Vitality County Championship Round 9, Day 1 - June 23rd - Live Cricket Streaming, Latest Scores, Match Reports – All Matches – Division 1 and 2

Alex Lees and Ollie Robinson’s contrasting centuries saw Durham pour a deluge of runs down on Vitality County Championship title rivals Essex.

Opener Lees commanded the crease in his 113, while Robinson took the bowlers on with gusto for an unbeaten 146 – both grabbing their second hundreds of the campaign.

David Bedingham missed out on a fifth three-figure score on the bounce but assisted the milestone-makers with a sublime 65, as he passed 800 Championship runs this year.

Essex’s only positive on an otherwise dispiriting day, was overseas debutant Eathan Bosch claiming two wickets as Durham racked up 445 for four.

Durham elected to bat first on a pitch previously used for two T20 matches, and set about their work in lively fashion, after Essex legend Keith Fletcher had rung the five-minute bell.

Michael Jones returned from Scotland duty to make his first Championship appearance of the season and blazed his way to 38 from 29 balls at the top of the order.

His aggression came to the fore with Simon Harmer’s 10th over introduction, with two sixes and two fours within the South African’s first seven deliveries, as 16 came off the spinner’s opening over.

If Harmer’s early introduction was muted, Essex new boy Bosch’s was electric.

The South African fast bowler has arrived on a four-match deal, with Sam Cook absent with a hamstring injury, and struck with his second ball when Jones loosely drove behind.

Bosch’s curtain-raising wicket maiden was followed four overs later by the scalp of Scott Borthwick – who also edged behind to give Michael Pepper his second catch. His first five-over spell returned two for 25.

But from then on, the blue skies, humid weather, fast outfield and a flat pitch made the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford a batting paradise.

With those conditions, David Bedingham doesn’t need a second invitation to cash in.

The South African was in the form of his life before the Vitality Blast interrupted the red ball season, with four successive centuries.

Only Michael Hussey and Kumar Sangakkara had scored five Championship tons in a row, and when he strode to a 53-ball half-century, three figures looked inevitable.

Bedingham is the leading run scorer in the country but at 860 runs in the season, and 65 on the day, he was Pepper’s third victim, this time via Harmer’s off-spin, to end a 95-run stand with Lees.

Quietly around Jones and Bedingham’s gung-ho style, Lees was amassing his runs.

There was an odd stylish chip for six, and a few nervy edges over and wide of the slips early on, but otherwise he was serene and demonstrated significant control.

His first century since the opening round came in 184 balls, with Robinson’s fifty coming a ball later in a double celebration.

Robinson decided the Jones/Bedingham approach was more appropriate, as has been the case all season with a season strike-rate heading towards 90, and out-scored Lees 81 to 47 in their 136-run alliance.

Lees was lbw to Matt Critchley, but Colin Ackermann arrived to soak up the pressure for Robinson to reach his second hundred of the season, coming in 116 balls.

The second new ball didn’t help Essex in the latter stages of the day.

Robinson swatted the first delivery of the new cherry for one of his four sixes, as he and Ackermann - who reached 58 at a canter - sauntered to close with a 131-run partnership, 445 runs, and four batting bonus points, on the board after day one.

Lancashire were 38 for one, trailing Kent by 206, after day one of their Vitality County Championship relegation showdown at Canterbury.

Josh Bohannon and Luke Wells were unbeaten on 22 and 14 respectively at stumps, after Beyers Swanepoel had bowled Keaton Jennings for a duck.

Earlier George Balderson and Nathan Lyon took three wickets apiece for second-from-bottom Lancashire, as they bowled out the division’s basement side for 244.

Tawanda Muyeye was Kent’s highest scorer with 59, while Ben Compton made 55.

Although both sides have struggled all season, the crowd for the first day of the 172nd Canterbury week was estimated at over 2,000. Cars were queueing for half a mile down the Old Dover Road and moving so slowly that they were overtaken by hundreds of pedestrians walking up the hill.

If they’d come to see James Anderson they were disappointed. Despite making the trip south he was left out of the squad and, perhaps unable to believe his luck at having been asked to bat against an Anderson-free attack, Compton plundered 11 from Tom Bailey’s opening over.

The scoring rate soon slowed however. Will Williams found Marcus O’Riordan’s edge in the fourth over and although George Bell dropped him, he’d moved on to just 16 when Balderson had him caught at third slip by George Lavelle.

Bailey switched to the Nackington Road end and got Daniel Bell-Drummond for four but Joey Evison joined Compton and batted through to lunch, at which stage it was 102 for two.

