Key events
Durham continue to charge towards the weekend at CLS, poor Haseeb Hameed’s call at the toss proving to be a costly one. Currently 482-6, with Ashton Turner just four runs away from being the third centurion of the innings.
Not the dream start for Somerset. After winkling Warwickshire out for 337, Tom Kohler-Cadmore is caught off the second ball of the innings, charging to his doom. Somerset 0-1.
Good morning Gary Naylor!
”I know I bang the drum for this, but I think cricket should develop a means of calculating the carbon cost of each match. Obviously, there would be some estimation, but there would be hard data too and, once a methodology is agreed, simple comparisons can be made between organisations and over time. Set a target of 10% reductions year on year and use the fund to support bids for specific projects that can be scaled up if successful. Sports should take a lead on this and the summer game, obviously most under threat, should lead sports’ efforts.”
It’s a great idea. Edgbaston did calculate the carbon cost of their “Green match” last year, and I think Lord’s do it. I’ll do some digging.
Northant’s tail lasted nearly an hour this morning, all out for 207. Five wickets for Toby Roland-Jones at Merchant Taylor’s.
Tim Maitland has thoughts on the ICC’s “Test” fund:
“If the ICC’s multi-million plans for test cricket are limited to boosting match fees, I’d argue that it’s a short-sighted approach doomed to failure because it doesn’t address the problem and isn’t sustainable.
”The solution to Test cricket’s travails is more bums on seats and more eyes on more TV screens further down the ladder. I would suggest that that involves marketing the long-neglected, long form of the game. Why not promote it as “Proper” cricket or “Cricket for the Connoisseur”, leveraging contracts with broadcasters to push the message in a relatively cost-effective manner?
”Yes, throwing cash at match fees will tempt some bigger names back to the test fold, but how long can the ICC bankroll competing against the wages of franchise cricket, given that one of the effects of their efforts will be to make the T20 leagues up their offers in return.
”I just hope there are more strings to the ICC’s bow than this.”
Apologies about the slight delay, I couldn’t find my laptop charger for said machine which ran out of power at an inopportune time. It is beautifully sunny at The Oval, where Will Jacks has lofted six, as he can, and spectators are in shirt sleeves. Williams, a smear of suncream over his nose, and Balderson causing a few problems to the Surrey glitterarti.
Sussex’s innings is all over at Scarborough for 189 and Robinson and Unadkat are now reeling in to Yorkshire’s top two. Adam Lyth has score 13 of the 15 runs on the board.
And second morning wicket at The Oval – as Ryan Patel follows Sibley back into the pavilion, Balderson the bowler this time as Patel nibbles and gets an outside edge.
A classic CCLive dismissal! Mohammad Abbas, still slim as a pencil, fizzes one into Robin Das’s shinpads. Essex 12-1.
Lancashire have their first breakthrough as Dom Sibley opts not to play a shot at Will Williams. Surrey 86-1.
Correction: Tim Maitland, it turns out, is not sipping hot Bovril in Scarborough. “Full disclosure: I’m at a suitably safe distance from Scabrrr. Hong Kong, currently 32C and humidity in the 80s. It’s like breathing soup here.”
But, despite Lilian’s best efforts, a prompt start round the grounds, even at yesterday’s washout at Southampton. Hampshire have won the toss and are having a bowl.
Weather watch
Storm Lilian blows in with high winds, and damp stuff, especially in the north. The Met office musings? Storm Lilian brings heavy rain and strong winds during the early morning but clears northeastwards quickly. Blustery showers and sunny spells follow. Largely dry across Wales and southern England, until the evening. Windy here to start, but slowly easing.
A email drifts in. Hello Tim Maitland at (I think) North Marine Road.
”The spinners should get some nice drift at Scarborough this morning.
”This from Bridlington, 20 miles down the coast.
“As far as I can tell from G****e Maps, the pitch at North Marine Road seems to be aligned NNW-to-SSE, so the westerly winds should be cross winds from both ends.
“The Beeb weather forecast claims the 16C temperature at start of play will feel like 16C. Try telling that to the hardy souls desperately hugging their cups of Bovril for warmth.”
Positive news here on a dedicated fund to boost match fees for Test cricket. Be nice to see a dedicated climate fund too, as recommended by the Hit for Six report.
Thursday’s round-up
Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of Andrew, celebrated his GCSE results with a debut first-class innings for Lancashire.
Flintoff, batting at four, strolled out at 33 for two, Lancashire’s youngest first-class cricketer, all wonderfully familiar gait and rush of the bat. A juicy drive and a timely pull for four, plus a couple of lucky moments, were enough to get the juices flowing till he was caught at backward point for 32 to his first ball after lunch.
Surrey continued to run through an inexperienced Lancashire lineup, with half the team 23 or under, and they were bowled out for 204, with four wickets for Jordan Clark and three for Dan Worrall. Rory Burns and Dom Sibley then whisked Surrey to 83 without loss before rain stopped play. The day had started with a minute’s silence in memory of Surrey’s Graham Thorpe.
More youthful brilliance at Chester-le-Street, where 19-year-old Ben McKinney panned a gorgeous 121 in his just his second first-class match for Durham. McKinney, a former England Under-19s captain and part of the Lions team that beat Sri Lanka last week, was ruthless on the Nottinghamshire bowlers, reaching his hundred with a peachy cover drive and off just 117 balls. Once he had departed, Alex Lees picked up the baton, reaching a more pedestrian, but just as valuable, 145.
The seagulls swooped on breezy North Marine Road, where Tom Alsop’s 84 held the fort for Sussex in a crucial Division Two promotion battle. Australia’s Daniel Hughes collected 53. Jonny Bairstow was shipshape behind the stumps in his first Yorkshire Championship appearance of the season.
Derbyshire’s Zak Chappell ripped through Glamorgan with six for 47; Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones took three wickets as Northamptonshire struggled; Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell and Michael Burgess made half-centuries against Somerset; Ian Holland built a hundred against Gloucestershire and Worcestershire’s Joe Leach’s six for 52 demolished Kent.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
New Road: Worcestershire 137-2 v Kent 171
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 277-6 v Somerset
The Oval: Surrey 83-0 v Lancashire 204
Southampton: Hampshire v Essex No play on Thursday
Chester-le-Street: Durham 393-5 v Nottinghamshire
DIVISION TWO
Merchant Taylor’s School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire 167-7
North Marine Road: Yorkshire v Sussex 187-9
County Ground: Derbyshire 119-2 v Glamorgan 168
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire 291-7
Preamble
Good morning from an autumnal Manchester, a boots and anorak dog-walking day. Day two of this first of five matches in the run- up to the end of the season, and lots already to get your teeth into from a blooming debut century from young Ben McKinney to six wickets from old-timer Joe Leach.
