Cooked Moose Gives A's A Sweep Of One-Run Games!
It came down to Mike “Moose Tacos” Moustakas against Ryan Cook with runners at 2B and 3B with 2 out in the 9th, and of course the count had to go full. Moustakas bounced to 2B and the A’s were back over .500. As Shakespeare would say…To sweep, perchance to dweam!
It didn’t come easy today for the A’s or for A.J.
Griffin1, as the Royals2 put up picket fences in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. In the 3rd, Griffin walked Chris Getz3 (on a strike, but we won’t bother to be bitter because the A’s won) and Getz came around to score (on an Alex Gordon4 hit, one of 4 he had today). In the 4th, Griffin walked Hosmer leading off, and Hosmer came around to score (on a single by Getz, who had two hits and a walk today despite generally being terrible with a bat in his hand).
In the 5th, after the A’s closed the gap to 2-1 on singles by Cespedes and Moss and a Donaldson sac fly, Gordon and Butler singled, and then Eric Hosmer5 doubled home a run to make it 3-1.
2 B and 3B, one out, and that’s when Griffin channeled his inner-Milone, popping up Moustakas, and getting Jeff Francouer on a bouncer to 3B.
Oakland got to within a run, 3-2, in the 5th when Eric Sogard6 doubled and Jed Lowrie7, whose searing line drives kept finding gloves, blooped a two out single to RF. Then after Hideki Okajima8 made a successful A’s debut with a scoreless top of the 7th, the A’s tied it in the bottom half with some help not from on high, but rather from on Lough.
Leading off, Derek Norris ripped a single to CF and as David Lough9 came in and then laid back to play it on a hop, he let the ball play him and watched in horror as the ball missed his glove and scooted on by all the way to the CF wall. We call this “doing a Hamilton”.
Lough had to retrieve it, and Norris wound up at 3B, where pinch hitter Adam Rosales10 couldn’t get him home with a short fly ball to RF, but Coco Crisp11 could with a fly ball to left-center.
3-3 going to the 8th, where Jerry Blevins12 tossed a scoreless inning. Neither Sean Doolittle nor Grant Balfour13 was available today, so Blevins had the 8th and Cook the 9th. Yoenis Cespedes14 made sure it would be a save situation for Cook in the 9th. He made sure by greeting Kelvim Herrera with a booming HR to left-center field, clearing the wall by at least 3 Angel Hernandez’s (a measurement of how far beyond an actual HR a HR needs to go not to be forsaken).
It also cleared by at least 2 Altuves.
That gave the A’s a 4-3 lead for Cook, and the A’s back-up closer got the first 2 outs before Billy Butler15 singled, Hosmer singled pinch runner Elliot Johnson to 3B, Hosmer stole 2B representing the go-ahead run, and that’s when the Cooked Moose was served. Moustakas was 0-for-the-series and something like 1 for 25 on the Royals’ road trip. He’s no Chris Getz.
The A’s outscored Kansas City all of 8-5 in the series, and had to come from behind each game.
On to Texas!
References
- ^ A.J.
Griffin
(www.sbnation.com) - ^ Royals (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Chris Getz (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Alex Gordon (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Eric Hosmer (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Eric Sogard (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Jed Lowrie (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Hideki Okajima (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ David Lough (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Adam Rosales (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Coco Crisp (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Jerry Blevins (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Grant Balfour (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Yoenis Cespedes (www.sbnation.com)
- ^ Billy Butler (www.sbnation.com)
Cook: bowlers ‘as good as I’ve seen’
Alastair Cook said of England’s Stuart Broad, above: ‘Anyone who is 6ft 5in and bangs it in like he does when it’s swinging is going to be very hard work,’ after his seven for 44 in New Zealand’s second innings.
Photograph: Andrew Fosker/Rex Features Alastair Cook’s first Test on home soil as England captain ended in a comfortable win, although it took an hour of supremely destructive fast bowling from Stuart Broad and James Anderson to lend the start of the Ashes summer something resembling a sense of decisive momentum.
“We thought that would be a pretty tough chase,” Cook said after England’s 170-run victory.
“We knew if we put the ball in the right areas we could cause damage.
But there’s still a lot of nerves in there when you walk in in the morning.” Victory was almost entirely the work of Broad and Anderson, who bowled unchanged to dismiss the tourists for 68 in 22.3 overs.
“That hour with Jimmy and Broady was as good as I’ve seen in an opening partnership,” Cook said.
“They’ve played a lot of cricket.
They know their own games and they know how to get people out.
That experience and that skill is invaluable.” Cook defended England’s slow scoring in the first innings “We built a platform to get 300 that we thought would be an excellent score on that wicket” and reserved particular praise for Broad, who took Test-best figures of seven for 44.
