It’s been a great week for two Yorkshiremen, although neither played in the County Championship or the T20 Blast. Jonny Bairstow whacked England to an unlikely 3-0 Test whitewash of New Zealand, then today 20-year-old Finlay Bean ripped the record books apart, accumulating an all-time Second XI best 441 against Notts. Perhaps the two could be batting together in the not-so-distant future?
The
county game featured both four-day and twenty-over formats and, although
failing to register a victory this week, Surrey top both tables. In the Blast, they
were defeated by Essex and Sussex but remain three points clear of Somerset,
who were undone by Hampshire’s James Vince, who thumped an unbeaten 129 against
them. It’s much closer in the North division, where the Bears, Lancashire and
Derbyshire are level on sixteen points. Adam Hose’s 110 not out was
instrumental in Birmingham’s 144-run rout of neighbours Worcestershire while
Shan Masood and Wayne Madsen fuelled Derby’s home win against their Lightning
rivals.
In
the first-class game, no fewer than four players reached three figures in
Surrey’s 673-7 declared. Amongst them, Sam Curran finally converted a fifty
into a ton, while Hashim Amla and Epsom-born Ben Geddes were each dismissed for
124. The former is almost twice the age of the latter! Kent batted out a draw, with
Daniel Bell-Drummond scoring a century in each innings.
The
only decisive result in Division One came at Chelmsford where spinners were
very much in control. Liam Dawson’s second-innings 7-68 reduced Hampshire’s
victory target to 299 but Simon Harmer bowled 33 overs unbroken, adding seven
wickets to his eight on Sunday and Monday, to deliver Essex a 12-run triumph
and deny the visitors a chance to join Surrey at the head of the table.
At
Northampton and Bristol, however, the batsmen were in charge. Luke Procter made
a career-best 144 not out, putting on 226 with South African Ryan Rickelton to
keep Warwickshire at bay. Opener Dom Sibley struck 102, as his 2023 switch back
to Surrey was announced. His Warwickshire colleague, ‘keeper Michael Burgess, enjoyed
an interesting all-round match. Besides hitting 77 runs and taking five catches
behind the stumps, he claimed his first-ever wicket, that of first-innings
centurion Richard Keogh!
In
the second tier, the pace-setters Nottinghamshire and Middlesex played out a high-scoring
draw at Trent Bridge. With Hameed and Lyndon James hitting hundreds, the hosts
forced Middlesex to follow on, but Robson and Stoneman shared an opening
partnership of 201 to keep Notts’ margin to eleven points. Glamorgan fought
back from adversity to eke out a three-wicket success over Worcestershire at
Cardiff. Warwickshire’s new signing Ed Barnard forced 131, and Joe Leach took 6-44,
leaving the Welsh side in deep trouble. Enter the overseas seam pair Michael
Neser and Michael Hogan, who took seven wickets between them, but Glamorgan
still needed 332 to win. Colin Ingram (102) and Billy Root (99 not out) ensured
they succeeded.
At
Hove, Sussex also came from behind to beat Derbyshire by five wickets. Wayne
Madsen and Anuj Dal contributed more than half of Derby’s first-innings total of
551-8 declared. Second time around, Jack Brooks had them in a mess but
declaring overnight to set Sussex a 344 target still looked a reasonable decision.
Oh, until you realise that the opposition feature Ali Orr and Mohammed Rizwan
in their line-up. Despite early rain, and assisted by some useful cameos, the
chase was completed with seventeen balls to spare, presenting Sussex with a
first Championship in front of their home supporters for almost three years. Their
next fixture pits them against bottom side Leicestershire while Notts visit Glamorgan.
In
the interim, the Vitality Blast group stage will be completed, and the
quarter-finals take place over four days. Surrey are pretty much there already,
and Somerset may need to beat them on the last day to join them in the knockouts.
Team of the Week: Stoneman (Mid), Orr (Sus), Rizwan (Sus),
Bell-Drummond (Ken), Madsen (Der), Keogh (Nor), S Curran (Sur), Burgess (War +),
Dawson (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Neser (Gla)
