Jeetan Patel wheels Warwickshire into ascendancy against champions Surrey

May 27, 2019 Jon Culley Warwickshire 275 for 8 (Norwell 58*) v Surrey Aston Villa are back in the Premier League, which will doubtless have raised a cheer or two in the Warwickshire dressing room. There have not been too many so far this season. As things stand, relegation may be their fate. By the time Villa reacquaint themselves with life at the top in early August, we will have…

May 28, 2019
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Bowlers thrive as Wayne Madsen fifty gives Derbyshire edge

May 27, 2019 ECB Reporters Network Leicestershire 55 for 4 (Palladino 3-3) trail Derbyshire 139 (Madsen 47, Abbas 3-38, Wright 3-39) by 84 runs Tony Palladino bowled his side back into the match after Derbyshire had been dismissed for just 139 in their County Championship match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground. Veteran seamer Palladino ended the day having taken three wickets and conceded only three runs from nine…

May 28, 2019
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Tom Helm, Dawid Malan fire to put Middlesex on top

3:00 AM ET ECB Reporters Network Middlesex 221 and 195 for 2 (Malan 107*, Gubbins 72*) lead Worcestershire 156 (Ferguson 37, Helm 5-32) by 260 runs Middlesex paceman Tom Helm returned career best figures before skipper Dawid Malan‘s 23rd first-class hundred established a position of strength for his side in the Specsavers County Championship encounter with Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road. Helm finished with 5 for 36 from 19 overs…

May 28, 2019
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Marnus Labuschagne battles for Glamorgan after Ben Brown ton

3:00 AM ET ECB Reporters Network Glamorgan 186 and 137 for 1 (Labuschagne 77*) trail Sussex 420 (Brown 131) by 97 runs Glamorgan’s Nick Selman and Marnus Labuschagne put together an unbroken second-wicket stand of 137 to frustrate Sussex on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Hove. Already armed with a first-innings lead of 234, after they had been bowled out for 420 in their first…

May 28, 2019
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Simon Harmer takes Essex back in time to Championship glory days

3:00 AM ET ECB Reporters Network Kent 182 (Siddle 3-29) trail Essex 313 by 131 runs When Essex won the County Championship in 2017, Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer shared 147 wickets between them. The plan was simple; Porter grabbed wickets with the new ball, Harmer came on once the lacquer had gone, wheeled away from one end and an assortment of seamers rotated at the other. The plan was…

May 28, 2019
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'If I don't know what speed it's going to come out, the batters won't either' – Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett celebrates a wicket with his teammates, England v Australia, World Cup warm-up, Southampton, May 25, 2019  1:21 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Liam Plunkett knows he can’t bowl consistently as fast as he used to but he is determined to turn what could be seen as a shortcoming into a weapon. After all, there is a World Cup on his doorstep and Plunkett admits he turns into a green-eyed…

May 28, 2019
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Overnight storm forces play to be called off for the day

3:00 AM ET ECB Reporters Network Lancashire 47 for 2 (Jennings 26*, Payne 1-4) trail Gloucestershire 205 (Hammond 82, Mahmood 4-48) by 158 runs No play was possible on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Lancashire at Cheltenham. Players arrived at the College Ground to find that a fierce storm the previous night had caused some water to seep through the covers, leaving a…

May 28, 2019
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Steyn ruled out of South Africa's World Cup opener

8:59 AM ET Dale Steyn has been ruled out of Thursday’s World Cup opener between South Africa and England at The Oval. Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s coach, only went as far as saying “he’s getting closer.” The team management hopes he will be fit in time to play India on June 5. “He is not fully ready yet and we feel that in a six-week tournament there is no need…

May 28, 2019
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