County Championship Round 9

The ninth round of games begins today (starts today unless otherwise stated)

Division One

Middlesex v Sussex
Surrey v Warwickshire
Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire
Somerset v Durham (Starts Thursday)

Division Two

Gloucestershire v Glamorgan
Hampshire v Kent
Northamptonshire v Worcestershire

BBC Commentaries - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/13629853
DEC Live Blogs - http://deepextracover.com/home/

Middlesex vs Sussex - The battle of the undefeated sides

Morning all. Interesting team news from Sussex with Hamilton-Brown omitted and no Panesar or Anyon either. Not too greater suprise with RHB but the other two big surprises.

The Brighton Argus's reporter sitting in front of me thinks that Panesar has a shoulder injury, but will update with more news as I get it.

Rogers dropped at second slip on 3. Could be costly.

Some good starts so far, Hampshire doing okay.

Looking like a very average toss decision from Ed Joyce....

Alex Hales is having a nightmare season

Rogers still going strong but Will Beer has bowled really well, dismissing Robson on the stroke of lunch and then Denly. Still 16 overs until tea with the 12noon start so it might be a late finish!

Richardson with 2 more wickets for Worcestershire, Northants 2/2 right now

Shelsey93 wrote: Rogers dropped at second slip on 3. Could be costly.

Indeed. Rogers 161* (so far). No wickets for Sir Chris Jordan as yet..... And RHB dropped by Sussex!

Here's the report from Lord's, including quotes from Rogers - http://deepextracover.com/home/run-machine-rogers-pulverises-sussex/.

Jordan looked an entirely different bowler from the one I saw when Middx played Surrey last year. But he perhaps wasn't quite at his best today, particularly in his second and third spells. Tough decision on Hamilton-Brown but entirely sensible I think, given RHB's lack of form and the fact that Ben Brown, the other man potentially under threat, helped save the game v Notts last week.

News on Panesar is that he has a shoulder problem that has been niggling him all season. Its unlikely to keep him out for an extended period though. James Anyon was being rested.

Happy R.H.B dropped. Ben Brown and Luke Wells have both played a lot better this season. But R.H.B needs to pick up some more form.

Seems it was quite a dull day at Scarborough - literally and figuratively. Good to see Lumb doing well on his return though - not!

Rogers with another big century - surely that seals his place in the Aussie starting XI for the first test?

Aside from that was Malan dropped? No arguments from me as he's had a desperately poor season so far... Disappointing for one so talented...

Neil McKenzie first game back for Hampshire..... gets 100

Mike Selig wrote:Rogers with another big century - surely that seals his place in the Aussie starting XI for the first test?

Aside from that was Malan dropped? No arguments from me as he's had a desperately poor season so far... Disappointing for one so talented...

He was indeed. A bit harsh given he scored 99 in the one-dayer on Tuesday (and 96 and 84* in the two YB40 before that) but I guess Gus must have made the decision after the last Championship game. London has been scoring runs for the 2nd XI and deserves another opportunity to show that he can cut it in the 1st XI.

Shelsey, looks like we have signed Sohail Tanvir, do you know much about him? (is he any good?)

jimbohammers wrote:Shelsey, looks like we have signed Sohail Tanvir, do you know much about him? (is he any good?)

Pakistani left-arm quick, not particularly fast but quite skiddy. He had some success in T20 a few years ago but haven't seen much of him lately.

Jimbo,

How's Vince batting this season? He's one of those who when you watch them bat just say "class" to you, then you check their records and they're fairly ordinary. Similar to Malan I'd say, but even more so (Malan has a technical issue of falling over his front pad) - a bit like Vaughan used to be I guess.

I just get the feeling of Vince that he needs this one big season to really force his way into the reckoning. There is no doubting his quality, but questions have been raised over his temparament? Any inside info on that?

Hi Mike,

Vince really struggled last season in the county championship, but he has certainly improved this year. He has got 2 hundreds, 2 50's and is averaging 55. He has kept up his good form in the YB40 as well, don't suppose you saw his 100 against Essex live on Sky?

I totally agree with you, he is a class act, also people need to remember that he is only 22 years old. Can definitely see him playing fr England in the future

Stat Alert: David Murphy has just become the first wicket-keeper to bat at number eleven in a Championship match (apart from when injured) since 1994. He made 81 in his last innings. (If Northants reversed their order it would make no difference).

Compton 133* Seems he's putting himself in the selectors good books again.

Good for Compton but as I've been saying I'm not sure whether or not he scores Championship runs tells us anything - the real question is whether he can cut it at the highest level. I think he can, but we must be prepared to omit him if he looks as lost as he has done.

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Sussex on the slide today. Middx waited a while before declaring (Rogers 184, Dexter 104) but it didn't matter as they took 7 wickets before the close. Ollie Rayner was the main man on a pitch which, unusually for Lord's, appears to be offering something to the spinner. Luke Wright with 38 not out ensured Sussex reached 147-7 by stumps. Matt Prior made just 10 before being given out caught silly mid-off and was reportedly unhappy with the decision, believing that the ball had bounced - in Tests we have become accustomed to these going upstairs but that is not available in the CC.

Notts piled up 443 batting first v Yorkshire; Michael Lumb scored 135. Yorks are 29-3 in reply.

Compton's knock guided Somerset to 336-5 on what looks to be a flat one at Taunton.

In Division Two Gloucs are 179-1 in reply to Glamorgan's 448 - Murray Goodwin and Jim Allenby were the two centurions for the Welsh county whilst Craig Miles, an 18 year-old who is making some waves, took 5-83.

Hants made 455 v Kent with Neil McKenzie scoring 146 in his first outing of the season (he always takes the first two months of county cricket off to rest up after the SA domestic season). Off-spinner Adam Riley took 7-150. Kent are 149-4 in reply.

Northants-Worcs looks like being the only game this week where the side batting first didn't manage 400. This game is already well developed with Worcs 21 behind with 4 second innings wickets remaining. Copeland, playing his last game before returning to Oz, already has 6 in the match. As usual somebody batting 8 or lower top scored for Northants - this time it was Steven Crook with 85.

Kent declare 135 runs behind to try and force a result. Refreshing to see

jimbohammers wrote:Kent declare 135 runs behind to try and force a result. Refreshing to see

Not really much to lose as with the follow-on mark surpassed it will be very difficult for Hants to set up a win.

Ermm I disagree Shelsey, get a 350 lead by lunch and try to take 10 wickets in 6 hours. Do-able in my opinion

On a flat pitch like that its going to be very hard to bowl a team out in two sessions. A chance of course, but if it comes to that Kent can shut up shop.

Sussex holding out well against Middlesex. Wright 146* and building big partnership (100*) with Beer.

Durham moving towards Somerset's score - which will be of some relief to Surrey.

Wright out for 187. A very fine effort by him, and Sussex, who are now 174 ahead.

Sussex and Kent both did well to hang on for draws.

A somewhat disappointing effort from Middx in the end... having watched them quite a bit this season I can't help but get the impression that TRJ is already a bit tired. I wouldn't actually be surprised if he doesn't play v Yorkshire. Rayner bowled really well in the YB40 match and against Somerset but clearly couldn't step up to bowl Sussex out over the last few sessions...

Draws in all of the other matches too.

Table now looking very tight. After each of the top four have played 7 games Sussex will be on 100, Middx and Yorks 95 and Durham 87.5 (assuming Durham-Somerset peters out to the draw which currenly looks inevitable). Another big game next week with Middx playing Yorks at Lord's.