It was a good week for the bowlers, especially on the first day. Indeed Saif Zaib’s 135 was the highest innings of the week. Saturday was nearly a national washout, which ruined half the games as contests, but the rest ended in convincing victories.
Just a fortnight ago I’d have split my sides at the suggestion of Essex being thrashed by hapless Nottinghamshire but after breaking their three-year duck last week, Notts turned the tables by twice bowling out the champions for a sub-300 aggregate. Steven Mullaney top-scored with 117, while Luke Fletcher’s career-best 6-24 did the damage in Essex’s first innings, followed by Lyndon James in the second. Pity poor Shane Snater. In only his sixth Championship outing, he took 7-9 and still ended up on the losing side. Incredibly Nottinghamshire now top Group 1 ahead of Warwickshire and Worcestershire, who drew at Edgbaston where Rob Yates and ‘keeper Michael Burgess made hundreds.
Gloucestershire’s winning ways were maintained at Lord’s where Middlesex were their fourth victims of the season so far. This week’s hero was left-arm seamer David Payne who captured eleven wickets for only 87 runs. At Southampton Somerset were bossing it at halfway but an obdurate four-hour 44 by Joe Weatherley on day four tested their patience. Fortunately for my lot, Josh Davey finished the job started by Craig Overton and they claimed equal shares of the ten Hampshire wickets. The other Group 2 fixture saw Leicestershire being held by Surrey despite their first innings featuring no fewer than three centuries, by Evans, Harris and Swindells.
In Group 3, it’s still the Roses rivals occupying the top two positions. Rain on both sides of the Pennines prevented any result in Yorkshire’s match against Kent and Glamorgan’s visit to Lancashire. In contrast, Northamptonshire rebounded after their heartbreaking one-run loss last week by drubbing Sussex at home by an innings and 12. The aforementioned Saif Zaib Northants’ charge but it was the combined efforts of veteran Gareth Berg and Ben Sanderson, taking nineteen wickets between them, which proved decisive against the South Coasters.
Next week, they meet neighbours and fellow strugglers Kent at Hove, while Yorkshire will take charge of the group by avoiding defeat at Glamorgan. The same goes for Somerset, who host Surrey in their quest for a fifth triumph out of six. Gloucestershire sit it out which may prove fortuitous give the rotten weather forecast. The top two in Group 1 are also resting so if Worcestershire record a maiden success in 2021 against Durham they will leapfrog both Notts and Worcestershire.
Team of the Week: Evans (Lei), Stoneman
(Sur), Harris (Lei), Saif Zaib (Nor), Burgess (War +), Mullaney (Not), James
(Not), Berg (Nor), C Overton (Som), Payne (Glo), Sanderson (Nor)
