As the County Championship draws stumps for the summer, I can reflect on very few predictions coming true. One was Worcestershire being relegated and the other was confirmed yesterday: Yorkshire bouncing straight back into Division One. Given that I had Derbyshire as a possible basement team and Northants for promotion, I can only say that county cricket remains baffingly but joyously unpredictable!
With the main Division One positions decided a week early, Glamorgan's unexpected thumping of Kent at Cardiff yesterday meant that, whatever their results, Yorkshire and Derbyshire would occupy the top slots in Division Two. In the event, both ended the season in style, beating Essex and Hampshire, respectively. To make it more interesting, both ended on 194 points but Derbyshire were crowned champions because they won six matches against the White Roses' five. However, the wettest summer for a hundred years decided matters; Yorkshire drew eleven games with many days lost to rain. To their credit they were the only unbeaten side in either division and deserved to go up with a late charge.
Azeem Rafiq produced a magnificent all-round performance this week, just the sort of thing Adil Rashid used to do before his sad loss of form. Adam Lyth has also rediscovered the spark which raised his profile two years ago. Current contender for England opener spot, Joe Root, scored 0 and 3, compared with his partner Lyth's 67 and 51. They also scored enough runs not to miss Jonny Bairstow too much when on international duty.
Derbyshire, however, were the surprise package of 2012. It is true that Durston and Clare helped them to mid-table comfort last year but this summer they were front-runners almost throughout. Picking up rejects has proved a fruitful policy. AFter Wes Durston last year, the recruitment of Tony Palladino and David Wainwright gave them extra bowling firepower. It was also the wise Australian head of Usman Khawaja who kept them on course for a six-wicket victory today after three very tight preceding days, and a return to the top flight after twelve long years!
At the other end, both Glamorgan and Leicestershire leapfrogged both Northants and Gloucestershire, leaving the latter stranded in last place just five points behind the Welsh team in sixth! Northamptonshire's dive down the table certainly surprised me, and they managed to win only two games, fewer than anyone else in Division Two.
In the top tier, Somerset captured second place thanks to an uncharacteristic fine finish, perhaps owing more than a little to Marcus Trescothick''s return from a lengthy injury break. Nick Compton also struck another big unbeaten century in the win over Sussex following his own long period out with back problems. Sadly, beating Worcestershire by an innings prevented him from ending the season with a three figure average!
Nottinghamshire sank to theor lowest position all summer, fifth, after failing to break the Warwickshire tail this afternoon, leaving Middlesex and Sussex to fill third and fourth places. Surrey ended up a disappointing seventh, and no doubt they will want to put a sad summer behind them. Last year's talent didn't produce the goods at the top table and the squad were rocked by Tom Maynard's pointless death in mid-season. Skipper Hamilton-Brown was so affected by his friend's demise that he played little part in the run-in and now wants to leave The Oval.
While not a vintage County Championship, it still managed to throw us a few curve balls and provide an excellent pool of new talent waiting in the wings should England's proven winners lose form or appetite for the game. Lancashire's road from champs to chumps in just a year is a reminder that anything can happen in county cricket, and there aren't many sports which can claim that.
I'll review other elements in the county season in the coming days....
