Vitality County Championship 2024, Round 15, 26th - 29th Sept Live Cricket, 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, Division 1 and 2 - Round 15, 26th Sept -29th Sept.

Round 15 Thursday 26 – Sunday 12 September

Division One

Nottinghamshire vs Warwickshire, Division One, Trent Bridge, Nottingham

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The first day of a Vitality County Championship meeting at Trent Bridge between two sides still stalked by relegation was played by both with one ear cocked for developments 85 miles west, beside the Severn. Over in Worcester, Lancashire will escape if they can take 15 more points than Nottinghamshire can muster in this match, or 20 more than Warwickshire. 

With only 15.2 overs possible in all, Warwickshire made the better of what progress there was by the Trent, after a 1.10pm start and a long frustrating wait without cricket shortly after. At the close Nottinhamshire, put in, were 33-2.

In difficult conditions throughout, the damage might even have been worse and they will have greeted the premature close with much relief. Warwickshire’s two new-ball bowlers, Olly Hannon-Dalby and Ed Barnard shared the spoils, such as they were, on a day tasting truly of autumn.  

Finding repeated movement off a pitch subject to endless rain over the last week, Warwickshire, winning a good toss, struck in the sixth over when Barnard nipped one back to hit Haseeb Hameed’s off stump.

Out for seven, the captain was replaced by Freddie McCann but h’d faced only 15 balls before bad light proved the prelude to a heavy shower, with lightning flashing to the south. In 44 minutes’ play up to the stoppage, Nottinghamshire moved shakily to 27-1.

Off the field, they soon learned that Lancashire had won a late toss in their own game, bowled and claimed both openers in the first four overs. And the pressure, on Notts especially, steadily intensified as Lancashire continued to bag wickets.

By the time the umpires could make their second inspection of the afternoon at 3.45, Lancashire had already claimed seven in Worcester and were looking set for the full three bowling points when Nottinghamshire resumed 30 minutes later.

Alas this proved to be for one ball only, duly left by Ben Slater, before bad light again intervened. Thankfully, brighter conditions allowed a re-start twelve minutes later, four slips being immediately posted for McCann.

It was Ben Slater, however, who went to a fine, sharp catch by Will Rhodes at first slip to give Hannon-Dalby his 49^th wicket of the summer and leave him as the third most succesful first-division seamer this season. Two balls later, though, the umpires again decreed bad light and rain followed once more at 4.47.

In these conditions, it is already looking a tall ask for Nottinghamshire to reach 300 and claim two batting points. Should Lancashire take only the three bowling points against Worcestershire but still go on to win it would leave Nottnghamshire having at least to draw to cheat the drop.

If Lancashire do only manage 19 points, safety would be assured for Warwickshire. But the forecast is far better for Friday and Saturday and there is a long way yet to travel in both the key games before final fates became clear.

Somerset vs Hampshire, Division One, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, Taunton

Kyle Abbott and Liam Dawson claimed four wickets each as Hampshire boosted their bid for runners-up spot in the Vitality County Championship by skittling nearest rivals Somerset for 136 on the opening day of the final Division One match at Taunton.

Seamer Abbott returned four for 37 and left-arm spinner Dawson four for 28. Only Tom Kohler-Cadmore, with 63, offered much resistance after the hosts had won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry surface, expected to take spin.

By the close of a rain-interrupted day, Hampshire had struggled to 62 for five in reply, Toby Albert unbeaten on 38 and Jack Leach taking three for nine. But, having failed to claim any batting points, Somerset now have to win the game to overtake their opponents and finish second behind champions Surrey.

The home side’s batting problems began with the fourth ball of the second over when Tom Lammonby, promoted from number three to open with Archie Vaughan, fell lbw to Abbott without scoring. Soon it was four for two as Andy Umeed was caught by wicketkeeper Ben Brown off the same bowler for a second ball duck.

Tom Abell, on five, survived a confident appeal for a catch behind off Mohammad Abbas, who then bowled him through the gate for ten with the total on 29. Kohler-Cadmore’s response was to launch his innings with four boundaries in the space of five balls.

Vaughan had recovered from an uncertain start and was unbeaten on 19 when rain interrupted play with Somerset 52 for three from 14 overs. An early lunch was taken at 12.15pm and the action resumed at shortly after 1.20pm, with ten overs lost.

Hampshire immediately introduced Dawson to the attack and he quickly found some turn to pin Vaughan leg before for 29 with his sixth delivery to make it 63 for four.

With only a single added, James Rew edged Abbas to second slip where Albert snapped up a low two-handed catch. Kasey Aldridge went 22 balls without scoring before trying to sweep successive deliveries from Dawson, the second of which saw him fall lbw.

Lewis Gregory helped an increasingly restrained Kohler-Cadmore add 27 for the seventh wicket before being struck on the back pad by a delivery from Dawson and departing to another leg before decision for 16.

