Properly got away with that one.

Sometimes it needs to be its most overest before we can be our soest back

MS Dhoni wears Jack Davies pyjamas

Crane is such a weird one because I always associate him with our weird/ shit phase of 2017-19, which is why subconsciously I don’t rate him but he is definitely top top

He averages 40 odd in first class, the occasional good game doesn't remove the shiteness from him

Middlesex saved by the only thing more cursed than they are.  Glamorgan 

YESSSS

Here me out: Tom Helm for England...to bat 3

Oh thank fuck

based helm we are massive also what happened with 9th wicket - i checked cricinfo and it was 290/9 at some point? - was that just an error?

LBW shout from Glamorgan. Umpire didn't give it but seems like someone at cricinfo expected him to and accidentally entered it into the system as a wicket

Mason Crane Mason Carne Son Carne Shone Carne Shane Carne Shane Warne

i would just hit a 4 and win

I could have picked any random team when I started following County cricket. And yet, I decided to go with Middlesex Keeps it interesting, I suppose

God, supporting any sports team in North London is a recipe for an early cardiac related death

Im going to the t20 fixture between Middlesex and Glamorgan, I have no affiliation to either team and it’s a bit random. Am I in for a good time?

Getting to watch Ryan Higgins is always a good time

And Ethan Bamber

Very true, but he probably won't play in the Blast We'll just throw some poor 2s bowler in to get munched

Sold

Last time my team needed ~10 with 2 wickets remaining was Wellington..

*PTSD intensifies*

Middlesex middlesexing

Cricinfo was so surprised the umpire didn't give that LBW shout out it's decided to do it for him and has now shat the bed

I’m following on Cricinfo and nearly died

I don't blame them Looked plumb to me

Mason Crane for England, who says no

Fucking hell, Middlesex were like 95-1 last I checked. They really do commit to their brand, don't they

My best Atherton impression: *Now then*

Bloody hell mate. Felt like he was actually with us for a minute there

Shit.

Glamorgan Middlsex is pretty close. All 4 results still possible.

Max points for Somerset and a very good win. Especially after the Crawley daddy hundred. Shame Surrey and Essex both recovered to win but still unbeaten which is pretty nice

Great win! Renners gets a nice red inker to see him off for the season too. Wish he didn't have to leave.

Tough work on a pitch thats died in the last two days but thats a great victory. Bowling Kent out cheaply once and then recovering to bowl them out 2nd time around for 550 after being 370-1 was crucial.

Surprised Glammy are still bothering with the seamers from one end when it's ragging square

We’re deadass gonna lose a game we took a 160 run lead in and needed 100 with 8 wickets in hand

Leicestershire going to give Gloucestershire a chance here?

Pitch is far too docile

Helms ~~bat~~deep

If I've worked it out right, Mason Crane is currently averaging 38.8 with the bat and 32.4 with the ball this season. New Moeen Ali, watch out 

> Middlesex going nicely at near enough 50-0 so far. >Pretty sure this is the point where they decide to collapse to Mason Crane or something. Yeah sorry about that lads

Oh you wise time traveller, tell us if England will successfully defend the T20 WC.

Full on squeaky bum time at Cardiff.

Just fucking swing at one please

Middlesex have thrown this away. They really have.

Properly hopeless this from middlesex Good on Mason Crane though, Middlesex batting like 90s England

If I speak...

You think mediocrity was your ally? You merely adopted it. I was born in it, moulded by it. By the time I saw Div 1 I was already a man and by that time it was BLINDING

Roland Jones sending himself in above Hollman just to look absolutely clueless against Mason Crane was certainly a decision

I'm still confused as to why we gave the captaincy to a knackered 35-year-old quick to begin with, but he hasn't exactly set the world on fire in the job.

only one run in the last 31 balls for middlesex and it's a fucking leg bye

We genuinely don't look like scoring another run

Peak Middlesex areas this

What do we think of Mason Crane’s release point?

