LV= Insurance County Championship 2022 Round 11 Day 1: Monday 25th July - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Here is all the latest news, scores and match reports for the LV= Insurance County Championship 2022 Round 11 Day 1: Monday 25th July.

 

Monday July 25

Division One

 

Essex vs Somerset, The Cloud County Ground

 

Nick Browne collected his second LV= Insurance County Championship century of the season as Essex assembled 281 for three against Somerset.

Opening batter Browne mixed his usual determined self with some more glamourous shot-play to guzzle his season-best 129 not out – the 18th time he has reached three figures in first-class cricket.

His punishing innings was welded together by 105 put on with Alastair Cook (44), 56 with Dan Lawrence (35) and 115 with Paul Walter, who ended the day unbeaten on 57.

Browne and Cook cruised through the wicketless morning session, having chosen to bat, with barely the hint of a play-and-miss or false shot, as the pitch proved unresponsive.

The pair bided their time, but the usually gritty openers’ boundary striking made the slow going worth it. Browne, in particular, punished any width with gloriously timed drives and cuts – 10 of the 15 boundaries in his century came between point and straight.

During the morning, Somerset had an injury scare with Craig Overton – released by England to play in this match. The bustling quick started the day having problems landing and limped away from an over. The major worry came after while attempting to field a ball. He was forced off for the rest of the session with a shoulder injury.

He returned after lunch and offered up the half volley which Browne gleefully pounced on to drive himself to his half-century.

In the 37th over, Somerset got the obligatory ball change, and for the first time, the pitch produced a modicum of help for the bowlers.

Balls passed the bat with more regularity and after four overs, Essex had lost their first two wickets.

Peter Siddle, on his return to the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford having spent three years at the county, picked up the wicket of Cook for the third time this season. Having got him nicked off twice at the Cooper Associates County Ground, this time the Australian had his former Test nemesis leg before.

Tom Westley followed in the next over when he prodded Overton forward to Lewis Gregory at first slip.

Lawrence showed his typical suppleness of wrist to readjust the momentum back towards the hosts by adding 56 with Browne but fell to the last ball of the afternoon. Part-time spinner Matt Renshaw rather burgled it, as Lawrence edged a very wide delivery to slip Gregory – who could barely hide his guiltiness of the wicket.

But Browne strode on, and despite getting somewhat stuck on 99, moved to a deeply popular century with another drive, this time only for three. His milestone came in 228 balls and was rewarded with a fist bump from Siddle.

Walter was spritely at times, helping the run rate up to threes for the first time in the day, and moved past 50 for the third time this season, in 85 balls. Included was a towering straight six off Jack Leach – who went wicketless to give Somerset hope Simon Harmer that may not be as profitable as in recent games.

Gloucestershire vs Northamptonshire, Cheltenham

James Bracey gave a reminder of the ability that earned England Test status as Gloucestershire posted 317 all out on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Northamptonshire at Cheltenham College. 

The 25-year-old left-hander top scored with 79, off 137 balls, with 11 fours, receiving excellent support from Ryan Higgins (50) in a sixth-wicket stand of 110, which rescued their side from 167 for five after winning the toss. 

Off-spinner Rob Keogh was the most successful Northants bowler with three for 61. By the close of a day packed with attacking batting and wickets aplenty for a sizable Festival crowd, the visitors had replied with 30 without loss from 12 overs. 

Play began under heavily overcast skies and a disappointing Cheltenham for Marcus Harris continued when Jack White clipped the top of the Australian’s stumps with the total on 11. 

Ollie Price looked in good touch helping Chris Dent add 50 for the second wicket, but the 21-year-old departed in disappointing fashion having made 23, bowled off stump looking to hit a delivery from James Sales through mid-wicket. 

Dent was unbeaten on 49 when lunch was taken at 112 for two. Rain delayed the resumption by 25 minutes before the experienced opener moved to fifty off 89 balls, with 9 fours. 

Another poor shot cost Dent his wicket on 54, edging an attempted cut off Ben Sanderson to second slip where Will Young pouched a sharp catch. 

