Key events
200 for Dom Sibley, 100 for Lawrence.
Chalk and very melted cheese – perhaps a brie. Sibley’s second double ton for Surrey, Lawrence’s second hundred of the summer. Durham look on in horror – Surrey 494 for three. Those who have played international cricket – Anderson, Sibley, Lawrence – particularly enjoying the Kookaburra?
The Essex wobble continues as Allison drives to Abdullah Shaffique at point.
Two overs for Essex to get a second batting point…
Oh Jimmy Jimmy
England are looking for people who can do magic with the Kookaburra…Wagstaff and Jewell fall to the master. Derbyshire 29 for two, Anderson two for 16.
And another! Jordan Cox, yet to re-find his mojo after the England call-up-injury-match. Gone for 33, courtesy George Hill.
A timetable mess means that I arrive just in time to see Critchley lose his bails via bat and pad. And things move on – almost apace. Charlie Allison, fresh from two centuries on the trot, strides out.
Heat regulations
Professional cricketers are a hardy bunch but the heat can be dangerous, especially when wearing lots of protective equipment. Special attention should be paid to the wet bulb temperature. The ECB advice is not presciptive, but relies on conversations between players and match officials.
Having strategies in place in advance provides the best chance of ensuring player, match official, staff and spectator welfare. This may include increased and/or longer drinks breaks, which can help both on and off the field.
In addition, consideration for a longer lunch and/or tea and potential to leave the field for drinks.
There is an ability for an umpire to suspend play or not allow it to start if the umpire considers that the conditions are either dangerous or unreasonable.
During the match: If weather conditions change unexpectedly during the match, consider immediate extreme heat management intervention.
Drinks intervals: A minimum of one drinks interval per session will be scheduled (Umpires will liaise with Captains on the day to confirm). The time taken for these intervals will be divorced from over-rate calculations.
Hours of play: Should both teams agree, the hours of play in multi-day matches may be shortened on day(s) of extreme heat, with any time being made up on days when it is forecasted to be cooler. Timings will be determined at the time when the specific circumstances are known.
Weather watch
Hot, hot, hot. 33 degrees at The Oval, 32 at Grace Road, 31 at York, Worcester, Chesterfield, Canterbury, 29 at Taunton, 28 at Cardiff and Southampton, 27 at Hove.
Sunday’s round-up
County Cricket Day 2025 was distinguished by soft Kookaburra balls and soaring temperatures. At York, the groundsman had left enough grass on the pitch to give it a minty sheen, but a combination of ball, disciplined Yorkshire bowling and heat-induced inertia tested the patience of even the most loyal fan.
The ground became more and more lopsided as spectators slid towards the shade of the oak tree behind the scorebox while Essex’s Tom Westley (107) and Dean Elgar (94) plodded on. And on. Westley’s hundred was his second in successive matches.
It was a good day for Ben Compton at Canterbury: a county cap, a three-year contract extension and 66 runs, as Kent batted their way to a comfortable 325-4 against Northamptonshire, with additional half centuries for Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye.
Tom Banton, whose season hit a spectacular high in the first round with 371, but who has since found runs hard to mine, ground an unbeaten 57 against Nottinghamshire. There were also fifties for Tom Abell and James Rew after Somerset had wobbled at 22 for two.
Centuries from Dom Sibley and Sam Curran put Surrey in the driving seat at the Oval. A swashbuckling Dan Lawrence half-century after tea put the tin lid on Durham’s decision to have a bowl.
Sam Robson clocked his first hundred of the season for Middlesex at a flat, dry Grace Road. Leicestershire were shorn of their first-choice attack due to injuries and Ian Holland’s presence at Major League Cricket, but Roman Walker pocketed three wickets.
Lancashire recovered from the depths of 44 for four at Derbyshire thanks to a self-denying 106 from Keaton Jennings and a chirpier 121 from Chris Green. Zak Chappell grabbed four wickets.
Henry Crocombe, replacing Jofra Archer, spirited away by England after one game, kept Sussex in the match against Warwickshire with three wickets. Mason Crane also grabbed three for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire.
And at Southampton, Barry Richards was one of the spectators as Worcestershire’s Adam Hose frying-panned the Hampshire attack during his 266 at more than a run a ball. Thirty one fours and seven sixes peppered the lounging crowds and switched the narrative of a broiling day.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire v Worcestershire 362-2
Taunton: Somerset 275-6 v Nottinghamshire
The Oval: Surrey 407-3 v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Warwickshire 372-7
York: Yorkshire v Essex 248-3
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire v Lancashire 367
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire 279-7
Canterbury: Kent 325-4 v Northamptonshire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Middlesex 336-5
Preamble
Good morning! The sun beats down and the cricket gets heavy. Welcome to day two – play starts at 11am.
