County cricket: Surrey v Northamptonshire, Essex v Hampshire and more – live | County Championship
Key events
Saudi bosses are looking to pepper their new tournament with the nicest men in English cricket:
EXC: England stars Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes have held talks with Saudi chiefs to become ambassadors for the Kingdom’s new T20 competition.
Other English players should be approached @MailSport https://t.co/XPBaifHL5n
– Isaan Khan (@IsaanKhan_) September 18, 2023
A first wicket, and it’s Sir Alastair – is this possible, could it be his penultimate match – bowled for a three-ball duck. Essex 6-1.
Make it three, at Lord’s too, where Middlesex have yet to lose a wicket.
No game anywhere in fact, except in the two big Division 1 matches, at The Oval and Chelmsford.
It is raining now in New Road, the leaves of the old horse chestnut tree are turning yellow near the hospitality tent.
Delays, delays…. at New Road, Old Trafford, County Ground and Grace Road.
The lanterns were lit crossing the bridge to New Road, which was not a good sign. Sure enough, the blankets are up and the wind is howling across the ground.
Weather watch
Autumnal:
Cloud and rain spread rapidly from the west throughout the morning, although after a spell of rain, drier with some sunny spells in the south of the UK. Windy with risk of coastal gales. Office met.
Sussex Background End of promotion penalty points:
Division two table
1Durham (12) 198
2 Worcestershire (12) 154
3 Leicestershire (12) 133
4Glamorgan (13) 131
5 Sussex (12) 124
6 Derbyshire (12) 96
7 Gloucestershire (13) 95
8Yorkshire (12) 81
Division One Table (all teams played 12 matches)
1 Surrey 205
2 Essex 187
3Hampshire 153
4 Warwickshire 149
5Lancashire 146
6 Somerset 128
7 Nottinghamshire 122
8 Middlesex 95
9Kent 93
10 Nordics 63
Fixtures
SECTION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Hampshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Nottinghamshire
Lord : Middlesex v Warwickshire
Taunton: Somerset v Kent
The Oval: Surrey v Northamptonshire
SECTION TWO
County land: Derbyshire v Sussex
Road of Grace: Leicestershire v Yorkshire
New road: Worcestershire v Durham
Preamble
Good morning! The bells tolled damply on New Road this morning, the roofs wet, the hills shedding their cobwebbed cardigans through the mist. Welcome to mid-September and the penultimate round of this year’s County Championship, with all teams in the field except Glamorgan And Gloucestershire.
I’m at New Road today to watch what appears to be the two clubs promoted to Division 1 next season. Second Worcestershire hopes seem brighter thanks to Sussex be landed with an automatic 12-point deduction after receiving four fixed penalties during the season. Jack Carlson (level two penalty infraction) and Tom Haines (level one penalty infraction) were both dropped by Sussex for today’s match against Derbyshire, while Cheteshwar Pujara receives an automatic one-match suspension as on-field captain. Ari Karvelas was also removed from his position, pending an investigation. A sad end to an encouraging season at Hove, and which leaves them in fifth place, 30 points behind Worcestershire.
Durham need just five points at New Road to clinch the Division Two title, while Leicestershirenew magnificent one-day cup champions, can keep the pressure on Worcester County if they can turn around Yorkshire at Grace Road.
In the first division, Surrey can win the title this round if they turn over the cave dwellers Northampton County And Essex lose against Hampshire; while Nordics the fate will be sealed if one or the other Middle-sex Or Kent– divided by just two points in eighth and ninth – victory. Relegation, promotion, title chance, what more could you ask for? The game starts at 10:30 a.m. Don’t forget your anorak.
theguardian
