Vitality County Championship 2024, Round 11, Day 1, 22nd – 25th August - Live Cricket Streaming, Latest Scores, Match Reports – All Matches

Here are all the latest scores, match reports and news for the Vitality County Championship 2024 Round 11, Day 1, Division 1 and 2 - 22nd – 25th August.

Round 11, Thursday 22nd August

 

Division One

Durham vs Nottinghamshire, Division One,Seat Unique, Riverside Ground, Chester-Le-Street.

A magnificent maiden First Class century from Ben McKinney and a dogged hundred from Alex Lees put Durham in a dominant position on day one of their Vitality County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire.

McKinney, who is playing in just his second County Championship match, smashed an experienced Notts bowling attack around the park at the Seat Unique Riverside after Haseeb Hameed put the hosts into bat at the toss, while Lees anchored the Durham innings to reach three figures for the third time this season in the County Championship.

McKinney was very much the aggressor in the early stages of the day as the pair put on 189 runs for the first wicket, which is the hosts’ highest opening stand of the season.

The visitors then made a mini fightback and picked up three wickets for 58 runs, but Lees combined with Ashton Turner for a partnership worth 122 to leave the hosts 393 for five at close.

McKinney, who was part of the England Lions side that beat Sri Lanka last week, was excellent throughout his innings and laid a fantastic foundation for Durham in this mid-table battle. 

The 19-year-old dominated an experienced bowling attack with some great shots, particularly on the offside, while Lees offered few opportunities as he went through the gears on the way to a 15th First Class century for Durham.

Meanwhile Notts skipper Hameed will be scratching his head after his decision to bowl first allowed the hosts to post a big total and as a result his side have a mountain to climb.

On the opening morning at Chester-le-Street Durham managed to negotiate a tough period of opening bowling from Olly Stone, who was released from the England Test squad to play in this game, and Brett Hutton, but McKinney and Lees looked in good touch.

Once he made it through the opening exchanges, McKinney looked to attack whenever he could and he hit two glorious boundaries on the offside from a Stone over. 

The tall left-hander passed fifty for the second time in his First Class career with a cover drive for four while Lees kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end to take the partnership past 100 just before lunch.

McKinney continued where he left off after lunch as he remained positive and he picked up several boundaries including a lovely pull shot off the bowling of Hutton. 

Then came a flurry of milestones for the hosts with Lees reaching his fifty from 114 balls and former England Under-19s skipper McKinney brought up his maiden First Class hundred from 117 balls with a beautiful cover drive.

He then hit Freddie McCann for the first six of the match over the mid-off boundary, but his excellent knock didn’t last much longer as he chipped a McCann delivery straight to mid-wicket and he had to depart for 121.

Scott Borthwick looked in good touch but Lyndon James bowled him for 26 after he left one which clipped the top of off-stump and the Notts bowler struck again soon after, removing Ollie Robinson for 13, which gave the visitors some hope.

While wickets were falling at the other end, Lees remained firm and joined McKinney in getting a century after tea, albeit in a somewhat different style with the former England man’s milestone coming from 223 balls with just seven boundaries. 

Turner, who is making his First Class bow for Durham, came to the crease and ran well between the wickets with Lees as they accumulated runs and passed 300. 

Turner then played a delightful pull shot for four and Lees got in on the act as he dabbed a Stone ball to the third man boundary as the hosts piled on the runs. 

The second new ball initially couldn’t help Notts in their pursuit of wickets as Turner reached his fifty from 70 balls. However, Hutton then bowled Lees for 145 to end a fine innings and give the visitors a sniff in the final stages of the day.

James picked up his third of the day as Graham Clark went for seven, but Turner remained unbeaten on 62 at stumps.

 

Durham's Ben McKinney said: 

"(on hundred) It feels good, I got one a few weeks ago but it's nice to get one in red ball and it feels so much better."

