LV= Insurance County Championship 2022 Round 2 Day 4: April 17th - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Here is all the latest news, scores and match report updates from the LV= Insurance County Championship 2022 Round 2 Day 4: April 17th

(Thursday April 14th - Day One Roundup - click here)

(Friday April 15th - Day Two Roundup - click here)

(Saturday April 16th - Day Three Roundup - click here)

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Results from Day Three

Surrey vs Hampshire, Kia Oval - Surrey beat Hampshire by an Innings and 18 runs

Somerset vs Essex, The Cooper Associates County Ground - Essex beat Somerset by 1 wicket

Sunday April 17th

Division One

Kent vs Lancashire, Canterbury

Lancashire have beaten Kent by ten wickets in their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Canterbury, but only after the hosts frustrated them deep into the final day.

Matt Parkinson finished with match figures of seven for 158, while Hasan Ali took three for 36 in Kent’s second innings, but the visitors were held up by a defiant rearguard action from Ben Compton, who became the first Kent batter ever to score centuries in each of his first three innings for the club. When he was finally out for 115, Compton had faced 629 balls and batted for 856 minutes.

Compton and Hamid Qadri put on a stand of 139 for the eight wicket but Lancashire eventually clinched victory when they chased down a modest target of 33 to finish on 36 for nought.

The visitors had reduced Kent 81 for six overnight and home optimism was thin on the ground when a sparse crowd saw Parkinson remove Matt Milnes lbw with the sixth ball of the morning, without adding to his overnight score of eight.

Qadri, however, batted with discipline while also displaying flashes of style as he punished the looser deliveries. It frustrated Lancashire to the extent that Parkinson was switched from the Pavilion End to the Nackington Road and back again, to little avail.

Compton stole a single from him to bring up his 50 shortly before lunch and Qadri passed his previous high-score of 30, against Sussex at Canterbury last year, before racking up his maiden first class fifty when he elegantly cut George Balderson for four through backward point.

He was subsequently dropped on 53 by Steven Croft at second slip, after Hasan Ali found his edge, but his innings finally came to an end for 77, after 177 balls and 198 minutes, when Ali clipped his bail, the bowler howling with relief.

Nathan Gilchrist survived just 13 balls before Ali hit the top of his off stump, bowling him for a duck, but when Compton cut Parkinson for a single to level the scores it at least forced the visitors to bat again. He then conjured a reverse sweep off Luke Wells to bring up his history-making hundred.

The visitors’ frustration deepened when Compton survived a stumping chance off Parkinson, but he narrowly missed out on becoming the first Kent player ever to carry his bat in both innings when he was the last man out.

His last-wicket stand of 54 with Jackson Bird (17 not out) took the game into an unexpected final session, but he was lbw to Balderson just as home supporters were starting to calculate how many overs they needed to survive to make things interesting.

Balderson and Wells eased to the target in 7.1 overs, finishing unbeaten on 23 and 13 respectively, the latter hitting the winning runs when he clipped Qadri for four.

Lancashire’s Dane Vilas said: “It was an unbelievable game, really, really good. From the first day right up until the last it was good tough, cricket from both teams. They fought extremely hard not to give us the win and we were desperate for it. It was a perfect game and I was really glad to be a part of it and get the result we wanted in the end.

“I don’t think anyone would have expected it to go this far. We said this morning it was going to be tough and Compton with the way he batted in both innings was incredible. We knew he wasn’t going to give it away but we were surprised at how long it went. When you come here you know it’s not going to be easy. It was a good wicket and it’s what cricket should be about, we had to fight hard for all those wickets. I think we spent over 200 overs in the field which was extremely tough, but everyone stuck their hand up.

“Hasan came in in his first game and was desperate to get some wickets and the on at the end was amazing. Balderson got some key wickets for us and Salt had a fantastic first game for us in some trying conditions.”

 

Kent’s Ben Compton said. “I’m delighted on a personal level to make the start I have for Kent. I wanted to try and make an impact early doors. It’s with mixed feelings because we’ve been beaten here and we’re all looking at ways to improve and things we can do for next week. We’re expecting a similar kind of pitch so we need to find ways of dealing with that.”

