Share<\/a>Injury sub news<\/p>\n Vital Leicestershire<\/a> cog Jake Weatherald is out of the game against Essex, after hurting his elbow yesterday. New Zealander Nick Kelly, who has captained the Kiwis in T20 internationals, makes his debut as the nominated sub. Essex 91 for four.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Dom Bess is looking perky this morning, pinging an irritated Jordan Clark through the offside for four. Ah, now tries to reverse-sweep Dan Lawrence\u2019s second ball and is bowled. Yorks 458 for eight.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Rain<\/p>\n At Taunton, Edgbaston, Southport and Lord\u2019s \u2013 where Derbyshire<\/a> have overtaken Middlesex with five wickets in hand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Was not expecting that, HH bowled Kyle Abbott, 0. Perhaps Hampshire<\/a> are not already down and out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n George Hill pushes forward delicately and edges to first slip for 34. Yorkshire<\/a> not really making the most of that huge Bairstow-Lyth partnership yesterday. Still, a not-too-bad crowd in again and slightly warmer than it was yesterday, though a few handwarmers in pockets from the looks of the slip fielders. Yorks 436-7.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Five batting bonus points for Kent<\/a>, despite collapsing spillikins style this morning. Dawkins for 180, everyone else for not much. Three wickets each for Potts and Raine. Kent 466-7.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Rain at Edgbaston Michelle! OHD completes his 17th career first-class five-fer \u2013 and his first for Warwickshire<\/a> since August 2024 \u2013 as Hadley goes to defend, decides to leave and hears the stumps rattled behind him. Glamorgan 360 all out … and gah, the rain is falling and the covers are coming on.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.09 EDT<\/p>\n Essex have had a funny old season \u2013 and now are 39 for four against Leicestershire<\/a>, Tom Westley, wafting.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Time to go around the grounds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> A beauty from Olly Hannon-Dalby has just done for young Tom Norton at Edgbaston, pitching middle and leg and pinging off stump to produce a nice woody clunk. That\u2019s 22 wickets at 20 so far in this Pear-Bear season. Glamorgan<\/a> 352 for nine with Ryan Hadley joining Mason Crane in the middle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n More nets, fewer nets – Ali puts England\u2019s new look under the microscope.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Damp at Southport. Paul Edwards reports steady drizzle and an early lunch.<\/p>\n Stoical in Southport. Photograph: George Franks\/ProSports\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n And the second Yorkshire<\/a> centurion goes, flicking his bat in annoyance, caught at first slip for 141.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cNow then Tanya!\u201d Hello Tim Maitland.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Surrey<\/a> having unwillingly allowed the relatively out-of-form Adam Lyth and YJB to play themselves into their first centuries of the season and, if they don\u2019t deal with them quickly this morning, facing being clarted into all four corners of LS6, I found myself wondering if Surrey\u2019s championship challenge might be foundering on their bowling.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore the start of this round of matches Surrey had conceded 3,410 runs. That\u2019s more than any other team in the first division, almost 800 runs more than leaders Nottinghamshire<\/a> and puts them in an unwanted club of three to have already leaked 3,000 more together with strugglers Yorkshire and Leicestershire (one win and five defeats between them). They\u2019re only third best in runs scored with 3,116, but that differential can be partly explained by their batting only once in draws against both Essex and Nottinghamshire.<\/p>\n \u201cThis table <\/a>provides some answers. All five of Surrey\u2019s games feature in the top ten highest match aggregates in the first division this year. In other words, their bowlers haven\u2019t had much of a chance. If Nottinghamshire (4th in the list with a combined 1,278 runs with Surrey) and Warwickshire (3rd with 1,319 runs) both decided that producing batters\u2019 paradises offered themselves the best chance to neuter Surrey\u2019s challenge, the acid question is whether it\u2019s been in Surrey\u2019s best interests to produce such roads as they have at the Oval (1st and 1,474 runs v Leicestershire; 6th and 1,272 v Sussex; 9th and 1,183 v Essex).