Summary

  • Surrey & Essex battling for Division One title in final round

  • Surrey will be champions if Essex fail to make 400 inside 110 overs

  • Hants bowl out Surrey for 207 at the Ageas Bowl

  • Northants already relegated; Middlesex or Kent will join them

  • Worcestershire promoted after getting two batting bonus points

  1. Postpublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Notts 53-2 v Middlesex 366

    Big appeal from Ethan Bamber for lbw against Joe Clarke but the umpire is not having it.

    That possibly looked more out than the Steven Mullaney one, so maybe karmic order has been restored.

  2. Postpublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 312-4 v Lancashire 327

    Will Williams is taking the new ball at the other end from Tom Bailey.

    Might be his last spell of the game as Lancashire are expected to include spinner Tom Hartley in his stead on days three and four.

  3. Postpublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Northants 369 v Essex 119-4

    Paul Walter moves past 30 with a firm drive down the ground off the bowling of Tom Taylor.

    Essex have really toughed out the difficult batting conditions and are starting to score fluently.

    Five runs are scored off the 44th over.

    Tom Westley leaves Ben Sanderson outside off stump.

    Sanderson tightens his line and Westley blocks into the off side.

    A leg bye off the fifth ball as a muted LBW shout is turned down.

    The last ball keeps horribly low and keeper Lewis McManus appears to take that ball on the third bounce!

  4. Play resumes at Edgbastonpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Warwickshire 101-2 v Somerset 215

    We haven't been focusing too much on events in Birmingham with the game something of a dead rubber, but they've just come back out after a lengthy rain delay.

    18 overs are scheduled to remain... not sure they'll get all those in!

  5. new ball

    New ball taken by Lancashirepublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 306-4 v Lancashire 327

    Unsurprisingly the visitors have opted to take the new cherry... though Tom Bailey did try one single slower ball with the old ball before taking the new one from the umpire.

    Joe Denly is on 90* with Harry Finch 11*

  6. Bad light stops playpublished at 17:13 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Hants 219 v Surrey 207

    Oh, come on...

    We were expecting a 5.10 resumption, but the light has deteriorated again and the floodlights are on.

    Hopefully a short delay.

  7. SECOND BATTING BONUS POINT FOR KENTpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 301-4 v Lancashire 327

    Joe Denly tickles Joe Morley away for four to move to 85 and take Kent to 300 in the 79th over.

    The quest for 350 begins.

  8. Surrey champions if Essex don't make 400published at 17:10 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Northants 369 v Essex 112-4

    Tom Westley batting for EssexImage source, Rex Features

    Lovely shot from Paul Walter, who is forward to Luke Procter, driving the Northants captain sweetly through cover for four.

    Batting conditions are easing for Essex against the older ball, but they remain a long way back.

    Surrey will be confirmed as county champions if Essex don't make 400 in this innings and take less than four batting bonus points.

  9. Postpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 293-4 v Lancashire 327

    Five overs until the new ball becomes available to Lancashire and Joe Denly is trying to go through the gears against the old ball.

    He pulls a six over deep midwicket then slaps a drive to long off for four off Luke Wells while Harry Finch cuts backward of point to find the rope and make it 15 off the over.

    Kent need seven for another point.

  10. wicket

    WICKET Worrall b Dawson 0published at 17:03 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Hants 219 v Surrey 207

    Three balls after Jordan Clark reaches 50, the innings is over.

    A 12 run gap between the two sides.

    That looked like an arm ball which beats the forward defensive shot of Dan Worrall and crashes into the stumps.

    Liam Dawson ends the innings with figures of 5-44 off 29.3 overs.

  11. 50 runs

    for Jordan Clarkpublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Hants 219 v Surrey 207-9

    A stylish way to bring up a battling 50 by Jordan Clark, who waits in the crease and drives Mohammad Abbas down the ground for his eighth four.

    His half century comes off 75 balls.

  12. BACK ON AT TRENT BRIDGEpublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Notts 38-2 v Middlesex 366

    Guess what.... we have cricket. That's an incredibly impressive mopping up effort by the Trent Bridge staff.

    Middlsesex have the ball in hand and are seeking that first bowling bonus point. Ben Slater is 27* and Joe Clarke has two.

  13. Postpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Hants 219 v Surrey 203-9

    Lovely shot from Jordan Clark, who gets width outside off from Kyle Abbott and smashes the ball through cover for four.

    He gets a single off the fifth and Dan Worrall sees out the over.

    The sun is out here, so that's a rarirty!

    Jordan Clark takes Surrey past 200 with a back foot cut behind square for four.

    He drives Mohammad Abbas wide of slip off a thick edge to third man for four to take Surrey past 200.

  14. wicket

    WICKET Roach c Dawson b Abbas 11published at 16:51 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Hants 219 v Surrey 194-9

    Got him this time and as it turned out the drop earlier in the over has cost nothing.

    A much more straightforward chance this time, as the ball brushes the shoulder of the bat and is taken by Liam Dawson comfortably crouching at hip height.

    Dan Worrall is in at 11 for Surrey.

  15. Postpublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 266-4 v Lancashire 327

    Joe Denly so close to chopping on via an inside edge off Luke Wells. Instead he runs a couple to move to 55.

    Two balls later he gets onto the back foot to pull a drag-down from Wells away to the deep square fence for four.

    34 runs away from a second batting bonus point. In theory 24 overs remain.

  16. dropped catch

    Kemar Roach dropped on 11published at 16:49 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Hants 219 v Surrey 192-8

    A let off for Kemar Roach, who is forward to block a ball from Mohammad Abbas and edges the ball to Liam Dawson at slip, who spills the chance.

    Straight into the mitts and out again.

    A low chance but catchable.

  17. Postpublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Northants 369 v Essex 101-4

    An eventful first over since the resumption as Tom Westley gets a couple of runs off the first ball and deflects a leg side ball from Luke Procter to fine leg for four to take Essex past 100 in the 36th over.

    Ben Sanderson bowls to Paul Walter, who pulls the bat inside the line at the last moment from outside off stump.

    Maiden over.

  18. 50 runs

    for Joe Denlypublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 259-4 v Lancashire 327

    From the very next ball Joe Denly swivels to pull Jack Blatherwick away behind square to the rope to make it back-to-back half-centuries after none all season.

    That was his sixth four in an 86-ball knock.

    Jack Blatherwick then produces another full-toss no ball and is removed from the attack with a ball left of his over.

    He looks to the sky. Not sure any malice was intended, but you can't be doing that.

    Joe Denly will be glad he's gone, I'm sure.

  19. Play resumes at Northamptonpublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Northants 369 v Essex 95-4

    Time for Tom Westley and Paul Walter to restart the Essex innings.

    Northants captain Luke Procter will bowl to Tom Westley.

  20. BACK ON AT CANTERBURYpublished at 16:40 British Summer Time 27 September 2023

    Kent 250-4 v Lancashire 327

    Floodlights remain on but the gloom has improved and the umpires are happy to let play resume.

    No-ball beamer to start off from Jack Blatherwick to Joe Denly. Does he want to be back out there?