It wasn’t a standard interval: the crowd realised Anderson was bowling at one stump on the outfield and around a hundred fans formed a circle to watch. When he’d finished it took him nearly five minutes to reach the pavilion as he stopped for dozens of selfies.

When the outfield had finally cleared Kent suffered a mini-collapse. Evison went for 25, edging Bailey to Matty Hurst, before Balderson claimed two wickets in the space of 10 balls. Harry Finch drove him to Josh Bohannon at mid-off for one and Compton fell to an ankle-high catch by Keaton Jennings at second slip.

That left Kent on 124 for five and it nearly got worse for the hosts as Muyeye was on 23 when he pulled Nathan Lyon to the mid-wicket boundary, only to be dropped by Jack Blatherwick.

Having dropped into the middle order after struggling as an opener, Muyeye responded with his first half-century of the season.

Debutant Charlie Stobo joined him and made an inventive 36 before he was bowled by Nathan Lyon, ending a stand of 82 and leaving Kent on 210 for six at tea.

Swanepoel made 19 before he top-edged Lyon behind and Matt Parkinson went for a nine-ball duck against his former county, lbw to Luke Wells.

Lyon then bowled George Garrett middle-stump for three and although Muyeye was dropped again, this time off Lyon by a sliding Williams, he was lbw to Wells in the next over, denying Kent a single batting point and leaving Lancs to face 14 overs before stumps.

Swanepoel sent Keaton Jennings’ off stump flying for an eight-ball duck but he was the only victim, with Wells just surviving a dicey penultimate over from Stobo.

Lancashire’s George Balderson said: “I think it was a pretty decent day. We had opportunities to make it an even better day than it was but when you bowl first you want to try and take ten wickets in the day and we managed to do that.

“The pitch felt like it had a little bit in it early doors and got better throughout the day so I think overall we can proud of our efforts with the ball and there was a nice little start for Wellsie and Josh at the end.

“I thin we knew when we bowled first that it wasn’t a case where we were going to blow them away on a green seamer, we just thought it gave us the best chance to win the game. If the pitch was going to do anything it was going to do it first up this morning. 240 is a decent effort and if we can bat well we’ll see how good a score it is.

“It’s a little bit slow. There’s a bit of seam movement, I think it will spin a little bit as well but it felt like if you missed with the ball it was easy to score. The outfield’s quick here, it’s a nice place to bat if you can get in, so I think that’ll be the key thing for us tomorrow. If we can get a couple of people in they can really capitalise and get on top of them.

“I was pleased, it’s probably as well as I’ve bowled all season to be honest, it felt like it was, at the time I came on in that first session we were struggling a little bit. We hadn’t done as well as we wanted to do and it was almost a case of trying to bowl as many dots as possible and bowl in good areas. I was able to do that, we managed to have a better afternoon session and we finished it off well at the end.”

 

Kent’s Tawanda Muyeye said: “I think we obviously left a lot of runs out there. It wasn’t easy for the guys starting this morning, but everyone’s pretty upbeat, the pitch is doing bits so hopefully we can utilise that new ball in the morning and everyone can get some rest tonight and go again tomorrow morning.

“I think it was a nice pitch to play on, I think as a batter you got value for your runs and as a bowler you got value for bowling well. It’s a pretty good cricket wicket so hopefully as the game unfolds it’ll become interesting.

“You always look back and think what could have been but I think we just have to take it on the chin and crack on. Hopefully when we go back in in the second innings we can make it count. It’s been pretty tough going (this season) so to go out there and face one of the best spinners in the world, I mean I wouldn’t say I was perfect against him but to just go against my natural game and absorb the pressure, I couldn’t really go out there and play shots so I was just happy to just absorb and it was pretty cool facing Nathan Lyon.

“Last week in the nets I started hitting it pretty well I’ve kind of gone back to my old tekkers, going back to what I know and what I trust. It seems like I’m moving a bit better and hopefully I’ll get back to where I need to be.”

Fast bowler Olly Stone’s unbeaten 74 led a Nottinghamshire recovery from 190 for seven to 326 for eight on day one of their Vitality County Championship match against Somerset at Trent Bridge.

The England quick, who began this season with only one half-century to his name in 46 first-class matches, now has two in his last three following his 90 against Lancashire last month.

He shared an eighth-wicket stand of 112 with Calvin Harrison to give the day a different complexion after Joe Clarke (51) and Jack Haynes (55) had put on 108 for the fourth wicket but been unable to kick on, seamer Kasey Aldridge the main driver of a Nottinghamshire mid-innings collapse that saw four wickets fall for 11 runs.

