There were only two Division One fixtures this week, but Middlesex and Somerset took their opportunities to leapfrog the leaders. At Northampton, the former made short work of the struggling home side to open up a 19-point lead at the top, although they have played one more game than all the others. Captain Chris Rogers and Neil Dexter each reached three figures but Toby Roland-Jones produced a genuine match-winning all-round performance. He struck a personal best 60 in only 30 balls to hasten the Middlesex declaration and captured six wickets in each innings with his brisk medium-pacers. Extraordinarily his first-class career stats include 175 wickets at under 22 apiece, yet how often is that name mentioned in terms of England selection?
At Taunton, Somerset not only maintained their unbeaten record but held their nerve amongst the Thursday showers to beat Durham by seven wickets. Both Overton twins were bowling but Alfonso Thomas took 5-41 on the first day, only for Mark Wood to keep the visitors' lead down to double figures. At 180-1, Durham seemed to be on top on the third day but Craig Overton reeled them in leaving Somerset a target of 248. Having gone for a golden duck first time out, Marcus Trescothick rediscovered his mojo to crack 133 at more than a run a ball. With neither Onions nor Stokes, Durham's seam attack looked fairly innocuous and they remain winless in the Championship.
That's a situation which may not change after their next game at Trent Bridge. Somerset will do well to snatch a result at Edgbaston while Yorkshire look favourites in the Roses contest. Finally, Middlesex switch to Northwood for their home tie against Sussex and should avoid defeat with batsmen and bowlers taking turns to strike form.
In the second flight, it was a great week for Hampshire and Worcestershire. Already they are threatening to run away with the division. At Grace Road, Leicestershire matched Hampshire for three days before capitulating to Matt Coles' seam and Danny Briggs' spin and slumping to a 278-run defeat. Worcestershire are handily placed behind the South Coast side with a game in hand after Saaed Ajmal almost single-handedly beat Essex. The floodwaters may have long since receded at New Road but on a spin-friendly surface it was a battle of the slowies: Monty Panesar versus Ajmal. Monty took 7-80 in the match but the wily Pakistani trumped that, following 6-75 with a brilliant 7-19. In a fine career, that is his best return in a single innings, and took him to 500 first-class wickets. Meanwhile Daryl Mitchell again top scored for Worcestershire twice, showing that you can score runs at the County Ground after all.
Further down the Severn, Gloucestershire leapt to sixth by trouncing Kent by 290 runs. James Fuller and Will Gidman dominated Key, Nash et al before Hamish Marshall's 118 and 85 apiece from Alex Gidman and Gareth Roderick set up an unlikely target of 582. At least Ben Harmison showed some fight with a career-best 125 but it merely delayed the inevitable. Kent will probably lose again next week at the hands of Worcestershire while Surrey travel to Essex without their skipper Graeme Smith. His recent injury woes now extend to a broken knee but at least there is some compensation for the Oval faithful in the guise of Hashim Amla who will play during June. Based on previous Championship performances, Amla will probably turn out to be a veritable run machine and haul Surrey out of the mire. What happens next is another matter.
