Staffordshire 461/5 (Evitts 207*, Moulton 96, Hill 35)
Cambridgeshire 2nd innings 173/8 (Claydon 58, Peirson 44, Keeling-Wright 4/32) trail by 136.
Staffordshire vs Cambridgeshire @ Checkley CC Day 2.
Staffordshire begin the second day 37 runs behind with 8 first-innings wickets in hand and 55 overs of their allocation remaining as they look to build a large 1st innings lead. Tom Moulton resumes on his overnight 17, and Reeve Evitts is 16, and they’ve added 35 so far for the 3rd wicket.
Play started at 10.30 am to make up for lost time yesterday. Moulton cut powerfully behind point for a boundary from the final ball of the first over. Evitts picked up a boundary in the 39th over when he opened the face of the bat and ran the ball between 2nd slip and gully. Staffordshire had added 14 runs in the first 4 overs as they made a steady start. There was still life in the wicket, and Moulton was struck on the hand by a rising delivery in the next over before he square drove a full ball over point for another boundary later on in the over. Evitts stood tall and clipped a ball between mid-wicket and mid-on for a glorious boundary in the 42nd over. He repeated the stroke two balls later to move the score to 146/2.
He cut a short ball strongly behind point for his 7th boundary as Staffordshire went into the lead in the 45th over. Another fine clip to the legside boundary took him to his 50 two overs later. It had taken him 92 balls and contained eight fours as he looked in fine touch. He’d been very strong off his pads, showing good balance to go with his crisp timing. He dismissed a short ball brutally to the mid-wicket boundary in the 49th over before running the final ball to third man for his second boundary of the over. Moulton drove off-spinner Claydon classically through extra cover in the next over before he had a stroke of luck later in the over. He advanced down the wicket and looked for a big shot down the ground, but he skewed it towards long-on. The fielder came rushing in off the boundary and dived forward; the ball landed just short of his right hand and crept over the boundary line as he moved to 39*.
Evitts picked up another boundary to third man in the 51st over as Staffordshire had now added 77 runs in the first 65 minutes of play. Another fine clip through the legside dissected the sweepers perfectly as he picked up another boundary in that area. A top-edged pull then flew over fine leg for a maximum as the runs continued to flow. The 3rd wicket pair have now put on 127 in 33 overs as the home side have had the perfect start to the day. Staffordshire reached 210/2 after 55 overs when drinks came onto the field. They now had 35 overs left to stretch their 58-run lead with two well-set batters at the crease and a powerful batting line-up to follow.
Moulton reached his 50 in the 58th over when he advanced down the wicket and smashed Claydon to the extra cover boundary. It had taken him 111 balls and had contained 7 fours. He’d sustained two nasty blows on the hand, but had shaken them off well to continue his fine recent form. He was as patient as ever, and he’ll now look to put his foot down as Staffordshire continue to build their lead. A perfectly balanced on drive took Evitts to 86* with his thirteenth boundary in the 61st over; it also took the 3rd wicket partnership to 150 in fine style.
Moulton lifted Clilverd over mid-on for his 8th boundary in the 65th over as the score moved to 239/2. He picked up another boundary when he whipped a straight ball between mid-wicket and mid-on two overs later. Evitts was then dropped at slip when he pushed at a delivery outside off stump later in the over. Moulton pulled a short ball from left-arm spinner Patel through mid-wicket before driving a full ball past mid-on for back-to-back boundaries in the next over.
Evitts launched a huge six over mid-on when Patel gave the ball some air to move to 99. A push through mid-wicket brought him three runs from the next ball as he reached his century from 154 deliveries. He’d struck thirteen fours and two sixes in his wonderful knock as he peppered the legside boundary throughout with some glorious stroke play. A huge blow over mid-on for his 2nd six of the over followed two balls later. A deft late cut ran away to the third man boundary in the next over before he repeated the stroke off the next ball for back-to-back boundaries to bring up the 200 partnership for the 3rd wicket. A back cut from Moulton in the 72nd over beat the fielder at backward point before he pulled a short ball to the mid-wicket boundary as he moved to 85. A lofted drive down the ground from Evitts in the final over before lunch brought him his 16th boundary.
