Ben Foakes does not easily fit into contemporary categories. He avoids social media and plays his game his way. And on the first day of the Championship season, with a bitter wind howling at Old Trafford, he played a crucial inning as Surrey began their title defense against Lancashire, the runners-up from the previous year. Rory Burns, the season’s first victim, was insulted to be given out caught behind for one. Surrey scored 340 for seven with Steel undefeated on 86 at ends.
Dan Lawrence had a positive inaugural day at Lord’s despite its sporadic nature. After two Tests as a barman in New Zealand, he returned to the crease. Holding steadfast between the breaks to give Essex a solid start against Middlesex.
After Alastair Cook (16) and Nick Browne (22) fell in the space of two balls within the first hour of play, Lawrence strode out to the middle and was unbeaten on 74 off 153 balls when poor light put an end to play at 5.10 pm. Tom Westley (48) deflected Toby Roland-Jones to backward point and slunk back to the pavilion as the third wicket fell shortly before the end of the visitors’ innings (162 for 3 off 56 overs).
Lawrence may have departed that winter tour believing that all-out aggression should now be his default, but here he was content to absorb pressure, constructing a 121-run stand with Westley that was predominately comprised of dogged defense. Not until the final delivery of the day did he fully unfurl his limbs, shimmying down to Roland-Jones to unfurl a six over extra cover and then drilling the follow-up for four?
Middlesex, who returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 after a one-year absence, received an early reminder of the quality increase they will confront this season.
Finlay Bean, who scored 441 against Nottinghamshire seconds last year, scored the first Championship century of the year against Leicestershire as Yorkshire made a positive start to a season in which a points deduction is still possible.
In their first game since promotion, Nottinghamshire was bowled out for 185 by unquestionably the most skilled bowlers in the Championship. Hampshire’s Mohammad Abbas destroyed the top order and tightened the tail with six wickets for 49 runs. Joe Clarke and Tom Moores both just missed the fifty-mark.
First-time Notts player Olly Stone dismissed Felix Organ for one with his ninth delivery. But Championship rookie Fletcha Middleton led Hampshire to three figures with an unbeaten 56.
Bazball shone clearest in Division Two for Ben Stokes’ Durham, who raced to 352 for 7 against Sussex at five an over, gaining three batting points in the process. Alex Lees’ 79 off 85 balls at the top of the order set the tone.
Sophia Gardens’ hover cover malfunctioned, delaying the play’s start. Then, Gloucestershire limped to 71-1 before losing six for 37. They reached 165 all out thanks to fifty from Marcus Harris and twenties from Zafar Gohar and Tom Price. Timm van der Gugten of Glamorgan completed with 5 for 26.
Northamptonshire’s first day in Canterbury was a disaster as Kent sent them into bat. They scored 89 for seven. After Ricky Vasconcelos’s 39, extras scored 11 runs, the second-highest total. Grant Stewart took three wickets and Michael Hogan, a winter recruit from Glamorgan, took two wickets. At Derby, Billy Godleman and Wayne Madsen led Derbyshire against Worcestershire with a marching pace.
Taunton had no cricket and utilised heat lights to grow grass in front of the pavilion. The outfield looked like a damp dishcloth. Twenty-six days of rain in March left the groundskeepers with little space for maneuvering, and a request to switch home and away games with Warwickshire was denied.
