Durham’s
challenge faltered against Worcestershire in one of many rain-affected matches
this week. Messrs Duckworth and Lewis featured prominently on the results pages,
including Friday’s fxture between Yorkshre and Derbyshire. Thanks to Billy
Godleman’s third century of the competition, Derbyshire were up with the required
ten an over but missed out by one. The resulting tie was Yorkshire’s second in seven
days.
Alex
Lees of Durham was probably the most consistent batsman in the group, but Sam
Hain’s unbeaten 161 in Warwickshire’s triumph at neighbours Worcestershire was
the highest score. His skipper Jeetan Patel was in the wickets but nobody could
hold a candle to Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood. He followed an impressive 6-37 against
Northamptonshire with a match-winning 5-14 in that brief encounter with
Leicestershire at Old Trafford.
In
the South, Somerset’s perfect start to the season in red and white-ball cricket
came to a surprising end at Bristol on Sunday. Gloucestershire nicked it by
four wickets in the final over. Two days earlier, Peter Trego and Azhar Ali had
each reached three figures in a double-century stand against Essex, who also
inflicted Hampshire’s only defeat of the campaign. Captain James Vince powered his
way back into the England one-day set-up with 190 against Gloucestershire, ably
assisted by Liam Dawson who enjoyed a strong week with both bat and ball.
In
the absence of the apparently over-worked Buttler and Bairstow and injured
Billings and Pope, Surrey ‘keeper Ben Foakes made himself indispensible to the
national selectors. Despite his 187 runs and Morne Morkel’s nine wickets, Surrey
still boast just a single victory so far, against the inconsistent Essex
outfit. However, they sit above Kent who have yet to register any success at
all. Glamorgan had Billy Root’s 111 not out largely to thank for their maiden
success of the summer, the hapless Surrey their victims.
Sussex
may not be at the top but I can’t ignore Luke Wright. Thrashing 166 in 142
balls, he took Middlesex apart in what proved to be not only his own best-ever
one-day innings but also topped Chris Adams’ twenty-year List A record for the
county.
Next
week’s highlights include current table-toppers in battle. At the weekend, Nottinghamshire
meet Durham at Grantham and Somerset welcome Hampshire to Taunton. On Sunday, Glamorgan will travel to Middlesex,
leaving Sophia Gardens free for England and Pakistan to contest a T20
international – and I’ll be there!
Team of the
Week: Rutherford (Wor), Godleman (Der), Wright (Sus), Vince (Ham), Hain (War),
Foakes (Sur +), Dawson (Ham), Patel (War), Sowter (Mid), Morkel (Sur), Saqib
Mahmood (Lan)