It was 122 for three and four runs later Miles Hammond fell for 25, nicking a defensive shot off Tom Taylor through to wicketkeeper Lewis McManus. 

Graeme van Buuren got off the mark with a sumptuous cover driven four off Taylor. But the skipper made only 14 before chasing a wide ball from Keogh and directing the ball straight to Simon Kerrigan at cover. 

Gloucestershire were in a hole when Higgins joined Bracey. The all-rounder made a somewhat manic start to his innings, but gradually settled down to play some fine shots. 

Higgins lifted Kerrigan over long-on for six before the more studied Bracey reached only his second half-century in 16 Championship innings, having faced 82 deliveries and hit 8 fours. 

It was exactly the approach Gloucestershire required and allowed Higgins freedom to play his shots as they took the score to 250 for five at tea. 

Higgins went to fifty with a sweep off Keogh for his fifth four, but tried to repeat the shot next ball and was pinned lbw, having faced 79 balls. 

Bracey, who had produced a string of elegant cover drives, continued to accumulate without alarm and Zafar Gohar kept the tempo of Gloucestershire’s innings high with a pulled six off Sales. 

Gohar was given a life on nine when top-edging a similar shot and dropped by Taylor at square leg, a tricky chance running away from the pitch. 

Having played with such assurance, Bracey fell to another ill-judged shot, aiming a big hit to leg off Keogh and miscuing a catch to cover. Gohar quickly followed, well caught by the diving Kerrigan at fine leg off Sales for a frantic 19. 

Tom Price hit Kerrigan for a straight six before the second new ball was taken at 317 for eight. He fell lbw to White in the first over with it and when Zak Chappell was bowled having a swing at Sanderson, Gloucestershire had lost their last five wickets for 40 runs in somewhat kamikaze fashion. 

By contrast, Northants openers Will Young and Emilio Gay adopted a no-risks policy to see out a potentially tricky period before the close. 

 

Lancashire vs Kent, Emirates Old Trafford

LANCASHIRE endured a difficult start to their innings on a rain-effected day at Emirates Old Trafford with Kent taking two wickets in each session played during day one of this LV=Insurance County Championship Division One clash.

After last week’s heatwave, Manchester reclaimed its reputation for inclement weather with rain and a strong wind battering the ground for most of the morning ensuring no play was possible until 3pm before which the visitors had won the toss and elected to bowl.

It seemed an obvious decision in the conditions and Lancashire’s in-form openers Keaton Jennings and Luke Wells faced a tough examination early on from Matt Henry and Navdeep Saini who repeatedly passed the outside edge of both batters.

Just as the first wicket pair looked to have weathered the storm, Saini produced a fine delivery to Jennings which was edged to Zak Crawley at second slip with the opener departing for 14 and the score 24-1.

Runs were at a premium but Wells was determined and the incoming Josh Bohannon full of energy as the second wicket pair scampered between the wickets and looked to have gone someway to rebuilding the innings as Henry and Saini were replaced by Nathan Gilchrist and Grant Stewart.

Bohannon had just produced the shot of the day and reached 27 with an exquisite cover drive to the boundary when Gilchrist’s next delivery rose on the Bolton-born batter who edged to gulley where Jack Leaning took a brilliant diving catch.

It was a major blow for Lancashire who could not break free from Kent’s tight and accurate bowling after tea with Wells the next to fall for 35 from 80 balls to the returning Saini who induced another edge to the grateful Leaning.

A moment later and Saini was on a hattrick with Rob Jones pinned in front first ball by an inswinger to leave the Red Rose 97-4 and right up against it.

Steven Croft, who is leading Lancashire in this game with Dane Vilas suffering from a fractured finger, steadied the ship and he and Washington Sundar took the home side to 112-4 before the rain returned and play was abandoned for the day at around 6.15pm.  

 

Surrey vs Warwickshire , Kia Oval

Warwickshire battled their way to 240 for 8, despite no one passing fifty, after being put in to bat by unbeaten Division One leaders Surrey in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at the Kia Oval.

