While Australia were warming up for the Ashes with a comprehensive defeat of India to clinch the World Test Championship, Surrey were sweeping all before them in both the Blast and County Championship. Hot sun blazed upon most pitches last week and the champions’ batsmen responded with some fiery strokeplay. In T20, they racked up 258-6 against Sussex and 236-2 in Glamorgan, with Laurie Evans scoring a total of 211. He doesn’t play the four-day stuff much these days but Surrey nonetheless boast a formidable line-up. At Canterbury, an upset looked on the cards as Kent set them 501 to win. Such is Surrey’s form, it was never really in doubt. Dom Sibley (140 not out) anchored, Jamie Smith (114 in 77 balls) smashed and Ben Foakes steered their serene course to victory and a 31-point lead in Division One.
It was a mixed week for Somerset. Hampshire handed them a first defeat in the Blast after throwing away a winning position in the final overs before taking it out on Gloucestershire. Sadly, in red-ball cricket it was the same old story. Essex dominated at Chelmsford, where Alastair Cook and all-rounder Matt Critchley provided the runs, Porter and Harmer most of the wickets.
At Trent Bridge, Warwickshire enforced the follow-on, emboldened by a 416-run lead, only for Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke to remember how to build an innings. His first Championship century was a double. At Southport, Lancashire also established a solid first-innings advantage over Hampshire, despite Felix Organ’s 6-67. A Gubbins-Vince rally made the home team bat again, only for Dane Vilas to guide them to the sixteen points.
In the second tier, Yorkshire finally opened their account by defeating Derbyshire by three wickets at Chesterfield. On the first morning, the home county were mauled by Fisher and Coad, slipping to 15-4 and only just reaching three figures by the end of the innings. Second time around, a slaughter looked certain as they plunged to 17-4. This time, the rest of the side didn’t go down s easily. Captain Leus du Plooy and Haider Ali shared a stand of 277 and Yorkshire’s victory charge looked decidedly ropey. In the end it was Yorkshire’s own captain Shan Masood who grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck with an unbeaten 95.
Leicestershire came away from Gloucestershire with a valuable 5-wicket triumph. Colin Ackermann and Rehan Ahmed had to step on the gas to reach the 215 target before time ran out. There were runs galore at Chester-le-Street where Durham and Glamorgan traded centuries en route for a draw. Kiran Carlson stroked 162 for the Welsh, then Bedingham (151) and Robinson (102) helped Durham to a mighty 630, leaving Chris Cooke (134 not out) and Van Gugten (55 not out) to see the side to stumps.
The most exciting conclusion was witnessed at Hove, where Sussex and Worcestershire slugged it out to the bitter end. Worcester opener Jake Libby was in imperious form, hitting 198 and 97, but Sussex’s Carson, Haines and Alsop set their opponents a formidable target of 386 in 79 overs. At 317-3, it looked gettable and, even after Azhar Ali fell for a well-paced ton, Worcester required only eight off Nathan McAndrew’s final over. Remarkably, he conceded just three, Leach swinging and missing for the six needed off the final delivery. The draw meant it was Sussex who sit in second place behind Durham.
Back to the Blast for the next few weeks….
Team of the Week:- Libby (Wor), Evans (Sur), Clarke (Not), Bedingham
(Dur), Carlson (Glam), Du Plooy (Der), Foakes (Sur +), Critchley (Ess), Fisher
(Yor), Porter (Ess), Cook (Ess)
