopefully doing an important job for the team.

“Now we have to get to at least 400 tomorrow and then use the new ball really well. That will be important, although it is not easy to score quickly when the ball is softer, so we might be able to build some pressure if we bowl well.”

 

Somerset head coach Jason Kerr said: “There wasn’t much in the pitch for the bowlers after the morning session. Our original intention was to prepare a wicket for our two spinners, but when it didn’t look likely to turn one of them had to miss out.

“It is not my job to pick the England team. They have gone for Shoaib Bashir, but Jack Leach has taken so many wickets for us over a number of years and remains our first choice. I thought he did a fantastic job today.

“Warwickshire showed that if a batter gets in on this pitch it is possible to make a lot of runs. That will be our aim tomorrow, but we mustn’t fall into the trap of pre-judging the surface.”

Surrey vs Essex, Vitality County Championship Division One
Kennington Oval, London

Jamie Smith produced the perfect dress-rehearsal for his England debut on day one of their top of the table clash with Essex at The Oval.

Named this morning as the only wicketkeeper in England’s 14 for the first Test against the West Indies a week on Wednesday, Smith struck his second century of the season, making exactly 100 with two sixes and 14 fours, as the hosts reached 248-8 on a rain-shortened day in south London.

Smith’s heroics apart, Surrey’s batters struggled against some probing bowling, South African quick Eathan Bosch returning 3-52 in only his second appearance for the county.

Play began on time after morning drizzle but only two overs were possible before the rain returned, forcing the players from the field until after an early lunch.

The delay helped the hosts who had been asked to bat first under slate grey skies which had largely dissipated by the early afternoon.

Even so former England opener Dominic Sibley produced a mixture of crisp drives off his pads with plenty of playing and missing outside off stump, and was given a life on 10 when Jamie Porter shelled one at backward point, Shane Snater the unlucky bowler.

The spill wasn’t overly expensive as Sibley reached only 24 before swishing one from Bosch to Dean Elgar at first slip.

Dan Lawrence, also named in the England squad, fluffed his lines, producing one glorious cover drive before fencing at one from Bosch which bounced a bit off a length caught the edge and flew to Simon Harmer’s giant hands at second slip.

Harmer would spill a more routine chance to reprieve Rory Burns on 25, Snater again the luckless bowler, but like Sibley before him the Surrey skipper didn’t cash in, nicking one from Paul Walter in the next over to Michael Pepper behind the stumps.

His dismissal brought Ben Foakes to the crease, the wicketkeeper, not for the first time, callously cast aside by England supremo Rob Key in favour of his teammate Smith. Tellingly, Surrey named Foakes as keeper despite Smith’s promotion to the role in the national side. Smith has only kept wicket twice for Surrey this season, one of those appearances coming in Foakes’ absence.

Fate dictated the two men would bat together though not for long, Foakes, understandably deflated edging through to Pepper to give Bosch a third wicket.

Smith though stood firm, demonstrating his ability to be a 360-player, punching and caressing fours through cover and punishing anything on his legs both backward and forward of square.

A ninth four crunched square took him to 50 in 70 balls as he and Sai Sadharsan shared a stand of 70, the Indian youngster’s contribution to which was 13.

The stand would be broken in strange circumstances. Porter was forced off the field mid-over after appearing to dislocate a finger. Walter took up the cause for the visitors and two balls later found the edge of Sudharsan’s bat, Harmer providing safe hands at slip.

Nothing though was going to derail Smith from a day of destiny, the 23-year-old twice clearing the ropes on the way to a century sealed by a quickly run single.

Job done, he left the stage to the next delivery he faced, castled after missing a straight one in Matt Critchley’s first over.

Jordan Clark didn’t detain us for long and Ryan Patel’s burgeoning innings was cut short by the first ball of a new spell from Snater which pierced his defence.

 

Surrey batter Jamie Smith who made 100 on the day his England call-up was confirmed said: "It has been a nice 24 hours. It would have been nice to kick on a bit from the position we're in. It's probably a 300 wicket in terms of par, so we are probably a bit short of that at the moment, but hopefully the two guys in and Dan Worrell can get us up to a nice score tomorrow.

"The England call-up was a nice call to receive. You always seem to miss it as I did, but getting a text asking you to ring them back is quite a nice feeling, wondering what it could be - a nice moment. 

