Alastair Cook set to sign new three-year Essex deal: county cricket – live!

Surrey are in complete control of their match against Essex at Chelmsford, the leaders reaching tea on 174 for one. Rory Burns remains unbeaten on 86 from 211 balls and after overcoming a difficult start, when the ball was moving all over the place, the opener looks well set to bringing up his fourth century of the season. Having also passed 1,000 Championship runs during this innings, Burns is rightly being touted for an England call-up this winter. The fact he’s turned it on in front of the selector James Taylor certainly hasn’t harmed his claims to replace the retiring Alastair Cook when England head to Sri Lanka next month.

Okay, so I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict Somerset’s match against Lancashire will not last for all four days. We’re not even at tea on day one yet but we have had 15 [FIFTEEN] wickets so far. You may recall not too long ago the suggestion that Lancs were in deep trouble after being rolled for 99 – with Jack Leach picking up a five-fer. But the hosts’ reply hasn’t exactly gone to plan, Somerset stumbling to 62 for five after three for 21 from Graham Onions and a wicket apiece for Keshav Maharaj and Tom Bailey. There’s life in Lancashire’s survival fight just yet, it appears.

We are hearing here at Chelmsford that Essex are about to make a major announcement regarding Alastair Cook, who in case you’ve been living in a cave for the past 24 hours you may not know is playing his final Test match at The Oval this week. The man who holds the England record for the most Test runs, centuries and caps will bid farewell to international cricket after the conclusion of the series against India and during the announcement of his decision to retire yesterday he mentioned playing county cricket only in 2019. But it is expected to be confirmed in the next few hours that Cook has signed a new three-year deal for his county. Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate hinted as much this morning when he said of Cook: “He’s only 33 and I think a sustained period of cricket and that enjoyment that he still gets from doing well suits him and suits us amazingly well.” I think he’s still got a lot of cricket in him. It’s great for us and obviously we’ll be delighted to have him around. He’s a great bloke.”

Things went from bad to worse for Lancashire down at Taunton, after they were dismissed for 99 after two wickets in three balls from Jamie Overton and a fifth in the innings for Jack Leach, the spinner who might as well put in his visa application for England’s winter tour to Sri Lanka right now. Lancs, though, fought back well, reducing the hosts to 19 for three after the former England seamer Graham Onions’ two wickets, including the prize scalp of Marcus Trescothick.

Hampshire are also struggling on 138 for eight after losing six post-lunch wickets against Worcestershire at New Road, including a trademark James Vince nick off.

Yorkshire, meanwhile, are running out of ideas at Trent Bridge, where Ben Slater has a century and Kraigg Brathwaite (70 not out) have led Notts to 181 without loss.

Rory Burns, the Surrey captain fresh from becoming the first batsman to 1,000 County Championship runs this summer, passed fifty when he edged Sam Cook through gully in the second over after lunch and has now moved on to 78. What chance he can make it a fourth century of the season? He’s playing beautifully at the moment and doing his chances of an England call-up this winter no harm at all. Surrey are 159 for one, with Mark Stoneman the Division One leaders’ only loss so far.

Elsewhere, it’s not good news for Lancashire, who are 72 for five against second-placed Somerset after losing Karl Brown, Alex Davies, Stephen Croft, Liam Livingstone and Josh Bohannan in the morning session. Jack Leach, the left-arm spinner who is surely a shoe-in for England’s winter tour of Sri Lanka, has picked up a couple of wickets at ‘Cyderabad’. I wonder if Lancashire, for whom defeat would push them closer to the relegation trap door, are regretting leaving the one-time England opener Haseeb Hameed out of their squad?

Fellow strugglers Hampshire lost Joe Weatherly early on against Worcestershire at New Road and go into the interval on 81 for two after Jimmy Adams fell to Josh Tongue late in the session.

Yorkshire, occupying the second relegation place and in desperate need of a win at Trent Bridge, have toiled as Nottinghamshire openers Ben Slater and Kraigg Brathwaite took the hosts to 104 without loss at lunch.

Surrey have rebuilt nicely against Essex after losing Mark Stoneman for 12 early on in Chelmsford, Sam Cook the wicket-taker. They are 100 for one at lunch, with England hopeful Rory Burns unbeaten on 43 and Dean Elgar on 35 from 65 deliveries.

Burns also became the first batsman this summer to pass 1,000 County Championship runs when he cut Harmer for four shortly before lunch. Coming in front of England selector James Taylor the day after Alastair Cook’s retirement, it was a timely landmark for Surrey’s captain.

England news:

England selector James Taylor has just turned up at Chelmsford and he appears to be keeping a keen eye on Rory Burns, who is currently 20 not out alongside Dean Elgar.

Burns appears the frontrunner to replace Alastair Cook this winter and just a reminder England’s squad for the final Test against India at The Oval this week is announced at midday.

In the other matches in Division One, strugglers Lancashire and Hampshire have both lost an early wicket, with Karl Brown dismissed by Somerset’s Lewis Gregory in Taunton and Joe Weatherly edging Worcestershire Ed Barnard behind at New Road.

We have a wicket at Chelmsford and it’s bad news for Mark Stoneman, whose hopes of making an early statement to replace Alastair Cook in England’s Test team this winter have been scuppered by Sam Cook. Yep, there’s more than one Cook who is loved in these parts and the 21-year-old seam bowler has his 19th wicket of the season after tempting Stoneman into a drive that was snaffled by Tom Westley at third slip. Surrey are 30 for one after 10 overs.

In Division Two Kent, Sussex and Middlesex all harbour realistic hopes of promotion behind the leaders, Warwickshire. Kent have got off to a bad start, though, losing Zak Crawley and Sean Dickson as they slipped to 15 for two early on. Joe Denly, mentioned as a possible winter call-up for England, is currently rebuilding alongside Heino Kuhn.

We’ve had a quiet start at Chelmsford, where the England hopefuls Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman have guided Surrey to 21 without loss against Essex’s new-ball pair of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook. There have been a few edges but it’s so far so good for the table toppers after seven overs.

Elsewhere, Lancashire have made slow progress against Somerset, with the openers Karl Brown and Alex Davies putting on nine runs in the first seven overs.

We’re also wicketless in the other two games as Notts bat first at home to relegation-threatened Yorkshire and Hampshire do likewise against Worcestershire at New Road.

With four rounds of the County Championship to go Surrey are cantering towards a first title since 2002 but they will face a tough examination of their credentials against the current champions over the coming days in Chelmsford.

Essex, who eased their relegation fears with victory against Hampshire last week, won the toss at the County Ground and have decided to bowl first against the runaway leaders. They will look to make early inroads against Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman, two openers who will want to make a statement in the land of top-order opportunity that will be England’s post-Alastair Cook world. Surrey also welcome back Ollie Pope following his two Tests for England, with the 20-year-old batsman down to bat at No 4 today.

Surrey, who are 32 points clear of second-placed Somerset, will also be keeping a keen eye on events at Taunton, where Lancashire will be desperate to ease their own relegation fears.

Indeed, with only 11 points separating the bottom four teams, the battle to avoid the drop into Division Two could go right down to the wire. That means there is also plenty riding on Yorkshire’s trip to Trent Bridge to face Nottinghamshire while rock-bottom Worcestershire surely need a win against fellow strugglers Hampshire at New Road to stand a chance of dropping back into the second tier.

And remember, because of the fading autumnal light we’re back to the earlier start time of 10.30am until the end of the season …