(On his numerous records) “It hasn’t really sunk in but I’m sure it will at some point. It’s dangerous to look ahead and start putting goals like that. I just try to keep it simple and just watch the ball, take things in small stages and just build from there, so that’s what I’ve been trying to but obviously I’m delighted with the start I’ve made and I hope it an help us win games.

“I’m tired but I feel like I’ve given everything I can and that’s a nice feeling. I’ve done as much as I can to try and get us a draw and hopefully in future games it’ll be a win, that’s what’s rewarding. I’m going to rest up tonight, have tomorrow off and then we’ll be training on Tuesday.”

Gloucestershire vs Yorkshire, Bristol County Ground

Dawid Malan showed his class in scoring a fluent half century to guide Yorkshire to a six-wicket victory over Gloucestershire on the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship First Division match at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.

But the white rose county were made to fight for their win, James Bracey registering an outstanding career-best 177 from 331 balls in a marathon innings of more than seven and a half hours that propelled the hosts to 359 in their second innings. Bracey harvested 17 fours and 3 sixes and dominated a defiant stand of 104 for the seventh wicket with Zafar Gohar to ensure the contest went into the final session of the fourth day.

The Bristolian was last man out shortly after lunch, removed by Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson, who claimed 4-43, while Haries Rauf finished with 3-96.

Set 211 to win in 60 overs, Yorkshire's chase was spearheaded by England batsman Malan, who posted 65 and shared in a partnership of 81 with opener George Hill for the third wicket. Thereafter, Harry Brook raised a typically forthright 56 not out from 47 balls to finish the job in an unbroken stand of 67 for the fifth wicket with Harry Duke (17 not out) as the visitors eased home with 10.5 overs to spare..

This was the perfect start for recently-appointed managing director of cricket Darren Gough and head coach Ottis Gibson, who have ushered in a new era of positivity and hope following Yorkshire's winter of discontent. The ramifications of the Azeem Rafiq racism row continue to be felt, but at least the focus has now returned to events on the field, and the team demonstrated sound discipline and no little spirit to overcome a Gloucestershire side that fought hard and refused to concede an inch of ground in the first red-ball meeting between the counties in a decade. 

Certainly this was no walk in the park for a Yorkshire side that required 34 overs to wheedle out Gloucestershire's last four batsmen and were then made to graft hard after losing early wickets in their second innings. Highly motivated and persistent in the field, Gloucestershire struck two blows before tea, Adam Lyth holing out to deep fine leg off Matt Taylor and James Wharton losing his off stump to an Ajeet Singh Dale delivery that nipped back off the seam.

Required to score a further 157 from 37 overs in the final session, Malan and Hill calmed any nerves in an assertive alliance of 81. If Gloucestershire's intention was to stifle scoring and apply pressure through slow left armer Zafar, they were made to think again when Yorkshire's third-wicket pair took him to task, plundering 11 runs from the 27th over, sent down from the Bristol pavilion end.

Singh Dale came in for similar treatment, conceding three boundaries in one over as the ball lost its shine and runs began to flow on a placid pitch. 

A lapse in concentration saw Hill chip Singh Dale to cover for 36, while Malan's impressive run-a-ball innings, illuminated by 9 fours and a six, concluded when he hoisted Zafar to Ryan Higgins on the deep square leg boundary with a further 65 runs needed from 22 overs. Yorkshire's century-making hero in the first innings, Brook saw the job through thereafter to further boost his burgeoning reputation.

Gloucestershire had earlier resumed on 253-6, their minimum requirement to bat at least until lunch. Sure enough, Zafar and Bracey extended their partnership without too many scares against a new ball which was just four overs old at the start of play. If Yorkshire expected to meet minimal resistance from the lower middle order and tail, they were quickly disabused of the idea as the seventh wicket pair opened up with a fusilade of cover-driven boundaries.

White rose ambition resided with Matty Fisher and Jordan Thompson but, when these two proved unable to make a breakthrough, skipper Steve Patterson brought himself into the attack and called up the express pace of Pakistani international Haries Rauf. 

