With a swish of his velvet cloak and a cut down to third man, Rehan Ahmed reached his second hundred of the summer against Lancashire.It was another hugely enjoyable innings, full of rapier wrist and flamboyant defence.He and Lewis Hill, who hit his own entertaining century – his first for two years – put on 256 for the third wicket, after coming together in tricky conditions on Thursday evening at 24 for two.A partnership of 76 between Ian Holland and Ben Cox added further irritation to another day of toil for Lancashire’s bowlers, With rain skirmishing, Leicestershire collected maximum batting bonus points, to go with the maximum bowling points already in the bag.They were finally all out with a lead of 251.

Cloud cover and a friendly dose of overnight rain at New Road set the scene for Chris Woakes to run in for the first time this season, after recovering from a knee injury,A glancing England selector on his way home from Trent Bridge would have seen a bowler in full flow and fine fettle, picking up three for 34, while Chris Rushworth, also in his first match of the season, grabbed four for 37,Warwickshire carried a handy lead of 46 into their second innings against Worcestershire, Alex Davies was bowled cheaply by Jacob Duffy, but Rob Yates and Tom Latham saw them through to stumps,Calvin Harrison, who has proved an inspired loan signing for Northants, from Notts, cracked a career-best 63 before winkling out Ollie Price and Miles Hammond,Saif Zaib had reached a career-best 159 before being caught at slip, and the tail, marshalled by Harrison and Lewis McManus, took Northants to 469.

Gloucestershire are still 164 runs short of the follow on.Sussex are pickling Hampshire at Southampton, first building a handy first-innings lead thanks to a third century of the season from John Simpson and 74 from Hudson-Prentice, then rattling through their second innings.Micky Arthur’s happy hunch, Caleb Jewell, hit 232 and together with Wayne Madsen (100) carried Derbyshire to 587 for five declared - their highest score against Kent.Matt Parkinson also became a record-breaker, his 46 overs, 1-204 are now the expensive bowling figures against Derbyshire in history.But Kent’s bowlers didn’t find running in at the County Ground much easier, Ben Compton compiled an unbeaten 105.

Eighteen wickets fell on a chaotic day at the Riverside, leaving Somerset to chase 265 for victory.Mitch Kileen snaffled five for 36 on Championship debut when Somerset were bowled out for 172 in the morning.Matt Henry and Migael Pretorius then rattled through Durham for 159, Alex Lees the top scorer with 35.Careful batting from Lewis Gregory and Tom Lammonby gave Somerset hope of a win on Sunday.Nottinghamshire are on top at Headingley, after Mohammad Abbas grabbed six for 45 to dismiss Yorkshire for 159.

Glamorgan enforced the follow-on against Middlesex, thanks to Andy Gorvin’s four wickets, but evening rain gave the batters some respite.And Essex’s Paul Walter and Dean Elgar put Surrey under pressure at The Oval, with a dominating opening partnership of 188.The end of another day of fun and frolics, from Rehan and Lewis at Grace Road, to the Chrises at New Road, and everything in between.Good night from us – back tomorrow for more of the same.Have a lovely evening.

Division OneChester-le-Street: Durham 277 and 159 v Somerset 172 and 71-1Southampton: Hampshire 154 and 114-6 v Sussex 297The Oval: Surrey 279 v Essex 217 and 195-2New Road: Worcestershire 181 v Warwickshire 227 and 53-1Headingley: Yorkshire 159 v Nottinghamshire 228 and 227-3Division TwoDerby: Derbyshire 587-5dec v Kent 210-3Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 383 v Middlesex 155Grace Road: Leicestershire 457 v Lancashire 206County Ground: Northamptonshire 469 v Gloucestershire 156-4Right, time for me to write up, do keep chatting BTL, the sandwiches are fresh and the cake buttery.Hi Tanya.Hello there Romeo!“You may have come across this by Fanos Hira, the former chair of Worcestershire, who knows what he’s talking about.It was in The Cricketer a few days ago.I don’t understand much of this stuff but Brian does, and he has written a bit about it all at my place which you’ll find here:Kent looking at ease after Joe Denly was caught for three, time for the Derbyshire bowlers to toil.