Staffordshire reached lunch on 301/2; a lead of 149 with 16 overs of their allocated 90 remaining. Evitts unbeaten on 123 had added a mammoth 107 runs to his score in that session. Moulton made his way to 87, and added 71 to his overnight score, as the home side completely dominated the opening session of the day. They added 186 runs in 39 overs at better than 4 runs an over. The 3rd wicket partnership had now grown to 221 as the Cambridgeshire bowlers have simply had no answers to their fine stroke play. Apart from the drop at slip when Evitts was on 91, they’ve only created a half chance when Moulton chipped just short of long on. They’ll be in for a tough 16 overs when play resumes after lunch as Staffordshire now have a big lead, and still have 8 first innings wickets in hand.
Evitts guided to third man for his 17th four in the 76th over before he smashed a short ball over mid-wicket for his 4th six three balls later as he moved to 137*. Moulton pulled a short ball to the fine leg boundary before he was trapped LBW for 96 by Loveday when he looked to work a straight ball into the legside. His dismissal ended a fine partnership of 248 for the 3rd wicket with Evitts.
Lincoln pulled fiercely behind square for his first boundary in the 80th over as the score moved to 336/3. He was quickly on to the short ball and got into position quickly. He smashed a mighty six over extra cover that landed on the scorebox roof three balls later as he started his innings strongly. A powerful cut stroke from Lincoln beat the sweeper on the offside boundary in the next over. A cheeky ramp from Evitts brought him the second boundary of the over from the final delivery. A two followed by a single took him to 150* in the 82nd over as he continued to make hay in the Checkley sunshine.
Evitts launched a huge six over the legside when he picked up a full delivery from Loveday in the 84th over. Lincoln’s breezy innings of 25 was ended when he was bowled by Loveday attempting a big shot to leave Staffordshire 374/4. An excellently timed back cut from Evitts dissected third man and the sweeper on the point boundary as he picked up his 19th four in the next over. Another enormous blow over mid-wicket from the first ball of the 86th over took him 172* before Michael Hill deposited a full ball over the side screens for a huge six two balls later to take the score to 398/4. An extra cover drive for 2 from the next ball brought up the 400 for Staffordshire before another mighty blow from Hill sailed over the fielder’s head on the long on boundary to finish the over.
Evitts struck high and handsomely over mid-on for his 7th maximum to begin the 88th over as he moved to 183. Hill smoked a full delivery over mid-off for the second six of the over to move the home side to 430/4. A cut shot from Hill in the penultimate over raced to the fence in the next over as he moved quickly to 34. A six onto the road from the first ball of the final over took Evitts to 190*. Hill was then run out attempting a second run from the next ball. Evitts smashed the next ball, which was a full toss down the ground, for a one-bounce four, a dot ball followed before Evitts launched the next ball over the legside boundary for a huge six to bring up his double hundred. The final delivery was deposited into the cottage for his 10th maximum as he finished unbeaten on 207 from 218 deliveries. He struck twenty fours to go with his ten sixes in a brutal display of hitting after the lunch break. He went from 150 to 200 in just 25 balls as he really tucked into some tired Cambridgeshire bowlers as they began to wilt in the afternoon sun.
It had been a fine exhibition of batting from the tall right-hander that began in testing conditions on the first evening, before he returned to make hay as the pitch flattened out as the sun shone on the second day. His stroke play was simply magnificent; he targeted the legside mainly, showing great balance whenever he played through that area. He accelerated superbly after the lunch break and showed another side to his game. His ball striking was wonderful as he went up through the gears as the day wore on. He added a remarkable 191 to his overnight score of 16* in the 55 overs he was at the crease for today. His 207 not out is the 6th highest score by a Staffordshire batsman in championship cricket.
Staffordshire closed on 461/5 from their 90 overs in what was a simply fantastic batting effort. It is their 4th highest score in the longest format of the game. They lead by 309 runs and have a day and a half left to wrap up victory in this match. It does look better for batting now as the warm weather has flattened the pitch out somewhat, and they’ll have to work hard to secure victory in this match.
Saunders drove a full delivery from Keeling-Wright through the covers for a boundary in the 2nd over of the Cambridgeshire second innings. Keeling-Wright made the breakthrough in the 4th over when Saunders got an inside edge on a ball that nipped back at him, and Lincoln took a good low catch behind the stumps to leave Cambridgeshire 10/1. Rice edged to third man as he got off the mark with a boundary three balls later. The ball went all the way along the ground as he played it with soft hands.
Hurt trapped Routledge leg before in the 7th over when he got caught on the crease by a fine delivery that he was neither forward nor back too as the visitors slumped to 14/2. Keeling-Wright cut Rice in half with a snorter of a delivery in the next over. It cut back off the seam and bounced over the top of stumps, wrongfooted Lincoln and ran away for 4 byes.
