Key events
Four fistfuls of people in the Mickey Stewart pavilion, a good handful in the stands at The Oval, as Burns and Sibley make their way to the middle. Josh Davey has the ball at the Vauxhall End, a hazy sun stretching into position. Burns’ bat makes a beautiful clonk.
It was a good day for potential England bowlers yesterday. Here is Nottinghamshire’s Josh Tongue:
“I feel like I’m getting better each time I’m bowling. I had a very good winter going into this season. Getting the overs into me, getting that robustness in the body to bowl long spells, is what I’m aiming for.
“The pace is there and it is just now about getting that consistency into my lines and lengths and it feels like the more times I’m bowling, the more I’m getting that.”
Preamble
Good morning from London, where the runners are out, so many runners, plane trees hang heavy over the Thames and eager tourists perch on the steps of Tate Britain.
It’s day two of this fourth round, with five games in play. Lots to look out for – with Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire eager to press their advantage, and a chance to see what this big bad Surrey batting line up can do at The Oval.
Play starts at 11am, do join us.
Friday’s roundup
Gus Atkinson had the Surrey faithful purring on the day he was given his county cap. With his tiptoeing, tightrope approach and tightly knit hands, he made the ball spit like an overheated wok against Somerset. In his first over he hit Sean Dickson on the hand, who retired hurt, and later removed a softened-up Archie Vaughan, did James Rew for pace and greeted Kasey Aldridge with a missile at his neck. Jordan Clark, all muscle to Atkinson’s venom, did most of the rest, picking up five wickets, including two in two balls. Some oomplah from Lewis Gregory took Somerset to a first batting point and beyond.
A series of injuries had left Durham looking behind the fridge for fast bowlers. But their makeshift seam attack made mincemeat of Worcestershire, who were whistled out for 162. Jake Ball, arriving on a two-match loan from Somerset, celebrated with five for 47, while quickfire South African Codi Yusuf (signed on the recommendation of David Bedingham) ran in at full pelt, picked up two wickets, and worried a few more. Durham then lost four quick wickets of their own.
Josh Tongue fizzed like magnesium at Trent Bridge. Regularly hitting the high 80s, with a gravelly yorker, he pocketed five wickets, three of them in one over, as Sussex were dismissed for 169. It was his second five-fer of the season; Brett Hutton grabbed four for 53. Captain Haseeb Hameed ticked along to 67 not out in Nottinghamshire’s reply.
There was another hulking England hopeful in action at Bristol, where Leicestershire’s Josh Hull pinned big Cameron Green lbw, but Gloucestershire were mainly undone by five wickets from Ben Green, another Somerset loanee. James Bracey’s unbeaten 93 took Leicestershire past 250, before Gloucestershire encountered batting problems of their own.
David Lloyd (93) and Harry Came (73) ensured that Derbyshire had a relatively serene day against Middlesex.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 164-3 v Sussex 169
The Oval: Surrey v Somerset 283-9
New Road: Worcestershire 162 v Durham 55-4
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 267-5 v Middlesex
Bristol: Gloucestershire 252 v Leicestershire 91-4