And a wicket at Grace Road, as Anderson Phillip fires one into Cox’s pads and he must leave after a frisky 41.Leics 389-6.I’d missed that Durham have a concussion sub – Daniel Hogg stepping in to replace Codi Yusuf who failed a concussion test after being hit on Friday.Hogg, No.11, currently 16 not out, adding a useful 18 with James Minto.

Durham 156-9 – the lead 261,Middlesex lose Holden and Higgins with the score on 70, Middx 79-4, trailing Glamorgan by 304,Higgins, incidentally, ended up with five and TRJ four in Glamorgan’s 383 – glued together by the centuries from Carlson and Northeast,At Wantage Road, Harrison is now striking with the ball , Ollie Price for 10, Glos 74-2,Leicestershire are accumulating nicely, if less flamboyantly than when Hill and Ahmed were at the crease.

A 200 plus lead at stumps will be very useful indeedDivision OneChester-le-Street: Durham 277 and 131-7 v Somerset 172Southampton: Hampshire 154 and 3-0 v Sussex 297The Oval: Surrey 279 v Essex 217 and 73-0New Road: Worcestershire 181 v Warwickshire 227 and 26-1Headingley: Yorkshire 159 v Nottinghamshire 228 and 105-2Division TwoDerby: Derbyshire 587-5 v Kent 63-1Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 383 v Middlesex 70-4Grace Road: Leicestershire 325-5 v Lancashire 206County Ground: Northamptonshire 469 v Gloucestershire 48-1Vegan cinnamon cake at Grace Road; Al Davies out fairly cheaply at New Road,Gloucestershire lost Ben Charlesworth just before tea after eventually bowling out the mighty Derbyshire for 469 – another very useful 63 for Calvin Harrison, who is a brilliant loan signing,Hello Tanya, hello Paul McIntyre!“The press are clearly being briefed that the proposals to cut the number of Championship matches from 14 to 12 and the number of Blast games from 14 to 10, is a done deal,But these cuts are not inevitable,It needs at least 12 counties to vote for them.

A members’ petition has forced Middlesex to hold a special meeting on 26 June to vote on resolutions opposing cuts.I hope members in in other counties will follow this lead.”Thanks Paul, this topic has been bubbling along all season.I think one of the main issues is that the players really feel they are playing too much cricket.This was from the PCA earlier in the season: ” 83% confirming they are concerned from a physical point of view due to the current schedule, with 67% concerned regarding their mental state, this is a rise in both stats from the 2024 results.

“Noting a wider understanding than ever before from administrators within the game, there is an 11% rise in those believing there should be at least one day between T20 games, meaning nine out of 10 deem this to be a minimum standard.”If there is not going to be any change to the Hundred, that just leaves the CC and the T20 to cut swathes of.Unfortunately.I also worry that the players are inadvertently in danger of voting for their own P45s.The floodlights are on here at Grace Road.

Oh and a wicket – reward for Anderson Phillip at last.310-5, a lead of 104.Fun fact: the friends of Grace Road made £24,600 last year for the club in cakes and quizzes.Morning cake lovers! The FoGR cafe under The Meet is open today from 2.30pm to 4.

30pm for the sale of home-made cakes & hot drinks during the @leicsccc v @lancscricket game,We look forward to seeing you this afternoon,Hopefully we will see @jimmy9 & Josh Hull on the field,🍰🏏 pic,twitter.

com/UDyRN67bAFHe’s a hungry boy, sticking another century in his back pocket, Sussex, six down, lead Hants by 137.Durham doing their best to make things interesting at Chester Le STreet – now 88 for six, while Worcestershire’s tail is wagging just enough to get them in touching distance of Warwicks – the deficit 50.Abbas removed both openers then gobbled up the tail, as Yorkshire are all out for 159.Six for 45 will do nicely.Hameed and Slater have got Notts off to a tasty start in their second innings: 41-0.

And that’s the end of Rehan for 136 - his best score in Championship cricket.He hangs his head, reluctant to move his feet plugged in a wide-apart stance, done by the flight, and caught by Keaton Jennings.He’d become frisky in the 120s.A generous, affectionate standing ovation from Grace Road.Leicestershire 280-3.

Rehan quicksteps down the wicket, casually slams Hartley for six, pauses to readjust his box.The cake stall is open.At the Oval, Curran (70) and Clark (54) have given Surrey a very handy lead of 62.Elgar and Walter walk out again.At Durham, injured wicketkeeper James Rew has been replace by wicketkeeper Thomas Rew, who is doing his A levels when he isn’t playing cricket.