His ability to inject genuine pace has afforded Yorkshire's attack an altogether new dimension and he finally broke the partnership with a ball that lured Zafar, bat held away from body, into pushing hard outside off stump end edging to second slip, where Lyth made a problematic catch appear straightforward. Having raised 40 from 98 balls and played his part in a potentially pivotal stand of 104 in 33 overs, Zafar departed with Gloucestershire 160 runs to the good, but with a good deal more work to do.

Sensing an opportunity to impose themselves, Yorkshire made good their breakthrough, striking a second blow eight balls later, Matt Taylor shuffling in front of a straight ball from Patterson and falling lbw for one. Joined by Josh Shaw, Bracey found renewed urgency to go to 150 from 297 balls, a startling pull shot through mid-wicket yielding his 16th boundary and a standing ovation from an appreciative Easter Sunday audience.

Hit full on the helmet and visibly stunned by Rauf the previous evening, Bracey was further discomfited when Yorkshire's new overseas signing struck him a glancing blow on the top of his headwear shortly before lunch. Checked out by medical staff, Gloucestershire's centurion was eventually given a green light to continue, recovering his composure sufficiently to usher his side to the sanctuary of the interval on 333-8, a lead of 184.

Shaw was caught at the wicket off the bowling of Rauf shortly after the restart without adding to his score of 11, after which Bracey took matters into his own hands to bring up his highest first-class score in style. A top-edged pull at the expense of Rauf flew over deep backward square for six, at which point the left-hander surpassed the 156 he made in a match against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 2017. Making a conscious decision to take on Rauf, Bracey pulled a further two short-pitched deliveries for six and then punched a length ball through the covers for four in a costly over that propelled Gloucestershire's lead beyond the 200 mark.

Attempting to force the issue in the next over, Bracey pushed a slower ball from Patterson to short cover to bring overdue relief to the visitors. Bracey's body language as he trudged off suggested Gloucestershire had fallen just short, and so it proved.

Yorkshire batsman Dawid Malan said: "It was nice too get a win and for the boys to concentrate on some cricket. Winning in the way we did is fantastic, especially under new leadership and new direction. Gloucestershire made us work really hard this morning and last night and James Bracey played a really good knock to keep us out there a bit longer. Fortunately, our bowlers were able to wrap things up and give us something to chase, and we were able to finish it really well. The pitch became a little bit dead, but because the boundaries were quite short and there was a wind on one side, we were able to target their quicker bowlers, which we did quite well. The original plan was to just bat and see where we were with 20 overs to go, but I managed to find a bit of momentum and just went with it. It was a tough winter and the way the Ashes went made things hard, so I'm just glad to be back playing cricket and making a contribution to Yorkshire. We know that, when we have all our players available, we have a very strong squad on paper. In the meantime, it's up to us senior professionals to bring the younger ones along. We've seen that with Harry Brook in this game. He is learning how to play certain situations and is fast becoming a senior player himself."

 

Gloucestershire captain Graeme van Buuren said: "I think everybody is allowed to feel disappointed today, but to take such a high quality team down to the last few overs has to be pleasing. It shows that we're competing and not just folding, and that we deserve our place in Division One. We stayed in there fighting until the end and there are so many positives we can take from the game. There were two fantastic innings from James Bracey and our overseas professional (Marcus Harris), both of whom showed their class. Marcus has scored 9,000 first class runs and is going to be a huge asset, while James showed his ability against pace bowling in this match and has a really good future at international level in my opinion. I was proud of the boys because they demonstrated a never say die attitude and fought until the end. We now need to take some of the small things we did well and make sure we do them for longer in future. We've batted in the worst of the conditions in both games we have played so far and that's been unfortunate. But the boys have responded to the challenge really well."

Division Two

 Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan, Trent Bridge

An unbeaten half-century by world No 1 Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne guided Glamorgan to a seven-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship, ending their first visit to Trent Bridge for a red-ball match since 2007 with a first win on the ground since 1998.

