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Surrey bolster Oval security, Somerset v Yorkshire, and more: county cricket, day one – live | Cricket
Key events
Time for a sandwich, back soon!
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Southampton: Hampshire v Glamorgan 89-1
Leicester: Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire 120-1
Taunton: Somerset v Yorkshire 115-3
The Oval: Surrey v Sussex 105-7
Division Two
Canterbury: Kent 99-4 v Derbyshire
Lord’s: Middlesex 82-1 v Durham
Northampton: Northants v Worcestershire 104-4
Big Craig Overton throws his maroon Somerset cap on the ground after shelling Bairstow at second slip on 22. He’s still covering his face with his hands two balls later. Pretorius runs in. Yorks 115-3.
Stokes batting at Lord’s
Andy Bull is out and about at Lord’s and has spotted Ben Stokes batting in the nets on the Nursery ground. “He has drawn a crowd of 30 school kids and 20 men in blazers.” And looks “rugged.”
Somerset’s bowlers are currently getting schooled by Bairstow and Root – whose cover drive on one knee against Craig Overton was like a bite of a warm buttery croissant straight from a Parisian paper bag. Yorkshire 110-3.
Asa Tribe going great guns (45) in Glamorgan’s 77-0 against Hants. Ben Kellaway is back for Glamorgan after injury.
Notts have made a perky start against Leicestershire. They’ve lost HH for 42, but Ben Slater still there on 50. Notts 97-1.
Yorkshire 78-3 at Taunton, Root and Bairstow batting together, and they’ve just changed the ball.
And, oh! at The Oval, where a zillion runs have been laid down over the last few weeks, Sussex are 84 for six. Jordan Clark four for 9, Tom Clark out for 44.
Briefly gobsmacked to see Somerset selling Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo tickets for £10 – but just realised it is a tribute show. Still, nice idea after the Somerset and Surrey women’s game in June
A steam engine hoots as it chugs on its way behind Taunton. Somerset 70-3. Let’s skip around the grounds.
There’s a cute brown dog in the Taunton crowd that just watched Jonny drive Ogborne, feet in fourth position, standing tall, plink to the rope.
Switching streams to Taunton. The panatone colour chart has dulled in the move from east to west. And there goes Finlay Bean for 35 to Pretorius, caught low down by James Rew. On runs the water man in an anorak. Joe Root at the other end on 3. Yorks 64-3. Here comes Jonny.
Go to make a cup of coffee, when I come back the umpire is replacing the bails at Canterbury. Crawley gone for a fleeting, but lovely 44. Andersson the wicket-taker. Kent 73 for 2.
Lord’s breaks women’s Test attendance record
England women play their first (yes, really) Test at Lord’s later this summer, against India. The MCC have already sold more than the 23,207
tickets which were the previous record for a women’s Test.
Zak Crawley has just driven Zac Chappell through the covers with the sweetest sound. No-one in the field moved. But three slips wait. He reaches 29. Kent 45-1.
A catch for Ollie Robinson, who seems to have slipped out of England conversations with the rise of Jamie Smith. De Caires for eight, Middlesex 34 for one.
Warwickshire to name new stand after Dennis Amiss
Warwicks have announced that their new stand, due to open next year, will be named after their leading run-scorer.
On the Kent stream, Sam Northeast and Zak Crawley are looking good.
Thomas Rew is making his Championship debut, alongside brother James, at Taunton. Yorkshire have lost Adam Lyth, lbw Ogborne, for 8. Yorks 26-1.
And an early wicket in glorious Canterbury sunshine, Dawkins dollies a catch back to Haydon. Kent 21-1.
An early wicket at The Oval where Tom Haines has edged Sean Abbott to slip for a duck. Sussex 2 for one.
Worcestershire have also lost an early wicket against Northants, and it’s their banker, Jake Libby, for three. Worcs 13-1.
Good morning Mike Daniels!
“Sun’s shining here at Grace Road for the “Ay Up, Me Duck” Derby.
“Not sure Leics will get their first win this round, Notts look a strong side even without Josh Tongue.”
They really do.
More news has dropped from OT, where Luke Wells has signed a three-year contract.
Time to lace up your boots, the players are out around the grounds.