Aldridge, in the Somerset side for the first time since April following an injury to skipper Lewis Gregory, finished the day with four for 90, South African seamer Migael Pretorius taking three for 73.

Earlier in the day, a wicket apiece for Aldridge, Craig Overton and Pretorius against 111 runs conceded had made for a reasonably satisfactory morning’s work for Somerset after Nottinghamshire skipper Haseeb Hameed had chosen to bat first on a mottled pitch that in the event offered less help to the bowlers than some might have anticipated.

Overton, skippering in the absence of Gregory, should have had a second, but Haynes was dropped at first slip on 19. Earlier he had bowled Hameed with an inswinger of full length, which had been the only breakthrough until Ben Slater and Will Young departed to consecutive deliveries around 20 minutes into the second hour.

Pretorius could not take much credit for Slater’s dismissal, a poor ball down the leg side turned into a successful one by wicketkeeper James Rew’s spectacular catch diving to his right to snaffle Slater’s faint glance.

Aldridge was more deserving, his inswinger beating Will Young to bring more disappointment for the New Zealander, whose unbeaten 174 against Somerset on his county debut at Taunton in April remains his only notable score.

The first 40 minutes after lunch saw the Somerset attack lose their way somewhat. Overton and Jake Ball, back at Trent Bridge in the opposition dressing room for the first time after he was released last autumn, both offered width on which Clarke and Haynes eagerly feasted.

Ball gave way to Pretorius but Haynes struck three more boundaries, lifting his tally to nine and taking him to a 52-ball half-century. Clarke completed his own fifty soon afterwards, from 75 balls with his 10th four, but was immediately out, finding Tom Banton at cover as Aldridge gained a second success.

As happened in the first session, one wicket prefaced another. Pretorius produced a beauty to have Haynes caught by Overton at slip. And with the Somerset seamers suddenly now in the ascendancy, two more wickets followed, both to Aldridge, who found some bounce from the Stuart Broad End to have Tom Moores caught at gully and Lyndon James behind the stumps as Nottinghamshire, 179 for three before Clarke’s demise, slipped to 190 for seven.

Yet, if Somerset thought they were into the tail as Stone emerged from the pavilion, the 30-year-old pace bowler was to disavow them of that notion.

On a surface beginning to flatten and, for the next 30 overs, against an increasingly aging ball, he and the leg-spinning all-rounder Harrison constructed an impressive recovery, assembling the biggest partnership of the innings.

And it was Stone, confirming his 90 against Lancashire was no fluke, who took on the leading role, again looking like an accomplished batter. His half-century, off 89 balls, arrived with a square drive off Overton against the new ball for his eighth four, which he followed with a couple more tucked away on the leg side off Ball.

Harrison made 35 before he was bowled by Pretorius in the 10th over with the new ball, before Dillon Pennington picked up three boundaries of his own to leave Nottinghamshire needing 28 more in 14 overs for a third batting point.

Somerset bowling coach Steve Kirby said:

“We’ve had a really good day, I think honours are even.  We’ve stuck to our task and in patches we’ve bowled really, really well. It is difficult to find the right lengths on that wicket.

“You’re trying to bring them on the forward defensive but if you’re slightly too full they are going to drive you, whereas if you’re too short you are going to get picked off, so there is only a small margin for error. There was a period after lunch when Clarke and Haynes were scoring quickly but we worked that out and were able to keep coming back.

“Miguel in particular has bowled well, showing exactly what lengths were necessary. I know Kasey’s got those four wickets but I felt Miguel was the pick of the bowlers.

“Having said that, Kasey showed what he can bring on any surface, with his height, his pace and bounce. He’s always going to take wickets, but we just want him to be a little bit more consistent. He has worked so hard and he has the heart of a lion and we just need to help him get to that place where he can string those spells along a little bit more, and that will come.

“To get them seven down, we’ll look back and say we could have bowled them out for a lot cheaper, but you have to take your hat off to Stone and Harrison for that partnership, the way they absorbed the pressure and capitalised later.”

Nottinghamshire’s Jack Haynes said:

“There were a lot of ups and downs through the day. That little mini-collapse in the middle wasn’t ideal and it’s happened a couple times this season that we’ve lost wickets in clusters.

