At Old Trafford, the Lancashire players are kicking a ball around, a groundsman is brushing the pitch and they’re having an inspection at noon.
Jamie Porter sums up yesterday at Taunton:“The pitch is too slow to be dangerous in any way, but there clearly was not much time to prepare it and there was a lot of seam movement all day.
“I thought our batters did well to post 150-plus in the conditions and I was confident that if the bowlers hit the right areas, we would get our rewards.
“My plan was simply to concentrate on a line and length and let the pitch do the rest. I can’t see it playing much differently as the game progresses.
“It has been a great start to the season for me. The ball is coming out well an long may it continue.”
Delayed start at Old Trafford, whilst Middlesex have won the toss at Lord’s, and will field.
A snippet from Leeds courtesy of Graham Hardcastle. Yesterday was the first time since 2013 that Yorkshire have played two spinners in the same Championship match at Headingley – Bess and Moriarty. Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq were the 2013 pair, playing in an August draw against Warwickshire that season, striking once between them.
Level-headedness under pressure – Ali talks to Chris Jordan on Caribbean cross winds, reflex slip catches and more:
Weather watch
Humdrum: “most northern areas will have a cloudy day with showery rain, locally heavy and perhaps thundery. Northwest Scotland, central and southern England, along with south Wales will be brighter with warm sunny spells, though some heavy showers, especially southeast England.” (Thank you Met Office)
Friday’s round-up
Around the country, players wore black armbands in memory of the young Worcestershire spinning all-rounder Josh Baker, whose death was announced on Thursday.
His parents, Paul and Lisa, paid tribute to their son: “We are both broken. Achieved so many of his dreams before reaching 21. Take every opportunity to hug your parents and children. We’ve taken great comfort from the many messages received so far – keep sharing and posting your memories please.”
At New Road, where Baker had come through the ranks, the club opened a book of remembrance. His former Worcestershire coach Shaftab Khalid recalled, “not just a very talented cricketer but also an amazing and wonderful human being. He was such a nice, humble and sweet person. He was a Worcestershire boy so playing for his county and then the England Under‑19s, the dream was coming true.”
There was a minute’s silence in memory of Baker at Derby, among other grounds. Ollie Robinson grabbed two wickets after Sussex won the toss and chose to field under filthy skies. Derbyshire were 189 for eight when the rain fell, with 50 for Luis Reece and a giddy 44 for Aneurin Donald. At Old Trafford, Kent fought back after being reduced to 129 for six by Lancashire under the floodlights, with a third fifty of the season for Joey Evison, and a boundary heavy 41 for Zak Crawley, who brushed George Balderson (three for 62) for three successive fours.
In the battle of the brothers at a soggy Headingley, Glamorgan’s Billy Root stroked 51 against Yorkshire, but not before older brother Joe had dropped him at slip; and it was dismissals a-go-go at Taunton, where 20 wickets fell on an emerald pitch, all to seamers. Somerset bowled Essex out for 156 after winning the toss, with only Tom Westley making it past 25, Migael Pretorius finishing with four for 26. Sam Cook and Jamie Porter soon got their revenge, ripping through Somerset for 128, with five wickets each. There was time for Essex to face one over, with five slips, before stumps.
Play was washed out without a ball bowled between Middlesex and Leicestershire at Lord’s.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Kent 203-7
Taunton: Somerset 128 v Essex 156 and 6-0
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 189-8 v Sussex
Lord’s: Middlesex v Leicestershire no play on day one
Headingley: Yorkshire v Glamorgan 109-4
Preamble
Good morning! Feet up, coffee on, it’s bank holiday weekend! Five games chugging along – from Taunton, where 20 wickets have already fallen, to Lord’s, where they haven’t yet managed the toss.
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