County Cricket Season-------

cricket in april is a joke in this country

Potts wicketless currently scored 189 runs at edgebaston.

New balls please...

weather is a bit luck of the draw in April...had a couple of the driest sunniest starts back to back for county season not long ago..

even before it had to be shoehorned in around 3 short format comps it has started around this time..can recall snow delaying at least one game in the 80's and know of that happening in 70's as well..

kookaburra balls are an interesting thing...has to be good for producing more genuine pace but surfaces have to adjust alongside maybe a bit as well..

the clear 2nd best team behind durham last year & the clear best team in div 2 this ssn
vs the most overrated team in div 2 since being relegated

betting 13/10 sussex 5/6 yorks...the greatest game

correct prices imo 4/6 sussex 6/5 yorks

Wd wsb

236 runs in the morning session for leics, double century unbeaten partnership for the 8th wicket

louis kimber 203* off 100 balls, 19x 4s & 17x 6s

the fastest 1st class double century ever made, by 23 balls

partnership broken @ 239

9 down now, what a game

30 needed kimber or bust now

OUT

kimber 243, 21x 6s...1 of the all time great knocks & in a losing cause
sussex win by 18 runs without doubt THE game of the ssn

just been surpassed unbelievable
gloucs & gammy tie off the last available ball of the match
chasing a first class record 593 to win

absoutely astonishing this sport

1 handed catch by the keeper without his glove wow

and don't forget on the same day Somerset chasing down 410 in a day to win

yes a terrific chase isleham somewhat overshadowed

essex vile today

Taunton. 5.26 pm. Leach to Worrell. This is cricket.

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title betting
1/2 surrey
7/4 somerset

expected prices for next week
4/7 surrey 11/8 durham
11/8 lancs 4/7 somerset

expected prices for the week after
10/11 essex 10/11 surrey
4/5 somerset evs hants

a broadly similar run in imo so with 8pt margin a little surprising surrey aren't a bit shorter

sussex secure a deserved promotion

surrey champions

notts beat surrey & are likely champions
1 game to go

15 point lead

wonder - it's a 14 point lead as Notts had a point deducted for a slow over rate.

A draw will surely be enough in the final game to give them the title but doubt they will play for it as they need to keep a positive mindset, weather forecast looks ok for the moment so hopefully a full game for both contenders.

The second relegation slot is intriguing with any one of five counties a possible to go down. A reminder to the ECB that the longer game really is the greatest form of cricket and to stop messing around with the calendar.

Congratulations to Ormskirk for winning the National Club Championship at Lords Yesterday. Beat Penzance in the final by 26 runs.

Need a final day miracle here to prevent a season ending pear shape of biblical proportions.

Last wicket stand or a Yorkshire win would do , our 8pt pitch deduction will probably end up disastrous.

Depends how Yorks approach tomorrow Hayden, they don't need to win and Durham is a lot closer for a potential away game than Southampton

Best that your boys eke out 33 runs in the morning and then you won't need to worry.

Great trading in this Asian game anyway , Inia hit 1.03 out to 9.4 then later Lankans hit 1.12 to 36.0 and still anyone's final over

Tied game but thankfully i always back the tie to protect good greens when it may go to wire , £147 million matched

a miracle escape for hampshire. hard to believe durham with everything to play for waved the white flag so easily

henry crocombe back-to-back hat-tricks in county championship matches...incredible

essex 6 wickets lost for 5 runs

essex 171-3 to 177ao...last 7 wickets for 6 wins

*runs

Some excellent matches and performances in both divisions of the Championship last week.

The longer format of the game really deserves better coverage and marketing than it gets.

Three rounds of matches left and in Division One and all ten sides have something to play for. Just five points separate the top 3 - Somerset, Notts and Warwicks.
Sussex in 4th are 27 points behind the leaders and still have an outside chance of the title.

Hampshire are bottom and will probably have to win all their last three games to have a chance of staying up, but there are only 11 points between the other five counties, any of whom could fill the other relegation slot. It's all intriguing stuff.

