Key events<\/p>\n
Emilio Gay has also arrived at Blackpool to join Stokes in the nets. Hove and CLS the places to gather this round for resting England players.<\/p>\n
Just seen the replay of the Bohannon dismissal, a hell of a ball seaming all over. The cricket here at Stanley Park is being accompanied by the whirr of the generator and the dancing tarpaulin and creaking poles of the blown about press tent. Sad food news for us greedy press, the tasty but wholly unnecessary picnic usually given alongside lunch has justly disappeared in budget cuts. Farewell double decker.<\/p>\n
Hasan is now running in from the north end, a long and rhythmic run up.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ooops and another, Bailey, skuppered between bat and pad by Matt Milnes, Lancs 24-4.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Look up to see some spraying bails, Bohanon bowled by Keith Dudgeon for eight, he\u2019s having a bit of a rotten season, poor thing. Lancs 24-3.<\/p>\n IF anyone didn\u2019t know, Ajit Singh Dale and Luke Wells are out for the season.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Good morning Mike Daniels, in the Grace Road scorebox. \u201cAllison toe-ends a long-hop to Kelly at mid-wicket to give Leicestershire<\/a> a good start to the day. They desperately need Cox out but the new ball is available soon. Missed Cox\u2019s innings yesterday, must have been some knock, but looking to seeing if he can build on it.\u201d Cox is currently 194 not out, Essex 355-7.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Have arrived at Blackpool where there is quite some wind and slightly wonky Wifi. A couple of hearty appeals but no wickets yet. This morning Paul Edwards and the photographers were called into cover service for a early morning squall.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Stokes spotted at Chester le Street<\/p>\n My spy tells me that Ben Stokes was standing in the middle at CLS, wearing his pads, and is now wandering over to the nets with the Durham<\/a> batting coach, ex Lancs supremo, Dale Benkenstein.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Tim Maitland has been scanning the skies. \u201cThe Met Office radar suggests you might be alright all morning in Blackpool, but Scarborough could be a bit dodgy.<\/p>\n \u201dAccording to the predictive bit, Nottingham could get a little bit around 2 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n After England\u2019s stonking victory last night in the tournament opener, there are four more World Cup games today. West Indies v New Zealand, Australia v South Africa, India v Afghanistan and Scotland v Ireland. Tim de Lisle is watching things unfurl at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I was too hasty. It has stopped raining and I\u2019ve just glimpsed the sun as the train approaches Kirkham and Wesham. Like any self-respecting child, the little boy opposite has already eaten the barbecued beef hoola hoops and one finger twirl from his lunchtime picnic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Scores on the doors<\/p>\n Division One<\/p>\n Grace Road: Leicestershire<\/a> v Essex 342-5<\/p>\n Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire<\/a> v Somerset 295-7<\/p>\n Hove: Sussex 136-2 v Glamorgan<\/a> 155<\/p>\n Scarborough: Yorkshire 386-6 v Warwickshire<\/p>\n Division Two<\/p>\n Chester-le-Street: Durham 302-7 v Derbyshire<\/p>\n Blackpool: Lancashire<\/a> 17-2 v Kent 178<\/p>\n Northampton: Northamptonshire<\/a> 380-7 v Gloucestershire<\/p>\n New Road: Worcestershire<\/a> v Middlesex 291-8<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Friday’s round up<\/p>\n Jordan Cox, fresh from warming the bench for six weeks in the IPL, and buoyed by an England call-up, clunked, thumped and chunked an unbeaten 184 against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Essex\u2019s Cox, who reached his century off just 73 balls, got there with a monstrous six right out of the ground. Matt Critchley was bowled just before stumps for 97, nightwatch Jamie Porter following soon afterwards.<\/p>\n Meanwhile Liam Livingstone, playing in his first Championship game for Lancashire since 2021, collected five wickets for 20 runs in 46 balls at Blackpool with a heady mix of leg and off-spin as Kent slipped down the stairs and landed with a thump. They collapsed from 111 for two to 178 all out after being asked to bat on a damp pitch. Lancashire\u2019s Joe Moores, just 17, took a catch and a neat stumping on his first-class debut.<\/p>\n Glamorgan had an unhappy first day at Hove, whistled out for 155, with four wickets for Sussex\u2019s Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat under heavy skies \u2013 all 10 batters out caught. Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson and a rapid Jofra Archer were all spotted bowling in the nets under the close eye of England fast-bowling supremo Troy Cooley.<\/p>\n Jordan Hermann, in good touch after a century against the Lions for South Africa A, was the linchpin of Somerset\u2019s innings with 106 at Trent Bridge. But he was the unwitting cause of James Rew\u2019s dismissal, a stinging straight drive deflected by Dillon Pennington\u2019s fingertip into the stumps when Rew was backing up. But it was a good day for one member of the Rew family, younger brother Thomas, 18, who cantered to 68 in just his second Championship appearance. Notts fought back with the new ball.<\/p>\n Derbyshire\u2019s man of the moment Ben Aitchison grabbed four wickets against Durham at Chester-le-Street, where England selector Marcus North was also spotted. Shoaib Bashir, released by England, bowled 11 overs.<\/p>\n Will Luxton galloped to a maiden Championship century for Yorkshire against Warwickshire at Scarborough; Northamptonshire\u2019s Saif Zaib refound his touch with a lovely 142 against Gloucestershire, helped by Nathan McSweeney (117), and Worcestershire restricted Middlesex to 291 for eight at New Road.<\/p>\n