County Cricket: Critchley and Rew off to Another Flier

Luckily for the cricketing fraternity, Storm Dave subsided just in time for the new County Championship season, even if Chester-le-Street required some residual tidy-up, causing a delay in Durham’s opener against Kent. 

This time last year, I confidently predicted success for Surrey and Lancashire and naturally I was wrong. I’ll stick with them for topping their respective divisions in 2026. Mind you, Surrey’s bowling is currently nowhere near as star-studded as their batting. They struggled early on against Warwickshire, for whom Dan Mousley top-scored with 144. Only Ben Foakes’ 128 kept Surrey in the game on day one, but Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence held their nerves to lodge tons of their own and see out the draw. 

Champions Nottinghamshire didn’t have it all their way, either, ceding the initiative to their hosts, Somerset. Toms Abell and Kohler-Cadmore, plus James Rew were in fine form with the bat and the latter, at barely 22, already boasts twelve first-class hundreds. He opened the 2025 campaign in similar fashion. Captain Craig Overton delayed the fourth-day declaration for far too long to stand any chance of winning. 

Essex all-rounder Matt Critchley was another who, as last year, was quick out of the blocks. He tonked Hampshire’s attack for 173 before destroying their second innings efforts with a return of 5-9. Leicestershire’s surprise return to Division One resulted in a heavy defeat at home to Sussex. Tom Clark was the game’s only centurion, but the star performer was the county’s academy graduate Henry Crocombe, whose pace netted him a match aggregate of 9-69. After a twelve-point deduction, Sussex will be relieved to have a positive number on the board. 

The other promoted side, in the top tier for the first time since 2005, more than held their own. Glamorgan brought Division One cricket back to Cardiff and it was 40-year-old Colin Ingram who showed the way in each innings against Yorkshire, for whom Dom Bess took seven wickets. The home side’s Mason Crane went one better, including a five-fer. Jonny Bairstow was one of the first players to be replaced under the competition’s experimental substitution rule after he injured a finger early on. 

In Division Two, Middlesex trounced Gloucestershire by an innings. Skipper Leus du Plooy racked up 182 before unleashing his bowlers. Veteran Toby Roland-Jones took 5-37 then, with Gloucester following on, it was Ryan Higgins and teenager Sebastian Morgan who inflicted the damage. 

It was an excellent week for anyone called Anderson or Andersson. At 43, James rolled back the years for Lancashire, claiming eight Northants victims. The Red Roses were heading for a surefire victory, but on the final day, George Bartlett marshalled the tail brilliantly to avoid defeat, even if it left him high and dry on 95 not out. Credit, too, to team-mates McManus and Sanderson for digging in so effectively in the closing stages. Emilio Gay was 2026’s first ton-maker in Durham’s draw against Kent, while Derbyshire’s Martin Andersson notched the opening double-hundred. He put on 273 for the fifth wicket with Luis Reece as the county declared on 625-8. Kent passed 300 on both occasions but needed the solid batting of Brookes, Waite and Taylor to secure the draw. 

Team of the Week:-  L. Wells (Lan), Lategan (Wor), Du Plooy (Mid), Mousley (War), J Rew (Som +), Ingram (Gla), Critchley (Ess), Andersson (Der), Roland-Jones (Mid), Crocombe (Sus), Anderson (Lan)

International Team of 2025

Despite all the dire predictions of its imminent demise, I applaud the persistence of international cricket, in particular the traditional red-ball formats. The franchise stuff continues to rake in sponsorship and TV cash but when leading countries accept the opportunity and challenge of a series spanning more than three Tests, cricket invariably rises to the occasion. If only other nations could embrace take note of England’s battles against India at home and the ongoing Ashes barney in Australia, producing high drama and great entertainment lasting several days, although a few Aussie groundsmen seemed hell bent on preparing Test match pitches geared to a T20 duration. 

Australia ended the year atop the ICC Test rankings but were undone in the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. In a low-scoring encounter in June, South Africa, fired by Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada, at last scooped a major trophy. Both sides defeated India in five-day cricket series, while the Aussies inflicted an ignominous humbling of West Indies in Kingston, reducing their second innings to 27 all out. Mitchell Starc took 6-9. At the other end of the scale, England took the Indian attack for 669 at Old Trafford and Australia plundered their Sri Lankan hosts for 654-6 at Galle. 

