Category: County Championship Division Two

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on July 06th, 2017

County cricket: Surrey v Hampshire and more – live!

Regular updates on the County Championship matches
Look in on England v South Africa in the first Test – live!
Email Will here and tweet him if you like @willis_macp

2.06pm BST

Qadri gets Colly and Durham are four down at Chesterfield. They still need 115…

2.05pm BST

So, I don’t want to alarm you, but Rory Burns nearly got out just now. It was a near miss on a run out, as you might expect, because Hampshire sure as hell have no other options for dismissing him. He nudged into the legside set off, and didn’t bother running his bat in, accepting his fate. The throw missed, and he picked up a pair of overthrows so all’s well that ends well and all that. 38 for none. He has 25.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on July 04th, 2017

County Championship roundup: George Bailey helps Hampshire take revenge

• Hants post fifth highest score of 648-7 declared; Surrey 113-1
• Stevie Eskinazi hits 178no in Middlesex’s 302-6 v Warwickshire

Hampshire have not forgotten about the two days last July when, at a sweltering Ageas Bowl, Surrey posted 637 for seven declared to set up a dramatic win. It was, for Hampshire’s attack, filthy toil and, as one Surrey player admitted, they had continued batting after tea on the second day “just to piss them off”.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Derbyshire • Durham • Glamorgan • Gloucestershire • Hampshire • Kent • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Somerset • Surrey • Warwickshire • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on July 04th, 2017

County cricket: Surrey v Hampshire, Yorkshire v Somerset and more – live!

County Championship updates from around the grounds
Mark Wood: ‘I want to be a bowler that can change the game’
And feel free to email Will, tweet him or post below the line

10.30am BST

#SangaNetWatch : it’s finished, he looks satisfied. Genuinely I can’t tell you sad I am that he’s missing this game. I want to watch him make more tons.

10.28am BST

Apparently there is rain elsewhere! I’m wearing shorts!

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on July 04th, 2017

County cricket: Surrey v Hampshire, Yorkshire v Somerset and more – live!

County Championship updates from around the grounds
Mark Wood: ‘I want to be a bowler that can change the game’
And feel free to email Will, tweet him or post below the line

10.30am BST

#SangaNetWatch : it’s finished, he looks satisfied. Genuinely I can’t tell you sad I am that he’s missing this game. I want to watch him make more tons.

10.28am BST

Apparently there is rain elsewhere! I’m wearing shorts!

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at The Oval on July 03rd, 2017

County cricket: Jimmy Adams in awe of James Vince as they gang up on Surrey

• Vince catches the eye while Hampshire duo both make centuries
• Somerset fight back against Yorkshire after captain drops himself

“He’s nice to bat with but you can stand at the other end and feel a little inadequate,” said one Hampshire centurion, Jimmy Adams, of another, James Vince, at the end of a day dominated by the pair. They had put on 161, bullying Surrey after they had worked hard to dismiss Lewis McManus, bowled by a snorting, swinging Sam Curran yorker, and Rilee Rossouw, caught at second slip off Curran’s brother, Tom.

Related: County cricket: James Vince pushes England case with Hampshire century

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Derbyshire • Durham • Glamorgan • Gloucestershire • Hampshire • Kent • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 29th, 2017

Simon Harmer grabs nine wickets for Essex and they do for Middlesex

• Compton hits first century since August but to no avail
• Derbyshire end tortuous two-year wait for a victory

These are heady days for Essex cricket. After defeating Middlesex by an innings and 34 runs, despite losing a day to rain, they sit proudly top of the County Championship by 28 points, after seven years out of the top flight. They have won three in succession and, whisper it, in turning over the title winners so emphatically, have the look of champions themselves.

Related: County cricket: Essex thrash Middlesex to go 29 points clear – as it happened!

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Derbyshire • Durham • Essex • Glamorgan • Gloucestershire • Hampshire • Kent • Lancashire • Leicestershire • Middlesex • Northamptonshire • Somerset • Sport • Surrey • Warwickshire • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 29th, 2017

County cricket: Essex v Middlesex and more day-nighters – live!

Updates from around the grounds on day four of the day-night round
Ball out of Notts’ final and first Test against South Africa
Email Will with your thoughts or tweet him, if you fancy
FCC cricket podcast: Northeast on captaining Kent and his England chances

1.59pm BST

Got him first ball! Harmer’s got one to turn massively and it’s kissed the outside edge, gone through Foster’s gloves and was taken by Cook at first slip… 27 for one.

1.57pm BST

Harmer kicking us off from the River End, Gubbins on strike.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 28th, 2017

County cricket: Essex v Middlesex and more day-nighters – live!

County Championship updates from around the grounds
Surrey’s Sangakkara dominates Yorkshire in pink-ball round
And email Will, tweet him @willis_macp or post below the line

2.22pm BST

Roland-Jones’s magnificent beast of a run up very nearly extends all the way to the short boundary at the Hayes Close End here at Chelsmford.

