🏏 Updates from final round of county cricket games 🏏 Warwickshire ‘in the groove’ as destiny calls 🏏 Get in touch with James on email or comment BTL
No sooner had I pressed send on Luke’s morning dispatch than the alert pings that Vasconcelos has nicked off to second slip to leave Northants 46-5! Gulp.
M’esteemed colleague Luke McLaughlin is at Lord’s and sends this missive after the first hour of play. Northants are in big trouble already:
Sunshine has broken out at Lord’s after a cloudy start, where it feels more late August than late September, and the pavilion is well populated. The climate is changing but Toby Roland-Jones remains constant, the 38-year-old dealing an early blow to Northamptonshire’s promotion hopes by removing Luke Proctor lbw for 0 in the first over. Gus Miller went for 10, also lbw to Ryan Higgins, and Saif Zaib was caught at first slip off the same bowler, before Calvin Harrison slapped a Danru Ferns long-hop to cover. No 1 batter Ricardo Vasconcelos survived a confident caught-behind appeal off Higgins in the fourth over, but has looked solid for 26 not out, and has left the ball well. Not the start the visitors wanted after winning the toss and batting, though: 44-4 off 14 overs.”
That man Jack Leach has got the breakthrough in Taunton. Michael Vaughan and Steve Finn have both been calling for Leach to be recalled into the Test side, definitely one to keep an eye on, with the Bangladesh series early next year.
Leach snares his old England teammate Rory Burns who plays a loose sweep and gifts a top edge to Tom Abell.
I’ve arrived at Edgbaston to see Ethan Bamber deliver his seventh over on the spin with sun bursting through the clouds. Leicestershire need it to flatten this pitch into the roadiest road pronto… Baby faced assassin Bamber has 1-13 and Woakes 2-11. Tidy.
A ripple of applause for the introduction of Ollie Hannon-Dalby. I enjoyed his chat with Tanya ahead of this game:
His long career gives him the perspective to see how the game has been transformed, and what matters. “Cricket has changed a little bit, there are lots of offshoots, and the franchise world of course. But on a day-to-day basis, the measure of you as a cricketer is either Test cricket if you can play it, or otherwise the County Championship.
To do well in county cricket is satisfying, and being able to win the championship is a great marker in your career. It says a lot that the great Chris Woakes could have sailed off into the sunset, but he has stayed for weeks like this.” By Sunday, we will know how the die fell.”
Am enjoying the chat below the line, do keep the pearls coming.
“Morning Jim, morning everyone. Oh Leicestershire, don’t do that…”
“Off-topic: Mark Wood is one of only two cricketers in my short time following the sport who I’ve thought, “There’s a cricketer I’d love to sit down and have a chat with.” (Moeen Ali the other.) This is partly due to me not knowing much about most cricketers, but Mark Wood was so odd, so interesting that he broke through that barrier. Seemed like a lovely chap who kept his weird personality despite his time in the limelight. criCketer as well.
First-class and Test cricket has lost a goodun, but it’s the commentary box’s gain. Every radio and TV platform showing the cricket should be showering him with offers.”
Taha did a lovely piece on Mark Wood yesterday:
Toby Roland Jones has picked up an early wicket at Lord’s, Procter pinned LBW…
It’s all go at Edgbaston, the Wizard Woakes nips one back into Rishi Patel who offers no shot and is stone dead. There are good leaves and bad leaves, son … Leics 10-2 and in the mire after choosing to bat.
Ethan Bamber bowls Sheridan Gumbs with the fourth ball of the day at Edgbaston! It’s a beauty that nips in a touch and beats the outside edge of Gumbs’ textbook forward defence to kiss the off bail! Bamber hares off in delight!
DingDingDingDing! For one last time this ‘summer’ whites clad county players take to the field. Let’s play!
Good news! The weather is set fair around the country with only a small chance of rain coming in a bit later on and only in a few places. That’s a detailed forecast eh? Schafernaker is safe for now…
Warwickshire have their destiny in their own hands, 14 points will see them crowned Division One Champs. They don’t even have to win either, a draw with six bonus points gets the job done.
Somerset are 11 points behind in second place and last year’s winners Nottinghamshire 15 behind.
At t’other end of Div one it is spicy too –
Hampshire are down already, Leicestershire (who are due to appeal their 27 point pitch infraction deduction, say that ten times fast) and Essex are battling to not be the other team relegated to Div 2.
Leics have to beat Warwickshire and scoop some bonus points to realistically have any chance of dropping down and Essex need to not lose to Glammy. It’s all much more complicated than that of course but you don’t need me to tell you that.
Cardiff: Glamorgan v Essex – Essex win the toss and bowl
Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Sussex – Sussex win toss and bat first
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire – Yorks win toss and bowl
Taunton: Somerset v Surrey – Surrey win toss and bat first
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Leicestershire – Leics win toss and bat
Canterbury: Kent v Gloucestershire – Kent win toss and bowl
Old Trafford: Lancashire v Durham – Durham win toss and bat
Lord’s: Middlesex v Northamptonshire – Northants win the toss and bat
Worcester: Worcestershire v Derbyshire – Derybshire win toss and bowl
Hello and welcome to the final round of the 2026 County Championship.
Jim here, I’m stepping into Tanya’s red stillettos, yes they have a prominent Dukes seam circling around the toe, for the next two days. Be gentle won’t you?
I’m currently on the rattler up to Edgbaston to see if Warwickshire can get the job done against Leicestershire. A fair few folk in Somerset will be hoping the next few days take a different course.
That’s just at the top of Division One. We’ll have an eye on all of the action across the shires and the comments below the line will be open for your musings, frustrations and exultations.
Join us for all the end of season stories as they unfold. Play starts around the grounds at 10:30am. All aboard!
Helpfully, Tanya and Andy Bull have prepared these scene setters: