County cricket 2017

[Guy Profumo]

Hampshire and Surrey are off for bad light.

[Kevin S]

*checks live scores*

"Lancashire are 22 for 3"

[Kevin S]

Ah, and it's on five live sports extra too. Hameed is still in, currently with 43 year old Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

[Levin]

https://twitter.com/EvilRichard/status/905373435534172165

Not a great morning for Northants as they go from 350 odd for 5 overnight to 426 all out.

I sort of want to know about the Steelbacks name and sort of would like to not know.

[Kevin S]

Wiki:
Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks – a reference to the Northamptonshire Regiment which was formed in 1881. The name was supposedly a tribute to the soldiers' apparent indifference to the harsh discipline imposed by their officers.

[Kevin S]

What an absolute fucking embarrassment that would be.

Just to explore this - having a 'Wales' team competing in the T20 Blast - it was only 15 years ago that Ireland were competing in the C&G Trophy as one of the steps the country has taken towards getting a full member team. So might be a decent trojan horse for Welsh cricket.

[Kevin S]

Chanderpaul gone. Hameed still in, mind, with Lancs on 51/4.

[Levin]

This is a lovely way to spend a day. Sussex 52/2 the second of which was a really stupid skied pull.

One thing I've noticed, both here and at Surrey Middlesex, is that the players have lovely looking fitted caps. Northants have ones in a lovely dark red with yellow piping and a simple county crest. But all the club's sell are branded baseball caps.

[Kevin S]

Despite the damp weather, Jamie Porter is still on fire.

Jos Buttler was his latest victim, and Porter's figures stand at 46/3 from 13 overs (1 maiden). Lancashire are 71/5.

Hameed is still in, unbeaten on 11, scoring one run from his last 45 deliveries.

[Kevin S]

The sixth wicket goes, and it's not Hameed, who continues to dig in - or should I say #digin? - lots of love for this performance on that hashtag.

[Kevin S]

Hameed has hit a six and brought up his 50. Get him on the plane.

Now 60* from 201 deliveries.

[Levin]

Northants enforce the follow on after Sussex get bowled out for about 180.

I think I've got sunburn.

I know the Oval is a test ground and the County Ground isn't, but the disparity between the two is really rather shocking.

[SouthdownRebel]

Glad you're enjoying the day, Levin. Sussex really need to improve their batting line up - if you think England have worries in that department, etc etc

And yes, get Hameed on the plane. Nothing will vex the Aussies more than a man batting all day for 21*

[Levin]

Yeah they do. Just poor choices all around. Like the wicket they lost in the 2nd innings was playing across the line to a ball outside off stump and it just went up and down.

It's after 5pm on a murky day, you're an opener and you're following on. How about just making it through to close of play?

[Kevin S]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8...1068570/day/2/

There was a picture of Hameed walking off last night on Facebook with the question 'Hameed unbeaten on 85. Will he have made 100 by the time he next walks off?' to which someone replied, 'No, because he'll be 92* at lunch.'

[Kevin S]

He's gone, but what an innings.

Hameed lbw b Porter 88 (210 minutes, 250 balls)

[longeared]

Good work from Yorkshire's last pair to put on 20 runs for another batting point. Find it hard to see there being a result though unless there's contrivance or someone bats really badly. That's a bit of a concern given that Somerset are well ahead in their game at Edgbaston.

[Kevin S]

Strong wag from the Lancs tail, pushing their score up to 290 all out, so just missing another bonus point. So as things stand Essex have one more point from the match than the hosts.

[pebblethefish]

A brief moment to point out that this is Chris Read's last time at Trent Bridge. He's been there for my entire adult life, I used to know him, and I've been a massive fan for more than 20 years now (apologies to anyone who's had to listen to the bore at the bar going on about how many Test caps he should have had, that was me, and I retract my apologies because I was right). It's going to be weird watching Notts without him.

[Kevin S]

One of my housemates at Uni vaguely knew Chris Read when they were at school in Devon. Decent player.

No-one has entered any of this year's Minor Counties Championship data into Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_M...s_Championship

Berkshire retained the Championship, beating Lincolnshire in the final last week.
https://www.totalcricketscorer.com/T....aspx?id=61952

The Minor Counties website is not the easiest thing to navigate, but I *think* Berks are also the one day champions this year, and the T20 Minor Counties semi finals and final are in a few weeks' time - details here - and Cambridgeshire are in it!

[Kevin S]

(Hmm, I think the four T20 minor counties have been invited rather than qualified. Again, it's not easy to tell.)

[longeared]

BB&F went to the minor counties one day final the other week.

Why have Somerset declared already? Bad weather forecast or has the pitch turned into a minefield?

[Kevin S]

That is essential reading. Far more information on there than can be gleaned from the MCCA's own website. Many thanks to BB&F! for it.

[Kevin S]

Why have Somerset declared already? Bad weather forecast or has the pitch turned into a minefield?

Going on the basis of one person's comment on Somerset's twitter, it's because of a bad weather forecast.

[longeared]

Derbyshire v Glamorgan was going nowhere as a game and neither side is going to be promoted, so the umpires have already decided the outfield is too wet and abandoned the last day's play. Trebles all round.