Six weeks after humiliating Somerset by an innings at Southampton, Hampshire came close to repeating the feat, but this time they had to bat again – for four balls – to win by ten wickets. Keith Barker took 6-27 as all the home team’s batters failed miserably second time around.
Hampshire returned to second place behind Surrey but Essex made surprisingly short work of previous high-flyers Lancashire at Old Trafford. Dan Lawrence’s lack of a Test century may have cost him a place for England but he scored 120 against James Anderson et al. Sam Cook (4-18) was the pick of Essex bowlers in Lancashire’s first innings then Simon Harmer produced another of his marathon sessions to collect 5-87 in an innings triumph.
At Northampton, both attacks toiled with little success as the contest fizzled out into a draw. The Kent top-order, in particular, shone brightly. Zak Crawley made some timely runs before the New Zealand series but it was opening partner Ben Compton who added another 208 runs to his season’s tally, with an average of 108.
Harry Brook’s figure of 140 is even better, and he delivered Yorkshire another quickfire half-century as his side notched a first-innings lead of 205. However, opener Adam Lyth outscored him with 145, while Joe Root was caught behind for just eight. On the fourth day, Jordan Thompson induced three early catches before Sam Hain and Will Rhodes dug in for tons to ensure Warwickshire avoided defeat.
Middlesex and Nottinghamshire each claimed a fourth success of the summer to open up a decent margin at the top of Division Two. Against Durham, wicketkeeper John Simpson took nine catches at Lord’s and Toby Roland-Jones ten wickets, including Ben Stokes for a second-ball duck. The new England captain did, at least , take his first wickets of the Championship season despite a six-wicket loss. Nottinghamshire gave little away against neighbours Derbyshire. Dane Paterson was remarkably consistent with the ball, finishing with figures of 3-36 and 3-35 before the Notts openers Slater and Hameed cruised past the 165 target.
Worcestershire had an even easier time at home to last-placed Leicestershire. 37-year-old Azhar Ali finally found his form, thumping 225 and forming a useful relationship with his 21 year-old ‘apprentice’ Jack Haynes, whose 127 was his third hundred in successive fixtures. Incidentally, their respective career first-class batting averages are almost identical. Seamer Matthew Waite was the best of a solid bunch of Worcester bowlers, taking 6-50 in the match.
Proper
county cricket now takes a month’s break to allow players to reset their batting
and bowling skills and strategems for the Vitality Blast. Who will win this
year? Impossible to tell, as ever, but I confidently predict that Somerset will
NOT lift the trophy!
Team
of the Week: Compton (Ken), Lyth (Yor), Azhar Ali (Wor), Haynes (Wor), Lawrence
(Ess), Rhodes (War), Simpson (Mid +), Roland-Jones (Mid), Barker (Ham), S Cook
(Ess), Waite (Wor)
