In Spirited Away (an adaptation of which is currently wowing crowds and critics in the West End), the enigmatic No Face reflects back the emotions and attitudes of anyone or anything he encounters. Surrey ran into their No Face at the Utilita Bowl, where Hampshire gave the champions a working over that would have made Godzilla proud.
Updates from day two of this County Championship round
Get in touch: email Tanya with any thoughts or post BTL
Alex “carthorse” Davies goes to his fifty in three hours one minute – the third slowest first-class fifty of his career. The Warwickshire hundred winds slowly up.
And a wicket at Old Trafford! George Balderson joins the Tom Bailey wickets club, as Mousley is caught for two.
Updates from day one of this County Championship round
Get in touch: email Tanya with any thoughts or post BTL
Worcestershire return to play at New Road today for the first time since the terrible news of Josh Baker’s death. Here, Kevin Howells talks to Ashley Giles about Josh, climate challenges and the future of the club (which has a new ground sponsor – New Road becoming Visit Worcestershire New Road).
And hello Tim Maitland!
”Once again I find myself mulling in the hour before plays starts - here in the subtropics it’s the lull after cooking food for the dogs and before preparing salads for humans - this time it’s the issue of how to fill the Jimmy-Anderson-and Stuart Broad-sized hole in England’s bowling line-up.
”No doubt the Bazball approach will be to find a brash tyro, fill him to the brim with confidence and then back him to the hilt. Lord knows that will probably work a million times better than the carousel of rejection that each new pretender to Alistair Cook’s crown stepped onto... but I can’t help wondering whether temporarily filling the immediate need with a seasoned pro like Surrey’s Dan Worrall who presumably won’t be crushed by the expectations might buy time to develop the next front line quick.
"Unless of course my instinct that the answer doesn’t lie in a combination of Woods, Woakes, a miraculously durable Joffra Archer and an even more remarkably dependable and responsible Ollie Robinson is wrong.”
Updates from the final day’s play in the latest matches
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Here at Blackpool, Aspinwall’s zippy little spell is over. Cooler today, definitely a long-sleeved shirt morning. Saqib Mahmood reappears on the pitch, the Lancashire physio, arms folded, watchful, stands behind him, looking as if hes holding a tea-towel.
And that’s fifty for Bedingham off 72 balls, definitely Durham’s first 45 minutes.
Updates from day three around the grounds (11am BST start)
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Enjoyed this high level nonchalance from Keith Barker:
What better way to spend a Sunday morning than a beer with breakfast with the lugubrious tones of Vic Marks. He’s in fine fettle on the Somerset stream with Migael Pretorius keeping Joe Denly honest, zoning in on the pads and stumps. Denly quirts a single off the inside edge to bring Joey Evison onto strike. BOLWED ‘IM! Pretorius nips one back and sends the leg stump cartwheeling! Kent 147-6 and Somerset holding all the aces.
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