“He’s done it on numerous occasions now.
Anyone who bowls at high eighties mph and is 6ft 5in and bangs it in like he does when it’s swinging is going to be very hard work.” For New Zealand, who must reassemble at Headingley this week with BJ Watling and Bruce Martin injured and with a battered sense of their own stickability after what was, in truth, a horrendous collapse, there are difficult decisions to make.
“It’s pretty tough to explain at this point,” Brendon McCullum, the captain, said.
“Within an hour the game turned on its head.
Their confidence grew and we started to panic somewhat and the gap between the two teams started to widen.” McCullum confirmed that New Zealand’s player of the year, Martin Guptill, would “come into the reckoning” for the second Test, which starts on Friday, as will Jeetan Patel and Daniel Vettori, arriving soon with the one-day team.
McCullum could yet drop down the order to No7 and take the wicketkeeping gloves in place of Watling.
England will hope Ian Bell gets over his flu while Graeme Swann was reported to be in good spirits after recovering from a bout of vomiting.
England’s late collapse brings New Zealand right back into the test match on day three
England suffered a late collapse of four wickets for 12 runs to wreck Joe Root and James Anderson’s good work with bat and ball on day three of the first Investec Test at Lord’s.
Root (71) fell just short of a new Test-best, in the first century stand of the match with Jonathan Trott (56), after Anderson had created an opportunity for England to take charge by completing his 13th five-wicket haul.
But Tim Southee (three for 34) kickstarted New Zealand’s fightback in an absorbing contest.
Demise: Joe Root’s dismissal sparked a collapse as three more wickets fell Anderson (five for 47), fresh from passing 300 Test wickets yesterday, and Steven Finn (four for 63) did most of the damage as the tourists lost their last six wickets for 52 to be bowled out for 207 this morning.
Then after both England openers went with the score on 36, Root and Trott took over – until Southee, who had spent much of the evening session off the pitch with a hand problem, returned to see off Root, Jonny Bairstow and then Matt Prior in a stumps total of 180 for six and limit the home lead to 205.
Alastair Cook was first to go this afternoon, falling to Trent Boult when Dean Brownlie took an outstanding catch diving to his left at third slip.
Nick Compton was then bowled through the gate by a Neil Wagner inswinger, before Trott and Root shared a seamless stand in which only their inexplicably faulty running between the wickets gave the Kiwis much hope.
New Zealand were compromised by the absence of Southee and wicketkeeper BJ Watling – who banged his knee trying to run out Root on 40, had to hand the gloves to Brendon McCullum and was to have his injury assessed tonight.
Five New Zealanders spent some time off the field at different stages – including spinner Bruce Martin, whose poor form was another handicap, given his team’s stretched resources.
The Kiwis did not bowl well at Root, giving him the freedom to score freely square of the wicket on the off-side on the way past a 78-ball 50 which contained six fours.
His only scrapes came with a series of misunderstandings with Trott over singles, and a direct hit would have run him out three times between 30 and 54.
It was not until Southee returned that the young Yorkshireman succumbed, bowled off an inside-edge on the forward-defence to end a partnership of 123.
Great going: James Anderson (centre) got five wickets as England bowled New Zealand for 207 Able support: Steven Finn took four wickets of his own in a brilliant spell Trott reached a patient, 128-ball 50 shortly afterwards – with a touch of luck, dropped at slip by Ross Taylor off part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson for the two runs he needed.
But Southee bowled Bairstow with an inswinger, then got Prior for the second time in the match as the wicketkeeper pulled tamely to square-leg to bag a pair.
When Williamson then turned one to bowl Trott, England had foregone much of their advantage.
Early struggles: Alastair Cook is caught behind off the bowling of Trent Boult for 21 Pressure: Neil Wagner celebrates the dismissal of Nick Compton Anderson bowled unchanged from the nursery end this morning, and was rewarded for his skilful efforts with a spell of 9-4-15-2.
McCullum went for just two to the fourth ball of another cloudy day, edging an attempted drive behind off Stuart Broad and finding no refuge in DRS.
Sheet anchor Williamson (60) was joined by Watling, as Broad and Anderson combined to make life tough for the sixth-wicket pair.
Watling somehow came through one torrid over from Broad, dropped on six by a mixture of Trott and Graeme Swann – the former diving across the latter from third slip to second.
Steady: Joe Root helped to steady the ship with a fine 71 Methodical: Jonathan Trott was his usual methodical self Mix up: Root and Trott suffered several botched running calls He then survived again next ball when Broad reviewed an lbw decision, which remained not out on ‘umpire’s call’, even though simulation showed the ball would have hit the top of leg-stump.
Williamson had passed a painstaking 50, but eventually fell to Anderson via a thin edge edge behind down the leg-side.