In Division Two, Durham have nearly secured promotion and look certain to lift the title. One would not have really expected anything less given the depth of their squad and they will doubtless be competitive next season in the top tier. Kent in second place stole a march in their quest for the other promotion spot with a resolute win over fellow challengers Worcestershire last week,  a very good match which swung one way then the other throughout as have many games this season. The other main contender Northants who had been level with Kent going in to last weeks round of games were skittled for just 50 in their second innings by Durham, a poor effort although the ball was turning sideways by the last day. However their defeat leaves them with ground to make up now.

Hopefully the weather plays ball and we see an exciting end to the season in both divisions.

On to the penultimate round of games starting tomorrow and still all to play for, with Durham's return to Division One the only thing decided thus far.

The Division One Championship is wide open with the top 3 , (Somerset, Notts and Warwicks) still separated by just five points after they all won last week. All three are away, to Yorkshire, Sussex and Essex - so no easy looking games there. Rain is likely to cause some interruptions in many areas but hopefully will not influence results unduly.  At the bottom, Hampshire won last week to keep their slim hopes of survival alive, they play Leicestershire who are just above then in the table. A crucial encounter for both sides it goes without saying.

In Division Two the remaining promotion slot is a straight fight between Kent and Northants with the latter having a 2 point advantage after they bounced back to form with  a victory last week whereas Kent turned in one of their poorest performances to lose to Derbyshire (having made some strange bowling selections for the game). Kent are at home to a seriously out of form Lancashire but today learned that Hamud who has been a cracking bowling acquisition for them has been recalled by Bangladesh to prepare for upcoming test matches. Given the first of those games isn't for nearly a month it is galling news but pretty much sums up modern day cricket . Northants take on Derby and as a Kent supporter i have to hope the away side play as well as they did last week Whatever happens, again hopefully the weather does not affect things for either match.

Lancashire 161 all out. 58.5 overs. So no surprise there.

Kent 44/3 off 10 overs, Anderson 3/20.

Makings of a good game.

Low scores all round today but no surprise really given the time of year.

Not much wrong with the pitches Barstool, there was a bit of seam movement at most grounds from what i could make out but nothing exaggerated.
Batsmen today do not have the technique to play the moving ball that yesteryear's batsmen were brought up on.
Any half decent seam bowler will make hay these days.

Just look at the lack of batting points accrued in either division - after 12 games no team had even reached 30 points and there were 60 available !
And all this with minimal weather interruptions throughout the summer. The standard is shocking and it's mainly down to the ridiculous amount of limited overs matches that are now played imo.  Batsmen just do not know how to build an innings.

Having said that , the Lancs openers did have something of an old fashioned partnership this morning, seeing off the new ball and going along at 3 an over until lunch. Then the team hit the self destruct button in the afternoon and got skittled.   The Kent batsmen then failed to take advantage yet again although Anderson and co bowled well.  Some poor shots were played with only Crawley emerging with credit, playing very well for his 68 not out at close, just as well they didn't drop him as i thought they might !  It looks like basically a one innings match now and up for grabs.

Lancashire trailing by 15 at lunch with 1 wicket down.

Think they will need around 200 which is a tall order in current form.

A two day win over Essex sees Warwicks go to the top of Div One. Somerset have work to do to beat Yorks but are probably favs to win and go back to the summit with one game to go. Notts have it all to do against Sussex and could effectively be out of contention if they do not engineer a win somehow.

At the bottom, Hampshire continue their phoenix from the flames attempt to avoid relegation as they are in the ascendancy against Leicester. A likely win here will give them an outside chance of avoiding the drop. Another 4 wickets for Kyle Abbott, who is the leading wicket taker in div One despite his team propping up the table. A fine bowler.

In div Two, Lancs batting again folded against Kent leaving the home side a modest target of 140 to win and put the pressure on Northants for the last promotion slot.
Kent 84 for 2 at the close so should comfortably win unless they completely collapse. Northants are 62 runs behind Derby after Day 2 and will need to bowl well tomorrow to prevent Derby building a crucial lead. whatever happens it looks like going down to the final fixtures of the season next week.

