England's youth selection pays off

It’s a touch over four years since Ben Stokes struck his record-breaking 258 at Newlands. 

Incredibly England almost contrived to lose that Test match, with AB De Villiers and another double-centurion Hashim Amla in fine form. But four years is a long time in international cricket. Stokes has hit the lows and highs and has transformed himself into a national treasure, while both Amla and AB have quit the Test arena.

England are one-day world champions and South Africa are a team in transition. Both are blooding youth, but it’s the tourists who have enjoyed crunching victories in the past few weeks, romping home by an innings at Port Elizabeth. Quinton de Kock and Vernon Phliander were instrumental in guiding the Proteas to an opening triumph straight after Christmas but the tide has turned dramatically.

At Cape Town the older brigade, led by Jimmy Anderson (7-63), Stokes and Denly who performed strongly, although Dom Sibley’s maiden century was crucial. This week, it was Ollie Pope who cemented his place in the side with his own inaugural hundred and the Player of the Match award. Yet none of England’s five under-25s have disgraced themselves. Sam Curran bowled well at times, Zak Crawley played himself in as Burns’ replacement and Dom Bess registered his first five-fer in international cricket. 

It’s kinda strange to think that Pope is only Surrey’s second-best wicketkeeper-batsman (behind Foakes) and last summer Bess struggled to hold down a first XI place at Somerset. Sometimes opportunities creep up on you and are there to be grasped and taking a 2-1 lead in South Africa is a mighty good line on a young player’s CV. With Wood and Stokes steaming in at 90mph, Jofra Archer and Anderson weren’t badly missed and a rare overseas Test series success looks highly probable.

No, the problems stand mainly with SA batting. Six innings completed, no scores of 300. So far the first-innings 284 at Centurion is their peak and De Kock’s 95 that day is the highest individual score. Maharaj’s world record-equalling 28 off Joe Root may have been a thrash in desperation but it speaks volumes that it has been arguably the most compelling piece of batsmanship South Africa have managed in the past month. With Faf du Plessis talking of stepping down, they need to improve. And fast.

Middlesex win a Thriller

Middlesex have extended their lead at the top of the County Championship, but they were pushed to the penultimate ball of the four days by Somerset at Taunton. On day two, Middlesex were struggling to match their hosts’ mediocre total of 236, but then James Harris and James Fuller posted a mighty ninth wicket stand of 162, putting them in the driving seat. Centuries from Marcus Trescothick (his 48th first class effort for the West Countrymen) and Peter Trego turned things around, leaving the league leaders 46 overs to score 302. Acting skipper James Franklin accepted the challenge and it needed some superb knocks by Nick Gubbins and ‘keeper John Simpson to conquer it in the very final over. Simpson also took nine catches in the match. Indeed, Middlesex were very much Somerset’s nemeses this week, also winning their T20 fixture, dammit!

Warwickshire’s attempt to match the Londoners foundered in the Edgbaston rain. Hampshire racked up more than 500 thanks to Liam Dawson’s 116 and an unbeaten 204 from Adam Wheater. However, having lost the third day to the weather, Sam Hain and Tim Ambrose achieved three-figure scores of their own to play out a draw. Even less cricket was possible at The Oval where Yorkshire had the better of their contest with Surrey. Adam Lyth starred with a double-hundred.

Division Two is really hotting up, too. Gloucestershire are definitely in the promotion race after defeating leaders Essex by 61 runs at Cheltenham. Apart from centuries from David Lawrence and Gloucestershire skipper Gareth Roderick, it was a game for the seamers. Essex’s Kiwi, Matthew Quinn captured 11 wickets yet still finished on the losing side, while the home team’s trio of Payne, Norwell and Miles ripped through Essex on the final day. Gloucestershire have also leapfrogged Glamorgan in the Blast’s South Division so happy times at Bristol again

Worcestershire now sit only seven points behind Essex after thumping Northamptonshire by 311 runs at Wantage Road. They twice bowled out their opponents for under 150, the bulk of the wickets falling to Matt Henry and Joe Leach.

There’s more festival cricket this week as the county circuit says a summer hello to Southport, Colwyn Bay, Tunbridge Wells and, again, Cheltenham. Lancashire look to revive their title bid against Durham while Hampshire and Surrey meet in a relegation clash. Notts and Somerset both need a win to keep out of trouble. Gloucestershire can go top if they overcome Northants and Kent are back in the mix if they beat Sussex in the local derby.

Team of the Week: Lyth (Yor), Petersen (Lan), Roderick (Glo *), Dawson (Ham), Wheater (Ham), Simpson (Mid +), Trego (Som), Leach (Wor), Fuller (Mid), Quinn (Ess), Henry (Wor)

Team of the Week: Steyn and Sangakkara steam ahead

Some difficult choices this week after a relatively weak pool from which to select last time. Test matches, 'A' internationals, the CPL and the last of an intensive few weeks of Royal London county fixtures were all vying for attention.

For some reason, 111 was a popular score. The late umpire David Shepherd would have been hopping around like a demented flamingo but only one of these batsmen make my team of the week ending 15th August 2014. That's Essex opener Tom Westley, who shared a double-century partnership with Ryan Ten Doeschate in a run chase against Yorkshire, before weighing in with 74 versus Hampshire. Jacques Rudolph, Lendl Simmons and Wes Durston were all in the frame, but Alex Hales' 141 in Nottinghamshire's thumping of Middlesex earns him the other opener spot.

He put on 217 with Michael Lumb yet his colleague and skipper James Taylor produced an even better 100 not out in 55 balls in that match to accompany another unbeaten hundred for the Lions against Sri Lanka 'A'. Worcestershire's 20 year-old Tom Fell delivered three innings each of at least 70 in the past week, although his side struggled a bit. He edges my decision ahead of Pakistan's Younis Khan but I simply can't ignore Kumar Sangakkara. His prolific year continued with 221 in Sri Lanka's victory over Pakistan. Majestic! However, his score was eclipsed by the South African 'A' man Rilee Roussouw, whose 231 helped deflate an Aussie attack in the triangular tournament.

Messrs Dhoni, Buttler and De Kock all made some runs but Hampshire's Adam Wheater steals the wicketkeeper gloves with a 97-ball 135. A shame that it was in vain as his side's run chase fell five runs short of the Essex total.

Paul Collingwood and Notts transfer target Will Gidman each produced a notable all-rund county performance but my remaining four places all go to specialist bowlers. Yasir Arafat claimed 5-36 and 4-49 against Somerset and Kent, respectively, and who can forget Stuart Broad's India-shattering 6-25 in the Fourth Test? A pity his nose took a shattering soon afterwards....

Rangana Herath didn't need to bowl as many overs this week as last but he added another nine wickets to his tally for Sri Lanka. His first-class aggregate now stands at 870, which surely few if any current players can match. His Test average has also dropped below 30, a sign of a top-class bowler. Finally, that man Dale Steyn was at it again, taking 5-46 and 3-38, although his latest eight victims were Zimbabweans. Herath's record is improving but he has a long way to go before emulating the South Afican maestro's 383 Test wickets at 22.56.

Summing up: Hales (Lions/Not), Westley (Ess), Sangakkara (SL), Fell (Wor), Taylor (Lions/Not *), Rossouw (SA 'A'), Wheater (Ham +), Yasir Arafat (Sus), Broad (Eng), Steyn (SA), Herath (SL).