County cricket – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/apr/26/county-cricket-live

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5.42pm BST17:42

A really disciplined hundred from Ian Westwood at Headingley has thwarted Yorkshire all day and left Jack Brooks, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, particularly frustrated in the evening session, writes Richard Gibson. Twice in one over Brooks thought he had the leftie out, shortly after Tim Bresnan sent Sam Hain packing for an even 50, trapped lbw to the second new ball. Warwickshire are 252-4. Yorkshire on course to bowl 100 overs in the day.

5.22pm BST17:22

Jesse Ryder has changed the complexion of this Surrey innings with two big wickets in an over with the new ball to peg the hosts back to 243 for five, reports Ali Martin. The New Zealander, who bowls gentle medium pace to devastating effect, trapped Kevin Pietersen lbw for 32 trying to play forward. And two balls later Jason Roy was sent packing in the same manner for a duck. Steven Davies is unbeaten on 45 and Essex, having won the toss, will be feeling a bit better about things.

4.07pm BST16:07

Surrey lost two wickets in the afternoon session but went into tea in command on 189 for three with Kevin Pietersen at the crease and humming on, err, 12, writes Ali Martin. The first two runs of those took Pietersen past 1,000 first-class runs for Surrey, the fastest man to reach that particular milestone, needing 17 innings. But don’t rule out Kumar Sangakarra pinching the title, having shown more glorious form in his 103-ball 52, reaching a 76th first-class fifty with a glorious drven four before being trapped lbw by Jesse Ryder. It was the second wicket of the afternoon, with Rory Burns trying to emulate the Sri Lankan’s six down the ground off Monty Panesar, only to perish caught at gully for a well-crafted 78. Steven Davies, fresh from his double-century in Cardiff, is alongside Pietersen at the crease and has 11 to his name.

3.57pm BST15:57

So this was a good toss to lose, writes Vic Marks. I gather Somerset would have bowled if they had won the toss; instead they are 317-3 at tea. Good progress.

Marcus Trescothick hit 140 from 189 balls, whereupon he was well held by James Harris on the leg-side boundary off Adam Voges. Apart from the fact that he is not quite as rapid between the wickets this was the Trescothick of old, thumping the ball to the off-side boundaries with relish.

James Hildreth has scored even faster. He has had some luck, dropped before scoring (a hard chance) and on 49 (the easiest catch I’ve seen spilled for a long time). Poor Nick Gubbins the erring fielder at square leg, poor Steven Finn the bowler, who delivered an exceptional spell after lunch, though you would not guess this from his figures. Plenty of pace – some of his bouncers flew over the keeper for four byes – but nothing to show for it.

Hildreth can be especially flaky at the start of his innings, but if he stays in he peppers the square boundaries regularly. He can exasperate, but he can also delight. So far his 132 has occupied a mere 155 balls and the Somerset faithful are delighted, Gubbins and his colleagues remain exasperated.

3.07pm BST15:07

Lesson to all: never try to copy Kumar Sangakkara in a live match scenario, warns Ali Martin. We have just seen the second wicket at the Oval and it is Rory Burns dragging himself off the field after being caught at gully off the bowling of Monty Panesar. The left-hander had just seen partner Sangakkara loft Panesar for a glorious six over long-on and tried to ape his senior partner - only to perish for 78.It means Kevin Pietersen has joined Sanga at the crease, sneaking a leg bye first ball before the Sri Lankan master exacts some revenge for his partner with a late cut for four. Surrey are 145 for two at the end of the 51st.

Updated at 3.07pm BST

3.06pm BST15:06

The afternoon session at Headingley really has been one for the purists and a healthy home crowd have appreciated their bowlers’ efforts during it, writes Richard Gibson. Tim Bresnan struck in his first over for the second time in the match to have Will Porterfield held by wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd and many of the Bresnan overs that followed - a spell that included Ian Westwood being discomforted and struck on the gloves - was met by generous applause.Westwood, to his credit, has shown the greatest defiance of the Warwickshire batsmen to move into the 80s but has just lost a third partner after the pressure of scoring just 19 runs in 10 overs told on Laurie Evans, who was pinned leg before by Steven Patterson. Relatively slow going it might be but absorbing nevertheless. Warwickshire 137-3.