“It was a good cricket wicket. There was something in it if you hit the right areas as a bowler but if they missed you could put it away with the ball coming on nicely. It swung a bit, in patches. They had a period when they got it to swing quite a lot, probably in line with our collapse, and that’s something for us to look at when we bowl, to try  to keep the ball in as good condition as we can and try to get it swinging all day.

“After being 170 for three, we felt we were in a position to put a foot on the throat and make it a big one. Unfortunately me and Clarkey got out. It is always disappointing not to kick on and that’s certainly something to look at

“But the way Calvin and Stoney batted there at the end, they looked better than tail-enders by a country mile and hopefully have put us in a decent position going into tomorrow.

“Stoney has been brilliant. He has been working hard on his batting and is helping us as a unit. He’s got us out of trouble a bit there.”

In-form Hampshire produced a patchy performance with the bat against Warwickshire on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.

James Vince’s side arrived in Birmingham seeking a third successive championship win but, having chosen to bat on a good pitch, were bowled out for 298. Only Fletcha Middleton (74 from 135 balls) passed 50 against a seam attack which extracted every ounce of assistance available from the conditions.

Olly Hannon-Dalby was the pick of the bowlers. His first wicket was his 350^th in first class cricket and he built pressure in every spell on his way to 16-5-35-3. The Yorkshireman was well-supported by Ed Barnard (three for 61) and Craig Miles (three for 71).

In 12 overs before the close, Warwickshire replied with 51 for two, Kyle Abbott removing both openers in four balls in the penultimate over.

Chris Woakes returned to Warwickshire’s team for the first time this season but looked rusty in his new ball spell. It was Hannon-Dalby who delivered the breakthrough with a peach of an outswinger which Toby Albert edged to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess.

That apart, Hampshire advanced solidly through the morning. Middleton raised the 50 with a slashed six over third off Miles, posted his own half-century from 79 balls and then passed 1,000 first class runs with his next scoring stroke. A frustrating morning for Warwickshire peaked when Nick Gubbins, on 28, cut Will Rhodes through the hands of Sam Hain at second slip.

Middleton and Gubbins added 102 in 30 overs but were uprooted during an aggressive post-lunch spell by Barnard, who was capped before the start of play. Gubbins edged to first slip and Middleton played back to one that kept low and lost his off-stump. When James Vince edged Hannon-Dalby to third slip, a serene 119 for one had become an uneasy 148 for four.

Ben Brown (32, 51) and Liam Dawson (46, 66) stopped the slide with a stand of 61 before Miles struck twice in an over. Brown leg-glanced too fine and was caught by the wicketkeeper and James Fuller lifted carelessly to backward point.

On the first hot day of the championship season, Warwickshire’s bowler persisted well, not least Hannon-Dalby who struck for a third time when Dawson played on. Keith Barker (40, 74) batted comfortably against his former team-mates but Barnard’s third wicket followed when an outswinger took the edge to end Felix Organ’s punchy 26-ball 23.

Woakes, on his 100^th first class appearance for Warwickshire, returned to the attack to take the new ball and quickly secured his 365^th wicket in those games when Abbott leading-edged to gully. When Barker top-edged a swipe at Miles to fine leg, Hampshire had fallen two short of a third batting point.

Will Rhodes edged the second and third balls of Warwickshire's reply, from Barker, for streaky fours but thereafter the openers were little troubled until they both fell in the dying embers of the day. Rhodes lifted Abbott to cover and three balls later Alex Davies fell to a stunning return catch as the visitors ended a largely trying day with a smile.

Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes said:

"It was a good day for us. They were 120 for one and in a really strong position so to bowl them out for under 300 was really pleasing, We'd have liked to have been none down at the close but the day has probably ended even.

"The pitch played pretty well for everyone involved. As a bowler you felt in the game if you got the ball in the right areas, there was plenty of carry and a bit of bounce, but as a batter if you get through your first 25 balls, you can capitalise. It looks like a good cricket wicket all-round.

"I did feel slightly rusty out there but I am fairly pleased with how it went. It would have been nice to get some more wickets but I felt in a better rhythm after lunch.

"It's nice to play my 100th first class game for Warwickshire. It feels like it should have happened much sooner but of course when you play for England you sometimes don't play much county cricket, so I haven't played many championship games in the last five years for good reasons. I always love playing for Warwickshire but I still very much have ambitions to play for England for as long as possible. Last summer I had a really good summer and I would like to back that up."

 

Hampshire batter Fletcha Middleton said:

"It was a nice end to the day, it was definitely needed, us taking those two wickets. I think overall the game is probably in the balance. After the start we had, just one down at lunch, it would have been nice to kick on and take that into the afternoon and evening sessions and still be batting tonight, but the pitch did offer a lot throughout the whole day. It was a good battle between bat and ball.