Chasing 166 to win in the fourth innings after taking Nottinghamshire’s final two second-innings wickets inside the first hour of play, Glamorgan wrapped up a 23-points win before tea on the final afternoon.

Australia’s Labuschagne, in his first game back with the Welsh county after successful summers in 2019 and 2021, was dropped on 25, although it is doubtful that the miss had any bearing on the outcome of the match.

It is a sobering result for Nottinghamshire, a popular tip to be Division Two champions this season. Ben Duckett came close to scoring a century in each innings but it was generally a below-par performance by the home side, particularly with the ball.

James Pattinson, in his first match back at Trent Bridge, was outbowled by fellow Aussies Michael Naser and Michael Hogan, while the Australia-born Netherlands seamer Timm van der Gugten made an outstanding contribution both with bat and ball.

Nottingham aded 18 runs to their overnight lead of 147 before Glamorgan winkled out their last two wickets. Brett Hutton shouldered arms to the ball that bowled him, one of three dismissals in the match where the batter offered no shot.  Joey Evison made a creditable 37 before being gloving a legside catch to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke as he went to pull James Weighell.

Evison batted with a runner and was unable to bowl as Glamorgan set about their chase, one in which Nottinghamshire needed a salvo of early wickets if they were to create any real pressure for the batters on a wicket that had lasted well.

None was forthcoming, openers David Lloyd and Andrew Salter rattling along at four runs an over before the latter departed in the 14th, the home side’s ambitions not helped by Pattinson conceding  22 in three overs.

Salter was lbw as left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White managed to squeeze the ball past his inside edge. There was a second setback for Glamorgan in the last over before lunch when Lloyd was also out to a ball he chose to leave, Dane Paterson bringing one back to clip off stump.

Paterson and Patterson-White applied a squeeze after lunch. That changed when Labuschagne lofted the left-arm spinner for six over long-off and Sam Northeast crashed four through the covers but when Northeast took on a short ball from Pattinson in the next over, he was caught at long-leg by Paterson, who struggled to track the flight of the ball against the glare of the sky before landing on his back with ball in hand.

Northeast’s dismissal took one of Glamorgan’s potential match-winners out of the equation but others remained, not least Labuschagne, who had a let-off behind the stumps on 25 when Tom Moores dived across first slip but could not cling on to an edge off Paterson’s bowling.

Labuschagne completed his half-century, a relatively workmanlike affair, when he cut Pattinson for just his third four, before Kiran Carlson, who made 47 in a stand worth 74, completed the victory with a flourish, handing Pattinson the indignity of being hooked for six to win the contest with 39 overs to spare.

Glamorgan’s winning captain David Lloyd said:  “We were always confident but at the same time you’re nervous because they’ve got a very strong bowling outfit and we had to work hard for the runs.

“It was a great four days, the efforts the lads put in each day were incredible and those wins are hard-fought.

“Marnus and Kiran both batted really nicely, played with really good intent and that’s what we needed, it was a very good chase.

“Throughout the whole squad the boys did well, although the first session didn’t go to plan after winning the toss, the bowlers showed what we’re capable of doing.

“We’ve worked hard over the winter with the mental side of the game as well, we do perform well against the big teams, we need to be consistent and the main thing for us going forward is our consistency with everything we do.”

 

Nottinghamshire’s Ben Duckett, who made 122 and 95 in a losing cause, said: “It’s disappointing and, if I’m honest, a slight wake-up call. There are going to be tough games in this division and that was one of them. I just feel like we were outplayed really, from the start, and sometimes you do have to take your hat off to the opposition and say well done.

“The way they bowled, I certainly had to work for most of my runs and the way Van der Gugten bowled yesterday really won them the game. The toss was crucial but there were little periods where we got it wrong and they killed us. 

“For myself I’m happy to have started that way and the main thing is that there are a lot of games to come and there are positives we can take from this.  It is early in the year and not many people win the division and go unbeaten throughout the whole summer.

“We are disappointed but there is no point in us getting down about this because we are straight into another difficult game. We had two overseas who have just got off the plane this week. Dane was fantastic all game but Jimmy (Pattinson) would admit that he was not quite at it this week. Hopefully those two boys fire next week.”