Updated at 3.07pm BST

1.19pm BST13:19

Well, there has been no shortage of action at Taunton, writes Vic Marks. Trescothick has been in one of his belligerent moods, which cheers everyone up down here.

Somerset are 148-2 at lunch with Trescothick 81 not out. They lost two wickets on 51. Young Tom Abell, having been impressively neat and composed for an hour, shouldered arms to Tim Murtagh and lost his off-stump. Then Tom Cooper was lbw first ball to James Harris as a yorker thudded into his left boot; the doleful batsman could not quite refrain from glancing at his bat before departing.

In between there has been plenty of strokeplay with James Hildreth matching Trescothick shot for shot. They have opted to assault Finn in particular, peppering him through the off-side and to the vacant third man boundary time and time again. The cuts were interspersed with the odd expansive cover drive.

It remains a magnificent, heart-warming experience (I may be a bit biased) when Trescothick decides to give the ball some educated welly. Just before lunch Olly Rayner bowled some off-spin to him; he beat his outside edge two or three times as the ball turned surprisingly. So Trescothick deserted the dutiful forward defensive and slog-swept the next ball for six followed by a fine paddle-sweep for four.

It’s been a tad frenetic; neither Tresco nor Hildreth have suggested permanence but they don’t half demand our attention. This is not the day for a long lunch in town.

Updated at 2.06pm BST

1.07pm BST13:07

Lunch at the Oval, munches Ali Martin, where Surrey have won the morning session handsomely after being asked to bat by Essex skipper James Foster, reaching the interval 84 for one, with Rory Burns on 45 and Kumar Sangakkara on 12. Burns and opening partner Zafar Ansari blunted the visiting attack first thing with a stand of 61 runs from 23 overs that suggested the green-tinged pitch does not hold the gremlins Foster hoped for. Ansari was the sole man to fall for 18 - having enjoyed a life on five when Greg Smith dropped him at third slip off Graham Napier’s second ball - with James Porter trapping him lbw from around the wicket with half an hour of the session remaining.Sangakkara arrived at the crease and produced the shot of the morning off the fourth ball of his first over from Porter, cracking an drive straight between the bowler and Monty Panesar at mid-on for four.Burns, who opened the campaign with a half-century against Glamorgan last Sunday, has looked rock solid at the other end, with all six of his fours truck behind square.

Updated at 1.31pm BST

12.30pm BST12:30

Warwickshire’s left-handed second-wicket pair Ian Westwood and William Porterfield have put on 50 at Headingley after Varun Chopra nicked a beauty from Tim Bresnan, the third ball of the innings, writes Richard Gibson. Porterfield should have followed on 19 but Bresnan floored a chance at third slip off 17-year-old Matthew Fisher.Off the field, and Yorkshire appear to have made a concerted effort on the lunch front, having ditched their infamous combos such as pickled onions and chocolate cake, and salmon and baked beans followed by egg custard, for mushroom soup and cold meat salad.

11.58am BST11:58

A life for Zafar Ansari at the Oval, with Greg Smith at third slip shelling a chance in Graham Napier’s first over from the Vauxhall End, reports Ali Martin. He and Rory Burns remain, with Surrey 33 for no loss after being inserted. In other news, this season sees the introduction of a newly-created pub inside the ground. The Feathers is situated in the Bedser Stand and is offering taste tests for four unnamed ales, with members voting on which will become the regular drop going forward. Plus, successfully identify the beer you are tasting, and the landlord will give you a free pint. I’ll be back in a few hours …

11.33am BST11:33

Greetings from Taunton, writes Vic Marks, where it’s cold, grey but dry. Middlesex have won the toss and chosen to bowl. The pitch looks green, but it always starts green here. Somerset have the same side as in their first game against Durham except that Tom Abell is playing instead of Johann Myburgh (who is having a baby). This means no Craig Overton and no Alfonso Thomas, who are not quite match fit.

