Although bookended by some Vitality Blasts, most county players had
to dust off their red-ball skills. It was an especially successful week for
Surrey and Sussex.
The former continued their expensive cruise towards the
Championship title by trashing Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge by an innings
and 183 runs. Skipper Rory Burns took his season’s run tally to 875 with
another century, aided by fellow opener Mark Stoneman’s run-a-ball 86 and Ricky
Clarke’s 111, as Surrey racked up almost 600. Notts had no response as the
quality attack ripped through them twice. Morne Morkel was the star performer,
taking 4-60 and 5-60.
Somerset leapfrogged Notts into second place by beating
Worcestershire at New Road, where it was a tale of two Alis. There was little
to split them after two days, but Somerset took control in their second
innings. Moeen did little with the bat but claimed eight wickets in the match.
However, the visitors’ new signing Azhar Ali had the better of the two,
top-scoring with 125. Seamers Jamie Overton and Davey nabbed fifteen wickets
between them to end any remaining resistance.
At Old Trafford, Yorkshire upset their neighbours by a 118-run
victory. Lancashire’s Jordan Clark upset the rhythm by achieving a rare Roses
hat-trick. Not a bad trio of victims, either: Root, Bairstow and Williamson,
all in the world’s top twelve! However, the Red Roses capitulated and who was
the star bowler? None other than Joe Root, who ended up with 4-5. Who needs
Adil Rashid when your captain and top batsman can spin sides out like that?
Warwickshire’s progress towards promotion from Division Two
suffered a blow when they suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Middlesex at
a baking Lord’s. The ever-reliable Tim Murtagh ended with an aggregate of 7-97.
Sussex narrowed the gap to seven points, bowling Glamorgan out twice for under
100. Jofra Archer’s 2018 domestic season is at last taking off, demonstrated by
his return of 4-15 and 4-31, abetted by Chris Jordan.
Kent would have been right in the mix had they beaten
Leicestershire at Canterbury. But they didn’t. They were taken apart by ten
wickets, with Ned Eckersley catching eight behind the stumps.
In mid-table, Derbyshire dealt Northamptonshire a 39-run blow at
Chesterfield. Spinner Matt Critchley finished with ten wickets, to go with 88
valuable runs. Wayne Madsen weighed in with a second-innings hundred. It was
tough on Northants’ Alex Wakeley who made a century of his own, albeit in a
losing cause.
In the other fixture, Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins
proved he’s not just a white-ball player by scoring 147 runs and taking six
cheap wickets in a close-fought win over Durham. The latter’s New Zealand
opener Tom Latham maintained his form with 192 runs, but the rest of his side
were unable to build on his good starts.
Higgins also landed three wickets in Gloucester’s T20 triumph over
Glamorgan. Assisted by Michael Klinger’s unbeaten 77, Gloucestershire moved to
the top of the South Division, just ahead of Kent and Sussex who were thwarted
by summer storms around Canterbury.
Still awaiting a first win of the campaign, Northamptonshire
suffered yet another defeat, this time by Worcestershire, whose openers Martin
Guptill and Joe Clarke whipped 162 in 10 overs en route for a nine-wicket
victory. Lancashire just about held on to the lead in the North despite losing
their second Roses clash in a few days. This time it was the six-hitting of Tom
Kohler-Cadmore which inflicted the most damage.
The coming week sees a return to T20 supremacy in Britain. Some
counties face three games, including Yorkshire, who must squeeze them into four
days. The most interesting could be Lancashire’s trip to Worcestershire and
Sussex hosting Gloucestershire as all four vie for their respective divisions’
number one spot.
Team of the
Week:
Latham (Dur),
Burns (Sur), Guptill (Wor), Azhr Ali (Som), Wakely (Nor), Higgins (Glo), Clarke
(Sur), Milton (Wor +), Critchley (Der), Archer (Sus), Morkel (Sur)
