Key events
Preamble
Morning again everyone. Cricket and its players may be being flogged senseless – in every respect – under the game’s current headless-chicken administration, but this great game of ours has thrown up something for everyone this week. Sri Lanka’s unlikely Oval triumph, a record rout for England’s women, a historic win for Ireland’s a couple of days later, and some T20 pyrotechnics from Travis Head and Jofra Archer last night.
And amid all that, the dear old County Championship, beguiling and sometimes bewildering its aficionados with an absorbing fluctuating de facto title decider at Taunton featuring young tyros, old stagers, crocked batters keeping their side in it; records tumbling at Durham; punishments handed down for five-month-old offences and promotion and relegation intrigue.
Obviously, attention today will focus on Taunton, but the one unfinished Division Two match – which we’ve slightly neglected – will have a huge impact on the promotion race, as Middlesex defend a small target against Gloucestershire, who like their rivals Somerset were fired by a teenager named Archie, in their case the 19-year-old medium-pacer Bailey who led the way as the hosts’ second innings collapsed at Lord’s last night. I’ll be toddling off to Lord’s to keep an eye on a straightforward run-chase. And. if the weather holds, every match this round might have a result.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Chester-le-street: Lancashire 228 & 155-4; Durham 573-9 dec
Chelmsford: Essex 457 v Nottinghamshire 93 & 180-2 (f/o)
Canterbury: Hampshire 403; Kent 207 & 70-0 (f/o).
Taunton: Somerset 317 & 194-9 v Surrey 321
Worcester: Worcestershire 307 v Warwickshire 128 & 171-3 (f/o)
Division Two
Leicester: Leicestershire 98 & 209 v Yorkshire 379. Yorkshire won by an innings and 72 runs
Lord’s: Middlesex 377 & 165 v Gloucestershire 309-9dec
Northampton: Northants 219 & 211 v Derbyshire 165 & 132. Northants won by 133 runs
Hove: Glamorgan 186 & 218; Sussex 491. Sussex won by an innings and 87 runs
