Key events
I’m going to stretch my legs in the weak autumn sun – back shortly!
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsoford: Essex v Lancashire 83-6
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Warwickshire 73-3
The Rosebowl: Hampshire v Kent 35-5
Taunton: Somerset 55-1 v Northants
The Oval: Surrey 82-3 v Yorkshire
DIVISION TWO
The Riverside: Durham v Sussex 47-3
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 99-1 v Derbyshire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Middlesex 91-4
New Road: Worcestershire 99-5 v Nottinghamshire
And another pressie for Yorkshire in the slips – Surrey lose the fluent Patel on the dot of lunch.
Oh and Kent and oh Abbott (3 for 21). Kent 34 for five.
Simon Harmer re-emerges from the wings, takes the ball, and grabs a couple of wickets. Lancs 73 for five.
Graham has spotted John Major, fresh from the funeral, perched high up in the pavilion in a blue tie.
Amla follows the Burns blueprint, and is caught at third slip. A seaming pitch and a good crowd. Surrey 61 for two.
In Division Two: a wobbling Sussex (25-2, one each to Potts and Raine); a flying Glamorgan (70-1); and a conflicted Middlesex (70-3 – Robson, Stoneman and Malan gone); and Haynes has joined the massed ranks of Worcestershire’s top order in the pavilion: Worcs 70-4. Barnard to the rescue.
Yorkies asking for a ball-change in the sun – and winning.
An hour and a half in: Run machine Keaton Jennings joins the rest of the top three in the pavilion at Chelmsford – Lancs 49 for three; Warwicks 51 for two, Sibley and Hain pushing towards lunch; Compton and Leaning plucking threads from the mess of one for two – Kent now 23 for two. Lammonby and Imam easing along at Taunton, Somerset 39 for 0 against Northants; and Amla and Patel easing through the gears at The Oval: Surrey 51-1.
Is there a stage between an amble and a walk? That’s what Steve Patterson is doing at The Oval.
Three England players have rejoined Surrey for this match – Foakes. Pope and Overton J, elbowing first-first-class century Tom Curran onto the subs bench.
Now Lancashire’s batters join the timber-crisis – last week’s hero of Headingley, Shane Snater, bowling Luke Wells for 15; Bohannon bowled by wicket-muncher Sam Cook. Lancs 32 for two.
Just spotted that debutant Tom Bevan, batting at three for Glamorgan, is in after the fall of Byrom. Good luck over there, from us over here. Currently a four-ball nought not out.
Early wickets everywhere: Rob Yates gone for a quick-fire 19, Davies follows quickly (Warwicks 24 for 2); Surrey five for one (Burns); Kent – oh dear – four for two. Stoneman has gone early at Grace Road (Middx 19-21); as has Pollock for a 12 ball duck at New Road – Worcs 19 for one.
Rain at The Riverside.
Burns dangles and is caught by Kohler-Cadmore in the slips for a duck. Surrey 4 for one.
Made it across London, to emerge at Vauxhall, which stunk of rotting vegetables. But the sun is out at The Oval, Surrey are batting after losing the toss, and four slips are waiting.
Division Two table
1 Nottinghamshire 215
2 Middlesex 188
3 Glamorgan 176
4 Derbyshire 169
5 Worcestershire 160
6 Durham 158
7 Sussex 115
8 Leicestershire 79
Division One Table
1 Surrey 225
2 Hampshire 217
3 Lancashire 182
4 Essex 178
5 Northamptonshire 147
6 Yorkshire 132
7 Somerset 123
8 Kent 115
9 Warwickshire 115
10 Gloucestershire 74
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsoford: Essex v Lancashire
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Warwickshire
The Rosebowl: Hampshire v Kent
Taunton: Somerset v Northants
The Oval: Surrey v Yorkshire
DIVISION TWO
The Riverside: Durham v Sussex
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Derbyshire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Middlesex
New Road: Worcestershire v Nottinghamshire
Preamble
Good morning! Speeding down to London, horses grazing under turning trees, a day late for the Queen’s funeral but just in time for the penultimate match of the County Championship which, yet again, is screaming to a tight finish
Surrey and Hampshire are locked in battle for the title – Surrey eight points ahead but with tougher opponents ahead in Yorkshire and Lancashire – and a tussle for relegation and promotion brewing at both ends of the tables.
Leaders Surrey, frustrated by Northamptonshire last week, entertain Yorkshire – who couldn’t hold out against Essex in a thriller at Headingley. Essex have Simon Harmer back for their final game of the season at Chelmsford, where they take on Lancashire, their rival for the bronze medal spot and the runner’s up in the weekend’s Royal London Cup.
Coming up on the outside Hampshire, who have won their last four matches, host eighth placed and just outside the relegation zone Kent; while Craig Overton (but not Jack Leach) returns to help out Somerset against Northants. Precariously-placed Warwickshire, boosted by Mohammed Siraj, need to notch up a victory against bottom and seemingly doomed Gloucestershire.
In Division Two: promotion certainties Notts are taking on mid-table-with-pretensions Worcestershire; winless Leicestershire will have their work cut out against second placed Middlesex; Durham retain the services of Matthew Potts to play Sussex, one spot below them in the table; and Glamorgan and Derbyshire lock-horns for a last-gasp run for a promotion spot.