Somerset v Essex, Middlesex v Kent, and more: county cricket day one – live | County Championship
Key events
A sweet moment on a lunch-time stroll round the ground – Rocky Flintoff signing an autograph for one of the young boys here on a school trip. The boy, who presumably had no idea who this tall, smiling, rosy faced teenager in whites and pads was, bounced away, happily clutching his prize.
Lanky wins, when the bee pauses to celebrate before the line. Much joy from the primary school children as Lanky is given an inflatable cup.
But most importantly of all, the mascot race. The lineup Lanky the giraffe, All starts, a robin, a dog, a bear and a bee.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire v Durham 80-3
Taunton: Somerset v Essex 81-2
Headingley: Yorkshire 97-4 v Warwickshire
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 105-2 v Derbyshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire 79-2 v Gloucestershire
Grace Road: Leicestershire 95-3 v Northamptonshire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Kent 75-4
In Division One: Durham, without Ben McKinney (back spasm) are 77 for three against Hampshire, all three to Kyle Abbott. Essex have lost both openers on the green seamer at Taunton, 74-2, and Warwickshire have had the best of the morning at Headingley. YJB and Harry Brook are batting together, Joe Root was out for one. Yorks 84-4.
Apologies to Tim Maitland, whose email I’ve only just discovered in my inbox:
“Greetings from Hong Kong where I hear today’s high of a pleasantly dry 32 barely tops the freakish temperatures you’ve been getting.
“In an attempt to distract myself from getting overly excited about Joe Root and Harry Brook making guest appearances at Headingley, I’ve been trying to get a sense of what Yorkshire Aussie debutant Jordan Buckingham brings to the table. Do any of your cosmopolitan group of followers have first hand knowledge of him?
”I’ve seen him described as “a quick” and as “fast-medium”, and he was part of South Australia’s Sheffield Shield winning side this year. His recent bowling figures don’t scream off the page at you: 4-70 against Victoria including getting Marcus Harris for a four-ball duck and a starring 4-41 in England Lions’ second knock in their innings defeat in Sydney. Among his victims that day was the England Lions skipper Alex Davies, who closely resembles the Alex Davies captaining Warwickshire these days.”
As a reluctant Adam Lyth trudges off the pitch at Headingley, caught in the slips off Hannon-Dalby, time to see what’s been happening round the grounds. Yorkshire a not ideal 75-4 in the first morning’s play.
Hello Mike Daniels! in the Grace Road scorebox “Thankfully it shouldn’t be as hot in here as Alec Guinness’s box in Bridge Over the River Kwai. The Flying Foxes will be looking to maintain their strong start to the season against a winless Steelbacks side.
“Will Rishi Patel get his season up and running? If he can then Leicestershire’s chances of promotion will be boosted as they already boast a deep batting line up and a roster of experienced seam-bowling all-rounders.
“Spin, or a lack of it, might be a weakness later in the season but currently the bowlers are doing the business.”
The ECB updates its transgender policy
The supreme court’s clarificaton on the law continues to make waves. As expected, the ECB has followed netball and football and reverted to a single sex category for women and girls, (protecting the female category which exists because of male physical advantage) with transgender women welcome in mixed/men’s teams.
Singh Dale is quite a sight in the flesh – a rapid scampering approach, a slingy action and really quite quick.
Thank you to Ken Grime for pointing out that a hundred years ago today was the first match of the 1925 Championship season .
Sam Cook picked for Zimbabwe Test
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Sam Cook (Essex)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Root out!
Root fences, uncharacteristically, and this time second slip takes the chance. Ed Barnard, who has just signed a new contract with Warwickshire, has now bowled two overs, two maidens, and has the best batter in the country in his pocket.
Root dropped
Alex Davies makes a horlicks of a catch at first slip at Headingley. Ball in, ball out, like a man surprised by a jack in a box. Unfortunately the man at the crease was Joe Root, on one.
Joe Root is batting at Headingley, one not out from 12 balls, after the Bess experiment came to a premature close, caught behind for 16. Wharton didn’t last long, out the same way in Bamber’s next over.
The umpire suddenly takes a keen interest in Josh Bohannon’s bat and tests it with his gauge – it passes – and shortly afterwards KJ edges Singh Dale to Bancroft at slip. Lancs 23-2.
Hoards of seven and nine year olds are in at Old Trafford today, sword fighting with balloons and, if they looked up, watching George Bells kick Ajeet Singh Dale’s second delivery onto his stumps. Lancs 16-1.
No wickets to report so far this morning!
Good luck to SACA graduate Zen Malik on his first-class debut, he was picked up by Warwickshire after a cracking season with Glamorgan second XI last year.
An interesting read on Cameron Bancroft, the third of the sandpaper gate Australian trio, whose fledgling career never quite recovered in the same way as those of David Warner and Steve Smith.
One to keep an eye on as play starts round the grounds. Craig Overton returns after his back spasm.
Yorkshire are batting, with Lyth and Bess opening – perhaps in Rehan Ahmed mode.
ECB and BBC announce extended partnership
More of the same as far as I can see: the Beeb will continue to show highlights of England Men’s and Women’s internationals and live coverage of The Hundred in a deal running 2025-2028.
BBC sport will show eight double-headers each season, including the opening matches and the finals of the Hundred across TV and iPlayer. This will see more live women’s games screened on the BBC than previously.
Here is the, er, emerald, pitch spotted BTL at Taunton.
Surrey have signed Australian left-handed Kurtis Patterson as batting cover for their three County Championship matches in May.
Patterson has played two Tests for Australia, with a top score of 114 against Sri Lanka in 2019. Last season, Patterson hit 743 runs in eight Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales at an average of 57.15.n
No Jimmy Anderson, but Brook and Root play
Lancs are still without Jimmy, who is “champing at the bit” but not quite match-fit. Rocky Flintoff is apparently back to hitting balls and looking to play some one day cricket in June. Yorkshire are strengthened by the return of Root and Brook, as well as Australian Jordan Buckingham, who has signed for five games. WArwickshire also have an Australian, Beau Webster.
DIVISION TWO
1 Leicestershire (played 4) 74
2 Derbyshire (played 4) 53
3 Kent (played 3) 52
4 Middlesex (played 4) 38
5 Gloucestershire (played 4) 38
6 Lancashire (played 3) 34
7 Northamptonshire (played 3) 34
8 Glamorgan (played 3) 15
DIVISION ONE TABLE
1 Nottinghamshire (played 4) 70
2 Surrey (played 4) 60
3 Sussex (played 4) 52
4 Essex (played 3) 47
5 Warwickshire (played 3) 46
6 Durham (played 4) 45
7 Hampshire (played 3) 43
8 Yorkshire (played 3) 40
9 Somerset (played 4) 33
10 Worcestershire (played 4) 18
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire v Durham
Taunton: Somerset v Essex
Headingley: Yorkshire v Warwickshire
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Derbyshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Gloucestershire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Northamptonshire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Kent
Preamble
Good May morning! With a quarter of the Championship season already gone, the cherry blossom falling but the swifts not yet here, patterns are starting to emerge. But patterns can be undone. Four teams take a rest this bank holiday weekend: the top three in Division One, Notts, Surrey and Sussex, and the April wooden spoonists, Worcestershire. Play starts at 11am, please join us!