"To be fair the conditions don't really matter as that wicket is flat, a little bit on the slow side. It was just about being more patient at the start of the innings and the more pace on the ball helped on that wicket as well."

"(On Alex Lees) It's perfect to have that influence, I almost did need that as I was trying to hit balls that I shouldn't be trying to hit. Having someone at the other end like Leesy who's just got his 27th First Class hundred is perfect for me."

"Tomorrow we need those bonus points in the first hour and then we'll take the situation from there."

 

Nottinghamshire's Lyndon James said:

"Credit to Ben McKinney and Alex Lees, I think they played brilliantly. The pitch wasn't quite what we expected having won the toss and bowling first, we thought there'd be a little more seam movement and pace early on."

"We had to adapt pretty quickly and we tried to bowl a little bit straighter, it wasn't your typical three slips and a gully type of job. They punished us, it felt like quite a fast scoring ground, if you miss the margin for error is pretty small, but full credit to them I thought they played beautifully."

"(on toss) There were some decent overheads this morning and we though that might make it zip around a bit more, but the wind might have took the moisture off the top of the wicket. That's where we've got to adapt and try and hit our areas for as long a period as we can."

"I felt in pretty good rhythm all day, my figures were a bit more expensive than I would have liked, especially the first 10 overs. My last spell, I thought whatever I had in the tank I was going to try and use it and we got Clark so that gave the lads a bit of a boost."

Hampshire vs Essex, Division One, Utilita Bowl, Southampton

Utilita Bowl saw mizzle, drizzle and outright rain, but no cricket as no play was possible on day one of Hampshire's Vitality County Championship clash with Essex.

The covers remained untouched, other than by water, all day until the umpires abandoned play at 15:40 BST.

Both sides would have been left frustrated by the lack of action with eyes on chasing Surrey down at the top of the table.

There is forecast to be more rain overnight but there is more promise that there will be play on Friday.

Surrey vs Lancashire, Division One, Kia Oval, London

Rocky Flintoff made a creditable 32 on debut, as Lancashire’s youngest first-class cricketer at the age of 16 years and 137 days, but it was champions Surrey who ruthlessly took first day honours at the Kia Oval.

Put in, Lancashire were bowled out for 204 inside 59 overs, with no one making it to 50, and Surrey then replied with 83 for no wicket before bad light ended play 15.4 overs early. Skipper Rory Burns is 44 not out, including straight driving George Balderson’s medium pace for successive fours, and Dom Sibley remains unbeaten on 37.

Jordan Clark (4 for 57) and Dan Worrall (3 for 31) continued their fine red-ball seasons by spearheading a five-pronged seam attack in which Conor McKerr also took two wickets and Sam Curran one in what was, for both, their first Vitality County Championship appearances of the summer.

Matty Hurst, with 46 from 64 balls, played Lancashire’s best and most assertive innings, while Balderson’s 33 and Josh Bohannon’s 26 were other worthy efforts in seam-friendly overhead and pitch conditions.

But most eyes were on the teenage Flintoff, who made 167 runs in seven Metro Bank One-Day Cup innings after becoming his county’s youngest player in any format last month, and who came in at 33 for two in the 11^th over after both Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings had fallen to the new ball.

Wells went in the fourth over for 9, dragging an attempted off drive into his stumps against Clark, while Jennings looked aggrieved to be given out leg-before for 12, pushing forward to an inswinger from Worrall.

Off the mark first ball, clipping Worrall confidently for two off his pads, young Flintoff was soon living up to his reputation as one of the best players of his age to emerge in recent decades – on a day when most 16-year-olds around the country were more concerned about getting their GCSE results.

Uncannily like his father Andrew in build and mannerisms – the former England captain and television celebrity was watching proudly from a hospitality box – the young Flintoff saw off Worrall’s fine opening spell of 7-3-9-1 and helped Bohannon to add 40 for Lancashire’s third wicket in tough, overcast conditions.

