Key events
Scores round the shires:
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 238 and 146-1 v Somerset 288 – Hampshire lead Somerset by 96 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 v Essex 110-3 – Essex trail Warwickshire by 80 runs with 7 wickets remaining
DIVISION TWO
Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 and 59-3 v Lancashire 240 – Gloucestershire trail Lancashire by 46 runs with 7 wickets remaining
Northampton: Northants 229-4 v Middlesex 341 – Northamptonshire trail Middlesex by 112 runs with 6 wickets remaining
Tanya’s Day Two Round Up:
Hampshire were frustrated by Somerset’s wagging tail, but wiped out the deficit before bad light stopped play at Southampton. There was no century for James Rew, caught uncharacteristically skewing a half-volley for 86, one of three wickets for Codi Yusuf.
Tom Abell made 49, Lewis Gregory was out to Kyle Abbot for the ninth time in 13 matches, but it was 22-year-old Alfie Ogborne who caused Hampshire the most pain, whooping three sixes in an enterprising last-wicket stand. Hampshire lost Toby Albert to a leg injury early on, but Nick Gubbins’ undefeated 70 helped them to a 96-run lead.
After play, Somerset’s head coach, Jason Kerr, was asked about Rew’s chances of playing for England: “He is a good enough player to play international cricket … he’s an incredible talent and one that should get international recognition. If he opens the batting then great, I appreciate the middle-order is quite stocked at international level, but a player of that talent should be knocking on the door.”
At Wantage Road, it was the turn of Nathan McSweeney (87 not out) and James Sales (78 not out) to turn an unprepossessing Northamptonshire start to an innings into a substantial stand. They came together at 98 for four and added an unbeaten 131 for the fifth wicket. Earlier, Ben Sanderson had wrapped up his second five-wicket haul of the season and Zafar Gohar, last Middlesex man out for a delightful 83, was substituted out of the match after picking up a groin injury. Luke Hollman is his replacement.
In his long career, this is the first first-class match James Anderson has played at Bristol, and it looks as if the visit will be a victorious one after a 17-wicket day. Gloucestershire lost their final four wickets for 12 runs in a five-over tumble first thing, George Balderson finishing with five for 34. Gloucestershire’s attack then pulled the tablecloth on Lancashire, reducing them to 180 for eight thanks to excellent bowling from Matt Taylor, who pocketed a career-best six for 43.
Matty Hurst and the tail then pushed the first-innings lead to 104. Keaton Jennings crafted a vital 70 in his first innings of the year. The substitution rule rumpus rumbled on with the revelation that Lancashire had been forbidden to replace Ajeet Singh Dale with Tom Bailey, despite them both being right-arm bowlers, because of Bailey’s superior experience.
Ethan Bamber and Keith Barker kept Warwickshire in the hunt at Edgbaston, running through Essex’s top three on a rain-affected day. Charlie Allison (40 not out) and nightwatchman Sam Cook (5 not out) saw them through to the close at 110 for three under a milky blue sky. Earlier, Sam Hain, who played brilliantly and with clever acceleration for his 88 not out, and the tail had dragged Warwickshire to 190.
Preamble
Sunday Morning Coming Down is Coming Up Roses, actually.
The sun is blazing down here on the South Coast and the weather is set fair elsewhere for an intriguing third day of this round of Champo matches, four matches in play and they are all nicely poised at the halfway mark.
Jim here stepping in for Tanya as she has a well deserved day off, go gentle with me? As ever -please do get in touch and play nice below the line. Right, time for a quick Kenco before the start of play. I’m all out of beers, Kris.
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