I am amazed and encouraged by the plethora of nations participating in T20 internationals around the world. Many of them rely on the Asian diaspora but it’s great to see the likes of Austria, Bahrain and Rwanda playing so much cricket. However, I am not sure what their attendances are like. 

In women’s cricket, Australia barely broke sweat to take the multi-format Ashes without a single victory for England. However, Alyssia Healy’s squad were unexpectedly defeated by Harmanpreet Kaur’s India in the World Cup. The delight on their faces in triumph was a joy to behold. 

India also picked up the ICC Champions Trophy, but only after being allowed to play their fixtures in Dubai rather than Pakistan. The small-scale tournament contained its share of surprises, not least Afghanistan’s historic victory over England, whose Bazball boasting produced not silverware but nul points. Perhaps England weren’t as good as they thought they were…. 

So what about my Team of the Year? In first-class cricket, nobody outscored KK Nair or took more wickets than Mohammed Abbas. West Indian batters Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope seemed to be everywhere in T20. Compatriot Jason Holder garnered 97 T20 victims, the most by anybody in a single year.

Neither South Africa nor New Zealand played much Test cricket but their players nonetheless made an impact on the world stage. For the Proteas, Markram and Rickelton made runs, while Jansen and Maharaj looked dangerous with red ball in hand. The Black Caps’ Matt Henry was the top wicket-taker in ODIs and Daryl Mitchell proved himself one of the best batters. 

A new record was set by NZ openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham when they each scored a ton in both innings against the Windies in December, and Wiaan Mulder opted to avoid what he considered an undeserved place atop the list of individual Test match innings. On 367 not out, and Brian Lara’s world record at his mercy, he declared South Africa’s first innings against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. Many criticised him, and I understand why, but to cricket fans, any record achieved against a side as weak as Zimbabwe’s would inevitably come with a mental asterisk against it. 

For openers, KL Rahul and Travis Head are leading contenders. The Indian remained a formidable scorer in Tests and ODIs, and the South Australian proved to be a brutal hitter in any format. He may be inconsistent but saves his best performances for the biggest stage, not least when promoted as emergency opener in the ongoing Ashes series. NZ’s Rachin Ravindra announced himself in the Champions Trophy, nailing down the opener’s spot. 

Shubman Gill was a revelation with the bat in England and was by far the most prolific batter in men’s Tests, albeit 17 shy of the 1,000 mark. Who needs Rohit or Kohli? Harry Brook is clearly hammering on Joe Root’s door as the premier Yorkshireman in cricket but 2025 was the senior man’s year. His 805 Test tally was pretty useful but he surpassed that in ODIs: 808 was superior to anyone else’s. The unbeaten 138 at Brisbane filled a glaring gap in his CV and only Tendulkar has more Test career runs. Root’s average tops 50 and he now claims 22,000 runs in England colours across all senior formats. I don’t normally dwell long on T20 specialists but even I cannot ignore the splash created by Indian Abhishek Sharma, who ended the calendar year with a T20 strike rate above 200. Not even the likes of Gayle or De Villiers managed that but, as boundaries shrink, scoring continues to accelerate. 

Aussie Alex Carey‘s brilliance behind the stumps and decent return with the bat cemented himself as the best ‘keeper in Test cricket and, for me, Ravi Jadeja retains his all-rounder spot in 2025, although he seemed to improve his batting at the expense of his left-arm spin. Ben Stokes demonstrated that he is not finished yet, but fitness issues restricted his appearances to major Test series. 

Last year, bowlers could claim to receive a bum deal. Jasprit Bumrah was given some much-deserved breathing space, allowing Mohammed Siraj to capture 43 Test wickets. Jofra Archer’s return to England’s attack was hailed as the Second Coming but, although miracles weren’t forthcoming, the old fore and pace were much in evidence. However, that old Aussie warhorse Mitchell Starc was relentlessly brilliant, hoovering up 55 wickets in eleven Tests at barely 17, driving the Barmy Army nuts. 