Southee tried typically different tactics, targeting Finn for three successive fours in the tall seamer’s first over only to then mistime a catch into the off-side.
Anderson then made short work of Martin, gone for a third-ball duck to a perfect delivery which hit the top of off.
But it was Finn who took the last two wickets in the same over, Watling wafting another edge behind and last man Boult fencing a simple catch to gully.
:: Ian Bell remained at the team hotel this morning, still suffering with flu which kept him off the field for much of yesterday, and therefore batted at number eight in England’s second innings.
A sign of things to come: Joe Root’s dismissal sparked a late collapse as England lost four wickets Next: Kane Williamson celebrates dismissing Jonathan Trott Another one: Jonathan Bairstow of England is bowled by Tim Southee Poor showing: Matt Prior is dismissed for a pair
Martin Gethin on verge of world title shot
British lightweight champion Martin Gethin finds himself on the verge of a world title shot four years after he considered giving up on boxing for good.
The Walsall fighter suffered three successive defeats earlier in his career after an unbeaten start as a professional.
The third of those came against unheralded journeyman Chris Long in 2009 and left Gethin seriously considering hanging up his gloves.
But the 29-year-old instead knuckled down and put together a run of form which saw him claim the British belt and secure a final eliminator for the IBF world title this month.
Surprise shot: Martin Gethin (left) is one fight away from a shot at world lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez Victory against Panama’s Ameth Diaz at Walsall Town Hall on May 31 will secure Gethin (24-3-1, 11KO wins) a shot at champion Miguel Vazquez and the Englishman admits the turnaround in form has taken even him by surprise.
‘I beat Carl Johanneson to get the IBF international belt and became mandatory challenger for the British title,’ he said.
‘I won that and I’m going straight for the world title now so it’s all come fast, in the blink of an eye.
‘ I went through a spell of three straight losses and you do get people who give up after that.
But it made me stronger, to come back from that.
I had injury problems with my back but I came through that too and I’ve won five straight to get me where I am now.
Hard work pays off: Gethin admitted he felt like quitting earlier in his career but has bounced back in style ‘ When I had those three losses I did think about calling it a day.
I lost to the journeyman (Long) and it was at that point that I thought ‘I won’t get back up there’.
But I kept training, doing hard runs and hard circuits and the wins started coming.’ Gethin knows he is reaping the rewards for his determination.
‘ I didn’t think a world title chance would come this quickly, to be honest,’ he said.
‘ But it shows that hard work gets you what you want.’ Diaz (31-11, 22KOs) is aiming to beat Gethin to earn him a second crack at Vazquez, having lost to the champion when they met last year.
LV=CC, May 18: As it happened – England and Wales Cricket Board
Click here for all the latest news from the domestic cricket scene, including exclusive interviews, team news, match reports and photo galleries1
6:40pm - Of the four games that went into a fourth day, only the match at Wantage Road ended in a draw. Even Kent s clash with Gloucestershire was wrapped up this afternoon, even though it was only the second day at Canterbury!
Gloucestershire, thanks to Alan Richardson, were the victors there and Sussex, Nottinghamshire and Essex will also be celebrating this evening.
An enthralling day ends with the following scores:
Division One
Derbyshire (223 & 219) lost to Sussex2 (401 & 43/1) by nine wickets at Derby.Nottinghamshire (274 & 191) beat Surrey3 (207 & 144) by 114 runs at Trent Bridge.
Division Two
Glamorgan (231 & 338) lost to Essex4 (345 & 275/5) by five wickets at the SWALEC Stadium.Northamptonshire (335 and 215/8 dec) drew with Leicestershire5 (234 & 168/3) at Wantage Road.Kent (159 and 63) lost to Worcestershire6 (194 & 31/0) by 10 wickets at Canterbury.
6:32pm – RESULT! Glamorgan (231 & 338) lost to Essex (345 & 275/5) by five wickets at the SWALEC Stadium. Greg Smith hits seven runs off five Allenby deliveries to ensure a nervy final over isn t required.
It has been four fantastic days of cricket in South Wales with Foster s men ending up on top in the final moments. A great advert for championship cricket.
6:30pm - Foster s gone! A leading edge is pouched by Jim Allenby at midwicket off Michael Hogan.
Thankfully for Essex, their captain has guided them to within seven runs of victory.
6:25pm - Foster takes five runs from the final two balls of Cosker s over to reduce the equation to nine from the last three overs. Pettini is four runs short of a half-century, and the away side are almost there.
6:20pm - Essex require 16 from 20 balls…
6pm - Essex need 45 from eight overs, but will be made to do it without Napier. He s caught at long-off by William Bragg for 10 to give Cosker his second wicket.
James Foster comes to the middle looking to see his team to victory.
