Meanwhile
Essex maintained their challenge by flattening Nottinghamshire by an innings
and 123. Nick Browne and Ravi Bopara each scored their first Championship hundreds
of the season and the bowlers shared the spoils. Notts did at least knuckle
down in the second innings, making Essex work for their win. Simon Harmer
bowled an incredible 24 maidens out of 40 overs, during which he claimed 4-35.
At
Scarborough, Yorkshire left it literally to the last minute to defeat Surrey
before Olivier had last man Gareth Batty caught by Lyth. The Londoners had
enjoyed a slight first-innings advantage but in the second, after the openers
had been removed, the rest capitulated far too easily. The White Roses’ star
man was probably Will Fraine. After impressing with the Seconds, this son of
Huddersfield struck his maiden ton in a week when opening batsmen seemed to
prosper.
Only
14 wickets fell at Canterbury while Kent and Warwickshire shared almost 1,200
runs. Daniel Bell-Drummond’s 166 was his first century in the Championship for
three years but Dominic Sibley’s 244 merely maintained his recent run of decent
scores. He and Will Rhodes also put on 221 for the first wicket to ensure a
bore draw was almost inevitable.
Next
week, it’s Somerset’s turn to face relegation-battling Nottinghamshire while
Yorkshire head south to face Essex who sit 21 points ahead of them in second
place.
Glamorgan
remain in pole position to replace them despite only drawing with
Worcestershire at Sophia Gardens. The prolific Marnus Labuschagne sailed
serenely past 1000 runs for the season, adding two further centuries to his
tally. Having taken 7-92 across the first two days, Brett D’Oliveira reminded
us of his all-rounder credentials by scoring 103 to keep his side in the match.
Closest
rivals Lancashire also failed to win, held to a draw by Durham at Sedbergh
School across the border in Cumbria. Dane Vilas contributed a couple of
half-centuries but elsewhere it was a tale of two 36 year-olds. Veteran
Queenslander Nathan Rimmington made 53 runs and picked up eight wickets but Lancs
and England were concerned by a mid-match injury suffered by Jimmy Anderson.
Sussex
are in third position despite enduring an alarming collective slump in form.
Northamptonshire hammered them by 393 runs, prompting an understandable chorus
of boos from the presumably paltry Hove crowd. While the batsmen laboured, Ollie
Robinson could be proud of his ten wickets, but Northants seamer Ben Sanderson
was the game’s outstanding performer, with 6-37 and 4-18.
The
remaining fixture between Derbyshire and Middlesex was a more even contest in which
the batsmen dominated. No fewer than five of Derby’s top six passed 90, but
only Godleman and South African Leus du Plooy reached three figures. Pity poor
Fynn Hudson-Prentice. On his Derbyshire first-class debut he was caught on 99.
Ouch! Middlesex’s Dawid Malan also missed out on a milestone by one run, caught
and bowled by Critchley on 199. More worrying is that his side still prop up
the Division Two table, one point adrift of Leicestershire who meet Durham next
week. Lancashire should overtake non-playing ‘Glambuschagne’ even if they lose
at Northampton.
Like
the World Cup, things are getting interesting…..
Team of the
Week: Browne (Ess), Sibley (War), Du Plooy (Der), Labuschagne (Gla), Malan
(Mid), Vilas (Lan +), D’Oliviera (Wor), Rimmington (Dur), J. Overton (Som),
Sanderson (Nor), Robinson (Sus)