Amongst slower bowlers, it was also nice to see Simon Harmer back in the South African Test fold at the age of 36. In the series success against India, he finished with a superlative seventeen wickets at a mere 8.94 apiece. However, my attention has strayed to the women’s game for my final pick. England may not have enjoyed the best year but Sophie Ecclestone had no peers when it came to limited-overs spin bowling, and she is still only 26. 

My 2025 Team of the Year:

Ravindra (NZ), Head (Aus), A Sharma (Ind), Shubman Gill (Ind), Root (Eng), Carey (Aus +), Jadeja (Ind), Starc (Aus), Henry (NZ), Siraj (Ind), Ecclestone (Eng). 12th: Rickelton (SA)

Ashes 2nd Test: A Starc reminder for England

Living in the UK, during the weeks leading up to the Ashes, I could have been forgiven for believing that England’s 5-0 whitewash was in the bag. The Aussies were no-hopers, their pace attack either crocked or simply past it. Just hand over the urn now, knighthoods and bonuses all round. Cheers! 

Who needs practice? Just turn up, let the batters whack it around the boundary and the bowlers reduce Steve Smith et al to nervous wrecks. It doesn’t matter whether the ball is white, red or pink; Bazball rules, ok? 

Then came the Perth debacle. In truth, both sides struggled with the pitch. After the first day, the ‘papers and websites lauded the pace of Carse, Archer and Stokes. Crawley, Root and Smith would come good on day two and the tourists would be celebrating three days early. 

Oops! Crawley bagged a pair, Brook lasted only three deliveries and his Yorkshire brother-in-arm played on to Mitchell Starc for eight. Top score was Gus Atkinson’s 37. Never mind. Unleash the speedsters! Khawaja’s injury brought more optimism, but the promoted Travis Head was having none of it. Ably supported by Marnus Labuschagne, he made a mockery of this relentless marketing maelstrom by slamming an 83-ball 123. No bowlers were spared the Head treatment. Inside two days, it was 1-0 to Australia. 

On to Brisbane, where history isn’t kind to England. But – hey! – we have the fastest pace attack in Ashes history! Well, at least the Second Test lasted four days but the result was the same: an eight-wicket triumph for the hosts. Despite a plethora of runs, there was only one century and, Ironically, it flowed from the bat of Joe Root whose lack of a ton Down Under had been an over-stressed stain on his fantastic Test record. He was left unbeaten on 138, proving that class is permanent. 

When Australia batted, nobody could get close to three figures but, in a Test rarity, everyone reached double-figures. Five passed fifty, and on day two they compiled runs at a rate which would have had Brendon McCullum purring were it his own batters at work. The bowlers wilted, simple catches were spilled all over the place. The England second innings saw Michael Neser grabbing the headlines with two caught-and-bowleds, and a succession of poor strokes edging behind to Carey and Smith. 

England’s woes were epitomised yesterday by the chirping of Archer toward Steve Smith. Even that pathetic sledging failed, as the stand-in skipper was motivated to hook another bouncer for six and clinch victory with a controlled pull from Atkinson for another. 

So what next? I am no fan of England’s cricket but even I am surprised by their embarrassing performances so far. As for the coach’s suggestion that his squad practised too much, it’s laughable. Of course, England could fire on all cylinders at Adelaide. Root, Brook, Pope, Smith and Duggett have made big scores before, and Aussie pitches can aid our bowlers. However, the Bazball strategy can only take you so far. Selecting batters based on their Hundred strike rates and bowlers purely based on their speed gun stats is, in my opinion, ridiculous. 

I know I’m old-fashioned, and fume at the proliferation of T20 and the shortening of boundaries, but you need a Plan B, C or even D, depending on the players available, the conditions and the opposition. For too long, England have relied on sledging, bouncers, Root’s runs and Stokes’ big-stage heroics. Skills can still be honed, but there are many other sub-90mph bowlers and experienced spinners available on the county circuit ready and willing. 