"We would have bowled too. The wickets produced here, you would probably say that bowling first has been the go to, certainly for us. We know the quality of their fine bowling line-up, so to come out at 248-8 from the position we were in.

"We need to eek out as many as we can on that sort of surface. As we showed in the last game at Worcester we are going to have to toil hard after p[laying a lot of games of cricket, but early inroads would be perfect.

"We hope our bowlers can turn out their best performance. We know Essex's quality and they are chasing our tails at the top of the table. It's going to be a tough next three days."

 

Essex seamer Eathan Bosch who took 3-52 said: "I think we are reasonably happy with 248-8. Obviously Jamie Smith batted really nicely and put a little bit of pressure on us. Jamie is a really nice player and I feel he is going to have a really bright future.

"It was frustrating (with the weather this morning) but those are the things you can't control. Once we got out there the opening bowlers really stuck to their guns and it was nice for the rest of us to come in and try and build on that pressure.

Bowling with the Duke is a bit different for me as I'm used to the Kookaburra. I haven't played a lot of cricket so I'm still trying to find my feet. Hopefully the more I play the more I bowl and things will get better and better. 

"I was happy with the way it came out this afternoon. Everyone wants to try and help the team and hopefully that helps us going forward in the game."

Division Two

Derbyshire vs Yorkshire,  Vitality County Championship Division Two
Queen's Park, Chesterfield

Sri  Lankan pace bowler Vishwa Fernando spearheaded a ruthless Yorkshire bowling performance to skittle Derbyshire for 76 on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship match at Chesterfield.

On a challenging Queen’s Park pitch, Fernando took 5 for 30 and Jordan Thompson claimed 4 for 31 as Derbyshire subsided in less than 28 overs.

It was the third lowest score against Yorkshire in the championship this century and the visitors turned the screw with James Wharton racing to a maiden first-class hundred from only 101 balls.

When bad light ended play, Wharton was 116 not out and Johnny Tattersall unbeaten on 41 with Yorkshire 283 for 5, a commanding lead of 207.

Derbyshire’s decision to bat first on a green pitch under cloud cover was questionable and the hosts soon had reason to regret it as Yorkshire’s seamers ran through them.

Ben Coad celebrated his return from a back injury by removing Mitch Wagstaff lbw with a full length ball in his first over and there were signs of what was to come as he and Fernando repeatedly beat the bat.

Luis Reece and Brooke Guest managed to survive for the best part of 14 overs but once Reece edged Fernando low to first slip, Derbyshire fell apart.

Although there was enough in the pitch for Fernando and Thompson to exploit, it was a feeble batting display with only four players making double figures.

Thompson beat Guest’s defensive push, Fernando removed Wayme Madsen with an inswinging yorker and then trapped Aneurin Donald on the crease with his next ball.

Ross Whiteley survived the hat-trick but when David Lloyd was lbw playing across the line at Thompson, Derbyshire had lost five wickets for 10 runs in 23 balls.

Rain provided Derbyshire with some respite but after lunch was taken early, the procession continued.

Whiteley was brilliantly caught one handed at gully by Thompson who then had Alex Thomson taken low down at third slip before Fernando plucked out Sam Conners middle stump with another inswinging yorker.

Zak Chappell struck some defiant blows, including a straight driven six off Thompson who had the last word by having him caught at second slip.

Derbyshire’s total was the lowest at Chesterfield since they were bowled out for 57 by Leicestershire in 1989 and to have any chance of staying in the game, they needed early wickets.

Yorkshire’s attack had reaped the benefits of maintaining a consistent,probing line but Derbyshire lacked the same discipline, bowling too short or too full.

By the time Reece had Fin Bean lbw, Yorkshire had reached 61 in the 13th over and although Adam Lyth drove back a return catch to Reece, the  visitors steadily pressed home their advantage.

Shan Masood produced some elegant strokes before he played across the line at Daryn Dupavillon and after George Hill and Matthew Revis went cheaply, Wharton grew in confidence to dominate the bowling.

After reaching 50 off 63 balls, he pulled Dupavillon for six and launched Thomson over wide long on for another before driving Reece for his 18th four to reach three figures.

With Tattersall, he took the game further away from Derbyshire as the pair shared an unbroken stand of 118 on a day of total Yorkshire dominance.

