Key occasions
A drop! (tactfully no longer proven on The Oval replay display screen). Lawrence at 3rd slip. Vaughan strikes serenely on. Burns strikes his slips, nearer, no additional aside, no nearer once more. Sibley, now slimline, Ollie Pope, an ageless determine who would slide seamlessly int a 1930s or 1970s staff picture, and lengthy -limbed fidget Dan Lawrence. Somerset 42-0.
Gloucestershire are having a sub-prime morning– oh thats a peachy power for 4 by way of Archie Vaughan off Jordan Clark, and there’s any other 4, squarer, subsequent ball – at Bristol. Van Beek and Holland – who led to such a lot chaos at Old Trafford on Sunday night – have lower in the course of the Glos most sensible order too: Bancroft, Charlesworth and Ollie Price all long gone. Glos: 21 for 3 v Leicestershire.
Big, dangerous Fergus O’Neill is pounding in at Trent Bridge, however as soon as once more it’s Brett Hutton who slides into the wickets column. Haines for a duck, Clark for 8. Sussex a dark 16-2. Notts, promoted to Division One on the finish of 2022, completed sixth in 2023, eighth in 2024 – seems like this can be a happier summer time.
Ali Martin
A wicket right here at New Road. Gareth Roderick had simply survived a drop at slip, pushing ahead, most effective to then slash an edge at the back of two balls later and throw his head again in disgust. Jake Ball, on mortgage for Somerset and just a little wayward to start with, will get his first wicket as a Durham bowler and the hosts are seven for one within the 8th over. We weren’t certain how this pitch would play after 5 floods and 39 days spent underwater right through the wintry weather. Not certain it was once at fault for that dismissal alternatively.
Early drama right here at The Oval, the place Sean Dickson has retired harm after being rapped at the hand by way of Gus Atkinson. Lammonby joins Vaughan.
Mornin’ Tanya! Hello there, Tim Maitland!
”It’s a long way too quickly to brush aside the name pretensions of remaining season’s 1st as opposed to remaining season’s third at The Oval, no less than mathematically, however for the reason that between them they’ve controlled 5 attracts and a loss between them in 2025 they’re each in dire want of one thing this week aren’t they?
”The most effective reason why they’re no longer out of it’s that nobody’s controlled a couple of win of their 3 begins.
”It in point of fact has been a abnormal begin to the season hasn’t it? Especially while you imagine that the elements wasn’t stepping into the best way.”
I do know I sound like this sort of fan girl however doing a lap of The Oval is a heart-warming enjoy. People move in the course of the gate, the solar is shining, the espresso is just right and because the flooring announcer stated the names of the openers, I noticed one younger guy strolling to the gate quicken his step and inform his buddy “Yes! Archie Vaughan is playing.”

Ali Martin
Good morning from New Road, the place the solar is (in and) out for Worcestershire’s first house fixture of the season in opposition to Durham. Things are tinged with a marginally of disappointment right here after the hot passing of membership journalist and previous Press Association creator John Curtis.
JC was once some of the best other people at the circuit: a professional, beneficiant and simply so extremely welcoming to somebody who walked into the click field. One of the contributors has simply handed me some flora to pop in JC’s standard spot, the place he would spend an afternoon’s play cracking jokes and swapping tales. As the BBC’s Martin Emmerson quipped simply now, the minute’s silence deliberate earlier than the beginning of play may just scarcely be much less suitable (or extra deserved). For additional studying, there’s a pretty tribute at the Worcestershire website online right here too. Cheers, JC.
I’m sitting subsequent to the Wisden editor, who allowed me to the touch (as soon as) Jamie Smith’s embossed Cricketer of The Year 2025 version earlier than it was once passed over. Lovely finish papers.
Any questions for Lawrence? Just e-mail me at tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com, or ask BTL.
Josh Hull interview
Ali talks to Leicestershire’s giant beast:
How neatly do Somerset shuttle? Let’s simply say that they haven’t received at The Oval since 1995 and haven’t received an away sport in two years.
Limping Durham were desperately leafing in the course of the deal with e-book. In come 3 tempo bowlers: South African Codi Yusuf ( signing for 6 video games) plus Jake Ball (Somerset) and Jack Blatherwick (Lancs)on mortgage for the following two video games.
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Sussex
The Oval: Surrey v Somerset
New Road: Worcestershire v Durham
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Middlesex
Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire
Preamble
Good morning! An early educate all the way down to London (off height all day on a Friday) and The Oval is beaming. Footballs are being kicked about in warm-up and there’s a lazy-days web to the aspect, subsequent to the banks of blackbird-egg seats.
It’s a truncated progamme of video games as of late – simply two in Division One and 3 in Division Two. We’ll be right here all day – play begins at 11am.