No doubt about the English performance of the week… Andrew Strauss explaining the breakdown of trust with a certain Kevin Pietersen. On the pitch, KP’s perfect timing was again evident as he conjured up an amazing 355 not out for Surrey, including fifteen sixes. If he wanted to be considered for England Test selection, he was told to score runs. After two so-so matches, he plundered the Leicestershire bowlers, surviving six dropped catches en route for the Championship’s highest score since Brian Lara’s world record 21 years ago.
However, the incoming director of cricket, and KP’s former England captain, was in no mood to forgive the man who did his best to disrupt the national team then slag off all and sundry in his bitter book. The huge innings was in vain and Pietersen’s reaction was typical of the petty childish egotism we have come to expect: he abandoned Surrey before the match was over and buggered off to the IPL. And good riddance. I do see the point of Vaughan and others who would happily ignore every other player and pick KP regardless. He is indeed a ‘character’ and exciting batsman, and maybe there could be space for him in the T20 squad to generate fan excitement. But to forgive such behaviour would be too much. It’s just the way it ended that will add grist to the mill of the KP nuts.
At least his innings set up his county’s first Championship victory of the summer. However, his now ex-teammates had plenty to do on the last day. Ned Eckersley’s hundred and spirited resistance from the Leicester XI meant that Surrey needed a T20-style slogathon to take maximum points. With Jason Roy and Steven Davies opening, that’s exactly what they got, Their 145 partnership in 67 balls took them towards a surprise seven-wicket success, an heartbreak for poor Leicester.
Meanwhile, in Division One, Middlesex held on to the lead by defeating early front-runners Sussex by 79 runs. In a low-scoring contest, Mike Yardy scored the only half-century, and even that was eclipsed by the 62 extras conceded by the Sussex bowlers on day one!
Durham also won inside three days, overcoming Nottinghamshire by six wickets and advancing to second place in the table. Recent ODI debutant Mark Wood claimed seven victims and struck 66, but the losers’ Riki Wessels provided the game’s only century. Yorkshire could at last field their England fringe squad members for the visit of Hampshire to Headingley. Bairstow and Adil Rashid performed well and, with Pujara purring to a second innings 131 not out, Root and Ballance weren’t missed. Hampshire capitulated second time around but at least the match went into a fourth day.
In Division Two, Lancashire remain in pole position despite losing to unfancied Gloucestershire by 91 runs. Paul Horton’s first-innings 168 had kept the match evenly poised but bowlers Norwell, Payne and Miles held sway when it mattered.
The other two fixtures were drawn but provided some fabulously exciting finishes in which the sides batting last held on with just one wicket remaining. Aged 18, Matt Critchley made the headlines early on by striking his maiden first-class century in only his second game. However, Rob Keogh admirably guided Northants through an absorbing final day, He finished unbeaten on 163, not only saving the match but taking his side within only 37 runs of victory.
It was similarly tense at Canterbury where Glamorgan’s final pairing of David Lloyd and Michael Hogan held on for eight overs to deprive Kent of a first win of the season. This was the Welsh side’s fourth consecutive draw and the result leaves Kent stuck at the bottom.
Team of the Week (assuming the other ten are prepared to play with KP):
Horton (Lan), Davies (Sur), Eckersley (Lei), Pietersen (Sur), Keogh (Nth), Wood (Dur), Bairstow (Yor +), Critchley (Dur), Siddle (Lan), Brooks (Yor), Hogan (Gla)