Nick Compton returns to Taunton, having been generously released from his contract last winter. Whether he’ll do the decent thing and score only a modest number of runs, we’ll wait and see. Steven Finn has started around the wicket to Marcus Trescothick. I can’t quite understand why so many opening bowlers do that. Yesterday I’m sure Alastair Cook was happier when Shannon Gabriel opted to bowl around the wicket to him. Anyway Tresco has swatted a couple of boundaries. Ali M asks for deep insight as to why Middlesex have such a good record at Taunton and I’ve been dutifully wracking my brains. Er, well, obviously they have been bloody lucky. To the chief executive’s delight the scoreboard is working - at the moment.

11.18am BST11:18

James Middlebrook went wicketless in his last County Championship appearance for Yorkshire at Headingley - a crushing victory over Kent during their 2001 Championship-winning campaign, writes Richard Gibson. Now 37, he needs just one victim on his surprise second debut to take his first-class tally for the club to 50.Off-spinner Middlebrook’s short-term signing comes after the reigning champions’ request for Adil Rashid to be returned from Test tour duty was declined. Karl Carver, the teenage slow left-armer, played in the innings win over Warwickshire at Edgbaston last season and also appeared in the 10-wicket victory over Worcestershire a fortnight ago. However, the Yorkshire hierarchy felt it was too much of an ask for a 19-year-old to be carry the burden of senior spinner, so Middlebrook, released by relegated Northamptonshire last September, was recruited from the Bradford League where he returned figures of 7-0-56-1 for New Farnley versus Hanging Heaton on Saturday.Richard Pyrah, the seam-bowling all-rounder, has been omitted from Yorkshire’s 12-man squad and Middlebrook will get straight into the action after the Warwickshire captain Varun Chopra won the toss and chose to bat first. Warwickshire were the closest team to Yorkshire in Division One last year but were crushed by an innings in both meetings between the teams.

10.40am BST10:40

Good morning, says Ali Martin from a slightly cold, and definitely overcast, south London for this third Sunday of County Championship cricket.

That’s right, I’m back watching the Division Two brown-capped fancy dans from the capital, Surrey, as they take on Essex, fresh from their thrilling win over Kent, at the Kia Oval. While Kevin Pietersen was of course a consideration in opting for this fixture (as well as the ground’s proximity to my own dwellings), it’s hard to escape the fact that England did rather well in Grenada yesterday and the grapes of a Test recall have moved further from the grasp of our right-handed Tantalus.

Morning rain, and the forecast for a splash more, could make this ‘one of those days’ in Kennington, but the covers are off on a green strip. Here’s hoping Richard Gibson can bring us news of sunshine at Headingley, where champions Yorkshire take on last season’s runners-up Warwickshire. James Middlebrook’s inclusion in the Yorkshire squad, after signing a short-term deal as spin cover for Adil Rashid, is certainly newsworthy. Tell us more, Gibbo.

Vic Marks meanwhile is watching Somerset host Middlesex. Nick Compton is back at the ground that helped him realise his international dream. History is with the away side in this fixture, with six wins and just one defeat in 17 games during their visits to the county. Any theories as to why, Vic?

Elsewhere in Division One, two-wins-from-two table-toppers Sussex face one-from-one Durham at Chester-le-street (that’s enough hyphens) while Hampshire host Nottinghamshire at the Ageas Bowl. In Division Two, Gloucestershire welcome one of the two teams below them in Derbyshire, Kent are at Old Trafford to take on Lancashire and Leicestershire play Northants at Grace Road.