Key events
Roundup: Durham sanguine over wait for win
The only result from this round of championship matches came 1min 45sec into the day when Matthew Potts cracked the four required to give Durham a 10-wicket win against Gloucestershire at Chester‑le‑Street. Gloucestershire, who had refused to bowl spin on Saturday night amid bad light, therefore extending the game into yesterday, chose to open with Ollie Price’s fruity loops, with the winning runs coming off his sixth ball.
Durham’s head of cricket, Ryan Campbell, was phlegmatic. “I guess it’s a bit ironic that they opened the bowling with a spinner this morning, but these things happen. We don’t worry about the opposition. We do things our way, and it was delayed, but same result.”
Durham cement their place at the top of Division Two, 40 points clear with four rounds left. Things have more of a wooden-spoonish tinge for Gloucestershire, bottom with nine defeats in 10 games.
Olly Stone continued his storming late-summer form, reducing Warwickshire to 43 for three in a swinging seven-over opening spell. He finished with five wickets, to go alongside the 10 he collected against Surrey last week. Earlier Joe Clarke had reached 150, to add to his achievement as the first batsman to pass 1,000 runs this season. Nottinghamshire remain top of Division One, by four points.
At Chelmsford, Ben Foakes played one of his finest innings for Surrey, lifting them both away from defeat and the relegation zone. Essex, though, will be cursing the two early lives they gave him, a tricky missed stumping and a fluffed caught-and-bowled. Foakes batted from the start of the day till handshakes just before five o’clock, 120 not out from 226 balls.
After a draw at Wantage Road, the Division Two promotion rivals Northamptonshire and Kent are level, Kent staying second because of an extra win. Hundreds from Ricardo Vasconcelos and Nathan McSweeney ensured Northants pocketed maximum batting points.
Despite Middlesex forfeiting an innings in an attempt to force victory, rain was the only winner at Derby. There was just time for young Naavya Sharma to grab four for 36 in Derbyshire’s sketchy 131 all out.
Time to close the curtains on this round, the first hugely rain-affected one of the season. Just one result, Durham’s ten wicket thrashing of Gloucestershire, but one that will still be infuriating people in December.
Thanks for your company, see you on Wednesday and remember to set your clocks for a 10.30am start. The nights, I’m afraid, are closing in. Enjoy your bank holiday, bye!
Updated at 12.48 EDT
Next week’s fixtures (starting Wednesday, 10.30am)
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex v Sussex
Southampton: Hampshire v Warwickshire
Trent Bridge: Notts v Leicestershire
Taunton: Somerset v Glamorgan
The Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire
Division Two
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire
Canterbury: Kent v Worcestershire
Merchant Taylors School: Middlesex v Lancashire
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Durham
ShareDivision Two table – four games to go
1 Durham 191
2 Kent 151
3 Northants 151
4 Worcestershire 127
5 Middlesex 113
6 Derbyshire 110
7 Lancashire 94
8 Gloucestershire 44
ShareFinal scores
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 279 DRAW with Surrey 183 and 298-8
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 161 and 21-3 DRAW with Hampshire 162 and 300-8dec
Hove: Sussex 259 and 62-1 DRAW with Somerset 202 and 350-9dec
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 185 DRAW with Nottinghamshire 325-8
Scarborough: Yorkshire 263 DRAW with Leicestershire 84-0
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 131 and 111-3 DRAW with Middlesex innings forfeited
Chester-le-Street: Durham 384 and 4-0 BEAT Gloucestershire 137 and 250 by ten wickets
Northampton: Northamptonshire 450-6dec Draw with Kent 345
New Road: Worcestershire 263-7dec DRAW with Lancashire 180 and 2-0
ShareNorthants draw with Kent
And that’s your lot. A James Sales single takes the total to the magic 450.
Northampton: Northamptonshire 450-6dec Draw with Kent 345
Northants 16 points, Kent 12 points
ShareDivision One table – four games to go
1 Notts 148
2 Somerset 144
3 Warwickshire 140
4 Glamorgan 121
5 Sussex 120
6 Essex 119
7 Yorkshire 117
8 Surrey 105
9 Leicestershire 102
10 Hampshire 86
Which leaves us with the bonus-point battle at Wantage Road. Should Northants reach 450 without losing another wicket, they will leapfrog Kent in the table.
ShareWorcestershire draw with Lancs
The rain spares Lancashire from the Heffalump trap of a second innings.
New Road: Worcestershire 263-7dec DRAW with Lancashire 180 and 2-0
Worcestershire 12 points, Lancashire 10 points
Updated at 12.07 EDT
Glamorgan DRAW with Hampshire
An early Glamorgan stumble was neutralised by the rain.
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 161 and 21-3 DRAW with Hampshire 162 and 300-8dec
Glamorgan points 11; Hampshire 11 points.
Updated at 12.04 EDT
Essex DRAW with Surrey
Handshakes all round, well played Ben Foakes who gets pats on the back all round for a sensational match-saving 120 not out.
Chelmsford: Essex 279 DRAW with Surrey 183 and 298-8
Essex 12 points, Surrey 11 points.
ShareWarwickshire draw with Notts
Notts slightly extend their lead at the top after more fire from Olly Stone.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 185 DRAW with Nottinghamshire 325-8
Warwickshire 5 points, Notts 8 points
Updated at 11.55 EDT
Sussex DRAW with Somerset
The rain spoils what could have been a fun chase.
