In
that game, with the ball seaming and swinging, even Tom Abell was able to take
a few wickets as Yorkshire’s batting failed twice. Jack Leaning offered some
resistance on the final morning but he was last out, to Craig Overton, on 68.
Somerset – amazingly – have won both their opening matches, something they
haven’t managed for 25 years. Before we Somerset fans become too carried away
with optimism of that elusive title, it’s worth noting that we finished that
season in fifth place. Never mind, it’s
a huge step towards avoiding the relegation I believed to be a near-certainty!
Interestingly,
three of the four counties who finished above us in 1993 now languish in the
Second Division. The other side, Worcestershire, could well be heading back in
that direction after a third successive defeat. After all that effort to ensure
that the flooded New Road ground was suitable for cricket, Worcester’s team
twice surrendered meekly to Nottinghamshire. Ross Taylor’s 50 was the only
half-century of the game while Jake Ball and Luke Fletcher each captured seven
wickets, eclipsing Stuart Broad who nonetheless chipped in with a few of his
own.
Fewer than two innings were completed at Southampton, where Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams top-scored
with 87 and Alastair Cook re-established some early-season form for Essex with
a fluent knock of 84. At Old Trafford, Lancashire outplayed Surrey, enforcing
the follow-on thanks to an abundance of late-order runs and useful bowling by
Tom Bailey and Graeme Onions. That the visitors survived the final two sessions
owed everything to Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope who are really earning their
Surrey spurs so far this season.
Division
Two suffered even more at the hands of the weather gods; no positive results
were possible. The fourth day at Hove did at least offer a prospect of a close
finish. Gloucestershire needed only 59 runs and Sussex four wickets, but bad
light meant the players stayed in the pavilion and a draw was inevitable. The
game did at least deliver some good bowling performances by Ryan Higgins (5-21
and 3-63) and Sussex’s David Wiese (a first-innings 5-48).
The
Leicestershire-Derbyshire derby was reduced to a bonus-point maximisation exercise
after the first seven sessions were lost. At Lord’s, Middlesex and Glamorgan
didn’t even approach such a promising situation; only 58 overs were sent down
in total. The home team’s Stevie Eskinazi struck 94 quick runs, while Michael
Hogan (5-49) and Tim Murtagh (4-12) did their already healthy career averages
no harm at all, but that’s about all the positives anyone can take from the
four days.
The
weather forecast for next weekend is slightly better. Warwickshire and
Derbyshire steal a march on their second tier opponents by playing on Thursday,
and each can open up a healthy lead by winning at Edgbaston. Meanwhile, in the
upper echelons, Somerset will be really up against it against Lancashire,
Nottinghamshire will also face a strong challenge from Hampshire, and
Worcestershire need to find runs from somewhere if they aren’t to gift Surrey a
second success of the summer. May the sun shine on them all!
Team of the
Week:
Renshaw
(Som), Adams (Ham), Eskinazi (Mid), Ackermann (Lei), Abell (Som), Foakes (Sur
+), Clark (Lan), Bailey (Lan), Higgins (Glo), Brooks (Yor), Fletcher (Not)