A email drifts in. Hello Tim Maitland at (I think) North Marine Road.
”The spinners should get some nice drift at Scarborough this morning.
”This from Bridlington, 20 miles down the coast.
“As far as I can tell from G****e Maps, the pitch at North Marine Road seems to be aligned NNW-to-SSE, so the westerly winds should be cross winds from both ends.
“The Beeb weather forecast claims the 16C temperature at start of play will feel like 16C. Try telling that to the hardy souls desperately hugging their cups of Bovril for warmth.”
Positive news here on a dedicated fund to boost match fees for Test cricket. Be nice to see a dedicated climate fund too, as recommended by the Hit for Six report.
Updated
Flintoff Jr off the mark for Lancashire but Surrey make hay
Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of Andrew, celebrated his GCSE results with a debut first-class innings for Lancashire.
Flintoff, batting at four, strolled out at 33 for two, Lancashire’s youngest first-class cricketer, all wonderfully familiar gait and rush of the bat. A juicy drive and a timely pull for four, plus a couple of lucky moments, were enough to get the juices flowing till he was caught at backward point for 32 to his first ball after lunch.
Surrey continued to run through an inexperienced Lancashire lineup, with half the team 23 or under, and they were bowled out for 204, with four wickets for Jordan Clark and three for Dan Worrall. Rory Burns and Dom Sibley then whisked Surrey to 83 without loss before rain stopped play. The day had started with a minute’s silence in memory of Surrey’s Graham Thorpe.
More youthful brilliance at Chester-le-Street, where 19-year-old Ben McKinney panned a gorgeous 121 in his just his second first-class match for Durham. McKinney, a former England Under-19s captain and part of the Lions team that beat Sri Lanka last week, was ruthless on the Nottinghamshire bowlers, reaching his hundred with a peachy cover drive and off just 117 balls. Once he had departed, Alex Lees picked up the baton, reaching a more pedestrian, but just as valuable, 145.
The seagulls swooped on breezy North Marine Road, where Tom Alsop’s 84 held the fort for Sussex in a crucial Division Two promotion battle. Australia’s Daniel Hughes collected 53. Jonny Bairstow was shipshape behind the stumps in his first Yorkshire Championship appearance of the season.
Derbyshire’s Zak Chappell ripped through Glamorgan with six for 47; Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones took three wickets as Northamptonshire struggled; Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell and Michael Burgess made half-centuries against Somerset; Ian Holland built a hundred against Gloucestershire and Worcestershire’s Joe Leach’s six for 52 demolished Kent.
Updated
A day for youthful brilliance as the Championship returned, with a fabulous century for Ben McKinney, a promising debut for Rocky Flintoff and a frisky 60 for Rehan Ahmed. We’ll be back tomorrow to chew the fat as the final stages of the Championship start to chew into shape. Have a lovely evening, bye!
Close of play scores
DIVISION ONE
New Road: Worcestershire 137-2 v Kent 171
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 277-6 v Somerset
The Oval: Surrey 83-0 v Lancashire 204
Southampton: Hampshire v Essex No play on Thursday
Chester-le-Street: Durham 393-5 v Nottinghamshire
DIVISION TWO
Merchant Taylor’s School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire 167-7
North Marine Road: Yorkshire v Sussex 187-9
County Ground: Derbyshire 119-2 v Glamorgan 168
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire 291-7
And with Lees just out for 145 at Chester-le-Street; Surrey storming along to 81-0 against Lancashire; Worcestershire quickly catching-up Kent; Warwickshire, 194-6, struggling against Somerset; rain at Merchant Taylor’s, Sussex struggling at Scarborough, Derbyshire two down and bad light sparing Gloucestershire at Bristol, time for me to write up for the paper. Do chat on below the line.
A hundred for Ian Holland, fifty for Rehan Ahmed
Holland holding Leicestershire together, his century coming off 170 balls. Rehan Ahmed adding some sparkle, reaching a run-a-ball fifty with a six. Leics 238-4 at Bristol.
Updated
A hundred for Alex Lees!
A belated back pat for Alex Lees – 136 not out, his third century of the season -as Nottinghamshire toil on at Chester le Street. three batting points already in the bag for Durham.
Great to see seagull cam at Scarbrough on the live stream, and what looks like a good crowd. The wind rippling Thompson’s shirt as he jogs to the crease. Sussex 145-6.
Sussex wobbling in the late afternoon at Scarborough, now six down for 138. Tom Alsop unbeaten on 50 but leaking partners.
Rain has arrived at Merchant Taylor’s school – where Northants are stretching towards 150. Three for TRJ, Emilio Gay the top scorer, and sixth out, for 42. Sanderson and McManus have added a valuable unbeaten 36 for the seventh wicket.