@EssexCricket on Twitter: Graham Napier is off the mark with a boundary from Graham Wagg. Essex are 217 for 3 another 58 are required and there are 10 overs left
5:45pm - It was all going Essex s way in South Wales until Dean Cosker removed Bopara. The England batsman made a sprightly 33 but the away side still need 64 to win with Graham Napier elevated to number five.
It s going to go down to the wire at the SWALEC Stadium…
@GlamCricket on Twitter: 68 runs now needed in 13 overs
@EssexCricket on Twitter: The start of the final hour and Essex require another 94 from 16 overs.
182 for 2 Ravi Bopara 17 Mark Pettini 9
5:20pm - All this commotion results with us having just one game to now focus attentions on. That’s at the SWALEC Stadium where Essex have reduced their run-chase to double figures…
5:15pm – RESULT! Northamptonshire (335 and 215/8 dec) drew with Leicestershire (234 & 168/3) at Wantage Road. Handshakes all round as both sides settle for a draw.
Solid innings from Smith, O Brien and Eckersley ensured the hosts hopes of forcing an unlikely victory in the final session quickly dissipated.
5:10pm – RESULT! Kent (159 and 63) lost to Worcestershire (194 & 31/0) by 10 wickets at Canterbury. What a crazy two days it has been at Canterbury! Daryl Mitchell and Matthew Pardoe take their side over the finish line as the visitors coast home.
It is Richardson who has been the undoubted match-winner, however. A superb performance from the 38-year-old.
@EssexCricket on Twitter: Essex need another 102 from 19 overs.
113 for 2 at the moment, Bopara 13 Pettini 4.
5:00pm – Another vital run out, this time at the SWALEC where Bopara does not know where to look. He sent Westley back after a single and smart work from Michael Hogan and Mark Wallace did for the opener, 12 shy of what would have been a fluent century.
Essex can still do this, needing 107 with eight wickets in hand, but Westley was a big source of their momentum. Elsewhere, Leicestershire are 168 for three after Trent Copeland dismissed Niall O’Brien for 59 and Worcestershire have 17 of the 29 runs they need to complete Kent’s misery.
4:45pm – Today’s early finishes in Division One saw Sussex climb up to forth place with a game in hand on the three sides above them. Nottinghamshire are one place and 11 points below having also played four matches, while defeated duo Surrey and Derbyshire occupy the bottom two.
4:40pm – Richardson mops up the Kent tail to finish with 7-22 and an equally impressive match analysis of 12-63.
Skipper James Tredwell was left high and dry on six not out as his team capitulated to 63 all out. Worcestershire need 29 to seal victory within two days.
4:30pm – What a way to go – Eckersley is run out and Northants will hope new man Ramnaresh Sarwan is unable to maintain the 23-year-old’s pace. Over at the SWALEC there is a much-needed breakthrough for Glamorgan as Jim Allenby pins Mickleburgh lbw for 66, bringing Ravi Bopara to the crease.
4:25pm – Ned Eckersley is threatening to make things ever so slightly interesting at Wantage Road.
Leicestershire’s number three has 41 from 38 balls, including eight fours. The upshot is the Foxes have moved on to 133 for one, needing 204 from a minimum of 29 overs. Westley and Mickleburgh remain on 71 and 66, with Essex 139 without loss at Glamorgan.
@WorcsCCC on Twitter: Kent 54-8 at tea. #COYP #RICHARDSONNNNNx5
4:05pm – Regrettably for Kent, it looks like humble pie is on the menu as they head in for tea.
Andrews has three to add to Richardson’s five and the hosts are eight down, 19 in front.
4:00pm – Having speculated upon Chris Devine’s luncheon intake, we can confirm he’s just finished “stuffing his face with cake”. Here’s his latest from Lord’s7, where England duo Jonathan Trott and Joe Root will be entitled to a slice or two themselves if they keep this up.
3:50pm – Tea is being taken in two of today’s three remaining County Championship games. All of those are in Division Two following wins for Sussex at Derbyshire and Nottinghashire over Surrey.
Essex are 113 without loss in their second innings, requiring a further 162 runs on the final afternoon to beat Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium. Leicestershire are 100 for one in their second innings, requiring a further 237 runs on the final afternoon to beat Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Play continues at Canterbury, where Kent have collapsed spectacularly to 51 for seven on the second afternoon – just 16 ahead of Worcestershire in their second innings.
3:35pm – Following an unbeaten 34 with the bat, Steven Crook has the breakthrough for Northamptonshire. Smith is the man to go, a run short of his half-century and Leicestershire are 87 for one in nominal pursuit of 337.
A result is starting to look far more likely at the SWALEC Stadium, where Westley and Mickleburgh have both passed fifty in an unbroken opening partnership of 108. With Essex needing a further 167 runs and boasting some big hitters still to come, a thrilling finish is on the cards in Cardiff.