As for Australia, they have performed admirably, uniting the nation against the Barmy Army. Aged 31, Weatherald has enjoyed a solid start to his Test career, Alex Carey has been as brilliant behind the stumps as Smith has been poor, while Boland, Doggett and Neser have compensated for the absence of Cummins and Hazelwood. Then there is ‘past-it’ Mitchell Starc. A six-fer in three successive Tests, a trio of Player of the Match awards and a top score of 77 at Brisbane. His career wicket tally has eclipsed Wasim Akram’s to make him the most prolific left-arm seamer in history. Smith collects records for runs and catches but the tall Sydney man deserves more credit than he receives. Tests, ODIs, T20, he excels in all formats. A glut of Aussie retirements cannot be far away but it is Starc who will be missed the most.

County Cricket: My Team of 2025

While I must admit that the highlight of the domestic cricket season was the sterling five-Test contest between England and India, the county season threw up a few welcome surprises. Surrey’s stellar squad failed to win anything, last season’s strugglers Nottinghamshire pipped them for the title at the death, my Somerset boys converted white-ball talent into Blast success and Worcestershire combined Championship relegation with victory in the One-Day Cup. Oh, and Jimmy Anderson tried – with mixed results – to reinvent himself as a supreme Twenty20 exponent. The IPL franchises were unimpressed but Lancashire were more obliging.

Now for my annual review of the stand-out performers on the county circuit. The Hundred doesn’t count, obviously. In arriving at my final Eleven, I looked at consistency across formats while prioritising the Championship ahead of the Blast and then the 50-over competition which was bereft of the one-day aces who preferred to spend their August earning larger salaries in The Hundred. 

Openers 

Ben Compton’s 1,386 runs at an average of 60 were the rare jewels in Kent’s miserable summer. Talking of which, Derbyshire’s Caleb Jewell was the top scorer across all three county competitions. He made only one of my Teams of the Week but accumulated his runs efficiently and consistemtly. Dom Sibley and Haseeb Hameed may have been discarded by Engand selectors years ago, but they were the outstanding openers in Division One. Sibley reached a triple-century out of a massive 820-9 against Durham but in the same match, Alex Lees scored a ton in each innings. Lees just failed to notch 1,000 runs in the four-dayers but had a fruitful T20 campaign. Tom Banton astonished everyone by cracking 371 against Worcestershire at the start of April but couldn’t maintain that throughout Somerset’s season.

Middle Order

Old favourites Wayne Madsen and Colin Ingram showed no signs of slowing down. The 41-year-old Derbyshire stalwart averaged 57 in Division Two adding 431 in the short stuff. Ingram’s Glamorgan colleague Kiran Carlson had an excellent 2024 but was even better this year, especially as the county achieved its first promotion in yonks. Northamptonshire had a rotten time, but nobody scored more Championship runs than their 27-year-old left-hander, Saif Zaib. Max Holden had a few golden moments for Middlesex, James Coles of Sussex made plenty of runs, as did Essex’s Tom Westley, while Hampshire’s Toby Albert topped the batting charts in the Blast, and his counterpart Nick Gubbins did the same in the One-Day Cup. However, my next member of the team of 2025 is Jack Haynes of county champs Notts. He struck four first-class hundreds and boasted a healthy strike rate in one-day cricket, too. 

All Rounders 

Ryan Higgins and Liam Dawson weren’t quite up to their traditional levels but there was no shortage of quality batting all-rounders on the circuit. Notitnghamshire’s Lyndon James included a double-century in his 2025 CV while Tom Lammonby of Somerset saved his best performances for when they really mattered. Lewis Gregory continued to deserve Somerset fans’ adoration, particularly when he whacked the winning six in the Blast final. Ben Kellaway and Rehan Ahmed added considerable runs to their customary spin bowling, and young Ethan Brookes of Worcestershire looked a useful player in both red and white-ball formats. However, my pick is Warwickshire’s Ed Barnard, mostly for his runs in a year when Hain, Davies and Yates didn’t often deliver.

Wicket-Keeper 

Lewis McManus claimed more victims (20 than anyone else in the Blast, while Garth Roderick topped the charts in the Championship, but their batting wasn’t quite up to scratch. James Rew of Somerset looked back to his best and even enjoyed some useful middle-order partnerships with younger brother Thomas. However, like last year, the wicketkeeping slot comes down to a fight between James Bracey (Gloucs) and John Simpson (Sussex). A third of Bracey’s runs came in the One-Day Cup but the South Coast skipper contributed everywhere, excelling in first-class cricket, both with gloves and willow, averaging 60 in his side’s push for fourth place.

