Key events
A third dropped catch of the morning, but I don’t think it will matter. In the time it took me to read the HPR, the Yorkies lost another wicket, a big one, Lyth caught by Ryan Patel at third slip. Yorks 126-5.
Even if Surrey win today, they won’t be awarded the trophy until the final game – which will be at Old Trafford.
HPR final recommendations
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Number of County Championship games to be cut from 14 to 10
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A Division One of six teams
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Dedicated windows for the One-Day Cup, T20 Blast and the Hundred.
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Start of the Championship to move to May
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Two Division Twos, with one promotion place decided by a play-off
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An April 50-over cup knock-out to involve minor counties
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The T20 Blast will consist of 10 games, reduced from 14, and will be a block from end of May to July
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The Hundred will take place in August, accompanied by red-ball festival cricket – that won’t count towards the Championship.
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FCC have to endorse the changes to the men’s domestic trophy – with a two-thirds decision needed
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The ECB board and exec endorse all recommendations. Seventeen recommendations in all – 15 of which fall to the ECB to implement including…
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trialling the Kookaburra ball
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A North v South game played overseas
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England Lions to focus on red-ball cricket
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A bonus points system in the CC to encourage positive cricket and better quality pitches.
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An increase in the diversity of people in high-performance roles.
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Just talking with Kevin Howells about how vital it is to finish in Division One this year, because no team in next season’s Div 2 will have a chance of finishing in Division One as there will be no promotion next year. The teams in Division One will battle it out for the six places that will make up the top division in 2024. So Division Two will have nothing to play for in 2023.
And this is an excellent, if sobering, read by Dan Gallan.
Andy’s latest missive from Pakistan.
Lyth square drives gorgeously for four.
Sussex’s season slipping towards an undignified end, now 9-4. Ibrahim the third batter to be lbw Raine for a duck.
Lyth possibly dropped in the slip cordon off the second over of the day – it would be helpful if Yorkshire could draw this out just a little bit…
Ahch, Kohler-Cadmore done by a Steel googly, stumps split.
Gatherings of people at Vauxhall tube station, and I followed a small snake of rucksacks up the Harleyford Road. Its sunny, hot even, and Cameron Steel has the ball for the first over of the day.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Lancashire 131 and 73 BEAT Essex 107 and 59 by 38 runs
Bristol: Gloucestershire 255 v Warwickshire 274 and 58-5
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire 57 and 105-4 v Kent 165 and 269. Hampshire need 273 to win
Taunton: Somerset 389 v Northants 184-6
The Oval: Surrey 333 v Yorkshire 179 and 89-2
DIVISION TWO
The Riverside: Durham 459-7dec v Sussex 162 and 6-3
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 550-5 v Derbyshire 135-5
Grace Road: Leicestershire 273-9 v Middlesex 297
New Road: Worcestershire 390 v Nottinghamshire 128 and 129-6
Wednesday’s round-up
A hat-trick from George Balderson snatched Lancashire victory and 19 points from a match played at triple-speed and with the foot down, door slammed shut and locked in just over four sessions at Chelmsford. Lancashire, who had started the day at 25 for six, slippered their way to 73, setting Essex a seemingly gettable 98 in as much time as they had to spare. But Essex slipped from 24 without loss to 59 all out, losing 10 wickets for 35 runs, as Balderson’s five for 14 and Will Williams’ four for 24 dislodged bails here and provided catching practice there. Shane Snater, who finished on the losing-side despite taking six for 10 in Lancashire’s second innings, had the consolation of a county cap. Essex were left to lick their wounds and give the pitch a long hard stare.
Surrey sleep with the Championship Trophy in touching distance after making Yorkshire follow-on at the Oval. Only Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Jonathan Tattersall could do much about Surrey’s imposing seam attack, consisting – for the first time this season – of Daniel Worrall, Tom Lawes, Jamie Overton and Kemar Roach. Following on, Finlay Bean got a snorter, and George Hill was done by some extra bounce from Overton just before stumps, leaving Yorkshire in a large hole.
If Surrey win, Hampshire would have to beat Kent to take the title race into the final round – but that looks unlikely after another chaotic day at the Rose Bowl. Jack Leaning kept Kent in the match with his second hundred of the season as the pitch flattened out. As dusk began to fall, Felix Organ, nightwatchman Keith Barker and Nick Gubbins joined Ian Holland back in the pavilion, leaving Joe Weatherley, unbeaten on 54, looking, weeping, at a mountainous 273 more runs for victory.
Gloucestershire’s Tom Price sliced through Warwickshire’s top-order as they were reduced to 58 for five in the battle of the Division One stragglers at New Road, while Craig Overton’s four for 25 left Northamptonshire in tatters at Taunton.
In Division Two, Glamorgan captain David Lloyd reached 313, the highest first-class score ever by a Welshman, and Nottinghamshire found themselves in the unfamiliar position of following on against Worcestershire.
Preamble
Good sunny morning! This is Surrey’s day, Surrey’s Championship – unless. Unless Yorkshire can rally and Tom Kohler-Cadmore prove to Somerset just what a prize they have won. Unless , down at The Rose Bowl, James Vince can play the innings of his life and carry Hampshire to the unlikely 273 more they need to beat Kent – as he so nearly did against Lancashire in the penultimate game of last year.
Pull up your chair and join us, it’s going be fun.