 

Durham vs Leicestershire, Riverside

Leicestershire defiantly held out for a draw in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match against Durham at the Riverside, losing only two wickets on the final day of the contest.

Durham declared overnight with a lead of 394 in the hope of pressing for their first victory of the campaign, but chances were hard to come by on a lifeless wicket. Ollie Gibson had a day to remember as he claimed his maiden first-class wicket to mark an encouraging performance with the ball in difficult conditions.

Sam Evans provided the stoic defence required to see his team to the draw, collecting his first fifty of the term and holding out an end for over 250 deliveries unbeaten on 77 before the captains shook hands. Durham moved to second place in the Division Table after gaining 15 points, while Leicestershire collected 12 for their exploits to remain undefeated after two matches.

After Durham declared their second innings boasting a lead of 394, Leicestershire began their attempt to see out the day in defiant fashion with Hassan Azad and Evans. Chris Rushworth and Matthew Potts passed the bat on a few occasions, while the odd delivery kept low, but it was not enough to trouble the visitors' openers. Both batsmen received blows to the body and Evans was struck on the helmet as he attempted to avoid a bounce from Potts.

However, they were rewarded for their resilience when Evans found the fence to bring up the fifty partnership in the 19th over. Leicestershire were on their way to shutting out the home side in the morning session, but Azad made an uncharacteristic mistake against Liam Trevaskis, losing his shape a the crease and was subsequently bowled through his legs to end the opening stand for 66. Frustration crept in for the home side after lunch as George Rhodes survived edging Potts between Ned Eckersley and David Bedingham, and a great shout for a catch at short leg by Sean Dickson which was deemed to have hit the ground.

Gibson eventually prised out Rhodes to claim a deserved maiden first-class wicket, with arguably one of his worst deliveries of the match as the Leicestershire man gloved a leg glance behind to Eckersley. Evans' defiance continued and he worked his way to his first half-century of the term from 140 balls, keeping matters simple with a stubborn resistance against the home side.

Durham skipper Scott Borthwick attempted a variety of methods to look for a way into the Leicestershire line-up, but the Riverside pitch day four pitch offered no assistance for the home side in their pursuit of their first win of the season. Evans and Colin Ackermann were steadfast in their defence and posted an unbeaten partnership of 84 for the third wicket before both sides agreed to call time on the contest, settling for the stalemate.

Leicestershire's Sam Evans said - "We knew what the job was at the start of the day to get through the first couple of sessions. We knew that we were playing for the draw to get through those 96 overs and we were able to do it. It was a good pitch, it was just a case of playing straight and getting forward. I needed a good knock out there because I'd started the season slow, but it was good to get going and hopefully I can kick on from here. When I got head in the head the ball kept a bit low and I don't really know what happened. Sometimes I think I lose a bit of concentration. I was in the mindset it was going to take a lot more than short-pitch bowling to get me out. It's key to take confidence into future games. We've got a couple of draws under our belt. I read on Twitter about Derbyshire's coach talking about not being a winning side, but being hard to beat. We've done that, and now we have to progress."

 

Durham's Scott Borthwick said - "The wicket was probably the flattest I've seen at the Riverside. I didn't expect it, I thought it might offer a little bit more uneven bounce. I can't fault the bowlers, they were outstanding. Fair play to the Leicestershire lads they got stuck in and put in a real gritty performance. I was pleased with the way we went about the game, but we just didn't quite get the luck. We've had a decent start to the season with two good draws where we've been the better side. We pushed Glamorgan hard and we outplayed Leicestershire. We've had some big performances too, scoring four hundreds and Matthew Potts getting his maiden five-wicket haul. We're putting in good numbers, we just need to keep believing that we're doing the right thing and hopefully it will turn for us.

"We did think about declaring last night to have a bit longer at them, but at the same time we had 85 overs today and only got two wickets. We were also waiting for Michael Jones to get his maiden hundred. We're not always in it for individual success, but it was a big moment for him. We ideally wanted six overs at them last night, but were also cautious for him getting his hundred. We just didn't expect the wicket to be as flat as that on the final day."

