Report
Coughlin rains on Notts parade after sprinkler takes centre stage
Late wickets dent hosts' progress after comic scenes on the outfield cause 45-minute delay
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
05-Apr-2025
Nottinghamshire 297 for 5 (Slater 92, McCann 79) trail Durham 378 (Ackermann 116, O'Neill 5-81) by 81 runs
A couple of key scalps for seamer Paul Coughlin in the final session left Nottinghamshire with work to do on day two of their Rothesay County Championship match against Durham.
The Sunderland-born 32-year-old, whose had two injury-plagued years at Trent Bridge, bowled key man Joe Clarke (37) and had 19-year-old prospect Freddie McCann (79) caught behind before Nottinghamshire closed the day on 297 for five in their first innings in reply to Durham's 378, having also lost Jack Haynes just before the close.
Full postArcher leads PBKS demolition job after Jaiswal & Co set the platform for Royals
It looked like an ideal game for Royals, first posting a 200-plus total and then almost all their bowlers combining for a comprehensive win
Karthik Krishnaswamy
05-Apr-2025
Rajasthan Royals 205 for 4 (Jaiswal 67, Parag 43*, Samson 38, Ferguson 2-37) beat Punjab Kings 155 for 9 (Wadhera 62, Maxwell 30, Archer 3-25, Sandeep 2-21, Theekshana 2-26) by 50 runs
Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring runs. Jofra Archer continuing the rhythm he seemed to rediscover against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga coming into their own.
All these things may have been on Rajasthan Royals' (RR) wishlist coming into Saturday night's match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). All three wishes were fulfilled, as RR consigned PBKS, playing their first home game of IPL 2025, to their first defeat of the season.
Full postYates century keeps Warwickshire afloat after Simpson piles on pain
Sussex skipper finishes 181 not out as newcomers make solid start to life in Division One
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
05-Apr-2025
Warwickshire 223 for 3 (Yates 113*, Davies 66) trail Sussex 528 (Simpson 181*, Bamber 4-105) by 305 runs
Bowlers continue to suffer in the Birmingham sunshine as an opening-round runfest unfolds between Warwickshire and Sussex in the Rothesay County Championship Division One at Edgbaston.
Sussex have returned to the top tier in style by amassing 528 all out after captain John Simpson added a superb unbeaten 181 from 262 balls to Tom Clark's opening-day century. Warwickshire's injury-hit attack, led by debutants Ethan Bamber and Tazeem Ali, plugged away nobly but found the going tough in good batting conditions.
Full postWright punishes Glamorgan after Hill, Handscomb set Foxes running
Unbeaten 74 from No. 10 compounds Welsh misery as Leicestershire take grip on proceedings
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
05-Apr-2025
Leicestershire 426 for 8 (Hill 96, Wright 74*, Handscomb 63, Budinger 56, Cox 51*, Asitha 4-71) lead Glamorgan 229 (Cooke 55, Holland 3-40, Mike 3-54) by 197 runs
Veteran bowler Chris Wright smashed an unbeaten 74 to follow Lewis Hill's 96, and fifties from Peter Handscomb, Sol Budinger and Ben Cox and give Leicestershire a commanding lead over Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.
Former and current captains Hill and Handscomb combined for a 142-run partnership after weathering a storm from Asitha Fernando, who claimed a debut four-wicket haul for Glamorgan. The home side's other debutant, Shoaib Bashir, remained wicketless from 22 overs.
Full postBaker wins Bairstow battle as Hampshire tighten their grip
Yorkshire captain rides his luck before young quick lands the crucial blow
Alan Gardner
05-Apr-2025
Yorkshire 121 and 189 for 6 (Lyth 57*, Bairstow 52, Wheal 4-41) lead Hampshire 249 (Brown 49*, Hill 3-36) by 61 runs
Jonny Bairstow led from the front as Yorkshire produced an admirable fightback on day two of their Championship opener, but it was his dismissal by Hampshire's winter recruit, the rapid 22-year-old Sonny Baker, late in the day that tilted the contest back towards the home side.
Baker was clocked at 92mph/148kph when playing for Hampshire in the Global Super League late last year, and impressed enough on the England Lions tour of Australia to be offered an ECB development contract. He had already claimed Bairstow as a maiden Championship wicket with his second delivery on Friday, and saw Yorkshire's captain put down twice in the space of as many balls in the second innings, before returning for a second spell during the evening session to pluck out his middle stump and end a 105-run stand with Adam Lyth.
