Key events
Worcestershire lost two in two balls and suddenly that run chase tilting uphill – one for Woakes, one for Rushworth., Roderick and Kashif gone.
The Harmernator has the ball at The Oval.
Not a great start for Kent – Muyeye caught behind first ball of the day. He doesn’t want to go – indicates that it came off his body – but go he must. Kent 162-4, the talented young Benjamim joins Leaning at the crease.
And as Rory Burns and Dom Sibley set about their taks, here is centurion Charlie Allison from last night: “It’s a very good feeling! This is my sixth match at this level and I’d yet to get to fifty so to go on and make a hundred was a real thrill.
“To do it at such a great ground like the Oval, and in the very first match I’ve ever played here, is also very special.
“I was nervous at the start of the innings – I was on a pair! But as soon as I inside-edged that first boundary, to get off the mark, I felt calm and I just concentrated on playing the ball.
“I will always remember this innings and for Noah [Thain], one of my best mates, to be at the other end to give me a hug when I got to the hundred was just perfect really.
“The pitch was definitely a bit slower today than it was earlier in the game but there is still something in it for the bowlers and I’d like to think we have enough runs on the board and that we can go on to win the match tomorrow.”
Off we go! My money, and yours?, with Essex, Warwickshire, Notts, Derby and a draw at the County Ground.
Weather watch
Starting on time at Derby, Headingley, The Oval, Northampton and New Road and that’s your set!
There may be interruptions. The Met office says: Sunshine and showers today, heavy in the north perhaps with hail and thunder at times. Cloud thickening from the west through the day with a spell of prolonged heavy rain arriving into the west during the afternoon. Breezy.
Two ends of the rainbow from Grace Road last night:
Keaton Jennings: “We were short with the bat, short with the ball and that’s why ultimately you end up with a three-day loss. They are a side who have their tail up and they kept us under pressure but we have to do better as a batting unit. Only one score over fifty in the whole game is not enough.
Lewis Hill: “Having five seamers gives us a chance to rotate and the way they bowl as a pack, they are relentless, bowling for each other, sticking to their plans. They do not give the batters any kind of let-up and they have been like it all season for us.
”This season’s side has to be the best I’ve played in during my time at the club, on performances and the quality of players. Five wins puts us in a good position, obviously, and four in a row all inside three days is just crazy, but going forward we have to take it game by game, not get ahead of ourselves and just see where it takes us.”
Sunday’s round-up
Lancashire thrashed by Leicestershire while Kuhnemann bowls Glamorgan to victory over Middlesex
Josh Hull hurtled back to catch Tom Hartley off his own bowling and Leicestershire romped to their fifth victory of the season, all in three days, floating yet further ahead at the top of Division Two. Keaton Jennings batted until shortly after tea for a valiant 112 for Lancashire, but from there Rehan Ahmed and Hull wrapped things up. There wasn’t even time for Leicestershire to take to take the new ball.
Matt Kuhnemann, at Sophia Gardens for one game only prior to the World Test Championship final, filleted through Middlesex to finish with career-best figures of six for 53, ushering Glamorgan to their third win a row. A barnstorming 57 from Toby Roland-Jones ensured Glamorgan would have to bat again – but only just.
Tom Lammonby eased Somerset to an uncharacteristically calm victory over Durham at Chester-le- Street. His unbeaten 104, and 73 from Tom Abell, smoothed Taunton brows on a pitch where 31 wickets had fallen over the first two days.
Jack Carson collected five for 26 – his best figures of the summer – as Sussex romped to victory over Hampshire at Southampton.
There was joy for Essex’s Charlie Allison who crunched 140 – a maiden first-class hundred – at the Oval. Allison, whose previous highest score was 28, batted beautifully and, together with fellow 20-year-old Noah Thain, painted a pretty picture for Essex’s future, as Surrey were set 418 for victory.
Ben Compton did his best to hold the fort against Derbyshire, 156 in the first innings followed by 49 in the second as Kent were forced to follow-on. Yorkshire, set 463 to win, were beguiled by Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White who grabbed three for 25. Cameron Green scored a fabulous 118 as Gloucestershire made a brave declaration against Northamptonshire.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Chester-le-Street: Somerset 172 and 267-3 BEAT Durham 277 and 159 by seven wickets.
Southampton: Sussex 297 and 23-1 BEAT Hampshire 154 and 165 by nine wickets.
The Oval: Surrey 279 and 32-0 v Essex 217 and 479 Surrey need 386 to win
New Road: Worcestershire 181 and 57-2 v Warwickshire 227 and 280 Worcs need 270 to win
Headingley: Yorkshire 159 and 176-5 v Nottinghamshire 228 and 393-8dec Yorks need 287 to win
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 587-5dec v Kent 326 and 157-3
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 383 and 8-0 BEAT Middlesex 155 and 235 by ten wickets
Grace Road: Leicestershire 457 BEAT Lancashire 206 and 248 by an innings and three runs.
County Ground: Northamptonshire 469 and 158-4 v Gloucestershire 379-8dec
Preamble
Hello! It’s a beautiful Manchester morning, everything three times more alive after the rain, and we roll into this last day of the spring block of matches. Do join us, play starts at 11am.
