Key events
Another wicket at The Oval, Tom Abell, caught behind, daydreaming. Worrall the man. Somerset 100-2.
Thanks to Yas Rana for tipping me off about this – New Zealand cricket have invested in Major League cricket. They are going to to be joint partners in a new franchise, investing as a way of “diversifying their income” . It is the first time an ICC member has invested in a franchise in this way.
New Zealand chief exec Scott Weenink:
“As franchise cricket grows globally, NZC needs to adapt to seize strategic opportunities that ensure the sustainability of our cricket network.
“This helps diversify our revenue streams, expands our global brand and fan base, and creates new talent development and retention pathways for both our players and coaches.”
Surrey cap Gus Atkinson
Atkinson, just capped, runs in, arms squeezed , tip-toeing – and there’s the wicket! Vaughan caught behind for 36. A dabble too many. Somerset 98-1.
A large plate of spicy beans and potato wedges later, and the sun has disappeared and Dan Worrall has the ball once more.
Ian Holland already has a post-lunch wicket as the Gloucestershire melt continues at Bristol: 94-7. Bracey 14 not out in an hour.
Lunchtime scores
DIVISION ONE
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Sussex 75-4
The Oval: Surrey v Somerset 87-0
New Road: Worcestershire 75-3 v Durham
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire 90-1 v Middlesex
Bristol: Gloucestershire 87-6 v Leicestershire
Time for one over of Dan Lawrence before lunch: legs, arms and Vaughan cracks him to backward point. Lawrence rubs the ball on his shirt and Lammonby edges past the gap at slip and down to the rope. Off they stroll, Somerset’s morning: 87 for 0. Lunch scores to follow as the pigeons settle and the groundsman walk on with their wheelbarrow.
Gloucestershire are now 85 for six, a couple of wickets for the lesser-known Green – Ben. Bracey prepares for another rebuild.
In the other Division Two game, Lloyd and Came have had a productive morning at the County Ground, the one wicket to fall: Jewell caught off TRJ. Derbys 80 for one.
So many familar faces popping in here at The Oval, cricket journalists using it as their base to work from.
As lunch approaches, an aperitif:
𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗. 🪦
Hull traps Australian international Cameron Green (4) plumb in front. A big wicket from the big man on his return. 👊
GLO 46/5#Foxes🦊 pic.twitter.com/XceP5ht6Z9
— Leicestershire CCC 🦊 (@leicsccc) April 25, 2025
Josh Hull strikes Ashes blow!
Big Josh Hull traps Big Cameron Green. All that beasting that he talked about to Ali paying dividends.
Ali Martin
Worcestershire could have been forgiven for being quietly chuffed that England were resting Matthew Potts for this one, worsening something of an injury crisis for Durham’s seam stable. Jake Ball has arrived on loan and nipped out three early wickets, however, and now Codi Yusuf, a South African right-armer who absolutely sprints in, is testing out the Pears with some slippery stuff, pace-wise. A quick google tells me Allan Donald has previously flagged him up as one to keep an eye out for. High praise indeed.
Lots of appeals by Surrey, but Somerset have had a perky first hour and twenty minutes. Vaughan looking the real deal. A generous couple of handful of spectators now in their seats, crowding the pavilion and scattered around the stands.
Don’t mess with this woman! Great portrait and fantastic to think of her looking down on everyone in the Long Room.
The new portrait of Charlotte Edwards is unveiled in the Long Room at Lord’s.
Edwards says that artist Hero Johnson has “captured everything about me”. pic.twitter.com/7CQvP0ODr8
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) April 24, 2025
A drop! (tactfully not shown on The Oval replay screen). Lawrence at third slip. Vaughan moves serenely on. Burns moves his slips, closer, no further apart, no closer again. Sibley, now slimline, Ollie Pope, an ageless figure who would slide seamlessly int a 1930s or 1970s team photo, and long -limbed fidget Dan Lawrence. Somerset 42-0.
Gloucestershire are having a sub-prime morning– oh thats a peachy drive for four by Archie Vaughan off Jordan Clark, and there’s another four, squarer, next ball – at Bristol. Van Beek and Holland – who caused so much chaos at Old Trafford on Sunday evening – have cut through the Glos top order too: Bancroft, Charlesworth and Ollie Price all gone. Glos: 21 for three v Leicestershire.
Big, bad Fergus O’Neill is pounding in at Trent Bridge, but once again it is Brett Hutton who slides into the wickets column. Haines for a duck, Clark for 8. Sussex a dismal 16-2. Notts, promoted to Division One at the end of 2022, finished 6th in 2023, 8th in 2024 – feels like this could be a happier summer.
Ali Martin
A wicket here at New Road. Gareth Roderick had just survived a drop at slip, pushing forward, only to then slash an edge behind two balls later and throw his head back in disgust. Jake Ball, on loan for Somerset and a little wayward initially, gets his first wicket as a Durham bowler and the hosts are seven for one in the eighth over. We weren’t sure how this pitch would play after five floods and 39 days spent underwater during the winter. Not sure it was at fault for that dismissal however.
Early drama here at The Oval, where Sean Dickson has retired hurt after being rapped on the hand by Gus Atkinson. Lammonby joins Vaughan.
Mornin’ Tanya! Hello there, Tim Maitland!
”It’s far too soon to dismiss the title pretensions of last season’s 1st versus last season’s 3rd at The Oval, at least mathematically, but given that between them they’ve managed five draws and a loss between them in 2025 they are both in dire need of something this week aren’t they?
”The only reason they’re not out of it is that no-one’s managed more than one win in their three starts.
”It really has been a strange start to the season hasn’t it? Especially when you consider that the weather wasn’t getting in the way.”
I know I sound like such a fan girl but doing a lap of The Oval is a heart-warming experience. People stream through the gate, the sun is shining, the coffee is good and as the ground announcer said the names of the openers, I saw one young man walking to the gate quicken his step and tell his friend “Yes! Archie Vaughan is playing.”
Ali Martin
Good morning from New Road, where the sun is (in and) out for Worcestershire’s first home fixture of the season against Durham. Things are tinged with a touch of sadness here after the recent passing of club journalist and former Press Association writer John Curtis.
JC was among the very best people on the circuit: knowledgeable, generous and just so incredibly welcoming to anyone who walked into the press box. One of the members has just passed me some flowers to pop in JC’s usual spot, where he would spend a day’s play cracking jokes and swapping stories. As the BBC’s Martin Emmerson quipped just now, the minute’s silence planned before the start of play could scarcely be less appropriate (or more deserved). For further reading, there is a lovely tribute on the Worcestershire website here too. Cheers, JC.
I’m sitting next to the Wisden editor, who allowed me to touch (once) Jamie Smith’s embossed Cricketer of The Year 2025 edition before it was handed over. Lovely end papers.
Any questions for Lawrence? Just email me at tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com, or ask BTL.
Josh Hull interview
Ali talks to Leicestershire’s big beast:
How well do Somerset travel? Let’s just say that they haven’t won at The Oval since 1995 and haven’t won an away game in two years.
Limping Durham have been desperately leafing through the address book. In come three pace bowlers: South African Codi Yusuf ( signing for six games) plus Jake Ball (Somerset) and Jack Blatherwick (Lancs)on loan for the next two 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 train down to London (off peak all day on a Friday) and The Oval is beaming. Footballs are being kicked about in warm-up and there’s a lazy-days net to the side, next to the banks of blackbird-egg seats.
It’s a truncated progamme of games today – just two in Division One and three in Division Two. We’ll be here all day – play starts at 11am.