Derbyshire vs Sussex, The Incora County Ground

Tom Haines and Cheteshwar Pujara scored double centuries to complete a remarkable escape act that guided Sussex to a draw on the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.

They shared a stand of 351 in 119 overs, a Sussex record for any wicket against Derbyshire and other milestones were passed before the teams shook hands.

Haines batted for just short of 11 hours for 243 while Pujara was unbeaten on 201 from 387 balls as Sussex closed on 515 for 3 ,180 ahead after following on 331 behind.

It was the first time in a Derbyshire match that three players have scored double hundreds after Shan Masood made 239 for the home side.

This was only the third time it has happened on any ground in Britain, the other two were both at Northampton, and the feat has only been achieved on11 occasions in the history of first-class cricket.

The pair looked certain to bat through the day but Haines chipped Nick Potts to midwicket shortly before the close and was congratulated by all of the Derbyshire players before he walked off.

Derbyshire’s hopes of seeing an Easter parade of wickets rested with the second new ball which was only 16 overs old and for the first hour, Haines and Pujara had to fight hard to survive.

Sam Conners beat the bat several times while Suranga Lakmal delivered his best spell of the match from the City end.

The Sri Lankan paceman had a fascinating duel with Pujara who almost lost his wicket on 64 when a fine leg glance bounced just in front of Brooke Guest diving across to his left.

Only 36 runs came in just over an hour but Haines pulled the off-spin of Wayne Madsen to the ropes to wipe out that arrears before Pujara cut Nick Potts to the boundary to bring up the 200 stand in 71 overs.

Haines was reprieved on 194 when he edged a cut at Alex Thomson but Madsen at slip could not hold on to a sharp head high chance.

He made the most of it by completing the first double century of his career by driving the last ball of the morning from Thomson to the cover boundary for his 20th four.

It was a remarkable display of concentration and intent from the 23-year-old and he and Pujara moved serenely on after lunch.

Pujara clipped Nick Potts wide of mid on for his 14th four in the first over of the afternoon session to reach his 100 which was his first in 27 months.

Derbyshire kept rotating their bowlers but there was no sign of a breakthrough until Pujara on 130 drove a swirling catch to long on where Billy Godleman failed to cling on.

Haines was missed for a third time in the next over when he cut Leus du Plooy hard to slip but Madsen again failed to take a sharp chance.

Pujara completed his 150 from 326 balls and the 300 stand was posted in 108 overs before the pair walked off at tea with Sussex 123 runs ahead.

Another record fell in the first over of the final session as the pair passed the previous Sussex highest stand for any wicket against Derbyshire of 310 set by Ed Joyce and Luke Wells at Derby in 2016.

Derbyshire’s chances of victory had long gone when Haines’s marathon finally ended but Pujara completed his double hundred on a day to remember for Sussex cricket.

Sussex batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said: "It means a lot to me. I was here for a week and I was preparing even back home so when I got out in the first innings I was so disappointed.

"But I knew I was batting well and I wanted a big one. If it's your first game and you get a double hundred it sets you up for the season.

"The day before yesterday I spoke to the guys and told them that we are in trouble but it was time to show character and how the team spirit is

"It's a good bunch of guys, a young side and we learn from the experience. The guys stood up and showed a lot of character, it wasn't easy for us but the way Hainesy (Tom Haines) and Ali (Orr) started it set a big platform."

On Tom Haines's 243 he said: "It was one of the best first-class innings I have seen because he was under pressure and it's never easy when you are leading the side and opening the innings when you are following on."

Derbyshire head coach Mickey Arthur said: "At times in this game I thought we bowled outstandingly well and I thought the first hour this morning with Conners and Lakmal was proper Test cricket , it was excellent stuff.

"In the first innings I thought we got it right and there were times in the second innings when I thought we bowled well for scant reward but you've got to take your hat off, I thought this boy Haines played incredibly well and we know Cheteshwar Pujara is a world-class player.

"I was impressed with our cricket over four days, we didn't get the result we wanted but we certainly put pressure on in all departments at certain times of the game."

 

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