2.21pm BST

Four more through point for Cook … 126 without loss, and just 120 behind. Ominous for the Champs.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Headingley on June 27th, 2017

County cricket: Essex v Middlesex and more from the day-nighters – live!

Updates from around the grounds as the pink ball gets another outing
The Spin: when one-day cup’s September spot provided all the narratives
Send your thoughts to Will via email or tweet him @willis_macp

1.47pm BST

Afternoon Stuie! Yeah, big shame. Let’s hope there’s some cricket for me to tell you about today.

@willis_macp afternoon will shame about the rain

1.42pm BST

Delayed start at Hove, by the sound of things…

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Headingley and Ali Martin at Edgbaston on June 26th, 2017

County cricket: Yorkshire v Surrey and more as day-night matches begin – live!

Pink ball in use for first time in county championship matches
Vic Marks: Pink balls at night may not be every batsman’s delight
Email Will here. Tweet @willis_macp or join the discussion below

1.49pm BST

Dawid Malan, fresh from his big day in Cardiff, captains Middlesex, who have retained Ryan Higgins over James Franklin, I assume because he’s not fit to bowl. Gubbins is back from the Lions, and replaces Robson who has joined up with the Lions.

1.46pm BST

Teams at Edgbaston! Conor McKerr, who impressed recently on loan at Derbyshire, makes his Surrey debut.

Yorkshire: Lyth, Lees, Root, Ballance (capt, to be replaced by Harry Brook after day 2), Handscomb, Bairstow (wk), Bresnan, Rashid, Brooks, Patterson, Coad.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Headingley and Ali Martin at Edgbaston on June 26th, 2017

County cricket: Yorkshire v Surrey and more as day-night matches begin – live!

Pink ball in use for first time in county championship matches
Vic Marks: Pink balls at night may not be every batsman’s delight
Email Will here. Tweet @willis_macp or join the discussion below

1.49pm BST

Dawid Malan, fresh from his big day in Cardiff, captains Middlesex, who have retained Ryan Higgins over James Franklin, I assume because he’s not fit to bowl. Gubbins is back from the Lions, and replaces Robson who has joined up with the Lions.

1.46pm BST

Teams at Edgbaston! Conor McKerr, who impressed recently on loan at Derbyshire, makes his Surrey debut.

Yorkshire: Lyth, Lees, Root, Ballance (capt, to be replaced by Harry Brook after day 2), Handscomb, Bairstow (wk), Bresnan, Rashid, Brooks, Patterson, Coad.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Gary Naylor on June 26th, 2017

County cricket talking points: Essex lead Lancashire as season hits halfway point

Six observations from the week’s action, including praise for Simon Harmer, Dane Vilas, Paul Stirling, Samit Patel, Joe Clarke and Barry McCarthy

By Gary Naylor for the 99.94 Cricket Blog, part of the Guardian Sport Network

At the halfway point of the season, Essex are top of Division One. Even with Alastair Cook available, few expected that sentence to be written when Ryan ten Doeschate’s side planned this season, back in the top flight and without the services of old pros Graham Napier and David Masters. But the batting keeps coming at you – nine centuries shared between six batsmen in seven matches, the latest from Ravi Bopara (192) and James Foster (121) setting up the win over sorry Warwickshire, rock bottom and 40 points from safety. It’s a different story among the bowlers though, with just three crossing double figures for wickets in 2017: Jamie Porter (31); Neil Wagner (23) and Simon Harmer (33). The South African off-spinner relished the heat at Chelmsford, setting records with match figures of 66–24–128–14, proving that not every Kolpak is focused on the pound-rand exchange rate.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Durham • Essex • Hampshire • Kent • Leicestershire • Nottinghamshire • Sport • Warwickshire • Worcestershire

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By Vic Marks on June 25th, 2017

Pink balls at night may not be every batsman’s delight | Vic Marks

All County Championship matches will be day/night this week in a pre-Test experiment but players who are colour blind may have difficulties

There may be some splutterings from the disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, with cornflakes flying into the marmalade as if propelled by a Purdey after reading about County Championship matches starting at 2pm, finishing around 9.30 under floodlights and being played with a pink ball. On Monday this will be the case in all nine games around the country.

A pink ball! The colour pink has so many connotations. Many years ago I was accosted by a mischievous EW Swanton, who asked: “Whatever are you doing writing for that pinko rag?” (After a moment of confusion I realised that he was referring to the Observer). Swanton may not have approved of pink balls either, though there were sages more reactionary than him.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • ECB • Sport

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By Vic Marks on June 25th, 2017

Pink balls at night may not be every batsman’s delight | Vic Marks

All County Championship matches will be day/night this week in a pre-Test experiment but players who are colour blind may have difficulties

There may be some splutterings from the disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, with cornflakes flying into the marmalade as if propelled by a Purdey after reading about County Championship matches starting at 2pm, finishing around 9.30 under floodlights and being played with a pink ball. On Monday this will be the case in all nine games around the country.

