Durham clinched the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two title after bowling out Worcestershire shortly before the close of a rain-affected third day at New Road.
With promotion already secured last week without bowling a ball when Leicestershire failed to get a batting point against Sussex, Durham required a maximum of five points to clinch top spot.
The three secured for dismissing Worcestershire for 313, plus the ones dropped by the home side for batting, ensured Durham finished in pole position to be back in Division One for the first time since 2016, when they were relegated over financial issues.
Ben Raine and Bas de Leede finished with three wickets each, while captain Brett D’Oliveira was Worcestershire’s top scorer with 63 off 75 balls.
At the Kia Oval, Ben Foakes and Jamie Overton led a fightback from Division One leaders Surrey against bottom-of-the table Northamptonshire on another rain-affected day.
Title rivals Essex had cut into Surrey’s 18-point lead by taking two more bonus points against Hampshire.
Northamptonshire – who will be relegated if either Middlesex or Kent win – put the pressure on as they reduced Surrey to 79 for six before a spirited response from Foakes and Overton, who made an unbeaten half-century, helped move them on to 158 when bad light and rain ended play early.
Surrey still trail by 199, but a draw still looks the most likely outcome heading into the final day’s play.
At Chelmsford, Hampshire batter Tom Prest scored his maiden Championship century to frustrate title hopefuls Essex despite a five-wicket haul for Simon Harmer.
Prest scored an unbeaten 102 to guide Hampshire past the follow-on score with vital contributions from openers Toby Albert (39), Fletcha Middleton (47), James Vince (46) and Keith Barker (42).
South African Harmer claimed five for 143, but Hampshire ended the day on 322 for eight, now 125 runs adrift and with potential to set up a result on the final day.
Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore celebrated his England call-up with a savage assault on Kent’s injury-hit bowling attack on day three at Taunton.
Kohler-Cadmore – set to feature in the one-day international series against Ireland – hit eight sixes in a rapid 68 as the hosts extended their first-innings total to 404 for four before rain washed out the last two sessions.
Lewis Goldsworthy marked his first Championship appearance of the season with 122 and Andy Umeed contributed 49 as Somerset increased the pressure on relegation-threatened Kent, who have secured just one bonus point, before play was eventually abandoned at 4.50pm.
At Lord’s, another half-century from Sam Robson helped keep alive relegation-battlers Middlesex’s hopes of a draw on a truncated day three against Warwickshire.
Former England opener Robson made 51 not out as the hosts reached 96 for one in their second innings, still 98 short of making Warwickshire bat again.
Earlier, Will Rhodes completed his ninth first-class hundred, but Danny Briggs fell one short as Warwickshire made a first innings total of 315. Tim Murtagh, in his final game at Lord’s, finished with six for 83.
Lancashire made 225 for six against Nottinghamshire on a rain-shortened day at Emirates Old Trafford in a game steadily heading towards a draw having already lost two days to the weather.
Steven Croft top-scored for the hosts with 45, while Matty Hurst, 20, made an assured unbeaten 35 on debut after openers Keaton Jennings and Luke Wells had posted 84 for the first wicket.
Stephen Mullaney and Asitha Fernando both claimed two wickets apiece for the visitors.
Elsewhere in Division Two, Harry Swindells kept alive Leicestershire’s promotion hopes, top-scoring with 73 in his first appearance of the year in the Foxes’ red-ball team, against Yorkshire at Grace Road.
Swindells, who scored an unbeaten 117 in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final win over Hampshire, shared a 10th-wicket partnership of 93 with Will Davis (44 not out) as the hosts recovered from 140 for nine to reach 233, a first-innings lead of 78.
In reply, Yorkshire closed 35 runs in front on 113 for one with opener Adam Lyth 51 not out.
Brooke Guest marked his 100th appearance as a wicketkeeper for Derbyshire by taking seven catches against Sussex to equal the county’s record dismissals in an innings.
Sam Conners and Zak Chappell both took four wickets as Sussex were dismissed for 100 before the home side closed on 94 for one, with Luis Reece unbeaten on 50.
Russell defends CPL's contribution to regional cricket but open to suggestions on improvements
With their long-term agreement with Cricket West Indies (CWI) heavily scrutinised by government leaders and cricket stalwarts, chief executive, Pete Russell of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) defended the product’s positive contribution to cricket in the region.
Addressing the gathering on Friday’s final day of the CARICOM conference on West Indies cricket themed ‘Reinvigorating West Indies Cricket’, Russell said the CPL is one of CWI’s largest domestic commercial partners.
