James Rew was the hero as Somerset roared back to beat Essex by three wickets at Taunton Rew’s uncanny calm belies his years and, at 21, he became the youngest player to make 10 first-class centuries since Denis Compton. Out just before the close for 116, the winning runs were thumped by Craig Overton, a straight six off Simon Harmer for a first victory of the season. A draw at Sophia Gardens was much more than the sum of its parts, eight Glamorgan fielders crowding Derbyshire’s Luis Reece for the final over with one wicket needed, after a brave declaration from Sam Northeast. Ben Kellaway pocketed both career-best batting and bowling figures. “First away game we had a 30-yard boundary and then we had a snake pit, and then you come here and they have already played two games on a wicket.” 10h ago19.51 CESTThrill Southampton: Hampshire 470 DRAW with Durham 511 and 61-0 Taunton: Somerset 145 and 325-7 BEAT Essex 206 and 259 by three wickets Headingley: Warwickshire 253 and 186-5 BEAT Yorkshire 205 and 232 by FIVE WICKETS Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 dec DRAW with Derbyshire 350 & 308-9 Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 and 255-8 DRAW with Gloucestershire 589-8dec Grace Road: Leicestershire 304 and 175 BEAT Northamptonshire 191 and 156 by 132 runs Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 266-8 BEAT Kent 129 and 473 by two wickets Updated at 19.36 CEST10h ago19.31 CESTMiddlesex BEAT Kent by two wicketsZafar Gohar 11h ago19.25 CESTGlamorgan DRAW with DerbyshireSophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7 dec DRAW with Derbyshire 350 & 308-9 11h ago19.21 CESTEight… 11h ago19.20 CESTSeven men round the bat… 11h ago19.19 CESTOne over left at Sophia Gardens: one wicket for Glamorgan to grab. Updated at 19.19 CEST11h ago19.16 CESTAt Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan need a wicket off 12 balls; at Lord’s, Middlesex need 12 runs off 24 balls, Kent two wickets. 11h ago19.03 CESTPendulum swings back at Lord’s: Middlesex need 20 runs from seven overs. Two wickets left. 11h ago19.02 CESTAnd Dal is stumped, Glamorgan need just one wicket. 11h ago19.01 CESTDerbyshire need 49, Glamorgan need two wickets. Five overs left. 11h ago18.55 CESTLancashire DRAW with GloucestershireA great effort by the Gloucestershire bowlers thwarted by some late-order fortitude from Lancs Gloucestershire 13 points, Lancashire 12 12h ago18.22 CESTTime for me to write up for the paper, but do follow the three thrillers BTL. 12h ago18.21 CESTThe new ball has been taken at OT, and given straight to van Buuren, but Lancs look like they’ll get away with this one. I forgot Derbyshire – who are almost swaggering to their target – Andersson (64) and Dal (19) the men at the crease. They need 86 from 13 and a bit overs at Sophia Gardens. Five wickets in hand. Updated at 18.22 CEST12h ago18.14 CESTAnd now Rob Bailey gives an LBW! The brave Eskinazi limps away and the pendulum swings. Middlesex need 51 , eight down. 12h ago18.00 CESTDavies pulls, rolls the wrists, but Richards is waiting under the shade of the stand at deep midwicket and catches it low in the breadbasket. A third wicket for Parky! Middlesex 312-7, 53 needed. Updated at 18.15 CEST12h ago17.56 CESTEskinazi has returned to join the in-touch Davies. 55 needed, four wickets in hand. Updated at 17.58 CEST12h ago17.54 CESTParky strikes! Hollman caught at short leg for 103. Nerves, nerves, nerves, at Lord’s. 12h ago17.45 CEST“There was also a run out, is one way of putting it,” writes Gary Naylor. “THERE WAS ALSO A RUN OUT! is another.” 12h ago17.38 CEST"What's the point?" Ryan Campbell criticises Hampshire pitchDurham’s head coach doesn’t pull his punches: “It is one of those games where you look back on and think ‘what is the point?’. We played as well as I expected us to play. “Until we start to get wickets right in this competition it is pretty disappointing. First away game we had a 30 yard boundary and then we had a snake pit, and then you come here and they have already played two games on a wicket. “I’m not going to tell everyone else what to do but it is disappointing to play on things like this. If you want to play good first-class cricket you need good cricket wicket. This one gave the bowlers no chance. Some of the things that are going on, I’m not sure what is going on.” 12h ago17.34 CESTA hundred for Luke HollmanWell played! A first f-c hundred, in his first match as a specialist batsman. He takes off his helmet, gives the badge a kiss, and waves his bat at his teammates crowded onto the Lord’s balcony. 12h ago17.30 CESTDespite DBD’s best effort, it seems Middlesex are going to chase this down! Hollman is one short of his hundred, Jack Davies a steadfast sidekick. 102 needed. 13h ago17.07 CESTDivision One table1 Nottinghamshire (played 4) 70 13h ago16.55 CESTHampshire DRAW with DurhamSouthampton: Hampshire 470 DRAW with Durham 511 and 61-0 Time to go home after only 20 wickets fell in four days. Southampton: Hampshire 470 v Durham 511 and 61-0 bad light stopped play Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 431 and 256-7dec v Derbyshire 350 and 136-4 Derbyshire need 202 to win Old Trafford: Lancashire 450 and 178-6 v Gloucestershire 589-8dec Lancs lead by 39 runs Lord’s: Middlesex 238 and 243-5 v Kent 129 and 473 Middlesex need 122 to win 13h ago16.38 CESTLancs not looking entirely at ease here. 13h ago16.33 CESTTom Latham to play for Warwickshire next weekThe Bears hope that Latham, whose arrival in Birmingham was delayed because of a hand injury, will be available for Surrey’s visit next Friday. 14h ago16.22 CESTAnd now Madsen – time to hammer down the hatches, lads. Two wickets each for Leonard and Kellaway. Derby 122-4. 14h ago16.20 CESTDerbyshire have lost Lloyd, Jewell, Came and energy. 119-3. And another at OT! Balderson caught behind off van Buuren. Lancs 160-6, leading by 21, and now knee deep in the dirt. 14h ago16.06 CESTWhat a pose A picture I took of Kapil Dev bowling in the MCC v Rest of the World match at Lord's, August 20th 1987. He took 0 for 54 and 1 for 21 on a pitch which favoured the batsmen. In 221.1 overs, the Rest of the World bowlers only took 10 wickets for 739 runs (there was also a run out) pic.twitter.com/8G867oCguA Jodi Grewcock struck her first half-century of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women's competition as Essex overcame Lancashire at Chelmsford to break their duck in the tournament The left-hander finished unbeaten on 73 from 91 balls accumulating singles and hitting only six boundaries as she shared a decisive fourth-wicket partnership of 89 from 88 with Flo Miller (41 from 48) and steered Essex over the line with 16 balls to spare Grewcock had earlier made a key contribution with the ball after Eve Jones (57 from 75) and Emma Lamb (43 from 53) gave Lancashire a strong platform with an opening stand of 106 from 117 - their third consecutive three-figure partnership But Grewcock and fellow legspinner Abtaha Maqsood triggered a middle-order collapse to restrict the visitors to 230 for 8 after seven wickets went down for 76. Essex opted to bowl after winning the toss, but could not establish control in the powerplay as Jones and Lamb built steadily, consistently picking out gaps in the field. Jones began to accelerate, dispatching Grace Scrivens for successive boundaries - but there was a touch of fortune about the left-hander's drive off Maqsood that took her past 50, with Jo Gardner fumbling a mid-off catch before the ball rolled on to the rope. Maqsood did eventually dismiss Jones, who pulled her to deep midwicket, but Lancashire still looked on course for a sizeable total when Lamb and Katie Mack guided them to 133 for 1 just after halfway. Kate Coppack's second spell triggered a shift in momentum as the seamer accounted for both Lamb and Seren Smale in the space of three balls and almost 11 overs went by without Lancashire finding the boundary. Essex's spinners stifled the middle order, capturing wickets at regular intervals and it was only due to a late flurry by Tara Norris and Grace Potts, who added 21 from the final three overs, that the visitors reached 230. Scrivens immediately made inroads, punching the first ball of her side's reply to the cover fence while new opening partner Lissy MacLeod also produced some classy strokeplay to ensure they kept pace with the required rate. The pair put on 77 from 86 - Essex's best opening stand of the tournament - but both fell in successive overs from Hannah Jones (3 for 39), Scrivens bowled attempting to reverse-sweep the left-armer before MacLeod speared one to mid-off. Grewcock and Cordelia Griffith nursed the innings along with a partnership of 42 but they were held up by the