Seven of their top eight got to 22 or more, without going on to a significant score, although all-rounder Nathan McAndrew remains 40 not out after a determined effort in the final session of a hard-fought day.

Dominic Sibley’s 43 was the best individual score, while Surrey’s five-man pace attack all troubled the batsmen with 19-year old seamer Tom Lawes perhaps the stand-out bowler with figures of 2 for 38 from 20 overs.

Surrey were missing their Australian spearhead Dan Worrall, who took 11 wickets in the game in last week’s win against Essex, due to a shoulder injury suffered in the warm-up.

Conor McKerr, called up to replace Worrall, ended the day with 3 for 39 and Jamie Overton took 2 for 47 despite having to lead the field for treatment to a sore finger on his bowling hand, sustained when hit a painful blow at first slip in mid-morning.

On a grassy surface, Warwickshire initially did well to get to lunch at 71 for 2 with Sibley twice dropped on 19 and 28 but always showing typical grit in the tricky conditions.

Cameron Steel, on as a substitute fielder while McKerr travelled to the ground, could not hold a difficult low diving catch to his left at a widish fourth slip when Sibley edged Overton and later in the morning session the Warwickshire opener saw Ryan Patel spill a straightforward chance at third slip off Lawes.

Surrey’s pace battery also beat the bat with regularity but their only successes before lunch came when Alex Davies, on 23, edged Lawes’ second ball to Overton at first slip and then, at 65, when McKerr – having taken the field just after 12.15 – struck with the first ball of his second over to have Chris Benjamin held by Will Jacks at first slip for 7, pushing crookedly at one that lifted and left him.

The first hour of the afternoon session was a particularly attritional affair and Warwickshire’s first innings looked in danger of grinding almost to a halt when Sibley’s defiance was ended by Lawes, who made a ball lift sharply to have the former England Test opener caught off the face of his bat by keeper Ben Foakes, and Sam Hain was dismissed seven overs later by Jordan Clark.

Warwickshire were 107 for 4 in the 54^th over when Hain, having made it to 27, edged the persevering Clark to second slip where Ollie Pope held on to the catch at the second attempt.

McKerr’s second spell just before tea saw an increase, at last, in the scoring rate with his first three overs back costing 30 runs. But both Michael Burgess, twice, and Will Rhodes were fortunate to see short-arm pulls at the pacy McKerr result in top-edged fours over the keeper and slip cordon and Rhodes also thick-edged the same bowler between slips and gully for another streaky boundary.

Burgess, however, fell for 22 to Overton’s fourth ball after tea, in the session’s second over, when he edged an outswinger to Foakes and McAndrew almost immediately needed an on-field concussion test when, trying to hook, he was hit flush on the helmet by Overton.

Rhodes was livid with himself for flashing at McKerr, in the 76^th over, and edging to Foakes to depart for a 74-ball 34, and Danny Briggs left shaking his head in disbelief when, after scoring a useful 23 in 46-run seventh wicket stand with McAndrew, he chipped a full toss from Overton straight back to the bowler.

And Surrey were further boosted when McKerr won an lbw appeal against Brad Wheal, on-loan from Hampshire, to dismiss the tailender for 4 with the day’s penultimate ball.

 

Yorkshire vs Hampshire, Scarborough

 A six-star morning gave title-chasing Hampshire the early advantage at Scarborough - but things could have been much worse for Yorkshire during a rain-affected opening day.

Yorkshire slipped to 33 for six in the opening 21 overs of this LV= Insurance County Championship fixture before later recovering to close on 158 for eight inside 55 thanks to half-centuries from Will Fraine and Dom Bess. 

Second-placed Hampshire’s overseas seamers Kyle Abbott and Muhammad Abbas shared seven wickets, the former finishing with four for 36 from 11.2 overs.

The mid-table hosts slumped as a potent attack made use of significant movement through the air and off the pitch before Fraine and Bess, 53 and 67 respectively, shared 116 for the seventh wicket through the majority of the afternoon. 

There was no play beyond tea, taken at 3.45pm, and the day shorn of nearly 42 overs.

After Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson elected to bat upon his return to the side following a week out with a hamstring injury, Keith Barker set the tone for Hampshire by trapping George Hill lbw for a golden duck after only five balls.

