A strange week for individual players in the County Championship, with Jason Roy's 140 the highest score, and Graeme Wagg's 5-54 the best bowling figures. It was also the start of 2015's NatWest T20 Blast, although with few overseas stars in action. Mind you, there was a rapid 86 not out from Alex Hales as a going away present for Nottinghamshire before he abandoned proper cricket for the IPL.
Back in the real world, Middlesex extended their lead at the top of Division One after drawing a rain-affected game at the Rose Bowl. Nick Compton top-scored with 117, following a fine T20 78, although Michael Carberry struck two half-centuries for Hampshire. Warwickshire closed the gap on second-placed Durham by beating them by eight wickets. Keith Barker starred with an unbeaten hundred and nine wickets.
It's tight at the bottom where just one point spans four counties. Somerset halted their dreadful run of defeats by overcoming Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Run totals shrank as the match progressed, and Jim Allenby's first innings 64 was the highest of the game. Bowlers like Craig Overton and Tim Groenewald were on top, and the Cidermen's victory was welcome consolation for Marcus Trescothick who registered a dismal 'pair'. I wouldn't be surprised if he calls it a day at the end of the season before he reaches his 40th birthday.
In Division Two, Lancashire dismissed Leicestershire for just 78 in the second innings, thanks mainly to Tom Bailey's 5-12. Captain Steven Croft's 102 not out, allied to his T20 heroics, made him one of the stars of the week. It's already looking grim for Leicestershire. Glamorgan sealed their first Championship success of the summer with an 89-run margin over Essex. Ryan Ten Doeschate led a doomed fightback with the bat but Wagg, Hogan, Salter and Meschede proved too much for his team-mates.
At Bristol, Joe Denly and Sam Northeast made a mockery of the run-shy first three days, their double-century partnership securing an eight-wicket triumph against Gloucestershire. At Northampton, barely two days' play were possible, so Surrey batted out a draw, allowing Kumar Sangakkara and Jason Roy to reach three figures.
Next week, Middlesex sit it out, so either Warwickshire (versus Sussex) or Durham (against Worcestershire) could go top. Lancashire meet Derbyshire and could put their promotion rivals out of reach before June.
My Team of the Week also recognises the contributions in last weekend's T20 fixtures: Rudolph (Gla), Davies (Sur), Compton (Mid), Sangakkara (Sur), Croft (Lan, *), Ten Doeschate (Ess), Mustard (Dur, +), Wagg (Gla), C Overton (Som), Beer (Sus), Fisher (Yor, taking 5-22 aged 17 on his T20 debut!).
