Sam Curran steers Surrey to draw while Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire earn wins
Champions Surrey started 386 runs short of an improbable victory target of 418 and when Simon Harmer accounted for openers Rory Burns (39) and Dom Sibley (40), Jamie Porter's three wickets in quick succession – on his way to five for 88 – set up a tantalising evening session at Kia Oval.
Struggling on 167 for five, England outcast Curran backed up his first-innings 80 with another mature knock of 77 from 121 balls before his dismissal sparked brief hope for Essex.
Match drawn 🤝
We take 12 points from a tense game at the Kia Oval.
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/NJtcI85yVx
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) May 26, 2025
Further light showers in a rain-affected day four halted the visitors momentum before Surrey's fifth draw from seven fixtures was confirmed after they got to 289 for seven from 84 overs.
Leaders Nottinghamshire strengthened their grip at the top of the table, seeing off Yorkshire with five wickets on the final day at Headingley.
The Division One pace-setters racked up their fourth win of the campaign by 163 runs, with Dillon Pennington making the running.
Pennington, an unused member of the England Test squad last year, had two wickets overnight and finished with five for 106 as he prised out the defiant Matthew Revis, stand-in skipper Dom Bess and tailender Ben Coad.
💬"We've got to find some answers because as much as we talk and everything like that, it's about performances."
Anthony McGrath spoke on Yorkshire's defeat to Notts and upcoming player availability.#YorkshireGrit https://t.co/uquryRiBCO
— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 26, 2025
Yorkshire batted for 120.3 overs to show some grit but were finally dismissed for 299 when Mohammad Abbas claimed the final wicket.
While Nottinghamshire ride high, question marks are piling up for the White Rose, who sit second-bottom of the standings with one win from seven, and have just lost captain Jonny Bairstow to the Indian Premier League.
Chris Woakes claimed three wickets for Warwickshire, but they were denied victory by rain at Worcestershire.
Worcestershire resumed on 57 for two and, while Woakes finished with three for 30, Matthew Waite hit 44 not out amid plenty of showers to help the hosts escape with a draw after they battled to 181 for eight.
In Division Two, Derbyshire ended a sequence of five successive draws at Kent's expense, skittling the visitors before lunch to win by an innings and 14 runs.
Mickey was delighted after the win over Kent.
Watch the full interview ⤵️
— Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) May 26, 2025
Needing six more wickets overnight, they picked them up for the addition of just 90 runs as Kent subsided for 247 after following on.
The writing was on the wall when Zak Chappell had Tawanda Muyeye caught behind for 55 off the first ball of the day. A knock of 49 from tailender Grant Stewart was the only real resistance as a cheap double from all-rounder Luis Reece and Jake Ball's injury absence helped Derbyshire to take the result.
Rain forced Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire to settle for a draw.
After Northamptonshire declared on 259 for six, it set the visitors 350 for victory and a thrilling finish was on the cards when Gloucestershire slipped to 214 for six before wet weather after tea ended the chances of a winner.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
37 minutes ago
- The Sun
England football ace Millie Bright leaves fiancé & falls for married personal trainer ‘in a big way'
ENGLAND football ace Millie Bright has left her fiancé and fallen for a married personal trainer. The Lionesses defender, 31, pulled out of Euro 2025 this week — stating she was unable to 'give 100 per cent mentally or physically'. 4 4 We can reveal she has split from husband-to-be Levi Crew and grown close to a fitness instructor. It is understood he has now left his wife and is living at Chelsea captain Millie's luxury house. There is no suggestion either of them cheated on their partners. Pals said Millie — who won Euro 2022 and led England to the World Cup final in 2023 — met the trainer last year after starting to work out at a gym in Redhill, Surrey. Sources say she later struck up a friendship with the married dad, who we are not identifying. Earlier this year she split from Levi, and the trainer broke up with his wife 'out of the blue'. A source told The Sun: ' Millie's shock withdrawal from the England squad ahead of Euro 2025 left fans open-mouthed. 'She has always loved playing for her country, and spoke of her pride in doing so.' They went on: 'She has fallen for this guy in a big way, and that has come with some big sacrifices. "The fall-out has been enormous, but Millie has fallen hook, line and sinker for her ideal man.' Other sources close to Millie stressed her withdrawal was based purely on her need for an operation to fix a long-term injury. Millie and Levi shared a home in Surrey and their families were close. In December 2023, she announced their engagement on social media, flashing her diamond ring on holiday in Mauritius. She has referred to Levi as her 'king' who was with her 'through thick and thin'. She even has a tattoo of his eye on her arm which has been shown prominently in official squad photos. But fans noticed she had removed any mention of him from her social media accounts and deleted the engagement post. Millie has undergone minor knee surgery after a stellar season with Chelsea, winning the treble and finishing unbeaten domestically. She said pulling out of the upcoming Euros in Switzerland 'was not an easy decision', adding: 'I just don't feel 100 per cent mentally or physically in a position to go on and compete in a tournament.' She aimed to 'get myself back in tip-top condition and just happy again, I think, all round, just feeling like myself'. England's first game is against much-fancied France on July 5. Last night a spokesman for Millie declined to comment. 4
