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Some reaction from Grace Road yesterday.
Middlesex acting captain Leus du Plooy: “The way the young guys, Noah and Nav, bought into our plans, was fantastic. There was definitely a lot of variable bounce and pace in the wicket and every now and then there was one that just shot up a little bit. We tried to keep the stumps in play a little bit more with the odd good bumper and Nav led the way there. He exploited that - then Noah today, it’s just exceptional. After six overs, still wanting the ball, then getting one of the best batters in the Championship, in the world, out. That is proper character and that’s what you want.
“It is a different challenge with the Kookaburra but I think actually Grace Road is one of the few grounds or wickets in the country that produces… a very good Kookaburra game. So compliments to the groundstaff for that.”
And Alfonso Thomas, Leicestershire head coach. “We took the decision to bowl first because we thought the pitch was going to get better. We left a lot of grass on it to get more pace but it was very dry underneath and we thought with the make-up of our team that bowling first was the best chance we had to go and win the game, to keep ourselves in it and hopefully have to chase a score on the last day.
“We were missing some players. You take out Holland, Scriven, Mike, Hull out of our team at the moment, that is going to leave a big hole in what’s a very small squad anyway.
“But I don’t want to make any excuses for it. Middlesex have outplayed us in every department. Sometimes it can be a good thing to have a bit of a kick up the backside, a bit of a reality check. It is okay to have a result like this, but it’s important that we address it and that we don’t bury our head in the sand.”
There is also some business going on at Edgbaston, where India have chosen to rest Jasprit Bumrah…
Tuesday's round-up
Leicestershire dropped the form book in a puddle, tumbling to an innings defeat in three days. After Middlesex had flayed 534, Leicestershire collapsed to 204 and then 202, despite some stoical tail wagging. Naavya Sharma and Noah Cornwell, 19 and 20 and playing in only their third first-class games, finished with six and four wickets in the match.
Yorkshire’s Matthew Revis and Ben Coad bashed their highest first-class scores, turning the game on its head at York. Coad then grabbed two Essex second-innings wickets to set up an intriguing final day. Tom Taylor tickled Worcestershire towards victory over Hampshire while James Coles’ 150 and six wickets for Warwickshire off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli enlivened a hot day against Sussex at Hove.
Dan Worrall’s new ball brilliance gave Surrey a sniff of a chance against Durham, despite Alex Lees’ 125; Lancashire are on the brink of their first victory after a wonderful century from Ashton Turner against Derbyshire.
Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram, ingenu and veteran, made twin hundreds for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire as events at Sophia Gardens drifted towards a draw.
There were four hundreds for Northamptonshire at Canterbury – for Ricardo Vasconcelos, Justin Broad, Saif Zaib and Calvin Harrison. Zaib’s unbeaten 150 was his fifth hundred of a prolific season, while Harrison continued his campaign to become loan signing of the year.
Jack Leach toiled through 53 overs for Somerset, finishing with six for 121 as leaders Nottinghamshire built a lead of 130. The main architects were Jack Haynes (157) and Indian IPL star Ishan Kishan with a sparky 77. Somerset had one over to face before stumps, and nightwatchman Matt Henry chopped the final ball into his stumps.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 221 and 86-3 v Worcestershire 679-7dec
Taunton: Somerset 379 and 4-1 v Nottinghamshire 509
The Oval: Surrey 820-9 v Durham 343-9
Hove: Sussex 533 v Warwickshire 415 and 88-1
York: Yorkshire 459-8 v Essex 368 and 33-3
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 261 and 139-3 v Lancashire 367 and 406-6dec
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 528 v Gloucestershire 380 and 12-0
Canterbury: Kent 566-8dec v Northamptonshire 624-6
Grace Road: Middlesex 534 BEAT Leicestershire 205 and 202 BY AN INNNINGS AND 127 RUNS
Preamble
Good morning! This is our last day of championship cricket for a while, so come huddle in for some final day japes. Middlesex duly pulled off their heist at Grace Road yesterday, so all eyes to Chesterfield and Southampton – and, possibly, York. Elsewhere, the run-fests look certain to trickle into five o’clock draws. Play starts at 11am.
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