It was a ding-dong Division One duel at Headingley, as 18 wickets fell. Chris Woakes (3-40), dispatched from Old Trafford after the Test was called off, had England teammate David Malan caught for 9, as Yorkshire stumbled to 95-8 at stumps, a scorecard spittled with single-figure scores. Only Gary Ballance, unbeaten on 51, batted with any ease. Earlier Warwickshire were bowled out for 155, with four wickets for Ben Coad and Steven Patterson.
Hampshire stiffened their sinews to reach 212 at the Rose Bowl after electing to bat in cloudy conditions. Nottinghamshire lost Haseeb Hameed just before the close.
Luke Wells cantered to his first century for Lancashire at Taunton, with anything short or overpitched picked off like ripe blackberries on a gently overhanging branch. Josh Bohannon skitted to another fifty, while Steven Croft and Tom Bailey continued to tease Somerset from further down the order. Somerset were without Craig Overton, a minor rib injury, and Jack Leach, awaiting the results of a Covid test.
Ben Brown finished unbeaten on 111 as a young Sussex side had a merry old time against Leicestershire. Tom Haines, who became the first to a thousand runs in the last round, continued to twinkle brightly with 71.
From the third over of the day, when Alastair Cook petted two fours through the covers, a century seemed inevitable, as Essex continued to dominate Division Two. Cook’s unbeaten 140 against Surrey was complemented by a jaunty 78 from Dan Lawrence, lbw to Daniel Moriarty just before stumps.
Eighteen wickets fell at Lord’s, on a shiny green top and with the ball swinging like a fairground waltzer. Middlesex were spreadeagled for 144; before Worcestershire stomped off the pitch for bad-light at 113-8. Kent’s Zak Crawley tickled a handsome fifty, but couldn’t reach the hundred that has eluded him all season. Derbyshire just had time to lose a wicket to the seventh ball of their innings .
A Glamorgan middle-order collapse against Gloucestershire squandered a strong start by David Lloyd and Hamish Rutherford, but Ed Byrom stood firm; while Northamptonshire found Chris Rushworth and Matthew Potts troublesome, before reducing Durham to 108-4.
It’s raining here, the gloom is closing in by 7pm, as the season is chased down by Autumn. Still things to cheer though - Sir Alastair’s hundred, Ben Brown’s, Luke Wells’. Time for me to sign off, thanks for all your messages and we’ll be back tomorrow!
Before I retire to the round-up, a quick scan of Division One: Yorkshire still in trouble (91-6); Tom Bailey and Steven Croft sandpapering Somerset’s hopes (344-7; and Hampshire creaking to 212-9, with Felix Organ and Mohammad Abbas adding 19 for the last wicket.
Bess follows Brook in a slow tred back to the Yorkshire dressing-room: a third for Woakes, a second for Norwell. Single figures scores spittled all over the scorebook. Yorkshire 76-5, 79 runs behind Warwickshire’s first innings.
Down from Old Trafford: Chris Woakes scythes through Yorkshire. Photograph: Paul Currie/SWpix.com/REX/Shutterstock
Worcestershire had such a promising season in 2018, despite being relegated. But they’ve not reached those heights in red-ball cricket since. Currently 48-6, as Murtagh and Bamber smear entrails on their sleeves and carve up the spoils. Roderick surveying the debris unbeaten on 24.
Tim Murtagh: without mercy. Photograph: Neil Marshall/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock
As Essex move nicely to 169-2, Tom Westley misses out on a fifty thanks to the ever- grey green Rikki Clarke, in his penultimate game before retirement.
An alternative England XI of the recently(ish)-discarded: Lyth, Stoneman, Robson, Westley, Vince, Foakes, Jordan, TRJ, Finn, Kerrigan, Crane.
Switching onto the Somerset stream, I see a nifty little one-kneed squeeze for two by Dane Vilas. And a close up of Marchant de Lange’s caterpillar moustache. Lancs 241-5 in what is a must-win game for them against the weakest (sorry, Somerset) team in the Division.
Going to make blackkberry and apple crumble this evening . I love it when cricket clubs make the most of their green space to grow fruit and veg and be generally wildlife friendly.
