1 year ago
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Ali Martin
Good morning from a blissfully sunny New Road, where Sussex have won the toss and stuck Worcestershire in. There’s a promising young buck in the away side - Aussie born, English mother, bowls a bit of leg spin - plus Cheteshwar Pujara but we’ll have to wait to see them bat ... a chance to see Ollie Robinson with the new ball in hand, however, and should be a cracking day. Bit of fun at the toss, as the PA announcer sets out the rules of engagement: “No spitting, no biting, no swearing.”
Steve Smith gets his cap
Toss news
Hants win v Warwicks and bat
Essex win v Surrey and bat
Notts win v Lancs and bowl
Somerset v Northants and bowl
Yorkshire win v Glamorgan and ….bowl
Derbyshire win v Leicestershire and bowl
Sussex win v Worcestershire and …bowl
After much mystery, it is confirmed that Bairstow WILL be taking the gloves.
Three players will refuse to pay fines:
Jonny played one game for Yorkshire seconds as part of his comeback, biffing 97 off just 88 balls against Notts seconds – though he should have been caught off a similarly rehabbing Olly Stone on 21. Stone got his man in the end as YJB tried to reach his hundred with a six.
Before the injury, he had in a ridiculous glut of form for England – making four Test hundreds in five innings: 136 (v NZ), 162 (v NZ), 106 (v India), 114 (v India).
We’ve spotted YJB, in a wooly hat, and anorak. He’s lying on the grass, stretching.
Division Two table
1 DURHAM (played 4) 64
2 LEICESTERSHIRE (3) 45
3 SUSSEX (3) 41
4 WORCESTERSHIRE (3) 35
5 GLAMORGAN (3) 31
6 GLOUCESTERSHIRE (4) 27
7 YORKSHIRE (3) 21
8 DERBYSHIRE (3) 17
Division One table
1 SURREY (played 3) 52
2 HAMPSHIRE (3) 45
3 MIDDLESEX (4) 45
4 ESSEX (3) 40
5 WARWICKSHIRE (3) 38
6 KENT (4) 31
7 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (3) 29
8 LANCASHIRE (3) 29
9 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE (3) 23
10 SOMERSET (3) 22
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Surrey
The Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Warwicks
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Lancashire
Taunton: Somerset v Northampton
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire v Leicestershire
New Road: Worcestershire v Sussex
Headingley: Yorkshire v Glamorgan
Preamble
Hello and welcome to beautiful, brazen May. So much to see this round. Ali is at New Road, where Steve Smith will be trying his hand at county cricket and absolutely not preparing for the Ashes in any way.
I am at Headingley to watch Jonny Bairstow take to the field for the first time for Yorkshire since his horror golfing accident that left him with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. He’s quite keen to be back:
Marnus Labuschagne plays the part of the baggy green for Yorkshire’s opponents Glamorgan.
Gloucestershire, Durham, Middlesex and Kent take a break this week.
This arrived in my inbox earlier. I like to think Christina Rossetti was at the cricket while it popped into her head.
I cannot tell you how it was,
But this I know: it came to pass
Upon a bright and sunny day
When May was young; ah, pleasant May!
As yet the poppies were not born
Between the blades of tender corn;
The last egg had not hatched as yet,
Nor any bird foregone its mate.
I cannot tell you what it was,
But this I know: it did but pass.
It passed away with sunny May,
Like all sweet things it passed away,
And left me old, and cold, and gray.
English (US)