teasing off-breaks of Lamb, who removed Griffith as Norris flung out her left hand to pouch a drive that had looked destined for the boundary. However, that wicket brought Miller to the crease, providing Essex with fresh impetus and, although she was neatly caught on the boundary with 14 still needed, Grewcock sealed the win by slamming a Lamb full toss for four. Jodi Grewcock 73* leads Essex Women to first winAbtaha Maqsood shines with the ball to keep Lancashire in check Jodi Grewcock struck her first half-century of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women's competition as Essex overcame Lancashire at Chelmsford to break their duck in the tournament But Grewcock and fellow legspinner Abtaha Maqsood triggered a middle-order collapse to restrict the visitors to 230 for 8 after seven wickets went down for 76. as hundreds of people slogged it out across a muddy riverbed One participant says "it was harder than childbirth", mud race chairman Brian Farrington tells the BBC - find out how the race works Another runner travelled to Essex from the Netherlands wearing the dress his mother wore to his sister's wedding drew more than 20,000 spectators last year and managed to raise thousands of pounds for charity The race kicked off at about 13:00 BST and we've been following all the mucky moments and Akylah Rodriguez and Jodie Halford diving into the mud Lewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race That was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen - watching hundreds of people crawl fight and try to run through thick mud isn’t something you see every day But thousands turned up in Maldon to watch and cheer on the mud racers as they slogged through the 440m (1,443ft) stretch of the River Chelmer at low tide I might even try the race myself next year It was a bizarre experience – but a truly enjoyable one Thanks for following our live coverage of the Maldon Mud Race – we hope you have a newfound appreciation for solid Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBizarre event but we loved every momentpublished at 14:19 British Summer Time 4 May14:19 BST 4 MayJenna MoonLive reporter Hundreds of participants have descended on Maldon in Essex to take on the mud - and while my preference for battling the Sunday scaries isn't to get coated head-to-toe in muck I've been warm and thankfully mud-free here in London but have been eagerly watching events unfold Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'A lot of pain,' says first man to cross finish linepublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 4 May14:04 BST 4 MayJoe Griggs is the first man to cross the finish line this year He describes his coveted victory as "unreal" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe fastest woman to cross this year's finish linepublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 4 May13:59 BST 4 MayWe're now getting more details about the winners of Maldon's famous mud race was the first woman to complete the course this year She was all smiles (and mud-free!) as she accepted her prize Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnyone fancy a cuppa?published at 13:40 British Summer Time 4 May13:40 BST 4 MayMayor of Halstead Andy Munday joined the race dressed as a cup of tea They are among the many people who have now finished the race and are queuing up for the open shower Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRescuers come to the aid of four stuck racerspublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 4 May13:32 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race Four people have had to give up because the water is rising and they just can't move Event organisers have had to get ropes and small paddle boats to help get them out of the water Huge cheers were heard for the last across the line Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSome still stuck in mud - and likely to be there for a whilepublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 4 May13:27 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race and they will likely be there for quite some time But the vast majority are starting to cross the line and they're getting hosed down Most of the mud racers who've finished are in good spirits Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTwenty years of running through the mudpublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 4 May13:25 BST 4 MayFinisher Joel Hicks from Leicestershire tells us it's a fantastic day at the race – this is the 20th year he has participated We looked back through our archives and found Joel smiling in last year's story on the event Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBBC presenters Akylah and Jodie have done itpublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 4 May13:17 BST 4 MayWell done both of you We're expecting a full report on the race soon Jodie and Akylah have made it through the muck Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPeople stuck just before finishing linepublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 4 May13:13 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race People are literally crawling over the finish line Some of them are getting stuck just before the line but they're all being cheered on by thousands and thousands of people Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFirst-timer wins Maldon Mud Racepublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 4 May13:13 BST 4 MayBreakingMatt MackayReporting from the Maldon Mud Race First-time participant Joe has just won Maldon Mud Race "I just tried to get in front of people and tried to stay in front of them," he says about his tactics adding that people can be boisterous and push ahead during the race We're glad your mum doesn't want that dress back Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBeacon Hill Rovers FC smile through the slushpublished at 13:09 British Summer Time 4 May13:09 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race Through all the screams you can hear four men - walking arm-in-arm - singing "oh Safe to say they'll be having a few beers at the clubhouse tonight Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIn pictures: People crawl and run through mudpublished at 13:06 British Summer Time 4 May13:06 BST 4 MayWhile we appear to have a winner trudging and trying to run through the thick mud Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWinner emerges alreadypublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 4 May13:02 BST 4 MayBreakingLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race People are belly-sliding down the river bank Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingA range of tactics to tackle this course - and one naked manpublished at 12:59 British Summer Time 4 May12:59 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race I've hardly been able to stand up as I walk along the race and try to take photos of the participants One man with a Go Pro camera is naked - I'm hoping a bit more mud might cover him up Another person got close to the finish line quickly Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingStuck in alreadypublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 4 May12:57 BST 4 MayOops - we've already seen people getting stuck in the mud Hopefully this team can work their way out soon Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLet's get muddy!published at 12:55 British Summer Time 4 May12:55 BST 4 MayBreakingAnd they’re off The Maldon Mud Race in Essex has officially begun Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingOlympic bronze medallist set to kick mud race offpublished at 12:54 British Summer Time 4 May12:54 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race Olympic bronze medallist Lewis Richardson is the person starting the event "It’s quite a unique event you don’t see too many mud races," he says getting punched in the face or running through the mud He says the best outfit he's spotted so far today is a "Where's Wally?" costume Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLobsters Power Rangers and giant biscuits prepare for the mudpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 4 May12:50 BST 4 MayWe're absolutely loving the pictures that we've received so far from Maldon Here are some of the best costumes we've spotted so far today as people line up to take part from Great Dunmow are calling out to the sea Rob Faulkner from Windsor is glammed-up and ready to turn his outfit from pink to brown have taken inspiration from the popular '90s children's programme Halstead Mayor Andy Munday and his wife Linda Smith are dunking head-first into the mud Lauren Scotcher and