Key events
BBC Rewind
I’m sure most of you have seen this, but just in case: there are umpteen cricket clips in this new BBC digital archive. Here, for example, is one for the Worcestershire fans.
Mind you, I’ve just realised that if you search for ‘Geoff Boycott’ you get an interview with ‘Geoff Capes’. I bet Beefy wouldn’t have run him out deliberately.
Fantasy update (SFW)
Good Morning Rob, as well. If may trouble the blog with a quick plug, the usual fantasy site has just opened up games for the Royal London One Day Cup, and that other competition with all the crisps.
Gloucs v Hants
There’s a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in Cheltenham, so Hampshire might have their work cut out taking the final six wickets (and knocking off however many runs they need).
Question for today Who is the most beautiful player you have watched for your county? Not the best, the most aesthetically pleasing.
I’ll start. As a Kent supporter, there’s only one answer: Carl Llewellyn Hooper.
You can email your thoughts or chat in the comments section. In fact, you lot should probably be telling me how this thing works.
Morning all.
Haseeb Hameed x Bazball
Hameed has already been scoring at a decidedly sprightly rate this season.
I’d kind of like to see one member of the England top six be an inveterate, uncompromising grafter, serenely plodding away while fireworks explode all around him. Still there on 68 off 203 as Stokes launches a mahoosive six to win the game.
That’s an excellent point about Haseeb’s strike rate this season it’s 63.06 in the Championship, as against a career strike rate of 40.00.
I don’t want to get carried away – his recall last year was miserably premature and, even if they do drop Zak Crawley during the South Africa series, I hope they give Haseeb more time. Despite being in our lives and hearts for what feels like forever, he’s still only 25.
Matt Quinn’s school of lower-order batting
There’s also a men’s ODI between England and South Africa at Old Trafford this afternoon. Yeah, about that.
England clinched the multi-format series against South Africa with an emphatic win in the first T20 last night. Sophia Dunkley batted beautifully in her new role as opener, and Raf Nicholson had the pleasure of waatching.
Yesterday’s round-up
Daniel Harris
Surrey, top of Division One, look likely to extend their advantage after another dominant day at the Oval. Daniel Worrall’s 5-66 – giving him match figures of 11-122 – as Essex collapsed from 130-3 to 208 all out. Chasing 161 to win, Surrey ended the day on 85-2.
Second-placed Hampshire looked in similarly good shape after asking Gloucestershire to follow-on 256 behind. But Miles Hammond’s 109 not out helped reduce the deficit to 65, and with weather forecast for tomorrow, a draw looks likely.
Behind them, Lancashire are locked in a tremendous fight with Northants thanks, in the first instance, to Will Williams’ fifer – which included three wickets in five balls. Needing 278 to win, they closed on 192-5 with Josh Bohannon 92 not out.
Elsewhere in the upper echelon, Somerset lead Yorkshire by 373 and will presumably declare overnight to try and manufacture a win. Meanwhile, at Edgbaston, Joe Denly made 141 as Kent set Warwickshire 325, but tomorrow’s forecast is poor.
In Division Two, Brooke Guest’s hundred could not prevent Notts from inviting Derbyshire to follow-on 300 runs behind. But with the deficit reduced to 221 without the loss of any second-innings wickets, the league leaders have work to do if they’re to force victory.
Otherwise, the matches at Lord’s and Grace Road look likely to be drawn. Replying to Sussex’s 523, Middlesex were dismissed for 485 with John Simpson making 109, while Leicestershire – whose 584 included 156 from Wiaan Mulder– made little headway against Glamorgan, who closed on 111-2.
Middlesex v Sussex
When Selve talks about bowling, we should all listen. Or read, in this case.
Watched a young left armer Brad Currie bowl beautifully for Sussex yesterday on a very good batting pitch. Thoroughly deserved his 6 wickets .
— Mike Selvey #StandWithUkraine (@selvecricket) July 22, 2022
Check out the Wasim Akram tribute inswinger. Pure summer 1992, even down to the camera following the ball when the stumps have been detonated.
Start-of-play scores
DIVISION ONE
Cheltenham Gloucestershire 201 & 191-4 (f/o) v Hants 457
The County Ground Northants 235 & 174 v Lancs 132 & 192-5 (target 278)
Taunton Somerset 424 & 225-6 v Yorkshire 276
The Oval Surrey 319 & 85-2 (target 161) v Essex 271 & 208
Edgbaston Warwickshire 225 & 28-2 (target 325) v Kent 165 & 384-9d
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground Derbyshire 318 & 79-0 (f/o) v Nottinghamshire 618-8d
Lord’s Middlesex 485 v Sussex 523
Grace Road (day three) Leicestershire 584 v Glamorgan 111-2
Preamble
<Big Brother fella> Day four, except at Grace Road, and the top three in Division One are hunting victory.
The unbeaten leaders Surrey will resume on 81 for two at the Kia Oval, needing 161 to beat Essex. At Cheltenham, Hampshire are in a dominant position after making Gloucestershire follow on; and at the County Ground, Lancashire need 86 more runs to complete a memorable comeback against Northamptonshire.</Big Brother fella>
Yep, hello and welcome to today’s county blog. Tanya, Jim and the Daniels are away. But I’m here, proudly performing the same role as Alan Igglesden at the Oval in 1989.
The weather forecast is mixed – heatwaves are so earlier this week – so there are likely to be interruptions in some of the games. Which is fine, as it gives us more time to chat giddily about what Haseeb Hameed x Bazball might mean for our serotonin levels.
I shan’t prattle on any longer as there is much to do. Let’s proceed directly to the start-of-play scores.