County Championship Round 7

Another round of Championship fixtures, including meetings between high-flyers Durham and Middlesex.

Division 1

Durham v Middlesex (Starts Wednesday)
Sussex v Somerset (Starts Wednesday)

Division 2

Leicestershire v Glamorgan (Starts Today)
Essex v Kent (Starts Wednesday)
Worcestershire v Gloucestershire (Starts Wednesday)
Hampshire v Lancashire (Starts Thursday)

BBC commentaries - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/13629853

Here's my preview for Durham v Middlesex - http://deepextracover.com/home/lvcc-durham-v-middlesex-preview/

Glamorgan having a good day at Grace Road, and have moved on to 176-3. Goodwin 54* and North 46*.

Shelsey - good preview of the Durham v Middlesex match.

Interesting that Durham leave out Buckley who took a fivefer on debut at Surrey the other week as conditions are "unlikely to suit spin" whilst Middlesex retain Smith who seems to have been on the fringes of the team for quite a while without ever properly breaking through.

guildfordbat wrote:Shelsey - good preview of the Durham v Middlesex match.

Interesting that Durham leave out Buckley who took a fivefer on debut at Surrey the other week as conditions are "unlikely to suit spin" whilst Middlesex retain Smith who seems to have been on the fringes of the team for quite a while without ever properly breaking through.

Smith wouldn't have been in the Championship plans at the start of the season. He's usually been a one-day specialist and a fairly mediocre one at that. But Rayner's poor form and young Ravi Patel's injury seem to have given him an opportunity. I suppose he's also helped by the fact that Berg and Dexter bowl seam-up so there isn't really a need for a fourth specialist seamer.

I guess Durham have Borthwick in the side as spinner number 1 and at home, in seaming conditions, back Gareth Breese as a batting all-rounder rather than the extra young spinner. Will be interesting to see what the final composition of Durham's side is.

An interesting match I think, and as hopefully came across from the preview I'm not hugely confident about the brittle middle-order against Onions. I'm intrigued that Rushworth has been omitted with no mention of an injury after starring early in the season though.

I saw Durham bowl on day one against Surrey at the Oval. Rushworth was rather unlucky in that he and Thorp both opened the bowling well but it was the latter who struck first and ended up bowling more. Rushworth hardly bowled in the second innings and ended up with a nil match return.

Due to injury, Stokes played in the Surrey game solely as a batsman. I assume he'll be able to turn his arm over against Middlesex which effectively gives Durham another bowler.

Agree with you that the Middlesex middle order will need to be on their mettle against Onions. Probably time for Harris to put in a performance to try and rival him.

I do think there are runs to be had against Borthwick if Middlesex keep their concentration. Despite his 8 match wickets against Surrey, he seemed pretty ordinary most of the time.

Somerset 43-6 already. Magoffin with a fiver-fer

Make that 43-7!

They were.. 42-2

Magoffin 7 overs - 6-13

Good start for Durham. 59-1 after an hour and spin into the attack already.

Shelsey Durham moving along nicely, i notice that Borthwick is coming in at 3, is this a new role for him? I thought i remembered him as a spinner, who batted at 7/8

Meanwhile, Somerset all out for 76. Magoffin taking 8 wickets for 20 runs

jimbohammers wrote:Shelsey Durham moving along nicely, i notice that Borthwick is coming in at 3, is this a new role for him? I thought i remembered him as a spinner, who batted at 7/8

Meanwhile, Somerset all out for 76. Magoffin taking 8 wickets for 20 runs

I think he has ambitions to be a genuine all-rounder and they are giving him a chance to do that. He's doing OK so far. Durham 100-1 at lunch.

What a bowling performance from Magoffin!

Gregers wrote:What a bowling performance from Magoffin!

He's been a terrific signing. His bowling's perfectly suited to English conditions and there is no chance of him getting picked by Australia.

I know the Eurovision was last week, but the way Somerset are playing against Sussex, they could end up with nil pwant!

Gloucestershire 126-4 against Worcs. Richo taken all 4 wickets, 18-4-29-4. What a man!

Gloucestershire 234 all out. Richo records career best figures of of 8-37 in 21.3 overs. *bows to the great man*

Some what of a nadir for Somerset today, I haven't felt at all worried about them being in relegation trouble come the end of the season until today as I thought they would have too much quality to get themselves out of it. I am a little worried now.

Interesting day today, particularly with all the drama at Horsham. Amongst it all Monty is 17* overnight!

Here's my report from Durham v Middlesex - http://deepextracover.com/home/durham-late-show-changes-perspective-on-opening-day/ (Again with the disclaimer that I wasn't there. Typically I've finished my exams and there is one match in the London area over the next two weeks (and that's at Radlett)).

A bit of a stutter from Middlesex today... on and off the field with showers and only just past the 100 mark. A bit of a recovery from 35-5 but you've got to think Durham are well on top in this game.

For what its worth my day three report on events at Chester-le-Street: http://deepextracover.com/home/rain-makes-life-difficult-for-durham/

In short: it rained, it rained a bit more, there was a dodgy umpiring decision, they went off for bad light.

Second successive 10 wicket win for Worcestershire today. Just the 4 2nd innings wickets for Richardson...