This week, my focus has been on the County Championship. While Ryan Harris, debutant Shaun Marsh and Mike Hussey were doing their stuff for Australia against Sri Lanka, the most eye-catching performances seemed to come in England.
Derbyshire's Wes Durston was again in fine form, not only with bat and ball but he also caught Kent opener Joe Denly on 199! David Payne took nine wickets for Gloucestershire against Leicestershire, Alex Hales carried his bat in a losing cause for Notts against Warwickshire, for whom Rikki Clarke produced an excellent all-round display, including 126 in 101 balls and four wickets.
However, the two prime candidates for my Player of the Week are both bowlers. Last winter, Ryan Sidebottom left champions Nottinghamshire for his native Yorkshire and what happens? His new side are, at the time of writing, almost certainly relegated. However, in their last game, the former England international left-arm seamer claims match figures of 11-98 to beat Somerset at Headingley. In pure statistical terms, that was the highlight of the week. However, for sheer drama and the significance of achievement in terms of the Championship battle, the award goes to Lancashire's Simon Kerrigan.
The 22 year-old made quite a splash in Twenty20 last year but has been kept out of the side in most first-class matches in 2011 by the ever-excellent Gary Keedy. The last week, both spinners were selected as Glen Chapple's men sought the victory over struggling Hampshire that would maintain their bid for their first outright Championship title for 80-odd years. Kerrigan wheeled away for 45 overs in the first innings, taking 3-141, but when Hampshire batted again, a draw looked inevitable. However, the young slow left-armer made quick inroads into the Hants batting and proceeded to dismiss nine of them, finally ending the dogged resistance of Neil McKenzie with just four minutes remaining! He'll probably never better the innings figures of 9-51 but more importantly that performance gives his county a wonderful chance of winning the pennant come the end of the week. Their chances will improve still further if he reproduces that form against Somerset at Taunton!