Somerset have crunched through Durham’s big guns– McKinney, Gay, Bedingham all gone: 55 for three, but the lead already 160.Lewis Hill joins the party, with a top edged hook, and gets a huge fist bump and bear hug from Rehan.Lancashire struggling for a suitable incisor here at Grace Road.First the lead, then a 200 partnership, now a wonderful hundred from Rehan Ahmed, as he cuts Williams down to third man with a swish of his velvet cloak: 164 balls, 14 fours.As at Old Trafford, he looks the real deal.

A career best 232 for Caleb Jewell – a Micky Arthur hunch that came off.Derbyshire in heaven 542-5.Lancashire throwing all their efforts into their appeals, or rather celebrations that are followed by the umpire very much not raising his finger.Rehan and Hill both hovering in the 90s.“Can you name the seven one-cap wonders who are still playing County cricket,” asks Ali Martin from Trent Bridge, where he is watching Chris Woakes on the stream, and England in front of his nose.

Sit on a bench under the trees for a few minutes to admire Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Hill flaying Lancashire around the ground,“The best session we’ve had all season” I hear one member say to another,Division OneChester-le-Street: Durham 277 and 18-2 v Somerset 172Southampton: Hampshire 154 v Sussex 228-5The Oval: Surrey 203-7 v Essex 217New Road: Worcestershire 115-5 v Warwickshire 227Headingley: Yorkshire 119-7 v Nottinghamshire 228Division TwoDerby: Derbyshire 483-4 v KentSophia Gardens: Glamorgan 383 v Middlesex 20-1Grace Road: Leicestershire 189-2 v Lancashire 206County Ground: Northamptonshire 423-8 v GloucestershireThe players wander off at Grace Road, think Leicestershire just about shaded it,Fabulous from Ahmed 85 and Hill 79,Lunch scores to follow.

Oh Durham,Derbyshire continue to run amok at The County Ground – Caleb Jewell, easy as pie, turns a single to reach his double century, while Wayne MAdsen thunders to his 41st first-class hundred before holing out to long on,Derbyshire 482-3,The bumptious Somerset last pair have been dismissed for 172 – giving Durham a very useful 105-run first-innings lead,An impressive sixth-wicket partnership between Simpson (57) and Hudson-Prentice (51) has stretched to 117 and lifted Sussex into the lead.

Sam Curran approaches fifty to inch Surrey towards parity at The Oval; Chris Rushworth is rolling back the years at New Road, Worcs 105-5, and Abbas, Pennington and Hutton are filletting through Yorkshire at Headingley, 107-7.Happy hunting for 20 year old Killeen, voted Durham’s second XI player of the year 2024.He dismissed Tom Lammonby late last night and has added another four this morning as Somerset dribble to 165-9 – 36 of whose have come from Pretorius and Henry, Nos 10 and 11.Rajitha has another Surrey man in his pocket, Overton for nought.No happy return for Jason Roy either, bowled for a seven-ball duck by Shane Snater.

Surrey 145 for seven.At Grace Road, Tom Bailey replaces the expensive Phillip as Rehan and Hill make merry.Hill dispatches a half volley to the rope, and the Hill-Ahmed partnership races up to a hundred.Leicestershire 126-2, trial by 80.Essex have winkled out Sibley and Foakes this morning, both wickets to Rajitha.

Sam Curran still there, 21 not out.I enjoyed this thoughful piece on Sam Cook by Andy Bull at Trent Bridge.Leicestershire are flexing their muscles here: first Lewis Hill effortlesly lofts Will Williams just over the straight boundary and then Rehan Ahmed, mid leap, pistons two consecutive short balls from Anderson Phillip to the cover boundary for four.And, with a whisk off his boots, that’s fifty for Rehan: off 102 balls, seven fours – and picking up the pace.What a great season he’s having, and such a handsome batsman to watch too.

Northants 366-7,An interesting article from Will Macphereson on county clubs criticising umpiring decisions on social media,The ECB have warned that they could face sanctions,The Cricket Regulator advises that clubs shouldn’t “post negatively about officiating decisions”,Counties have been warned they could face sanctions via the Cricket Regulator if they criticise umpiring decisions on social media https://t