Derbyshire and Essex players are isolating after their match was cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak while rain disrupted several fixtures 7.38pm BST
Covid threw a bouncer into Essex’s chances of playing Division One
Cricket later this season when their Championship game against Derbyshire had to be abandoned before play on the second day.A positive Test in the Derbyshire ranks was the cause, with other squad members being ‘pinged’ as close contacts. The entire squad is now self-isolating, alongside the Derbyshire players involved in the Vitality Blast match last Friday. Points awarded from the abandoned game are yet to be decided, but Essex, who started the match with a theoretical chance of reaching Division One, are presumably now out of the running. A decision will be made in consultation with Public Health
England and the ECB on whether Derbyshire will play their two remaining Blast matches, against Northamptonshire on Friday and Yorkshire on Sunday.There was more Covid-interruption at Canterbury, where Kent’s second-string team was further depleted. Nathan Gilchrist, who took two for 24 during Sussex’s first innings, was told to self-isolate from a separate track and trace incident, leaving Bailey Wightman as the sixth Kent debutant of the match. Just 80 minutes play were possible, with Kent moving on to 122 for seven.Hampshire finished the chirpier in the winner-takes-all contest at Cheltenham. Gloucestershire’s batting never recovered from losing 3-0 in the three first overs of the day. Hampshire then built a lead of 41 thanks largely to an opening stand of 174 between Ian Holland and Joe Weatherley.At the Oval, Somerset only have to avoid defeat to leap into Division One and their batsmen made good progress, hoovering up a third batting point and reaching 429. Some jolly late-innings japes from Jack Leach and Marchant de Lange, who both swung sixes, entertained the crowd. Rory Burns had time to hit four fours in Surrey’s reply before the rain fell.Overnight batsmen Charlie Thurston and Saif Zaib helped Northamptonshire to respectability at Sophia Gardens, but off spinner Andrew Salter’s four for 18 mopped up the tail. Glamorgan lost both openers before the heavens opened Middlesex lost five for 29 as their middle-order and tail folded origami-style in the face of seamer Will Davis, who finished with five for 66. Bulwark Sam Robson was finally out for a seven-hour 154. Colin Ackermann led the Leicestershire reply, 65 not out before bad light intervened. Tim Murtagh took three for 34.New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi grabbed six wickets on his red-ball debut for Worcestershire, but Warwickshire still scooped up four batting points in their quest for Division One cricket. Daryl Mitchell then hit his highest score of the season, 83 not out, on a flat New Road pitch. Not a ball was bowled at Headingley or The Riverside. 7.13pm BST
A rain depleted day all round, finishes with Warwickshire, Somerset and Hampshire making the running. Much sympathy for the Essex and Derbyshire players, respectively self-isolating and seemingly out of the Division One race. Thanks for the company as always, good night!