3:30pm – It’s 10 in the match for the remarkable Richardson. Mitchell took his fourth catch of the match off Kent’s chief tormentor as Darren Stevens went for three.
A first-ball single from Geraint Jones then gave his side a one-run lead, but Richardson immediately pinned Harmison lbw to leave the hosts 36 for six.
@EssexCricket on Twitter: 28 overs bowled and 42 are left. Essex 78 without loss need another 197 to win. Tom Westley 42, Jaik Mickleburgh 36.
3:20pm – Gareth Andrews is now in on the act, trapping Rob Key in front for a 42-ball five.
That leaves Kent 30 for four, still five behind. Ben Harmison is unbeaten on 17 having struck four boundaries and desperately needs some support.
3:00pm – So, with around 40 minutes to play until tea, here is a brief summary of the state of play: Sussex stormed to a nine-wicket win over Derbyshire8 at the County Ground, while some fine seam bowling helped Nottinghamshire defeat Surrey by 114 runs9.
Worcestershire, and more specifically Alan Richardson, have Kent in all sorts of bother on day two at Canterbury. Essex’s Tom Westley and Leicestershire’s Greg Smith are closing in on half-centuries as their sides’ games with Glamorgan and Northamptonshire in Division Two head for draws on the final afternoon.
2:45pm – Richardson is having an absolute disco!
Mike Powell joins Nash in departing for single figures to the Staffordshire seamer and Kent are 15 for three – still 21 behind Worcestershire. By contrast, Essex and Leicestershire are 52 and 39 without loss respectively as they move towards draws away from home.
2:30pm – Remarkably, that victory is Nottinghamshire’s first on home soil in the County Championship since April last year. Bowlers remain on top at Kent.
The irrepressible Alan Richardson, fresh from a five-wicket haul in the first innings, sent Sam Northeast back to the pavilion three balls into Kent’s second attempt. Brendan Nash followed in his next set of six, caught by Daryl Mitchell, and Worcestershire have their hosts reeling on four for two.
@EssexCricket on Twitter: Tom Westley collects his 5th boundary and Essex are 30 without loss. Westley 24, Jaik Mickleburgh 6.
2:15pm – As in Nottingham, an engaging, low-scoring contest appears to be on the cards at Canterbury.
Coles has just wrapped up an impressive return of 5-31 to dismiss Worcestershire for 194 on the second afernoon, a first-innings lead of 35 over Kent.
2:10pm – RESULT! Nottinghamshire (274 & 191) beat Surrey (207 & 144) by 114 runs at Trent Bridge. Well that didn’t take too long – Stuart Meaker departs as fellow England international Samit Patel gets among the wickets, but it was Franks and Gurney with three apiece who did the telling damage for James Taylor’s side.
2:05pm – The end is nigh for Surrey at Trent Bridge. Tim Linley is Franks’ third scalp today, the Nottinghamshire all-rounder displaying splendid figures of 3-16 from 12 overs.
2:00pm – Here on the county cricket blog we grazed on a humble tuna melt this lunchtime.
We expect Chris Devine will have been more extravagantly fed at Lord’s. Follow his live report here10, as England’s batsmen look to capitalise on a fantastic morning with the ball.
@kentcricket on Twitter: Wicket!!! Gareth Andrew lbw Coles 9. Worcestershire are 183-8, 24 runs ahead!!
1:50pm – We’re back underway in the four on-going LV=County Championship matches.
At Wantage Road, Northamptonshire are still batting and Crook and Duckett are certainly not hanging around. Leciestershire’s two overs since lunch have leaked 25 runs, with Duckett dispatching Ollie Freckingham to the fence to bring up a maiden first-class fifty. Hang on, here’s the declaration on 215 for eight. Leicestershire need an unlikely 337 for victory.
1:10pm – Wallace eventually went for 101, bowled by Ravi Bopara.
Michael Hogan departed in similar fashion to Tim Phillips to conclude Glamorgan’s second innings on 388 and leave Essex with a challenging 275 for victory in two sessions. Harry Gurney is the pick of the Nottinghamshire bowlers at Trent Bridge with 3-40. He dismissed Steven Davies for 28 as Surrey staggered to 138 for eight, meaning Notts are poised to join Sussex – who dispatched Derbyshire by nine wickets earlier – among today’s victors.
Here’s how things stand at lunch:
Division One
Derbyshire (223 & 219) lost to Sussex (401 & 43 for one) by nine wickets at Derby.
Surrey are 138 for eight, needing a further 121 runs for victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Division Two
Glamorgan are 338 all out in their second innings, setting Essex 275 to win at the SWALEC Stadium. Northamptonshire are 190 for eight in their second innings, leading Leicestershire by 311 runs at Wantage Road. Worcestershire are 180 for seven in their first innings, leading Kent by 21 runs at Canterbury.
