Bean the Run Machine

The race for the County Championship title became a little more intense after the break for the Vitality Blast. Leaders Nottinghamshire hosted Yorkshire and chose to bat first. After Ben Slater had scored 96, new recruit Ishan Kishan made 87 on his county debut and Dillon Pennington hit a career-best 61 to help the hosts up to a total of 487. Finlay Bean led the reply with a mammoth career-best 224 off 489 balls, as Yorkshire steadily compiled their reply of 510 in 185.4 overs. There was only enough time after that for Notts to reach 148 for one when the game ended in a draw. George Hill, the season’s leading wicket-taker, with 39, didn’t bowl in the final innings, but Jonny Bairstow did.

Meanwhile, champions Surrey travelled to New Road, where Worcestershire chose to bat first. Matthew Waite’s 68 was the only innings of any substance, as they were bowled out for just 214. In reply, Surrey reached 160 for one, but then the wickets tumbled and they were dismissed for a moderate score of 291, Ben Allison taking five for 44 (his second five-wicket haul). Trailing by 77, there was hope the hosts might make a game of it, but they fell away to 125 all out, with Nathan Smith taking six for 38 and Matthew Fisher picking up four 47. Surrey completed their nine-wicket win inside three days and moved to just two points behind Nottinghamshire.

Sussex are third, 16 points back, after they drew with Durham at Chester-le-Street. They decided to bat first, and James Coles made his fifth century (148 not out) to ensure they reached a total of 361 all out. Attention might have focused on Sussex’s new overseas signing Gurinder Sandhu, but he was overshadowed by the return of Jofra Archer, who bowled his first deliveries in red-ball cricket since May 2021. It was harsh on the Australian, as he went on to pick up five for 83, while Archer’s 18 overs brought a return of one for 32. Durham had numerous solid contributions, but were all out for 327, a deficit of 34 on the first innings. Scoring in the first two innings of the match had been a little over three runs per over, and in the third innings of the match it dipped below three. Danial Ibrahim, with a career-best 121 not out off 315 balls, probably didn’t care about that, and the game ended with Sussex on 322 for six. Although he had a quiet match, Tom Haines is the leading runscorer so far, with 903.

Somerset travelled to Edgbaston and chose to bat. In his first red-ball match of the summer, Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit 104, while Tom Lammonby followed it up with an innings of 133, his highest score. Somerset were finally all out for 498. The home side had recruited Australian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who picked up just one wicket. In reply, Warwickshire made 351, with Craig Overton taking four wickets. Somerset looked to put their foot down and accelerate in their second innings, and eventually declared on 229 for eight, with Rocchiccioli taking five for 67 on his UK debut. With a target of 377 to chase, the game petered out in a draw, with the hosts on 161 for four after 56 overs.

Finally in Division One, Essex welcomed Hampshire to Chelmsford and chose to bat. Charlie Allison top-scored with 101, his second century, while Kyle Abbott took five for 26. In reply, on his debut in English cricket Tilak Varma scored a patient 100 (in 241 balls), while Liam Dawson took six balls fewer in making 139. Hampshire were bowled out for 453. Mackenzie Jones made his first-class debut for Essex and picked up the wicket of Dawson. At 131 for five, Essex were facing possible defeat, but then Michael Pepper (140) joined skipper Tom Westley (130 not out) to add 215 for the sixth wicket and lead their side to safety as they finished on 358 for six, Dawson having taken four for 82 and so narrowly missed out on yet another match double of a century and five wickets in an innings.

Runaway Second Division leaders Leicestershire couldn’t record a sixth win of the summer when Glamorgan visited Grace Road and chose to bat. Twenty-one-year-old Jersey international Asa Tribe hit his maiden century (107) as the away side scored 353. Peter Handscomb took six catches behind the stumps. Six batters for the hosts (including loan signing Ben Green) passed fifty, with Sol Budinger (118) and Rehan Ahmed (106) both scoring centuries, as they totted up a mammoth 576 for seven declared. With much work to be done to avoid defeat, Glamorgan were grateful to Sam Northeast (139) and Colin Ingram (133 not out, a 25th century from the South African who turns 40 next week). They finished on 342 for six.

The only decisive outcome of the round came at Northampton, where Middlesex chose to bat. Wicket-keeper Joe Cracknell made his maiden century (112) never having previously reached fifty. That effort helped his side up to 413 all out, achieved despite Liam Guthrie taking seven for 94, the best figures of the Australian’s career. The home side welcomed New Zealander Tim Robinson to their line-up, and he scored 43 on debut, while Saif Zaib made 102. Northants were all out for 435 to secure a slender lead, but the fact that Zafar Gohar took five for 121 ensured that any run chase would not be easy. Middlesex then made 332 for eight declared to set a target of 311 for victory. Luke Procter (107) and James Sales (108) both scored quickly and the home side raced to a four-wicket win in 62.3 overs, with ten overs to spare.

At the bottom of the table, Kent travelled up to Blackpool and were put in to bat by skipper Jimmy Anderson. Ben Compton led from the front, making 135 as his side scored 374. On his first-class debut, Mitchell Stanley picked up the wicket of Grant Stewart. Lancashire hit back with centuries from Luke Wells (152), Josh Bohannon (124) and Ashton Turner (154, in his first red-ball innings for the county) as the Red Rose outfit scored a remarkable 519 runs on the third day to take them up to 639 for nine declared. Kent needed to bat out the final day, and at 116 for seven after 46 overs, they were in deep trouble. Grant Stewart then joined Joey Evison, and the pair put on 182 for the eighth wicket, with Stewart making 130 in just 122 balls, nine of which he hit for six. They finished on 328 for eight, but Kent are bottom of the table, one point behind Middlesex and four behind Lancashire.

Finally at Bristol, Gloucestershire decided to bat but were unable to cope with Jack Morley who took a career-best six for 55 to dismiss them for just 187. Harry Came (103) and Wayne Madsen (123, a 42nd century in his 42nd year) added 206 for the third wicket as Derbyshire took control, despite the efforts of the home side’s new Australian recruit, Todd Murphy, who picked up three for 120. The visitors were eventually all out for 398, after which the hosts hit back, as Cameron Bancroft (176) and Graeme van Buuren (175) put on 222 for the fourth wicket, allowing Bancroft to declare on 526 for six. Derbyshire had 67 overs to chase 316, and when Came and Caleb Jewell put on 177 for the first wicket in 31.3 overs, they looked certainties for victory. But wickets tumbled steadily, as van Buuren took four for 64, and Derbyshire ended a thrilling game on 296 for eight, holding out for a draw only at the very end.