Aspinwall, who bowled so well at Southport earlier this year against Ben Stokes, today running in against Rory Burns at The Oval. Surrey 31-0.
Gloucestershire fire out Peter Handscomb cheaply, lbw for five. But Ian Holland still hanging around, unbeaten on 74. Leics 161-4.
At the County Ground, Derbyshire 17-0 are (so far) finding it easier to bat than Glamorgan (168 all out) did. Still time for some Mason Crane magic though.
Warwickshire wobbling just before tea , with two quick wickets for Somerset’s Josh Davey including Yates for 69. Warwickshire 144-5 at sandwiches.
TEA: Somerset in the ascendancy as josh Davey strikes twice before the break! 📈
— Somerset Cricket 🏆 (@SomersetCCC) August 22, 2024
Warwickshire 144/5 🏏#WARvSOM #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/cYLEPJ3KrH
Play abandoned for the day at Southampton
And more frustration ahead for Essex and Hampshire as rain is forecast overnight as well.
Updated
Tea time-ish scores
DIVISION ONE
New Road: Worcestershire v Kent 171
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 140-3 v Somerset
The Oval: Surrey v Lancashire 204
Southampton: Hampshire v Essex No play on Thursday
Chester-le-Street: Durham 265-3 v Nottinghamshire
DIVISION TWO
Merchant Taylor’s School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire 113-6
North Marine Road: Yorkshire v Sussex 99-4
County Ground: Derbyshire v Glamorgan 168
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire 139-3
Alex Lees nearing his century as Durham continue to thunder through Championship attacks, this time Nottinghamshire’s – 257-3. And at The Oval, Lancashire are all out for 204 as Williams goes for a golden duck. Four wickets for Clark, three for Worrall, two for McKerr and one for Curran.
Second placed Essex will be gnashing their teeth as the rain continues to fall at Southampton. The gap between them and leaders Surrey at the start of the day 23 points. Surrey, meanwhile, already have eight Lancs wickets in their pockets.
Six wickets for Joe Leach are Kent are dismissed for 171
Kent digesting their effort as they take tea at New Road. We soon get to see what West Indian fast bowler Akeem Jordan, 29, signed up in a bid to avoid relegation, makes of county cricket. He has taken 67-wickets in 19-First-Class games for Barbados, as well as featuring in the Caribbean Premier League for the Barbados Royals and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
On
Make that eight….as Tom Hartley edges behind…
Lancs now seven down, Worrall (3-24) has lost none of his early season magic.
While Root and Brook save England from an attack of the Fernandos at Old Trafford, Coad and Thompson are chipping away at Sussex – 76-3 -_at Scarborough.
Warwickshire have just lost their second wicket, Rhodes for 22, against Somerset at Edgbaston, 101-2. And still no play at the Rose Bowl.
I make a cup of tea, and both Lancashire (Venkatesh Iyer, caught for four, 162-6) and Kent 157-8 (a fourth wicket for Leach) slip on the summer’s soft sand.
Key event
Kent have slipped from 73-0 to 143-7, the flourishing seventh-wicket partnership of 30 coming to an end when No.8(!) Matt Parkinson was caught for 13.
And Hurst has to go this time, a smashing catch scooped on the dive by McKerr at leg slip, Lancs 155-5.
A fourth dropped catch by Surrey! Matty Hurst has a slog and somehow Jordan Clark makes a dogs breakfast from a easy-mix sponge. Lancashire 149-4, Sam Curran the unlucky man again.
Updated
What a joyful moment:
BEN MCKINNEY!!!! OUTSTANDING.
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) August 22, 2024
A maiden FIRST-CLASS hundred for Ben & back-to-back Durham centuries. 💪#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/oKM10SFHC3
He was out shortly afterwards, for 121 off 129 balls, but bravo! Durham 192-1.
A hundred for Ben McKinney in just his second Championship appearance!
What a day for 19 year old McKinney – who has followed up captaining England U19s, and making his Lion’s debut this month, with a ton in only his second Championship match for Durham – reaching his hundred, off just 117 balls, with his 15th boundary, kissed through the covers.
Around the Division Two grounds
The rain has vanished, for now. Prithvi Shaw the only wicket for Middlesex (TRJ) at Merchant Taylor’s, Northants 45-1.
A wicket each for Yorkshire’s Thompson and Coad at Scarborough, Sussex, 43-2, being propped up by Australian Daniel Hughes (31 not out).
At the County Ground, Glamorgan have recovered from 32-6 to 87-7, Douthwaite just bowled by Derbyshire’s Pat Brown for 36.
And Rishi Patel and Ian Holland have made a good start for Leicestershire against Gloucestershire: 57-0.
Updated
Rocky Flintoff out for 32
Apologies for the lack of updates, juggling a few other work things. Flintoff junior’s post-lunch innings only lasted one ball as he was caught behind off Jordan Clark for 32. Lancashire currently 107-4 at The Oval.
