County Championship day two: Warwickshire v Surrey and more – live! | Sport

In Division Two:

Bad things are afoot at Hove for Notts. Hameed, Ducket, Clarke and Slater all back in their tracksuits. 54-4.

The hailstorm and rain avalanche seems to have wiped out the prospect of any further play today with Durham 5-0.

Impressive fortitude from Worcestershire, 288-7. Dolly 88 not out, leach fell for 70.

And Derby 46-0 against Middlesex’s imposing 401.

A good-news update on Ben Stokes: He will, if all goes well, return to Durham in early May as the scan in his knee didn’t find anything new.

Time for a stroll around the grounds:

DIVISION ONE

Critchley (81) and Wheater ploughing on at Chelmsford. Only one for the DI, but at 24 overs for 44, he’s still miserly. Essex 425-6

Hampshire still relishing this batting lark: 296-2, a lead over Somerset of 117. Has Vince hit three boundaries in his 18? Of course he has.

Northants holding on by their teeth – 116-5. Keogh not out 39, trailing Gloucsestershire by 107.

And at Edgbaston, Surrey 289-6. Warwicks ask the umpires if they can change the ball, the umpires answer with a swift shake of the head. Foakes 60 not out.

Joe Clarke, mentioned in dispatches as a possible man to step up to the Test team if he make the numbers, Finn’s second victim. For six. Notts 43-3.

A stoppage here because of a code red signal to stewards. We think a fire alarm somewhere. Ah, all back on track now, with Miles sprinting into Clark.

As to Jordan Clark – a successful move to Surrey? Discuss.

I went to get a jacket potato, and Ben Foakes gets fifty. Not sure what to do when he’s on 98. Bit of a plod here by Surrey tbh.

What’s happening at Hove? Ah Notts are 38-2. And one of them is Has. Sob. For five. Finn’s first wicket in a Sussex shirt.

Fifty for Matt Critchley – a cracking start to his Essex career, signing from Derbyshire on a three year contract in the autumn. Essex 381-6.

A breakthrough soon after lunch at Edgbaston as, with a skip at the top of his run, Hannon-Dalby traps Jacks lbw, done by a touch of inswing. Surrey 255-6.

And more hail has stopped play at Sophia Gardens, with Durham 5-0.

Congratulations to LPW for the first five-fer of the season! Still a chance Naseem Shah is on for the second (2.5-0-13-1), but they’ll have to hold Higgins (3-26) back.

Anyway, time for a snack and a stroll. Back soon!

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford: Essex 359-6 (Browne 107, Cook 100) v Kent

Rose Bowl: Hampshire 209-1 (Weatherley 116 not out) v Somerset 180 all out

County Ground: Northants 56-4 v Gloucestershire 223

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Surrey 240-5

DIVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 234 all out v Durham 5-0

Grace Road: Leicester v Worcestershire 205-6

Lord’s: Middlesex 401 all out (Eskinazi 118) v Derbyshire

Hove: Sussex 375 all out (Clark 100; Patterson-White 5-84)v Nottinghamshire

Hogan throws the bat to give Rushworth his second wicket of the innings. Glamorgan all out 234, losing 5-20 as lunch approached. Three wickets apiece for Potts and Raine.

Foakes, dropped! On 37 by second slip – Rob Yates the man with soapy paws.

Meanwhile, down at Hove, Sussex keep plugging away. Everyone in double figures except Alsop and No. 11 Atkins (3 not out). Sussex 375-9. After lunch we may have the chance to observe the less-spotted batting Notts-up.

At Lord’s, Gary Naylor is casting a stern eye. Good to see Roland-Jones, out for a duck incidentally, playing. May his knee remain steadfast. Middx 379-8.

Celebrates with a squeeze from batting mate Nick Gubbins. Happy day, happy Hampshire: 198-1.

A wicket falls at Edgbaston as Jamie Smith edges behind. Surrey 216-5. Warwicks plugging away. Northants are, er, 22-3. Higgins 3-14.

And trouble for Joe Denly,

So Hampshire, what now? They’ve taken the lead at the Rose Bowl with just one wicket down (Holland for 81). Stride onwards to 450 and bowl Somerset out tomorrow afternoon?

