Key events
I’m going to have to start writing up for the paper – but do hang around for the denouement BTL.
Which leaves us with two – Glamorgan v Gloucestershire, where Ben Kellaway has an astonishing six for 105. Charlesworth and Murphy holding out – the Gloucs lead 100 runs.
And Kent v Northants, where Northants need just three more wickets for victory. Four wickets for Chahal, two for Harrison. Evison the unpickable bluetack.
Surrey DRAW with Durham
The Oval: Surrey 820-9 DRAW with Durham 362 and 262-0
Twin hundreds for Alex Lees and a highest Durham score for Emilio Gay twinkle Durham to an easy draw.
Surrey 15 points; Durham points
Hampshire DRAW with Worcestershire
Southampton: Hampshire 221 and 294-4 DRAW with Worcestershire 679-7dec
Unstinted effort from Worcestershire but well backed-to-the-wall Hampshire – especially Ben Brown (109 not out) supported by Tilak Varma and Liam Dawson.
Worcestershire 16 points, Hampshire
Somerset DRAW with Notts
Well played TKC – calculated aggression with 147 not out, and a stolid 24 in two and a half hours at a strike rate of 19.05 from Tom Abell. 29 overs unchanged from Patterson-White either side of lunch – four for 104.
Taunton: Somerset 379 and 238-4 DRAW with Nottinghamshire 509
Somerset 11 points, Nottinghamshire 12 points.
Sussex DRAW with Warwickshire
Warwickshire bat their way to safety with ease.
Hove: Sussex 533 DRAW with Warwickshire 415 and 260-4
Sussex 14 points, Warwickshire points.
Yorkshire beat Essex by ten wickets
Well played Yorkshire. Disciplined bowling on a turgid first day, a great fightback on the third and turned the screw efficiently today. Out of the relegation zone and beyond.
York: Yorkshire 459 and 41-0 BEAT Essex 368 and 131 BY 10 WICKETS
Yorkshire 20 points, Essex 3 points
150 for Emilio Gay!
And that is how you bat Surrey off your case.
County Championship structure
Just to bookmark where we are around next year’s structure.
The phase two engagement stage with the counties has come to a close, the Worcestershire website details all the options:
The steering group who have been in charge of the process (a number of county CEOs, the PCA and the ECB in an administrative role) will then decide on a maximum of three options to bring back to the counties – via ratification from the professional game committee. That’s expected to be late this week/early next week.
If there is no two-thirds majority from the counties, the status quo will remain. All to be decided before the CC restarts in September.
Bean and Lyth pat-a-cake their way through the first few overs.
Time for a brew, back shortly.
Tea-time scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 221 and 240-4 v Worcestershire 679-7dec
Taunton: Somerset 379 and 197-4 v Nottinghamshire 509
The Oval: Surrey 820-9 v Durham 362 and 185-0
Hove: Sussex 533 v Warwickshire 415 and 215-3
York: Yorkshire 459 v Essex 368 and 131 Yorkshire need 41 to win
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Lancashire 367 and 406-6dec BEAT Derbyshire 261 and 251 BY 261 RUNS
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 528 v Gloucestershire 380 and 194-4
Canterbury: Kent 566-8dec and 76-2 v Northamptonshire 722-6dec
Grace Road: Middlesex 534 BEAT Leicestershire 205 and 202 BY AN INNNINGS AND 127 RUNS
Yorkshire need 41 to win
Tea everywhere apart from at York…actually there too as well as Essex’s last man Ahmed is caught poking at four-wicket Jack White. Essex all out 131 – Yorks need 41 to win.
At Canterbury, where Northants declared with Saif Zaib on 196, Kent are two down. Compton and DBD readjust the guy-ropes.
100 for Tom Kohler-Cadmore!
A saucy little innings – four sixes, eight fours – while at the other end Somerset are digging in – Abell 16 not out off 67. Notts need to conjure something from the Taunton air.