England men v Zimbabwe and more....2025 schedule
One-off Test: England Men v Zimbabwe: 22–25 May - Trent Bridge
IT20 series: England Women v West Indies
1st T20: 21 May, Canterbury, 6:30pm
2nd T20: 23 May, Hove, 6:35pm
3rd T20: 26 May - Chelmsford, 2:30pm
ODI Series England Women v West Indies
1st ODI: 30 May - Derby, 1pm
2nd ODI: 4 June - Leicester 1pm
3rd ODI: 7 June - Taunton, 11am
England Men v West Indies - ODI Series
1st ODI: 29 May - Edgbaston, 1pm
2nd ODI: 1 June - Sophia Gardens, 11am
3rd ODI: 3 June - The Oval, 1pm
England Men v West Indies – IT20 Series
1st T20: 6 June - Chester-le-Street, 6.30pm
2nd T20: 8 June - Bristol, 2:30pm
3rd T20: 10 June - Southampton, 6:30pm
Five Test series: England Men v India
1st Test: 20–24 June - Headingley,
2nd Test: 2–6 July - Edgbaston
3rd Test: 10–14 July - Lord’s
4th Test: 23–27 July - Old Trafford
5th Test: 31 July – 4 August - The Oval,
England Women v India - IT20 Series
1st T20: 28 June - Trent Bridge, 2.30pm
2nd T20: 1 July - Bristol, 6.30pm
3rd T20: 4 July - The Oval, London, 6.35pm
4th T20: 9 July - Old Trafford, 6.30pm
5th T20: 12 July - Edgbaston, 6.35pm
England Women v India ODI Series
1st ODI: 16 July - Southampton, 1pm
2nd ODI: 19 July - Lord’s, 11am
3rd ODI: 22 July - Chester-le-Street, 1pm
ODI series: England Men v South Africa
1st ODI: 2 September - Headingley, 1pm
2nd ODI: 4 September - Lord’s, 1pm
3rd ODI: 7 September - Southampton, 11am
IT20 Series: England Men v South Africa
1st T20: 10 September - Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 6.30pm
2nd T20: 12 September - Old Trafford, 6.30pm
3rd T20: 14 September - Trent Bridge, 2.30pm
The public ballot for England Men’s and Women’s international fixtures will open on 29 August at most venues. Be the first to receive information about how to buy and gain priority access to tickets by signing up to ecb.co.uk/tickets/priority.
Lunchtime -ish scores
DIVISION ONE
New Road: Worcestershire v Kent 98-3
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 40-0 v Somerset
The Oval: Surrey v Lancashire 98-3
Southampton: Hampshire v Essex No play yet today
Chester-le-Street: Durham 121-0 v Nottinghamshire
DIVISION TWO
Merchant Taylor’s School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire No play yet today
North Marine Road: Yorkshire v Sussex 13-1
County Ground: Derbyshire v Glamorgan 32-6
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire 5-0
Flintoff removes his helmet and walks off (towering over Matty Hurst) unbeaten on 32, GCSE results presumably stuffed in his pocket somewhere. Lancs 98-3, lunch scores rounds the grounds to follow.
Play due to start at 1.15 at Old Trafford
Things will get underway at 1.15, with the afternoon session lasting till 4pm. The evening session will run 4.20-7pm – weather relenting.
Rocky rockets one past third slip … as elsewhere Durham rustle up a hundred without loss in their easy-breezy slam-bam way.
Swing and haul, Jordan Clark dispatched to the rope. Flintoff moves to 27.
The rain has abated at Edgbaston, where Somerset won the toss and are fielding (four Toms in their top five). Warwicks 9-0 from two overs.
And a wicket at The Oval…. but it’s not Flintoff! Bohannon chops on, Lancs 73-3.
Kent’s morning going rather downhill thanks to Joe Leach– Muyeye caught for a frisky 56, Bell Drummond for a four ball duck and Leaning for six. Ben Compton has stashed away ten from an hour and a half’s work. Kent 79-3.
And Flintoff pings Lawes, with a crack, and a rapid swing of the bat, for four. Lancs 66-2.
And Surrey shell another one! Flintoff dropped at third slip on 13.
In Division Two: rain at Merchant Taylor’s, rain at North Marine Road (Sussex 12-1), rain at Bristol (Leicestershire 5-0) ,rain at the County Ground, but not before Glamorgan produced a scorecard for the ages at 32-6, with ducks for Kellaway, Northeast and Carlson. Zak Chappell 4-9.
