Key events
Currie (39) and Lumsden (13) have reduced the Hampshire chase to 69 which is not beyond the realms of possibility with a fair wind and a bit of luck.
Ashes to ashes – the reason why there is no Ashes Test in the north next year.
Five wickets for Ben Aitchison!
What a season he’s having – 57 wickets and counting, behind only Matthew Potts in Division Two. He is currently holding five for 24, having whistled out all of Kent’s top five. Kent 54 for five.
A victorious James Bracey on their five-wicket loan JT Langridge:
“I thought his ball to Hurst was one of the best I’ve seen all season. I think he’s just a natural wicket-taker. He’s got good assets.
“He’s tall, he swings the ball as well. So I think that makes him a huge threat with the new ball. And he’s got wicket-taking deliveries that will get very good batters out which is a really good trick to have. We’ll try to hang onto him but I’m not sure Somerset are going to allow us to have him for too long, sadly.”
Six wickets for Olly Stone
I briefly forgot about Notts, who have almost tidied Hampshire up already. Olly Stone, bowling like a chestnut thoroughbred on a morning canter, has three including a brilliant catch by Mitch Hay. Watch and wonder here.
And now Middlesex slip and slide, four down, Max Holden scooped up at slip by long-legged Ben. Middx 103-4.
Meanwhile, at Derby, Kent are falling foul of an on-song Ben Aitchison, Kent 28-4.
A-whooping and a-hollering from the Glos dressing room, that’s two wins on the bounce after they turned over Derbyshire last week. Well played, it’s hard to turn that ship around.
Gloucestershire BEAT Lancashire by 105 runs!
Rocky Flintoff smacks Langridge with gumption, just like dad would have done, for four, but the next ball is collected by long off and that is that. The gap between the two bottom teams shrinks to 18.
Five wickets for the impressive JT Langridge in his second first-class match. Three for the very useful Kishore. A cracking 65 for young Rocky Flintoff. And that’s that, done and dusted in 31 minutes.
No seasons-end delights for Crawley, who gets an outside edge from Aitchinson for four. And now Compton in Aitchinson’s next over. Kent 12-2.
And tumbleweed starts to move about OT as a ninth wicket falls. This time Kishore, as Stanley props forward and dabs the ball in the air for Dhariwal at silly mid off. A weary Anderson strolls out and bumps gloves with young Flintoff.
A fourth wicket for the endearing Langridge who is doing his prospects no harm at all in this match, pinning Noman’s pad to stump. Lancs 137-8.
The scoreboard waits for Noman, who sweeps Kishore for six into a sad-looking reduced party stand.
Noman Ali gets in the way of a bouncer from Langridge and we pause for a helmet change. Meanwhile there are wickets at Hove (Thomas gone for 44) and from the first ball of the day at Chester le Street where Nathan Fernandes is undone by Kasey Aldridge.
There is rain in the Manchester air but unfortunately for Lancashire not enough to keep them off the pitch. Balderson falls third ball of the day to that man Langridge. Lancs 122-7
A heart-warming read and lovely pics from Billy Munday and Tom Jenkins at yesterday’s Knight-Stokes Cup.
Roundup: Somerset’s dog days may soon be over
In a round of staggering collapses, batting sides continued to strap on their roller skates and head to the ice rink. At Grace Road, Leicestershire were rumbled for 145, a 377 run-victory that puts Somerset back on the top of the table, that longed-for first title still in reach.
Somerset set Leicestershire 523 to win after waiting for New Zealand signing Henry Nicholls to reach his first Championship century. Craig Overton (four for 33) and Jack Leach (three for 30) then stormed through Leicestershire’s defences. The most entertaining moment for a loyal crowd was when a runaway husky frolicked on the pitch.
At Trent Bridge, defending champions Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 104 by a rampant Hampshire attack. Seventeen-year-old Manny Lumsden, bowling with fire and bounce, sprung out five for 36, including top scorer Joe Clarke for 37. Hampshire, set 178, were soon batting on a see-saw of their own against Olly Stone (three for 15) and Dillon Pennington (three for 18). They had stumbled to 61 for six when bad light brought temporary respite.
At Headingley, Essex fell foul of Kuldeep Yadav, whose six for 50 has almost ensured Yorkshire’s Division One spot next season. At one stage Essex were 26 for five following on, but Paul Walter’s 48 and George Bell’s 28 ensured they passed 100. Kuldeep can tuck career-best match figures of 10 for 120 into his wallet. Sam Cook, who arrived late, unwanted at the Test, didn’t bowl a ball.
Northamptonshire took 20 points from their six-wicket victory over Worcestershire, leapfrogging promotion challengers Kent. They had a more difficult day at the County Ground against Derbyshire, who have set the visitors 434 to win after half centuries for Brooke Guest, Luis Reece and the in-form Martin Andersson.
Elsewhere, an unbeaten maiden first-class 50 from Rocky Flintoff gave Lancashire a glimmer of hope for their first win since April. They trail Gloucestershire by 128 runs with four wickets remaining.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Sophia Gardens: Warwickshire 391 BEAT Glamorgan 69 and 65 by 257 runs
Grace Road:Somerset 363 and 316-5dec BEAT Leicestershire 157 and 145 by 377 runs
Trent Bridge: Notts 377 and 104 v Hampshire 304 and 61-6 Hants need 117 to win
Hove: Sussex 393 v Surrey 294-7
Headingley: Yorkshire 390 BEAT Essex 171 and 113 by 106 runs
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 300 and 352-8 v Kent 219 and 3-0 Kent need 431 to win
Chester le Street: Durham 252 and 374 v Middlesex 203 and 55-2 Middx need 369 to win
Old Trafford: Lancashire 134 and 120-6 v Gloucestershire 212 and 169 Lancs need 128 to win
New Road: Northamptonshire 289 and 96-4 BEAT Worcestershire 200 and 182 by seven wickets.
Preamble
Good morning! The rain is not going to save Gloucestershire or Lancashire today, so tune in for a cascade of wickets/tight run chase here at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Notts have Hampshire where they want them, as do Durham over Middlesex. Kent somehow need to see out the day against Derbyshire after promotion rivals Northants knocked over Worcestershire. And there’s gentle meandering to coo over at Hove. Play starts at 10.30am, do join us.
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