While noting that CPL contributed significantly to player economic welfare, with nearly US$28 million spent on salaries since the start of the tournament in 2013, Russell, also revealed that cumulative losses, across both the league and franchises for the past 11 years, stand at US$40 million.
“Dennis O’Brien and Digicel have been the principal investors, not only investing in the league from day one but they also spent money on sponsorship and media rights. The franchises have also pumped in significant money, money that helps pay players and coaches, as well as investing in local businesses around the region that help make the games happen. All the franchises have made losses.
“So, on the positive side, Cricket West Indies has been paid close to US$17 million in sanction fees, so over the past 12 years CPL would be one of CWI’s largest domestic, commercial partners. Caribbean players have taken home US$27.7 million in player salaries since the tournament’s inception, all paid for by the franchises,” Russell declared during the event held in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Each year, it takes US$25 million to run this tournament over five weeks. CPL and the franchises bear all these costs. There is no financial burden on CWI or the territorial boards, so the risk is 100 per cent ours.
“So that is our starting point each and every year. So as you can imagine, the commercial challenges are considerable just to break even,” he added.
Russell’s response came as government leaders and West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd, suggested that the 50-year contract between CPL and CWI be re-negotiated.
The issue of the league’s ownership was also called into question, as they view was largely expressed that there would potentially be more development and earnings for players, if CWI controlled the tournament.
But, Russell, a member of the CPL management team rebutted.
“What is interesting is that other leagues around the world are following the lead of CWI. They are also looking for third-party investors to help fund their leagues. The English Cricket Board are in the process of selling The Hundred, the Australian Cricket Board are courting outside investors for the Big Bash, Cricket South Africa sold all their rights to host broadcaster Supersport, and the new American Major League Cricket is 100 per cent privately owned,” Russell shared.
“In time, only the IPL will end up being 100 per cent owned by its domestic board and that is simply because they can afford to do so. So, trust me when I say, ownership isn’t everything, and smart stewardship and partnership can yield better results. But of course, we’re always happy to listen to any suggestions on how we can improve things,” he ended.
IPL: Royals extend lead at the top after Samson and Jurel see off LSG
Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel combined for an unbeaten partnership of 121 as Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
The Royals have now won eight of their nine matches in the 2024 campaign and are almost certain to be involved in the playoffs after chasing down their victory target of 197 with an over to spare in a seven-wicket triumph.
Another Royals win had looked unlikely when they fell to 78-3 in their run chase after Jos Buttler (34), Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) and Riyan Parag (14) all fell in quick succession shortly before the halfway mark.
But Rajasthan captain Samson fought back as he blasted 71 runs from 33 balls including seven fours and four maximums, while Jurel bounced back from a poor period of form to finish unbeaten on 52 from 34.
LSG reached 196-5 from their innings courtesy of a fine knock from their own skipper, KL Rahul. He reached 76 from 48 before eventually falling to Avesh Khan (1-42) in the 18th over.
Deepak Hooda made it to 50 as LSG rallied from 11-2, but ultimately their competitive total was within reach of the visiting Royals.
Data Debrief
This is the second time in as many home games Rahul has passed fifty, after he scored 82 against Chennai Super Kings last week.
Samson (385) and Rahul (378) are second and third respectively in the race to win this season’s orange cap, although RCB’s Virat Kohli continues to set the pace with 430 runs.
They also narrowly trail Kohli (40) when it comes to the most fours hit in this season’s competition, with Samson on 36 and Rahul just behind with 34.
Babar's captain's innings leads Pakistan to victory as series drawn with New Zealand
Babar Azam top scored as he led his Pakistan team to a nine-run victory over New Zealand in Lahore that saw the five-game T20I series end in a draw.
Babar hit 69 runs off 44 balls before being bowled by Ben Sears, smashing six fours and two sixes to take his team to 123/3 at the time of his dismissal.
Fakhar Zaman (43 from 33) and Usman Khan (31 off 24) also chipped in with important innings as Pakistan ended on 178/5.
With a target of 179 to secure a 3-1 series victory, New Zealand's run chase faltered almost immediately as opener Tom Blundell was removed within the first over with his team having managed just five runs on the board.
Blundell's fellow opener Tim Seifert steadied the ship with a vital 52-run innings off 33 deliveries before being bowled by Usama Mir, but Shaheen Shah Afridi led the way for Pakistan, finishing with figures of 4-30 to stem the New Zealand run chase
Josh Clarkson's 38 off 26 set up a nervy conclusion, but Pakistan held on to avoid defeat in the T20 series as the teams share the spoils at two wins apiece after the first game was abandoned.
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