"It was tough going in the first hour. Most places on day one the first hour is a big hour for the batting side and the ball was doing a fair bit with bounce and swing and they bowled well. There was definitely something to negate in that first hour and we did that, it was just a shame we couldn't take that into the afternoon."

It was normal service resumed for leaders and champions Surrey on day one of the Vitality County Championship match with Worcestershire at ‘Visit Worcestershire New Road.’

Surrey had suffered an innings and 278 runs defeat against Hampshire in their previous Championship fixture at the Utilita Bowl ahead of the Blast in contrast to their previous four-day form.

But fifties from Dom Sibley and Jamie Smith laid the foundations before Dan Lawrence and Ben Foakes increased the tempo during the final session during a stand of 131 in 35 overs.

Foakes fell just before the close – to a fourth catch for Adam Hose – but Lawrence remained undefeated on 91 from 126 balls.

It was Surrey’s first visit to New Road since they lifted the 2018 title on the ground and they are well placed to post a formidable total on the second day.

Worcestershire captain, Brett D’Oliveira, was side-lined with a shoulder problem and Jake Libby skippered the side.

Pace trio Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, who all played in last month’s encounter at the Kia Oval, were ruled out through injury.

Ethan Brookes, Tom Taylor and on loan Somerset spinner, Shoaib Bashir, all made their Championship debut for the home side.

Taylor’s younger brother, James Taylor, made his first Championship appearance for Surrey since April 2022.

Surrey were put in on a rock hard looking pitch and quickly lost skipper Rory Burns.

Tom Taylor took the new ball and struck with the third ball of the morning as Burns turned a delivery straight to Bashir at mid wicket.  

Ollie Pope looked in good form and cover drove Taylor for four and used his feet to turn on loan Essex seamer Ben Allison to the mid wicket boundary.

But he then gave Allison the charge and nicked through to Adam Hose at first slip.

Allison, signed because of injuries to Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and Yadvinder Singh, bowled an excellent opening spell of 7-3-10-1.

But Sibley was in excellent touch, straight driving and cover-driving Adam Finch for boundaries, and coming down the wicket to hit Shoaib Bashir down the ground for four after he came into the attack.

Jamie Smith also took advantage of over pitched deliveries from Adam Finch to collective successive boundaries and the 100 came up in just 27.2 overs.

Allison bowled another probing post-lunch spell and Sibley edged just short of second slip.

Waite again also asked questions of both batters but Sibley and Smith were determined to survive and reached their respective fifties off 108 and 103 balls respectively.

The stand was worth 149 in 40 overs when Bashir broke the stand as Sibley (76) picked out Hose at short mid wicket.

Smith (86) departed in similar manner with again Hose the catcher after Finch came into the attack.

Dan Lawrence and Ben Foakes upped the tempo during the final session after playing themselves in up until tea.

Foakes pulled Bashir for a maximum over wise long on before having a let off on 31 when dropped at deep mid wicket off Finch.

Lawrence cut Brookes for four to reach a 66 ball fifty and Foakes went to the same landmark from 104 deliveries.

But Finch broke the stand after the second new ball had been taken when Foakes (52) fell to a low catch diving to his right at first slip by Hose.

Worcestershire Assistant Head Coach, Kadeer Ali, said: “A long day in the field, a tough day for the boys but I thought in general we bowled okay.

“I thought the first hour and a half we bowled quite nicely, probably not as well just before lunch, but we regrouped. Overall, a tough day but pleased with how the boys performed today.

“Ben Allison impressed on loan. He was excellent today. He had a month with us last year and knows the boys really well.

“He bowled a really good length on this wicket, especially in the first hour or so, and his figures at just over one run an over were excellent.

“Matthew Waite was also very disciplined and over the last three or four Championship matches he has bowled beautifully.

“There was some great catching from Adam (Hose). He was struggling with his hand a little bit before the T20 campaign started so great to see him catching well.”

 

Surrey batter, Jamie Smith, said: “It’s been a nice day for us. A little bit annoying losing a wicket towards the end but there were a lot of good partnerships. We feel in a nice place.

“Not massively surprised to be put in because we were probably going to have a bowl as well. You never quite know what the wickets are like this time of year.

“There were a few tired bodies out there so trying to protect that a little bit after a lot of cricket. Being put in you were quite happy with that.

“I’m just trying to stay as relaxed as possible and just play every ball as it comes down. I’m not trying to over-think things.

