Championship Div 1 - May 21

County Championship 21 May - Division 1

As England suffered yet another daily deluge, the only surprise was that some play was possible in all today's championship games.

Essex v Surrey, Chelmsford

Essex won the toss and decided to field - a decision which looked to have reaped rich rewards after just an hour's play. The visitors had stuttered and stumbled their way to 51-5 with Graham Napier rampant, bagging three wickets and troubling everyone with his mixture of seam and swing.
Only Graham Thorpe offered any real resistance amongst the upper order, but when Azhar Mahmood joined him it became a different game altogether. The pair started to dominate, adding 111 at better than a run a minute.

The old adage of 'one brings two' was never more true as both Thorpe and Mahmood departed within ten minutes of each other, but any thoughts the home side had of dismissing the championship leaders cheaply quickly disappeared.

Another substantial partnership between England veterans Martin Bicknell and Ian Salisbury took the Surrey total beyond 250 before Salisbury departed, eighth man out for a valuable 30. Bicknell went on to complete his second ton of the season and ended the day on 117 not out from a Surrey total of 337-8.

Surrey 337-8 (Bicknell 117*, Thorpe 52, Napier 4-73)


Leicestershire v Middlesex, Leicester

A damp, dreary day at Leicester was enlivened with some sterling performances with the ball today before the inevitable rain cut proceedings short mid-way through the afternoon. On a day which most seamers worth their salt would love to wrap up and carry around with them, Leicestershire won the toss and had no hesitation in taking the field.

Medium pacers David Masters and Darren Maddy did the business for the home side, with only Aussie Ashley Noffke progressing to 40 as Middlesex disappeared in the gloom to 201 all out. Maddy was the pick of the home bowlers, grabbing a season's best 5-49 from 13 overs.

As the clouds filled in, there was sufficient time for Leicestershire to play their own way into trouble, ending the day on a precarious 19-3 with Noffke (1-6) and Chad Keegan (2-12) themselves threatening to run riot.

Middlesex 201 (Noffke 40, Maddy 5-49, Masters 3-33), Leicestershire 19-3 (Keegan 2-12)


Sussex v Nottinghamshire, Horsham

Sussex won the toss and decided to make use of a wicket which looked to have plenty of runs in it. It was a day of contrasting fortunes - two players went to three figures but one of them - the Nottinghamshire opening bowler Andy Harris - was on the receiving end as he finished the day with 1-102 from just 20 overs.

A steady if unspectacular opening partnership of 87 between Murray Goodwin and Richard Montgomerie was the hors-doevre, but after the Zimbabwean departed for 38, the main course was served up by Tony Cottee and Montgomerie who took the total on to 210 in even time before Cottee went for a valuable 58, the first of three wickets for Stuart MacGill.

Montgomerie finally went for 105 caught by Jason Gallian. Once again MacGill was the successful bowler, and the canny Australian added a little more gloss to a marathon session of 3-96 from 29 overs when he bagged the dangerous Chris Adams for just 9.

There was still time for a whirlwind 49 by Robin Martin-Jenkins at better than a run a ball before the weather closed in, trimming the day's play with the home side comfortably placed on 330-5.

Sussex 330-5 (Montgomerie 105, Cottey 58, MacGill 3-96)


Warwickshire v Kent, Edgbaston

The West Midlands bore the brunt of the weather today as just 51 overs were possible in the day. Warwickshire won the toss and batted first, a decision which must have delighted the visitors as the hosts were rocked early and hard.

Ben Trott and Martin Saggers made the early breakthrough for Kent, picking up the first three wickets for just six runs. This brought Jim Troughton to the wicket, and until he was dismissed shortly before the weather brought proceedings to a premature close he produced an innings of rare quality to brighten up the gloom, and one which should have the test selectors sitting up and taking notice.

Troughton's third century this season and the seventh of his fledgling career was a mixture of dogged defence and expansive drives as he almost single-handedly rescued what could well have been a lost cause without him. After he finally departed for 120, well caught by Tredwell off the bowling of Alamgir Sheriyar, Warwickshire had limped on to 195-7 before the drizzle became a downpour.

Warwickshire 195-7 (Troughton 120, Saggers 3-41)


Posted by Eddie