<\/p>\n \u201cWorryingly for Surrey bowlers, second on the list is the Headingley surface that produced 1,337 runs against Sussex<\/a>, which might suggest they\u2019re in for another flogging this weekend. Even with the massive gap in championship fixtures, do Surrey have the strength in depth to be ridden like rented mules week after week?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.11 EDT<\/p>\n Arrive at Headingley to see a stocky figures stalking off.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Christian Ryan messages from Melbourne: \u201cLet\u2019s go YJB. 300 by tea.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Morning from Edgbaston (he says, sheepishly, after getting diverted yesterday). An intriguing day ahead if the rain stays away. The last two pitches here have thrown up plently of wickets early on but from none for two, Glamorgan<\/a> pushed against that notion yesterday and have a very handy first innings total on the board (341-8) with a bit more to add, potentially. Kudos to centurion Ben Kellaway, and OHD for being so magnanimous: \u201c[BK] made it look easy. He stands still, and he plays straight. He played brilliantly.\u201d<\/p>\n As an aside, one of the more incongruous sights this week has been Jonathan Trott walking around Edgbaston with a daffodil on his chest, having done a bit of coaching work with Glammy these past couple of seasons.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Apologies for tardiness, I was inputting in yesterday\u2019s blog and couldn\u2019t work out why it wasn\u2019t loading\u2026hotfooting it to ground now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The biscuit I was given with my coffee this morning in a lovely Hyde Park cafe was a Bourbon. Is the Lotus finger now dead?<\/p>\n Takes the Leeds biscuit. Photograph: Simon Belcher\/AlamyShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.51 EDT<\/p>\n Yesterday’s round-up<\/p>\n Jonny Bairstow gave the crowd who clicked through the chilly Headingley turnstiles a treat, with his first century as Yorkshire captain.<\/p>\n There was a buzz of anticipation at the first chance to watch Joe Root, Harry Brook and Bairstow bat together this year. Applause as warm as a cinnamon bun greeted Root after Matt Revis elaborately left a ball that arrowed into his stumps. Root was just warming up with back-to-back boundaries when he was lbw for 44 to Matthew Fisher, now in Surrey colours but bowling well at his old stomping ground.<\/p>\n Fisher also sent back Brook, who twinkle toed down the pitch and flurried a cheap catch behind. A Headingley tut hung in the air. But Bairstow didn\u2019t disappoint, with an old-time six into the Western Terrace, adding an unbeaten 241 with fellow centurion Adam Lyth.<\/p>\n James Rew, fresh from England selection, was back in the middle order for Somerset, and back to form with 86 against Sussex, accompanied by 70s from Toms Lammonby and Abell; while Ben Kellaway, a surprise omission from the Lions squad, lodged a languid 139 for Glamorgan, rescuing them from nought for two against Warwickshire.<\/p>\n Nineteen-year-old Ben Dawkins shimmied to 181 not out against Durham, a maiden first-class century, as, together with Sam Northeast (141) Kent made the most of a generous Beckenham pitch.<\/p>\n At Southampton, Nottinghamshire\u2019s Josh Tongue purred towards the first Test, always threatening, once knocking Nick Gubbins to the dirt. But it was Fergus O\u2019Neill who had Hampshire in deep trouble, removing the top four.<\/p>\n Northamptonshire\u2019s Ben Sanderson (five for 47) didn\u2019t help Gloucestershire\u2019s struggles; Daniel Lategan and Matthew Waite rebuilt after a Worcestershire middle-order collapse at Southport and Derbyshire\u2019s Ben Aitchison pocketed a five-fer against fragile Middlesex. Leicestershire\u2019s Jake Weatherald and Sol Budinger ate Essex for brunch before the bowlers fought back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Score on the doors<\/p>\n Chelmsford: Essex 10-1 v Leicestershire<\/a> 333<\/p>\n Southampton: Hampshire 152-6 v Nottinghamshire<\/p>\n Taunton: Somerset<\/a> 335-5 v Sussex<\/p>\n Edgbaston: Warwickshire<\/a> v Glamorgan 341-8<\/p>\n Headingley: Yorkshire<\/a> 362-4 v Surrey<\/p>\n Division Two<\/p>\n Bristol: Gloucestershire 154 v Northamptonshire<\/a> 37-3<\/p>\n Beckenham: Kent 385-4 v Durham<\/p>\n Southport: Lancashire 28-0 v Worcestershire<\/a> 270<\/p>\n Lord\u2019s: Middlesex 177 v Derbyshire<\/a> 106-4<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Hello and happy Saturday morning. It\u2019s a patchwork sunny and cloudy morning in Leeds, where Jonny Bairstow thrilled the crowd with his first hundred as captain. He, and Adam Lyth, can go bigger and better this morning, unless Surrey<\/a> find something piquant from the pitch.<\/p>\n Play starts at 11am here, and around the grounds. We\u2019d love your company.<\/p>\n![\"Ali](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778933231_28_Ali_martin3,_L.png\")
Ali Martin<\/p>\nAli Martin<\/p>\nAli Martin<\/p>\n