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I’m not at York today, but think the game will get more interesting after the stupor of day one. They hope the pitch will start to take spin – so could be happy hunting for Simon Harmer. If anyone can get things going it is YJB, though Yorkshire watchers told me he is batting within himself this year – responsibility resting heavy, perhaps.
And the first wicket of the day falls at Chesterfield – where Josh Bohannon edges through to Brooke Guest. Despite their healthy position, KJ will hope the other end doesn’t become another red rose revolving door. Lancs 122-2.
This was Dom Sibley, fresh (?) from his big one yesterday.
“I’m a Surrey boy so to do it here at the Oval is also really special. It’s amazing to be able to do it - though I almost ran myself out and had to dive in for the single that got me to 300!
“It was a pleasure to bat with the other three guys who scored hundreds. Their natural tempo of scoring runs means that my job is easy at the other end.
“It has been a very hot couple of days but I feel fine and hopefully won’t wake up feeling too stiff in the morning. With more than 800 on the board we are in a good position and I thought we bowled brilliantly in the last session today - we just need to keep up the pressure on them.”
Poor Durham must stagger to 671 just to avoid the follow on.
Around the grounds, just one game has inched into its third innings – at Chesterfield, where Lancashire look like they really might get their first win of the season.
Weatherwatch
A blissful 22 degrees here in Manchester. And a north-south divide across the country. The Met office says: Hot, sunny and humid in the southeast today. Cloudier and fresher elsewhere with showery outbreaks of rain. Heavy showers and thunderstorms possible across parts of Scotland and northern England later in the afternoon.
Monday's round-up
On and on went big bad Dom. Past 200, past his highest previous score, past 250 and, with a sprinted single that left him spreadeagled in the Oval dust, to 300.
Sibley clambered to his feet, raised his bat and soaked up the warm applause for a mammoth effort of concentration: 28 fours, two sixes and 472 balls of toil as the mercury rose. He joins an elite club of triple-centurions for Surrey at the Oval, in Mark Ramprakash, Kevin Pietersen, Bobby Abel, Jack Hobbs and Tom Hayward. At the other end, Dan Lawrence shimmied 174 and Will Jacks 119 as Surrey set their record first-class score, finally putting Durham out of their misery at 820 for nine.
Alex Lees, who had won the toss on Sunday morning and chosen to field, then had to pad up. He was unbeaten on 33 at stumps, though lost his opening partner Emilio Gay early, bowled behind his pads. The Durham off-spinner George Drissell found himself in the firing line – his 45 overs cost 247, the most runs conceded by a bowler in the championship.
Elsewhere, first-innings runs flowed in brutal temperatures; in fact the 4,508 runs scored across the first innings of the nine games is the most in a round of matches ever. Kent finally declared on 566 for eight, bolstered by hundreds for Daniel Bell-Drummond and Harry Finch against Northamptonshire.
Jake Libby’s undefeated 228, the second double century of his career, carried Worcestershire to 679 for seven declared, whereupon Hampshire suddenly collapsed to 68 for three. But that was nothing on Leicestershire’s wobble. After finally dismissing Middlesex for 534, they found themselves 103 for eight, with the teenage seamer Naavya Sharma providing the gilt braiding with four wickets in 11 balls.
Yorkshire rattled through Essex in the morning, their reward batting against Simon Harmer bowling in the dust as a warm wind doused Clifton Park like a hairdryer. The run rate slunk under three an over all day, even with Jonny Bairstow at the crease. Ben Slater’s 116 not out propped up Nottinghamshire on an afternoon when Somerset’s Jack Leach wheeled through 25 overs.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 68-3 v Worcestershire 679-7dec
Taunton: Somerset 379 v Nottinghamshire 214-3
The Oval: Surrey 820-9 v Durham 59-1
Hove: Sussex 278-3 v Warwickshire 415
York: Yorkshire 143-3 v Essex 368
DIVISION TWO
Chesterfield: Derbyshire 261 v Lancashire 367 and 114-1
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 228-4 v Gloucestershire 380
Canterbury: Kent 566-8dec v Northamptonshire 140-1
Grace Road: Leicestershire 103-8 v Middlesex 534
Preamble
Hello! After a day of record-breaking run-making yesterday, relief as the heatwave begins to fade and – perhaps – the pitches start to break up. Play starts at 11am, please join us- the coffee smells good.
