Key events
Jamie Smith and Dillon Pennington called up for the Test team
A Sunday morning Test announcement, I feel suddenly transported back to 1985. Two new caps, Surrey wunderkind wicket-keeper Jamie Smith – which marks, you’d have thought, the end of Jonny Bairstow’s 100-Test career, and gently closes the door on Ben Foakes. Ollie Robinson, the Durham one, can feel unlucky. Pennington beats Sam Cook to the first ‘replacement-for-Jimmy’ spot, Gus Atkinson, Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts make up the rest of the pace attack. Shoaib Bashir takes the spin spot. Ollie Robinson, the Sussex one, is left to ponder what might have been.
England Men’s Test Squad:
Ben Stokes (Durham) Captain
James Anderson (Lancashire) (First Test only)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Surrey)
Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
The Oval: Surrey v Essex
Taunton: Somerset v Warwickshire
Trafalgar Road: Lancashire v Nottinghamshire
Southampton: Hampshire v Kent
Chester le Street: Durham v Worcestershire
DIVISION TWO
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Middlesex
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Glamorgan
County Ground: Northamptonshire v Sussex
Chesterfield: Derbyshire v Yorkshire
Preamble
Hello from a train chugging damply towards Liverpool. The sky is heavy with grey clouds, of the type that Jimmy Anderson might order – which is handy as today he makes his first Championship appearance for Lancashire of the season, at Southport. After that comes his swansong at the Lord’s Test and then – who knows? So, in short, this could be the last chance for anyone not going to Lord’s to see him bowl in the flesh.
OF course he could play for Lancashire for another three years, but the organisers at Southport and Birkdale CC won’t mind – they’re already sold all 2,300 tickets for today – so don’t travel if you haven’t got a ticket as you won’t get in!
Festival cricket also at Cheltenham and Chesterfield, a the top of the table clash at The Oval and much more.