Keogh century frustrates Hampshire

LV CC Division Two, Ageas Bowl

Close, day one: Northants 323-6 v Hampshire

Northants 3 pts, Hampshire 2 pts

Rob Keogh hit a maiden first-class century to rescue promotion-chasing Northants after a dreadful start against Hampshire at Southampton.

The second-placed visitors were reduced to 32-4 inside 13 overs after being put in by Hampshire skipper Jimmy Adams.

But Andrew Hall (48) helped 21-year-old Keogh add 120 before clipping a catch to square leg off Ruel Brathwaite.

Keogh, who reached his hundred off 178 balls, was 158 at stumps, with Matt Spriegel on 61 and Northants on 323-6.

The visitors went into the game 33 points behind leaders Lancashire, who have the week off, and 44 points clear of third-placed Essex, who have a game in hand.

They had to do without in-form all-rounder David Willey (back injury) and loan signing Graeme White, who was hit by the ball during pre-match practice and forced to pull out.

Batting first under cloud cover, Northants were unable to deal with seamers David Balcombe, James Tomlinson and Matt Coles while the ball was still new.

Hall's experience was crucial, however, as they rebuilt the innings and, after the South African departed, Keogh found a new ally in White's replacement, Matthew Spriegel.

He also made his highest Championship score of the summer, sharing an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 161.

BBC Radio Northampton's Chris Egerton:

"After day one, Northants could thank two players who have not been in the headlines for much of 2013.

"Rob Keogh, strong on the leg-side, is only playing his seventh first class match and to make his maiden hundred - and a big one - will be a thorough delight to him. Matt Spriegel had made only 47 runs this year before his half-century and must have been gleeful too.

"Together they could give Northants maximum batting points on the second day, something they could scarcely have thought possible during the highly testing morning session."

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David Willey's century in vain as Northants' place in YB40 semi-final proves elusive

Northamptonshire missed out on a place in the YB40 semi-finals in agonising circumstances despite David Willey plundering 167, his maiden senior century, in the rout of Warwickshire.

Northamptonshire were denied the Group A title by Nottinghamshire’s win over Kent at Canterbury and wins for Glamorgan and Somerset in Group C then dashed their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals as the best runner-up.

It was 40 minutes after Muhammad Azharullah yorked Recordo Gordon before Northamptonshire discovered their fate which meant an anticlimactic end to a day dominated by Willey, who hit 10 sixes and 12 fours in a spectacular 101-ball innings of clean hitting against a depleted and demoralised attack.

The left-hander had struck his first Twenty20 half-century and claimed a hat-trick in Northamptonshire’s Twenty20 final win over Surrey at Edgbaston nine days earlier and he again made the ground a home-from-home by racing from a 40-ball fifty to his first century in any competition in only 22 more balls.

Willey was surprisingly overlooked for England’s Twenty20 squad against Australia but his inclusion in the England Lions squad for last week’s match against Bangladesh A proves that he is on the selectors’ radar.

This innings was another reminder of Willey’s talents but it was made against a threadbare Warwickshire attack which included only three specialist bowlers and only one of them, off-spinner Jeetan Patel, a senior player. Only Patel, who took two for 32, escaped punishment from Willey who took four of his sixes off Darren Maddy, who was given the honour of leading out Warwickshire in his final one-day appearance at the end of a 20-year career.

Maddy was given a guard of honour by Northamptonshire’s players when he came out to bat, but little went right for him from the moment that Willey lifted his fifth ball over long on for the first in his fusillade of sixes.

Maddy managed only a single from three balls before he was smartly stumped by David Murphy down the leg side off Trent Copeland and departed to a standing ovation.

Willey failed by five runs to equal Wayne Larkins’s Northamptonshire record 40-over score of 172, also made against Warwickshire at Luton 30 years ago, when he scooped Tom Milnes to long on seeking his eleventh six.

But Northamptonshire easily reached their highest 40-over total with Rob Keogh, who gave Willey excellent support in a fifth wicket stand of 101, reaching his first senior fifty.

Keogh also timed the ball sweetly on an excellent batting pitch and reached his fifty with his only six, pulled off a Gordon full toss, before he skied the last ball of the innings to midwicket.

Warwickshire suffered the embarrassment of finishing bottom of their group, below minnows Holland, and without a home win just a year after they suffered a last-ball defeat to Hampshire in last season’s final.