Bowlers

Five men took at least fifty Championship wickets, and three of them make my XI. It wasn’t an easy decision. Ben Sanderson (Northants) and Riley Meredith (Somerset) were the most prolific in T20, Ben Allison (Worcs) in the One-Day Cup, while Ben Green (Leics) picked them up in all three competitions.

The evergreen Kyle Abbott ended the Championship season with almost identical figures to those of 2024 and is an automatic selection. Ben Raine’s seam bowling bailed Durham out of a few holes, also contributing useful lower-order runs. George Hill (Yorks) and Luis Reece (Derbys) achieved the half-century with eye-catching sub-20 averages. Spin wasn’t really to the fore this summer. Even Simon Harmer struggled so, for a second consecutive year, I am delighted to induct Somerset’s Jack Leach into the 2025 Eleven. He rarely featured in limited-overs but in the long-form the ex-England left-armer worked hard all season. Surprise bowler of the season must be Tom Taylor. Before April was out, Worcestershire looked doomed, but the 30-year-old plugged away throughout. Nobody took more wickets – 78 in total, including fifteen in the Blast. 

Like the whole country, players and fans alike, I have no idea what the hell is happening to county cricket next year. However, here is my hotly-awaited County XI of 2025;- 

Jewell (Der), Lees (Dur), Haynes (Not), Carlson (Gla), Barnard (War), Zaib (Nor), Simpson (Sus +), Abbott (Ham), Raine (Dur), Taylor (Wor), Leach (Som)

Just missed out: Brookes (Wor), Madsen (Der), Bracey (Glo +), B Green (Lei)

County Cricket: Nottinghamshire End the Summer in Style

At the start of the domestic cricket season, I feared another summer of Surrey dominance and Somerset near-misses. Well, with regard to the latter, we did finish third in the Championship and were beaten semi-finalists in the One-Day Cup but proved triumphant in the T20 Blast. Not a bad 2025 at all. 

As for Surrey, they looked all set to retain the four-day crown only for Nottinghamshire to blow the whole thing wide open with that memorable twenty-run victory at The Oval. In the final round of fixtures, all they effectively needed to do was outperform Surrey in first innings bonus points and the pennant would be on the way from London to the East Midlands. 

It may have been late September but all nine matches produced results; not a single draw. Notts welcomed Warwickshire to Trent Bridge while Surrey popped down the M3 to meet Hampshire, desperately fighting for top tier survival. Mohammad Abbas and Brett Hutton did their bit with the ball but at the Rose Bowl, Sibley, Burns et all came unstuck in the face of wily Kyle Abbott, James Fuller and new recruit Washington Sundar. Zero batting points, game over.  Another Haseeb Hameed century set up his side’s seventh win of the campaign to take the crown in style. By the time, Raful Chahar ripped through the second Hampshire innings with 8-51, it was too late for Surrey. 

At one stage, Somerset had an outside chance of nicking the runners-up position. Against relegation-threatened Essex, Lewis Goldsworthy’s even ton helped them to 438 all out, only for a 277-run opening stand by Elgar and Walter to scupper any hopes of victory. A draw looked certain until Jamie Porter (4-18) and co skittled the visitors for 99, leaving Allison to conclude matters with a six off Jake Ball on the final morning. 

Worcestershire were already down and out, and Sussex merely rubbed their noses in it. Centuries from James Coles and John Simpson, plus eleven wickets for Ollie Robinson set up win number four, although seamer Tom Taylor, a rare bright light in Worcester’s dismal Championship season, almost sparked a sensational comeback. Never mind, at least they have the 50-over trophy in their New Road cabinet. 

Going into the final afternoon, the other relegation slot was still uncertain. Hampshire looked doomed, but it all rested on the outcome of Durham’s clash with Yorkshire at Headingley. Both sides had begun the week in deep trouble but the home team had a six-point advantage. With Hampshire beaten, a draw would suit both counties. Ben Raine clubbed 101 for Durham, then took 5-76, although Mayank Agarwal’s 175 anchored Yorkshire’s superior total of 475. On the South Coast, tears must have been shed and cats kicked, only for Dom Bess and George Hill to orchestrate a horrendous batting humiliation on day four. Durham lost, and were relegated by a single point. Across the season, their bonus point tally was extremely respectable but they had failed to cash in, losing six games to Hampshire’s three, and that cost them dearly. 