Alison Tuck hope their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes come to the rescue This group has us going bananas - Dave and Sally Barker Kevin Sisseam and Claire Lunn are hoping to peel out ahead in this race Jordan Cox struck a classy century as Essex made the champions Surrey toil while Yorkshire suffered at the hands of Hampshire’s attack where nearly 2,500 came through the turnstiles Things weren’t going so well for England’s Zak Crawley, who lost his stumps in spectacular style to the Northamptonshire new boy Liam Guthrie, out for one. Tawanda Muyeye’s 72 then helped Kent to a respectable 231, before Northants were fleeced to 118 for seven. At the Rose Bowl, Jonny Bairstow’s first day as Yorkshire captain didn’t unfold entirely as planned as they were skittled for 121 by Hampshire. Shadow in the corner Liam Dawson snaffled three for eight, and there was a first wicket for Sonny Baker, who had Bairstow caught flaming to third man, bothered by an insect. In reply Hampshire were 165 for five at the close of play. Colin Ackermann had some birthday luck on his way to the first century of the year, bowled for 80 only for the bails to settle back in their groove. Durham ploughed on towards 400 despite four wickets for Nottinghamshire’s Australian Fergus O’Neill. At Taunton, Kasey Aldridge’s five wickets ruined a good Worcestershire start as they lost nine for 52 and were all out for 154. Half centuries from the Toms Abell and Banton then rescued Somerset from a precarious 39 for three to finish on 187 for four. The big name Division Two game at Lord’s swung merrily; Sam Robson and Max Holden easing Middlesex to 127 for one before the Lancashire debutant Ollie Sutton (two for 57) and Tom Aspinwall (four for 32) took charge. Leicestershire bowled out Glamorgan for 229, the on loan Shoaib Bashir bowled by Rehan Ahmed for 20 while Derbyshire’s Luis Reece grabbed six for 52 against Gloucestershire before Caleb Jewell’s 61 from 48 balls showed why he was in Mickey Arthur’s little black book. 4 Apr 202520.37 CESTAnd so ends day one – just another 59 days to go! Thanks so much for all your contributions, and see you tomorrow. 4 Apr 202520.07 CESTA cracking read from Ali at Edgbaston: Southampton: Hampshire 164-5 v Yorkshire 121 Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Durham 370-9 Taunton: Somerset 187-4 v Worcestershire 154 Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex 386-5 The County Ground: Derbyshire 127-2 v Gloucestershire 222 Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 229 v Leicestershire 65-1 Lord’s: Middlesex 260 v Lancashire 68-0 Wantage Road: Northamptonshire 118-7 v Kent 231 4 Apr 202519.31 CESTI see Caleb Jewell has been showing Gloucestershire just why he was in Mickey Arthur’s little black book: 61 off 48 balls at the top of the order. 4 Apr 202519.07 CESTThanks for keeping the flame alight for the last hour and a half. Essex are still on top here at Chelmsford, Kemar Roach snaffling Jordan Cox, but not before he’d made a scintillating 117. 4 Apr 202517.10 CESTTea-time scoresDIVISION ONE Southampton: Hampshire 76-1 v Yorkshire 121 Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Durham 243-5 Taunton: Somerset 53-3 v Worcestershire 154 Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex 232-4 The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire 198-6 Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 181-8 v Leicestershire Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Kent 231 4 Apr 202516.57 CESTIn Division Two: Lancashire left-armer Ollie Sutton has his first and second first-class wickets, a mini collapse by the Middlesex middle-order from 215-3 to 237-6. Dudgeon (25) and Singh have taken Kent past 200 at Wantage Road; Glamorgan’s batting also a little rusty, 180-8 and Graeme van Buuren holding Gloucestershire together against Derbyshire., 192-6. 4 Apr 202516.47 CESTFifty for Jordan Cox!A half century for Cox, who reaches it with a sweet drive at Fisher, who in turn furiously throws his hands down in exasperation. And a ball later, grabs his hat and stalks back into the field. 4 Apr 202516.42 CESTWalter (92) and Ackermann (95) do battle for first century of the season. 4 Apr 202516.27 CESTJordan Cox threads two fours off one Jordan Clark over with some panache. Chelmsford applauds with hard, early season hands. Essex 195-2 4 Apr 202516.11 CESTAnd a happy 90th birthday to Geoff Smith, the oldest-living Essex player who popped into the press box. 4 Apr 202515.58 CESTTom Clark and James Coles put on 121 for the fourth wicket at Edgbaston, but Coles has just been caught off Tazeem Ali for 51. Sussex promoted with a twinkle at the end of last season Here in the Essex sunshine, Walter top-edges Fisher for four. Jordan Clark, who looks more and more like a brick-carrying body-builder with each passing year, prowls at mid-on. Essex 164-2. 4 Apr 202515.39 CESTAt Taunton, Craig Overton has added a couple of wickets to his couple of catches. Make that three , Worcestershire 153-9 Here, at Chelmsford, Surrey persuade the umpires to change the ball. 4 Apr 202515.26 CESTMiddlesex are doing justice to the Guardian’s tip for promotion: 173-2 in the sunshine at Lord’s. Max Holden (65 not out). Lancashire toiling away. 4 Apr 202515.21 CESTAnd Dawson (3-8) picks up the final wicket – Yorkshire all out 121. A big afternoon for Jack White, who joined Yorks from Northants in the off season. 4 Apr 202515.16 CESTSurrey’s post-lunch containment strategy works at Chelmsford – Kemar Roach picking up Tom Westley for 40. Enter Jordan Cox. 4 Apr 202515.10 CESTAnd Yorkshire’s brave new world lasted just over a session: now 119-9 at Southampton. Malan the highest scorer, run out for 31. Three for Abbot, two for Dawson. 4 Apr 202515.02 CESTMake that five, as D’Oliveira loses his stumps . Worcs 133-6. 4 Apr 202514.58 CESTA fourth wicket for Kasey Aldridge at Taunton Roderick gobbled up by Coverton slip – his second GONE!! Kasey Aldridge again!!! He's got four now and it's the big wicket of Roderick!! Worcestershire 111/5LIVE STREAM ➡️ https://t.co/aRtGCP76ez #SOMvWOR #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/YErZroIBeX 4 Apr 202514.52 CESTThere doesn’t seem to be anything much wrong with Dan Worrall, who was wandering around the field at lunchtime in his singlet. 4 Apr 202514.47 CESTActually quite blissful scenes in central Chelmsford: cricket fans, topped up from M and S, picnicking in Central Park in the sun. Birds tweeting. Ice cream van doing a roaring trade. 4 Apr 202514.05 CESTLunchtime scoresDIVISION ONE Southampton: Hampshire v Yorkshire 106-5 Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Durham 118-3 Taunton: Somerset v Worcestershire 110-4 Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex 88-3 The County Ground: Derbyshire v Gloucestershire 84-4 Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 90-3 v Leicestershire Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Kent 128-3 4 Apr 202513.53 CESTFifties also for Alex Lees, Gareth Roderick, Sam RobsonLees now out, for 52, a wicket for Farhan Ahmed. Apparently he became an offspinner because his dad said that he and Rehan couldn’t play in the same team if they were both legspinners! Robson 64 not out at Lord’s; Roderick 56 not out at Taunton. 4 Apr 202513.42 CESTTalking of Sonny Baker, here is a lovely interview Taha did with him earlier this month. …which alerts me to the fact that Jonny is batting, or in fact NOT batting, caught off Sonny Baker for 10. Yorks 75-4. Updated at 13.46 CEST4 Apr 202513.27 CESTDan Lawrence strikes fourth ball!With the characteristic whirly-gigs, a leaden-footed Allison lbw for 25. Essex 78-1. 4 Apr 202513.25 CESTThe Guardian’s Luke McLaughlin is in north London: “Good morning from Lord’s Middx 81-1 - Lancs surely starting to wonder if batting would have been the correct option Twenty year old Charlie Allison, on debut, is taking his time at the other end, 19 not out. Older brother Ben (25) is playing for Worcestershire today after moving to New Road on a loan last year. 4 Apr 202512.55 CESTMatt Fisher is to get his first bowl in a Surrey jumper. Burns, in huge sunhat and shades, gives him a pep talk. It is left by Allison, first hurdle safely navigated. with Tom Alsop then edging to second slip first ball when a delivery from around the wicket left him a touch Sussex are 40 for three in the ninth over and must feel like they’ve been thrown to Los Lobos 4 Apr 202512.38 CESTWith half an hour gone let’s skip around the grounds: Division One have lost Lyth to Abbott – who operates without Abbas this year Nottinghamshire’s Fergus O’Neill has tucked into Durham Roderick and Libby are racing along against Somerset then operated the scoreboard at the Diglis end before becoming a journalist covering the club for decades including during the famous Brian Lara 501 match Worcestershire CEO Ashley Giles said: “John was the heartbeat of the press box and a treasured part of the Worcestershire family “His passion for the club was matched only by his kindness humility and tireless commitment to telling our story with care and authenticity “Whether it was the first ball of the season or the last word of a report who persuades Zain ul-Hassan to edge to Peter Handscomb 2.4 | How about that 😍Guthrie sends stumps flying and removes Crawley. 