The penultimate round of the County Championship began with matches scheduled across England, including Yorkshire against Somerset, Sussex against Nottinghamshire, and fixtures involving Essex, Hampshire, Glamorgan, Durham, Middlesex and Lancashire. The Guardian’s live report said most matches started on time, although play at Wantage Road was delayed.
Nottinghamshire made a late change to their team by bringing in seam bowler Mukesh Kumar. He has taken 233 first-class wickets during a career played entirely in India and joined the side after helping East Zone win the Duleep Trophy, according to the report.
Somerset face Yorkshire at Headingley, where they will encounter Kuldeep Yadav. The spinner produced career-best figures of 10 for 120 in the previous week’s match against Essex. Yadav said he had sought to make batters err in the first innings before using footmarks and different angles in the second to make scoring more difficult.
The title race remains close. The Guardian reported that only five points separated the leading three teams, with Nottinghamshire seeking consecutive victories and Warwickshire also challenging. Somerset remain in contention as they pursue their first championship title, while Durham have already secured the Division Two crown.
The Division Two promotion race is also tight, with two points separating Northants and Kent. Hampshire could have relegation confirmed during the round. Sussex began with a 12-point deduction linked to its financial situation, while Kent had five points deducted for a slow over-rate; Gloucestershire and Worcestershire each lost two points for the same offence.
The points system awards 16 points for a victory and eight apiece for a draw or tie, with first-innings bonus points available during the first 110 overs. The Met Office forecast rain bands moving across England and Wales, followed by fresher conditions, sunshine and heavy showers in northern areas.