Follow the last round of 2014 LV= County Championship games as Lancashire and Middlesex play a relegation decider while Essex skittle Division Two leaders Worcestershire for 84 to pressure Hampshire for the remaining promotion place.
By Rob Barnett
Live Scores / Follow ECB_Cricket on Twitter
12.37pm – ecb.co.uk’s Matt Somerford at Lancashire v Middlesex (86/3): It is lunch here at Emirates Old Trafford and Middlesex will feel pretty content with their morning's work after Rogers opted to bat in conditions that looked suited to the bowlers. The clatter of wickets around the country suggests that was the case and, while it did seam and swing, the three wickets Middlesex lost is a solid return. Lancashire won't be disheartened by the morning though and if they had dropped Rogers twice on his way to 33 it might have even been a rosier picture for them.
Stevens accounts for Benny Howell to make Gloucestershire 62 for eight at lunch. We’ll shortly bring you the other interval scores.
12.30pm – Worcestershire are skittled for 84, quickly giving Essex maximum bowling points! Graham Napier halts an alliance of 45 between Joe Leach and Damien D’Oliveira, having the latter caught behind. Masters then takes a super caught and bowled to oust Leach for 39 and Napier bowls Jack Shantry to wrap things up.
Northants’ Azhar makes Luke Wright his third victim, making Sussex 76 for four.
Derbyshire’s Ben Slater becomes the day’s first half-centurion and is soon followed by Yorkshire’s Alex Lees. Shortly before his milestone Lees saw Joe Root’s innings ends on 35 when he played on to Jamie Overton, breaking a third-wicket stand of 63.
The view from the stands here at the SWALEC. Hampshire are now 58/5. pic.twitter.com/Qakwf1Bc29
— Glamorgan Cricket (@GlamCricket) September 23, 2014
12.12pm – Allenby breaks through twice in two deliveries, Tom Alsop and Adam Wheater the men to go. Hampshire, chasing promotion, are 53 for five.
Gloucestershire slide to seven down, Calum Haggett getting in on the act.
Yorks 90-2 in the 26th over. Lees 38, Root 34. Their stand is 58 in 17 overs.
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) September 23, 2014
WICKET! Procter bowls Rogers with a beauty! Middlesex 63-3 #LanvMid
— Lancashire CCC (@LancsCCC) September 23, 2014
12pm – Gloucestershire are 41 for six and Claydon has figures of 10-4-16-4. Ryder’s streak of wickets in consecutive overs comes to an end, but he has figures of 10-4-24-5.
India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is out handled the ball, leaving Derbyshire 62 for three.
Hampshire lose skipper Jimmy Adams cheaply on his 34th birthday at 50 for three.
Sussex are 51 for three, Middlebrook striking on the morning his release has been announced.
That wicket marks 50 @LV_Cricket wickets for @mitchellclaydon in 2014! pic.twitter.com/6v5pzzGZPM
— Kent Cricket (@kentcricket) September 23, 2014
11.58am – ecb.co.uk’s Matt Somerford at Lancashire v Middlesex (60/2): Rogers is put down for the second time. Steven Croft can't hold on to a sharp chance at second slip after the Aussie slashed at fourth-gamer Tom Bailey. Rogers has been eager to attack the young quick and should have paid for it. He's been put down on 13 and 33 now. Lancashire surely can't afford that sort of generosity in their position.
39.3 - Of bowlers to take 40+ wickets in @LV_Cricket 2014, only Mark Footitt has a lower strike rate than Jesse Ryder's 39.3. Incisive.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) September 23, 2014
11.44am – Ryder has five wickets in five overs, adding Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Ben Cox to his tally to leave Worcestershire toiling at 31 for seven.
Gloucestershire are now 29 for five, Stevens bagging his second scalp.
Lancashire’s Luke Procter strikes with his second ball, Dawid Malan edging to slip. Later in the over Rogers is almost run out, backing up, but gets his bat down just in time.
Root has had a couple of lives, dropped on 0 at second slip and 6 at point now. Groenewald the bowler.
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) September 23, 2014
11.28am – ecb.co.uk’s Matt Somerford at Lancashire v Middlesex (39/1): This Junaid Khan v Chris Rogers battle has been a good watch and a nice little preview to their Test series next month. Junaid has found seam movement and should have had the Australian - Jos Buttler spilling that tough chance to his left. Rogers has been there almost an hour now though and, as ever, is digging a trench to vindicate his decision to bat. The sun is even starting to break through.
11.25am – Durham are 43 for five, Barker making Paul Collingwood his fourth victim as Warwickshire exact revenge for Saturday’s Lord’s final loss.
Division Two front-runners Worcestershire are 27 for four, Ryder bowling Alexei Kervezee for his third scalp.
Gloucestershire also slip to four down, Mitchell Claydon making a third breakthrough.
