Away from the international T20 sideshow it was a fascinating week in the County Championship. In Division One, the top two played each other, as did those bringing up the rear. The title race was thrown into disarray when Durham turned over leaders Yorkshire by seven wickets at Scarborough. From 5-2 on the first morning, centuries from Stoneman, Stokes and Richardson took the visitors way past 500. Yorkshire had to follow on and would have saved the match had the rest of the side given adequate support to Jacques and Williamson. They didn't, and Durham need just six points from their game in hand against Sussex to regain first place.
At the bottom, I was pleasantly shocked when Somerset reproduced one-day form by thrashing Middlesex by an innings. That they did so without nearly all their senior bowlers made it even more remarkable. OK, so new signing Piyush Chawla contributed a late-order century and three wickets, but the county must have been relieved to see Luke Gregory and Craig Meschede claim twelve wickets between them to secure a rare triumph at Lord's. Today, Surrey just about notched up their first win to revive their hopes of survival. Hashim Amla's 88 was crucial at keeping Derbyshire's attack at bay, and the latter now languish seventeen points adrift of Somerset and safety. In the other match, Warwickshire and Sussex played out a draw in which batsmen, especially the home side's Laurie Evans (137), were dominant.
The key fixtures this week will be Somerset's home showdown against Derbyshire and Surrey's London derby at The Oval. Both could go a long way in deciding at least one of the relegation spots, or make it a very exciting climax in which Nottinghamshire could also be dragged into the mire.
Division Two is turning into a two-horse race, and an energised Northamptonshire are keeping up the pressure on unbeaten leaders Lancashire. The Red Roses beat Hampshire, for whom Alex Wheater provided some great last-day resistance, but the most notable partnership was the first innings century stand for the tenth wicket by Glen Chapple and Simon Kerrigan. The spinner also took seven wickets to put his England Oval nightmare behind him. Glamorgan must be sick of the sight of Northants, who added a Championship drubbing to the list of summer victories over the Welsh. David Willey was in six-hit mode again but it was a solid all-round team triumph.
Essex held onto third position by drawing against close rivals Gloucestershire. Monty Panesar made his fortuitous debut but batsmen kept the match interesting right to the end. Greg Smith's first-day 177 and Gautam Gambhir's first hundred in county cricket particularly caught the eye for Essex. Worcestershire jumped to fourth after a nine-wicket victory away to hapless Leicestershire. Poor Ned Eckersley. Two centuries in the match, but Thilan Samaraweera's measured 144 not out and Moeen Ali's finishing skills meant the prolific Leicester number three still has yet to finish on the winning side in the Championship this season. He has a chance to change all that when his side travel to Bristol on Tuesday, but the pick of the Division Two games must be Essex at home to Worcestershire. The winners will hope Northants falter at the Rose Bowl but if someone loses, they will almost certainly remain in the second tier for another year. A draw probably suits neither and twenty-plus points for Stephen Peters' Wantage Road outfit could put them and Lancashire out of sight of the rest.
