365 Sporting Days

What a difference decent weather makes! This week saw just 2 games in Division 1 and 3 in Division 2, with 3 of those 5 games being won on Day 3 of the 4 days. As I’m starting to write this at 4:30 on Day 4, the match in Bristol is rain affected. I considered last week that the teams who didn’t play last week could be at an advantage and that has proved to be the case for one of them!

Division 1

Middlesex v Kent – Lord’s, London. Steve Eskinazi won the toss for Middlesex and put Kent in to bat. Middlesex won by 9 wickets.

Kent 186 All Out & 128 All Out, Middlesex 229 All Out & 86 for 1.

Zak Crawley scored almost as many as the whole team last week against my team Essex, he was out for 11 after facing just 19 balls in this innings. Ben Compton was Kent’s highest scorer with 52 from 168 balls. At the end of this game Compton has an average of 62.83 and 377 runs. Grant Stewart batting at 8 scored 44 as Kent were bowled out in 65.2 overs. Tim Murtagh took 4 for 40 and Ethan Bamber 4 for 42; they both bowled 17 overs.

Ryan Higgins did it with the bat again for Middlesex, it’s becoming a habit. He top scored with 71 from 108 balls taking him to 327 runs an average of 54.5 for his 4 games so far. A very good signing for Middlesex. Middlesex were bowled out in just 58.1 overs, with Wes Agar taking 4 for 60 in his 15.1 overs.

With England watch in mind, Zak Crawley was out for a Golden Duck in the second innings, as was Daniel Bell-Drummond, seeing Kent on 0 for 2. Compton and Jack Leaning put on 87 for the 3rd wicket, Leaning top scoring with 48 from 118 Compton batted on and was out for 38 from 138 balls. Only Wes Agar made it into double figures with 11 as Kent were bowled out in 57 overs. Tim Murtagh took 6 for 42 in his 16th overs, taking his 1000th wicket for Middlesex as he went. (photos courtesy of my friend Bob Ludlum)

Middlesex took 24.3 overs to score the required runs; Sam Robson was 41* and the wining points were in the bag!

Warwickshire v Surrey – Edgbaston, Birmingham. Rory Burns won the toss for Surrey and put Warwicks in to bat. Surrey won by 9 wickets.

Warwickshire 150 All Out & 141 All Out, Surrey 281 All Out & 16 for 1.

This isn’t going to involve me having to type too much! Warwicks were bowled out in 56 overs, Dan Mousley batting at 5 top scored with 55 from 132 balls. Danuel Worrall took 4 for 38 in his 17 overs.

Surrey’s best batter came in at 6, Jamie Smith scored 88 from 150 balls. 3 bowlers took 3 wickets but Surrey got a good lead of 131, batting for 91.1 overs.

Warwicks were bowled out in just 40 overs, with Ed Barnard top scoring with 49 from 74 balls. Kemar Roach took 5 for 34 in his 13 overs.

Surrey needed just 12 balls to score the required runs.

The Division 1 table looks like this, after 3 rounds for most.

Division 2

Durham v Derbyshire – Seat Uniquer Riverside, Chester le-Street. Scott Borthwick won the toss for Durham and elected to bat. Durham won by an innings and 7 runs.

Durham 452 for 9, Derbyshire 165 All Out & 280 All Out.

Durham are the team to look to for centuries this season so far and this innings does not disappoint! This Durham innings saw 452 runs scored in just 99.4 overs. Keeper Ollie Robinson is enjoying his move from Kent, he scored 114 from 107 balls Brydon Carse in at 7 scored 108 from 120 balls. With 5 batting points in the bag, Borthwick declared, it’s becoming a habit!

Derbyshire’s first innings was over in just 34.3 overs. Luis Reece in at 7 top scored with 56 from 62 balls. the 5 bowlers shared the wickets.

Derbyshire’s second innings lasted longer and they got close to making Durham bat again. Matthew Lamb and Luis Reece shared a 6th wickets partnership of 149 frustrating Durham. Lamb was out for 99 and Reece remained not out 66. Matthew Potts took 5 for 65 in his 16.4 overs.

Gloucestershire v Sussex – Seay Unique Stadium, Bristol. Graeme van Buuren won the toss for Gloucs and put Sussex in to bat. Match Drawn.

Sussex 455 for 5, Gloucs 248 All Out &

Sussex lost opener Tom Haines early and were 9 for 1, they moved to 58 for 2 before Tom Alsop and CheteChris Cshwar Pujara put on 100 for the third wicket. This was not a Baseball innings, Alsop was out for 67 from 170 balls. Pujara and James Coles then added 144 for the 4th wicket, Coles made 74 from 102 balls. Pujaara was out for 151 from 238 balls and Keeper Oli Carter was not out 59 from 78 balls. With the 5 batting points achieved Pujara declared after 109.2 overs.

Gloucs made 66 for their first wicket; Miles Hammond in at 4 top scored with 87 from 171 balls, but batter 5 to 11 only scored 42 between them as Gloucs were bowled out in 91.2 overs. Nathan McAndrew took 5 for 63 in his 22 overs.

Day 4 at the least was rain affected and Gloucs had to face just 28 overs before a draw was declared. Graeme can Buuren scored 55 from 70 balls as they went.

Leicestershire v Glamorgan – Davis Lloyd won the toss for Glamorgan and put Leics in to bat. Match Drawn.

Leicestershire 407 All Out & 252 for 3 dec, Glamorgan 465 All Out.

Runs galore in this game! Lewis Hill batting at 3 made 53 from 88 balls. He and Colin Ackermann shared a 4th wicket partnership of 100 before Peter Handscomb and Rehan Ahmed put on 177 for the sixth wicket. Ahmed made 90 from 129 balls and Handscomb batted on to score 95 from 168 balls Leics batted for 107.4 overs. Their 2023 season is very different to their 2022 one! Timm van der Gugten took 6 for 88 in 29 overs.

Glamorgan had a century maker in their midst but not before Edward Byrom and Marnus Labuschagne had put on 123 for the second wicket. Byrom made 51 from 110 balls and Labuschagne 64 from 106 balls. Keeper Chris Cooke in at 8 scored 132 from 257 balls. He and Michael Neser put on 211 for the 8th wicket with Neser scoring 90 from 198 balls. That’s 2 Australians getting good batting practice! Chris Wright took 5 for 80 in his 36.1 overs.

Leics opener Rishi Patel scored 134* from 213 balls in the second innings, his second century of the season so far. He and Lewis Hill put on 203 for the second wicket before Hill was out for 82 from 125 balls.

Here’s the Division 2 Table

Century Makers and 5 Wicket Takers (not huge lists this week)

• Ollie Robinson – Durham – 114 from 107 balls
• Brydon Carse – Durham – 108 from 120 balls
• Cheteshwar Pujara – Sussex – 151 from 238 balls
• Chris Cooke – Glamorgan – 132 from 257 balls
• Rishi Patel – Leics – 134 from 213 balls

• Tim Murtagh – Middlesex – 6 for 42 from 16 overs
• Kemar Roach – Surrey – 5 for 34 in 13 overs
• Matthew Potts – Durham – 5 for 65 in 16.4 overs
• Nathan McAndrew – Sussex – 5 for 63 in 22 overs
• Timm van der Gugten – Glamorgan – 6 for 88 in 29 overs
• Chris Wright – Leics – 5 for 80 in his 36.1 overs.