County cricket: Kent beat Surrey, Lancs draw with Northants – as it happened

That’s it then! A great round, and thanks for sticking with us while all the excitement was going on at Old Trafford. What a buzz for the Black Caps - and my little nephew and niece Winston and Kitty over in Auckland. (Gives an over the top embarrassing auntie wave.) Well done to Lancs who knuckled down to vault back up to the top of the table. Surrey now have a stinkingly-huge game against Notts, while Durham and Derby can play promotion poker.

Thanks for all the emails and messages. It’ll be Graham on Saturday and I’ll see you all Sunday for the last three days of the last round before the slap and tickle starts in time for the summer holidays. Have a lovely evening. Good night.

At last. Some nice batting practice that for Lancs - fifties for Hameed, Davies, Bohannon and Vilas. Northants did everything right, but didn’t couldn’t find the pepper on the final afternoon. Lancashire hop back up to the top of Division Two.

Just popped back to say nothing doing at Wantage Road. Bohannon and Vilas still there 231-4.

Here’s the Hass wicket mentioned BTL. The boy got fifty though. Give him time.

All well still at Wantage Road. Vilas accompanying Bohannon who has made fifty. Lancs 206-4.

Hass is out for fifty. Lancs are four down. And that should be that .. unless...

That was quick! Leicester lost the last three wickets in ten balls for three runs. Raine finishes with 5-47, and nine in the match. Well batted Cosgrove and Azad.

Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 442 (Bavuma 103; Onions 5-77) and 263-9 dec (Keogh 74) v Lancashire 315 (Davies 147; Sanderson 4-62) and 165-3 (Davies 53, Hameed 52 not out not). LANCASHIRE NEED 226 TO WIN.

Some Lancs news: Allrounder George Balderstone will lead the England U-19s this summer in the series against India and Bangladesh.

Here is the full squad:

George Balderson (Lancashire, captain)
Kasey Aldridge (Somerset)
Ben Charlesworth (Gloucestershire)
Tom Clark (Sussex)
Jordan Cox (Kent)
Blake Cullen (Middlesex)
Joey Evison (Nottinghamshire)
Lewis Goldsworthy (Somerset)
Jack Haynes (Worcestershire)
George Hill (Yorkshire)
Nick Kimber (Nottinghamshire)
Dominic Leech (Yorkshire)
Jack Morley (Lancashire)
Daniel Mousley (Warwickshire)
Hamidullah Qadri (Derbyshire)
James Taylor (Derbyshire)

Any takers for Lancs v Northants and Leicester v Durham? The back door just slammed, I’ll take that as a yes. Dearden and Griffiths clinging on for dear life at Grace Road. And Lancs coasting, actually, Hass is creeping towards a small bat raise.

A brave effort by Worcestershire but well done Derby! Four wickets for Ravi Rampaul, and three each for Hudson-Prentice and Palladino. Derby’s third win of the season as they pull their promotion pants on. Worcestershire have now gone six games without a win - a barren mid-season by the team many thought would bounce back up to Division One.

The Rs are having a field day at Grace Road: three for Raine, three for Rimmington (good day for him too) and one for Rushworth. Durham in tickling distance. Leicester 238-7.

A good effort by Surrey, but Morkel’s early burst wasn’t enough. It was Kent’s third win of the season. An unbeaten 51 for Ollie Robinson including a six to win the match. Kent lie fifth, Surrey are sixth, three points beneath.

Jones has gone at Wantage Road, but Hass is still there. Unlike Bhuvneshwar. And that’s it for India I think .

And in the big game, Kent need 14 to win.

A wicket at The Oval - Kuhn caught by Clarke off Batty for 22. Kent 99-5 need 22 to win.

And the 200 comes up for India...

I think people’s attention may be elsewhere.... but in case you’re still here:

Kent need 29 - nailed on. six wickets in hand.

Worcs need 102. Dodgy. three wickets in hand

Leics need 187. Unlikely. six wickets in hand

Lancashire need 283. Not going to happen. eight wickets in hand.

Just so you know:

It’s getting tasty at OT....and a letter about India has arrived at CCLive!!

I am reading the Guardian and watching India go down to the Kiwis. Poor batting by the Indians apart, the New Zealander’s reading of the game and the Indians batting weaknesses decided the outcome. Kohli’s overlong honeymoon has finally ended.

Looking forward to your analysis. Best. JP Murty

My analysis: keep the telly on! But do keep half an eye on English county cricket too - so glad to have some international readers.

A third for Hudson-Prentice at Kidderminster - and it’s Ferguson for 127 -what a debut match he’s having! Six wickets so far and joint highest scorer in the first innings. Worcs seven down need another 120. Unlikely, me thinks.

Three now for Ben Raine as Durham chip away. Leicestershire 178 for four. Is it time for a Rushworth moment?

Sam Curran waves that magic bowling arm and Bell-Drummond too is gone. Kent 60-4 - 61 to win.

Division One

The Oval: Surrey 271-9dec (Elgar 63, Foakes 60) and 218 (Elgar 65; Stevens 5-60,, Milnes 4-61) v Kent 369 (Denly 88) and 40-3 (Morkel 2-15). KENT NEED 81 TO WIN.

Division Two

Grace Road: Leicestershire 212 (Horton 50, Ackermann 62 not out; Raine 4-49, Rushworth 5-55) and 160-3 (Azad 55 not out) v Durham 117 (Wright 5-30) and 487-7dec (Bancroft 109, Lees 93, Rimmington 92) LEICESTER NEED 233 TO WIN.

Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 442 (Bavuma 103; Onions 5-77) and 263-9 dec (Keogh 74) v Lancashire 315 (Davies 147; Sanderson 4-62) and 74-1 (Davies 51 not out). LANCASHIRE NEED 317 TO WIN.