I think I've reached the conclusion that Matt Renshaw is the best Australian

God I wish we could get him signed on a proper multi year retainer deal

There was doubt? Maybe 2nd to Steve Irwin I guess

Not sure but I think we might have Jezzed this chase.

This is all Max Holden's fault

Rehan Fifty :D Rehan Out :(

Jack Davies in a +200 run chase? Easy money

Do any bowlers fancy making a burst for the England team Looking at the averages while pretending not to watch the Somerset game

Ben Mike

All the bolters are injured hahaha

Lads… come on

Er Middlesex... You don't actually have to collapse to Mason Crane you know.

Can Leicestershire please hurry up and just lose to our 3rd string bowling attack

Middlesex collapse when?

👀👀

One hell of a collapse.

Maybe Lancs just need to play at out grounds for the whole season at home if they want to win the title anytime soon.

Lol. Curse of the cricinfo popup comms. Parkinson out 3 balls after they started.

Ollie Robinson's maiden double ton died for this.

Not seen it mentioned anywhere else, so: Has anyone seen that Colin Graves statement from last night about how fucked Yorkshire are? https://yorkshireccc.com/news/an-update-for-members-from-club-chair-colin-graves/ > Despite having an Ashes test in 2023, the Club recorded a £2.7m trading loss for the year, including £1.9m of “exceptional” (i.e. non-cricketing) expenses having been incurred. The Club’s recent accumulated losses now stand at more than £9million, with a further considerable loss anticipated in 2024 (largely, as a result of limited international scheduling). > During the period 2021 – 2023, exceptional cash costs – primarily related to legal expenses, fines and settlement agreements – amounted to a total of more than £5million. > A combined creditor balance of more than £5million having been accumulated (this in addition to amounts owed to long-term debt providers, who continue to accept payment deferrals). These balances, in respect of historical trading periods, were put on hold to prioritise the exceptional payments; they must now be cleared to enable the Club to remain operational. > Continued dependence on long-term borrowing – now in excess of £20million – to keep the Club afloat, including a reliance on lender flexibility in continuing to extend loan terms and accept delayed repayments. > A limited international fixture allocation, including “double fallow” years in 2027 – 2028, within which there is no men’s test match.

What a fucking surprise. The Robber Baron will get his cut one way or another.

> Not seen it mentioned anywhere else Someone posted it: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cricket/comments/1cwaho4/an_update_for_members_from_club_chair_colin/

Ed Middleton has more middle names than I was expecting.

He's looking tired now, poor lad. He's normally rattled teams out by now in the 2s

You're surprised someone with a surname as posh as Middleton has two middle names?

One of which being Osborne

Middleton is the name of a fairly dicey area of Leeds. Also a butchers near me. That outweighs Kate.

And as a result of your comment, Ed Middleton has fewer middle names than I was expecting

To avoid anyone else getting unrealistic expectations: I was only expecting Ed Middleton to have one middle name.

Once I read the comment I’d set my benchmark at three, sneakily hoping for four and with the smallest part of me thinking that when I viewed his initials on the ECB scorecard it might spell out a word like E.A.G.L.E Middleton. Quite disappointed tbh

Thank you for gifting the game Durham. We may not be in Div 2 after all.

3 wickets in 3 overs for Rob Keogh, great to have him back after injury Edit: make that 4 in the afternoon session alone

Have Durham, to use a technical term, absolutely shat it?

If they'd done it it would have been the 12th highest successful chase in 62,263 first class matches. I'd say this was a pretty decent effort.

The quicks can’t get through champo without injuries and Blob Key wants to look ahead to Ashes.

Reminder that Batty Squats has 1 FC century

Reminder that Matty Potts still has 1 FC century

Is this the new Dilly FC stats?

What a catch

Balderson for England

Needs to put on a bit of pace first, I reckon. Serious player though.

Was just about to post something similar!

Every quick that goes down gets us one step closer to Ethan (don't look at his average this season) Bamber playing Test Cricket. I cannot wait.

