Sorry for a few minutes, Hassan Ali has just come to the press box for a conversation.
After the exploits of the new England captain yesterday, Joe Root will walk out with Yorkshire 81-3 on the Chelmsford pitch at 11am.
And Ali reports on Ben Stokes’ boom-time:
Friday’s Round-up
While Ben Stokes was massacred on New RoadRain closed proceedings early at Old Trafford, but there was enough time for Keaton Jennings, with a tattooist’s eye, and Luke Wells, with a whitewasher, to score an unbeaten 127. lancashire, Earlier, Hasan Ali had taken two wickets – without his punch-down, fist-up celebration – and Matt Parkinson had taken one, to bowl warwickshire Out for 315 runs. Dom Sibley played his bat for 142 runs.
EssexLife exploded when Simon Harmer, who scored a long 403 on a dying Chelmsford pitch, hurriedly scored 54. Paul Walter scored his maiden first-class century, falling for 141 eventually, despite a flurry in the nineties.
yorkshire In reply, he was dismissed for 81 for three, a nightwatchman saving Joe Root from facing a difficult final overs appearance in his first county appearance since resigning from England captaincy.
55 runs last wicket stand GloucestershireK’s batsmen, Ajit Singh-Dale and Jared Warner, saw opportunity where the others only saw the devil. Otherwise, it was Mohammad Abbas’ show: line and length perfect, six for 45 in his purse. hampshireAfter the second innings of 28 for four at stumps, Mohammad Amir (3 for 22) and Ryan Higgins (1 for six, after top-scoring for Gloucestershire at 46) took the lead.
Northamptonshire Were in a similar struggle at The Oval, though the steady hand of Luke Proctor (61 not out) took them past 150 – they closed for eight for 154. Surrey Earlier, thanks to strong efforts from Jamie Overton (59) and Gus Atkinson (66 not out), he went past 400.
In Division Two, Ollie Robinson came back in the groove in his first run-out Sussex As he returned from West Indies with back cramps and a flea in his ear from England management. He bowled Sam Robson for a duck and then plucked the leg stump middlesex Captain Peter Handscomb, whose County Championship life remains difficult, then removed John Simpson’s middle stump after 71 runs. Luke Hollman (52) and Martin Anderson (41) then disappointed the Sussexes with useful stands for the seventh wicket.
At Sophia Gardens, Kiran Carlson (91) and Sam Northeast (84) set off Glamorgan near parity with Leicestershire Marnus Labuschagne scored 63 for three after scoring 17 runs just before lunch.
3rd day scoreboard
division one
chelmsford: Essex 403 vs Yorkshire 81-3
rose Bowl: Hampshire 342 and 28-4 vs Gloucestershire 179
old Trafford: Lancashire 127-0 vs Warwickshire 315
Oval: Surrey 401 vs Northants 154-8
division two
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 305-5 vs Leicestershire 320
Hov: Sussex 392 vs Middlesex 284-6
new road: Worcestershire 169-6 v Durham 580-6dec (Stokes 161, 88 balls, 8 fours, 17 sixes)
Preface
Good morning! If there are any perfumers out there who can bottle up the scent of May mornings, come this way.
All are looking good in terms of weather around the field, with all eyes immediately on Southampton, where Hampshire lost to Mohammad Amir last evening. A lead of 191 in his pocket should be enough, but what chaos could Gloucester be creating this morning? Elsewhere, Northants and Worcestershire are in trouble, York and Lancs batsmen have big days ahead, and Leicestershire need a quick Glamorgan wicket.