Key events
Trouble at t’mill yesterday:
Thursday’s round-up
Somerset wrapped up their five-wicket win against Durham before tea on day two, though not without a wobble. The surface was the main talking point, with opinions varying depending on the colour of the tracksuit. The Somerset head coach, Jason Kerr, called it “an incredible surface” while Durham’s bowling coach, Graham Onions, was less complimentary about the “excessive turn”. Jack Leach pocketed a six-fer, for the second consecutive game, and Archie Vaughan four, as Durham were bowled out for 190 – leaving Somerset 86 to win. They scraped over the line, despite Callum Parkinson’s four wickets.
After a shimmering century on Tuesday, Rehan Ahmed fizzed out six Derbyshire batters for 51 in a dazzling display of leg-spin. Leicestershire lead by 209. Derbyshire’s Luis Reece had earlier collected six for 56 as Leicestershire’s tail collapsed.
Chris Green won the heart of Lancashire fans with a wham-bam 160, all long levers and princely smile. When he was eventually dismissed for the record score for a Lancashire No 8, his standing ovation ran into the one welcoming No 11, Jimmy Anderson. Tom Hartley then raced to his first first-class century, a clean-hitting knock, pipping Peter Martin to the highest score by a Lancashire No 10. Anderson then licked his lips and whistled out Cameron Bancroft cheaply, but that was Lancs’ only success as Ben Charlesworth hit an excellent century of his own in a match that looks destined for a high-scoring draw.
Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram batted Glamorgan into an excellent position against Kent, who are making a better fist of their second innings.
With his parents in the crowd, Lyndon James rocked to a maiden double hundred as Nottinghamshire declared on 578 at Southampton; Warwickshire are on the rocks after first Ethan Brookes made a career-best 140 against his old club Worcestershire, and then Khurram Shazad fired six batters out for 42.
Rain ruined much of the day’s play at Scarborough, with just time for Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow to rattle to 72 before being caught off Surrey’s two-match Kookaburra-ball signing Sai Kishore.
England man in the wings Jordan Cox hot-footed to a brilliant century for Essex, putting on 184 with Matt Critchley (a fine 123), who both made the most of a temptingly short boundary on the pavilion side. Sussex toiled away, without the rested Ollie Robinson, until thunderstorms stopped play with the Essex lead 247.
Middlesex declared on 625 for eight, riches beyond dreams, thanks to hundreds for Kane Williamson (in his first red-ball innings for the club) and Leus du Plooy, and 151 for Max Holden. Northants hauled themselves to 121 for four at stumps.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 80-0 v Nottinghamshire 578-8dec
Taunton: Somerset 250 and 89-5 BEAT Durham 145 and 190 By FIVE WICKETS
Hove: Sussex 204 v Essex 475-9
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 184 v Worcestershire 333 and 31-0
Scarborough: Yorkshire 376-5 v Surrey
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 189 v Leicestershire 398
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 327 v Kent 155 and 106-1
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire 179-1 v Lancashire 557
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex 625-8 dec v Northamptonshire 126-4
Preamble
Good morning! Day three races around, with things already done and dusted at Taunton, though the recriminations continue.
Before a ball is bowled… As an ex Somerset player I find this appalling… at a time when County Cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for International
Players and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch.… pic.twitter.com/qAU0CJbPlf— BeefyBotham (@BeefyBotham) July 23, 2025
Elsewhere, Sussex, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Northants will hope that the Kookaburra can save them. Play starts at 11am, do join us.
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