12:50pm – Back on the field, Wallace has brought up his century for Glamorgan; Nottinghamshire still need three Surrey wickets for victory following a brief stoppage for bad light; an unbroken ninth-wicket stand between Ben Duckett and Steven Crook looks to have tipped the balance decisively in Northamptonshire’s favour against Leicestershire and a quickfire double means England Lions’ seamer Matt Coles has figures of 3-21 as Kent battle back against Worcestershire.
12:40pm – Away from today’s play there is a huge blow for Durham with news that Dale Benkenstein must undergo shoulder surgery that will rule him out until the latter end of the season.
12:25pm – Graham Napier accounts for Dean Cosker caught behind to give James Foster his fourth victim of the Glamorgan innings, but Foster’s opposite number Mark Wallace is still there for the hosts.
Despite heading into the match with a highest championship score of 18 so far this season, Wallace is three short of three figures having moved Glamorgan to 376 for eight – a 262-run lead.
@TrentBridge on Twitter: Wicket! Batty departs – caught by Patel off Gurney. Surrey 114-7.
Notts’ bowlers sharing the wickets around nicely.
12:05pm – RESULT! Derbyshire (223 & 219) lost to Sussex (401 & 43 for one) by nine wickets at the County Ground. Derbyshire’s defence of 41 lasted 5.5 overs as Luke Wells and Yardy breezed their way to respective unbeaten scores of 23 and 18 and sealed a maximum haul of 24 points for Sussex.
12:00pm – So with an hour played, Sussex are within 11 runs of wrapping up victory at Derbyshire; Surrey’s prospects at Trent Bridge are fading fast and Essex and Leicestershire need quick wickets to set up run chases that would go to the wire. On day two at Canterbury, Neil Pinner and Michael Johnson are consolidating matters for Worcestershire, who are 26 behind Kent’s first-innings 159 with five wickets remaining.
@TrentBridge on Twitter: Wicket!
Franks on fire! de Bruyn his latest victim, edging behind to the grateful gloves of Wessels for 14.
107-5.
11:50am – Robbie Williams is on song for Leicestershire this morning. Two wickets in as many overs mean Northamptonshire are 114 for seven in their second innings, 235 ahead.
Tim Groenwald has dismissed Chris Nash without scoring at the County Ground, meaning Sussex’s Mike Yardy is in at three and not getting the morning off he might have felt was in prospect.
@derbyshireccc on Twitter: Groenewald to open up. Sussex require 42 runs for victory.
@leicsccc on Twitter: WICKET: Keogh falls to Williams. Northants 230 ahead, 4 wkts left.
11:35am – That’s a wrap for Magoffin and Sussex.
The rangy Australian removes Derbyshire’s last man Mark Footitt for a breezy 15 and the victory target is 42. Meanwhile, Glamorgan’s Graham Wagg joins Burns in registering a morning fifty before being pouched. Reece Topley was the Essex bowler celebrating and Glamorgan’s 344 for seven means a second-innings lead of 232 in Cardiff.
11:30am – Nottinghamshire have landed a potentially vital blow against Surrey at Trent Bridge.
Two balls after sending Paul Franks to the fence to bring up his half-century, opener Rory Burns was caught behind off the same bowler to leave his side 90 for four. They need 169 more runs for victory.
11:18am – The game is almost up for Derbyshire. A wicket apiece for impressive Sussex seam duo James Anyon and Steve Magoffin means they are now 204 for nine, a second-innings lead of 26, and their guests will hope to be merrily on their way back down to the south coast by lunchtime.
11:03am – Kent paceman Charlie Shreck strikes with the third ball of the day to have Alex Kervezee caught at the wicket for 29.
Worcestershire are now 105 for five, still 54 runs in arrears, and the hosts are eyeing an unlikely first-innings lead.
11:00am – Cloudy but dry would appear to be the consensus around the grounds, so hopefully we’ll all be underway on time with an intriguing day in prospect.
10:45am – We’re 15 minutes away from play getting back underway across the country, so here’s a quick summary of the game situations in Divisions One and Two as they stand:
Division One
Derbyshire are 189 for seven11 in their second innings, leading Sussex by 11 runs at Derby. Surrey are 73 for three12, needing a further 186 runs for victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Division Two
Glamorgan are 303 for six13 in their second innings, leading Essex by 189 runs at the SWALEC Stadium. Northamptonshire are 94 for five14 in their second innings, leading Leicestershire by 215 runs at Wantage Road.
Worcestershire are 105 for four15 in their first innings, trailing Kent by 54 runs at Canterbury.