Pakistani Abbas then benefited from two batters misjudging attempted leaves; Adam Lyth played on and Jonny Tattersall was bowled. Sandwiched in between, he trapped Tom Kohler-Cadmore lbw as the score fell to 20 for four in the 14th over.

South African Abbott then added the wickets of Matthew Waite and Matthew Revis caught in the slips - 33 for six.

The vast majority of those runs were all scored behind the wicket.

Given the absence of some heavy batting artillery for Yorkshire, including Harry Brook due to England T20 duty, added to the potency of Hampshire’s bowling attack, it was a surprise that Patterson opted to bat.

But, on a North Marine Road pitch which offers notorious bounce, it may have been wise to insert given the addition of unsettled weather to those aforementioned factors.

However, Fraine and Bess went some way to vindicating the decision from lunch time onwards.

During the morning, Hampshire looked like breaking through almost every other ball as they found the perfect length to bowl - not too full, not too short. 

At stages, a total of 75 looked a long shot for the hosts.

Afterwards, their lengths were more varied as Fraine and Bess excelled to the delight of an usually sparse Scarborough Festival crowd.

The first of the two rain breaks came at an important time for Yorkshire. That was two balls after the sixth wicket had fallen shortly after 12.30pm. 

Had a full morning’s play been possible, Fraine and Bess may not have been there to write the afternoon tale.

Fraine drove handsomely. He took two boundaries off Ian Holland in the afternoon’s opening over to set the tone for a Yorkshire fightback against a Hampshire side chasing their eighth win in eleven games this season.

Bess scored his runs on both sides of the wicket and was more fortunate. He edged boundaries over the slips off Abbas and Holland.

Abbott then reasserted Hampshire’s authority. He had Fraine, earlier dropped on one, caught at third slip off an attempted pull, leaving the score at 149 for seven in the 51st over. 

Fraine had reached his first fifty of the season in his fourth game off 122 balls moments before Bess reached his third off 83. 

Joe Weatherley atoned for his earlier error at third slip with a smart one-handed catch above his head after the ball had looped up off Fraine’s glove.

Bess then fell with what proved to be the day’s last ball when a regulation edge was pouched by Liam Dawson at second slip off the same bowler. 

Umpires Peter Hartley and Neil Mallender abandoned the day just before 5pm.

Division Two

 

Durham vs Middlesex, Riverside

Durham made a solid start to their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Middlesex posting 132 without loss before rain brought a premature end to day one at Seat Unique Riverside.

Michael Jones produced a fine knock of 78 to lead the way for the home side, while Alex Lees scored an unbeaten 46. Both batters looked relatively untroubled in their opening stand before a torrential downpour halted proceedings midway through the afternoon session.

The Durham openers will return in the morning on day two aiming to build on their platform. The Middlesex bowlers will be looking for more help from the wicket after an unsuccessful initial burst after opting to bowl first in Chester-le-Street.

Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones won the toss and put Durham into bat on a green wicket at the Riverside. Middlesex were looking for early wickets, and Ethan Bamber almost prised out England opener Lees with an inside edge, but the ball trickled just wide of leg stump.

It was the only chance offered in the morning session, Lees alongside Jones blunted the effect of the new ball as the visitors failed to find movement in the air or off the pitch in the opening hour. Jones was the more positive of the two players and pushed Durham into the lunch break to 77 without loss.

Jones upped the ante after the lunch break and successive boundaries off Tom Helm brought up his second fifty of the season from 107 balls. The Durham openers cruised past the 100-run mark for the opening stand, with both players looking extremely comfortable at the crease.

In search for a breakthrough Roland-Jones turned to India seamer Umesh Yadav, who was economical in his burst from the Lumley End, but could not find a way through the defences of Lees and Jones, with the latter pushing his score to 78, including 14 boundaries, before the elements closed in at Chester-le-Street and brought an end to the day.

Worcestershire vs Derbyshire, New Road

Dillon Pennington’s new ball burst with the new ball and Kashif Ali’s half century on his first class debut earned Worcestershire the initiative on the opening day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Derbyshire at New Road.