Turns out Northants don’t need to wait for Naseem Shah to sag about the seams. Vasconcelos gives Bracey some catching practise off Higgins. 10-1. Crossing my fingers for the older Curran brother here: hope he has a breakthrough season.

Bracey last man out for 117 – a fine peg to start the new season. Gloucestershire 223 all out. So Northants really do have to face Shah now. First five-fer of the season?

DIVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Ingram falls just before three figures, but Glammy continue to fiddle a total out of some kindling. Cooke 50 not out. Glamorgan 210-5

Grace Road: Barnard falls to Barnes for 57, but Dolly still there on a captain’s forty. Worcestershire 140-5 (a vast improvement on 45-4)

Lord’s: Derbyshire toiling away, without Sidebottom (the Australian, not the spiral haired yorkie). Robbie White 50 not out. Middlesex 347-5

Hove: All hail the young guns! Tom Clark out for exactly a hundred, Rawlins for 49. Sussex 335-7

Let’s look around the grounds:

DIVISION ONE

Edgbaston: Pope just out, stumps a go go, bowled Hannon-Dalby for 58. Surrey 191-4.

Chelmsford: A third for Bird. Westley gone for 37. Essex 295-5

Rose Bowl: Relentless accumulation. Weatherley 16 short o his century. Hampshire 148-0

County Ground: A hundred for Bracey. A HUNDRED for Bracey! Gloucestershire 205-8

Seventy six balls and eleven fours, a flick to the square leg boundary and there we are. An earlier on-drive down the ground was biscotti perfection.

And thank you for this Gary Naylor!

Bizarre moment here at Edgbaston when Warwickshire sent Alex Davies out as a sub, before he was immediately sent away by the umpires. Davies is serving a one-match ban for historic offensive tweets.

Fascinating stattage from below the line – thank geogman and long hop for your careful browsing of the cricinfo database.

QUESTION:. Of the 43 wickets taken yesterday, 2 were runouts. Of the remaining 41, how many were taken by

– bowlers under the age of 30 and
– who were born in England (England qualified was too complex to work out) and
– are described as fast or fast medium by Cricinfo?

ANSWER: 9 wickets fell to under 30s. 7 to under 30s that are UK born (not sure about the eligibility of Quinn and Gilchrist). 1 to fast medium Sam Conners. Cue discussion of the CC as a win at all costs competition v a breeding ground for a higher purpose.

4 wickets
Sanderson (33)
3 wickets
Barker (35)
Wright (36)
Patterson-White (23) sla
2 wickets
Abbas (32)
Dawson (32)
Berg (41)
Buck (30)
Hannon – Dalby (32)
Raine (30)
Bird (35)
Lakmal (35)
Runout
1 wicket
Abbot (34)
Holland (31)
Fuller (32)
Briggs (30)
Rushworth (35)
Potts (23) ramf
Gilchrist (21)
Quinn (29)
Hutton (29) ramf
Connors (23) rafm
Thomson (28) ob
Mullaney (35)

If I look up too quickly, it feels as if the Birmingham skyline is marching towards my left shoulder. Anyway, a quiet first five minutes in Birmingham, bright sunshine, no gloves that I can spot, and a few more hardy souls in the stands wrapped up and squinting into the unaccustomed light.

I missed this story from a couple of days ago – Stokes’s knee issue. He’s been struggling since the West Indies series, and can’t make any decision about the summer till he has results of a scan. All of which may influence any decision about Joe Root’s future – to be decided by a director of cricket, yet to be appointed.

DIVISION ONE

Chelmsford: Essex 272-4 (Browne 107, Cook 100) v Kent

Rose Bowl: Hampshire 109-0 v Somerset 180 all out

County Ground: Northants v Gloucestershire 164-8

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Surrey 168-3

DIVISION TWO

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 164-4 v Durham

Grace Road: Leicester v Worcestershire 118-4

Lord’s: Middlesex 307-4 (Eskinazi 118) v Derbyshire

Hove: Sussex 302-6 v Nottinghamshire

Hello! And welcome to day 2 – already it seems normal that county cricket is being played. If people still did offices, it might be water-cooler chit-chat. “Did you see that old rogue Alastair Cook got a century, and what about Somerset? Why did they choose to bat? I hear Ollie Pope is looking good – and away from home too.”

The sun is beaming down on Birmingham. Let’s have a good day.