“It is nice to bat with Dom Sibley there and put on a good partnership. It was a shame we couldn’t kick on with that partnership but they stuck at it really well.

“It wasn’t easy in the heat and after playing so many T20s in a row, reverting back to the Championship is never easy.”

 

 

A well-constructed half century from Emilio Gay was the mainstay of Northamptonshire’s batting efforts in the first day of their Vitality County Championship match in Cardiff. 

Having won the toss and elected to bat first Northamptonshire reached 279 all out with runs for Luke Procter and Gus Miller helping them to recover from a middle order collapse. 

Three wickets a piece for Timm van der Gugten, Andy Gorvin and James Harris were the highlight for Glamorgan with the ball but with Northamptonshire having been 195 for seven they will feel they let their opponents back into the game. 

Glamorgan had seven overs to face before the close and they reached 36 without loss, 243 behind on first innings. 

Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to bat but were pegged back early on by two wickets for James Harris. The first was Ricardo Vasconcelos who was bowled for 7. Harris claimed his second wicket in his next over when Prithvi Shaw edged a ball to Sam Northeast at first slip to leave them 19 for two. 

Gay continued his fine form with a patient and well-made 65 that included some lovely drives through the off side. He shared a stand of 90 with Luke Proctor with the pair doing well against a Glamorgan seam attack that got the ball to move laterally throughout the day. 

Gay was dismissed by one of those moving deliveries when he edged Andy Gorvin to Marnus Labuschagne at second slip to leave Northamptonshire 109 for three. A stand of 48 between Proctor and Rob Keogh took the visitors past 150 before both departed at the start of a spell that saw Northamptonshire lose four wickets for 28 runs. 

Glamorgan’s bowlers were fantastic in the period before the tea break and made things very difficult for the batting side. There was a spell in the afternoon in which Lewis McManus faced 20 balls from Timm van der Gugten and he played and missed at eight of them, but it was Gorvin who trapped him lbw for 19. 

Liam Patterson-White combined with debutant Miller for a stand of 37 that slowed the Glamorgan progress, but Patterson-White chipped a ball from Gorvin to Eddie Byrom at point for 30 with Northamptonshire still 18 runs short of claiming their first batting bonus point. 

Miller and Raphael Weatherall managed to take Northamptonshire past 250 to claim their first point of the game as the old ball became a little easier to score against. Even after Glamorgan took the second new ball Miller continued to impress in his maiden first class match. His 40 included the only two sixes of the innings as he helped his team to what could prove to be a challenging total on this pitch. 

Eddie Byrom and Billy Root successfully saw out the seven overs that were left to bowl at the end of the day without too many alarms as the inexperienced pair of Miller and Weatherall didn’t get the same movement that Glamorgan managed with the ball. They will be hoping that changes when the game resumes on Monday morning. 

 

Ryan Higgins again proved the saviour of Middlesex as the hosts fought back from early trouble to post 342-7 against visitors Derbyshire on day one at Lord’s.

The Zimbabwean-born all-rounder battled to a fourth century of the season from 152 balls, reaching his ton in the grand manner with a six into the Mound Stand as the hosts recovered from 189-6.

Higgins and Seaxes skipper Toby Roland-Jones, whose 51 not out was his first championship half-century for 21 months, rewrote the record books with their unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 112 eclipsing that of 95 by Wilf Slack and Colin Metson set at the County Ground Derby in 1981.

The late plunder was harsh on a Derbyshire attack who were excellent for much of the day, spinner Alex Thomson the pick of the bunch with 2-43.

Middlesex’s decision to bat first on winning the toss was greeted by applause from the home faithful accustomed to seeing them insert opponents this season Ironically, it soon became clear their decision had been made on the sportiest wicket seen at Lord’s this campaign.

Zak Chappell struck in the first over having Sam Robson taken at backward point, the  former England opener back in the hutch without a run on the board. It set the tone for a fascinating morning’s cricket where Derbyshire’s bowlers extracted plenty of life and bounce from a green-tinged surface.

Both Mark Stoneman and Max Holden had uncomfortable moments, the former nicking one from Chappell just short of slip, while the latter slashed another swinging ball from the probing Sam Connors wide of the close-catching cordon.

The hosts appeared to have survived the worst when Stoneman flicked at a delivery wide down the leg-side from Anuj Dal, wicketkeeper Brooke Guest flying to his right to catch.

