Somerset Beat Hampshire To Stay Top, Warwickshire V Essex: County Cricket – Live

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Somerset BEAT Hampshire by 2 wickets!

Tom Abell does it pinch a four to triumph nan game, 101 not out!

Southampton: Somerset 288 & 288-8 BEAT Hampshire 238 and 336 by 2 wickets

Hampshire points, Somerset points

Abell tonks a afloat toss, gets a azygous disconnected nan past shot and will look Kyle Abbott. Three needed.

Abell not taking nan singles, 3 balls near of Baker’s over. The ace of nan bat large complete nan empty tense ground.

Abbott pinch a maiden. Four needed for Somerset. Abell, connected 96, to look nan adjacent complete from Baker.

Jack Leach, short sleeved jumped pulled down complete his bottom, leans backmost and axes Baker for four. But past takes a azygous to clasp nan onslaught astatine nan extremity of nan over. Four needed.

A ace of nan bat, and Abell flicks Abbott for four, nan section up, nan target now down to nine. Back comes Baker for a last over.

And Baker has a second! Ogborne fancies this 1 for cover-drive glory but alternatively edges behind. Somerset 8 down, request 15. Abell still there. Here comes Jack Leach.

“If you’re going to get superior astir Bs,” writes Richard Spiller, “try Boycott, Butcher (A), Brearley, Botham and Bairstow (snr) for England v India astatine The Oval successful 1979.”

Three Bs: Botham, Boycott and Brearley Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

Sonny Baker to triumph nan game. Marches to his mark, location backmost eastbound of Eden. An fantabulous centre parting, brylcream and curtains hairdo, astatine slightest that’s what it looks for illustration connected wobbly Youtube. Mid run-up skip and charge. And sends Gregory’s mediate stump caterwauling! Twenty-five needed.

The caller shot bet is working, but for Somerset, not Hampshire – Abell wristily sends Abbott flowing to nan rope. The target now conscionable 30.

Ruining nan B-team thing, Jordan Thompson has conscionable removed Severus Snater pinch a spot of activity and a superb diving drawback by Al Davis down nan stumps

“Your “B” query,” writes Ali, “reminds maine of nan clip Mike Atherton referred to Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad and Dom Bess arsenic a lawsuit of ‘England’s B-team’ coming good. YJB somewhat missed nan point, took immense offence etc.”

Not amused: Jonny Barstow Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Right, they’re taking nan caller shot astatine Hampshire. Oh, and I deliberation they’ve fixed it to Dawson? Somerset request 49.

If nan adjacent 3 wickets astatine Edgbaston are besides Barker/Bamber/Barnard, will that beryllium immoderate benignant of B record? Essex still request an improbable 104, pinch Harmer (14 not out) and nan tail to come.

Somerset are crawling backwards towards their target, trousers torn connected nan barbed wire. Dawson, successful sunglasses, wheels in. Gregory prods. The target is 53, 4 wickets successful hand.

Lancashire BEAT Gloucestershire by 4 wickets

Over and retired astatine Bristol. Gloucestershire person now mislaid 3 successful nan bounce, but this was a better, fighting, performance. Lancs pouch their 2nd triumph of nan summer, pinch Balderson (nine wickets) and Anderson (eight) important here.

Bristol: Lancashire 240 & 203-6 BEAT Gloucestershire 136 and 305 by 4 wickets.

Gloucestershire 3 points; Lancashire 19 points.

​Hurtling towards a consequence present astatine Edgbaston, with Warwickshire striking doubly aft luncheon to time off Essex 7 down, still 124 runs awkward of nan target. Keith Barker nabbed his fourth, teasing an separator from Michael Pepper, and now Ethan Bamber has bowled Luc Benkenstein pinch a spot of nip to hit nan extracurricular edge. Felt for illustration he made it look a amended shot than it was – footwork was minimal – but it was besides nan merchandise of a bully probing over.

Two speedy post-lunch wickets: Arav Shetty Ollie Priced for 31; Michael Pepper Keith Barkered for nine. But wherever Lancs only request ten, Essex request 126.

