Published: 2025-06-30 14:19:15 | Views: 12
Key events
Simon Harmer pokes at one, and Essex in danger of being out for less than 400.
Meanwhile, HH has fallen early after a pretty little cameo of 24 for Notts (42-1); and George Balderson has a static Wayne Madsen lbw for 70. Derby 136-5, a substantial 231 behind.
Sam Cook, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton to remain in situ with England.
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Brydon Carse (Durham)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
On and on for big bad Dom. Past his highest f-c score as Surrey head towards 700.
Just as everyone was digesting the delicious lunch put on by York CC – noodles and deep fried tempura, with chocolate brownie to follow – a wicket falls, Pepper caught behind. YJB still wearing a jumper.
Jofra Archer will not be joining the England Test squad for today’s training session at Edgbaston due to a family emergency. He is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday.
If you want to know how hot it is, and how different from seasonal norms, try this fantastic website.
Journalists writing about UK heatwave today:
Watch the temperatures rise around the country, including how much warmer than normal they are.https://t.co/0huOHsOdXy
— Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) June 30, 2025
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire v Worcestershire 546-5
Taunton: Somerset 379 v Nottinghamshire 15-0
The Oval: Surrey 597-3 v Durham
Hove: Sussex 60-0 v Warwickshire 415
York: Yorkshire v Essex 328-6
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 109-3 v Lancashire 367
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 0-0 v Gloucestershire 380
Canterbury: Kent 446-5 v Northamptonshire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Middlesex 438-6
Another chance is grassed (short vowel) at York – Thain on 23. Essex 323 for six.
And hello Mike Daniels at Grace Road, and sorry I didn’t see your email until now.
“My mate who was on duty in the box yesterday left a note saying “Boring!’ as his take on the play yesterday. Probably the case for Leicester fans but Middlesex will have been thrilled after being sent into bat.
“Preparing for excessive heat this afternoon as the sun creeps round the ground. Makeshift shutters to keep out the direct sunlight and lots of water in the fridge, fan on. Who wants to work in this?”
Not me, I’m with commentators BTL. I don’t know how these sportspeople superhumans do it.
Staggering around the Division Two grounds with a fan and a trilby:
After Lancashire’s batting recovery yesterday, Derbyshire are faltering – now 84 for three after Balderson removes Came. Jimmy having a rest after seven overs, two for 19.
James Bracey’s unbeaten 130 is guiding Gloucestershire towards 400, currently 377 for nine. Van der Gugten 4-61.
A century for Daniel Bell-Drummond and half century for Harry Finch means Kent are chugging along nicely down at Cricket Week Canterbury. Kent 434 for five.
Middlesex are also thriving against the Kookaburra, Ben Geddes 76 not out in 423 for six. Leicestershire must be wishing Rehan Ahmed was fit.
Essex have made fifty runs in an hour and a half, as Revis snatches at a caught and bowled and can’t hold on to a drive from Pepper.
No century for Tom Banton, as he reverse-sweeps to a lurking Mohammad Abbas for 84, but a welcome return to form. Hampshire relief after dropping him on two
Essex haven’t managed the batting point, in fact they’ve ground to a bit of a halt at York where brave, brave people are frying in the temporary stand. Essex 289 for six.
Chalk and very melted cheese – perhaps a brie. Sibley’s second double ton for Surrey, Lawrence’s second hundred of the summer. Durham look on in horror – Surrey 494 for three. Those who have played international cricket – Anderson, Sibley, Lawrence – particularly enjoying the Kookaburra?
The Essex wobble continues as Allison drives to Abdullah Shaffique at point.
Two overs for Essex to get a second batting point…
England are looking for people who can do magic with the Kookaburra…Wagstaff and Jewell fall to the master. Derbyshire 29 for two, Anderson two for 16.
And another! Jordan Cox, yet to re-find his mojo after the England call-up-injury-match. Gone for 33, courtesy George Hill.
