Key events
Derbyshire’s last pair are making Guocestershire sweat, they’ve now added 30 and have pushed to a lead of 30.
Record 21st century at The Oval
To keep the somnolent Oval crowd from dozing, Westley is slapping the Surrey attack around – but no more as he’s brilliantly caught by a diving Sibley just in front of my nose for 136. Lawrence the wicket taker.
Some 15,544 people have come through The Oval gates this match, which is a record 21st century CC attendance here, beating the 14,952 who came for the game against Essex last year for the festival of red ball cricket. How do they do it, you wonder? The working from The Oval idea has gone viral, also a push to young people, stressing on social media how central The Oval is and how easy it is to get to.
This year’s red ball festival game is against Notts, beginning August 20.
A hundred for Tom Westley!
A warm afternoon ripple of Oval applause as Tom Westley eases to his century with a four, and follows up with two more in succession off Tom Lawes. Essex lead by 119, this partnership with Elgar an easy 160.
But a breakthrough at The County Ground where Will Williams has sneaked through Luis Reece’s defences, out for 50, after a 23 over partnership with Zak Chappell. Derby 216-8, trail by one. Actually, make that nine down as Shoaib Bashir nudges to second slip for two.
Durham are creeping up on that Lancashire target, runs needed now below 200. Gay and Bedingham have added 107 for the third wicket, the new ball a long sigh away.
Mickey Arthur joins England’s new County Insight Group
Ali with the news that Arthur will join Richard Dawson, Alan Richardson and Anthony McGrath on Rob Key’s new panel.
Asa Tribe has another chance to put his hand up for that England opener’s spot. Sibley and HH have so far made hundreds this round, but the door may have gently shut on them. Glamorgan 26 for one.
Tom Westley eases to fifty with a drive to the rope. Soporific crowd, gentle cricket. Essex 114-1.
And hello Jonathan Clover, who has been mulling over yesterday’s discussion of Surrey’s Test-player filled side.
“Yorkshire in 1955 had eight Test cricketers (past and present at the time of the game) in their side. For example, in the fixture v Somerset on May 14th the side included: Hutton, Lowson, Close, Watson, Yardley Wardle Trueman and Appleyard, and in the following home match (25.5.55) the same group, but substituting Illingworth for Hutton.
“I suspect (though not checked) that Yorkshire teams of 1960s could have had same number.”
When I was doing a lunchtime circuit of The Oval I came across a giant portrait of Hutton made out of bricks, I’m guessing to celebrate his 364 here in 1938.
Cam Steel retires
Rotten news from The Oval. Cam Steel, who won three Championship titles with Surrey, has been forced to retire after failing to recover from an ankle injury he picked up in 2024 going for a run on Tooting Common. Steel underwent surgery in February last year, and a further operation in September, but wasn’t able to fully recover.
“Playing cricket for a living, and particularly for Surrey, has been the best time of my life,” said Steel. “The last 18 months have been frustrating, and I’m gutted to be retiring on medical grounds. Cricket had become something I was watching, rather than doing, with too much time in the Oval’s windowless gym and not enough time out in the middle. I’ve always prided myself on working hard and doing everything I can to improve, and I gave my all to get back on the park. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
“Surrey have always encouraged me to be unapologetically myself, and I’m hugely grateful to the club, the players and the members for their support throughout my time here. Thank you to the medical staff for sticking with me through every grumpy calf raise and setback, and to the coaches, whose shoulders and backs survived years of throwdowns. Mostly, thank you to the lads for their friendship and support. A special thank you to Gareth Batty for his backing, opportunities and limitless time, and to Alec Stewart for taking a chance on me in 2021 and bringing me to the best club in the world. Who knew the Gaffer was watching Western Australian grade cricket?”
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 440 and 3-0 v Leicestershire 586-7dec
Trent Bridge: Notts 279 and 412-4 v Warwickshire 459
The Oval: Surrey 472 v Essex 409 and 92-1
Headingley: Yorkshire 511 v Sussex 502 and 159-4
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 281 and 179-7 v Gloucestershire 498
Riverside: Durham 295 and 99-2 v Lancashire 370 and 260-9dec Durham need 237 to win
New Road: Worcestershire 447 BEAT Kent 196 and 249 by an innings and two
Derbyshire are down and nearly out, 177-7, still trail Gloucs by 40. If Gloucestershire do manage to winkle out the last three, it will leave Kent the only club in Div 2 not to have a win under their belt.
How are Durham doing in their run-chase? Hmmm, better than they were at 46-2. Emilio Gay (26) and David Bedingham (24) are rebuilding. Durham 88-2, need another 248. A wicket each for Mitch Stanley and George Balderson.
Leicestershire declare 586-7
A lead of 146 on a featherbed pitch should mean this game potters into a draw, but you never know…
Gus Atkinson returns for a pre-lunch blast at the pavilion end.