Unexpectedly meek batting displays by Somerset and Notts which led to losses in their games, mean Warwickshire are now firm favourites to take the Div One title next week as they only need a draw plus six bonus points to be uncatchable. Somerset's batting display in particular was pitiful and has led some to label them bottlers again when it comes to the crunch. Somewhat unfair maybe, but they do seem to be the bridesmaid rather too often, it's quite incredible to think that they have never won the Championship in their 131 year history when you consider the players they have had over the years.

At the bottom Hants loss to Leicestershire sends them down, whereas the victors have a very slim chance now of staying up after their monstrous 27 point penalty for a "dodgy" pitch at Grace Road in August.  Considering the number of shortened matches this year (a couple over in 2 days this week) they can feel hard done by to be singled out, given that the match in question went to the fourth day. As ever, one wonders if the same pitch had appeared at a test match ground, would a similar penalty have been levied ? I very much doubt it.

In div Two, after Kent wrapped up their match yesterday attention switched to Northants run chase against Derby. They were set 349 to win and had reached 326 for 6 with over 20 overs left when a bit of drizzle followed by bad light ended proceedings. It must have been infuriating for Northants players and fans alike to have to sit there for over an hour hoping for some lighter skies. Cricket is unfair at times and although it improves Kent's chances of going up next week i have great sympathy for them. The umpires got some stick but were simply playing by the book and being fair to all involved. All to play for next week and as ever let's hope the weather does not intervene unduly.

The final round of games start tomorrow and with the weather forecast looking favourable , it looks like the title in Div One and promotion in Div Two will hopefully be settled on the field rather than rain or bad light intervening.

Kent take on basement boys Gloucestershire at home and are obviously heavy favourites to win and secure promotion back to the top tier. But the away side have shown up better in their last few games and there is no room for complacency. A win with 5 or more bonus points will do the trick for definite . Northants are at Lords against Middlesex who will be no pushovers. They need to get maximum batting points in the first innings to put some pressure on Kent and this will be a tall order. Things will become clearer soon enough no doubt.

Warwickshire take on Leicestershire at Edgbaston knowing they need a maximum of 14 points to confirm the title, so a high scoring draw will do. It would be some achievement given their lack of big names with only Chris Woakes being that well known, a complete contrast to teams like the Surrey all stars who have underperformed this year. Somerset and Notts can still take advantage if Warwickshire slip up but in my view that is highly unlikely.

Leicestershire were skittled for 125 after opting to bat first against Warwicks, 3 wickets for the admirable Woakes and 4 for Bamber who must be close to an England call up. Warwicks at 130 for 4 in reply have a stranglehold on the game and one hand on the Championship after Surrey and Notts both had indifferent days. Leics are now definitely down even though they have appealed their 27 point deduction.

In division Two Northants won the toss against Middlesex at Lords and only mustered 103 all out, a pretty sorry effort. Middlesex were in trouble at 32-4 in reply but a cracking century by Higgins enabled a recovery to a total 255 all out at the close. Northants need a big score second time around to retain interest in the promotion race. Rivals Kent bowled Gloucestershire out for 229 at Canterbury and will be content with a solid reply of 71-1 at stumps. If they maintain their discipline tomorrow they should get a decent first innings lead and would then be long odds on to wrap up the win they need to go up.

Warwickshire nearly over the line at close of play today with Sam Hain scoring 142 and playing exactly the right kind of innings for the situation. Proper 4 day stuff.
Leading by 247 on first innings, Warwicks have already reduced Leicester to 55 for 3 second time around and all the signs are that they will be crowned champions some time tomorrow.

In division two, Northants fought hard to end the day 97 in front of Middlesex with 3 wickets in hand. With the wicket taking a bit of spin they still have a chance of victory. Kent are still in pole position for promotion as opponents Gloucestershire trail by 63 runs with 8 second innings wickets left. The first session tomorrow will be crucial.

Congratulations to Warwickshire, now confirmed as Champions.
A case of close but no cigar again for Somerset, it's becoming quite a habit for them.

