County Championship Round 1 Discussion Thread

[Shelsey93]

First topic message reminder :

The County Championship gets underway tomorrow (snow permitting for the matches up North!), and it promises to be another fascinating season.

These are the matches to be played in Round 1:

Division 1

Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire @ Trent Bridge - Commentary link http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17610026 (BBC Hereford & Worcester)

Notts 118 (Franks 51*, Jones 6-32) and 403 (Wessels 113, Read 68, Richardson 5-95) Worcs 130 (Klinger 29, Phillips 3-29) and 299 (Mitchell 102, Ali 94, Fletcher 4-53)

Nottinghamshire won by 92 runs

Somerset v Middlesex @ Taunton - Commentary link http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17610267 (BBC London)

Middx 246 (Denly 73, Philander 5-43) and 175 (Rogers 50, Dockrell 6-27) Somerset 350 (Compton 99, Kieswetter 83, Collymore 3-66) and 73-4 (Hildreth 37*, Berg 3-25)

Somerset won by 6 wickets

Surrey v Sussex @ The Oval - Match discussion thread https://www.606v2.com/t27207-surrey-v-sussex-match-thread Commentary link http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17610548 (BBC London)

Surrey 264 (Maynard 86*, de Bruyn 52, Khan 5-57) and 273 (Hamilton-Brown 89, Anyon 5-79) Sussex 196 (Gatting 72*, Jordan 3-29) and 255 (Wells 108, Lewis 3-40)

Surrey won by 86 runs

Division 2

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire @ Derby

Derbys 286 (Redfern 110, Whiteley 83, Brooks 5-61) and 314-3 dec (Guptill 137, Borrington 98) Northants 264 (O'Brien 62, Wakely 62, Palladino 3-60) and 134 (Newton 58, Wainwright 6-33)

Derbyshire won by 202 runs

Essex v Gloucestershire @ Chelmsford - Commentary link http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17610029 (BBC Essex)

Essex 364 (Godleman 130, Wheater 56, Saxelby 3-76) Gloucs 180 (Housego 39, Mills 3-35) and 146 (W. Gidman 39, Napier 5-58)

Essex won by an innings and 38 runs

Leicestershire v Glamorgan @ Grace Road

Leics 249 (Henderson 57*, Waters 4-57) and 110 (du Toit 40, Henriques 3-25) Glam 124 (Wagg 42, Joseph 6-47) and 183 (Wallace 47, Joseph 6-64)

Leicestershire won by 52 runs

Yorkshire v Kent @ Headingley - Commentary link http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17610263 (BBC Leeds)

Kent 537-9 dec (Coles 103, Key 97, Nash 67, Newman 64, Davies 58, Shahzad 3-86) Yorks 364 (Bairstow 107, Rashid 58, Shreck 4-90) and 146-4 (Root 76, Shreck 2-22)

Match drawn

[Shelsey93]

Close of play scores added to the opening post.

Notts, Somerset and Surrey on top but not in unassailable positions in the Division One matches. Glamorgan still in with a shout in the low-scoring game against Leicestershire, Essex set to complete an innings win over Gloucs and Derby-Northants an even match. Kent dominating against Yorks so far but the game not very developed so could well be a draw.

[Liam]

Shout out to Glammy today. To get over 100 from 25-5 and then 7 down before 50 is a superb effort, Wagg batted brilliantly.

To then bowl the foxes out for 110 is great stuff, and just the 1 wicket down heading into day three. Tough batting conditions but it seems if you can stick at it and bat sensibly, 200 is not out of the question, as shown by the foxes in the first innings

Oh glammy glammy....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Shout out to Glammy today. To get over 100 .....is a superb effort, ...... Oh glammy glammy....

I'd like to see Walters (known at Surrey as the "Walking Wicket"!) do well. He is a good guy and deserves a bit of success....

[Liam]

Shout out to Glammy today. To get over 100 .....is a superb effort, ...... Oh glammy glammy....

I'd like to see Walters (known at Surrey as the "Walking Wicket"!) do well. He is a good guy and deserves a bit of success....

He's an honest cricketer and pretty handy with the ball as shown already in the match so far. Hopefully he'll convert some of his starts into some fifties and beyond.

