Key events
Spectators drift onto the Oval outfield like a wave onto the sand. Time to grab some sunshine to warm up, back soon.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 91-4 v Leicestershire
Trent Bridge: Notts v Warwickshire 96-3
The Oval: Surrey v Essex 128-0
Headingley: Yorkshire v Sussex 103-3
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire 70-2
Riverside: Durham v Lancashire 118-3
New Road: Worcestershire v Kent 65-3
Bad news for Asa Tribe fans, who has just lost his off stump for 24 to Josh Hull. Glamorgan 66 for three.
Dean Elgar is currently tucking into Matt Fisher with white linen napkin tied around his neck, reaches his first fifty of the year with a wristy steer to the rope. Essex 106-0.
Athers also pointed out this morning that only one Surrey bowler is currently averaging under 30 per wicket – teenage Ralphie Albert. Jordan Clark, Tom Lawes and Matt Fisher are averaging 41.66, 54.20 and 58.0.
A couple of young openers to keep an eye on this round: Asa Tribe, currently 23 not out, against Rehan-less Leicestershire (53-2); and Ben McKinney, currently in the field watching Lancashire race to 102-2.
Giant Josh Tongue makes the breakthrough at Trent Bridge, Rob Yates caught at simply at first slip off a brutish ball for 18. Warwicks 67-2.
This Oval pitch looks tasty for the batters. A lovely clunk bat on ball, as Walter drives Fisher through the covers, chased by unidentified fielder in chunky-knit Surrey short-sleeved jumper. Essex 80-0.
Robin Smith Memorial service
Hampshire have announced a memorial service for Robin Smith at Winchester Cathedral on Friday, June 12. Smith, who died in December, aged just 62, played for Hampshire for 21 years, 1982-2003, as well as earning 62 Test caps for England. A live stream of the service will be available.
Thanks to Tim Maitland who has been keeping an eye on events at Headingley and points out a double wicket maiden for Jack White – Sussex 48-2.
Zac Crawley was making merry for Kent. No more, caught for 27, his highest score of the season. Kent are 38 for three, with the unfortunate Beyers Swanepoel in the wickets on his belated Worcestershire debut.
In Division Two, slow going for Gloucestershire (22-1) and Kent (21-1) – though Crawley has raced to 17. Lancashire are scoring at five an over against Durham but have lost Balderson for 14 and Bohannon for 5. Captain Jennings screws in his boots for a familiar stint.
A good morning for batting? You didn’t need to worry about Warwicks, Phil Russell, they’re charging along, now 44-1. But Tongue does have the ball. The opening pairs for Essex (35-0) and Sussex (37-0) are still together, while things are trickier for Glamorgan, 16-1, Byrom out to the indefatigable Ian Holland.
Elgar drives Atkinson for four, oh so elegantly, next ball he’s beaten, next ball an elaborate leave. The light blue Oval seats are already gently filling up with bodies, hunching towards the sun; and, poetically, the pavilion clock is stuck at 4.25.
Joe Ro0t returns for Yorkshire
But we’ll have to wait as YJB won the toss and has inserted Sussex – currently 9-0.
“Yorkshire have been on the back foot for all but the first 14 overs of the season haven’t they?” writes Tim Maitland. “A “losing” draw at Glamorgan, where, despite having the home side 28-4, they spent most of the match behind the eight ball and then that 214-run defeat against Hampshire at Headingley, which the Yorkshire Post reports got this scathing verdict from Anthony McGrath: If we keep putting out performances like that it doesn’t matter if we’re playing in the Bradford Sunday School League because we’re going to lose.”
”I can’t pretend to have any experience of Bradford Sunday School League cricket, but if it’s anything like the rest of Bradford cricket it’s probably a pretty high standard… and yet I get the feeling that McGrath’s words were not intended as a compliment.
”Fortunately this Root kid they’re bringing in, is a bit handy. His last four matches? 111, 75,61 and 160 (and a 6, probably just to prove that he is human). Those were in Colombo and Sydney and January must seem a long time ago and feel a lot different to 9C at Headingley.
”He’s starting the season on 19,089 runs, apparently (I haven’t personally counted them all). Would you bet against him passing 20,000 before September’s done?”
An email drops, with a spring trill. Hello Phil Russell!
“As a Bears fan I’m nervous about what Josh Tongue and Co are going to do to our top order in the first session. Our last four innings have seen us start 22-3, 23-3, 25-3 and 14-3. No surprise Notts decided to field first!”
Just had a peek – is 13-1 good news? Pennington and Hutton have opened the bowling, Tongue pawing the earth.
Two-year suspension for Doug Bracewell
Former Essex cricketer Doug Bracewell has been suspended for two years by the Cricket Regulator for “an Adverse Analytical Finding for the presence of cocaine and its Metabolite, benzoylecgonine” when he was tested on the 25th September 2025. Bracewell has accepted the sanction. The suspension lasts until 24 November 2027.
Div One table
All teams have played two games unless marked
1 Somerset (3) 54
2 Warwickshire (3) 39
3 Notts 33
4 Sussex 29
5 Essex (3) 28
6 Hampshire (3) 25
7 Surrey 25
8 Leicestershire 18
9 Glamorgan 15
Yorkshire 13
Gus Atkinson, running in from the pavilion end. That familiar tippytoed run, the hands grasped in prayer. Three slips lick their lips. Dean Elgar is squarered up, some juice straight away.
I have a malfunctioning keyboard that s0metimes w0nt type os – though it did then – so apologies – and then- for sometimes having to use a zero.
Surrey have won the toss and will bowl – Noah Thain plays, on the back 0f, I learnt today from Mike Atherton, a hundred in the second team. Atkinson t0 spruce up Surrey’s b0wling.
Football for Surrey, slip catches for Essex here at The Oval. A groundsman with a red bucket and a fork does sporadic aerating. The seats are filling up on the top layer of the Mickey Stewart pavilion, they’re brave, its in full shade.
This is such a gorgeous ground.
Ooops, I think this may have launched while I was tackling The Oval’s coffee machine, apologies for half-formed thoughts.
Rehan Ahmed off to the IPL
Leicestershire are without Rehan Ahmed, off to bench warm for Delhi Capitals. He will miss the next four Championship games. Leicestershire say there are “absolutely delighted.”
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Leicestershire
Trent Bridge: Notts v Warwickshire
The Oval: Surrey v Essex
Headingley: Yorkshire v Sussex
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire
Riverside: Durham v Lancashire
New Road: Worcestershire v Kent
Preamble
Good morning! Another glorious one, if a little nippy. On my walk from Vauxhall station, the scaffolder filing his bucket and the cyclist zipping past in the bike lane seemed unaware that Gus Atkinson was making his first appearance of the season, for Surrey against Essex.
After last week’s mini-round, we return to eight games, with Middlesex and Northamptonshire the only two sides with their feet up. Poor old Gloucestershire, three losses, three points, and hit by the news that Ben Charlesworth will join Lancs in 2027, must press on.
Games start at 11am, do join us.