 

Yorkshire batter James Wharton said: "It's been frustrating the last couple of weeks because I've been getting 20's and getting out in weird ways. I felt good, I was triggering to start with so I thought I'm just going to stay still and stop moving and it seemed to work.

"It;s massive credit to our bowlers because we've backed up what we did last week. That wicket, there's a bit in it obviously and it's done a bit all day but it's not an absolute snakepit so for our bowlers to be as disciplined as they were is a credit to them because it's not a 70 odd all out wicket."

On Vishwa Fernando he said: "He's been excellent, one of the best overseas we've had in the last few years.Such a lovely bloke, quiet and unassuming but an unbelievable operator. You can tell he's a Test Match bowler and I think everyone has picked things up off him in the way he bowls and the control."

 

Derbyshire all rounder Luis Reece said: Whatever could go wrong did go wrong. In hindsight you look back at it (the decision to bat) and probably the wrong decision was made but fair play to them I thought they bowled really well.

"That first hour, me and Guesty (Brooke Guest) had to scrap really hard to try and negate them. It was tough going but as we've seen a few times this year it starts a bit of landslide, when we lose one we lose seven which is the thing that hurts the most.

"We've still got five wickets to take now but ultimately we've got to take it to them because we're so far behind the eight ball but I suppose that takes all the pressure off. We've got to come back tomorrow and try and take the attack to them."

 

Gloucestershire vs Glamorgan, Vitality County Championship Division Two
College Ground, Cheltenham

Marchant de Lange played a key role with bat and ball as Gloucestershire staged a spirited fightback on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division match against Glamorgan at Cheltenham.

The larger-than-life South African scored 46 not out and shared in a record-breaking stand of 75 with Ajeet Singh Dale as the home side recovered from 88-8 at lunch to post 179 in their first innings. He then took 2-21 in six overs with the ball as Glamorgan subsided to 133-7 by the time bad light brought a premature close with 3.5 overs unused.

Timm van der Gugten was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, returning season-best figures of 5-59 to justify skipper Sam Northeast's decision to field first. But his efforts were matched by Gloucestershire overseas all-rounder Beau Webster, who produced a startling three-wicket burst in 12 balls on a day when 17 wickets fell. 

Kiran Carlson top-scored for Glamorgan with 37, but the Welsh county still trail by 46 runs with three first innings wicket remaining.

Twice dismissed cheaply when suffering a chastening innings defeat at the hands of Yorkshire in Scarborough earlier in the week, Gloucestershire's batsmen faced a test of nerve after being inserted on a green-tinged surface beneath cloud-laden skies. Although the pitch was initially low and slow and the new ball moved off the seam, there could be no mitigating circumstances to explain away an abject surrender that saw the home side go into lunch on 88-8, a parlous situation characterised by poor shot selection and execution.

Cameron Bancroft set the tone in the very first over, edging van der Gugten's second delivery behind to provide the first of five catches for wicketkeeper Chris Cooke. Ollie Price fell to the same bowler in identical fashion, pushing at a delivery that kept low and being caught at the wicket. 

Ben Charlesworth and skipper Graeme van Buuren succumbed cheaply to ill-advised leg-side shots as Dan Douthwaite produced an incisive five-over spell of 2-7 from the College Lawn end, while James Bracey missed an attempted leg-side glance and was bowled by a ball from Andy Gorvin that deflected off his pad and onto the stumps as Gloucestershire subsided to 49-5.

Marnus Labuschagne came on to bowl seam up and afford the batsmen a period of respite, Miles Hammond and Webster adding 36 for the sixth wicket and hinting at a recovery. But the return of van der Gugten served to reinforce Welsh superiority, the overseas recruit removing Hammond lbw for 21 and then making a mess of Webster's stumps when the Australian played down the wrong line to a ball that moved back into him. Labuschagne then had Zaman Akhter caught behind without scoring to give the home side food for thought during the interval. 

When Matt Taylor was comprehensively bowled by van der Gugten with the score on 104 shortly following the resumption, the end of the innings appeared to be in sight. But de Lange and Singh Dale had other ideas, the last wicket pair opening their shoulders to post a quickfire 50 in 47 balls and force Glamorgan's seamers onto the back foot for the first time.