In division Two Kent wrapped up their season by beating Gloucestershire by eight wickets and go up in second place, promotion already having been confirmed earlier in the afternoon after Northants lost to Middlesex. A fine recovery for Adam Hollioakes's side after finishing rock bottom last year.

thought somerset were the better team all year but wd warks
hopefully surrey will be 4/1-5/1 next year because if they are then every team will be value against them in div 1

they're also lucky they weren't docked points for the yorks pitch because that was far worse than what leics were docked points for imo

Leicester were very hard done by i think . The match in question went to Day 4 and a couple of players scored 90 odd.

There have been a fair number of games elsewhere wrapped up in well under 3 days and no sanctions for poor pitches even being suggested.

Leicester were playing Glamorgan in the match that led to the points deduction. A couple of weeks later Glamorgan were bowled out for 69 and 65 in the same game against subsequent champions Warwickshire, they were playing at home but even so why no talk about the pitch then ? Yes Warwicks did score 391 when they batted but Glamorgan lasted just 52 overs for their 20 wickets

Leicester have now been given the "extra" 8 points penalty back, but the 19 point deduction still stands. they are still continuing with their appeal but there is no chance it will be completely wiped out and so relegation will still be confirmed.

Dixie...yes, the original penalty was rather harsh - and I'm an Essex man!  But now the 8 points have been restored, the appeal is probably irrelevant in terms of this seaon's County table.

Virtually the whole penlty will have to be wiped out to save Leicestershire.

BUT, and you heard it here first, given the way the 8 points were restored because, it seems, one hand of cricket's ruling body did not know what the other were doing, would I be surprised if enough of the Leicester penalty was wiped out to leave Essex and Leicester level on points? The answer is no!

If that the case, I believe Essex would dtill stay up necause they won 1 more match than Leicester. I cannot find anywhere that confirms that, though. So, do you, or anyone else, know if what I said about Essex still staying up even if points are level, is correct?

Tie breakers in cc

most wins, fewest losses, team achieving most points in contests between teams level on points, most wickets taken, most runs scored.

If Leicester get their 19 points back they have
more points than Essex. They are currently 17 points behind.

The Knight - I've always been against these deductions for poor pitches as so much depends on the individuals reporting or inspecting them. It tends to be non test match grounds that get called out whereas matches at the big grounds that finish in quick time often get away with it.

My favourite week of the year used to be Kent playing at Mote Park in Maidstone. Always a good cricketing wicket and big crowds throughout the week. In 2005 Kent beat Glos in a low scoring game but as both the K & G local sports reporters observed, many of the wickets that fell were down to poor shot selection by the batsmen. In fairness the wicket wasn't quite as good for batting as normal but this was mainly due to poor weather in the month before the game hampering the groundsmen's preparation. However Kent were deducted 8 points for the "poor" pitch. This was one factor behind the county not playing 4 day games after that at the ground (not the only reason but it didn't help). So i have always had a bee in my bonnet about such matters ever since.

However, i digress. Your question is about the chances of your boys staying up if Leicestershire are successful in their appeal :

Well the rules are quite clear, if the home team are found guilty of preparing a pitch assessed as being "below average" then they will score Zero points from the game i.e all win/draw and bonus points are forfeited. Leicestershire gained 19 points from the match in question and having been found guilty as charged those points were lost. This rule was introduced at the start of the 2026 season. An additional 8 point penalty that was levied has now been wiped out as it was incorrectly applied.

If a team subsequently has the decision overturned on referral/appeal, then ALL points lost are reinstated. There is no partial reinstatement of points allowable as far as i can tell.

So if Leicestershire do win the appeal they will stay up, as points then would read Leics 138, Essex 136.

If any teams finish level on points at the end of the season, the team with the most wins will finish highest in the table. If that is equal it goes to fewest losses, then total points accrued in the head to head game(s) between the two teams during the season. And if that fails to separate them its most wickets taken followed by most runs scored . Hope that's clear

its only because its "little" leicestershire they are throwing their weight around
scandalous imo