Spoilt for choice this week, and the main contenders featured a number of former Players of the Week. Ian Bell's magnificent double-century in the Oval Test was a wonderful performance and showed again how good a batsman he is, and has been for several years now. Chris Woakes's ten wickets (including a first innings 7-20) and two top-scores for Warwickshire was even more remarkable for the fact that he ended up on the losing side, against bottom-club Hampshire. David Masters was again in the wickets, both in the Championship and the CB40 for Essex.
Today's 40-over group fixtures produced some humdinger innings. Alviro Petersen struck ten sixes out of 141 in Glamorgan's win over Lancashire, Jacques Rudolph returned to form for Yorkshire with 132 in 112 balls (following a 120 in the Championship) and Durham captain Phil Mustard opened his innings by taking the Northants attack for 139. The week's four-day cricket featured a brilliant century by Essex's 21 year-old Adam Wheater, who now improbably boasts a first-class average of more than 50, another measured hundred by James Taylor and an excellent 145 by James Vince in that vital victory for Hampshire.
There was also a rare century in both innings made by Sussex skipper Mike Yardy. He compiled 130 and a run-a-ball 122 as he looked to declare against Yorkshire. He also contributed a CB40 50 during the week. However, he is pipped to the post by young Surrey batsman Jason Roy.
His week featured three innings which were instrumental in maintaining his county's march towards the CB40 semi-finals. Against Northants, he hit 65 in 42 balls, then at Edgbaston, he reached three figures (101 in 95 balls) and four days later, his contribution to the Surrey cause increased yet again, adding 131 in only 99 balls, almost as many as the Leicestershire opposition manage between them.
It should be hardly surprising that such a talent should have been born in South Africa but he has been less effective in the first-class game, averaging only 30. However, in one-dayers and T20, he is looking the real deal and his fielding has also garnered rave reviews since his Surrey debut as an 18 year-old. Another young player worth keeping an eye on.
