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Farhan Ahmed - a generational talent keeping it real for Notts
His impact was huge, his efforts far more than lovable
Vithushan Ehantharajah
26-Apr-2025
Sussex 169 and 195 for 7 (Haines 64, Simpson 35*, O'Neill 3-60, Ahmed 2-48) lead Nottinghamshire 300 (Hameed 85, Robinson 4-94, Seales 4-107) by 64 runs
It was 10 overs into Sussex's second innings that Farhan Ahmed took the ball from the Stuart Broad End. Glint of opportunity in his eyes, dark mop of hair bouncing as he marked his run-up, he looked every bit a cartoon fish embarking on a grand adventure.
You cannot get further from animated japery than an early season County Championship match, even if it is between the two surprising and flawed main protagonists of Division One so far. The cloud cover means the colours don't pop, and, here, the white sheets covering the Trent Bridge pavilion during its renovations dull any whimsy to riff upon.
Full postDom Goodman's five-wicket haul inspires Gloucestershire fightback
Leicestershire will hope late wicket swings momentum but with Cameron Bancroft 36* contest remains in the balance
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-Apr-2025
Gloucestershire 252 and 88 for 2 (Price 43, Bancroft 36*, Holland 2-21) lead Leicestershire 262 (Hill 55, Cox 53, Holland 52, Goodman 5-54) by 78 runs
Dom Goodman's maiden first-class five-wicket haul inspired a Gloucestershire fightback on a fluctuating day two of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match with Leicestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
Shortly after lunch, Division Two's early season pace-setters Leicestershire looked well placed to post a sizeable first-innings lead. Having reached 200 for 5 in response to the hosts' first-innings total of 252, the visitors looked well in command if perhaps not fully in control.
Full postAndersson reminds former team-mates of his qualities
His 107 and sixth-wicket stand of 148 with Luis Reece puts Derbyshire firmily in control against Middlesex
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-Apr-2025
Middlesex 101 for 3 (Higgins 22*, Cullen 8*, Tickner 2-23) trail Derbyshire 472 (Andersson 107, Lloyd 93, Came 73, Reece 60*) by 371 runs
Martin Andersson gave his former team-mates a big reminder of his qualities with a career-best century to put Derbyshire firmly in control of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Middlesex at Derby.
The ex-Middlesex allrounder scored 107 and shared a county record sixth-wicket stand of 148 with Luis Reece, who made 60, to lift Derbyshire to 472 all out.
Full postArya and Prabhsimran sparkle before rain dashes PBKS' hopes
PBKS moved to No. 4 on the points table while KKR rose to No. 7 with seven points from nine matches
Sidharth Monga
26-Apr-2025
Match abandoned Punjab Kings 201 for 4 (Prabhsimran 83, Arya 69, Arora 2-34) vs Kolkata Knight Riders 7 for 0 in 1 over
Punjab Kings (PBKS) had to settle for just one point despite scoring 201 on a slow pitch, as late-evening thundershowers washed out the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) chase in Kolkata. PBKS would be disappointed for they had done the hard work on a pitch whose consensus reading was "very, very slow". The one point moved PBKS to No. 4 on the IPL 2025 points table while the lagging KKR rose to No. 7 with seven points from nine matches.
Outside of the frustration of not getting the win, PBKS must be pleased with their openers, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, whose half-centuries took them to the daunting total. Especially how they scored the runs. They were almost obsessed with not over-hitting, holding their shape, and relying more on their timing, adding 120 for the first wicket, PBKS' only century stand this IPL. Arya scored 69 off 35, Prabhsimran 83 off 49, and even though the last six overs produced only 42, PBKS were confident they had scored an above-par total.
Full postBurns, Smith, Sibley push Surrey into first-innings lead
Trio of half-centuries from England batters put hosts in strong position
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-Apr-2025
Surrey 321 for 7 (Burns 76, Smith 58, Sibley 53) lead Somerset 283 (Lammonby 76, Gregory 62, Clark 5-68) by 38 runs
Rory Burns was one of three Surrey half-centurions as the defending champions took a first-innings lead against visitors Somerset on day two at the Kia Oval.
The Brown Caps skipper struck 10 boundaries in a fluent 76, sharing a first-wicket stand of 129 with fellow former England opener Dom Sibley (53), who passed 50 for the fifth time in six innings this season.
