• Former champions demoted in 2017 are first to triumph this season• Harris takes most wickets and makes highest score in gameAnd so the first spoils of the 2018 Specsavers County Championship went to Middlesex, champions of 2016 but demoted to Divisio…
• Kent bowled out for 64 in 18.5 overs by Gloucestershire• Middlesex’s James Harris takes five-for against NorthantsAnd so within 48 hours the County Championship swung from the damply ridiculous to the calamitously camp. A combination of pitches sweat…
Latest from around the grounds on opening weekendVince back to his frustrating best for HampshireEmail Tanya or get in touch below the line 10.09am BST Good morning from Old Trafford where the lawnmowers are marching up and down, both teams are practis…
• Hampshire batsman hits rapid 75 before missing straight ball• Four games are washed out without a ball being bowledIt is not supposed to start with a whimper. Six Championship games: four called off without a ball bowled, at Headingley, Old Trafford,…
How is your team shaping up? Fans give their verdicts on the season aheadI thought we’d narrowly avoid relegation before last season, so found our Championship win quite astonishing. But Simon Harmer won’t be the same unknown quantity this season and J…
With the new county cricket season beginning next week, we’d like to hear your hopes for the summer aheadThe weather is looking a bit kinder than in recent weeks and soon cricket grounds around the country will be hosting domestic games. Friday 13 Apri…
It’s time to salute the County Championship’s standout players this season: Kumar Sangakkara, Alex Hales, Alex Davies, Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer
• Fans from all 18 counties review the year
• Will Macpherson’s verdict on the season
By Gary Naylor for the 99.94 Cricket Blog, part of the Guardian Sport Network
It was said that Barry Richards, his career coinciding with South Africa’s isolation, became bored with batting that notch below international as it came so easily to him. Well, it can’t have come much more easily to the South African champion than it came to Kumar Sangakkara, an all-time great of the game, whose powers, at almost 40 and in his last season of first-class cricket, seem not so much undiminished, as enhanced.
The side that won promotion a year ago and won the title a fortnight ago looked as if they would suffer their first defeat of the season. But they just keep winning
By Gary Naylor for the 99.94 Cricket Blog, part of the Guardian Sport Network
Whenever the scoreboard ticked over to 76, the late Brian Johnston would announce that it was “Trombone Time”, so how he would have enjoyed Essex’s win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. The hosts’ Aussie captain, George Bailey, un-Pontingly enforced the follow-on after the wheels had finally come off in the champions-elects’ annus mirabilis, dismissed for 76 in their first dig. Cue 20-year-old Dan Lawrence’s century, backed up by the old hands, James Foster and Neil Wagner, who posted 82 for the ninth wicket to set an awkward fourth-day target of 185 for a suddenly nervy and much-needed win. The victory fanfares were soon blaring again for Essex, as Sam Cook led the attack with 5-18 to despatch Hampshire for (you guessed it), 76 stretching Essex’s lead at the top of the table to 69 points. They’re just trolling their opponents now.
• Opener struck by ball from Middlesex’s James Harris
• Steven Finn boosts Ashes chances with eight for 79
On a day when England’s one-day players were frustrated by the rain that forced an abandonment of their international against West Indies at Trent Bridge, there was worse news for one batsman hoping to be in the Test squad this winter.
With 38 required and Lancashire nine down, Haseeb Hameed, a finger on his right hand fractured, strode through the Lord’s pavilion to join an old classmate at Bolton school, Matt Parkinson, in the middle. Hameed’s brave effort was in vain; he survived nine balls before Parkinson, a true tail-ender, edged to first slip to become the irresistible Steven Finn’s eighth wicket. Middlesex had won a wonderful game by 36 runs and put their survival hopes, going into the trip to their fellow strugglers Somerset next week, in their own hands.
10.29am BST
Two huge play and misses outside off in the first three balls of the day from Livi…
10.28am BST
Starting on time at Headingley, which is good. But not at the Ageas, because of bad light. I’m convinced Essex won’t lose that game.
9.31am BST
Good morning. Today should be the day. Lancashire are in all sorts of trouble at Taunton, where there’s rain on the way. When they fail to win that game – which, surely, surely they won’t win – Essex will be the County Champions for the first time since 1992. To be honest, Essex better win because I have already written 1,000 words on them doing so.
So I’m Will Macpherson and I’m at the sun-drenched Oval to tell you about all that and more. Here, Surrey have Yorkshire following on. Will the pitch break up? Can they force a win? I don’t know if it mean anything, but Andy Hodd just scored a superb overhead kick in Yorkshire’s football match. There’s Div 1 action at Uxbridge too. It’s a tussle for points. Middlesex currently have none.