New batter Du Plooy, playing against his former county, and Thomson began a gripping duel in the run-up to lunch, the batter looking fidgety and trying to give the bowler the charge, the spinner countering, mixing some tempting tossed up deliveries with others fired in short to stop his former teammate in his tracks.

Holden was becalmed either side of lunch as the ball began to swing under increasing cloud cover and his patience ran out as he slashed a wide one to Aneurin Donald at slip.

Again, Du Plooy and Higgins weathered a storm, the former unfurling some glorious extra-cover drives and playing a delicious late cut through third in advancing to his half-century.

Thomson though proved his nemesis, when Du Plooy got too far away from one that bounced and gave Guest another catch to end a stand of 63.

He’d also account for Nathan Fernandes before tea, a ball too close to cut, flying to Wayne Madsen at slip and when Jack Davies edged through to Guest five balls after the interval, Middlesex were 189-6.

An unusually subdued Higgins, who’d been given a life on 33 when Donald grassed a chance at slip from a reverse sweep off Thomson, found sufficient rhythm to move through to 50 with five fours. Luke Hollman kept him company for a while before edging one from Daryn Pavillon to the diving Madsen at slip.

With that, Higgins began to chance his arm and ride his luck, twice edging through the gap in the slip cordon to the fence at third, and with Toby Roland-Jones reviving memories of bygone days bat in hand with a couple of dreamy cover-drives the pair rattled up a 50-partnership in good time.

The skipper broke his bat digging out a Connors Yorker and the change proved fruitful as he sent the next delivery over the short boundary into the Mound Stand. He later repeated the feat to raise the second batting bonus point and to compound Derbyshire’s growing frustration Higgins was reprieved a second time on 88 when a chance above head high at second slip fell to earth, Pavillon the unlucky bowler.

He made the most of the let-off to reach his hundred in the death throes of the day, Roland-Jones’ landmark following shortly afterwards.

 

Middlesex all-rounder Ryan Higgins who made an unbeaten 107, his fourth Championship 100 of the season, said: “Today was probably a tougher innings. At times I didn’t feel like I was in great rhythm but managed to get over the line. I took a few calculated risks as the innings went on a bit.

“Towards the back end of the day it felt like it was a good time to take them on a little bit. Their bowlers had got a little bit tired and were trying a few things and Ro-Jo made it really clear to me that we needed to take it to them and he did that himself brilliantly.

“There were a couple of tough chances that I gave, chances they would like to have taken. The clarity I had after that was I needed to be more positive on that wicket. It was nice my dad was here to see it. The sun has finally come out and being a Zimbabwean he likes to come to cricket when the sun is out as oppose to when it’s raining.

“Ro-Jo (Roland-Jones) is in great nick to be fair. When he starts playing like that, there are not a lot of places you can bowl. He really smacks the short ball and when you get a bit fuller, he tends to just whack it over your head. It was an amazing knock and fair play I don’t know how he did that.

“It’s a very good Lord’s wicket. I’ve not seen it bounce like that for a while, so it was nice to see the bowlers get a bit of bounce.

“I think it’s a good score on day one on this sort of surface. I don’t think it will necessarily turn later, but the spinners have a lot there with the bounce. It feels like it will start to go up and down on day three.”

 

Derbyshire seamer Zak Chappell who took 2-55 said: “We did a lot right, had a good morning and a good afternoon and then in the evening session when we took the new ball the wheels fell off a little bit.

“It’s not a car crash and we have a chance to resurrect things tomorrow. If we can get a few wickets early and put some pressure on with the bat, then we’ll be in good stead.

“We were going to bat, but for the seamers there was going to be the most in it on the first morning. There was a bit in it and we got a few rewards.

“Hollman came in and changed the momentum, running hard between the wickets and hit the sweepers hard. Roland-Jones played really well and I’ve seen Higgo (Ryan Higgins) play like that a few times for Gloucestershire. He’s obviously a decent player. We missed him a couple of times where he was chancing his arm, but that is the way he plays and sometimes it comes off.”

On Alex Thomson who took 2-43, Chappell added: “Thommo is a quality spin bowler and the more he believes that the better he bowls. He seems to have got a bit of belief this game which is good. If he can keep stringing overs together like that and picking up wickets for us he’s going to be invaluable.”

 

 

 

Adam Lyth continued his Scarborough love affair with a fourth Vitality County Championship hundred on his home ground as he and opening partner Fin Bean shared 307 to ensure Yorkshire dominated day one against Gloucestershire.

Lyth, 36, is seemingly getting better with age, the former England opener also scoring his fourth hundred of the ongoing campaign. He was helped along by fellow centurion Bean as Yorkshire closed on 348 for three from 96 overs.  

