While the continuing dreadful weather forced most counties to adopt the Plan B of simply maximising their batting bonus points, Surrey proceeded to claim a second successive innings victory, this time against neighbours and rivals Hampshire. With Essex failing to prevail over Durham, after four fixtures, the Chelmsford outfit stand dead level with the champions.
A steady century from Rory Burns and a blistering unbeaten 106 from Jordan Clark helped Surrey to a healthy lead on day two, but Dan Worrall’s five-for, spread over three days, finished the job without the need to bat again. At Chester-le-Street, Nick Browne marked his first Championship outing of the season by scoring 184, taking Essex to 488, eclipsing Durham’s Ackermann-assisted total of 358. Following a Sunday washout, Lees and Bedingham made the game safe against the spinners.
At Edgbaston, Ben Duckett helped himself to a double-hundred for Nottinghamshire. In response, Warwickshire openers Yates and Davies suffered a rare joint failure, although they were rescued by the lower order. A draw was inevitable, as was the case at Kidderminster. With rain forecast, Somerset declared after reaching 300, then Libby and Roderick put on 194 for Worcestershire en route to achieving a fifth batting point.
Four weeks and still just a single result in Division Two. Leaders Leicestershire and Northamptonshire swapped scores of 450-ish, although George Bartlett was the only centurion. Poor Peter Handscomb was run out on 99. At Headingley, too, it was all about reaching 450 before the rain arrived. With England’s former opener Adam Lyth scoring 97 and current middle-order duo Joe Root and Harry Brook hitting three figures, Yorkshire made the target but, despite Wayne Madsen’s patient 105, Derbyshire fell three runs short.
At least the good folk of Bristol had more cricket to enjoy. Gloucestershire’s Marchant de Lange struck a blow for the bowlers by taking 6-49 and restricting Middlesex to 203. Second time around, Max Holden (111) and the redoubtable Ryan Higgins (155) turned the tables, switching the pressure onto the home side. The weather closed in, but – hey! – the match did extend into a fourth innings, the only one this week to do so.
It's a relatively quiet Bank Holiday weekend for the County
Championship but, with Surrey not playing, Essex will reclaim the lead whatever
happens in Somerset. Speaking of which, I note that my former local club
Bridgwater have signed former West Indies captain and Ben Stokes’ T20 nemesis
Carlos Brathwaite. The residents of Park Road had better install higher fences
and reinforced windows….
Team of the Week:- Burns (Sur), Duckett (Not), Root (Yor), Brook
(Yor), Browne (Ess), Higgins (Mid), Roderick (Wor +), J Clark (Sur), de Lange (Glo), Worrall (Sur), Hannon-Dalby
(War)