Division Two table
1 Lancashire P4 W2 L1 D1 60 points
2 Durham P3 W2 D1 57 points
3 Worcestershire P3 W2 L1 51 points
4 Northamptonshire P3 D3 43 points
5 Middlesex P3 W1 D1 L1 38 points
6 Derbyshire P3 L2 D1 25 points
7 Gloucestershire P4 W1 L3 24 points
8 Kent P3 L1 D2 21 points
Division One Table
1 Warwickshire P 4 W1 L1 D2 55 points
2 Somerset P3 W 2 D1 54 points
3 Nottinghamshire P3 W1 D2 44 points
4 Sussex P3 W2 D1 42 points
5 Essex P4 W1 L2 D1 40 points
6 Surrey P3 D3 37 points
7 Leicestershire P3 L1 D2 32 points
8 Glamorgan P3 L1 D2 27 points
9 Yorkshire P3 L1 D2 26 points
10 Hampshire P3 W1 L2 25 points
Kent turn off comments on social media feed
Kent, who have struggled this season, and lie bottom of Div Two, with just 21 points, have taken the decision to switch comments off the club’s social media accounts.
In a statement, coach Adam Hollioake said: “This has not been a decision that we’ve taken lightly and we are in no means stopping people voicing their opinions, but to align with our short-term strategy to allow players and staff to think and play with freedom and clarity, we feel it is a necessary one…
“There are several ways for supporters to get their views across. There is a member’s forum …on day one of this match and anyone can also contact the club with their feedback at any time….
“You are measured as a person by how you act and apply yourself when times are hard and I’d like to think that our members and supporters will be willing us to do well more than ever. We are giving our all every day to improve.”
Surrey to increase security following Golders Green attacks
Some sobering news from The Oval.
Surrey have increased security and bag checks at the Oval after the Golders Green knife attacks.
Police have charged a 45-year-old man with attempted murder following the stabbings of two Jewish men in north London on Wednesday, with the incident contributing to the UK terrorism threat level being raised to severe.
That is the second highest level on the scale and means the chance of terror attacks are considered highly likely by authorities.
Surrey’s latest first-class fixture against Sussex runs from Friday to Monday and the club have moved quickly to reflect the changing circumstances.
A club statement read: “Surrey are in regular communication with the Met police and will adjust our own security measures in line with the increased threat level. We want to ensure that all staff, spectators and players feel safe and secure at the Kia Oval and will take the action necessary to do so.
“Please note there will be additional security presence and heightened bag searches at this weekend’s Rothesay County Championship match with Sussex, so please allow additional time to enter the ground.”
Surrey have been pioneering a new scheme this season that encourages home-based workers to use the ground as their office, utilising desks and new super-fast broadband connections. Their last home match, against Essex, had a 21st-century record of 15,663 spectators in attendance. PA Media
Fixtures
Division One
Southampton: Hampshire v Glamorgan
Leicester: Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire
Taunton: Somerset v Yorkshire
The Oval: Surrey v Sussex
Division Two
Canterbury: Kent v Derbyshire
Lord’s: Middlesex v Durham
Northampton: Northants v Worcestershire
England withdraw Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson
England have pulled Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson from the Notts and Surrey squads to manage their workloads. Surrey are also without Tom Lawes (soft tissue injury) – a double blow for him as I’ve suddenly seen his name cropping up as a potential England bowler.
It looks as if Fergus O’Neill will play for Notts after recovering from a rib injury and Thomas Rew, brother of James, is included by Somerset for the first time in a CC match.
Preamble
Good morning! May has landed like a gentle kiss on the back of the neck, and with it round five of the Championship.
There are seven games today, with Warwickshire, Essex, Gloucestershire and Lancashire – who will lose Daniel Gidney at the end of the season (retirement) but gain Chris Green early – sitting this one out. Jamie Smith will keep wicket for Surrey against Sussex after Ben Foakes injured himself bowling in the dying dregs of the game against Essex. And Kent must plough on
Surrey, Leicestershire, Glamorgan, Yorkshire, Northants and Derbyshire are also searching for their first wins. Play starts at 11am, do join us.
The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.
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Key events
In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.
Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.
“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “
News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.
“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.
Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.
The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.
The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.
An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.
In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.
For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:
“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.
“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”
Saturday’s match reports here.
The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.
“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against Cape Verde.
“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.
“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.
“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.
“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”
The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The teams – Lamine Yamal starts
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?
Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.
Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat
The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.
Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.
“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.
Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.
A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.
Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP
Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?
Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.
Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.
“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”
We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.
The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.
Preamble
Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.
Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.
A topless man can be seen driving erratically in Edinburgh before abandoning his car and attacking a black man and a delivery rider.
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