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Michael Richardson's century helps put Durham into impregnable position against Yorkshire

For the second time in his fledgling first-class career, Michael Richardson demonstrated a liking for the Yorkshire bowling attack, in the process steering Durham into an apparently impregnable position in this collision of the County Championship’s top two sides.

The South African-born wicketkeeper-batsman made his championship debut against the White Rose at Headingley two years ago, scoring 140 runs in the match, including an unbeaten 73 that, until Thursday, represented his highest first-class score.

Since then Richardson has been something of a bit player, his 17 first-class appearances yielding 568 runs at an average of 22.72. But once again the whiff of battle against the Yorkies brought out the best in him.

He started the day with just three to his name and probably expecting to play second fiddle to his captain Paul Collingwood who, 74 not out overnight, looked well placed to become the third Durham batsman to reach three figures. Instead, Collingwood fell early, judged leg before as he shaped to turn a short delivery from Ryan Sidebottom to leg after adding only seven.

That nevertheless left Durham on a healthy 414 for seven and any hopes of Yorkshire wrapping up the innings in short order were dashed by Richardson, aided and abetted on an easy-paced surface by Mark Wood and Jamie Harrison.

After surviving a confident lbw shout against Adil Rashid on 29, Richardson reached his fifty from 80 balls with seven fours, on the way losing Wood, caught at cover after an eighth-wicket stand of 49 in 31 overs.

There was to be no let-up for Yorkshire, however. Once again, Sidebottom apart, their bowlers struggled for consistency and Richardson and Harrison were in no mood to let them go unpunished. They had added 84 in 22 overs when, with Yorkshire looking increasingly impotent, Harrison was run out at the bowler’s end for a career-best 35 by a direct hit from wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

Richardson was 77 at that stage but soon moved into the nineties with a six over long on off Kane Williamson and repeated the stroke to reach his century from 141 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. He fell three balls later, well caught by Gary Ballance at deep mid-on as he went for a third big hit.

A Durham total of 573 was, however, not what the majority of another 5,500-plus crowd would have had in mind at the start of the match and their mood was not improved by the early loss of Adam Lyth, superbly caught at third slip by Ben Stokes as he aimed an extravagant drive at Chris Rushworth.

Yorkshire were still 555 in arrears at that stage but Phil Jaques and Willamson began the long haul to safety confidently enough, adding 54 in 13 overs before Scott Borthwick’s leg-spin deceived Jaques by some extra bounce and he was caught at short leg off bat-pad.

When Andrew Gale was trapped leg before by Harrison nine overs later, Yorkshire were 107 for three and on the back foot. Steady nerves were required and they were provided by Williamson and Bairstow.

New Zealand all-rounder Williamson, a late overseas recruit as cover for the possible absence of Bairstow and Ballance on international duty, had been dismissed for a golden duck in his only previous championship innings. However, once that ignominy had been avoided, he slipped into the groove, reaching a chanceless half-century from 81 balls with nine fours and by the close he and Bairstow had added 75 in 45 overs. Yorkshire are still the little matter of 242 away from avoiding the follow-on.

“The call from Colly was to push the follow-on target as high as possible,” said Richardson. “It’s going to be hard work to bowl pressure because the pitch is flat and the outfield fast. But things would change very quickly if we could get rid of Williamson and Bairstow early.”

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Aslam century leads Pakistan to victory

'I wasted the first four years of my career'

The New Zealand great recalls his tours to India, his battle with depression, and speaks of the challenges facing modern-day allrounders

India A look to make recce lessons count for bigger test

While the A tour has helped India's young cricketers, it's unlikely it will give the senior side any advantage when they tour South Africa later in the year

How to handle Pietersen

Give genius players like him the freedom and appreciation they desire and they'll win matches for you more often than not

Why Ryan Harris should play at The Oval

He and Chris Rogers have been Australia's sole positives in the latter half of this Ashes series

Azharullah brings romance to Finals Day

Having thrown in his lot for a career in county cricket, Azharullah can complete the fairytale by helping unfancied Northants to glory

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Imam century too much for England

'I wasted the first four years of my career'

The New Zealand great recalls his tours to India, his battle with depression, and speaks of the challenges facing modern-day allrounders

India A look to make recce lessons count for bigger test

While the A tour has helped India's young cricketers, it's unlikely it will give the senior side any advantage when they tour South Africa later in the year

How to handle Pietersen

Give genius players like him the freedom and appreciation they desire and they'll win matches for you more often than not

Why Ryan Harris should play at The Oval

He and Chris Rogers have been Australia's sole positives in the latter half of this Ashes series

Azharullah brings romance to Finals Day

Having thrown in his lot for a career in county cricket, Azharullah can complete the fairytale by helping unfancied Northants to glory

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Ashes 2013: David Warner hits century for Australia A against South Africa A

Warner was sent to Africa for match practice after being suspended for punching Joe Root and in his final match for Australia?A he struck 29 fours and a six against South Africa A in Pretoria.