[guildfordbat]

I echo the Corporal's comments and now Martyr's about Stewie Walters. A good bloke and honest cricketer who deserves some success. Also a fine fielder - took one of the best boundary catches I've ever seen.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

He's an honest cricketer and pretty handy with the ball as shown already in the match so far. Hopefully he'll convert some of his starts into some fifties and beyond.

A missing "L" makes an 'ell of a difference! Walters (as opposed to Waters) hardly ever bowls. Combine the two and you get a decent all rounder. Almost as good, in fact, as "River" Jordan of Surrey...

[guildfordbat]

Close of play scores added to the opening post.

.... Surrey on top but not in unassailable positions in the Division One matches. Glamorgan still in with a shout in the low-scoring game against Leicestershire ....

Shelsey - you are doing an excellent job pulling all these CC games together and regularly updating them.

I agree with you that Surrey aren't in an unassailable position but, if I were a Sussex fan tonight, I would be bl**dy worried. As mentioned on the Surrey thread (so good to have back our posters on 'summer only contracts'!), to win Sussex must make the highest innings score of the match in the fourth innings. That's not unknown but is never easy.

Meanwhile, if anyone can pull off an unexpected loss, it's Leics!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Meanwhile, if anyone can pull off an unexpected loss, it's Leics!

But Glam already threatening to subside at 45 - 3. Discussion above put the Mockers on Walters. Glam may have to depend on Waters, which seems bit of a long shot....

[guildfordbat]

Meanwhile, if anyone can pull off an unexpected loss, it's Leics!

But Glam already threatening to subside at 45 - 3. Discussion above put the Mockers on Walters. Glam may have to depend on Waters, which seems bit of a long shot....

Corporal - I was surprised by Martyr's apparent reference to the Walking Wicket bowling - should have checked!

Glam must be terrible or Leics inspired. The only opposition player I saw at the Oval last season who was worse than any Leics player was Robbie Joseph, then playing for Kent!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Compton has scored 78 not out off 249 balls. Obviously determined to show that Somerset are not just a smash bang wallop side....

Meanwhile Gloucs slump to a very poor defeat.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Can a recall for the veteran wicketkeepr batsman, Jon Batty, be far away for Gloucs? Coughtrie the wicket keeper opened for Gloucs and managed a duck off 8 balls in first innings and then completed a pair in the second, remaining scoreless for 33 balls.....

I'm sure if Batty had got a pair he would have lasted a lot longer than 41 balls...

[guildfordbat]

Please don't tell CF but Essex have predictably thrashed Gloucs by an innings.

3 wickets in each innings for 'Ed' Masters as he carries on where he left off last season.

[Guest]

COMFORTABLE FOR ESSEX!!!!!!!

even more comfortable then i thought it would be!

well done lads, and well done Napier on 2nd innings 5for

[guildfordbat]

Good call by Shelsey as Glam crash to Leics by 50 odd runs.

Can Glam really be that dreadful?

[JDizzle]

Compton has scored 78 not out off 249 balls. Obviously determined to show that Somerset are not just a smash bang wallop side....

Now Middlesex are 1-0 off 5 overs in there reply. After Compton unluckily got out for 99 off 312 balls... Is there a go slow that nobody has told me about?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Compton never made his century - out for 99 off 312 balls....

Is this the new responsible Somerset?

[Carrotdude]

Some good performances from youngsters and England potentials - Redfern, Bairstow & Coles centuries among them.

[hodge]

Compton never usually bats that quickly or Hildreth in 4 day cricket tbh, they provide the balance in the side with the attacking players.

[JDizzle]

Kieswetter played a nice knock aswell. Out of character for him, but shows he has more strings to his bow than just being a slogger.

[Liam]

Nothing like a Glamorgan loss to bring in the new season. I don't care what anyone says, WaLters has a terrific delivery on him

Glammy are crying out for some seasoned batters, Bragg and Wright are still young and they need a seasoned pro to give them a bit of confidence in the middle order, because that's what is tripping up Glammy last season and have done so in this match. Never mind, hopefully Harris can come back relatively soon, he also brings some runs with the bat as well as his superb work with the new ball.

[Carrotdude]

Kieswetter played a nice knock aswell. Out of character for him, but shows he has more strings to his bow than just being a slogger.