💪Kent 3/1.Watch live 👉 https://t.co/CU8uwteMyd pic.twitter.com/zUvh4G3oaX 4 Apr 202512.00 CESTAnd here come the umpires The sun is out and Kemar Roach has the ball in his hand Through consultation with the whole game, we have agreed a distribution model that will see 100% of sale proceeds shared amongst the recreational and professional game. The first 10% of any portion of the ECB’s share, or a host county’s share will go straight to the recreational game. The proceeds from the ECB’s 49% will be divided across the 18 professional counties and MCC (less the 10% to the recreational game). In order to minimise the risk of financial polarisation between hosts and current non-hosts, the ECB and counties have agreed to apply a formula to increase the value received by each of the current non-host professional counties. Proceeds up to £275m valuation (of the ECB’s 49%) will be distributed equally to the 18 professional counties and MCC. Proceeds between £275m and £425m valuation (of the ECB’s 49%) will be distributed only to the 11 current non-host professional counties. Proceeds over £425m valuation (of the ECB’s 49%) will again be distributed equally to the 18 professional counties and MCC. Any proceeds from the sale of any of the host professional counties 51% will be distributed as follows: Again, a 10% distribution to the recreational game. 10% equally distributed across the 18 professional counties and MCC (excluding the host county) – this is to ensure that all professional counties benefit from any future growth of a host county’s retained shareholding. The remaining 80% of the value being retained by the host county. Are there limits on how the counties spend their money? The sale of equity in each of the eight teams in The Hundred presents a significant opportunity for a considerable capital injection into the game of cricket in England and Wales. The recreational game will receive 10% of total sale proceeds. With regards to the money distributed to the professional game, our overarching principle is that these funds should be employed to support the financial sustainability of professional cricket. We will utilise the County Partnership Agreement (CPA) to ensure that while counties do have autonomy over their funds, they are operating within a framework and are held to account on their financial sustainability. The expenditure of funds is expected to be in one of three core investment areas: building reserves, revenue generation, debt reduction. Updated at 12.48 CEST4 Apr 202511.55 CEST”Now then Tanya!” Hello there Tim Maitland. 4 Apr 202511.52 CESTAh thank you Brian Withington. Here is the link to common BTL terms. And with ten minutes to go at Chelmsford, the ground has been cleared apart from a couple of men with a brush. And the big news is that the toilets have been redone. Updated at 12.22 CEST4 Apr 202511.42 CESTBat or bowl? Essex and Yorkshire buck the trendChelmsford: Essex won the toss and will bat Southampton: Yorkshire won the toss and will bat Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire won the toss and will field Taunton: Somerset won the toss and will field Edgbaston: Warwickshire won the toss and will field The County Ground: Derbyshire won the toss and will field Sophia Gardens: Leicestershire won the toss and will field Lord’s: Lancashire won the toss and will field Wantage Road: Northamptonshire won the toss and will field He is aiming to be back to full fitness by August. 4 Apr 202511.17 CESTThere were queues at Chelmsford -or should I say the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground - this morning. And some name changes (at least to me) – what was the River End is now the Sir Alastair Cook end, and the Hayes Close End is now the Graham Gooch end. Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Leicestershire Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Kent 4 Apr 202510.58 CESTDivision One fixturesChelmsford: Essex v Surrey Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Durham Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Sussex 4 Apr 202510.58 CESTPreambleGood morning! Magnolia – tick. Sunshine – tick. Daffodils – tick. Cricket – tick. Yes, it’s back, the County Championship If you’re a regular to this blog– welcome back Hope the trials and tribulations of winter haven’t been too onerous underneath the blog (BTL – below the line) – so please do join in Somewhere is a glossary of terms used by older hands which I’ll link to when I find it but settle in and open the curtains – it’s beginning Amazon plans on spending $4 billion in the next few years to expand its delivery operations to rural areas across the country, and Vermont is part of that plan bringing jobs and better service to the Green Mountain State A lot in the off Saxon Hill Road has been waiting for a developer and Amazon took an interest in creating a 107,000-square-foot "last mile" distribution center The plan has not been approved by the Essex Review Development Board yet The board has had two meetings to hear Amazon's proposal along with public comment with another meeting is planned for May 16 Amazon officials have said they hope to get the facility operating by the end of the year in 2026 product will make its way to the Vermont building from warehouses primarily in New York as there is no Amazon operation in the Green Mountain State third parties like the United States Postal Service Public opinion at the two meetings have shown there is concern about Amazon opening a center in Essex Residents' concern of increased truck traffic and the potential of taking away customers from small local businesses has been echoed at the meetings and across social media Amazon New England's head of economic development Jonathan Greeley said they have been conscientious of respecting the city and residents of Essex when drafting this proposal Amazon's Last-Mile director of startup operations Zach Smith said they work to address and mitigate traffic concerns well before any project breaks ground often making plans to work with traffic controllers and not sending trucks out during peak times of day Some residents have mentioned the environmental concerns associated with a large warehouse operating all times of day Greeley said that the site off Saxon Hill was always going to be developed Amazon is just the company who showed interest He said many acres of the land will not be touched including a wetland north of where they plan to build the 22-acre development The representatives said they are anticipating approval from the Review Development Board and believe that this distribution facility will broadly serve Vermont customers for the better It will also provide up to 200 job opportunities in the area Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com The end of Sandalwood Road is where old boats go to die They lie sunken to their gunwales in the Back River shallows by Essex Yacht Harbor’s decaying piers and around its debris-strewn nine acres: dozens of rotting sailboats hollowed-out cabin cruisers and an old paddle wheel Baltimore County fined boatyard owner Maureen Carper $4,000 for failing to correct multiple code violations — $2,000 to be paid immediately and the remaining $2,000 to be paid if the property wasn’t brought into compliance in March says his client is an unemployed widow who inherited a mess from her husband The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one. “It was years of neglect when she inherited it and she had no idea what she was getting into,” Marlow told the county Board of Appeals adding that Carper needed more time to determine which boats might be salvageable Evans said Carper did only marginal cleanup and left the boatyard in a condition that was “not tolerable.” Evans was blunt: “The notion that there is a boat on the property that is launchable and watertight what I am suggesting to you is it could not be launched anyway because the access to the water is full of dead boats and a collapsed pier.” Evans said the penalty seemed reasonable — especially after County Attorney Marissa Merrick said fines could have been as much as $1,200 daily and after learning Carper