Lyth, from the nearby Whitby, learnt his cricket on this ground and walked off with 129 from 243 balls to his name. Bean actually bettered him with 164 off 250 with six leg-side sixes included.

Lyth’s quartet of Championship centuries here - where he has also scored two in List A cricket - now includes one in each of the last three seasons.

Gloucestershire’s decision to bowl first upon winning the toss will surely be questioned. Their captain, Graeme van Buuren, who made that call, struck late in the day alongside seamers Ajeet Singh Dale and Beau Webster. 

However, in fairness, when the toss was made there was a decent amount of cloud cover which quickly burnt off.

There wasn’t as much pace in this North Marine Road pitch as there usually is, and Lyth and fellow left-hander Bean advanced serenely against a visiting attack who failed to build any pressure. 

New ball seamer Dom Goodman was the pick of their bowlers with nought for 29 from 17 overs.  

Glos created very few chances during a morning session which concluded with Yorkshire at 106 without loss. Lyth was on 64, while both himself and Bean had swept sixes off Ed Middleton’s leg-spin.

Lyth had to fend one short ball from Singh Dale away from the end of his nose, but the extra bounce on offer was from a spongy surface rather than one that was hard and fast. 

Lyth and Bean weren’t really threatened through the afternoon and into the evening - the two openers bettering the 180 they shared in the second innings of the second round draw at Bristol in mid-April. 

Lyth led the way in the morning, but Bean was the dominant player in the afternoon and evening.

Bean swept his second and third sixes off Middleton and off-spinner Ollie Price after reaching his fifty in the early stages of the afternoon and both men had eyes on centuries.

Lyth was first to that milestone, off 179 balls, when he drove Middleton for four to take the score to 206 without loss in the 59th over.

It has been well-documented that Yorkshire Cricket has gone through the mill over the last few years, with not a great deal to sing from the rooftops about.

However, one major positive has been the opening partnership forged between these two players against the red ball. 

They shared four century partnerships in last year’s Championship and have now added two more this year - both against Gloucestershire. It has certainly been the Master and the Apprentice, with fellow left-hander Bean - 22-years-old - only in his second full season of first-team cricket.

When Bean reached his century, off 184 balls, in the closing stages of the afternoon, Yorkshire had 216 on the board. 

After tea, they bettered the 246 shared between Messrs Hobbs and Sutcliffe for the HDG Leveson-Gower’s XI against the touring New Zealanders in September 1931 - the previous highest opening partnership on this ground in first-class cricket.

All of Bean’s half a dozen sixes came over midwicket or long-on against spin.

Lyth offered a tough low catch to a diving Cameron Bancroft in the gully off fellow Australian Webster, though neither opener were able to see the day out. 

Bean caught at point off van Buuren’s left-arm spin at 307 for one in the 81st over. 

It was Yorkshire's first triple century opening partnership for 10 years. 

Lyth was then bowled by Singh Dale with a further 15 added to the total before Webster had James Wharton caught behind - 342 for three.

Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth said 

“It’s my home club and friends and family have come down to watch. I was saying to Beany out in the middle, ‘Let’s try and make this count’. It wasn’t a typical Scarborough wicket. There wasn’t a heap of seam movement. So, as soon as we got over the 100 and were then both closing in on hundreds, I was telling him, ‘There’s no better time to make it a big one’.
“I’m so pleased for him to get on the board for the first time here, and I’ve got no doubt he’ll be on the board three or four more times in the coming seasons.

“He’s got 160 or 170, and I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t go and make a similar contribution. But putting on 307 - as Carlsberg does days, that’s as good as it gets.”

Yorkshire opener Fin Bean said 

“It’s obviously a good day. 

“It was nice to have Lythy at the other end to keep me in order, and it’s just making these days count. It’s such a great venue, the atmosphere’s great and the sun’s out. 

“Lythy was brilliant - so fluent. Sometimes, from watching 10 balls, I know whether or not he’s going to get runs.”

Gloucestershire captain Graeme van Buuren said

“Tough day for the boys, but I thought they played really well (Bean and Lyth). They left really well on length.

“We could have been a bit fuller, but I thought we held our lines quite well. We didn’t really get cut or pulled very often. But those two boys came through for them.

“On any other day, we could have had a couple more (wickets) had things gone for us. But we have to come back tomorrow.

“It was more the overheads (at the toss). We weren’t really sure what to do, but I thought it was in our favour to bowl.”

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