Leicestershire and Glamorgan were already assured of replacing them in Division One. I am so glad that these less-prosperous and relatively unfancied counties had beaten the big boys of Middlesex and Lancashire to promotion. Leicestershire maintained their impressive form, defeating Northants by 167 runs. Rehan Ahmed was absent but on-loan Steve Eskinazi weighed in with 155. Liam Trevaskis closed his campaign with 6-85. 

Glamorgan didn’t sign off with a win, but they didn’t need to. Instead, they handed Lancashire a consolation prize at Cardiff, Tom Bailey and George Balderson sharing thirteen wickets. Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy struck the highest score of the week, a hefty 263 not out, en route for an innings win over Gloucestershire but Derbyshire clinched third place with their own crushing victory over bottom side Kent. Experienced batsmen Luis Reece (211) and Wayne Madsen (198) put on 358 for the third wicket, out of 698-6 declared, and Reece’s 5-63 made him only the 51^st player ever in world first-class cricket to strike a double-hundred and claim a five-for. That’s some achievement! 

Watch out for my season review and 2025 all-format Team of the Year. 

Team of the Week:- Reece (Der), Walter (Ess), Agarwal (Yor), Du Plooy (Mid), Madsen (Der), Eskinazi (Lei), Simpson (Sus +), Hill (Yor), Robinson (|Sus), Hutton (Not), Raful Chahar (Sur)

County Cricket: Record-Breaking Somerset Bag the Blast

It can be difficult supporting Somerset. Not that we are bad. We’re not. We have been in the top tier of the County Championship longer than most, won the One-Day Cup at Lord’s in 2019 and are regular qualifiers for the Blast Finals Day. It’s just that, like England Men’s football team, the expectation is that we will probably bow out in the semis or final. Coming second is what we do best, and it can be sickening. 

Cricket has changed since the late Seventies and early Eighties, Somerset’s golden era. Year after year, we could enjoy performances by the likes of Richards, Garner, Botham, Rose, Marks, Moseley, Denning et al. These days, you never know who might appear on the team sheet, such is the schedule minefield of global international and franchise cricket. However, it only takes one blistering innings to win a T20, whoever they may be. 

In the first semi at Edgbaston, it was Tom Kohler-Cadmore whose 81 laid the foundation for Somerset’s defeat of Lancashire. Ben Green, Lewis Gregory and Migael Pretorius completed the job with the ball. In the other semi, reduced to eighteen overs, Northamptonshire never really got off the blocks. Earlier in the tournament, they had racked up three of the four highest totals but when it really mattered, they amassed only 158-7. When Hampshire replied, Saif Zaib caused all sorts of problems, but not to veteran Aussie Chris Lynn. Despite his long career, I know little about him but his amazing 108 not out included no fewer than eleven sixes and the game was won with plenty to spare. 

And so it was Hampshire vs Somerset under the lights. I have been to only two live one-day finals supporting my county and both featured the same opposition. At Cardiff in 2012, Somerset capitulated miserably to Dmitri Mascarenhas’ Royals at the semi-final stage but in 2019 I witnessed Tom Abell lifting the 50-over cup after a surprisingly smooth chase. What would 2025 deliver? 

Hampshire’s successful 2012 Blast side featured James Vince and, now 34 years of age, he was again in good nick. Lynn was caught on the boundary early on but Vince and Toby Albert blazed away with abandon, adding 97 in just under ten overs. Vince also fell in the deep, for 52 but young Albert, the competition’s top scorer, continued to 85, when Gregory clipped his off stump. The momentum was lost but a total of 194-6 challenged Somerset to achieve a record run chase in a final if they were to take the crown. It looked unlikely. 

Would Kohler-Cadmore repeat those heroics? No, but it was to be the day for his opening partner Will Smeed to excel. Still only 23, the Taunton-educated right-hander has never played top-level red-ball cricket but is one of the most destructive T20 batsmen in England. On 94, he crunched Scott Currie hard and flat on it way to the six which would have given him the first-ever Final century, but that man Vince was in the way. Sean Dickson and Gregory still had plenty to do. The former was fortunate to watch Currie drop a sitter, which could have altered the course of the match but it was the ever-dependable captain Gregory who eased the tension with two sixes off Currie’s final over, the winning flick sailing over square leg. 

