County cricket: Essex v Hampshire, Derbyshire v Lancs and more – live!

And at Taunton for Bangladesh v West Indies, it is not raining and no rain is forecast! It’s a must win game for both sides – follow it here with John Ashdown and later Geoff Lemon.

Rain watch: things are looking up. All certainly more cheery than for my 13 year old, who was delighted to be missing school today with a game, only for the match to be called off and him to have to go to school unprepared for a geography exam. I want it on record that I had pointed out that this was a possibility. Anyway:

Division One

Chelmsford: no word yet.

Tunbridge Wells: play due to start on time. No rain expected today

York: play due to start on time. Grey.

Division Two

Radlett: I see sunshine via twitter. Play will start on time.

Derby: delayed start with an inspection at 11am. Wet outfield.

Grace Road: play is due to start at 11am. Cloudy.

The last time first-class cricket was played in York was 1890, when Lord Hawke ruled the roost.

At York, where the skies look, um, slate

Chris Waters
(@CWatersYPSport)

First day of first-class cricket in York for 129 years. Been a while. pic.twitter.com/StvZ7oba4I

June 17, 2019

Duanne Olivier is rested after the hip strain he picked up at Guildford. Tim Bresnan, Matthew Waite and Jared Warner are also injured, but David Willey returns. Henry Brookes and Ryan Sidebottom miss out for Warwickshire.

Kent are strengthened by Wiaan Mulder but Sam Billings (shoulder), Calum Haggett (elbow) and Ivan Thomas (knee) are all out with injury. Notts are resting Stuart Broad at the ECB’s request , as Notts return to Tunbridge Wells for the first time since they won the title in 2010.

Division Two

Derbyshire have named an unchanged squad to face the leaders. Richard Gleeson makes the Lancashire squad after being rested last week but there is no space for leg-spinner Matt Parkinson .

Wicketkeeper Lewis Hill returns for Leicestershire and Will Davis and Callum Parkinson are also included in a 13-man squad. Gloucestershire are unchanged.

And a New Road update – there was supposed to be a game there – Worcestershire v Sussex starting today. But because of the flooding, the game has been switched to Kidderminster and will start tomorrow.

Just been reading up on yesterday. Essex rested Peter Siddle who is suffering from a twinge and brought back Adam Wheater, who has missed ten weeks with a thumb injury. Simon Harmer’s five wicket haul was his fourth in five CC games. He now has 35 first-class wickets at 19.4 -the same number as Lewis Gregory and Jeetan Patel, annointed kings of the Div One ball.

And Radlett is a happy hunting ground for Sam Robson. His 85 is his highest first-class score of the season, his only century of the season came in a RL Cup game there against Somerset.

Welcome back to the county circuit, where life goes on behind the bombast and brilliance, and rain, relentless rain, of the World Cup.

Here is the soggy scene at New Road, where Worcester were due to play Sussex.

Worcestershire CCC
(@WorcsCCC)

Worcester-on-Sea

📸 Credit: 237 Creations pic.twitter.com/B1M3L7uizB

June 16, 2019

Lots of counties have scheduled this week for festival games – Radlett is holding its first ever Championship game, Kent entertain at Tunbridge Wells and York holds its first game of first-class cricket for 129 years.

Four games start today, two – Middlesex v Glamorgan and Essex v Hampshire -started yesterday. At Chelmsford Simon Harmer decimated Hampshire and Sam Robson batted out two soggy sessions against Glamorgan.

Division One

day two Chelmsford: Essex 147-3 (Bopara 50 not out) v Hampshire 118 all out (Harmer 5-23)

Tunbridge Wells: Kent v Nottinghamshire

York: Yorkshire v Warwickshire

Division Two

Radlett: Middlesex 151-3 (Robson 85 not out) v Glamorgan

Derby: Derby v Lancashire

Grace Road: Leicestershire v Gloucestershire