10:30am – Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the five LV= County Championship games taking place today. After Yorkshire and Middlesex secured impressive victories yesterday16, Sussex are closing in on their second win of the season at Derbyshire.
Along with the action at the County Ground, three other matches conclude today, while Worcestershire will hope to capitalise on dismissing Kent for 159 on day one at Canterbury.
Want to know what’s happening at your county? Interested in how your rivals are faring? Look no further than ecb.co.uk’s county-by-county page17
References
- ^ Click here for all the latest news from the domestic cricket scene, including exclusive interviews, team news, match reports and photo galleries (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ lost to Sussex (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ beat Surrey (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ lost to Essex (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ drew with Leicestershire (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ lost to Worcestershire (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ Here’s his latest from Lord’s (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ Sussex stormed to a nine-wicket win over Derbyshire (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ Nottinghamshire defeat Surrey by 114 runs (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ Follow his live report here (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ 189 for seven (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ 73 for three (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ 303 for six (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ 94 for five (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ 105 for four (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ After Yorkshire and Middlesex secured impressive victories yesterday (www.ecb.co.uk)
- ^ Want to know what’s happening at your county?
Interested in how your rivals are faring?
Look no further than ecb.co.uk’s county-by-county page
(www.ecb.co.uk)
Froch eyeing stoppage win
Carl Froch: Feels a stoppage is on the cards Carl Froch believes he can stop Mikkel Kessler when they clash at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.
The pair fought to a close points decision three years ago with Kessler coming out on top, but the Briton feels he can gain dramatic revenge.
“If I turn up switched on physically and mentally and do what I know I can do, I feel I can get the stoppage,” he told Sky Sports.
“It’s still going to be brutal, just as vicious and hard early on but I think as the fight goes on into the championship rounds, that’s when I can take over and force a late stoppage.” Froch will enter the fight as favourite folloing several impressive wins since he last fought Kessler in Denmark.
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Purdy: I’ll find a way to win
Lee Purdy: The chance of a lifetime to upset Devon Alexander (pic leighdawneyphotography.com) Lee Purdy intends to make to most of what he feels is a dream come true when he takes on Devon Alexander on Saturday night.
The Essex banger was handed the chance of a lifetime when Kell Brook was forced out of a fight with IBF welterweight champion Alexander.
Purdy had just been promoted to fifth in their rankings and both fighter and promoter jumped at the chance to plug the gap.
“When you lace up a pair of gloves when you’re a young boy this is what you dream of and it’s come true,” said Purdy.
“I’m excited for the fight, I’m ready, it’s at late notice but I’m in good shape and I’ll be dangerous for 12 rounds.
“We’ve got 12 three-minute rounds and it comes to more than just skills in the pro ring.
“You need heart, you need power, you need durability to get through a long 12-round fight and I believe I’ve got all of that in abundance.
“I haven’t come all this way to America to let the fans down.
I’ve come here to fight and I’m going to find a way to win.” Lee Purdy “I’m ready to fight for as long as it takes.
I haven’t come all this way to America to let the fans down.
I’ve come here to fight and I’m going to find a way to win.” “When me and Devon step in that ring it doesn’t matter where the ring is in the world.
It’s a ring at the end of the day and Devon that’s going to be in front of me.
“I’m in great shape and ready to put a big statement out there.” Purdy has never fought anywhere near the class of Alexander yet the American refuses to take his challenge lightly.
“I wanted to fight Kell Brook because he’s considered one of the best at 147, I wanted to beat him but they put Lee Purdy in front of me and now I have to beat him,” said Alexander.
“I’m a student of the game.
I don’t take anybody lightly.
I want to send a statement to everybody at 147 that I am a force to be reckoned with and that’s what you’re going to see on fight night.
“Lee Purdy is coming to fight, he’s hungry, he wants my title but he is just in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”
Mike Tyson at 46: perfectionism, punchlines and Brad Pitt
Mike Tyson is a striking figure even at age 46.
He no longer looks like the baddest man on the planet.
Or the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
He still has a squat, heavy build but, aside from his auspicious facial tattoo, he doesn’t even look particularly menacing.
But look beyond the physical man, the one who fought 58 times over a 20-year professional career, and punched his way through an untold cadre of brawls in the streets and back alleys of Brooklyn, you find a quietly simmering figure who has an energy that swirls around him; he exudes it even when he is standing motionless.
It’s a sort of pent-up ardour…
an angst that begs for expression.
In his youth he foisted it upon his hapless opponents in the ring.
Having ridden the undulating waves of recovery and relapse for large chunks of his life, now middle-aged, “Iron” Mike is enjoying the crest of a recovery period.
His one-man show “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” now provides the venue for that smoldering vigour that propelled him to cultural icon status en route to becoming the most dynamic fighter in the history of the sport.