Full postMarcus Harris stars on Lancashire debut to take command at Lord's
Gohar's three-for keeps Middlesex fighting but big deficit is on the cards
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
05-Apr-2025
Lancashire 353 for 9 (Harris 134*, Jennings 55, Jones 40) lead Middlesex 260 (Robson 70, Holden 69, Aspinwall 4-32) by 93 runs
Marcus Harris's century on Red Rose debut helped Lancashire take charge on day two at Lord's.
The Australian Test opener, batting at No. 4, survived an early scare to share a stand of 120 for the fifth wicket with Luke Wells (38). It was Harris' 30th first-class ton and he became the sixth overseas player to make a hundred on his debut for the county, a trend started by his fellow Australian, the late Andrew Symonds in 2005.
Full postTom Banton sets new Somerset landmark with epic 344 not out
Batter surpasses Langer to record the highest score in the county's history as Worcestershire are made to toil
ECB Reporters Network
05-Apr-2025
Somerset 637 for 6 (Banton 344*, Rew 152) lead Worcestershire 154 by 483 runs
Tom Banton made history at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton as Somerset assumed a position of dominance on day two of the Rothesay County Championship First Division match against Worcestershire.
The 26-year-old batter made the highest first-class score in the county's history, his 344 surpassing the 342 made by Justin Langer against Surrey at Guildford in 2006. The right-hander faced 381 balls, struck 53 fours and a six and batted for just over eight hours. He became only the eighth Somerset player to register a triple-century and the first since James Hildreth in 2009.
Full postKL Rahul shines as DC outclass CSK in Chennai
DC, who hadn't tasted victory against CSK at Chepauk in 15 years, were able to utterly dominate them
Alagappan Muthu
05-Apr-2025
Delhi Capitals 183 for 6 (Rahul 77, Khaleel 2-25) beat Chennai Super Kings 158 for 5 (Vijay 69*, Nigam 2-27) by 25 runs
Chennai Super Kings are starting to lose control of their fortress. For the second time this season, a visiting team that hadn't tasted victory against them at Chepauk in 15 years was able to utterly dominate them. This resulted in the strangest situation. The crowd here bays for MS Dhoni to come out and bat. They cheer their own team's wickets in anticipation of his arrival. Well, on Saturday, he was there in the 11th over, but there was only silence.
Rahul anchors DC
Sears takes five again as New Zealand complete ODI series sweep over Pakistan
There were pockets of resistance from Pakistan, but at no stage did they look like they would pull a consolation win out of the game
Danyal Rasool
04-Apr-2025
New Zealand 264 for 8 (Bracewell 59, Mariu 58, Mitchell 43, Akif 4-62, Naseem 2-54) beat Pakistan 221 (Babar 50, Sears 5-34, Duffy 2-40) by 43 runs
New Zealand kept their ODI record against Pakistan spotless as they eased to a 43-run win to seal a 3-0 series sweep.
After a nearly-two-hour delay to the start because of a wet outfield owing to overnight rain in Mount Maunganui, Michael Bracewell and Rhys Mariu's half-centuries got New Zealand up to 264 in 42 overs. Pakistan made a slow start amid a freak injury to Imam-ul-Haq, and while there were contributions right down the order led by a Babar Azam half-century, New Zealand never let Pakistan get on top of the asking rate. Five more wickets for Ben Sears saw New Zealand regularly chip away as Pakistan folded for 221.
Full postMuyeye catches the eye but Crawley's false dawn epitomises flawed contest
Seventeen wickets tumble at Wantage Road as Kent take upper hand over Northants
Vithushan Ehantharajah
04-Apr-2025
Northants 118 for 7 (Keogh 53*) trail Kent 231 (Muyeye 72, Leaning 40, Weatherall 3-32) by 113 runs
Spring is supposed to bring relief. Warmth from previous gloom as we welcome back the sun with open arms and a kiss on the forehead, despite the fact it left us in the lurch for so long. Forgive, forget and go again.
Alas, at a gorgeously illuminated Wantage Road, the opening day of 2025's County Championship was a case of relive and bemoan, as Kent and Northamptonshire indulged in a back-and-forth of their own misgivings from bygone seasons.
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