I don’t know how many of this team will be there to defend the title next summer but as long as you have Lewis Gregory and a squad filled with economical spinners, strong seamers and match-winning openers slotting in as required, anything is possible.

County Cricket: Leicestershire Promoted at Last

The latest report covers both ends of the county cricket spectrum. The week began with the Vitality Blast quarter-finals, Serial Finals Day participants Somerset and Hampshire progressed again. Hampshire easily outscored Durham but it took a scintillating unbeaten 71 from 26 balls by soon-to-depart Sean Dickson to swing the tie against the Bears with one delivery to spare. 

Liam Livingstone delivered a fine all-round performance for Lancashire to defeat Kent by three wickets. With Tom Hartley, he kept the lid on the opposition batting before crunching 85 not out. Surrey fielded a stellar line-up of internationals but, surprisingly, were undone by a 40-year-old blast from the past. In a game reduced to fourteen overs, Northamptonshire lost both openers in the first over, only for Ravi Bopara to produce only his third T20 century in almost five hundred matches. Pope and Sam Curran did their best but Surrey fell seven runs short and so miss out on another trophy. 

In the County Championship, Surrey’s seemingly smooth route to the title hit an unexpected barrier. With nationwide rain preventing results almost everywhere, second-placed Nottinghamshire scrambled their way to a three-wicket win at Worcestershire. Lyndon James (5-35) and Josh Tongue (4-52) left their side a target of only 136. Haseeb Hameed bagged a pair and wickets fell regularly but James and Tongue combined again to complete the victory which narrows the gap behind Surrey to a single point. 

After the first innings, at The Oval, there was barely a bail’s width between the leaders and Warwickshire, then Sibley and Pope steered the home team to 391-8 declared. On day four, Alex Davies’ team safely negotiated the final afternoon. Somerset clung on to third spot in their draw versus Yorkshire. Their first innings spanned almost three days, during which Tom Abell compiled a patient 130. A draw seemed inevitable but, when Yorkshire crumbled to 60-7, an extraordinary result was on the cards. However, Jordan Thompson blasted a rapid half-century to prevent an embarrassment. 

At Chelmsford, Essex had the better of their encounter with Durham, with Elgar and Critchley striking tons, but at Hove the bowlers were in control. Day three was washed out but there was no time for Hampshire to bowl Sussex out a second time. Hampshire’s week ended with another setback when they were docked eight points for preparing a substandard pitch back in May against the same opposition. To make matters worse, they lost that game! 

The ECB verdict pulls Hampshire down to within six points of Durham who occupy one of the relegation places with Worcestershire who are all but doomed. None of the bottom six are safe. Next week, the bottom two face up, as do the top pair. Should Surrey defeat Notts, the Championship pennant will continue to flutter over The Oval for yet another year. 

The big news from Division Two was Leicestershire gaining enough bonus points to ensure their first promotion to the top division since the two-tier structure was introduced. Having been wooden-spooners so often, their avoidance of defeat to Gloucestershire put them out of reach of the chasing pack. Glamorgan could yet displace them as top dogs but it would require something miraculous but with young Asa Tribe in such sensational form – 206 in his first outing against Northants following three List A centuries in four innings – who knows?! 

At Lord’s, rain ruined the contest between Middlesex and Derbyshire, in which Toby Roland-Jones took 6-77, while Lancashire and Kent were evenly matched at Canterbury. In only his second first-class appearance, Lancashire seamer Mitchell Stanley claimed an impressive eleven wickets. 

Next week’s Division Two highlight should be Glamorgan v Derbyshire, but the weather forecast doesn’t look great. The same goes for the T20 Finals Day at Edgbaston. No seven-over thrashes, please! 

Team of the Week:- Elgar (Ess), Tribe (Gla), McKinney (Dur), Bopara (Nor), Livingstone (Lan), Abell (Som), Roderick (Wor +), Saif Zaib (Nor), James (Not), Roland-Jones (Mid), Stanley (Lan)