The summer is shaping up nicely. The sun is shining warm and bright here in Cardiff, there is a heady brew of first-class and slog and two Test series have enlivened the week. And I haven't even mentioned the FIFA World Cup. Blast, now I have! When Costa Rica start to advance the ICC ladder, we need to watch out!
Anyway, back to my cricket Team of the Week. Daryl Mitchell's excellent form and Alex Hales' rediscovered love of four-day cricket continued. Kraigg Braithwaite made a usefull hundredd in the Westt Indies victory over New Zealandd (not typos!) but my openers are Chris Rogers and Zafar Ansari. The Aussie's reputation for patient innings building was enhanced by an uncharacteristically quick 180 for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire, while Ansari, fifteen years Rogers' junior, realised his first senior century in Surrey' victory over Derbyshire. His spin bowling yielded five useful wickets, too.
Eoin Morgan's big score at Trent Bridge was an eye-opener, and congratulations to 18 year-old Sam Hain (Warwickshire) and Gary Ballance, but my middle-order consists of a modern legend and a couple of potential England superstars of the next decade. Kumar Sangakkara has seen it, done it and owns plenty of T-shirts. This week's 147 and 61 for Sri Lanka played a huge part in preventing defeat in the First Test at Lord's and also proved he CAN make runs in England. In the same match, Joe Root compiled a great unbeaten 200 but he now needs to do it on a different pitch for a change. Maybe his true home ground, Headingley, could be the place this week? James Vince has been knocking on the door of the senior side for a few seasons now. Presumably his achievements have been written off because Hampshire have been in the second tier of the Championship, but his latest run-a-ball 240 can't be ignored.
Jos Buttler's battling innings for Lancashire kept things interesting until the very end of their loss to Durham, but Jonny Bairstow's 161 not out and six catches for Yorkshire against Sussex wins him the wicket-keeper berth. With Ansari's all-rounder status, I can afford to select Riki Wessels, too. His Championship knocks of 70-odd were contrasting affairs; one lasted 165 balls, the second a mere 48! His 95 in 51 deliveries in the T20 victory over Durham was even more sensational. He would surely have reached three figures had his team-mate Steve Mullaney not hogged the strike and plundered boundaries of his own.
Chris Woakes and James Allenby maintained their consistency as county all-rounders but Stuart Binny's 6-4 in the second ODI against Bangladesh promotes him up the pecking order. Whatever the opposition or format, that is one heck of a bowling stat! Jerome Taylor and Jimmy Anderson produced some fine performances for the Windies and England but I return to the Championship for my final trio.
Kyle Abbott's first-class bowling average is a very handy 20.85, and this was improved by his match return of 8-67 in Hampshire's slaughter of Essex. OK, so he was plundered in the following Twenty20 but the South African brings a touch of class to his county's attack. Overseas we go again - and I'm not referring to the Severn crossing. Michael Hogan's belated return to Wales has made a big difference to Glamorgan's drive for a trophy, or at least promotion. He tookfive wickets in each innings of their victory over Kent.
Finally, Saeed Ajmal is claiming a season ticket for my Team of the Week. He's there again courtesy of a 6-19 for Worcestershire against tiddlers Leicestershire. Will his county look so strong without him?
In short:- Rogers (Mid), Ansari (Sur), Sangakkara (SL), Vince (Ham), Root (Eng), Bairstow (Yor, +), Wessels (Not), Binny (Ind), Abbott (Ham), Ajmal (Wor), Hogan (Gla)
