Yorkshire v Somerset, Lancashire v Sussex and more: County Championship – live

HPG you’re fine coming to OT – Rawlins and Salt have put on 65 with nary a scare.

Geoff’s ammunition:

I would never usually do this, but this by me. Just because I’m so excited to be part of it.

And Andy on Lord’s:

There’s more but I’ll leave you to find it! Rolling coverage all day.

Ok Geoff. One last go….

I promise this will be my last comment about Stokes’s Choice (as it’s now celebrated in ethics classes).

Wouldn’t the least selfish decision have been to do whatever was best for the game (aka best for the ages) when choosing to take or decline an equivalent number of runs? If denying his team mates an ill-deserved victory is judge’s selfish, what does that make those team mates?

But by blocking out two balls – isn’t that a bit like going back to the future? You don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t done it. What about if he would have hit the last two balls for six even if that overthrow hadn’t gone over the boundary? And what happens if Rashid had then been Mankaded by Boult (such a ludicrous suggestion I feel embarrassed for mentioning it).

Something for everyone to chew around over lunch.

Gary Naylor is feeling lyrical at Chelmsford:

Lees showing great stoicism for Durham with his 103 ball 38 not out, though Bancroft has gone, for 28. The Durham lead is now 157 – they’re 96 for one.

Oh dear. Notts have lost their first wicket. Morkel continues in his battle to be a pace bowler who takes wickets at the newly named (by me) Bunsen Bridge. It’s Slater and he got a duck. Hang on …. eight extras in a scores of 24???

Charles Anderson with the Kiwi view from Nelson (where I once spent a lovely night in 2002).

Ali went to the press conferences of two of the smartest and best human beings in cricket: Kane Williamson and Eoin Morgan.

Rawlins has just hit the first six of the match. Off Parky. And there’s another one on its way – thumps into the boundary boards but four this time. And another . He’s looking in super touch actually.

Also – much bloody brilliant reading in the Guardian today about that miraculous event from yesterday. Still can’t believe it.

Barney:

and Geoff:

Parky is on, and there is simultaneously a high-pitched squeal from the watching school kids. What can you say?

I love how Notts are still encouraging people to watch the Live Feed.

Bye-bye Ben Brown. Head is down, bat held upside down, he walks off the pitch. Sussex 39 for four.

Surrey have declared: 224 for nine. Ravi Ashwin 12-144. Notts need 349 to win – shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Geoff’s back: “You might well think I was being harsh about Stokes but surely the difference between benefitting from or negating the ricochet advantage was also the difference between being the hero of the hour or a hero for the ages.” Possibly, but wouldn’t he by becoming the hero for the ages, also be making a selfish decision for his team? Tricky one. For further discussion.

Meanwhile, Sussex are now 37 for 3; Alastair Cook has passed fifty in Essex’s 117 for one; Denly was out for 154 – Kent 369-4; two more wickets for Ravi Ashwin, who has now got 12 wickets in the game; and Maharaj more than doing a job for Yorkshire! Somerset 108 for seven. Davies still there 33 not out.

Sussex lose another I’m afraid. Tick-tock, tick-tock, there’s no stopping this Lancs bowling attack against this batting line-up. Lots of school children here to see it anyway. Wells lbw Onions 0. Sussex 29-2.

“Good morning Tanya!”

Good morning Geoff!

“Nice to get back to proper cricket.One thing about yesterday’s doubly tied game: I’ve seen several approving comments about Stokes asking for the ricochet overthrows to be chalked off. Given that couldn’t happen, why didn’t he then simply block a ball or two in recompense? That would have been sporting.And as it now transpires that it should have been five not six runs for the overthrow incident, wouldn’t sporting decorum require England to forfeit the ‘victory’? (PS I have no Kiwi affiliations.).”

Ooooh, Geoff that’s harsh. Ask a man like Stokes to block a couple of balls as the country roars him on and his teammates are sitting in the dressing room?

Lancashire make an early breakthrough – Chopra caught behind off Richard Gleeson from the fourth over of the day.

And reports from Chelmsford!

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford Essex 245 (Cook 84; Rhodes 5-17) and 73-1 v Warwickshire 161 (Siddle 5-33)

Ageas Bowl: Hampshire 409-9 dec (Organ 100, Rossouw 92; Stevens 5-68) v Kent 319-3 (Denly 138 not out)

Trent Bridge: Notts 116 (Virdi 8-61) v Surrey 240 (Ashwin 6-69) and 184-7 (Smith 57; Ashwin 4-64)

Headingley: Yorkshire 520 (Ballance 111, Kohler-Cadmore 102, Brook 101; Bess 4-130) v Somerset 76-4

DIVISION TWO

Riverside: Durham 212 (Eckersley 50, Raine 78 not out) and 26-0 v Worcestershire 151 (Rushworth 4-28)

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 171 (Lloyd 67; Helm 5-53; Roland-Jones 4-45) v Middlesex 384 (Malan 166; Carey 4-54) and 189-5

Old Trafford: Lancashire 494-6dec (Jones 88, Vilas 132 not out) v Sussex 127 (Parkinson 6-23) and 15-0

Chesterfield: Day 2: Derby 34-1 v Northants 342 (Bavuma 134)

Cheltenham: Day 1: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire

I’ve just seen a tweet from John Lewis congratulating the England cricket team! And so many, many, many more from Tooting to Auckland and three times round the world. The Black Caps too – what grace, what dignity. Kane Williamson is an incredible human being.

I hope that Jacob Rees Mogg one day learns that joy is an emotion to be savoured not twisted.

In a straw poll of the playground this morning, the three people I spoke to were talking about the cricket, none of them usually watch it. Is this a moment?

A word of quiet congratulation here to the ECB. For all their faults it was their vision and they ran with it. Thank god Sky decided at the last minute to lend their rights to Channel four.

Oh help, the umpires are walking out and I haven’t done the start of play scores…

The happiest of mornings this beautiful Monday. I’m running behind, but I guess you might be desperate to chat. So I’ll open the blog now …. all yours!