is trying to sell the marina for close to $1 million “I am surprised the county has not done something more dramatic earlier,” the judge said How Essex Yacht Harbor became a graveyard for 110 once-seaworthy vessels now either sunk in the water or rotting on land explains a lot about the limits of state law county codes and officials’ empathy for a taxpayer in a bad situation “The county is not interested in burdening people,” Merrick said without bringing this property into compliance … that is what the fine is for — and there is no legal argument that it is improper." Boat owners abandon and sink their vessels because the cost of proper disposal ranges from $3,000 for a small wooden boat to $15,000 for a larger fiberglass one according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources The DNR considers a vessel abandoned if it is “left without authorization” on public or private land A derelict vessel is an abandoned one that is “sinking Popular dumping spots include the waters around Baltimore and the counties of Anne Arundel The DNR removes an average of 30 to 60 a year State officials seek reimbursement if they can find the owner Those who leave a boat in the water risk a fine of $1,000 and up to six months in prison Owners can reclaim their vessel after paying; most don’t A new law passed in 2024 allows the DNR to more widely publicize abandoned boats as well as create a voluntary disposal turn-in program Leaking motor fuels and coppers from anti-fouling paint can pollute the waters. The biggest risk is from microplastics, which don’t break down. Oysters, fish and crabs can consume them, creating food web problems and, in some cases, leading to fish that carry both sperm and eggs a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science who specializes in maritime environmental issues But the boats at Carper’s marina were out of reach of state law because they were not abandoned at first; they became that way Dennis Carper built the marina in 1950 after working for another boat builder according to his obituary in The Baltimore Sun and he wouldn’t get rid of anything,” said Ronnie Brown a longtime family friend who owns part of the Carper property but was not cited or fined Or he’d give people money for boats and use them for parts.” Among the boats laid to rest on Sandalwood Road: the houseboat that Keanu Reeves’ character lived on in the 2000 movie “The Replacements.” “You see the white yacht with the satellite dish covered in seagull shit,“ Reeves said in the film Carper died in 2013 and passed the marina to his son but her attorney said she had no involvement with running the marina Neighbors have grumbled about the property for years Baltimore County’s chief of code enforcement Inspector Dwayne Elliott’s notes indicate that he extended a couple of deadlines because Carper and Brown said the property was under contract to be sold and the property wasn’t cleaned up to the department’s satisfaction “There has been no progress on the cleanup of all the debris This property has been sitting as an open dump for over 10 years,” Elliott wrote in July 2024 Administrative Law Judge Andrew Belt imposed the $4,000 fine the county’s real estate arm was asking Maureen Carper to sell the county her house at 222 N to expand its Essex police precinct next door The County Council approved the purchase in April 2024 which was more than the assessed value — and approximately the estimated cost to clean up the boatyard But by the time the contract to sell the marina fell through Carper had used the proceeds to buy a four-bedroom home in Towson for $487,000 president of the Rockaway Beach Improvement Association said the hardships are no excuse for the neglect “If she didn’t want the property,” he said “she shouldn’t have taken title to it when her husband died.” breaking down boats and putting their remains in dumpsters that he rents for $600 and has hauled to landfills He said he’s removed five boats from the water Brown thinks the county could have given Carper more time when the place is finally getting cleaned up “You can only pick at it a little at a time.” Rona Kobell rona.kobell@thebaltimorebanner.com Rona Kobell is a regional reporter covering Baltimore County she worked as an environmental reporter in the region for nearly 20 years at The Baltimore Sun and The Chesapeake Bay Journal Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies The Baltimore Banner is a trademark registered in the U.S for The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism Statement from Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta pic.twitter.com/TNQrqw3me2 Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies Click here to view our Terms of Sale.\n \n Click here to learn more about supporting local journalism.\n Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, please contact customer service at 443-843-0043 or customercare@thebaltimorebanner.com. The Hanover Barons are two wins away from earning the Clarence Schmalz Cup as the Ontario Hockey Association’s Junior C champions for the first time since 1991. Article contentThe Barons are up 2-0 in their best-of-seven series against the Essex 73’s, with the series returning to Hanover on Wednesday for Game 3 inside the P&H Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Essex 73’s won the PJHL’s Stobbs Division over the Lakeshore Canadians, sweeping and beating the Petrolia Flyers in the West Conference Final and beating the New Hamburg Firebirds in five games to earn a berth in the final. The 73’s are Junior C dynamos with seven titles to their name, the most in the province. Essex won the Schmalz Cup in 1975, 1977, 1978, 2002, 2005, 2009, and 2015. The Hanover Barons last won the Schmalz Cup in 1991, defeating the Orangeville Crushers four games to three. Sam Barrett had the game of a lifetime to open up the Schmalz Cup Finals with a four-goal performance for the Hanover Barons in Game 1 of the championship series Saturday at the P&H Centre. The Barons beat the Essex 73’s 6-1 after winning a coin flip to determine home-ice advantage. Barrett scored two of his four goals in the first period, including one scored just 1:57 into the contest as the Barons took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Hanover’s Alex McGillivray and Essex’s Gabe Barrette traded first-period goals, but Barrette’s marker is the only puck that snuck by Derek Hartley, who made 30 saves to earn the win. Mark McIntosh scored the lone second-period goal before Barrett added two more in the third period, the 10th and 11th of the playoffs for the 20-year-old Owen Sound product. Brogan Colquhoun made 25 saves in the losing effort for the 73’s. The championship series between the Hanover Barons and Essex 73’s moved to Essex for Game 2 and tightened up after a blowout in Game 1 for the Barons. Sam Barrett scored his fifth goal of the series as the Barons won the slugfest by a score of 2-1 to take a two-game series lead. Neither team scored in the first 40 minutes of action as goaltenders Hartley and Colquhoun shut the door. Barrett’s marker at the 6:29 mark of the first period opened the scoring and was the difference maker. McIntosh added an empty-net goal with 52 seconds remaining in the game. Essex scored their lone goal of the contest with just 23 seconds remaining when Matthew Crawford spoiled the shutout for Hartley. Named in honour of Walkerton’s Clarence “Tubby” Schmlaz who served as president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1968 to 1972. In 1974, when the Major Junior A program began operating independently of the association as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, Schmalz became the league’s first commissioner, a post he held until 1978. He served as vice-chairman of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1979 to 1981, and as chairman in 1981. The association renamed the OHA Junior C Cup in his memory in 1982 and then collaborated with Schmalz’s family to create a commemorative trophy case in the lobby of the Walkerton Community Centre. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy the gum-smacking legend at Essex High School known for his signature handlebar mustache who shied away from attention and had a natural way of deferring credit to others during a 44-year coaching career that saw the three Hornet programs he led collect a combined 24 Vermont state titles and nearly 1,300 wins "He was a great coach and everyone could see that but I think he cared about all of his players as people first," said Alexis (Perry) Davies a 2012 Essex graduate who was the ace pitcher on O'Neil's final softball championship team You were his other family during the season." O'Neil, who died at the University of Vermont Medical Center is survived by his wife and partner of 50 years and nine of his children and nine grandchildren O'Neil was predeceased by a son and grandson In his obituary the O'Neil family expressed "their gratitude" to hospital staff A funeral mass will be held for O'Neil at 12:30 p.m O'Neil went to Lake Placid schools before attending Norwich University in Northfield After playing three sports and graduating from Norwich in 1965 O'Neil returned to his alma mater in New York and taught and coached before becoming athletic director Essex hired O'Neil as an English teacher and boys hockey coach He spent the next 45 years in the classroom O'Neil also coached two other sports at Essex — girls soccer and softball — for various lengths and with a great amount of success O'Neil's boys hockey teams at Essex went 636-292-33 with 14 Division I state titles across 44 seasons They won their first championship in 1981 and turned into the state's best program alongside BFA-St O'Neil compiled a 396-176-52 record with six championships And the softball team racked up 261 wins against 124 defeats with four state crowns during O'Neil's 22-year tenure 2011 feature: Essex's Bill O'Neil is a coach for all seasons O'Neil amassed a career win-loss-tie mark of 1,293-592-85 which arguably makes him the winningest coach in Vermont high school sports history "It's extremely impressive the way he did it too," Davies said he was a successful coach for all three sports and he was very well-respected coach Always patrolling the sidelines with a stick of gum to chew but fair coach who found the best in his athletes "He knew how to keep it light-hearted but be serious with you when he had to be," Davies said When he retired from coaching in 2017 athletic directors and his players for a distinguished career that appears unmatched "You stick around long enough you should eventually win more than anybody else," O’Neil said in 2017 but we had great kids and great people helping me That selflessness was apparent to Ed Hockenbury He did it with zero ego and he worked as hard as he could every season," said Hockenbury He was competitive and he wanted to try and win but he understood what high school sports are supposed to be about 2017 file: O'Neil notches one last win in Make-A-Wish Hockey Classic Justin Martin, a 1993 Essex graduate who starred on the boys hockey team and went on to play at the University of Vermont, said in a 2011 interview for a feature on O'Neil that his former coach provided the structure needed for players and students to thrive Martin continues to use the "life lessons" he learned from O'Neil when he coaches Martin also served on O'Neil's staff in the early 2000s for a couple seasons it’s someone who can make everyone feel so important in their lives That’s something that coach O’Neil did," said Martin "And he did that if you were an athlete or not "He taught us all to have a plan and take pride in working hard at something." The national high school boys coach of the year in 2006, O'Neil became just the second Vermonter to be inducted into the National Federation High School (NFHS) Hall of Fame in 2018. O'Neil is also a member of the Vermont Principals' Association (2016) and Norwich (1990) halls of fame. And in 2022, O'Neil was part of the ninth Vermont Sports Hall of Fame induction class More: Essex icon Bill O’Neil to retire from coaching In retirement, O'Neil volunteered as an assistant on Toby Ducolon's BFA-St. Albans squad "He’s the complete package for the high school experience," Ducolon said about O'Neil in 2017 Davies said what O'Neil "embodied was really rare." "I now have children and I hope they have a coach like Bill," Davies said "I hope there are more people out there like him Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5 Harmer 4-120) beat Essex 206 (Pretorius 3-24 James Rew's tenth first-class century guided Somerset to an unlikely first Rothesay County Championship victory of the season a three-wicket success against Essex at the Cooper Associates Ground Having been 78 for 5 at one stage in their second innings, chasing 321 to win, the home side began the final day on 216 for 6, still needing 105. But Rew took his score from 65 to a superb 116, off 189 balls, with 18 fours, sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 133 with Craig Overton "I would have to say that was my best innings," Rew said "I have always said I wanted to make a big score in a run chase and that was the case today "Lewis Gregory last night and Craig Overton today played brilliantly but for Craig to still be there at the end was fantastic It was a really big win for us after a tough couple of weeks." Overton ended the game 25 minutes before lunch with a straight six off Simon Harmer, which took him to a 111-ball half-century notable for unbroken concentration and application in a pressure situation. Overton said: "It was probably the most important innings I have played for Somerset. Beating Essex is always special because we have had some ding-dong battles with them over the years. "The win could be massive in turning our season around. It hasn't been the start we wanted, but now we can look forward with confidence to moving up the table. "We had to leave some live grass on the wicket to give our bowlers something to work with and all credit to our groundstaff for producing a pitch that made for a very good game." Essex had let things slip with some wayward bowling the previous evening and their bowlers found scant assistance in a last-day pitch that had aided seam and spin considerably in the previous sessions. They had to settle for three points, having been on top for long periods, while Somerset claimed a welcome 19 after a disappointing start to the campaign. Chris Silverwood, Essex's director of cricket, said: "We let it slip away yesterday afternoon. The game is all about winning moments and Somerset grabbed two great opportunities to give themselves a chance to win the match today. "The pitch got better to bat on, but all credit to James Rew for the way he played. I thought it was a great hundred. We will look back and think there were certain things we could have done better, but yesterday was the key." The Essex attack would have welcomed the first meaningful cloud cover of the match when play began with 12 overs to a second new ball, Sam Cook opening up from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End and offspinner Harmer operating from the River End. Overton, unbeaten on 4 overnight, played and missed at the first delivery of the morning from Cook, but soon he and Rew were eating into the target for victory, the latter clipping Cook through wide mid-on for the first boundary and edging a second to third man off the next ball. Overton reigned himself in commendably against Harmer, content to pick gaps in the field for ones and twos, while using his long reach to negate any spin. Rew, who had looked in prime form the previous evening, was the more aggressive as the score passed 250 and he moved into the 90s. With the sun breaking through, the pair safely negotiated the opening half hour, experiencing few alarms. But there was still the matter of the new ball, taken at 258 for 6, with a further 63 needed and Essex under pressure to break the stand. Cook began his second spell of the morning with it. At the other end Jamie Porter found the inside edge of Rew's bat only for the ball to fly past wicketkeeper Michael Pepper for four, taking the Somerset man onto 97. His 161-ball century came up with a back-foot shot through the leg side for two off Porter, a mature innings from a young player who looks destined for an international future. There was still work to do, but Somerset were starting to look firm favourites as Overton brought up the hundred partnership. Essex quickly reverted to Harmer from the River End, who beat the outside edge of Rew's bat in his first over with the harder ball. But it was a rare moment of anxiety for Somerset as Overton, who had moved patiently to 27 without hitting a boundary, opened his shoulders to drive Hamer through mid-off for four. Rew also sensed victory was assured as he cut loose with some sweetly-struck shots. But his brilliant contribution ended with just nine runs required, lbw aiming to launch Harmer over the leg side. It mattered little as Overton off-drove Harmer for four and then smashed the ball back over his head, pumping a fist as celebrations began in the home dressing room. Rew hundred, Overton grit help Somerset to first win of seasonJames Rew savours his "best innings" as hosts pull off remarkable fourth-innings chase Jordan Cox suffers injury scare while scoring century against SomersetEssex batter retires hurt on 103 two days after being called up for England's Test against Zimbabwe James Rew holds the key in cliffhanger after Cox injury scareBatter unbeaten on 65 with 105 still needed and four wickets standing Harmer, Cox help Essex turn tables on SomersetSpinner's four-for skittles Somerset before unbeaten fifty solidifies visitors' position Leach, Pretorius give Somerset upper hand on green deckEngland spinner sparks Essex collapse before Noah Thain digs in James Rew's tenth first-class century guided Somerset to an unlikely first Rothesay County Championship victory of the season Having been 78 for 5 at one stage in their second innings, chasing 321 to win, the home side began the final day on 216 for 6, still needing 105. But Rew took his score from 65 to a superb 116, off 189 balls, with 18 fours, sharing a seventh-wicket stand of 133 with Craig Overton \"I would have to say that was my best innings,\" Rew said \"I have always said I wanted to make a big score in a run chase and that was the case today \"Lewis Gregory last night and Craig Overton today played brilliantly It was a really big win for us after a tough couple of weeks.