Love this photo:
I know I posted this recently but seems apt today - two ladies brave the weather outside Old Trafford on the first day of the Ashes Test, July 8th 1938. As it was, the entire match was washed out, only the second time that had happened. The first was in 1890, also at Old Trafford pic.twitter.com/OdCuC1F7H9
— Historic Cricket Pictures (@PictureSporting) August 22, 2024
With an hour gone, and Rocky Flintoff still at the crease, a potter round the grounds…
In Division One: Muyeye and Compton making a good start for Kent v Worcestershire, Muyeye has hit eight fours in his 42 not out: 59-0.
Durham too, racing along, mostly thanks to Ben McKinney, 57-0 against Nottinghamshire. Olly Stone, six wicketless overs for 39.
And at The Oval, Lancashire 39-2, Bohannon just dropped on 13 at leg slip off the son of more cricketing royalty, Sam Curran. Rocky Flintoff five not out.
No play yet at Edgbaston or Southampton.
Updated
The Surrey stream currently being viewed through a wet/smeary lens, Dan Worrall giving Josh Bohannon a working over while Flintoff Jnr, tall and slim, watches from the other end. Lancs 36-2.
Rocky Flintoff to the crease!
In he comes, after the dismissal of Keaton Jennings for 12, off the mark with a lovely dab to the edge of the midwicket boundary.
There have been many tributes to Graham Thorpe over the last week, and Surrey remembered him with a minute’s silence at The Oval this morning. They also released this little tribute.
This week’s game is dedicated to the memory of Graham Thorpe 🤎 pic.twitter.com/rsB8bHmGf3
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) August 22, 2024
And this was Taha at an emotional Old Trafford yesterday:
For anyone with an eye on the Test, I can tell you that the drizzle, at least out of my window, has stopped. Rob has the updates from Old Trafford here:
An email drops – hello Tim Maitland!
“Hi Tanya
“Welcome back! It feels like the first day of term all over again, doesn’t it? Just looked at the weather radar and it doesn’t look like anyone’s going to escape the rain today.
”Except for me. I’m going to gulp down some char siu topped with poached eggs and soy sauce and head off to a pub quiz in Sai Kung.”
Lucky you! Would you like to take the Glamorgan top order (18-3) with you?
Lord's to host a women's Test - at last
The MCC have announced that Lord’s will, belatedly, host their first Women’s Test in the summer of 2026, with England taking on India. It will be 50 years since Rachael Heyhoe Flint first led a be-skirted England onto the pitch at NW8.
And after a six week wait, Tom Haines is the first Championship wicket to fall – lbw to Ben Coad up in Scarborough, where Jonny Bairstow is wearing the gloves.
Weather watch
Starts delayed at Edgbaston, Bristol, Southampton and Merchant Taylor’s. Dampness sniffing about. This is the Met office’s verdict: “Rain moving southeastwards throughout the day, with sunny spells and blustery showers following across the north and west. Very windy during the morning, but easing through the day. Rather cool for many.”
There are five rounds left in this summer’s competition, with the season due to end on Sunday September 29, and points mean prizes. Talking of which… good luck to anyone picking up GCSE results today – may your hard work be rewarded (and a few wild hunches too).
Meanwhile, and miserably, there is no broadcast deal in sight for England men’s autumn Test series against Pakistan.
Updated
It was six weeks ago that the Championship last flashed a bit of leg, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire taking the headlines after a thrilling run chase ended in a tie at Cheltenham. Since then, the Hundred and, in the shadows, the One-Day Cup have dominated the schedules. The latest on those big fat franchise bids here:
DIVISION TWO TABLE
1 Sussex 150 pts
2 Middlesex 127
3 Yorkshire 123
4 Leicestershire 115
5 Glamorgan 108
6 Gloucestershire 103
7 Northants 97
8 Derbyshire 78
DIVISION ONE TABLE
1 Surrey 157 pts
2 Somerset 134
3 Essex 128
4 Hampshire 120
5 Durham 102
6 Nottinghamshire 102
7 Lancashire 101
8 Warwickshire 96
9 Worcestershire 91
10 Kent 66
Rocky Flintoff and more
The Championship putting on its party dress as it dances back into the schedule. At The Oval, where thoughts will linger long with Graham Thorpe, 16 year old Rocky Flintoff is due to make his Lancashire Championship debut. Jonny Bairstow plays for Yorkshire at Scarborough, while Jordan Cox and Olly Stone have plenty to prove, and a tour place to play for, released by England to play for Essex and Nottinghamshire.
Preamble
Hello and welcome back! The skies may be cloudy (up north at least) but red ball cricket returns for its final late summer/early autumn hurrah – the run-up to the County Championship trophy.
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
New Road: Worcestershire v Kent
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Somerset
The Oval: Surrey v Lancashire
Southampton: Hampshire v Essex
Chester-le-Street: Durham v Nottinghamshire
DIVISION TWO
Merchant Taylor’s School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire
North Marine Road: Yorkshire v Sussex
County Ground: Derbyshire v Glamorgan
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire
Updated
