Most of Division One’s nine counties have been in the frame for the Championship pennant this summer, and now it’s Durham’s turn to post a genuine challenge. They enjoyed a brief burst of hot sunshine by sneaking a two-wicket win over former leaders Lancashire at Southport. Adam Hickey and Chris Rushworth saw them to the finish line despite a five-wicket haul from Tom Smith. Ben Stokes and Jimmy Anderson each bowled tidily in opposition to each other, although the latter was excused duties on the last two days.
Lancashire now sit in fourth, only a few points ahead of Somerset who enjoyed a ten-wicket trouncing of Nottinghamshire, many people’s tip for the title. The Cidermen’s tail is longer than a gibbon’s these days but it didn’t matter when Marcus Trescothick is in this form. Now 40 and sporting spectacles, the opener struck a splendid 218 in the first innings and helped Johann Myburgh knock off the hundred-odd runs on the final afternoon when the weather was on the verge of breaking.
Accompanying that Somerset performance, Surrey dumped Notts into the bottom two and made Hampshire’s task of avoiding the drop even tougher, beating the latter by an innings. No fewer than three men made three figures, including skipper Gareth Batty, whose maiden hundred formed half of a record-breaking double-century eighth wicket stand with Ben Foakes. Batty then took 6-51 to round things off nicely.
It’s getting even closer in Division Two. Leicestershire prevented Gloucestershire going top by winning at Cheltenham and did their promotion chances no end of good, too. Just eleven points separate the top four. Ben Raine enjoyed a good all-round game although Paul Horton’s final day 73 proved to be the highest individual score.
At the other end of the table, Glamorgan finally secured a victory in an exciting encounter at Colwyn Bay. Teenager Aneurin Donald not only achieved his maiden hundred but also converted it into the joint fastest ‘double’ in first-class cricket history! No matter that he went for a duck second time around. His 234 included fifteen sixes! 341 adrift, Derbyshire did make a game of it in the second innings, as Chesney Hughes and Billy Godleman also made tons, but Rudolph and Meschede steadied a rocky ship to claim a four-wicket victory.
In the Tunbridge Wells derby, Kent’s Sam Northeast’s 190 bested Ross Taylor’s 142 not out in a drawn encounter. Sussex were made to follow on but they comfortably avoided defeat on the final day.
After the week’s Twenty20 fixtures, Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire sit atop their respective leagues, while Glamorgan’s easy win over struggling Somerset ensured a quarter-final place. Middlesex won London bragging rights after edging Surrey in front of a record English county T20 attendance at Lord’s. Elsewhere, Ian Bell biffed fifties in each of Warwickshire’s three matches, although they won only two of them.
The knockout qualifiers will be decided next Friday evening while the Championship takes a fortnight’s break.
Team of the Week: Trescothick (Som), Bell (War), Hughes (Der), Northeast (Ken), Taylor (Sus), Donald (Gla), Foakes (Sur +), Raine (Lei), Batty (Sur), Higgins (Mid), Payne (Glo)
