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A further inspection at The Oval when/if the light improves.
Weather stops play
Rain is drawing the curtain across the country. Delayed starts at Durham, Hove, Edgbaston, Derby, Old Trafford, Grace Road and now it has started raining at The Oval.
The umpires are out in the middle stalking the pitch.
Tuesday's round-up
Seventeen wickets fell on a feet-tappingly tense day at the Oval, the game swinging like an out-of-kilter pendulum as the bowlers hunted in packs, with assistance from a pitch with a twinkle in its eye. Nottinghamshire finished the day with a lead of 277 and two wickets left, to leave Surrey the biggest score of the match to chase – but on a pitch that usually irons out.
After a calm first hour Surrey collapsed from 101 for one to 173 all out, only for Nottinghamshire’s batters to repeat the feat, quickly 89 for six against the excellent Matt Fisher, who has picked up 10 wickets in the match and may have bowled himself on to the Lions’ winter tour of Australia. Liam Patterson-White and Lyndon James then added crucial late afternoon runs.
Surrey announced that 80,000 people had come through the gates at the Oval to watch Championship cricket this year – a record for the 21st century.
The two teams who fought out the Blast final on Saturday met again at Edgbaston. After having Somerset in trouble at 99 for five, Hampshire once more came under the pump as Tom Abell and Kasey Aldridge piled on the runs, a century each in a sixth-wicket stand of 221. Abell passed 1,000 runs for the season and Aldridge was unbeaten on a career-best 149.
Leicestershire played pinball at Grace Road against a Kent side containing five teenagers including Corey Flintoff, older brother of Rocky. First Rishi Patel rocked to his second century of the season, then Ben Cox and Shan Masood shuttled to quick 90s before Ian Holland declared on 459 for seven, maximum batting points in the bag.
Essex need a draw to secure Division One safety, and steadily batted themselves towards it against Warwickshire, propped up by Charlie Allison’s 98.
The Division One basement dwellers Worcestershire and Durham scrapped for bones at Chester-le-Street. After a nip‑and‑tuck morning Gareth Roderick (95 not out) and Brett D’Oliveria (84) added 170 for the fourth wicket.
A calm and crucial 94 from Kiran Carlson kept the Derbyshire vultures at bay after they had reduced Glamorgan to 99 for six. Derbyshire need to win to have a chance of overtaking the Welsh side to the second promotion place.
Saif Zaib hit yet another half-century for Northamptonshire, keeping them afloat against a perky Gloucestershire attack at Bristol. There were three wickets for Graeme van Buuren and three for Matt Taylor. The hosts then lost three of their own before stumps.
It was a ding-dong battle at Hove, where both Yorkshire and Sussex are trying to keep their heads above the relegation zone. Yorkshire. The visitors went from 100 for two to 115 for seven, before they were dug out of a hole by Jordan Thompson and the tail.
Only 44 overs were possible at a wet Old Trafford, enough for Lancashire to pour cold water on Middlesex’s promotion hopes by reducing them to 189 for eight.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Riverside: Durham v Worcestershire 320-5
Taunton: Somerset 381-7 v Hampshire
The Oval: Surrey 173 v Nottinghamshire 231 and 219-8
Hove: Sussex 84-4 v Yorkshire 194
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Essex 325-5
Division Two
The County Ground: Derbyshire 17-0 v Glamorgan 259
Bristol: Gloucestershire 65-3 v Northamptonshire 206
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Middlesex 189-8
Grace Road: Leicestershire 459-7 v Kent 17-0
Inspection at The Oval
I spoke too soon, they are having an inspection at 10.30am, with the light the biggest issue. The floodlights are on already.
Preamble
Good morning from The Oval where the sirens are blaring, a church bell just rang ten o’clock and it is not currently raining. Both teams are out in the middle – Peter Moores has Notts in a circle and is giving them a pep talk, while Surrey play football. The Championship could be (almost) decided here, today – do join us, play starts at 10.30am.