He did have some moments of good fortune, being dropped at third slip on 13 when he edged Tom Lawes and later also flailing a returning Worrall just over the cordon for four as lunch approached, but otherwise he looked comfortable at the crease and mature beyond his years as Lancashire reached lunch on 98 for three.

Bohannon had gone by then, chopping on to McKerr for 26, and unfortunately for Flintoff he sliced a drive at the first ball after lunch, and his 64th – from Clark – and saw Sai Sudharsan dive forward at backward point to scoop up a brilliant catch.

Hurst played some superb shots but was dropped by Clark from a skier on 45 before McKerr dived to his right to hold a magnificent low catch at leg slip in Curran’s next over and from 155 for four the Lancashire first innings fizzled out as Worrall, McKerr and Clark combined to overpower the tail.

Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, on his championship debut, played one memorable cover drive before optimistically jumping down the pitch to swing at Worrall and edge behind while Balderson, playing defensively, nicked the same bowler to first slip.

McKerr’s pace and lift did for Tom Hartley, caught at the wicket for 5, and only some defiance from Tom Aspinwall – who hooked McKerr for six and extra cover drove him for four in a bright 23 not out – took Lancashire past 200 before they lost both Josh Boyden, who lifted a simple catch to mid off on 5, and Will Williams, caught behind, from successive deliveries from Clark.

Lancashire head coach Dale Benkenstein said: “I thought Rocky (Flintoff) played really well today in his debut innings. The Oval is a tough place to come for your first championship game, against a tough team and on a sporty wicket in that first session.

“It is a big positive for us to see the way he played but overall I feel we have left a few runs out there. Quite a few of our batsmen got starts but did not go on and that’s a bit of a continuing theme for us.

“It’s only day one but their openers showed in the last session that it is not a bad pitch to bat on and we never really got any partnerships going.”

Surrey fast bowler Dan Worrall said: “In the absence of the overseas bowlers we had in the first half of this season I thought we did very well today to bowl them out for 204. Rory (Burns) and Dom (Sibley) then showed at the end of the day that it is actually quite a nice surface to bat on.

“There was an added responsibility on Jordan (Clark) and myself to lead the line today when we bowled so it is nice we were able to do that, and with the quality we have in our batting line up we want to go on from here and put them under real pressure.

“It’s a very good cricket wicket where the best team will come out on top.”

Warwickshire vs Somerset, Division One, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Warwickshire fought back superbly in the final session to reach 277 for six against Somerset on a hard-fought opening day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston

Needing a win to maintain their pursuit of Division One leaders Surrey, Somerset chose to bowl and their seamers reduced the home side to 165 for six, but Jacob Bethell (60 not out, 134 balls) and Michael Burgess (63 not out, 79) added an unbroken 112 in 30 overs.

The seventh-wicket pair bailed out a top order which contributed little apart from Rob Yates (69, 119). Craig Overton and Josh Davey both took two wickets but Somerset’s bowlers mixed good balls with too many loose offerings which prevented them building the required pressure.

Warwickshire, mired in a relegation battle, were very grateful for the work of Bethell and Burgess as they try to build a position from which to push for their belated first championship victory of the season.

After Craig Overton, captain in the absence of Lewis Gregory, won the toss, Somerset’s new ball bowling was inconsistent. Warwickshire openers Alex Davies (27, 35) and Yates added 52 in 13 overs before the former departed furious at himself after edging a footwork-free waft at Kasey Aldridge to wicketkeeper James Rew.

On a pitch offering some but by no means lavish assistance to the seamers, Warwickshire advanced comfortably enough to 94 for one before a change of ball reversed the flow. Will Rhodes, having moved to 22 in assured fashion, was bowled off-stump by one from Overton that held its own and three more wickets followed for 19 runs in 44 balls.

Hamza Shaikh, making his first first-class appearance for Warwickshire, collected his first boundary with a luscious on-drive off Jake Ball but fell in the fast-bowler’s next over when he sliced a drive to Tom Lammonby to backward point. Yates, having struck 13 boundaries, played on to Davey who then produced a peach of an outswinger to find Ed Barnard’s outside edge.