At 98 for seven, Somerset were in disarray. But Kohler-Cadmore stood firm to record his first Championship half-century of a red ball season heavily curtailed by participation in the Indian Premier League. He had faced 85 balls and struck 5 fours and a six over mid-wicket off James Fuller.

Leach looked to be lending decent support when caught at slip for nine aiming a big hit off Dawson. When tea was taken at 3.30pm, the scoreboard read 128 for eight.

Kohler-Cadmore did his best to farm the strike at the start of the final session and the scoreboard ticked slowly to 136 before he was caught behind driving at a ball from Abbott.

Last man Shoaib Bashir, who had survived being bowled first ball because of the distraction of Abbott’s towel flying to the ground as he released the delivery, quickly became the fifth lbw victim of a sorry batting display lasting just 53.5 overs.

Alfie Ogborne had battled away for 24 balls to score one not out and the young left-arm seamer lifted Somerset spirits by having Fletcha Middleton caught at second slip off the eighth ball of Hampshire’s reply. It would have been nought for two had Aldridge not spilled a routine slip catch offered by Albert off Gregory in the third over.

With the total on 13, Nick Gubbins edged Gregory to first slip where Abell took a good catch low to his right. Somerset were back in the game when James Vince, having hit Vaughan for six over deep square, aimed another big hit at Leach and skyed a catch off a leading edge to Abell at backward point.

Leach struck again when Tom Prest drove a catch to extra cover and then bowled Dawson between bat and pad. For the first time in a Championship match, Somerset had picked both Leach and Bashir, bowling the two England spinners in tandem towards the end of the day.

Worcestershire vs Lancashire, Division One, County Ground, New Road, Worcester.

Lancashire made up for lost time and maintained their Vitality County Championship Division One survival hopes after Tom Bailey and Anderson Phillip impressed with the new ball against Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Bailey and Phillip fully justified Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings decision to put the home side into bat in reducing them to 22-5 and then 56-7 in seamer-friendly conditions when play got underway after lunch.

The duo both picked up three wickets to give Lancashire an ideal start to a game they have to win to keep alive their chances of remaining in the top flight for another season.

Lancashire began the game 15 points adrift of third from bottom Nottinghamshire but last week’s win over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford had kept them in contention.

Bailey bowled eight overs on the trot and returned excellent figures of 3-9 while Phillip had 3-44 from seven overs.

Worcestershire had already guaranteed their safety during a recent run of three wins in four matches and their eighth wicket pair of Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek led a partial recovery

They plundered 63 in seven overs but the rain which had washed out the morning’s play returned after tea.

Worcestershire made two changes from the side in action against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl with the fit again Waite and Jack Home replacing the injured Tom Taylor and spinner Amar Virdi.

Lancashire kept faith with the side which had defeated Somerset.

Tom Bailey’s second delivery of the opening over accounted for Gareth Roderick who drove at a ball of full length which was swinging away and he edged to Will Williams at fourth slip.

Jake Libby square cut Anderson Phillip for four but then was stuck in the crease and nicked another ball which moved away to Harry Singh at third slip.

Rob Jones was undone by an excellent full length swinging delivery from Phillip and was caught behind.

Kashif Ali steered Bailey to first slip and then Brett D’Oliveira pushed at the same bowler and perished at second slip.

Adam Hose off drove Bailey to the ropes to move into double figures but it became 39-6 when Ethan Brookes played forward and was bowled with a fullish length delivery which did just enough to nip away.

Phillip came back into the attack to replace Bailey after a superb opening spell of 8-4-9-3 and he soon claimed his third scalp when Hose tried to on drive a delivery slanted towards leg stump and ended up deflecting to Jennings at second slip.

Waite decided attack was the best policy and pulled and on drove Williams for sixes in his first over which cost 15 runs.

Logan van Beek also went on the attack and he struck Balderson and Williams for further maximums.

By tea the eighth wicket pair had added 63 in just seven overs but the players were unable to return for the final session after a heavy downpour.

Essex vs Surrey, Division One, The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford

An unbeaten century second-wicket stand between Dean Elgar and Tom Westley before the rains came brought champions Surrey back down to earth after their week-long celebrations.

Surrey completed their third successive Vitality County Championship win in their last game against Durham but were on the back foot during the 28-and-a-half overs possible until persistent heavy rain drove the players off the pitch nine minutes before lunch.

By that time, Essex, who won the toss, had reached 116-1 with Elgar and Westley hitting an under-strength Surrey attack to all corners of Chelmsford in a stand worth 112 in 26 overs.

Westley had started circumspectly but accelerated the more the partnership became entrenched. He had 11 boundaries in his 52 from 78 balls. Elgar, who passed 1,000 runs for the season during his 54 from 88 balls, had started brightly before handing the initiative to his captain.

Play had started promptly but only after groundstaff had started pumping 4,500 litres of water off the playing area from 6.30am. The operation started all over again just as they were settling in for their lunch break with play called off for the day at 2.30pm.