Arrive train-belatedly at The Oval, to discover that Tom Westley was dropped off Matt Fisher’s first ball. He roars an lbw appeal, both Westley and the ump are uninterested.
And at Headingley, George HIll has removed nightwatchman Carlson. Sussex, three down, lead by 61.
100 for Jonny Tattersall
Tattersall joins in the Sophia Gardens run glut, with a playful 112 before Kiran Carlson, who has toiled through 27 overs, has him caught for 112. Leicestershire 542-6 have a lead of 102 over Glamorgan.
And another one down for Derbyshire, Andersson for a two-ball duck to Will Williams, who is having quite a game.
Good and bad news for Derbyshire fans – Matthew Montgomery has 50, but nightwatchman Ben Aitchison is out. Derbys 125-4, still trail Gloucs by 92.
An early wicket at The Oval, that man Atkinson easing into his bowling boots. Tall Paul lbw for three, Essex 25 for one and still in arrears.
Ignore me, comments are up and running.
Durham have the biggest test this morning, a rampaging Jimmy Anderson. Lancs have a week off next week so he can give it his all.
To those hoping to chat BTL, fingers crossed we will have comments up soon.
Six games safely underway, the sun still smiling.
It seems Joe Root’s batting had more than just CCLive! smiling. Last night Sussex coach Paul Farbrace told the reporters network: “One or two of our young batters who have aspirations to play international cricket got to watch Rooty close up, how he scores off good balls and punishes the bad ones.”
Also enjoyed his comment on Tom Price. “He’s twisted his ankle, but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone twist an ankle doing a long barrier. When they did that at Under 13s level, he must have had a week off that week. He’ll be ok.”
Search for a (Surrey) state school superstar
This looks good. If you have or know a child from a state school background in Surrey, point them in the direction of Twenty20 Community Cricket. They are looking for a ‘state school superstar’ from boys in years 4–6 and girls in years 7–9 . The winners will get a full bursary place at the Twenty20 Community Cricket academy.
The competition consists of a skills assessment (bowling accuracy, catching consistency, shot selection, agility and athleticism) and then a hard-ball match. For more details and to register, see here.
Sunday’s round-up
Sabastian Sawe may have crossed the marathon finishing line in under two hours, but things were more sedate a couple of miles away at the Oval where Dom Sibley escorted Surrey towards parity and beyond. He spent nearly 20 minutes on 99 before reaching his first hundred of the year, though shortly afterwards was the unlucky recipient of a Sam Cook cracker. Dan Lawrence leapt to an entertaining 125. Surrey finished with a lead of 63 and Essex saw off the final nine overs of the day. Surrey had promised free entry to any marathon runners but there was no sign of medals.
Worcestershire duly bulldozed Kent, an innings-and-two-run flattening at New Road. Kent needed 231 to avoid an innings defeat and were soon in the soup at 38 for three, Tom Taylor (5 for 56) the destroyer. Zak Crawley dug in, but was eventually out, driving, for 31. Chris Benjamin (77) and Keith Dudgeon (41) could not quite force Worcestershire to bat again. Kent are yet to pick up a batting point, and have lost Ben Compton with a dislocated finger.
Joe Root purred into action at Headingley, in his first runout of the year. However, it was a surprise when he nibbled at Henry Crocombe and was out for 96. Sam Whiteman collected his maiden century for Yorkshire, who inched to a lead of nine. Sussex then lost two evening wickets.
Haseeb Hameed (115) and Ben Duckett (93) propped up Nottinghamshire as they followed-on against Warwickshire. Duckett’s dashing 93 was his second half-century of the game.
Matthew Potts reeled through Lancashire’s top order, leaving them 72 for six, but two Durham old boys, Michael Jones (72) and Paul Coughlin (100) manned the lifeboats. Durham need 336 to win.
Winless Gloucestershire can sleep on the chance of breaking their drought after forcing Derbyshire to follow-on at The Racecourse Ground.
On a featherbed at Cardiff, it was Leicestershire’s turn for batting practice, with only four wickets falling all day.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 440 v Leicestershire 500-5
Trent Bridge: Notts 279 and 310-4 v Warwickshire 459
The Oval: Surrey 472 v Essex 409 and 19-0
Headingley: Yorkshire 511 v Sussex 502 and 31-2
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 281 and 117-3 v Gloucestershire 498
Riverside: Durham 295 v Lancashire 370 and 260-9dec Durham need 336 to win
New Road: Worcestershire 447 BEAT Kent 196 and 249 by an innings and two runs.
Preamble
Good morning! It’s another beautiful one, lilac blossoms and stick-gathering birds. After Kent were rolled over yesterday, all eyes on Chester le Street, Derby and Trent Bridge, with the others looking likely to drift towards draws.