He is due to return to this country at the weekend and link up with Australia in Hove during their three-day match against Sussex.

England confirmed on Wednesday that James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, would guest for Sussex as Andy Flower looks at candidates as cover for Kevin Pietersen, who is being treated for a calf injury.

Australia have called up Western Australia spinner Ashton Turner, 20, to the team to fill holes caused by injury. Turner, like Ashton Agar, is a Cricket Australia scholar working with Hampshire and will make his first-class debut.

Nathan Lyon returns to the side with a chance to earn a recall for the third Test next week after losing his place to Agar. “To be left out of the team for an Ashes Test match is not that easy to take but that comes down to the personality of the person,” Lyon said. “I believe my best ball can get the best batters in the world out. The thing is that I have to keep doing that over and over and over.”

Plenty of Australian players are struggling for form but England have room for improvement too with Jonathan Trott, usually such a consistent contributor, averaging 26.50 from four innings having thrown his wicket away on a couple of occasions.

“Anybody can get out quite early in their innings, I suppose,” Trott said. “You haven’t contributed for the team but, if you get fifty, at least you have done something towards the team effort, although on a personal note it is pretty upsetting because you have done all the hard work.

“I get myself out sometimes if I am brutally honest. That’s something I try to pride myself on not doing. It’s frustrating but I feel in the past that I have contributed. Other people like Joe [Root] and Ian [Bell] have stepped in, perhaps it is my turn for the rest of the series.”

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Ashes 2013: the hush at Lord's as England's Joe Root reached his century against Australia proved that silence is golden

Huge applause followed Tim Bresnan and Joe Root through the Long Room and on to the pitch.

Peter Siddle was thrown the ball by Michael Clarke, but as he started stampeding in there was suddenly no sound. For whatever reason, anticipation and delight equalled silence.

It was rather lovely actually. It did not last very long – just the first couple of overs, before intense concentration meandered a while — but it returned just before tea as Root neared his century.

It remained until Root became the youngest Englishman to score a hundred at Lord’s against Australia, and returned again as Ashton Agar and Steve Smith helped him on the way to 150 – with a push towards square leg and a scurried single.

While a frenzy of gluttony was gathering at the Food Village behind the Media Centre, those watching could close their eyes and tell from the noise of the crowd who was facing – a tense hush for Root, chatter for Jonny Bairstow.

It was similar to the silence that stalked Graham Gooch at the Lord’s Test against India 23 years ago as he crept towards the then magical 365.

As we’ve become less reserved as a nation, our sport has become more raucous. We make more noise, and the organisers organise more noise on our behalf.

During London 2012 music was everywhere – NME called it “the most music-oriented Olympic Games ever”.

It thudded through the speakers at ever venue – between goals at the wheelchair basketball, between races at the swimming, during penalty corners at the hockey. The Chemical Brothers’ Galvanize haunted every waking footstep.

The only silence was forced, during the Paralympic football, blind jumping events and goalball, so that the players could listen out for sounds and instruction.

The general noise levels were a deliberate ploy by Locog, to try to attract a younger audience – it worked. And there was an unforgettable atmosphere everywhere.

But it is not just the Olympics – during Twenty20 cricket, snatches of song play at every wicket.

The Indian Premier League is obsessed by noise. Even during the first Test at Trent Bridge, James Pattinson and Brad Haddin were bombarded with a high-decibel version Land of Hope and Glory as they walked out to bat after lunch on the final day.

This forced jollity is generally a good thing – it gees things up and keeps the hair standing on end but, for those who would rather watch sport in companionable silence, the din and the chanting must be a living hell.

As the much-missed Christopher Martin-Jenkins wrote about the Barmy Army, “Come friendly bombs and fall on them”.

People go to sport to enjoy themselves. There is a feeling of common humanity that comes from watching something together and noisily getting wrapped up in it.

When Mo Farah won the Olympic 5,000m the noise of 80,000 delirious spectators reached 140 decibels – so loud it messed up the finishing-line photograph.

The silence at Lord’s at the weekend did not interfere with any photographs. But it was equally, quietly, enjoyable.

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