Several candidates this week, and I've already written about some exceptional performances in a previous blog. In the County Championship, Warwickshire's Rikki Clarke equalled the world record for catches in an innings by a non-'keeper, with seven taken from second slip. At the start of the week, Tim Bresnan hastened the India second innings collapse in the Trent Bridge Test while at the end, Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor scored his maiden Test century against Bangladesh.
Best bowling figures of the week came from Alfonso Thomas, with 10 for 88 in Somerset's Championship victory over Sussex, and Hampshire's Danny Briggs, claiming 5-19 in the T20 Cup quarter-final demolition of Durham. His county may be struggling in the four-day game but they are making a good fist of defending their short-form title.
The T20 quarters also witnessed some murderous hitting by Azhar Mahmood and Martin van Jaarsveld for Kent, but they finished on the losing side against Leicestershire. Their Championship fixture had proved somewhat less dramatic! 20 year-old Jos Buttler reminded us all of his immense potential as a wicketkeeper-batsman when he came in at 54-5 with Monty Panesar ripping through Somerset's top order. He struck his first ball faced for six and proceeded to smash an 112-ball hundred which turned the game. He also matched Kieron Pollard blow for blow in a match-winning T20 partnership against Notts today, blasting 34 in just 14 balls!
However, my Player of the Week gets the award not just for striking the first triple-hundred of the season but for the way he came back from serious illness and some recent poor run of scores. In only his third match since a nine-month layoff, Michael Carberry compiled a mesmerising 300 not out and, alongside Neil McKenzie (237), produced the third highest stand ever in the Championship. The 523 is also ranked ninth in all first-class cricket.
The Hampshire player is maybe unlikely to have played just one Test for England, in Bangladesh, but he was presented with his opportunity only in the absence of Andrew Strauss. 'Carbs' has been a late developer, only really making a name for himself in 2007 after moving to Hampshire. Now 30, he boasts a first-class average of almost 45, including 24 hundreds. He may not be so successful in one-dayers but if he adds a few more to that century tally, Carberry could be another rival, with Ravi Bopara and Ian Bell, for Jonathan Trott's number three slot in he national Test side. At least his name will always be listed in the ranks of 500+ partnerships in world cricket, and in the Mike'sSpinonCricket hall of fame.