Pepper goes to a shot he won’t want engraved on his tombstone. He departs chastened. A third wicket for White and sixth catch in the match for YJB.
Some nice quotes from stand-in captain Jimmy Anderson at Chesterfield, via the reporters network.
“It’s a very proud dressing room today. It’s been a tough season but I feel like over the last couple of games we’ve slowly turned the corner. We could easily have won at Blackpool last week when we put a really hard shift in and we’ve gone one better this week.
“I thought the efforts of the guys one to eleven were fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for any more. There have been some brilliant performances and we deserved that win.
“Four day cricket is hard work and sometimes you do have to soak up pressure. We didn’t soak it up particularly well that first morning but that can happen when the ball does a bit on day one but I thought the way we fought our way back into the game was outstanding.
“The moment we got an opportunity to sniff a switch in momentum we took it and in both games, Blackpool and here, we’ve tried to be positive when we could and I thought that showed throughout the game.”
Wow! Emilio Gay – 81 at nearly a run a ball at The Oval.
Looking a bit emptier at lovely Clifton Park today, as someone’s brolly in the temporary stand blows inside out. Young Noah Thain, yet to grab a run, batted very nicely in the first innings.
This was Raf’s report from yesterday, in another confident victory for India women.
Belatedly (because we got home at 1.30am!) here’s my report from yesterday.
Note that NSB may not be fit for Friday – she’s “being assessed”. https://t.co/iDUCfAC3T0
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) July 2, 2025
Ooops! Revis gets the big one as Jordan Cox secures his feet in concrete and swings like a frustrated younger brother at garden swingball. Jonny collects. Essex 107-7 – the lead just 16.
Fifty for Jordan Cox, 23 for Michael Pepper, Essex inch into three figures and positive runs – the lead ten. A hundred here would do Cox the world of good. In terms of Ashes tours and spare batters, he and James Rew and Jacob Bethell must be closest to the plane. Dan Lawrence’s time may have come and gone.
Lancashire BEAT Derbyshire by 261 runs.
At last! Morley wafts to Jimmy at fourth (?) slip and Wayne Madsen is stranded on on 95. Four wickets to Balderson, three for Bailey and an almost smiling Jimmy leads them off, captaincy suits him just fine. That first Championship win of the season comes on July 2, while Derbyshire lose their unbeaten record.
Chesterfield: Lancashire 367 and 406-6dec BEAT Derbyshire 261 and 251 BY 261 RUNS
Lancashire 22 points , Derbyshire 4
Tickner drives, stylishly to be fair, but just edges Bailey behind . A very slow trudge to the rope. Lancashire are one away!
Jimmy has the new ball. The square at Chesterfield is so brown, and im imagine prickly enough to discourage teenage trysts.
And at Taunton, a sweep shot does for James Rew – Liam Patterson-White pockets number four – a pleasing Kookaburra result for the ECB.
Emilio Gay isn’t hanging around at The Oval – five fours in his 30 not out. Surrey have already used five bowlers in nine overs.
An unsatisfactory lunch from the back of the fridge. A gust of wind at Chesterfield threatens to blow away the gazebo and George Bell. Possibly Fletch and Scott Read too. Derbyshire 242-8, can WAyne Madsen muster his first century against Lancashire before the denouement?
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 221 and 156-4 v Worcestershire 679-7dec
Taunton: Somerset 379 and 112-3 v Nottinghamshire 509
The Oval: Surrey 820-9 v Durham 362 and 27-0
Hove: Sussex 533 v Warwickshire 415 and 108-1
York: Yorkshire 459 v Essex 368 and 48-6
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 261 and 231-8 v Lancashire 367 and 406-6dec Lancs need two wickets
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 528 v Gloucestershire 380 and 108-3
Canterbury: Kent 566-8dec v Northamptonshire 722-6
Grace Road: Middlesex 534 BEAT Leicestershire 205 and 202 BY AN INNNINGS AND 127 RUNS
Wondered why Saif Zaib had been stranded on 196 for so long – it is raining at Canterbury. Scores round the grounds to follow.