A pink ball! The colour pink has so many connotations. Many years ago I was accosted by a mischievous EW Swanton, who asked: “Whatever are you doing writing for that pinko rag?” (After a moment of confusion I realised that he was referring to the Observer). Swanton may not have approved of pink balls either, though there were sages more reactionary than him.

Continue reading…

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • ECB • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Chelmsford on June 22nd, 2017

County cricket: Essex v Warwickshire, Hampshire v Lancashire and more – live!

Live updates from Chelmsford and around the grounds
Middlesex hammer Yorkshire in three days to finally resemble champions
And feel free to email Will or tweet @willis_macp

10.52am BST

The umpires are coming out to have a look because they think it’s a little bit dark. I really don’t want a delayed start. I really don’t want that.

10.50am BST

No word on whether we’ll have a contrivance at the Riverside…

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Lord's on June 21st, 2017

County cricket: Middlesex v Yorkshire, Lancashire v Hampshire and more – live!

County Championship updates from around the groundsThe Spin: we could be tickled pink by cricket day-nightersAnd feel free to email Will or tweet him @willis_macp 11.48am BST With Hameed gone, Stoneman and Jennings are getting the band back together. 2…

County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Lord's on June 20th, 2017

County Championship roundup: Ballance struggles to hold Yorkshire together

• Samit Patel and James Pattinson puts Notts on top at Trent Bridge
• Ravi Bopara makes first Championship ton since 2014 for Essex

Gary Ballance made runs, of course he did, but his was a lone hand, and Yorkshire are in deep trouble at Lord’s, where they have lost their last three games in remarkable fashion. Closing nine down and 260 behind, a remarkable effort is required to avoid a fourth loss.

Throughout Middlesex’s first innings of 446, the nagging sense was that a little more lay in the track than the total suggested. Adil Rashid had taken two wickets, including the last, Steven Finn, with balls that stayed low, and scoring had only been totally simple under the baking sun on Monday afternoon, with the centurions, Sam Robson and Paul Stirling, flying along. From the moment Robson fell caught behind to Ben Coad for 159, their batting on the second morning lacked fluency, in the face of improved Yorkshire bowling.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Middlesex • Sport • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Lord's on June 20th, 2017

County cricket: Middlesex v Yorkshire, Lancashire v Hampshire and more – live!

Regular updates from around the county grounds
Sam Robson jogs memories as Middlesex make merry
Email Will, tweet @willis_macp or join the discussion below

11.13am BST

Four batting points for Middlesex as Simpson nails Brooks down the ground for four. 353 for four. They’d love a fifth, would Middlesex.

11.12am BST

A wicket for Jimmy at Old Trafford! Brad Taylor edges to second slip and Jimmy has two. Hampshire are 352 for nine.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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By Will Macpherson at Lord's on June 19th, 2017

Sam Robson jogs a few memories as Middlesex make merry against Yorkshire

• Middlesex 337-4 v Yorkshire
• Hampshire frustrate Lancashire, Essex go slow against Warks

The first five games of Middlesex’s title defence have not exactly gone to plan. Some of their cricket has been passive, and injuries and call-ups have been disruptive, not least for this game, with the batting backbone of Nick Gubbins, Dawid Malan and Adam Voges all absent. The impressive unbeaten run is gone, too, and they are winless.

But they like playing Yorkshire – who have lost their past three at Lord’s, and their last three against Middlesex, all in remarkable fashion – and through centuries from Sam Robson (152 not out) and Paul Stirling (111), the latter’s long overdue first in Championship cricket, they have carved a strong position on a pitch that appears green but largely played true (save for a couple that stayed low) under a beating sun. As they tend to when Stirling is in town, runs flowed freely throughout.

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Durham • Essex • Glamorgan • Hampshire • Kent • Lancashire • Leicestershire • Middlesex • Nottinghamshire • Sport • Warwickshire • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

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By Will Macpherson at Lord's on June 19th, 2017

County cricket: Middlesex v Yorkshire, Lancashire v Hampshire and more – live!

Updates from around the grounds in the latest round of action
Get in touch! You can email Will here or tweet him @willis_macp

10.47am BST

In no particular order:

10.39am BST

So this is a repeat of that game last year. One of the captains then, Andrew Gale, is now coaching Yorkshire and the other, James Franklin, is still Middlesex captain. Toby Roland-Jones, the hero that hazy September day, will lead Middlesex’s attack, and how they need him to stand up: their batting looks very shaky, without Gubbins, Malan and Voges.

Anyway, we’ve had a toss. Despite their green tinge, it’s not a surprise that Middlesex have won the toss and decided to bat. Here are the teams:

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County Championship Division One • County Championship Division Two • Cricket • Sport

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