Bethell and Dan Mousley, fresh from the free hitting of The Hundred, knuckled down to add 21 in 65 balls before Mousley was drawn into a drive at Overton and former Warwickshire batter Andy Umeed held a stinging catch at second slip.

At 165 for six, the home side was in jeopardy, but Bethell and Burgess batted beautifully. Bethell smashed a 15-ball T20 half-century against Northamptonshire earlier this year and his explosive batting qualities are well-known, but he now showed technique, concentration and selectivity to dig his team out of trouble.

The 20-year-old reached his fifth first-class half-century from 107 balls and laid the perfect platform for Burgess to attack at the other end. Burgess lifted Jack Leach for six over long on and then cleared the ropes twice more in an over off the spinner to pass 50 from 66 balls to add to the century he struck against Somerset at Taunton seven weeks ago. It was a stirring fightback from the Bears which left a compelling day evenly-balanced at its conclusion.

Worcestershire vs Kent, Division One, County Ground, New Road, Worcester

Worcestershire all-rounder Joe Leach made a successful return to action after injury with a six-wicket haul on day one of the Vitality County Championship encounter with Kent at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Leach finished with 6-52 from 11.5 overs – the second best figures of his career – as Kent were dismissed for 171 in 49.5 overs after being put into bat.

It was his first appearance since the Championship match against Nottinghamshire in late May because of a recurrence of a knee problem and he is hanging up his spikes at the end of the campaign.

But Leach’s determination to return for the finale of the season paid off handsomely once he had settled into his rhythm in his second spell from the New Road End after conceding 26 runs in his first four overs.

Three wickets in 13 balls undermined Kent’s promising start and they subsided from 73-0 and lost 10 wickets for 98 in 32.4 overs.

There was also an encouraging debut for New Zealand paceman James Hartshorn who bowled a nagging line and length.

But the bowlers were also backed up by some fine catching behind the wicket, most notably by Rob Jones who held onto four chances at second slip.

Gareth Roderick continued his fine form with a half century to spearhead Worcestershire’s reply and they closed 34 in arrears with eight wickets in hand.

Worcestershire handed an opportunity to Hartshorn after fellow Kiwi Nathan Smith was forced to cut short his spell at New Road through injury.

Captain Brett D’Oliveira, Kashif Ali, Leach and Adam Finch all returned after lengthy spells on the side-lines.

Kent included new signings in pace duo Alfie Ogborne, on loan from Somerset, and West Indian Akeem Jordan.

D’Oliveira put Kent into bat and Tawanda Muyeye adopted an aggressive vein with a succession of boundaries.

But he was fortunate to edge Hartshorn just short of second slip and twice flashed hard at Finch as the ball flew over the slip cordon.

He completed a 62 ball half century with his 10th boundary but the game turned on its head after Leach switched to the New Road End.

Muyeye (56) pushed forward to a delivery which left him and Jones held onto a fine catch away to his left at second slip.

Kent skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond was undone by a similar ball with Ethan Brookes at third slip making no mistake.

Leach had settled into a perfect rhythm and Jack Leaning edged through to keeper Gareth Roderick.

Worcestershire continued to apply the pressure in the immediate post lunch session with three more quick wickets.

Finch, whose first two overs had cost 27 runs, returned and accounted for Joey Evison who drove hard at a ball which nipped away and was caught behind.

Hartshorn picked up his first wicket for the county as Harry Finch cut a delivery which swung away to Jake Libby at backward point.

It became 103-6 when Finch found the inside edge of Ben Compton’s bat and Roderick did the rest for his third catch.

At that point Kent had lost six wickets for 30 runs in the space of 15.4 overs.

There was a deserved first breakthrough for Taylor when Matt Parkinson flashed hard and Jones made no mistake at second slip.