A period of consolidation followed for Cambridgeshire where Rice and Claydon settled things down after their frantic start. Tom Brett found some turn with his left-arm spin and beat Rice’s outside edge with a fine delivery in the 14th over. Claydon drove the final ball before tea to the cover boundary as Cambridgeshire reached the interval with the score at 36/2. The loss of the two early wickets has severely hampered their chances of saving this game. Staffordshire were again excellent with the new ball, finding extra bounce and good movement from what looked like a placid pitch when they were batting. Their quicks ran in hard and again caused problems for Cambridgeshire’s top order. Brett has found turn from the surface, and it will continue to be testing for the visitors until the ball gets softer and the bowlers begin to tire.
Rice drove a full delivery crisply through the covers in the first over after tea before Keeling-Wright claimed his 10th wicket of the match when he bowled him with an absolute snorter that crashed into the off stump when he played forward as the visitors fell to 40/3. Claydon smashed a long-hop from Joe Hawkins dismissively over the mid-wicket boundary for the first maximum of the innings in the next over. Claydon pulled another long-hop from Hawkins high over the mid-wicket boundary in the 20th over as the score moved to 63/3.
An 11th wicket in the match followed in the next over for Keeling-Wright when the left-handed Dandy feathered a catch through to Lincoln. It was another fine ball from the Staffordshire seamer. Bowled from around the wicket, it was angled in to the left-hander before moving away off the seam to catch his outside edge.
Peirson drove sweetly to the cover boundary when Keeling-Wright overpitched with the final delivery of the 23rd over. Claydon pulled a short ball from Hawkins fiercely past Hurt at leg slip for another boundary in the next over as the score moved to 77/4. A finely timed extra cover drive by Claydon found the gap between mid-off and short cover, and raced away to the boundary in the 26th over, as he moved to 39*. He drove crisply through the covers once again when Keeling-Wright overpitched in the next over as he looked in good touch.
A single into the legside took Claydon to a well-made half-century in the 29th over. It had taken him 64 balls, and his knock contained four fours and two enormous sixes. He pulled two short balls from Hawkins brutally to the legside boundary in the next over as the off-spinner continued to struggle with his length.
The introduction of Moulton into the attack ended Claydon’s fine innings of 58 when he got a fine edge through to Lincoln to leave the visitors 105/5. It also brought to an end a useful 5th wicket stand of 42 between himself and Peirson. Brett struck immediately after the drinks break when he got one to turn and catch the outside edge of Wilson’s bat to give Lincoln a simple catch as Cambridgeshire slumped to 110/6.
Peirson on-drove a full toss from Moulton to the mid-on boundary at the start of the next over. He skipped down the pitch and struck Brett for a one-bounce four in the 37th over. It was good use of his feet by the left-hander that allowed him to get to the pitch of the ball and complete a fine stroke. He was carrying on his good form from the first innings, where he made a decent 37* before he ran out of partners. He advanced down the wicket again in the 39th over and struck Brett for a big six over long-on as he moved to 29*. Two fine drives down the ground brought Peirson two more boundaries in the next over when Moulton overpitched.
Patel slog-swept Brett through mid-wicket for his first boundary in the 41st over. He’d tried the shot earlier in the over and survived a big appeal for LBW. Patel chipped just over Evitts head at mid-on off the bowling of Atkinson in the next over as he was lucky to get away with a poor stroke. Atkinson found some extra bounce in the 44th over and Peirson could only glove the ball over Kettleborough at 1st slip when he played a defensive stroke and it ran away to the third man boundary. He then trapped Peirson LBW for 44 with the next delivery as Cambridgeshire fell to 154/7.
Atkinson had two big appeals for LBW turned down in the 46th over as Staffordshire continued to push for victory in the evening session. Patel cut a short ball from Brett to the cover boundary in the next over. Patel nicked Atkinson in the gap between second slip and gully as he finished the 48th over with a streaky boundary. Clilverd gloved a good short ball from Keeling-Wright past leg gully and away to the fine leg boundary to end the 51st over. Keeling-Wright claimed his 4th wicket in the final over of the day when Clilverd fended a short ball to Evitts at leg gully as Cambridgeshire closed on 173/8.
Staffordshire absolutely dominated today’s play, and they only require two wickets to wrap up a crushing victory when play resumes on the third day. Cambridgeshire need 136 more runs with only 2 wickets in hand if they’re to make Staffordshire bat again. It’s a day to remember for Evitts after he struck a fine double century before Keeling-Wright once again got work with the ball.
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