A timetable mess means that I arrive just in time to see Critchley lose his bails via bat and pad. And things move on – almost apace. Charlie Allison, fresh from two centuries on the trot, strides out.
Professional cricketers are a hardy bunch but the heat can be dangerous, especially when wearing lots of protective equipment. Special attention should be paid to the wet bulb temperature. The ECB advice is not presciptive, but relies on conversations between players and match officials.
Having strategies in place in advance provides the best chance of ensuring player, match official, staff and spectator welfare. This may include increased and/or longer drinks breaks, which can help both on and off the field.
In addition, consideration for a longer lunch and/or tea and potential to leave the field for drinks.
There is an ability for an umpire to suspend play or not allow it to start if the umpire considers that the conditions are either dangerous or unreasonable.
During the match: If weather conditions change unexpectedly during the match, consider immediate extreme heat management intervention.
Drinks intervals: A minimum of one drinks interval per session will be scheduled (Umpires will liaise with Captains on the day to confirm). The time taken for these intervals will be divorced from over-rate calculations.
Hours of play: Should both teams agree, the hours of play in multi-day matches may be shortened on day(s) of extreme heat, with any time being made up on days when it is forecasted to be cooler. Timings will be determined at the time when the specific circumstances are known.
Hot, hot, hot. 33 degrees at The Oval, 32 at Grace Road, 31 at York, Worcester, Chesterfield, Canterbury, 29 at Taunton, 28 at Cardiff and Southampton, 27 at Hove.
County Cricket Day 2025 was distinguished by soft Kookaburra balls and soaring temperatures. At York, the groundsman had left enough grass on the pitch to give it a minty sheen, but a combination of ball, disciplined Yorkshire bowling and heat-induced inertia tested the patience of even the most loyal fan.
The ground became more and more lopsided as spectators slid towards the shade of the oak tree behind the scorebox while Essex’s Tom Westley (107) and Dean Elgar (94) plodded on. And on. Westley’s hundred was his second in successive matches.
It was a good day for Ben Compton at Canterbury: a county cap, a three-year contract extension and 66 runs, as Kent batted their way to a comfortable 325-4 against Northamptonshire, with additional half centuries for Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye.
Tom Banton, whose season hit a spectacular high in the first round with 371, but who has since found runs hard to mine, ground an unbeaten 57 against Nottinghamshire. There were also fifties for Tom Abell and James Rew after Somerset had wobbled at 22 for two.
Centuries from Dom Sibley and Sam Curran put Surrey in the driving seat at the Oval. A swashbuckling Dan Lawrence half-century after tea put the tin lid on Durham’s decision to have a bowl.
Sam Robson clocked his first hundred of the season for Middlesex at a flat, dry Grace Road. Leicestershire were shorn of their first-choice attack due to injuries and Ian Holland’s presence at Major League Cricket, but Roman Walker pocketed three wickets.
Lancashire recovered from the depths of 44 for four at Derbyshire thanks to a self-denying 106 from Keaton Jennings and a chirpier 121 from Chris Green. Zak Chappell grabbed four wickets.
Henry Crocombe, replacing Jofra Archer, spirited away by England after one game, kept Sussex in the match against Warwickshire with three wickets. Mason Crane also grabbed three for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire.
And at Southampton, Barry Richards was one of the spectators as Worcestershire’s Adam Hose frying-panned the Hampshire attack during his 266 at more than a run a ball. Thirty one fours and seven sixes peppered the lounging crowds and switched the narrative of a broiling day.
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire v Worcestershire 362-2
Taunton: Somerset 275-6 v Nottinghamshire
The Oval: Surrey 407-3 v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Warwickshire 372-7
York: Yorkshire v Essex 248-3
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire v Lancashire 367
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire 279-7
Canterbury: Kent 325-4 v Northamptonshire
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Middlesex 336-5
Good morning! The sun beats down and the cricket gets heavy. Welcome to day two – play starts at 11am.