Pennington reduced the Peakites to 14-5 with four wickets in the space of 18 balls after they had been put into bat and, despite a half century from Anuj Dal, they were bowled out for 130 in 51.1 overs.

The pace bowler clearly enjoys bowling against Derbyshire after registering career best figures of 5-32 and a match return of 9-76 in the corresponding game last season.

Worcestershire also had initial problems when they launched their reply but Kashif seized his chance following a mountain of runs for the Second Eleven and they closed on 141-5 when bad light and then rain halted play at 5.35pm.

Kashif was the first product of the South Asian Cricket Academy to sign a professional contract with a first class county earlier this season.

Three hundreds and four fifties in his last seven knocks for the Seconds was a testament to his potential and he reached a 72 ball half century.

But he became one of several players during the day who surrendered their wicket to careless shots although there was enough movement on a greenish pitch to keep the seamers interested.

Worcestershire handed a debut to Pakistan pace bowler, Muhammad Hasnain, while batter Kashif Ali made his first Championship appearance after recently signing a short term contract.

Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira was ruled out with a back injury and Vice-Captain, Jake Libby, led the side while Derbyshire were unchanged from the team which drew with Nottinghamshire.

Libby won an important toss on a green tinged wicket and his bowlers soon justified his decision to put Derbyshire into bat.

Joe Leach struck with the last ball of the opening over as Harry Came was plumb lbw to a ball of full length.

But it was Pennington who broke the back of the Derbyshire top order with a superb opening burst of 4-2-3-4 which reduced the visitors to 14-5.

Brooke Guest (2) was bowled offering no shot to a ball angled in and then Wayne Madsen, who began the day needing 32 runs to reach 1,000 for the season, did not reduce that tally as he edged as delivery which nipped away to Josh Baker at fourth slip.

Luis Reece (1) and Hilton Cartwright (0) were both caught behind by Gareth Roderick, after pushing forward to Pennington.

Derbyshire captain, Leus du Plooy, opted for an aggressive response and dominated the scoring during a sixth wicket stand of 39 with Anuj Dal.

But Ed Barnard, who is to join Warwickshire on a three year deal from next season, made further inroads with wickets in successive overs.

Du Plooy, on 38, played with an angled bat at a delivery and gave Baker another catch, this time at third slip, and Mattie McKiernan offered no shot but inside edged onto the stumps.

Derbyshire were then 53-7 and in danger of being bowled out before lunch but resistance came from Dal and Ben Aitchinson

They added 56 in 22 overs before Barnard came back into the attack and had Aitchinson nibbling at a delivery which was safely pouched by Roderick.

Dal mixed solid defence with some classy shots and two cuts for four off spinner Josh Baker enabled him to complete a 104 half century with eight boundaries.

Hasnain had bowled two threatening spells without any luck but cleaned up the tail in classic fast bowler’s fashion as he yorked both Sam Conners and Dal.

Pennington ended with figures of 12-3-36-4, Barnard 12-5-18-3, Hasnain 11.1-0-35-2 and Leach 9-4-16-1.

Worcestershire also ran into trouble against the new ball and found themselves 23-3 in the fifth over.and

Conners knocked out Libby’s off stump with a ball which nipped back and Ed Pollock, having struck Aitchinson for six over mid-wicket, tried to upper cut his next ball and was caught behind.

Taylor Cornall flicked at a leg side delivery from Conners and also found the gloves of Guest.

But the momentum of the game switched into Worcestershire’s favour as Jack Haynes and Kashif Ali counter-attacked during a stand of 97 in 18.4 overs.

Haynes reeled off a succession off delightful cover drives and flicks off his legs why Kashif produced a series of back foot punches which pierced the field.

The pair took Worcestershire into the lead only to then both surrender their wickets to loose shots.

Haynes, on 48, and Kashif, 52, both chased wide deliveries from Conners and Scrimshaw respectively and gave Guest two more catches.

Tuesday July 26

Division Two

 

Nottinghamshire vs Sussex, Trent Bridge

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