Lunchtime scores

DIVISION ONE

Southampton: Hampshire 238 and 336 v Somerset 288 & 223-6 – Somerset request 64 runs to win

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 & 220 v Essex 205-9 & 80-5 – Essex request 126 runs to win

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 and 305 v Lancashire 240 & 188-5 – Lancashire request 14 runs to win

Northampton: Northants 409 v Middlesex 341 & 211-2 – Middlesex lead by 143 runs

Tom Prest is causing each sorts of commotion successful his first over, and nan past earlier luncheon – but Abell and Gregory survive, to time off Somerset needing different 64 to win. They spell disconnected for lunch, arsenic they do information nan grounds, moreover astatine Bristol wherever Lancs must fancy immoderate grub earlier climbing connected nan coach home.

Run-chase information up

As luncheon approaches:

Somerset request 74 to hit Hampshire pinch 4 wickets remaining. Tom Abell, vitally, still location connected 63. Big Craig, been and gone. Liam Dawson weaving magic.

Lancashire, spearheaded by Keaton Jennings, 74 not out, are astir there. Need conscionable 32 to hit Gloucestershire and, contempt nan champion efforts of Will Williams, person 5 wickets left.

At Edgbaston, Luc Benkenstein and Michael Pepper person a tricky rebuilding task, Essex request 131 against Warwickshire, pinch 5 wickets left.

Robson and Holden proceed successful their merry measurement astatine Wantage Road. Both into nan eighties, Middlesex sitting comfortably pinch a lead of 129 and barring disaster tootling towards a draw.

Liam Dawson is uncovering spit and sawdust. Abell edges done Brown’s legs who ends up sprawled arsenic nan shot flies to nan rope. Useful runs arsenic this task abruptly turns tricky for Somerset.

And it is – for him. Bowled Dawson, four. Somerset six down, request 89.

Craig Overton wants to get this delirium complete pinch this morning.

And different mid-morning wicket, this clip from Southampton, wherever Somerset’s dependable advancement is interrupted. Hants hopping pinch happiness arsenic Smeed reaches again and is caught astatine backward constituent by Jake Lehman. The speedy Eddie Jack pinch nan breakthrough. Somerset 188-5, request 99 to hit Hampshire.

A 3rd wicket for Will Williams astatine Bristol, Matty Hurst chips and past flops complete his bat successful misery arsenic nan shot loops into nan hands of Tommy Boorman. Lancs are now 5 wickets down, but KJ is still there, 60 not out. Fifty 8 needed.

​Essex are 5 down and staring astatine an day connected nan coach home, discussing wherever it each went incorrect complete a container of Quavers. Things appeared to person quietened down aft that breakneck commencement but past Ed Barnard brought himself on, persuaded Tall Paul to thrust down nan ground, and nan shot skewed disconnected nan toe-end of nan bat to Keith Barker astatine mid-off. Decent grab, too, stretching supra his head.

Fifty for Tom Abell!

Will Smeed, yet to deed his reddish shot saccharine spot, reaches extracurricular disconnected stump to thrust Yusuf but nary cigar. He and Tom Abell have, carefully, added 40 since Rew was retired early this morning. Somerset request different 104 – and, pinch a mates of runs stroked into nan disconnected side, that’s nan 2nd clip Abell has passed 50 this season.

I pressed excessively soon, shortly afterwards Will Williams persuades Michael Jones to nibble to 2nd gaffe for 30. And past Jennings is caught disconnected a nary shot from Brookes. Lancs 126-4, request 76.

Switch complete to sum of Lancs v Glos to perceive Ed Seaborne say: “Lancashire are dictating nan terms.”

Good greeting Tim Maitland!

“A bid of unhelpful suggestions, inaccurate proposal and mediocre determination making led me, successful my formative years, to effort an acquisition successful earth science wherever I learnt 2 important things: to inquire yourself “what aren’t we seeing” and that I did not want to beryllium a geologist.

“The first of those has been nagging distant astatine maine successful nan early weeks of nan County title and I’ve yet recovered nan answer: wherever are nan pedal-to-the-metal, hard-sell-to-the-IPL, run-a-ball knocks this year?