Around the grounds:
At last a wicket at Southampton! Tilak Varma prods forward to Callum Parkinson and is snaffled at short leg, after an excellent 47. Hampshire 140-4.
They’ve taken an early lunch at Hove after bad light shortened the morning session. Warwicks 108-1, fifty for Al Davies.
Somerset lost Lammonby, flapping to midwicket, to give Patterson-White his third wicket. TKC (53 not out) is in attacking mode though, tucking into Farhan Ahmed with gusto. Somerset 102-3, trail by 28.
Broad (157) and Saif Zaib (196) are continuing to make the Kent fielders suffer, as Northants steam pass 700.
Essex in deep, deep trouble, after Ben Coad removes Harmer, and White sneaks through Critchley and Allison (brought back down to earth in this game) soon afterwards. Now 46-6
Wayne Madsen is still there, on 77, but Lancs are just three wickets away from that elusive win.
Durham all out
That didn’t take long. They will follow on, 458 behind, and with a minimum of 70 overs to survive. Mental fortitude the key here.
A wicket – two – at Chesterfield – and my TV watching has been interrupted by teenagers inexplicably wanting to watch England. Guest lbw to Green and, shortly afterwards, Andersson bowled by Balderson. Derbyshire are half out and, you’d imagine, Lancs’ work almost done.
An email! Hello Andrew Flintoff (not that one) “It looks like Anderson could still do a job for England, looking at how Woakes is bowling at Edgbaston.” (shhhh, don’t let Ali Martin hear you)
“It’s a shame his career was cut off when it did as he’s (barring a miracle) stuck on 991 international wickets for England (704 in Tests, 269 in ODIs and 18 in T20Is). As far as i can tell (and am willing to be corrected), only Warne and Murali have taken more than 1000 in total for their countries, so he’d have joined an exclusive club had he managed to winkle out 9 more.”
Six men in a semi-circle around Tilkak at the Rose Bowl as Finch thunders in. The pitch is hay yellow and late-summer worn. Hampshire 117-3 and haven’t lost a wicket in the first hour.
Derbyshire looking shoulder-rollingly comfortable here; time to switch over to Southampton, where loanee Callum Parkinson has the ball.
Plugged into the Lancs live-stream. Jimmy in long sleeves polishes and polishes the precious Kookaburra. Madsen carefully plays Balderson back. A maiden. Derbyshire 175 for three.
Rain at Canterbury
A wicket at Taunton (Dickson lbw Patterson-White, Somerset 18-2); rain at Canterbury – where Justin Broad, unbeaten on 122, was yesterday watched by his dad Neil who won a silver medal alongside Tim Henman in the men’s doubles at the 1996 Olympics. And play due to restart soon at York.
I’ve been reminded that the reason Dillon Pennington isn’t playing for Notts is that he received an automatic two-match suspension after picking up nine fixed penalty points within 24 months. The umpires reported his conduct during Notts v Yorks match in the last round.
The match referee found him guilty of “Throwing the ball at or near a player, umpire or another person in an inappropriate and dangerous manner.”
Delay at York
Covers on at Clifton Park where the rain hammers down.
Weather watch
There was heavy rain in Manchester last night, enough to make the ground smell gorgeously fresh on the morning dog walk. It could be a bit in and out round the grounds today.
The Met office says: A mixed morning, with sunny spells and showery rain. The rain could be heavy in the east, with perhaps the odd thundery downpour. Tending to become drier and sunnier later in the afternoon and into the evening. Fresher for many.
There’s a delayed start at The Oval, but everywhere else should get going on time.
Some reaction from Grace Road yesterday.