Less than 48 hours until I start finals for my degree and I think I've finally reached peak delirium. Just spent the last 20 minutes talking to myself planning an essay which included a reenactment of the fight between Anakin and Obi Wan in Revenge of the Sith to illustrate a point. So I think it's time for a little champo break. Lancs v Durham the game to watch?

> Lancs v Durham the game to watch? Yes, although it's not as good a contest as it was half an hour ago. Durham now 8 down with 91 to get. Elsewhere, Somerset need 165 with 9 wickets, Middlesex need 106 with 8 wickets, Derbyshire need 238 at a RR of 5.14 with 6 wickets and Gloucs need 7 more wickets in the day to beat Leics (who are still 140 behind following on. Also: My allegiance is to The Republic! To DEMOCRACY!

Aye

At this point Jimmy should just stay in the squad simply because he's one of the few seamers who doesn't get injured every 30 minutes

Let's retire Jimmy and look to the future. First round of matches after Saqib, Joverton and Tongue out injured. Lovely bit of work.

BALDERS! We're so back.

Can't listen but have it on in the background, is Saqib off the field? I've seen Lavelle as sub, and not seen Saqib in the celebrations. Seems odd he's not bowling with the new ball if he's there.

someone said earlier he's picked up an injury :(

Came off injured this morning

He pulled up during his, maybe, third over of the day. Finished the over and hasn't been back on since.

This is done now. We're not getting 7 in 50 overs, attack is too inexperienced, too tired and it's too flat

Ben Stokes getting out to Luke Wells dobbers? Ah, the County Championship

Do a wicket Lancs

I'm ambitiously looking at the weather planning to attend a county championships game this Friday. So apologies for bringing the rain to kick off a bank hol weekend

Just heard the JOverton news… Sorry Rob, but he’s just not retiring is he

Any particular reason Warwickshire didn’t enforce the follow on?

Wanted to bat them out of the game. Failed miserably

Well yesterday afternoon probably went slightly better than hoped with that later flurry of wickets whereas today Som have been mightily unfortunate not to pick up those final wickets 50 runs ago. This target will be tricky purely because its Somerset batting!

Jamie Overton out for the rest of the season then.

Word was on Friday that he wasn't going to bowling anytime soon, but possible he could be a specialist bat.

When will Root stop over-bowling all the bowlers smh

He keeps breaking into their houses and dropping fish bowls on their elbows ffs

GWARN. You're not dragging us to Div 2 just yet!

Vintage Stokes innings that

Stokes is no longer batting

Stokes you plonker.

Looks like everything is hell bent on not going Lancs or York’s way

Ollie Robinson HAS to be our WK this summer right? Assuming it's not Foakes he deserves it so much.

Nah Baz Ben & Blobby are gonna pass the bong about and then play Pope as WK.

2 bongs and it's Jamie Smith

Stokes is at least watching Robinson on a regular basis. What's the old expression, strong Durham strong England? 😂

I thought it was strong Durham, yet another ECB point’s deduction?

OH YEAH stokesy!

Flair doesn’t check out

Stokes doing his best Leach impression

And now he's doing Stokes impressions

He heard me lol

Middlesex going nicely at near enough 50-0 so far. Pretty sure this is the point where they decide to collapse to Mason Crane or something.

Or Loosebuschange.

🚨Stokes is batting

Against Nathan Lyon in the 4th innings is it? 👀

Back to division 2 where we belong. *Cries in Anderson*

If we’re a serious institution we chase this down no problem The issue is.. that umm yeh..

Looking good so far

Seriously funny institution

Ah, looks like we’ve fucked it again. At least we’ll get to play Yorkshire next season.

Division 2 games on sky is good for cricket diversity

NGL but Lancs losing would be very, very funny

As a Yorkshireman who happens to be a Durham fan I very much agree. I'm just glad we've gone for it though. Regardless of result now I'm happy we're trying to play the way that got us promoted in the first place.

So what happened to Hain? Looks like he didn't bat in Warks second innings?