By the time Singh Dale hoisted Mason Crane's leg spin to long-on and departed for a 45-ball 32, he and de Lange had surpassed the 73 made by John Mortimore and Jack Davey in 1972, the previous highest last wicket partnership for Gloucestershire in matches against Glamorgan.

Gloucestershire were grateful to the spirited de Lange, whose agricultural approach yielded an unbeaten 46 from 37 balls, with a quartet of fours and 2 sixes, and enlivened a hitherto subdued festival audience. It said a good deal about what had gone before, that these two were able to score more runs than the combined efforts of Gloucestershire's top seven.

Buoyed by the antics of their lower order, Gloucestershire kept plugging away with the ball end enjoyed no little success. Taylor had Eddie Byrom held at mid-on in the act of pulling, Akhter claimed the prized wicket of Labuschagne, who pulled to deep mid-wicket for 19, and de Lange induced Billy Root to edge a catch behind and depart for 21 as the visitors slipped to 59-3 in the 23rd over. 

Gloucestershire then passed up an opportunity to dismiss Carlson on 11, de Lange putting down a chance on the deep fine leg boundary off the bowling of Singh Dale. No matter. Webster more than made amends when removing Northeast and Cooke in the space of three deliveries in the 35th over to reduce the Welsh county to 104-5.

Northeast contributed 19 in a stand of 45 for the fourth wicket with Carlson, only to then push at a length ball and offer a catch behind. Cooke fell in identical fashion and Douthwaite then succumbed to a leg-side strangle, caught at the wicket as Webster made further inroads to finish with 3-16 from eight overs.

De Lange then struck a potentially crucial blow shortly before the close, persuading Carlson to send a top-edged hook down the throat of Hammond at deep fine leg and depart for a 62-ball 37 with Glamorgan still 54 behind.

 

 

Gloucestershire bowler Marchant de Lange said: "It's an interesting start to the game, I must say. I'm not an expert on festival wickets here, but it was a very difficult one to judge. There was something in it for the bowlers if they put the ball in the right areas, but it was also a little bit two paced and the ball was swinging around. I have a one-dimensional way of paying (with the bat) and Ajeet (Singh Dale|) and myself decided to try and put the pressure back onto Glamorgan. We worked at it over by over and slowly the game turned. We will certainly have learned a lot from having batted on the surface once and, hopefully, we can do a better job second time around and score as many runs as possible. Timm van der Gugten bowled really well and had a couple of superb sessions, but I thought Beau Webster then did a similar job for us. We look to him to break partnerships and that's exactly what he did. It was good to take a couple of wickets myself, but we still need three poles in the morning and that has to be our immediate focus."

 

Glamorgan seamer Timm van der Gugten said: "I remember 23 wickets fell on the opening day when I last played here, so this was an improvement! I thought we were on the money with the ball right from the off and reducing them to 88-8 was more than we could have hoped for. I'm pleased with the way the ball is coming out this season and it was good to get among the wickets and contribute. There was just the frustration of watching Marchant de Lange play that innings at the end. He's difficult to bowl and captain to when he comes off, but we would probably have settled for getting them out for 179 at the start of the day. The ball was swinging under those overhead conditions and the pitch was a bit two-paced, so batting was never easy. Ideally, we will be able to go past their score in the morning and then bowl well again to put ourselves in with a chance of winning the match."

 

 

Leicestershire vs Middlesex, Vitality County Championship Division Two
Grace Road, Leicester

Career-best bowling from Ben Mike (five for 22) and loan signing Ben Green (four for 28) enabled Leicestershire to dismiss Middlesex for 86 as the opening day of their Vitality County Championship match saw 21 wickets fall in bowler-friendly conditions.

Earlier, Ryan Higgins (four for 35) and Toby Roland-Jones (four for 63) led the way for Middlesex as Leicestershire were bowled out for 179. Lewis Goldsworthy (41) and Lewis Hill (36) shared a 65-run partnership for the third wicket before a collapse from 82 for two to 126 for eight was rescued by fast bowler Scott Currie’s unbeaten 34.

Leicestershire had extended their lead to 133 by reaching the close at 40 for one after Sol Budinger, caught off a top-edged pull, was out for the second time in the day.