Wouldn’t have been my prediction as the first team to fold! Coad 4-48, Patterson 4-34. Burgess, 66, the last man out. I guess we have to see how Yorkshire bat on this, but if feels an undercooked total.
A question for those of you who have been at Division Two and Three games in this second part of the season. Does it feel like the teams are going through the motions? Does it feel different to sides playing for mid-table mediocrity in Division Two in a promotion and relegation season? What would be in your bag of wishes for 2022?
Glamorgan have drunk from the well of plenty. And deeply. David Lloyd has just fallen, for 73, but Rutherford remains unbeaten on f54. Can they dally on in this vein? 137-1 v Gloucestershire.
Fifty for Zak Crawley, fifty for Daniel Bell-Drummon as Kent continue their good run of form in Division Three clothing. Jordan Cox out cheaply again, it’s been a tricky third season for him, after that glorious 238 not out last season against Sussex (shortly before missing a match for breaking Covid protocols).
Warwickshire, Northants and Middlesex in trouble. Hampshire teetering. Fairly easy-pickings for the batting side elsewhere. Time for a quick snack, back in half an hour!
Essex will lose one of their most talismanic players, as Ryan Ten Doeschate has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the season. He joined Essex in 2003 and has played at Chelmsford for 19 seasons, making over 17,000 runs taking 348 wickets.
He won his County Cap in 2006, and was made captain in 2016, guiding Essex back to Division one. The next year Essex were unbeaten and won the Championship, winning it again in 2018.
An appreciation from his friend, and the current Essex captain, Tom Westley:
“It’s difficult to begin to put into words Tendo retiring. Not only have I had the honour of sharing a changing room with him for 15 years, but I’ve also had the privilege of changing next to him for 8 of them! To know that he won’t be playing for Essex again is a sad day for the club.
“I have always admired him, not only as a cricketer, who I believe has won more games for Essex than anyone else I have played with. It’s his values and qualities as a person, that means his name is alongside the greats of the club.
“I can assure you that I’m speaking on behalf of every player that has been fortunate enough to play with and share a changing room with Tendo. He has had a positive impact on all of us at some stage in his illustrious career. His selflessness as a teammate and leader is one of the leading factors to Essex’s success in the last decade.
“He epitomises what it means to play for this great club, and his name deserves to be alongside the likes of Fletcher, Gooch, Bailey and Insole.
“Thank you Ryan for everything you’ve done, I along with everyone will miss you. I wish you and your family all the best for the future.”
Essex’s forever friend: Ryan Ten Doeschate. Photograph: MI News/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock
Tom Haines, not content with being the first batsman to 1000 runs, reaches yet another fifty, this time at Grace Road. He captains Sussex, while Callum Parkinson leads Leicestershire.Sussex 106-0.
Tom Haines and Callum Parkinson at the toss at Grace Road. Photograph: John Mallett/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock
My, my, Yorkshire. They’re on fire at Headingley: Warwickshire 67-5. Two for Coad, two for Patterson. The team’s excellence this season, while the Rafiq enquiry swirled around them has been ....surprising, bewildering even. I have no idea if any of the current players were involved in previous events, but for the others, being able to ignore the noise and the clodfotted handling of the enquiry by the club is some feat.
Lancashire 69-2, and going nicely after the early loss of Balderson and Davies. I’d like to complain that it looks considerably sunnier in Taunton than it is in Manchester. Incidentally, the weather has behaved itself immaculately since the Test was called off, they wouldn’t have missed a ball.
Make that 15-2 at Southampton as the leading wicket-taker in the Championship snatches his 60th wicket of the summer: Ian Holland lbw for 3. Is Hampshire’s decision to bat first tarting to gnaw away at James Vince?
And a first wicket in the big first v second clash at Southampton, as Weatherley nibbles at a ball from Hutton which falls straight to Ben Duckett at slip. Hampshire 15/1.
Some team news, while everyone gets into their early morning physical jerks (which in Dom Sibley’s case means being lbw for 11, Jordan Cox’s, being bowled for 10, Ricardo Vasconcelos’s caught for 4.) Somerset are without Craig Overton, “minor rib injury” and Jack Leach because his PCR Test didn’t come back in time. I’ve no idea why they can’t just wait this out... how long can it take? Chris Woakes, David Malan, Haseeb Hameed, Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence all play for their respective counties.
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