He looked good in pre-season too, maybe this will be a bit of a breakthrough year for him. Wicket keeper position looking very healthy with Bairstow getting big runs too and Davies on his way home from SL.

[Shelsey93]

Scores updated in the opening post.

In the matches going to Day 4:

- Notts should secure victory over Worcs
- Middx v Somerset headed for a draw unless Philander intervenes and skittles Middx early
- Surrey within touching distance of a win over Sussex, though heroics are still vaguely possible given the nature of the County Championship

- Derby with a chance of setting up a win against Northants, probably after a declaration
- Kent v Yorks almost certainly draw-bound

[Shelsey93]

Good call by Shelsey as Glam crash to Leics by 50 odd runs.

Can Glam really be that dreadful?

The problem is that their side is not set up for Championship cricket in April. At Leicester, where Joseph took 12 wickets and both sides lost wickets to the seamers with regularity, they played two spinners and fielded a batting line-up without any experienced players that could weather the storm.

Unfortunately, for reasons mostly related to T20 two thirds of the Championship is played in April, May and September.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Slightly off topic - but interesting to see that Durham MCCU were all out for 18 today against Durham (County). Seren Waters who has been on Surrey's books was out for 2 for the second time in the match. But that represents relative success, at least in the second innings, since only two players plus extras scored more than two...

[guildfordbat]

It's apparent we need to be clear in distinguishing our Waters and Walters.

Most Surrey supporters recall Glam's Stewie Walters as the rather harshly named 'Walking Wicket'.

I under Glam players have given to Huw Waters the nickname of 'Muddy'. Like that.

Over to you Corporal for best id of Durham MCCU's Seren Waters ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Dockrell takes 6 - 27 for Somerset. Should be a simple victory in the end for Somerset, which would vindicate Compton's dogged innings....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

It's apparent we need to be clear in distinguishing our Waters and Walters.

Most Surrey supporters recall Glam's Stewie Walters as the rather harshly named 'Walking Wicket'.

I under Glam players have given to Huw Waters the nickname of 'Muddy'. Like that.

Over to you Corporal for best id of Durham MCCU's Seren Waters ....

With a name like Serene Waters, I suppose he would have to be either "Still" or "Sparkling" Waters!

[Shelsey93]

Dockrell takes 6 - 27 for Somerset. Should be a simple victory in the end for Somerset, which would vindicate Compton's dogged innings....

Superb stuff. And he is still only 19, despite already having played in a World T20 and a World Cup. Justifies tough call to pick him over the more attacking leg-spinner Max Waller.

Meanwhile, Yorks-Kent headed for a draw and Northants-Derby still in the balance but a draw the most likely outcome.

[guildfordbat]

With a name like Serene Waters, I suppose he would have to be either "Still" or "Sparkling" Waters!

[JDizzle]

Great performance from Dockrell. Somerset lost too much ground on the leaders in the early part of last season, so hopefully we won't let it happen again!

And Seren has a 74 against a South Africa side in an ODI. Which makes Durham's capitulation all the more embarrassing. Although, it was good to see Ben Stokes bowling again after all his hand problems.

[hodge]

Great work by Somerset and Dockrell particularly, should mean a comfy win to start the season

[hodge]

Slightly off topic - but interesting to see that Durham MCCU were all out for 18 today against Durham (County). Seren Waters who has been on Surrey's books was out for 2 for the second time in the match. But that represents relative success, at least in the second innings, since only two players plus extras scored more than two...

Chris Jones the opener has made appearances for Somerset as well

[Shelsey93]

It surprises me how wide the gap between counties and unis appears to be. You would expect strong sporting Unis like Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and Loughborough to be able to field a side which could at least challenge a first-class county. Instead all of these matches seem to be very one-sided.

[Tibor]

Didn't see the Surrey vs Leeds/Bradford game then?

We just scraped home by two runs!

[Guest]

Good call by Shelsey as Glam crash to Leics by 50 odd runs.

Can Glam really be that dreadful?

yes lol

[Shelsey93]

Results have been updated in the opening post. I'll write an article summarising the action some time this afternoon or tomorrow.

[Guest]

warks performing suprisingly welll given, the absence of Chris Woakes.

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