Good morning from a chilly Manchester, where the clouds are gathering on one side and magpies are flitting about on the other. It’s day two of the first May matches—yesterday saw quite a few wickets fall. Will the batters make a comeback today? Sam Cook might be hoping for some confidence-boosting wickets for Somerset before he gets a chance to don his England cap.
The coffee is ready for anyone who wants some. Play begins at 11 a.m.
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire 330-5 v Durham
Taunton: Somerset 9-1 v Essex 206
Headingley: Yorkshire 205 v Warwickshire 157-6
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 336-6 v Derbyshire
Old Trafford: Lancashire 342-5 v Gloucestershire
Grace Road: Leicestershire 304 v Northamptonshire 6-0
Lord’s: Middlesex 158-4 v Kent 129
Meanwhile, Joe Root and Harry Brook are lacing up their Yorkshire boots to prepare for the Zimbabwe Test. It wasn’t a perfect day at Headingley, not a 16-wicket day to be precise. Root went for a surprising dismissal off Ed Barnard, captured for just one run off 17 balls, while Brook showed off an impressive range of shots before falling for 33. Jonny Bairstow managed to hustle his way to 47 before being bowled in dramatic fashion, yet he had helped Yorkshire surpass 200 runs. Ethan Bamber ended with five wickets for 47 runs, and Warwickshire lost six wickets during the evening session.
Gloucestershire maintains a perfect record of losses during tosses in 2025, electing to field at Old Trafford. Ajeet Singh Dale made a quick impact, dismissing George Bell and Keaton Jennings, yet Marcus Harris managed to find his footing.
Harris started accumulating runs steadily, but as he crossed the 100 mark, he unleashed some impressive shots—sliding through midwickets and dashing between backward squares, finally making an impact for the team. He currently stands as the country’s leading scorer with 559 runs.
Somerset prepared a green pitch at Taunton, though Jack Reach struggled to find form. New England call-up Sam Cook took wickets before Somerset began their response.
On Grace Road, a return to form for Harry Conway saw his five-wicket haul at his debut with Northerns. Toby Roland Jones of Middlesex also featured prominently, getting 33 runs against Kent, who stumbled at 129. Early struggles continued for Zach Crawley, who was dismissed LBW. Meanwhile, Graham Clark achieved an undefeated 110 for Durham, leading them above Hampshire. Asa Tribe and other noteworthy players chipped in with pivotal 50s, helping Glamorgan pass 300 runs for the first time this season against Derbyshire.