Middlesex acting captain Leus du Plooy: “The way the young guys, Noah and Nav, bought into our plans, was fantastic. There was definitely a lot of variable bounce and pace in the wicket and every now and then there was one that just shot up a little bit. We tried to keep the stumps in play a little bit more with the odd good bumper and Nav led the way there. He exploited that – then Noah today, it’s just exceptional. After six overs, still wanting the ball, then getting one of the best batters in the Championship, in the world, out. That is proper character and that’s what you want.
“It is a different challenge with the Kookaburra but I think actually Grace Road is one of the few grounds or wickets in the country that produces… a very good Kookaburra game. So compliments to the groundstaff for that.”
And Alfonso Thomas, Leicestershire head coach. “We took the decision to bowl first because we thought the pitch was going to get better. We left a lot of grass on it to get more pace but it was very dry underneath and we thought with the make-up of our team that bowling first was the best chance we had to go and win the game, to keep ourselves in it and hopefully have to chase a score on the last day.
“We were missing some players. You take out Holland, Scriven, Mike, Hull out of our team at the moment, that is going to leave a big hole in what’s a very small squad anyway.
“But I don’t want to make any excuses for it. Middlesex have outplayed us in every department. Sometimes it can be a good thing to have a bit of a kick up the backside, a bit of a reality check. It is okay to have a result like this, but it’s important that we address it and that we don’t bury our head in the sand.”
There is also some business going on at Edgbaston, where India have chosen to rest Jasprit Bumrah…
Tuesday’s round-up
Leicestershire dropped the form book in a puddle, tumbling to an innings defeat in three days. After Middlesex had flayed 534, Leicestershire collapsed to 204 and then 202, despite some stoical tail wagging. Naavya Sharma and Noah Cornwell, 19 and 20 and playing in only their third first-class games, finished with six and four wickets in the match.
Yorkshire’s Matthew Revis and Ben Coad bashed their highest first-class scores, turning the game on its head at York. Coad then grabbed two Essex second-innings wickets to set up an intriguing final day. Tom Taylor tickled Worcestershire towards victory over Hampshire while James Coles’ 150 and six wickets for Warwickshire off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli enlivened a hot day against Sussex at Hove.
Dan Worrall’s new ball brilliance gave Surrey a sniff of a chance against Durham, despite Alex Lees’ 125; Lancashire are on the brink of their first victory after a wonderful century from Ashton Turner against Derbyshire.
Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram, ingenu and veteran, made twin hundreds for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire as events at Sophia Gardens drifted towards a draw.
There were four hundreds for Northamptonshire at Canterbury – for Ricardo Vasconcelos, Justin Broad, Saif Zaib and Calvin Harrison. Zaib’s unbeaten 150 was his fifth hundred of a prolific season, while Harrison continued his campaign to become loan signing of the year.
Jack Leach toiled through 53 overs for Somerset, finishing with six for 121 as leaders Nottinghamshire built a lead of 130. The main architects were Jack Haynes (157) and Indian IPL star Ishan Kishan with a sparky 77. Somerset had one over to face before stumps, and nightwatchman Matt Henry chopped the final ball into his stumps.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 221 and 86-3 v Worcestershire 679-7dec
Taunton: Somerset 379 and 4-1 v Nottinghamshire 509
The Oval: Surrey 820-9 v Durham 343-9
Hove: Sussex 533 v Warwickshire 415 and 88-1
York: Yorkshire 459-8 v Essex 368 and 33-3
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 261 and 139-3 v Lancashire 367 and 406-6dec
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 528 v Gloucestershire 380 and 12-0
Canterbury: Kent 566-8dec v Northamptonshire 624-6
Grace Road: Middlesex 534 BEAT Leicestershire 205 and 202 BY AN INNNINGS AND 127 RUNS
Preamble
Good morning! This is our last day of championship cricket for a while, so come huddle in for some final day japes. Middlesex duly pulled off their heist at Grace Road yesterday, so all eyes to Chesterfield and Southampton – and, possibly, York. Elsewhere, the run-fests look certain to trickle into five o’clock draws. Play starts at 11am.