“On nan absolute roadworthy produced astatine nan Oval for Surrey’s crippled pinch Leicestershire, Ollie Pope’s advancement towards his ton was, compared to nan standards group astatine nan tallness of Bazball, a Tavare-esque crawl (16 fours, nary sixes astatine a onslaught complaint of 76.3), while I’m amazed that chants of “Are you Boycott successful disguise” didn’t travel nan once-swashbuckling Jamie Smith’s tortoise-like advancement to 166 (19 fours, 2 sixes astatine 69.17)... though to him it mightiness person felt breathless aft his 132 disconnected 267 balls successful nan opening information astatine Edgbaston.

“It’s existent that Nathan McSweeney went for it for Northants, but coming successful astatine 472-2, I ideate he had carte blanche to do cartwheels arsenic Luke Procter chugged on to his unbeaten 261 disconnected 357 astatine Kent. Martin Anderson’s 228 for Derbyshire against nan under-powered Worcestershire “pace” onslaught was impressive, but a onslaught complaint of 84.13 is hardly T20-gone-mad, is it?

“So, are we bereft of biff? Fresh retired of thrash? (The beautiful American woman suggested “lacking lickspittle” astatine this stage, but it’s my responsibility for not specifying that I was looking for words that hadn’t died retired successful nan 1600s and she has been drinking) Are we cutting backmost connected nan carnage?

“Statisticians would instantly reason that 3 weeks of nan play is acold excessively mini a sample size to make immoderate meaningful assessments: to them I opportunity FAKE NEWS! We’re surviving successful a Post-Truth world wherever lies are truth, achromatic is achromatic and bid is war.

“By this shape past play Tom Abell had rattled disconnected 371 runs astatine Taunton against (recurring theme) Worcestershire astatine 92.06. Dan Lawrence had launched six sixes and 117 runs astatine 105.41 astatine Hove. John Simpson of Sussex had slashed 5 sixes and 110 runs astatine 94.02 astatine nan aforesaid venue. Saif Zaib Zorroed (too much?) 105 runs astatine 116.67 astatine Derby and Gloucestershire’s No. 11 Marchant de Lange larrumped 51 from 27 astatine Canterbury.

“The superior constituent to this facetious drivel is this: does this mean that nan connection astir Bazball 2.0 has filtered down to nan counties or, person they, for illustration Ben Stokes successful Australia this winter, conscionable figured retired for themselves that it is imaginable to backmost yourself excessively much?”

Interesting point! It would beryllium bully to spot if it still stands astatine nan extremity of this seven-week artifact successful mid-May.

In Division Two, Lancashire person sped to 100, not a wicket fallen this morning. They only request different 98 and Keaton Jennings has sewage his slippers on, 38 not out.

And astatine Wantage Road, Max Holden and Sam Robson person extended Middlesex’s second-wicket business to 88 successful a lucifer that looks apt to extremity successful handshakes astatine 5pm.

End of Rew watch

A wicket at Southampton, and it’s nan Rewmeister, prodding, awkwardly, extracurricular his disconnected stump and giving Ben Brown a drawback conscionable supra nan turf. Kyle Abbott nan bowler. Somerset 158-4, request different 129 to hit Hants. Baker and Abbott bowling nicely.

Oh dear, Matt Critchley slaps a rank agelong hop to screen and Ethan Bamber is almost excessively embarrassed to observe ... Essex 21 for 4 now, 185 much runs now their Everest.

Three successful nan complete for Barker! Charlie Allison, bowled by 1 that whitethorn person kept a spot low. Essex 16 for three...

​Early wickets successful sunny Brumbados, Keith Barker striking first shot from nan Pavilion End arsenic Dean Elgar is trapped lbw offering nary shot. In comes Tall Paul to subordinate Sam Cook, who spared him nan hassle past nighttime but has since squirted Barker’s 3rd shot of nan time to cover. That’s Barker’s 700th profession wicket crossed formats. Essex 16 for 2 (need different 190) and an inauspicious start.

Rew watch

They’ve started at sunny Southampton, wherever Sonny Baker is pistoning successful and James Rew, manus connected hip, is astatine nan non-striker’s end, 58 not out. Somerset request different 148 to win, 7 wickets successful hand.

Weather watch

Largely lovely, pinch floating showers.