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 113 (Reece 4-30) and 245-6 (Ferguson 126 not out, Cox 62) v Derbyshire 108 (Morris 4-26) and 377 (Lace 132 not out; Barnard 4-48). WORCESTERSHIRE NEED 128 TO WIN.

I think this is called shooting yourself in the foot.

Sean Dickson and Daniel Bell-Drummond have steadied the ship and raised a hand to the horizon where land is just coming into sight. 82 needed.

And apologies - comments don’t seem to be working at the moment. My non-technical guess is that the system has gone under due to the number of people trying to log onto the OBO. The tech-supremos are trying to fix it asap. Oh my, Pant has gone. India 71/5.

At Wantage Road, Jennings is out. But for 20 - which is considerably better than his last few outings. Hass joins Davies (36 not out).

I don’t know if anyone below the line is an expert on organising big events ? I was reading George Dobell’s piece on Edgbaston and ticketing. Have ICC really been so bad? They’ve created a ticketing return service to try and stop people selling and buying at prohibitive cost on the black market. They can’t fundamentally change human nature or alter the fact that more Indian supporters bought tickets than England supporters. Or have I missed something?I love the idea of leaving a certain amount of tickets to be sold on the day - but I suppose that too could leave empty seats.

Dolly has hit two fours in his ten not out, suggesting the spirit of last week is still with him. Worcs only need 145. This could happen, couldn’t it?

My money is on Darren Stevens to hit the winning runs at The Oval. (Kent 5/2). Meanwhile Leicestershire are three down, but Azad is providing his usual sturdiness at the top of the innings - 45 off 102 balls. Leicester need another 262 to win.

Um. Kent? 0/2 before the end of the first over. Morkel’s got Crawley and Denley. This was an instance when it wasn’t the right idea to copy India.

Here are the first three WC wickets FYI. It would have been a brave man to tell Kohli not to bother to review that lbw.

And Surrey are all out - Kent need 121 to win. Softly, softly should do it. Though beware Sam Curran. Stevens 5-60; Milnes 4-61.

A hundred for Callum Ferguson! Well played! But Cox is just out, b Rampaul for 62. A partnership of 164. Can anyone stay with Ferguson? Worcs need 161 to win - four wickets left.

A breakthrough at Grace Road, Wright lbw to Raine for 34. Leicestershire 97-2.

Rikki Clarke is out after a boundary-laden 31. To Stevens of course. Surrey 212-8, a lead of 114.

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Incidentally I’d missed that Babar Azam was coming to Taunton for the T20 Blast.

Lay down the plastic sheeting - Northants have declared at 263-9. Lancashire need 391 to win.

Sorry, where were we? Ah... yes, I’ve got an email from our old CCLive friend Finbar who is now in Jerusalem.

I’m just by the wailing wall which is pretty amazing, talking of which what about Somerset? I just have a slight feeling of unease about our weakness when it comes to batting points; or do you think having four bowlers in the county statistics top ten more than compensates?

I’d agree their batting is a bit dodgy - though usually someone stands up in every innings - like Azhar Ali’s 65 yesterday. They’re missing an in-form Trescothick or a banker like Matt Renshaw last year. There are proper Somerset followers BTL who I’m sure will have their thoughts.

5-3??????

This tweet suggests I should take a look at the OBO:

And a couple of wickets down at Northants I see, the overnight batsmen Procter and Hutton snared by Parry and Bohannon. They might want to think twice about doing that.

Sammy Curran done by Darren Stevens, who has now got four for 48. What is his secret? Dibbly-dobblies always on target? Secret swing? People underestimating him for a jolly middle-aged estate agent? Surrey 191-7, a lead of 93.

Here is Vic’s match report of what went on yesterday

And another lovely column from Moeen Ali, who speaks very highly of his teammates.

Division One

The Oval: Surrey 271-9dec (Elgar 63, Foakes 60) and 179-6 (Elgar 65; Stevens 4-46) v Kent 369 (Denly 88). SURREY LEAD BY 81.

Division Two

Grace Road: Leicestershire 212 (Horton 50, Ackermann 62 not out; Raine 4-49, Rushworth 5-55) and 58-1 v Durham 117 (Wright 5-30) and 487-7dec (Bancroft 109, Lees 93, Rimmington 92) LEICESTER NEED 335 TO WIN.

Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 442 (Bavuma 103; Onions 5-77) and 214-6 (Keogh 74) v Lancashire 315 (Davies 147; Sanderson 4-62). NORTHANTS LEAD BY 341.

Kidderminster: Worcestershire 113 (Reece 4-30) and 156-5 (Ferguson 71 not out, Cox 44 not out) v Derbyshire 108 (Morris 4-26) and 377 (Lace 132 not out; Barnard 4-48). WORCESTERSHIRE NEED 217 TO WIN.

Hello everyone! Hope you had time to cut your nails, the pencils are sharpened and yesterday’s soup can be turned into today’s pasta sauce. I can report that my washing that got soaked during Manchester’s extended shower yesterday is now drying - so the World Cup semi-final should continue on its merry way. Do keep an eye on it with Simon Burnton here:

Though actually we had more excitement on CCLive than they did at OT yesterday, what with Leach and Overton running through Notts, Warwickshire showing amazing staying power, Yorkshire collapsing against Essex and Middlesex, powered by TRJ, beating Gloucestershire. That leaves us with four. Surrey need to nurdle at least another hundred out of their last four wickets at The Oval, Leicester are in for a long day, Worcestershire have three sessions to bat and there could be a thriller at Wantage Road.

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