Under heavy clouds but with some sunshine interspersed, Essex got off to a disastrous start with Robin Das lasting just six balls before he hung his bat out to Tom Lawes and helped settle whatever nerves Josh Blake might have had behind the stumps.

Blake, who posted an unbeaten century at Chelmsford in the Metro Bank Cup earlier in the summer, was one of three first-class debutants for Surrey, batsman Ollie Sykes and spinner Yousef Majid completing the triumvirate.

Elgar dominated the first fifty of the stand with Westley contributing just 13 to that point. The South African took three boundaries off Kemar Roach early on, two of them driven crisply through the covers. His seventh four, flicked to fine leg off Dan Lawrence, took him to four figures in his first year at Essex; a single off James Taylor carried him past fifty for the ninth time this season.

Westley, who passed 1,000 runs for the first time in his career last season, accelerated as the clouds turned threatening and the rain approached. He reached his sixth fifty-plus score of the year – as well as passing 700 runs – shortly after the pair’s century stand had been marked.

Westley’s half-century took 76 balls, two fewer than Elgar’s, with three of his 11 fours coming in a frenetic six-ball spell against Taylor and Lawrence that was followed two balls later by four leg byes. The best of some well-placed shots from the one-time England batsman was a sharp pull backward of square off Taylor

Durham vs Kent, Division One, Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street, Chester-Le-Street

Division Two

Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire, Division Two, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

There was no play on the first day of the Division Two game between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire after heavy rain in Cardiff left the outfield waterlogged. The day's play was called off at 12.50.

Leicestershire vs Derbyshire, Division Two, Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester

The inclement late September weather put paid to any play on the scheduled opening day of the East Midlands derby that brings Leicestershire and Derbyshire’s Vitality County Championship seasons to a close.

Wet areas on the playing surface following heavy overnight rain delayed the start despite some glimpses of sunshine in the morning but conditions were never good enough for the rapid drying that was necessary and  umpires Neil Bainton and Nigel Llong abandoned play for the day after their 2pm inspection.

With defeats in their last two Division Two matches having ended Leicestershire’s chance of promotion, and Derbyshire’s woeful red-ball season almost certain to see them finish bottom of the table, only local pride is realistically at stake for either side.

Mathematically, Derbyshire still have a chance to avoid collecting their 16th wooden spoon but Glamorgan need only to avoid defeat against Gloucestershire in Cardiff to make that impossible. 

 

Sussex vs Middlesex, Division Two, 1st Central County Ground, Hove, Brighton

There was frustration for Middlesex after rain washed out the first day of their Vitality County Championship match against Sussex at Hove.

Heavy overnight rain left the outfield at the 1st Central County Ground saturated and further torrential downpours meant there was no surprise when umpires Paul Pollard and Surendiran Shanmugam abandoned play at 1.05pm with large puddles all over the outfield.  

Sussex have already secured promotion and need four points to be confirmed as champions. Third-placed Middlesex must win and make up a 15-point gap on second-placed Yorkshire, who are at home to Northamptonshire, to have any chance of joining them.

Friday’s forecast is slightly better, but it will take a prolonged spell of dry weather to get the ground playable.

Yorkshire vs Northamptonshire, Division Two, Headingley, Leeds

Promotion favourites Yorkshire and visitors Northamptonshire were frustrated by the weather as the opening day of their final round Vitality County Championship fixture at Headingley was washed out without a ball bowled.

Yorkshire came into this game placed second in the Division Two table, 15 points clear of Middlesex in third with 24 points to play for.

Middlesex are facing leaders and already-promoted Sussex at Hove and were also abandoned for the day.

Here at Headingley, umpires Hassan Adnan and Chris Watts brought the day to an end just before 1.30pm when puddles were visible across the outfield.

Captain Jonny Tattersall and co need a maximum of 10 points to seal a return to Division One following two seasons away.

Should Yorkshire, who are on an unbeaten run of five wins in their last six games, and Middlesex finish level on points, the tiebreakers of most wins, then fewest losses and then head-to-head record would come into the equation.

Both teams are level on most wins and fewest losses - five wins, two defeats - but Middlesex have the advantage on head-to-head having won at Lord’s and drawn at Headingley.

A draw would likely be enough for Yorkshire over the next four days, so this delay was far from disastrous.

Northamptonshire are fourth in Division Two but with no prospect of finishing any higher. They have won two of their 13 games compared to Yorkshire’s five.

Both were victorious last week. Northamptonshire beat Leicestershire at Wantage Road by nine wickets, while Yorkshire beat Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens by 186 runs.

England’s Jonny Bairstow is set to play for Yorkshire once again, his fifth appearance of the campaign, while Northamptonshire’s squad includes a quartet of potential first-class debutants in Arush Buchake, Krish Patel, Aadi Sharma and Fateh Singh.

As rain fell at Headingley this morning, Yorkshire all-rounder George Hill was capped by Yorkshire in a presentation in the pavilion’s Hawke Suite in front of his team-mates and his family. Bairstow made the presentation speech and handed the 23-year-old the county’s cap number 192.

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