A spectator astatine Gloucestershire v Lancashire successful Bristol. Photograph: Jacob Hurry/Shutterstock

I had a dainty successful nan post connected Friday, a transcript of Jon Hotten’s caller book Vinciness aliases The Unbearable Sadness of Batting. Now, Jon is simply a friend and I worked pinch him for rather a fewer years astatine The Nightwatchman truthful americium very biased but I deliberation he’s a beautiful writer and I’ve publication nan first section and it is gorgeous. So I said I’d springiness it a plug – if you for illustration Jon’s penning and are a Vince tragic, this is nan book for you. Also here.

Adds Ali: “Warwickshire are presently warming up to Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits ... will their time beryllium nan opus title aliases nan set name?”

Very good. I erstwhile ended up watching 2 hours of Youtube videos connected Sultans of Swing, I didn’t realise really obsessed group were pinch it.

Nicely group up present astatine Edgbaston: glorious sunshine (cold air), Essex needing 195 much runs to sound disconnected 206, Warwickshire successful nan hunt for 10 wickets. So acold nan transportation has bucked a caller inclination of being a spot lifeless - highest full successful nan lucifer is 220 – truthful location should beryllium chances created. But Warwickshire were severely burned past week trying – and failing – to take sides 328 astatine Hove.

Jim's Sunday round-up

James Rew held patient for Somerset once much to spot his banal emergence further and support his broadside successful nan hunt for a last time triumph connected nan southbound coast. After his first innings 86 nan cherubic faced changeable shaper was undefeated connected 58 astatine nan adjacent of an intriguing time successful Southampton. Lewis Gregory bustled his measurement to a 5 wicket haul earlier successful nan portion arsenic Nick Gubbins apical scored pinch 83 successful nan location side’s 2nd innings effort of 336.

Hampshire’s Sonny Baker past had his dander good and genuinely up and nan guidance successful problem by pocketing nan Cidermen’s apical 3 of Archie Vaughan, Tom Lammonby and Joshua Thomas, albeit nan first 2 were blameworthy of being sloppy connected nan pull. Rew and Tom Abell past steadied nan applecart to time off Somerset needing 148 much to propulsion disconnected nan win.

Seventeen wickets fell astatine Edgbaston connected a topsy turvy moving time wherever some sides seemingly had their bags packed astatine different stages. Essex will see themselves to beryllium successful nan stronger position heading into nan last time pinch Dean Elgar and self-appointed nightwatchman Sam Cook seeing them to 11-0 astatine nan adjacent successful pursuit of 206.

Warwickshire were bowled retired for 220 wrong 63 overs arsenic visiting Captain Cook picked up 5 wickets including nan important scalp of Beau Webster, nan Aussie all-rounder’s 91 included sixteen boundaries and helped his broadside station a challenging if hardly fear-inducing target.

In Division Two, hundreds of years from Northamptonshire’s James Sales and Nathan McSweeney made Middlesex toil astatine Wantage Road arsenic nan location broadside made 409 successful their first innings. Josh De Caires was pinned LBW by Luke Proctor early successful Middlesex’s 2nd innings but Sam Robson and Max Holden batted calmly to scope 109-1 and a lead of 41 runs by stumps.

A cookware boiler astatine Bristol saw James Bracey people a dogged period for Gloucestershire arsenic they posted 305 against a toiling Lancashire. James Anderson and George Balderson took 4 wickets apiece to group up a tricksy 4th innings tally chase. Keaton Jennings shepherding nan visitors to 75-3 astatine stumps, 127 much needed for victory.

Scores connected nan doors

DIVISION ONE

Southampton: Hampshire 238 and 336 v Somerset 288 & 139-3 – Somerset request 148 runs to win

Edgbaston: Warwickshire 190 & 220 v Essex 205-9 & 11-0 – Essex request 195 runs to win

DIVISION TWO

Bristol: Gloucestershire 136 and 305 v Lancashire 240 & 75-3 – Lancashire request 127 runs to win

Northampton: Northants 409 v Middlesex 341 & 109-1 – Middlesex lead by 41 runs

Preamble

Hello! Hope it is arsenic outpouring cleanable wherever you are arsenic it is successful Manchester this morning, almondy vertebrate cherry wafting maine on connected my canine walk. Thanks truthful overmuch to Jim for covering yesterday, 4 games still successful play and astatine slightest 2 results to watch over. Play starts astatine 11am, do subordinate us.