While mourners queued to mourn the late Queen and the counties lined up to attack Andrew Strauss’s plan to systematically destroy county cricket to preserve the precious Hundred, the Championship served up more intrigue as the season approaches its finale.
In Division One, Surrey’s bid to put daylight between them and Hampshire was thwarted by Northamptonshire. Centuries by Emilio Gay and the reliable Rob Keogh kept them in the game before tons from Hashim Amla and Tom Curran gave the visitors a first-innings advantage. Saif Zaib, restored to the side after a few decent scores for the Second XI, proceeded to strike a vital 129 as Northants batted on to ensure the draw which almost certainly keeps them in the top tier next season.
Lancashire didn’t play this week but their task of catching the leading pair was made harder thanks to a six-point penalty imposed because of persistent indiscipline. Essex moved to within four points of them after a nail-biting conclusion to their match at Headingley. Needing only 162 to win on the third day, Ben Coad and Steven Patterson looked to have delivered Yorkshire a much-needed victory only for bowler Shane Snater to fight fire with fire and take a one-wicket win with an unbeaten 65.
Warwickshire and Somerset met in a must-not-lose encounter at Edgbaston. In that respect, both can consider themselves content because it ended in a draw, although Somerset needed to take only four more wickets. Tom Abell (87) and George Bartlett (111) put them in command but Warwickshire’s Sibley, Davies and Hain each passed 50 to save the game.
Next week, Warwickshire will expect to leap out of the relegation positions by beating winless Gloucestershire while Somerset face a tricky home clash with Northants. Kent travel to Hampshire so I reckon the summer-ending Kent v Somerset fixture will decide who goes down with Gloucestershire. I can’t take the stress….
In Division Two, Nottinghamshire are well clear of the rest, but Middlesex overtook Glamorgan in second spot after thrashing them at Lord’s by ten wickets. Opener Mark Stoneman top-scored with a first-innings 128 while Toby Roland-Jones and new recruit Ryan Higgins also chipped in with useful wickets.
Durham claimed only their second first-class success of the season at Leicester, wrapping it up by seven wickets early on the last morning. Michael Jones was the pick of the batsmen but the undoubted star was Matthew Potts. After his early form and sensational England debut, he has been very quiet since, but this week he destroyed Leicester with a career-best match return of 13-101, those 13 wickets greater than his aggregate tally achieved since June. Meanwhile, at Hove, Leach and Gibbon reduced Sussex to 23-5 on the first morning before they recovered to reach 220. Worcestershire’s first pair almost beat that on their own and Jake Libby proceeded to an unprecedented 215. Second time around, the home county showed more batting gumption and Tom Alsop’s 132 not out saw them too safety.
Notts next travel to Worcester, Middlesex head up the M1 to a dispirited Leicestershire while Glamorgan are at home to Derbyshire, who have an outside chance of promotion. However, it’s looking like Lord’s and Trent Bridge hosting Division One cricket in 2023, which will please the ECB no end. Will they pull up the drawbridge after them?
Team
of the Week: Gay (Nor), Libby (Wor), Amla (Sur), Hain (War), Keogh (Nor),
Simpson (Mid +), Leach (Wor), Snater (Ess), Coad (Yor), Brooks (Som), Potts
(Dur).