\" Overton ended the game 25 minutes before lunch with a straight six off Simon Harmer which took him to a 111-ball half-century notable for unbroken concentration and application in a pressure situation Overton said: \"It was probably the most important innings I have played for Somerset Beating Essex is always special because we have had some ding-dong battles with them over the years \"The win could be massive in turning our season around but now we can look forward with confidence to moving up the table \"We had to leave some live grass on the wicket to give our bowlers something to work with and all credit to our groundstaff for producing a pitch that made for a very good game.\" Essex had let things slip with some wayward bowling the previous evening and their bowlers found scant assistance in a last-day pitch that had aided seam and spin considerably in the previous sessions while Somerset claimed a welcome 19 after a disappointing start to the campaign said: \"We let it slip away yesterday afternoon The game is all about winning moments and Somerset grabbed two great opportunities to give themselves a chance to win the match today but all credit to James Rew for the way he played We will look back and think there were certain things we could have done better The Essex attack would have welcomed the first meaningful cloud cover of the match when play began with 12 overs to a second new ball Sam Cook opening up from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End and offspinner Harmer operating from the River End played and missed at the first delivery of the morning from Cook but soon he and Rew were eating into the target for victory the latter clipping Cook through wide mid-on for the first boundary and edging a second to third man off the next ball Overton reigned himself in commendably against Harmer content to pick gaps in the field for ones and twos while using his long reach to negate any spin who had looked in prime form the previous evening was the more aggressive as the score passed 250 and he moved into the 90s the pair safely negotiated the opening half hour But there was still the matter of the new ball with a further 63 needed and Essex under pressure to break the stand Cook began his second spell of the morning with it At the other end Jamie Porter found the inside edge of Rew's bat only for the ball to fly past wicketkeeper Michael Pepper for four His 161-ball century came up with a back-foot shot through the leg side for two off Porter a mature innings from a young player who looks destined for an international future but Somerset were starting to look firm favourites as Overton brought up the hundred partnership Essex quickly reverted to Harmer from the River End who beat the outside edge of Rew's bat in his first over with the harder ball But it was a rare moment of anxiety for Somerset as Overton who had moved patiently to 27 without hitting a boundary opened his shoulders to drive Hamer through mid-off for four Rew also sensed victory was assured as he cut loose with some sweetly-struck shots But his brilliant contribution ended with just nine runs required lbw aiming to launch Harmer over the leg side It mattered little as Overton off-drove Harmer for four and then smashed the ball back over his head pumping a fist as celebrations began in the home dressing room The forecast for Windsor-Essex from Environment Canada 40 percent chance of showers early this evening Risk of a thunderstorm this evening and overnight Tuesday..cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 in the morning then light in the afternoon Tuesday night..cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of showers You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Apr 30 Ana Williams-BergenNorth Country at Work: Growing legal weed in Essex When New York legalized recreational marijuana in 2021 it came with a lot of promises - decriminalization But the rollout has been slow and complicated some cannabis growers are finally starting to make it work Healey Mayette and Cory Weidenbach Cory Weidenbach and Healey Mayette run Sticky’s Weed Farm a licensed cannabis microbusiness in Essex they'll grow and flower in beds and high tunnels under the sun super lush in here throughout the summer," says Weidenbach and harvest is pretty involved process come October." The original high tunnel before planting Blue ribbon hangs off overhead trellis netting The plants don’t go in the ground outside until June a neighbor’s old tractor-trailer box serves as home base for packaging It's illuminated with bright grow lights and humming with fans Cannabis plants in various stages of development line tables and shelves Weidenbach estimates they have a few hundred already Plant starts inside the propagation trailer and she’d worked on a couple of the small farms that are so plentiful in this region Weidenbach first moved to the area to work on nearby Essex Farm "The per capita awesomeness of the people around here and the per capita organic farm scene around here It also makes the area a great place to grow weed - they fertilize their plants with organic chicken manure from neighboring Reber Rock Farm Weidenbach learned to grow cannabis in California about a decade ago and he’d been doing it under the radar here in New York for a while But working in this industry wasn’t really an option until New York legalized weed they do a hodge-podge of things," says Healey Mayette "They're wearing a lot of hats until they kind of figure it out "We both did various things," Weidenbach adds they started working on their cannabis microbusiness application Weidenbach says it was over 80 pages long - they submitted everything from the deed to their land down to their fingerprints "It feels weird because weed's been illegal for so long and all of a sudden we're in cahoots with the government." Weidenbach and Mayette were lucky - they got their license faster than many which let them squeeze in a full growing season and start bringing in money Most of the farm was just a field when they got their license so it was a mad dash to put up high tunnels and build infrastructure "We didn't have too long to think about anything last year good success story about getting our license," said Weidenbach But the road was a lot bumpier for other growers "There are many people in that application window who are probably super frustrated right now." Photo: Ana Williams-Bergen While New York’s cannabis industry has generated over a billion dollars in revenue since legalization a lot of its farmers are struggling financially He thinks that "being on the forefront of this kind of push there is opportunity to succeed with a ceiling that's higher than a lot of different fields." High tunnel at Sticky's Weed Farm With the first commercial growing season under their belts they have three high tunnels and some outdoor beds much less square footage than they're licensed for and we can grow more pot," says Weidenbach the couple will tend their starts and get their farm ready for a second growing season Major support for North Country at Work comes from the Cloudsplitter Foundation Find scores of work stories and thousands of work photos at http://ncpr.org/work WindsorNewsA slice of the pie: Essex County rhubarb farmer harvesting a bumper cropBy Michelle MaluskeUpdated: May 05, 2025 at 6:35PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Heather Knight staged an outstanding all-round performance to propel Somerset to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Essex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women's competition