Sir Alastair Cook Retires at 38

When a world-class cricketer retires, I tend to fall back upon a raft of statistics to ram home how good he or she was, as if evidence exists only in numbers. Of course, aggregates of runs or wickets, appearances, trophies and averages all combine to support any claim to greatness. However, Alastair Cook – who last week finally called it a day on the cricket field – transcends the data, if not in the usual way. 

Cook never lifted a World Cup, smashed run-a-ball centuries or, as far as I know, smashed locker doors or people’s faces outside a Bristol club. Instead, once called up as a late replacement to an England tour of India in 2006, he didn’t look back. The runs flowed, and ‘Chef’ was an almost ever-present at the top of the batting order for the next twelve years. He wasn’t even dropped from the Test side, although he came close on occasions, and rarely dropped a catch in the slips. 

It is easy to forget what a batting prodigy he was for Essex in his teens, and again for England. Alastair was also unusual in that arguably his outstanding individual run-making achievements came overseas, notably in India and Australia where many a career has floundered. The timing of his most notable innings was as perfect as his flicks through the leg-side, including book-ending his Test career with centuries, both against India. Then there was that hilarious burst of Bob Wilis bowling impressions which yielded his improbable sole Test wicket. Hang your head in shame, Ishant Sharma! 

When he announced his retirement from international duty in 2018, I exhorted: “Alastair, please don’t do a Strauss and quit all cricket. 33 is too young for that.” Thankfully, he listened and, despite his deserved knighthood, played on for Essex until the end of 2023’s County Championship. To be honest, he was out of form, perhaps with retirement on his mind, but he was a vital cog in Essex’s formidable red-ball machine in recent years, depriving my Somerset of a few titles along the way. He was no fool with the bat in 50-over matches, either, although would never fit in with the Stokes-Buttler-Bairstow style of strokeplay. 

I saw him play only once in the flesh. It was late-afternoon at a damp Oval in 2013, carefully, unhurriedly and resolutely seeing off the new ball delivered by Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc. Yes, it was a boring final hour for the crowd but he and Joe Root got the job done. I expect his opening partner that day will soon eclipse Cook’s aggregate of Test runs and go down as one of England’s, and indeed the world’s finest ever all-round batsmen, but will Sir Joe Root devote his twilight years to Yorkshire’s Championship cause? I doubt it. The world has moved on, and the Essex stalwart and Bedfordshire farmer represents the end of an era.

County Week: Stokes Six Blitz but Surrey storm ahead

There were no double-centuries this week but Ben Stokes marked his first Durham appearance in the Championship for ten months with an innings to match the new England captain’s larger-than-life personality. His first-innings knock had a typically charmed start but once he started swinging his bat, the records began to fall. He smashed 17 sixes from 88 balls, the highest ever in the competition, before another leg-side hoik was snaffled in the deep when on 161. Pity poor teenage spinner Josh Baker. He was clubbed for five successive sixes, and it could have been a full set had Stokes’ next club over mid-wicket bounced a few metres short of the boundary. 

In the match context, Stokes wasn’t even the top scorer. That accolade went to the opener Sean Dickson who struck two centuries, including a declaration-chasing 73-ball 105. Thanks to Jack Haynes’ maiden ton, Worcestershire easily avoided defeat on the final day. Stokes as bowled but ended wicketless from thirty overs. Will he play for the county again before England’s Test series begins? Who knows? 

Also in Division Two, Chetneshwar Pujara also outscored the Durham all-rounder, thanks to a second-innings 170 not out for Sussex at Hove. Middlesex were challenged to reach 370 in under three sessions and, anchored by Sam Robson’s 149 and accelerated by Max Holden and Martin Andersson, they succeeded. 

Middlesex now to the table, and Glamorgan also leapfrogged Nottinghamshire into second by defeating Leicestershire in Cardiff. Most players contributed, including ‘keeper Chris Cooke, Sam Northeast and the Aussie pacemen Neser and Hogan. 

In the top tier, there were centuries from four former England openers. Warwickshire’s Dom Sibley and Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings, in his first game in 2022, were the batting stars although the game limped to a draw. At Chelmsford, Alastair Cook emulated Sean Dickson by reaching three figures twice, surprisingly something he’d ever achieved before. However, the second innings of 102 not out was played out with little pressure as the match petered out into batting practice for Cook and opening partner Nick Browne. Special mention, too, for Yorkshire’s Harry Brook. His 123 was his sixth score of 50+ in six innings. That’s what you call consistent cracking form. 