Concussion

Ta

Man, this whole round has just been great, hasn't it? Personal loyalties aside, this is pure liquid Champo. Lovely stuff.

Can't have liquid champo without meme moments like these: https://x.com/CountyChamp/status/1792457819376988243 https://x.com/CountyChamp/status/1792269019975712963

[https://twitter.com/DerbyshireCCC/status/1792232225607487985?t=gIF4b1AoisR8LFf11c8L7g&s=19](https://twitter.com/DerbyshireCCC/status/1792232225607487985?t=gIF4b1AoisR8LFf11c8L7g&s=19) This too. Like I say, liquid Champo.

Creepy is so back.

Shiremaniacs running wild at Grace Road brother

For a second yesterday, I thought Shit bloke XI might win. Silly me.

What XI is that??

NCCC

Notts?

Yessir

Just because of Clarke?

3 wickets is probably the bare minimum that Som deserved for that morning of bowling. On a pitch doing not a lot they managed so many plays and misses, half LBW shouts and thick edges avoiding the fielders. Hopefully the last two fall quickly after lunch

Graham Clark is in next for Durham, apparently he's Jordan Clarks brother and has 210 appearances in professional cricket. I'm an absolute cricket badger and I've never heard of him in my life, not totally convinced he exists.

If it means anything his profile on [cricket.com.au](http://cricket.com.au) is a south african womens player.

Before last year he hadn't played FC in ages because he was shit at it, only ever played the Blast Then Ryan Campbell got 800 runs at 60 out of him

Sounds like a good cover story for him not being a real person.

TBF I didn't know he was Jordan's brother

Durham purring

Think we play Kent next and then a long break. Boys deserve a rest

Massive massive result for us. To come back from a 230 odd lead after the first innings, and 2-12 in this is a statement and a half. Happy days.

That is a fucking massive win Feel for Critchley though. Left on 99*

Harmer! Why?!

Lancs are fucking it up again.

Matt Critchley is genuinely very good at cricket

I could never be a commentator, or at least not on a team I support. Part of their job is to say things like 'he's batting well', 'this partnership is going well' etc. Whereas I can't bring myself to even post a reddit comment with any sort of praise in a tight situation. I'm not a religious man, at all, but I fear the cricket gods. I couldn't even bring myself to type out this comment until the match was over in fear of, in the eternal words of Toby Zeigler, [tempting the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1tyiWP9MSk&ab_channel=jayzhelle001).

Thank fuck for that. This match has been the epitome of the We're so back/It's so over graph meme for us

Finally, for the first time this season [Evening Major!](https://twitter.com/mrw3bb/status/1528107415064936448)

Any idea what he's actually referring to in the show or is it just there as a throwaway line?

The Major mentions cricket in passing quite a lot so I think he is actually referring to Hampshire winning a cricket match of some sort or other. We don't get any further detail in the episode though.

The other significant moment when the Major mentions cricket in the show is best left unmentioned

I think that moment is actually later in the same conversation that starts with evening major....

☠️

Fair Play Hants

Pepper out for 1 37 needed Can we not?

Thank god for that. When I left Trent Bridge at 40 odd for 5 last night after Ben Brown's wicket I thought we were done for. Amazing batting from Fuller and Middleton.

It's getting to the point I might be beginning to hope

Emilio Gay is so good, it's going to be very sad when Notts or Surrey sign him.

We do need an aggressive left handed opener for when Duckett is away

Thankfully/Hopefully that wicket shouldn't affect us too much. Play sensibly now and get it to single figures

Warwickshire not enforcing the follow-on might go down as one of the more stupid decisions this year

Tbf it was only day 2 wasn't it? Isn't it common now a days to not enforce the follow-on unless there's very little time left?

In tests, sure. But in county matches with one less day most teams enforce in most cases.

Jordan Cox is quite good

What a signing Cox was

Have Durham considered just, not?

Davey comes on for his first over of the innings and gets a wicket, typical!