Leach collected a fourth scalp when Grant Stewart went for a big hit back down the ground and had his off stump knocked back.

He polished off the innings in quickfire fashion with Jones holding onto two more sharp opportunities at second slip to dispose of Alfie Ogborne and George Garrett.

Roderick and Libby then provided Worcestershire with an assured start to their innings and the 50 came up in only 11.1 overs.

The partnership was worth 89 when Libby (30) pushed forward to Ogborne and was caught behind.

New batter Kashif Ali quickly brought up the Worcestershire hundred with a cover drive for four off the same bowler but on 17 he fended a delivery of extra bounce from Jordan to first slip.

Roderick completed a 107 ball half century with seven fours.

 

Division Two

Derbyshire vs Glamorgan, Division Two, Incora County Ground,County Ground, Derby

Zak Chappell lifted Derbyshire’s hopes of securing an elusive County Championship victory at Derby by demolishing Glamorgan on the opening day of the Division Two match.

The fast bowler took 6 for 47, his best figures for the county, as the visitors were bowled out for 168 with Timm van der Gugten top scoring with an unbeaten 46.

Glamorgan were 32 for 6 before Dan Douthwaite, 36, and van der Gugten led a mini recovery but Derbyshire closed on 119 for 2 with Harry Came not out 58.

It leaves them in a strong position to push for a first championship victory at the County Ground since they beat Sussex in August 2019.

On a morning more in keeping with October, Derbyshire’s decision to bowl first on a grassy pitch paid immediate dividends with three wickets falling in the first five overs.

In blustery conditions, Glamorgan’s top order had no answer to Chappell’s relentless accuracy and Luis Reece’s swing as they slumped to 9 for 3.

Ben Kellaway’s promotion to opener was short-lived and he followed a pair on his first-class debut last September by edging a ball from Chappell that moved away late to register another duck in his third red ball innings. 

In fairness, his more experienced team mates fared little better with Billy Root bowled by a Reece delivery that kept low before Sam Northeast pushed forward to Chappell and was caught at second slip.

Kiran Carlson played across one from Chappell that appeared to be going down before Reece got some late swing to have Colin Ingram caught behind.

When Chris Cooke was caught behind down the legside off one of the few bad balls Chappell bowled, Glamorgan were in disarray and grateful for the rain which resulted in an early lunch.

Chappell, who passed 50 wickets in all formats for the season, left the field with outstanding figures of 4 for 9 from 6.4 overs but after the resumption they were dented when Douthwaite hit him for three fours in an over.

With van der Gutgen playing solidly, the pair added 55 from 97 balls in relative comfort before Pat Brown removed Douthwaite with a snorter that nipped away late to take off stump.

Chappell celebrated his fifth wicket when Mason Crane fenced at one to give Brooke Guest his fourth catch but Fraser Sheat on his debut looked capable until he top edged a pull to mid-wicket.

Ned Leonard marked the first match of his loan spell from Somerset by helping van der Gugten take Glamorgan past 150 and drove Jack Morley’s second ball for six before he tried again next ball and holed out to long on.

Van der Gugten matched Chappell’s discipline with a probing spell but Sheat and Leonard could not exert the same pressure.

Reece and Came shared an unbroken treble century stand against Glamorgan last season but this time they managed only 21 before Reece was defeated by a full length ball from van der Gugten.

Guest played a loose stroke, clipping Leonard to mid-wicket with the score on 41.and Came should have gone on 28 but Ingram at first slip dropped an edge of Leonard.

Came took advantage,seizing on any width to reach an 84 ball 50 which contained 10 fours and with Wayne Madsen motoring to an unbeaten 41, they added 78 before bad light ended play.

Derbyshire fast bowler Zak Chappell said: "We are in a good position now, especially with the way the boys finished off with the bat.

"The boys bowled well and we batted well, it got a little bit easier to bat. I think we did bowl well, it also swung a little bit and there was more in it this morning than there was this evening .We made the most of the conditions which is a good sign."

Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast said: "We are behind the game at the moment., we probably didn't react quickly enough going from white ball and we find ourselves in a tricky position. 

"Not easy conditions but I think we would have backed ourselves a few months ago to deal with them but we are a little bit rusty in the red ball game and we didn't deal with it as well as we know we can do."

 

Gloucestershire vs Leicestershire, Division Two, County Ground, Bristol, Bristol

Ian Holland’s fifth first class century helped Leicestershire achieve a respectable position on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Second Division match with Gloucestershire at Bristol.

The 33-year-old opener hit 104 off 173 balls, with 15 fours and a six, receiving good support from Rehan Ahmed (60) and Rishi Patel (47) as the visitors ran up 291 for seven from 67 overs after losing the toss.

Marchant de Lange (two for 58) and Zaman Akhter (two for 86) were the most successful of a five-man Gloucestershire seam attack, none of whom could find much assistance from a green, but slow pitch.

No play was possible until 11.30am because of a wet outfield and after just 3.1 overs the rain returned, forcing an early lunch and a 1.30pm restart, with 18 overs lost.

Holland and Patel played confidently against the new ball, although each had a moment of fortune in putting together an opening stand of 66 in 18.3 overs.

Holland, on three, survived an edge off Ajeet Singh Dale that saw the ball just elude wicketkeeper James Bracey diving low to his right, while Patel had reached 42 when nicking Akhter between Bracey and a wide first slip at catchable height.

Patel looked in excellent form, striking 9 fours and a pulled six off Dom Goodman. It was a surprise when he was caught out by the extra pace of de Lange and edged a defensive push through to Bracey.

It was 77 for two when Lewis Hill was well caught by the diving Miles Hammond at backward point aiming to force a wide delivery from Akhter off the back foot. Another chance then eluded Gloucestershire between Bracey and first slip, with Ajinkya Rahane, on one, the lucky batsman and Singh Dale the unfortunate bowler.

Rahane failed to profit and fell with the total on 115, gloving a delivery from Goodman that just carried to Cameron Bancroft diving low to his left at second slip.

Holland went to a patient 100-ball half-century with his eighth boundary, sweetly driving a wide half-volley from de Lange through extra cover and by tea Leicestershire were well placed on 139 for three from 36 overs.

The sun had been shining, but there was a cold wind blowing across the Seat Unique Stadium, ensuring spectators remained well wrapped up. Holland emerged from the interval in positive mood and uppercut the fifth ball of the final session from de Lange for six.

But hopes that Peter Handscomb would succeed against the county he represented in 2015 were soon dashed as he was pinned lbw on the crease by Ben Charlesworth and departed for five.

Holland produced one of the shots of the day when striking a good length ball from Akhter through extra cover for four and followed up with another boundary through point in the same over.

Rehan uppercut a six off Akhter and then pulled him through mid-wicket for four off the next ball, taking Leicestershire past the 200 mark in the 49th over. On 96, Holland came perilously close to getting an inside edge off a Singh Dale delivery, but the same over saw him reach a 167-ball hundred with a square cut boundary.

Rehan then smote a straight six off Ollie Price to move to his fifty at a run a ball. But Leicestershire’s serene progress was interrupted when Holland tried one uppercut too many off Singh Dale and holed out to deep backward point.

Soon afterwards the umpires consulted and decided that even with the floodlights glowing brightly, the light was too poor to continue. They took the players off at 5.40pm, but brought them on again half an hour later with a further seven overs lost.

Rehan’s entertaining 75-ball innings, featuring 6 fours and 2 sixes, ended when he edged Akhter to Bancroft, who took another good diving catch at second slip to make it 273 for six. Harry Kimber then skyed a return catch to de Lange as Gloucestershire finished the day strongly.

Four more overs were lost to bad light at the end, making 29 lost in all.

