When selecting my Eleven I usually rank consistency across the week rather than one good performance. However, the scheduling of fixtures and bad weather in Britain made that strategy difficult! The Test stars will have to wait until next week's pick but last week was mostly about one-dayers and Twenty20.
Of the centurion openers, I've plumped for Alex Hales and Niall O'Brien. The former combined a swift 50 for Notts against Hampshire with a relatively measured 101 for the England Lions versus the Sri Lankan A team. Despite reaching T20 Finals Day for the fifth consecutive season, Hampshire were on the receiving end of another good score in the 50-over competition. Leicestershire's wicketkeeper blasted an undefeated hundred off 72 deliveries.
The international 'A' tournament in England also yielded excellent innings from Jonny Bairstow, featuring 123 and 50 not out in the Lions' contests with New Zealand and Sri Lanka, respectively. However, star man of the week was Somerset's all-rounder Peter Trego. In the Royal London Cup, he produced not one, but two splendid centuries to see off Warwickshire and Middlesex, increasing his career tally of List A three-figure scores by 50%!
Trego's new team-mate Tim Groenewald also starred in the defeat of Warwickshire with a rapid 57 and three wickets, while Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan reminded selectors of his one-day credentials by taking six wickets during the week. Last year's top T20 bowler, Azharullah took 5-38 for Northants against Hampshire, eclipsing five-fors from Palladino and Bollinger.
The CPL is represented by Marlon Samuels, for his vicious hundred for Antigua, Shoaib Malik's all-round contributions for Barbados and excellent economic fast bowling by Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor in the Jamaica v Barbados match.
For the record: Hales (Not/Lions), O'Brien (Lei), Samuels (Ant), Bairstow (+, Lions), Trego (Som), Shoaib Malik (Bar), Groenewald (Som), Bresnan (Yor), Azharullah (Nor), Rampaul (Bar), Taylor (Jam)