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
James Norton and Rebecca Adlington take part in 10-hour charity swim
Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington and actor James Norton have taken part in a wild sea swim for a marine conservation charity. On Friday, the two were among those to take the plunge in a 10-hour endurance ocean swim at Joss Bay in Kent, to raise money for the Blue Marine Foundation, a charity committed to addressing overfishing. Ahead of the event, they shared their earliest memories of the sea and pressed the importance of allowing future generations to 'experience the magic of healthy seas'. Ms Adlington told the PA news agency: 'I've always felt a deep connection to water, so when the opportunity came up to support coastal restoration through this event with Talisker and Blue Marine Foundation, it just felt like a natural fit. 'As a swimming challenge, this one stands out because of its direct impact on protecting and preserving marine life, with £150 from every kilometre swum helping to fund essential conservation work.' The two-time gold medal swimmer added: 'I hope people see this event as more than just a challenge, it's a call to action.' A report published by Blue Marine Foundation in July 2024 noted a 92% UK reduction in seagrass meadows and a 95% decline in native oyster reefs over the last century. Happy Valley actor Norton said: 'Like everyone, I'm in awe of the ocean. It's wild, powerful, and under threat. 'Taking a stand is about protecting biodiversity and ensuring future generations can experience the magic of healthy seas.' He added that his family goes by the mantra 'you'll never regret a swim' but admitted he had never been involved with this level of endurance swimming. New government regulations came into force on Friday which give water industry regulator Ofwat the power to retrospectively prevent bonuses paid in cash, shares or long-term incentive schemes to chief executives and chief financial officers for breaches of environmental, customer service or financial standards in a given financial year. Ms Adlington did not have a direct challenge for water companies in the UK but added that the Blue Marine Foundation was committed to coastal regeneration and improving UK waters. Ahead of the event, Norton said: 'My earliest memories of the sea are going on day trips to Scarborough. 'My whole village would cram into a coach and head to the beach for a day of fish and chips, rock and candy floss.' For every kilometre swum by participants at Joss Bay between 7am and 5pm on Friday, Talisker, who are supporting the event, will donate £150 to the foundation. The company has also pledged a further £112,608 to Blue Marine Foundation through sales of a limited edition whisky.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Winner takes it all: Pride of Arras channels spirit of 70s for the Derby
Lord Derby and Sir Charles Bunbury, who flipped a coin in 1779 to decide whose name would be attached to a new race at Epsom, would still recognise the Derby's switchback route around the Surrey downs if they could somehow be spirited along for the latest renewal of the Classic on Saturday. While so much else has changed at Epsom since Bunbury's colt, Diomed, was the first winner nearly a quarter of a millennium ago, they would see a kindred spirit in Vimy Aykroyd, the owner of Pride Of Arras, one of the favourites to be the 246th. Enthusiastic owner-breeders, mating the best with the best and then hoping for the best, were the bedrock of thoroughbred racing from its earliest days. For the first 200 years of Classics at Epsom, the typical winners were three-year-olds that had been bred and raced by owners with a lifelong passion for both sides of the game. Breeding a Derby winner was as much of an achievement, if not more so, than having it race in your colours. The old way of doing things was swept aside by new money and sovereign wealth from the end of the 1970s as owners such as Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and his three brothers compiled huge strings of horses and other major players were forced to compete. The small-scale owner-breeder, driven by the dream of striking it lucky at Epsom in early June, was suddenly an endangered species and as the big-money operations – Godolphin and Ireland's Coolmore Stud in particular – dominated the Derby, it even seemed possible that they might be extinct. As a result, there is a distinct sense of a 70s revival about the sudden emergence of Pride Of Arras as a leading contender. He raced once as a two-year-old, winning a minor race at Sandown in mid-August, and was an 18-1 outsider – and a 66-1 chance for the Derby – when he cantered to post for the Dante Stakes at York last month. One brisk dispatch of a useful field later he was down to 5-1 for Epsom. Aykroyd, who bred Pride Of Arras with her husband, David, has four broodmares at her base in Yorkshire, including Parnell's Dream, a mare who was also born and raised there and raced in her colours. She produced Pride Of Arras, her fourth foal, in 2022 after a mating with New Bay. While the first three were all winners, her latest ticket in the genetic lottery of thoroughbred breeding is a potential jackpot. Pride Of Arras's two-and-a-half minute run for glory is the result of many years of planning, patience and enthusiastic optimism. 'We bought his grand-dam, Kitty O'Shea, privately from Coolmore, and she had several foals and we kept Parnell's Dream,' Aykroyd says. 