 

Leicestershire centurion Ian Holland said: “Changing back to the red ball format is as much a mind shift as anything. I was able to ride a bit of luck getting through the new ball and then managed a few partnerships so we are pretty happy with the day’s play.

“It’s nice to be back up top in the batting order and I hope it will reinvigorate my batting. Sometimes if you go in at seven or eight you feel like a number seven or eight. I have always batted best up top and it’s great to be given the opportunity again.

“I had the best seat in the house while Rishi Patel was batting. He is great to partner because he scores at such a decent clip and the same applies to Rehan Ahmed, who gets his runs quickly and makes my job easier at the other end. He batted beautifully at a run a ball.

“We felt the pitch played better than it looked. We would have bowled first had we won the toss, but having lost it we would have taken our current position.”

 Middlesex vs Northamptonshire, Division Two, Merchant Taylors' School Ground, Northwood

Toby Roland-Jones led the hunt for wickets as Middlesex had the better of a rain-affected opening day against Northamptonshire at Merchant Taylors’ School.

The Seaxes skipper, Middlesex’s leading red-ball wicket-taker this season in this his benefit year, made good on his decision to bowl first under murky skies, returning 3-34.

Tom Helm , who produced a fiery opening burst backed up his skipper with 2-41 as the visitors struggled to 167-7 in the 44.4 overs played.

Emilio Gay with 42 provided the chief resistance for Northamptonshire, who gave a debut to seamer Dominic Leech, who joined on loan this week from Yorkshire ahead of starting a three-year contract at Wantage Road next season.

Morning rain meant no play before lunch and it was 1:25pm before Middlesex’s bowlers got the chance to profit from winning the toss.

Indian Test opener Pritvhi Shaw made a positive start against some friendly offerings from Ethan Bamber and Roland-Jones. Two leg-side half-volleys were suitably despatched while two glorious drives fizzed through the covers. An injudicious attempted pull off Roland-Jones ended his fun, the ball skied to  Mark Stoneman at point.

Tom Helm was next to strike. The quick had played drinks waiter since appearing for Birmingham Phoenix in the opening game of the Hundred last month, but showed no rustiness, luring Ricardo Vasconcelos into a pull shot which ballooned to Roland-Jones at wide mid-on.

The 30-year-old then produced the sort of ball pacemen dream off, bringing one back from outside off-stump to bowl Northamptonshire skipper Luke Proctor the stump careering back almost to wicketkeeper Jack Davies.

George Bartlett gave Sam Robson the first of three slip catches and while Rob Keogh briefly launched a counter-offensive, twice striking successive boundaries, he also found the hands of the former England opener with an edge off Henry Brookes.

Gay had watched all the carnage from the other end. The opener, who departs for Durham at the end of the season, and who made a career-best 261 against the Seaxes at Wantage Road earlier in the campaign, batted with greater control than his teammates, using his height to defend off the back foot, while getting a good stride in when driving through the extra cover region.

It was going to take a good ball to dislodge him and Roland-Jones found a brute on the stroke of tea which lifted from around fourth stump causing Gay to edge to slip, Robson again the catcher.

Roland-Jones removed Justin Broad for an eight-ball duck soon after the resumption but Lewis McManus and Ben Sanderson stopped the bleeding before  rain drove the players from the field.

They returned 90 minutes later and 14 deliveries proved enough for the batters to raise a valuable 50-partnership before bad light intervened.

 

Yorkshire vs Sussex,  Division Two, North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough

Yorkshire enjoyed the better of a hard-fought opening day of their Vitality County Championship promotion battle with Division Two leaders Sussex at Scarborough, though potentially not by much.

Sussex came into this 10th round Division Two affair top of the table with six wins and Yorkshire third with two. The gap between the two sides was 27 points, and both have high hopes of playing top-flight cricket next season.

Sussex, invited to bat in challenging conditions, battled hard to reach close at 187 for nine from 72 overs, including half-centuries for left-handers Daniel Hughes and Tom Alsop, who top-scored with 84 not out off 184 balls. 