The champ’s performance in this show is impressive.
Impressive in a way that “legend of the ring” Mike Tyson never was in his bouts.
Impressive in its patience.
This isn’t the Tyson that knocked Michael Spinks out with just 30 punches thrown in a swarming minute and a half of boxing.
This is a measured Tyson, setting up his punchlines with consistent jabs to soften up his adversary, whether it be Don King, ex-wife Robin Givens or his greatest foe…
himself.
Indeed the list of notable names that weave through Tyson’s tale is impressive, from Tupac Shakur to Florence Henderson to pre-fame Brad Pitt…
like a fabric of the era, Tyson weaves his story across decades, debacles, deep depths and deranged heights.
Some of the stories are familiar, tabloid lore.
Many of these come with startling new details.
For instance, how many among us knew that during Tyson’s infamous late-night Harlem brawl with one-time opponent Mitch Green poor old “Blood,” as was his nickname experienced that hoary old chestnut of involuntarily shitting himself as his head bounced off the concrete following a particularly destructive uppercut from our ringmaster for the evening? But it’s not just that Green shit himself that suddenly bites at your ear and doesn’t let go.
It’s how Tyson explains why he knew that was a very bad sign and how words from his deceased mother leaped to his mind as he saw some other ephemeral element spray from Mitch’s mouth like a portent of doom.
And while Tyson’s patience in relaying his story seems to bely the kinetic dynamo we recall from his prize fighting days, that crackling energy finds its way throughout the evening in its own way.
Like a live wire suddenly surging with electricity, Tyson demonstrates the leaping roundhouse kick he felled Green with, conjuring a portly, breath-sucking Bruce Lee and laughing at himself for it.
Therein lies the charm of Tyson’s personality transformation of recent years.
There is a self-awareness at the inherent silliness of his behavior, past and present.
The intelligence which has been used to examine his past and understood why he is who he is, and why he chose the paths he did makes the evening’s anecdotes all the more endearing.
As he runs across the stage in mock chase, or chortles away in a surprisingly effective caricature of nemesis Don King, his energy, while not boundless (by the midpoint of the show he is mopping his brow with a hankerchief), is enough to carry the weight of a one man show and then some…
dare I say, perhaps a four- or five-man show.
But for all the wild gesticulation, colourful language and vividly painted atmosphere that Tyson manages to convey in his words and actions, even these demonstrative victories are not what is most revelatory about the man on stage.
It is the fact that he is such an innate storyteller.
He rattles off these stories with a practiced patter that hides its absolute artistry.
Nothing Tyson says comes off as scripted save for a few groaner jokes that typically come in reference to his one prop, the giant projection screen, pasting images behind him.
Only then are we broken from the spellbinding narrative that seems to simply flow out of this world weary, but unbowed, man one who is at once ineloquence personified, manhandling words into sentences; and eloquence itself, with his simple, stripped down understanding of his own nature.
The ease of his delivery hides the hours it must have taken to hone this performance a hidden dedication, not unlike the seemingly natural boxer he was, endlessly practicing his peekaboo defense or perfecting his signature right hook, right uppercut combo, #6 to #4 on the mitts, again and again.
If Tyson was a born fighter, who was honed into a legendary boxer, this show seems to suggest that he is also a born storyteller, who has honed the delivery of his tale into a hard-hitting knockout performance that hides all the stitching on the gloves.
One might worry with the edges ground down that these gritty tales would lose their effect, but rest assured they still shimmer with palpable grime and that caged heat of emotion that seems to smolder in Tyson to this day.
That emotion is never more lyrical than when the man in the spotlight quiets down and speaks of his mother who died when he was 16 years old, and who he had exhumed much later to rid her of the cardboard and pine box that had been her tomb.
Or the 25-year-old sister who suddenly passed away without warning.
Or most of all, when talking of his children, and his four-year-old daughter who died tragically in an unfathomable accident several years ago.
The pathos of these passages in “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” illustrate the dichotomy that has made Tyson the enduring figure that he remains in our minds and that will resonate in sporting and cultural history long into the future.
Tyson is just a more purely realised version of each of us.
His rage is more unbridled, unleashed in ways we only fantasise about.
His passion is more demonstrative, simple and unfettered by complication.
There are those who long ago made up their minds about Tyson, what kind of person he is, or how much sympathy and derision he deserves.
Spending a few hours listening to his story, whatever notion you came in with will be altered.
Tyson manages to hit you with blows you didn’t see coming, weren’t quite prepared for.
If you thought the evening was going to be just a light sparring session to laugh and mug through, you might be in for a surprise.
As the champ himself once said: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” This is an article from our Guardian Sport Network This article first appeared on The Queensberry Rules Follow The Queensberry Rules on Twitter
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