Related: Wily Ryan ten Doeschate paves way for glorious march of the Essex boys
• Essex 369-9; Warwickshire 201 & 112 (Essex won by an innings and 56 runs)
• Somerset 335; Lancashire 133 & 247-8 (Lancs lead by 45 with two wickets left)
It has barely been a title race, but it will at least last another day. Essex did their bit, thrashing Warwickshire – whose relegation is inevitable – by an innings for the second time this summer, but second-placed Lancashire would not lie down. Somerset need two more tail-end wickets and then there will be a chase, but it should not be vast: Lancashire’s lead stands at just 45.
Essex, as they have since June, had the look of champions at Edgbaston, and were mighty clinical in polishing off woeful Warwickshire. This was the fifth innings defeat of a sorry season; the rebuild has begun but has plenty of miles ahead.
• Essex 369-9; Warwickshire 201 & 112 (Essex won by an innings and 56 runs)
• Somerset 335; Lancashire 133 & 247-8 (Lancs lead by 45 with two wickets left)
It has barely been a title race, but it will at least last another day. Essex did their bit, thrashing Warwickshire – whose relegation is inevitable – by an innings for the second time this summer, but second-placed Lancashire would not lie down. Somerset need two more tail-end wickets and then there will be a chase, but it should not be vast: Lancashire’s lead stands at just 45.
Essex, as they have since June, had the look of champions at Edgbaston, and were mighty clinical in polishing off woeful Warwickshire. This was the fifth innings defeat of a sorry season; the rebuild has begun but has plenty of miles ahead.
10.49am BST
Rob Mason describes himself as “yet another Essex fan…”
“Loving the recent work of two 24-year-olds from North East London: Jamie Porter and Harry Kane,” he writes.
10.48am BST
A lesser spotted wicket at the Oval!
Freddie van den Bergh has two, Marsh gone, stumped. 181 for two, and a long way to go to avoid the follow-on.
11.15am BST
As someone has pointed out on twitter: the bowler’s Holden, the batsman’s ….
Congrats to Felix Organ who is making his debut for @hantscricket v @Middlesex_CCC at @UxbridgeCC. Welcome to the PCA pic.twitter.com/spFGFTIm6w
11.11am BST
Morning Stuie!
@willis_macp morning will! Out all day so cmon glos
10.57am BST
News from the Oval is that Mark Stoneman looks in absolutely delightful touch. He’s moved to 18, after back to back boundaries off Sidebottom, through cover point and square-leg.
10.54am BST
Morning Will and chums. Warwickshire lead by 13 after four overs is the optimistic way of looking at things here at sunny-ish Edgbaston, where Jamie Porter has continued his golden season for champions-elect Essex with the early wickets of Sam Hain and Jonathan Trott – both lbw – in his first nine balls.
First one trapped Hain on the back leg as the bat jacknifed down at an awkward angle, then Trott was pinned on the front pad. If there was a day for Ian Bell to end a drought of centuries that goes back to April last year, this is it. Chris Woakes back for the Bears, while Neil Wagner is in for his second spell as the Essex overseas left-armer. Tom Westley plays too.
10.14am BST
Welcome to Old Trafford for day three of the fourth to last round of county cricket – live! for this fine summer! I’m Will Macpherson and I’m here to guide you through the action from here and the other eight games on offer. There’s some other cricket on offer, apparently, but we need not mention that.
The weather is nice now but nasty later, I’m told. The chances of a result in this Lancashire-Essex game, given the loss of day one, were pretty slim as is, but losing the final session today would end all hope. Haseeb Hameed batted beautifully last night and resumes on 85 this morning. He’s dug his team out of a horrible hole, to be honest.
Related: County cricket: Lancashire v Essex, Surrey v Hampshire and more – live!
9.59am BST
That room in the picture ATL is the one that I’m sat in. It’s brightened a touch – wouldn’t think the covers’ll be on for that much longer.
9.58am BST
Good news from Headingley!
Captains out there for the toss.
• Sussex 268 & 211/9; Glamorgan 294 & 182
• Sussex won by one wicket
A staggering win for Sussex, a day of rain at Kent and positions of strength for Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire: the race for Division Two’s two promotion spots is bubbling beautifully, and this was a seismic day of action.
Sussex’s was an extraordinary win, against Glamorgan – who picked a green team as their big names rested up for T20 Finals Day. Chris Jordan docked the tail to finish with five for 46 as Glamorgan made 182 at their Colwyn Bay ground. Sussex’s pursuit of 209 got off to the worst possible start as Lukas Carey had Luke Wells caught behind first ball and soon enough they were 10 for two. Stiaan van Zyl and Chris Nash rebuilt, before Andrew Salter dismissed Van Zyl (lbw) and Luke Wright (stumped) with successive deliveries to leave Sussex 100 for four.
Live updates from around the groundsPing Will an email here; or send him a tweet @willis_macpThe Spin: cherish the slow and steady run accumulators 11.33am BST The rain is very, very light at the Oval, but the full covers are coming on. The forecast i…