'She's bred quite a few winners already but nothing of his calibre and we're just incredibly lucky to have bred a horse with enormous potential.' Kitty O'Shea, a daughter of the great stallion Sadler's Wells, was sourced for the Aykroyds by the bloodstock agent Patrick Cooper, David Aykroyd's nephew, who has already been involved with an Epsom Classic winner in Snow Fairy, who took the Oaks in 2010. 'It's down to a lot of patience and a lot of luck,' Cooper says. 'When the Aykroyds wanted to set up a small breeding operation, it was with the intention of breeding mile-and-a-half horses and to try to win the Oaks was the plan, but of course, we'd settle for the Derby. We bought two mares privately and neither was a great success, but the daughter of one of them has become a great success, so it's been 15 years in the making.' Ralph Beckett was an obvious choice to train Pride Of Arras, as the Aykroyds have had horses in the yard since he set up as a trainer nearly a quarter of a century ago. 'I was brought up with Ralph's father as a child, so I've known the family for years and when he started, I decided to have a horse with him. It's gone on ever since,' she says. 'I'm very lucky to have a very good trainer and I'm a bit what will be, will be [about Saturday's race]. I've been in racing since I was born so I've seen all the ups and downs and I'm just very excited about it all.' Epsom 1.00 Sirona 1.35 Docklands 2.10 Ruby's Profit 2.45 Tees Spirit (nap) 3.30 Pride Of Arras (nb) 4.15 Small Fry 5.00 Meblesh 5.40 Circe Musselburgh 1.20 Blackcurrent 1.55 Code Purple 2.30 Alaskan Light 3.10 Jabaara 3.50 Regalian 4.25 Luna A Inbhir Nis 4.55 Top Gun Tina Worcester 1.50 Greenrock Abbey 2.25 Somespring Special 3.05 Leading Force 3.45 Son Of Tyran 4.20 Romany Brown 4.50 Madajovy 5.25 I'm A Starman 5.55 Dollymount Chepstow 5.30 Level Up 6.00 Wateen 6.30 High On Hope 7.00 Ultramarine 7.30 Marisitta 8.00 Eye Of The Water 8.30 You Are Everything 9.00 Doncaster 4.00 Raft Up 4.35 Papa Don't Preach 5.10 Court Of Stars 5.45 Equity Law 6.15 Way Of Stars 6.45 Remmooz 7.15 Superposition 7.50 La Cadalora Hexham 4.05 Present Fair 4.40 Carnet De Stage 5.15 Sean Og 5.50 Mancero 6.20 The Navigator 6.50 Kilmore Rock Lingfield 5.34 Motabaah 6.07 Spirit Of Albion 6.37 Salamanca City 7.07 Momaer 7.40 Fulford Cross 8.10 Amathus 8.40 Queen Of Good News There is an Abba tribute band on the schedule for Epsom's popular music nights later in the year and the back-to-the-70s theme could be a winner on Saturday as well although Aykroyd will not get carried away. 'I don't think ahead [from the Derby],' she says. One step at a time, you can get carried away by thinking ahead and then you get disappointed. I can't see the point of that.' The Derby looks as open as any running this century, with three horses vying for favouritism on Friday afternoon. The strong possibility of rain on Saturday adds a further layer of uncertainty as 19 lightly raced colts – the biggest field for 22 years – prepare for their one and only chance to win the sport's most famous Classic. It is a race with obvious potential for an upset, all the more so if significant rain gets into the ground, when even an 80-1 shot such as Lazy Griff, the Chester Vase runner-up, might suddenly become an each-way proposition. It is a contest where at least two of the three market leaders have significant questions to answer. On the face of it, Delacroix, the Leopardstown trial winner, has plenty to recommend him. He quickened well in his trial, is the chosen ride of Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien's stable jockey, from three possibles. Unlike Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, it is fair to expect him to get the trip, even if it may not bring much improvement in a colt who is seven races into his career. On the minus side, his last race had little depth, the runner-up has been steered around Epsom and Moore seemed unsure about his ride until late in the day. The view at Ballydoyle seemed to be that The Lion In Winter was their prime contender until his defeat behind Pride Of Arras in the Dante at York, which suggests in turn that the Dante may have been the strongest of the trials. If so, then Damysus, the runner-up, and Nightwalker, who ran on well into fifth from some way off the pace, deserve to enter the conversation, but there is no compelling reason why either colt – with three and five starts respectively – should improve past the twice-raced winner. Pride Of Arras has more scope for progress than any of the beaten horses at York. He is the son of a strong-staying mare with few concerns about stamina and is expected to handle the conditions if the going turns soft. His stable companion, Stanhope Gardens, and the unbeaten French challenger Midak could be significant threats, but at around 9-2, Pride Of Arras (3.30) can emerge from the pack as the 246th winner of the Derby. Epsom 1.00: David Menuisier's Sirona had decent form on an easy surface last autumn and Ryan Moore, who was aboard for her sole win in 2024 in a Listed race at Newmarket, is back in her saddle. Epsom 1.35: The versatile Docklands has not added a win to his record since the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot two years ago, but he has been impressively consistent much better company. Sardinian Warrior, who beat him by half a length at Ascot last time, was a length away from a Group One win next time and Harry Eustace's five-year-old faces nothing of that standard here. Epsom 2.10: The high numbers are generally favoured on the straight course when there is ease in the ground and the front-running Ruby's Profit, who made all to win well at Goodwood last time, has a perfect pitch in stall 19. Epsom 2.45: Tees Spirit landed this speed test three years ago, goes on any ground and has a fine draw in stall 16 as he bids for a repeat.