Surrey notched a third win of the season, this time against Northamptonshire. Rory Burns’ 107 led the way to a total of 401, which was beyond Northants in two attempts. Colin de Grandhomme and Dan Worrall took ten wickets between them, and ‘keeper Ben Foakes claimed seven catches. 

Hampshire also enjoyed a home victory, clinching an 87-run margin over Gloucestershire. The latter’s Mohammad Amir was in ominous form but his Pakistan ex-colleague Mohammad Abbas had the edge, thanks to a first-innings 6-45. 

Hampshire sit it out this coming week, so Surrey can open up a sizeable lead by beating table-proppers Kent in the Beckenham derby. Talking of derbies, Yorkshire and Lancashire provide the year’s first Roses battle and neighbours Somerset and Gloucestershire also face off in Bristol. In Division Two, Nottinghamshire travel to Lord’s for the chance to reclaim the summit, although a draw could let in Glamorgan who head north to Durham and hope to avoid another Stokes special.  

Team of the Week: Sibley (War), Cook (Ess), Dickson (Dur), Pujara (Sus), Holden (Mid), Cooke (Gla +), Stokes (Dur), De Grandhomme (Sur), Mohammad Abbas (Ham), Mohammad Amir (Glo), Potts (Dur)

Kent Spitfires shoot them all down

First of all I have to proffer my grudging congratulations to Kent for winning the T20 Blast, consigning Somerset to their customary runners-up spot. Their Finals Day victories while batting first (also against Sussex) demonstrated their all-round abilities, from the batting of Bell-Drummond and Cox to the bowling of Milnes and Klaasen. However, it was that man Darren Stevens whose unbeaten 47 from 28 balls was instrumental in reaching the final. Kent don’t win many trophies these days so it was nice to see the 45 year-old get to hold aloft some silverware before retirement, whenever that might be, if ever. 

He was rested for the preceding Championship fixture against Derbyshire which they also won. Daneil Bell-Drummond supplied another two half-centuries while the majority of wickets went the way of Grant Stewart and Nathan Gilchrist. The home county’s batters never looked likely to surmount the declaration target of 341 and were duly dismissed for 210. That’s three out of three so far for Kent, a feat matched by Middlesex who beat Worcestershire at Lord’s by 101 runs. Charlie Morris’ 6-52 looked set to spoil the party only for Ethan Bamber (4-28) and Martin Andersson (3-22) to wrap things up on the fourth day. 

In the other Group 3 match, Sussex capitulated in their second innings to hand Leicestershire a comprehensive victory at Grace Road. Hassan Azad (152) and Lewis Hill (145) notched career-best scores then four-wicket hauls by Ben Mike and spinner Callum Parkinson applied the final blows. 

In Group 1, Hampshire moved into pole position by removing nine Nottinghamshire batsmen in the final session at Southampton. The losers were inevitably critical of the pitch as spinners Liam Dawson and Felix Organ wreaked havoc. The weather looked likely to ruin everything before play resumed at 1pm but the meagre crowd were rewarded for their patience. Warwickshire advanced to second, returning from Headingley with the spoils. Here, too, the bowlers were in charge, notably the visiting seamers Woakes, Norwell and Miles but special mention should go to Tim Bresnan. Playing against his old county of Yorkshire, he snaffled no fewer than six slip catches in the second innings, one short of the Championship record, besides taking 4-36 in the first innings. 

Meanwhile Somerset limbered up for their T20 day in the sun by suffering another trouncing, this time at the hands of Lancashire. That they avoided a third successive innings defeat owed much to a battling 100 by Tom Lammonby but there was little to cheer the Taunton faithful in the competition that really counts. Luke Wells and Tom Bailey shone for the Red Roses but there were six wickets for the previously unheralded Jack Blatherwick. His name suggests a background of club cricket in the Irwell valley but the 23 year-old was born in Nottingham. 

In Group 2, Essex remain top despite being held to a draw by Surrey. Reports of a problematic drinking culture affecting performances this summer may or may not be true but the veteran knight Alastair Cook delivered the highest score of the week, with 165. Gloucestershire are on their heels after taking 22 points from Cardiff. Glamorgan surrendered meekly to the orthodox spin of Zafar Gohar His sole Test outing for Pakistan left him with stats of 0-159 but the figures which mattered this week were 6-43. 