Hove: Sussex 259 and 62-1 DRAW with Somerset 202 and 350-9dec
Sussex 12 points, Somerset 11 points
Updated at 11.50 EDT
Derbyshire draw with Middlesex
Despite earnest intentions, the weather wins. Four impressive first-innings wickets for Naavya Sharma, and another in the second.
Derby: Derbyshire 131 and 111-3 DRAW with Middlesex innings forfeited
Derbyshire 8 pts, Middlesex 11.
Updated at 11.46 EDT
A gentle caught and bowled for Patterson-White gets rid of Michael Booth. Warwicks 181-9 as this game winds down towards 5pm.
ShareBad light at Hove
With Sussex 62-1, needing another 241 to beat Somerset.
ShareA hundred for Nathan McSweeney
Nicely played by McSweeney, and Northants could yet reach maximum batting points before stumps. Kent searching for bowling points too. Northants 396-4. A fourth CC century of the year for McSweeney.
At Edgbaston, Warwickshire have avoided the follow-on.
ShareBad light at New Road
Lancs’ innings suspended at 2-0.
And Foakes has just thrashed six off Harmer into the river.
ShareA hundred for Ben Foakes
A scampered single to mid-on does it! Gets there off 205 balls. He modestly waves his bat and smiles a white smile through the bars of his helmet. A standing ovation from the Surrey players. Surrey 272-8, lead Essex by 176.
Sam Cook has filthy trousers and filthies them some more by polishing the ball. Ben Foakes on 99.
ShareWorcestershire have declared! A lead of 83
Surely, surely, Lancs can see this one out.
Updated at 11.22 EDT
Back on at Edgbaston
Restarting in some light drizzle, Warwicks need 13 to avoid the follow on.
A post-tea wicket at Hove too, a nasty ball from Pretorius to Dan Hughes, caught by a listing Abell at second slip. Sussex 26-1, need 277.
ShareRain
At Edgbaston and Sophia Gardens.
Sam Cook with the breakthrough! Lawes falls to his first ball after tea – the end of a match-saving (?) 101-ball partnership. An aggressive advance – bowled.
Mark Church seems to think there might be a declaration imminent at Chelmsford, with Foakes 92, Lawes 44 not out, and Surrey leading by 151. Time for a cup of tea, back shortly.
ShareTea-time scores
Division One
Chelmsford: Essex 279 v Surrey 183 and 247-7
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 161 and 21-3 v Hampshire 162 and 300-8dec
Hove: Sussex 250 and 20-0 v Somerset 202 and 350-9dec
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 163-8 v Nottinghamshire 325-8
Scarborough: Yorkshire 263 DRAW with Leicestershire 84-0
Division Two
Derby: Derbyshire 131 and 108-3 v Middlesex innings forfeited
Chester-le-Street: Durham 384 and 4-0 BEAT Gloucestershire 137 and 250 by ten wickets
Northampton: Northamptonshire 351-4 v Kent 345
New Road: Worcestershire 207-6 v Lancashire 180
A view of the ground at Hove during Sussex v Somerset. Photograph: Neil Marshall/ProSports/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 10.48 EDT
Fifties for Saif Zaib and Nathan McSweeney
Valuable batting points here for Northants, with power to add. Currently 331-3 from 73 overs.
ShareFive wickets for Olly Stone
Thompson’s stumps skittled! Five for 49 for Stone, Warwicks 147-8. And this follows 10-94 against Surrey last week. He looks strong as an ox too.
Updated at 10.25 EDT
Sussex need 303 to win as Somerset declare
Weather permitting, some last-gasp fun possible. Sussex have 44 overs to make 303.
ShareNew ball taken at Chelmsford
Jamie Porter polishes and polishes.
A satisfying cloud of Chelmsford dust as Harmer crouches down at the end of his over. The soon-to-arrive new ball is Essex’s one hope.
Surrey digging in against Essex at Chelmsford. Photograph: Ray Lawrence/TGS Photo/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 10.13 EDT
Al Davies has a flat footed drive at Stone with inevitable results. Stone 4-31.
ShareRain at Sophia Gardens and New Road
Glamorgan rescued from 21-3.
Worcestershire 191-5 have an 11-run lead over Lancs; Balderson 3-48.
It is sunny and blustery at Edgbaston, where Olly Stone (3-30) is 16-pacing in on a ruler straight line. He paws the surface near his point of release to flatten something down. Warwickshire survive an over.
Incidentally, is anyone else having problems with NVPlay? I can’t get any of the replays to work.
I think Surrey are going to escape here – the lead 105 and Foakes looking like an immovable Victorian grand piano.
At Hove, Somerset are now six down, the lead 250. James Rew (14) and Lewis Gregory (2) searching for the adhesive. A couple of wickets each for Hunt and Evison.
Meanwhile at Chelmsford, Simon Harmer is back into the attack.
A chaotic few hours for Warwickshire who are now 92-6. Only Mousley has reached 20. Stones three wickets have been complemented with a wicket each from Martindale and Pennington and the run-out of Jani. They still trail Notts by 233.
Glamorgan, you are spoiling us. A second for Kyle Abbot, Carlson’s off stump scrumped. Glamorgan 14-3.
ShareFifty for Ben Foakes
Brought up wiht a delightful shot off Akhter. Fifty from 121 balls and some excellent stonewalling. Surrey 169-7, the lead up to 73.