Gloucestershire v Lancashire, Surrey v Kent and more: County cricket – live! | County Championship

Edgy stuff in Worcester…

Billy Root is still here on 69* but Glam is now SIX down. Worcs need 4 more wickets and the Welsh side need 65… GULP.

Well well well… Vasoncelos made the first doors. I do not say anything.

“Below The Line” animated according to – lots of talk about lawnmowers and speculation about Tanya’s whereabouts…

This made me laugh courtesy of ‘Mesnilman’:

“Hello James, hello everyone…

“Jim here stands in for Tanya while she’s on a mystery mission.”

Jim, did Tanya leave behind a strange tool while she went on this “mysterious mission”? Does it have an iridescent sheen and sparkle when you pick it up by the handle?

This is the jinxing knife. Use it wisely as it offers you great power. Many held that thumb and index finger between them and felt a force coursing through their veins.

Use it wisely, great things can happen.

Handle it without thinking, and may the cricket gods have mercy on you.

A declaration of intent?

There’s a lot of cricket every minute, huh? I apologize for not coming in once in a while to join my colleague Dan Gallan who is on the OBO tools as the England women take on South Africa in Taunton:

Rain rain go away – A few delayed starts – at the Oval and Hove as pouring rain hangs in the south. We have played everywhere else though.

Division two:

Notts racked up the leads at Trent Bridge – Middlesex drop out to stay in the fight, after in response to a meaty 551/8d set by their hosts they are 63-0 and 112 points adrift.

Eyes on Hove – as landlubbers Derbyshire could turn up the heat on the south coasts on the final day, leading Sussex as they do by 341 runs.

Beware of nails in Worcester as Glamorgan need an extra 99 runs to win and Worcs need to grab another five wickets. Billy Root is at the fold of 46*.

first division:

At the Oval – Kent face a brick wall from south London as they trail, they trail by 221 runs but have ten wickets in hand and a day to beat to hold on for a draw. Openers Compton and Denly do better the second time around – with 47* and 63* respectively.

Slowly to Northampton – Dom Sibley got his limpet to strike out 102 from 273 and Warwickshire went quietly to 396-8 in response to the home side’s 451. Hard to see anything other than a gaping draw in this one.

Things are livelier in Bristol – The Gloucs are 99-3 in their second dig and have a toned slim lead of just 34 over Lancs. The Red Rose will sniff out the first wickets in order to force a result.

Here’s Tanya’s roundup from yesterday:

Essex stung Hampshire in a thriller on an ember field in Chelmsford, thanks to Simon Harmer. He came away tapping a wicket-filled top pocket, seven for 161 in the second innings, and career-best match numbers of 15 for 207.

Hampshire were chasing 299 and at various points victory looked possible. But once the hard-hitting Felix Organ fell, the top order wobbled and six wickets fell for 65. The tail wagged but Harmer had the last laugh when, with 12 needed, Keith Barker tried of the tonk only to fall short of the rope and into the hands of Paul Walter.

Essex captain James Vince was not happy. He said: “Due to the conditions we really had to play village cricket and tackle the short side and I hope you were lucky.”

Openers Ben Compton and Joe Denly gave Kent the hope of drawing against Surrey after an unbeaten partnership of 121 following. Kent’s first innings had been opened by 19-year-old Tom Lawes, who took three for 10 from 18 balls on his Championship debut.

Fifty years of Luke Wood and Steven Croft gave Lancashire a lead in the first inning against Gloucestershire in Bristol; and a hundred Colin Ingram kept Glamorgan interested in an improbable chase against Worcestershire at New Road – although the second new ball awaits the morning.

Dom Sibley’s second cent of the Championship season, a sweet affair, all but ensured a draw between Northamptonshire and Warwickshire in Northampton; while derbyshire did not apply the call and falters at 127 for seven, with Jack Brooks taking five for 46. Mohammad Rizwan had previously made his first century for sussex.

middlesex follow against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Preamble