Wayne Madsen becomes the second man to go for Derbyshire.
Drop! Rogers edges Junaid but Buttler, diving low away to his left gets a glove to it but can't hang on. @Middlesex_CCC 30-1 #LanvMid
— Lancashire CCC (@LancsCCC) September 23, 2014
11.12am – Essex have a first bonus point, Jesse Ryder ousting Moeen Ali and Daryl Mitchell in consecutive overs.
Further good news for Essex is Hampshire losing Will Smith and Liam Dawson in a Jim Allenby over.
Durham are in worse trouble, Oliver Hannon-Dalby adding to Barker’s three wickets to leave the new Royal London One-Day Cup champions 26 for four.
Alex Gidman goes cheaply in his last Gloucestershire appearance and Derbyshire’s Billy Godleman also departs.
Ballance gone! He's been caught at second by Trescothick off Thomas for 7. It's 32-2.
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) September 23, 2014
11am – Breaking news: Northants have announced they will release James Middlebrook, who is playing today and is their leading scorer in first-class cricket this year, at the end of the season.
WICKET! Robson edges Chapple to Buttler for 7, @Middlesex_CCC 20-1 in 7th over #LanvMid
— Lancashire CCC (@LancsCCC) September 23, 2014
10.53am – Durham and Gloucestershire are two down! Keith Barker makes Scott Borthwick his second victim and Darren Stevens has Will Tavare lbw for none.
10.51am – ecb.co.uk’s Matt Somerford at Lancashire v Middlesex (14/0): There's not a huge crowd here in support of Lancashire's bid to stay up, but those who have turned up are clearly parochial. There is a bloke with a homemade hat embroided with red roses. I'm unsure if they are real or fake. On more important matters, the ball is swinging and seaming - with a couple of plays-and-misses - but Middlesex's opening pair remain after four overs.
10.47am – Muhammad Azhar Ullah makes it two scalps in as many overs. Having bowled Chris Nash, he now traps Ed Joyce in front for nought.
Yorkshire, Durham and Gloucestershire also lose an early wicket, Adam Lyth, Mark Stoneman and Chris Dent departing.
WICKET! @Azhar_ullah strikes in his first over and bowls Chris Nash (1). @SussexCCC are 1/1. pic.twitter.com/sCoxXbjlHP
— Northants Cricket (@NorthantsCCC) September 23, 2014
10.33am – David Masters makes an early breakthrough for Essex, who must beat Division Two leaders Worcestershire to have a realistic chance of promotion. Richard Oliver is the man to go, held in the cordon.
10.24am – While waiting for the action to start, why not read our exclusive interview with Middlesex captain Rogers? He talks about facing Junaid Khan, who is excitingly included in Lancashire’s line-up. We also have our usual Division One and Division Two teams news previews.
1,007 - Leicestershire have hit 1,007 boundary fours in @LV_Cricket 2014, more than any other Division 2 team. Ropey. pic.twitter.com/jWrOoLUMby
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) September 23, 2014
10.17am – ecb.co.uk’s Matt Somerford at Emirates Old Trafford - Lancashire v Middlesex: Middlesex skipper Chris Rogers' decision to bat first has raised some eyebrows. The pitch has more than a tinge of green while it is cold and there is plenty of cloud cover. It appears like a bowling morning. However, Rogers is an opener and perhaps he feels he should lead his side from the front. We shall see if that's misplaced bravery over the course of this first session. Certainly, Lancashire captain Glen Chapple has said he would have bowled.
10.12am – Yorkshire, Sussex, Middlesex, Durham, Hampshire and Gloucestershire opt to bat first. Only Essex and Leicestershire chose to field first. It’s somewhat surprising that so many toss-winner chose to bat given the 10.30am start and autumnal conditions. We’ll soon se if those six captains made the right decision.
Congratulations to @aleesy14 who has been awarded with his 1st Team Cap this morning by captain @GaleyLad#YCCCpic.twitter.com/n0czHtN9uU
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) September 23, 2014
Middx have won the toss and will bat...
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) September 23, 2014
10am – Hello and welcome to our live blog of the final round of 2014 LV= County Championship matches. The fixtures are below. News of the tosses follows shortly.
Lancashire v Middlesex, Emirates Old Trafford
Northamptonshire v Sussex, Wantage Road
Warwickshire v Durham, Edgbaston
Yorkshire v Somerset, Headingley
Derbyshire v Leicestershire, the 3aaa County Ground
Essex v Worcestershire, the Essex County Ground
Glamorgan v Hampshire, the SWALEC Stadium
Kent v Gloucestershire, the Spitfire Ground
Gus, Buck, Scotty and Richard Johnson weighing things up half an hour before the toss as Lanc's bowlers warm up... pic.twitter.com/M5Naay3Qw9
— Middlesex Cricket (@Middlesex_CCC) September 23, 2014