They had to recover from 14-2 during the early stages of the afternoon after rain had limited the morning session to only four overs. Matthew Revis’s seam accounted for three wickets.

Although the day was shortened by 24 overs due to rain at the start and bad light at the end, the play was intriguing, and it would be absolutely no surprise if Sussex’s total turns out to be a competitive one.

They batted under grey skies and on a pitch showing signs of uneven bounce. 

Hughes, who made 53, and Alsop, the latter dropped in the slips on nine during the afternoon, both drove nicely. 

Australian overseas opener Hughes has enjoyed an excellent start to life with the South Coast county during the second half of the summer, mainly in the Vitality Blast.

And he has just signed on to return for the majority of 2025.

He drove the first ball of the match, from Coad, through the covers after Jonny Tattersall had elected to bowl. 

Another memorable one came almost arrow straight off George Hill midway through the afternoon to move him into the forties. But, largely, he was forced to battle hard.

Unfortunately, having done the hard work and got set - he reached his fifty off 85 balls - he drove Coad to cover two balls later, falling to leave Sussex at 75 for three in the 30th over. 

Either side of the morning rain, from 11.20pm to 1.10pm, including lunch, 

Coad had trapped Tom Haines lbw with a full ball with the last delivery of the contest’s opening over before Tom Clark was caught at point having aimed a lazy drive at Thompson.

Hughes and Alsop then shared 61 for the third wicket to ease Sussex nerves.

Like Hughes, Alsop has this week committed his future to the South Coast county, signing a long-term contract. 

He was also strong on the drive but was far more obdurate than Hughes, seemingly determined to make the most of his life on nine when Fin Bean shelled a head-high chance at third slip off the bowling of Matthew Revis. 

After the Hughes dismissal, Thompson trapped James Coles lbw - 85 for four in the 36th over. 

Alsop and captain John Simpson shared 40 into the evening, but the latter pulled George Hill’s seam to midwicket. When Fynn Hudson-Prentice edged Revis to first slip shortly afterwards, Sussex were 134 for six in the 55th. 

Shortly afterwards, Alsop reached his half-century off 142 balls.

Jack Carson and Indian seamer Jaydev Unadkat then offered catches to third and fourth slip as they drove at Revis. Sandwiched in between, Ollie Robinson edged Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin to slip as the score slipped to 172 for nine in the 69th over.

Jonny Bairstow took the wicketkeeping gloves for Yorkshire in his first county appearance of the season and was neat and tidy, while Sussex's new ball seamer Robinson was only called upon late on with the bat and made two. 

Both men are hoping to rekindle their England Test careers.

Shortly before bad light was called at 6.15pm, the excellent Alsop hit two boundaries - one reverse swept and the other swept - off Moriarty as he ran out of partners.

Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Revis said

 

“You can tell by the fact they haven’t gone over three-an-over, and Scarborough is usually a fast-scoring ground. That just shows how consistent we were.

“Both individually and as a team, we held our lengths really well today, which is often key at Scarborough. 

“It was tough conditions to bowl in with the wind, but we’ve had a good day. 

“With Coady and Tommo, when he’s needed, taking the new ball, we know what we’re going to get from those two. They’re going to make it challenging. It’s up to myself and Hilly to come and back them up spell after spell. All in all, we did that.”

 

Sussex batter Tom Alsop said

 

“We got stuck in early morning. I think we would have bowled as well. 

“There was some steep bounce. Credit to Yorkshire, they bowled very straight.
“The game-plan was to just try and back my defence, hang around, try and get a few partnerships and if they bowled a bad ball, be ready for it. But, like I say, they didn’t really bowl too many bad balls.

“The pitch (and bounce) was quite tennis-bally. I’ve never played here before, and we talked about it being fast and bouncy. It wasn’t as fast as I was expecting, but there was still a bit of bounce.”

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