at Taunton Vale. The England international claimed 3-7 with the ball and then added 45 crucial runs with the bat as the cider county ultimately made light work of chasing beneath blue skies and sunshine to register a second win in three games and send a crowd of several hundred home happy. Put into bat on a worn pitch, Essex slipped to 2-3 and 50-5 in the face of accurate seam bowling from Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson, who took 2-12 and 2-44 respectively. Amara Carr redressed the balance with a defiant innings of 67 from 92 balls with 5 fours, only for Knight to mop up the tail with her off breaks as Essex were dismissed for an inadequate184 in 42.5 overs. Knight, Sophie Luff and Fran Wilson all contributed useful runs to carry Somerset to within sight of their target before the irrepressible Charlie Dean raised a quickfire 45 not out from 49 balls with 6 fours as Somerset won with 14.1 overs in hand. Carr and Sophia Smale launched a cautious recovery of sorts, safely negotiating the spin of Wellington and Dean to add 41 for the sixth wicket. Somerset's bowlers continued to build pressure and Smale, having scored 10, played back to Wellington and inadvertently trod on her wicket. Luff marshalled her bowlers well and Griffiths struck in her first over, Eva Gray driving straight to Knight at silly mid-on and falling for 17, having helped add 37 with Carr. While the determined Carr continued to hold sway, there was hope for Essex. The former Western Storm player went to 50 from 73 balls and led by example as she attempted to usher the lower order towards a competitive total. But former England captain Knight accounted for the tail in quick time with her off breaks, pinning Esmae Macgregor and Kate Coppack lbw before bowling the obdurate Carr to wrap-up the innings inside the distance. Acutely aware of the need to make the new ball count, the visitors engineered an early breakthrough, Gray locating Emma Corney's outside edge and Smale taking a regulation catch in the slips with 33 on the board. Although scoring freely remained far from straightforward, Knight and Luff brought their considerable experience to bear upon the situation, staging a reassuring alliance of 38 for the second wicket before the latter nicked behind and succumbed to Abtaha Maqsood's spin for 24. Knight had advanced her score to 45 from 41 balls, accrued 7 fours and was threatening to take the match by the scruff of the neck when she was caught behind off the bowling of Maqsood with the score on 96 in the 18th. Fran Wilson mustered the first six of the match at the expense of Maqsood before losing off stump to Grewcock and departing for 23, a dismissal that kept Essex in the hunt. But the home side quickly regained control, Dean and Katie Jones playing positively to bring the required rate down and raise thoughts of a bonus point victory. Jones was eventually run out for 16, but Dean continued to score at a run a ball to hasten victory. Heather Knight shines for Somerset as Essex succumbEx-England captain stars with bat and ball at Taunton Heather Knight staged an outstanding all-round performance to propel Somerset to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Essex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women's competition at Taunton Vale The England international claimed 3-7 with the ball and then added 45 crucial runs with the bat as the cider county ultimately made light work of chasing beneath blue skies and sunshine to register a second win in three games and send a crowd of several hundred home happy Essex slipped to 2-3 and 50-5 in the face of accurate seam bowling from Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson Amara Carr redressed the balance with a defiant innings of 67 from 92 balls with 5 fours only for Knight to mop up the tail with her off breaks as Essex were dismissed for an inadequate184 in 42.5 overs Sophie Luff and Fran Wilson all contributed useful runs to carry Somerset to within sight of their target before the irrepressible Charlie Dean raised a quickfire 45 not out from 49 balls with 6 fours as Somerset won with 14.1 overs in hand inserted the opposition and looked on as her seamers made the new ball sing Having failed to post a score in excess of 200 in their two previous matches three of the top four failing to score as they slumped to 2-3 in the second over Jo Gardner hit Jackson straight to Dean at mid-wicket while Anderson had Cordelia Griffith held at slip and then bowled Jodi Grewcock next ball to further undermine the top order Essex captain Grace Scrivens led a partial recovery straight-driving Anderson for an imperious four in adding 48 for the fourth wicket with Flo Miller But England spinner Dean struck a crucial blow in the 13th over finding Amanda-Jade Wellington at mid-off and departing for a 32-ball 27 Attempting an ill-advised pull shot against Jackson in the very next over Miller holed out to Alex Griffiths in the deep as wickets continued to fall in clusters Carr and Sophia Smale launched a cautious recovery of sorts safely negotiating the spin of Wellington and Dean to add 41 for the sixth wicket Somerset's bowlers continued to build pressure and Smale played back to Wellington and inadvertently trod on her wicket Luff marshalled her bowlers well and Griffiths struck in her first over Eva Gray driving straight to Knight at silly mid-on and falling for 17 While the determined Carr continued to hold sway The former Western Storm player went to 50 from 73 balls and led by example as she attempted to usher the lower order towards a competitive total But former England captain Knight accounted for the tail in quick time with her off breaks pinning Esmae Macgregor and Kate Coppack lbw before bowling the obdurate Carr to wrap-up the innings inside the distance Acutely aware of the need to make the new ball count the visitors engineered an early breakthrough Gray locating Emma Corney's outside edge and Smale taking a regulation catch in the slips with 33 on the board Although scoring freely remained far from straightforward Knight and Luff brought their considerable experience to bear upon the situation staging a reassuring alliance of 38 for the second wicket before the latter nicked behind and succumbed to Abtaha Maqsood's spin for 24 Knight had advanced her score to 45 from 41 balls accrued 7 fours and was threatening to take the match by the scruff of the neck when she was caught behind off the bowling of Maqsood with the score on 96 in the 18th Fran Wilson mustered the first six of the match at the expense of Maqsood before losing off stump to Grewcock and departing for 23 But the home side quickly regained control Dean and Katie Jones playing positively to bring the required rate down and raise thoughts of a bonus point victory but Dean continued to score at a run a ball to hasten victory At least one tornado touched down along with baseball-sized hail in Iowa in a line of severe storms that also hit Nebraska and worked their way into Wisconsin Forecasters had predicted a strong chance for thunderstorms and hail in much of Iowa on April 17 Western Iowa had the greatest risk for severe storms and tornadoes A tornado was reported in Fremont and Page counties in southwest Iowa A large tornado developed west of the Essex area lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Omaha It was on the ground for several miles with video confirmation from storm chasers Video from Storyful News & Weather shows a large It moved south of Randolph and then skirted the north side of Essex The tornado touchdown was roughly 8:21 p.m Storm chasers followed it to the east with the last tornado report around 8:50 p.m it's probably a continuous track from where it touched down to where it lifted up," Dewald said it managed to stay between all of the towns That is not to say it didn't hit farmsteads and acreages." The tornado mainly ran through agricultural and rural areas "It looks like it did not directly impact any of the small towns in Iowa," Dewald said there have been no reports of injuries due to the tornadoes The National Weather Service also had reports of a tornado in Pottawattamie County but still are determining details That storm included 2.5 inches hail to 4 inch hail A tornado also was reported on the other side of the river in Omaha The tornadoes can't be rated until damage is assessed The National Weather Service in Omaha will send out a team to survey the damage caused by both tornadoes "This was an event that was forecasted out days in advanced," Dewald said "Yesterday we were ramping up for the severe weather threat And then we had the warning out and people were heeding the warnings." Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.