Full postBen Raine, Codi Yusuf condemn Worcestershire to two-day defeat
McKinney proves vital in low-scoring contest as Durham win by six wickets
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
26-Apr-2025
Durham 136 (Drissell 31, Allison 3-26, Taylor 3-36) and 108 for 4 (McKinney 34) beat Worcestershire 162 (Nicholls 42, Ball 5-47) and 81 (Nicholls 25, Raine 4-20, Yusuf 4-26) by six wickets
Durham beat Worcestershire by six wickets inside two days in a bowler-dominated Rothesay County Championship match at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
After 16 wickets fell on the first day, 14 fell in the first two sessions of the second on a pitch which the seamers would like to carry round in their kit bag.
Full postGladiators bowlers turn tables on Kings to defend 142
Kings were cruising at 75 for 1 in the chase before they unravelled
Danyal Rasool
25-Apr-2025
Quetta Gladiators 142 (Faheem 43, Kusal 36, Hasan 3-33) beat Karachi Kings 137 for 8 (Seifert 47, Vince 30, Wasim 2-22, Amir 2-26) by five runs
A remarkable bowling comeback from Quetta Gladiators saw them squeeze Karachi Kings out by five runs to defend 142 - the lowest PSL total ever defended at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Kings were cruising at 75 for 1 in eight overs, requiring 68 in 72 balls before a near-perfect rearguard saw Gladiators puncture their way through Kings' batting line-up. The next eight overs produced just 27 runs and five wickets as spin and pace alike kept up pressure which Kings melted in the face of.
None of this seemed possible while Tim Seifert promised to make short work of a low target. Mohammad Amir struck in the first over to dismiss David Warner, but James Vince and Seifert brushed off the early blow, flying out of the blocks and bearing down on the target. Vince went after Amir in his second over while Seifert took down Khurram Shahzad, carrying on with his dominance by smashing 19 off Faheem Ashraf almost all by himself in the eighth over.
Full postJosh Tongue hints at future glories as Nottingham turns the clock back
Seamer looks ready to take his place in England Test plans after seizing the initiative at Trent Bridge
Vithushan Ehantharajah
25-Apr-2025
Nottinghamshire 164 for 3 (Hameed 67*) trail Sussex 169 (Carter 46, Tongue 5-44, Hutton 4-53) by five runs
Supposedly, around 60,000 Nottingham Forest fans will be heading down to London this weekend for their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. Not all of them have tickets of course - Forests' allocation is around 34,000 - but that's not the point. Pilgrimages are not solely about making it all the way, just doing as much of the journey as feasibly possible.
But as Nottingham braces for a mass exodus towards Wembley Stadium on Sunday, Friday hinted at more potential sporting success on the horizon. Just a raking Morgan Gibbs-White cross-field pass away from the City Ground, Nottinghamshire were making a play at recapturing their own former glories.
Full postGregory leads Somerset fight against Clark haul
From 146 for 2, built on Tom Lammonby's fifty, visitors fall to 187 for 7 as Jordan Clark bags five at The Oval
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
25-Apr-2025
Somerset 283 (Lammonby 76, Gregory 62, Clark 5-68) vs Surrey
Somerset fought back to edge an absorbing first day against Surrey's high-class seam attack on day one at the Kia Oval.
Tom Lammonby made 76 but from 146 for 2, Somerset fell to 187 for 7 before skipper Lewis Gregory led a fightback by their tail with 62 as 96 were added for the last three wickets. Gregory was caught in the deep in the final over with Somerset dismissed for 283. The excellent Jordan Clark picked up 5 for 68.
Full postRub of the Green benefits Leicestershire despite Bracey defiance
Five-wicket haul for on-loan seamer sets up visitors before Gloucestershire fight back with ball
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
25-Apr-2025
Leicestershire 91 for 4 (Goodman 2-16) trail Gloucestershire 252 (Bracey 93*, Green 5-63) by 161 runs
Ben Green notched his maiden five-wicket haul in first class cricket as Leicestershire bowled out Gloucestershire for 252 on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
The 27-year-old allrounder, on loan from Somerset, exploited overcast conditions to claim 5 for 63 from 17 overs with his medium-paced seamers. Ian Holland weighed in with 3 for 36, while James Bracey's unbeaten 93 helped the hosts to respectability from a perilous 88 for 7.
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