Green, the 26-year-old all-rounder, is Somerset’s leading wicket-taker in the Blast this season but has not figured in their red-ball side. He played three Championship matches for Leicestershire earlier in the season and is back at Grace Road as emergency cover for the latest round with seven senior members of the Foxes’ first-team squad either injured or unavailable.

Leicestershire had surprised some onlookers by opting to bat first, yet on a green pitch and with heavy cloud cover, it was hardly a surprise that the Middlesex seam attack should find plenty of encouragement.

They removed both Leicestershire openers within the first seven overs. A rare failure from Rishi Patel, leg before half-forward to Roland-Jones for his first single-figure score of the season, preceded the departure of Budinger, who marked his first appearance of the season with two boundaries before edging Higgins to give Leus Du Plooy the first of three catches at second slip.

Middlesex could not immediately press home their advantage, with Henry Brookes and Ethan Bamber struggling to bowl the right lines at first. As they added 65 over the course of the next hour or so, it might have appeared that Goldsworthy and Hill were getting the upper hand.

But then Bamber found some late swing from a ball that squared up Hill to have the Leicestershire skipper caught at first slip. Harry Swindells, like Budinger making his seasonal debut, chopped on to Higgins two overs before lunch, leaving the home side 94 for four.

Worse was to follow at the start of the afternoon, four more wickets tumbling in the first seven overs of the middle session as more edges flew to hand. Higgins had Goldsworthy snaffled by Du Plooy before Roland-Jones struck three times in as many overs.

Louis Kimber followed his epic, record-breaking 243 against Sussex last week with a 15-ball duck, caught at backward point off a leading edge, before Green edged to second slip and Ben Cox feathered one behind.

Middlesex were batting 12 overs before tea but were three down by the interval and 53 for six half an hour after the resumption, which made the 53 runs Leicestershire were able to add for their last two wickets look potentially invaluable.

Higgins dismissed Mike leg before and Brookes had Matt Salisbury caught at third slip, but Currie’s six boundaries gave their bowlers something to work with.

Indeed, after Mike found the edge to have Mark Stoneman caught at second slip in his first over and produced an inswinger missed by Sam Robson, Green’s spell at the pavilion end soon had Middlesex in trouble.

Max Holden was given out caught behind off an inside edge from the Devonian’s second ball before his first two overs after the tea interval included a near-unplayable delivery to bowl Higgins and one that took the edge of Josh De Caires’s bat to give Currie a catch at third slip.

An airy drive saw Jack Davies caught behind to give Green his fourth at 70 for seven before Mike returned with three wickets in five overs, bowling Luke Hollman with a full delivery, trapping Roland-Jones leg before with a full toss, notching his second career five-for as Du Plooy fell for 28, bowled between bat and pad.

Matt Salisbury completed the rout by bowling Bamber before the home side, batting positively, added 40 in nine overs with Budinger, who hit a six and two fours in his 18, the one casualty.

Leicestershire’s Ben Mike said:

“I genuinely didn’t think it was a bad pitch. If you hold your length there is a bit in it, but not one where necessarily you’d see 20 wickets in a day. It was quite refreshing to see some pace and carry in a pitch here.

“With the cloud cover there was some swing, especially during that middle period when the lights were on, which tends to be what it does here.

“We’ve just said in the dressing room that those runs towards the end of our innings, with Scott’s little cameo, got us into a good position.

“With the ball, we just tried to hit a hard length, try to keep it quite clear and simple.

“From my own point of view, in the last few games I’ve felt I’ve let the side down a bit so it is nice to contribute and to get five wickets against a good side, opening the bowling, I’m happy with that.”

Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins said:

“We were pretty surprised that they batted but the way the day has gone it looks like a good decision.

“The ball was swinging and then just felt like it was carrying on off the pitch, plus a little bit of up and down. I’d just say it was an interesting wicket.

“We had expectations that it would do a bit and it was just one of those days when it didn’t go so well with the bat for us. Their field positioning was excellent, with men just about everywhere we were hitting them.

“Leus had a good game plan and he batted well but it was difficult.

“Toby Roland-Jones was outstanding all day and it felt like a good wicket for us to get at the end there.”

Northamptonshire vs Sussex, Vitality County Championship Division Two
County Ground, Northampton

Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, overlooked for England’s Test squad, bounced back to equal his season’s best tally of four wickets for 42 as Northamptonshire were skittled for 97 on an eventful opening day of this Vitality County Championship match at Wantage Road.

Robinson, who claimed identical stats against Yorkshire at Hove, took some stick in his opening overs, but found more control and a better line as he switched ends amid a Steelbacks collapse. This after the hosts had raced to 43 without loss inside six overs before Nathan McAndrew (3-25) started the slump with two wickets in two balls.

But on a day which saw 22 wickets fall, Sussex had themselves been bowled out earlier for 143, Northamptonshire seamer Jack White striking with four wickets for 23 runs, his first scalps of the summer since returning from injury. The visitors were undone by some testing seam bowling on a green top with bare ends, the bowlers finding plenty of movement to beat the bat consistently with Sussex losing six wickets for 47 in 19 overs after lunch, despite a series of dropped catches from the hosts.

The clatter of wickets meant Sussex were batting again at 5.20pm when, with the sun putting in a late appearance, conditions started to ease. Tom Haines took advantage, hitting 45 as Sussex closed on 83 for two, 129 ahead.

Earlier Haines was first to go in Sussex’s first innings, flashing outside off-stump, caught at fourth slip by Matthew Breetzke to give White his first wicket.

Daniel Hughes top scored with 35, stroking five boundaries before he was dropped by a diving Prithvi Shaw at second slip off Luke Procter (3-37). His reprieve was short lived as he edged the next delivery behind. Procter soon picked up another when James Coles fell to a good low catch by Matthew Breetzke at midwicket.

Tom Alsop (25) then departed on the stroke of lunch when tried to work Justin Broad off his hip and was caught behind on the stroke of lunch.

After the interval, in-form Sussex captain John Simpson took Sussex into three figures, before the innings swiftly fell apart.

Oli Carter was first to go. He had hit consecutive boundaries through the covers before lunch but was undone when White used his height to gain some extra bounce drawing him into pushing outside off-stump, keeper Lewis McManus taking the catch.

Simpson almost fell soon after, but Shaw shelled a simple chance at second slip off White. The bowler persevered, striking later in the same over when he jagged one back in to trap Fynn Hudson-Prentice lbw.

Simpson offered a second chance in the slips off Ben Sanderson, but this time a diving Breetzke could not hold on. He finally fell when Broad gratefully pouched a catch at second slip to give White his fourth wicket. Next Procter had McAndrew caught behind by a diving McManus before Robinson fell first ball, top-edging a return catch to Sanderson.

Jack Carson meanwhile took the aggressive route as wickets tumbled around him. He clubbed the ball through the onside and scooped for six before holing out off Sanderson.

When Northamptonshire batted, Ricardo Vasconcelos pummelled 16 off the opening over from a wayward Robinson, including a six and two fours before pulling Sean Hunt out of the ground for another maximum. He had moved to 33 when he tried to steer Hunt past fourth slip, Carson taking a superb diving catch.

McAndrew then picked up two wickets in two balls thanks to some stunning fielding at third slip from Haines, who first took a good low grab to dismiss Emilio Gay, before an even more spectacular diving catch away to his left as Procter went first ball. South African T20 international Breetzke, playing his first Championship match, was then adjudged lbw to give McAndrew, Northamptonshire’s fourth wicket to fall for 16 runs in three overs.

Shaw, however, looked a class apart, driving his first two deliveries from Hunt square for four. He took a liking to McAndrew too, smashing him through the covers and cracking him away off the back foot.

But Robinson found a better line and control from the David Capel End and struck on the stroke of tea, Rob Keogh falling to a juggling catch by Coles at slip. He struck again soon after the interval when McManus drove loosely outside off-stump and was well caught by a leaping Simpson.

Hudson-Prentice made the key breakthrough, removing Shaw, caught by Carson off the leading edge for 31, before Robinson claimed a third wicket, shaping one back in to bowl Sanderson. In his next over he had Weatherall brilliantly caught by Carson at short cover before taking a catch in the deep himself as Broad holed out off Hudson-Prentice.

When Sussex batted again, Northamptonshire made an early breakthrough when White trapped Hughes lbw for 13. Haines though decided attack was the best option, smashing eight boundaries as he and Alsop shared a stand of 63 before he was caught behind off Sanderson.

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