Things were more exciting at Northampton where there were some topsy-turvy scorecards. Durham achieved maximum batting points and a handsome first innings lead thanks to a ninth-wicket stand of 159 between Liam Trevaskis and Matty Potts. Having lost the third day to rain they had plenty of work to do with the ball as Northants battled to survive until stumps. In the event, they managed to do by the skin of their teeth. James Sales struck a maiden fifty and Simon Kerrigan stuck around for nearly three hours for his 28 not out and Durham couldn’t prise out him or last man White. 

And so to the Championship climax. The way Somerset have been playing, Warwickshire should take maximum points at Edgbaston but Nottinghamshire can still produce an extraordinary turnaround in fortunes by beating Yorkshire. However, the pennant will fly over the Ageas Bowl for the first time in 48 years should Hampshire overcome Lancashire at Liverpool and I wouldn’t bet against them, provided the fickle North West weather plays ball. 

Team of the Week: Bell-Drummond (Ken), A. Cook (Ess), Hassan Azad (Lei), Hill (Lei), Brown (Sus), Swindells (Lei +), Bresnan (War), Barker (Ham), Bamber (Mid), Potts (Dur), Norwell (War)

2020 County Cricket Team of the Year

What a weird summer it’s been. Covid has left thousands dead, many more struggling to get over the disease and its impact on society. Sporting arenas remain empty, and rightly so, given the importance of social distancing to keeping us all safe. I must admit I feared for domestic cricket but credit to the ECB, clubs and broadcasters for squeezing in so many meaningful matches in only a few months. 

Of course, England played their part, along with their opposition who had to sacrifice so much in order to get the show on the road in the safe bubbles of Southampton and Manchester. Buttler, Broad, Stokes and Woakes did their thang, but this is about the county game. 

A full Championship was out of the question but the makeshift Bob Willis Trophy, complete with a five-day final, turned out to be a success with clubs and online fans alike. As last year, Essex and Somerset were a class apart but the experience of the former ultimately held sway at Lord’s, but it was close. The abbreviated T20 Blast was harder to call but it was the superior all-round quality of Surrey and Nottinghamshire which produced the finalists last week, and the insanely enthusiastic skipper Dan Christian carried the Outlaws to victory. So who makes my county team of the year?

Openers:

The previous years’ stars Burns and Sibley seemed to establish themselves at international level, allowing others to shine for their counties. Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond was the T20 top scorer and another ex-England player Adam Lyth scored consistently in both formats. Sir Alastair Cook proved that class is permanent by scoring the century which clinched another red-ball title for Essex but another of Somerset’s recent rash of talented Toms, Tom Lammonby, announced himself with almost 600 runs in total. 

However, it’s another pair of ‘L’s who make my XI. Alex Lees didn’t quite fulfil his potential at Yorkshire but he enjoyed a very successful 2020 at Durham, accumulating more than 350 runs in each competition for a struggling team. Then there’s another 27 year-old, Jake Libby, who scored runs for fun in August for Worcestershire. Nobody scored more than the Devonian across the whole season. 

Middle-order:

A number of young players seized their opportunities created by the absence of overseas recruits, especially in the Blast. Zak Crawley’s season will be remembered for his mighty Test 267 for England against Pakistan but he proved a highly effective weapon in T20 for Kent, too. Joe Root was apparently a bit miffed at being omitted from England’s T20 squad but he responded in style, reinventing himself in Yorkshire towards the end of the season as a solid off-spinning all-rounder. However, I’ve picked Leicestershire’s one-man middle-order, Colin Ackermann for my team of the year. Once more he has combined first-class batting with white-ball bowling to keep his county’s had above the water. 

My other two are the Nottinghamshire pair, Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke. The former appeared in a record four Teams of the Week this year, producing big innings when it mattered, including the Blast Final against Surrey. Clarke was quick off the blocks when cricket got the go-ahead in August, the highlight being a 44-ball ton against Durham in T20. 

All-Rounders:

2020 wasn’t a vintage year for genuine all-rounders in the county game. Ed Barnard (Worcestershire), Graeme van Buuren (Gloucestershire) and Jamie Overton (Somerset/Surrey) were in the mix but my first choice was also in my 2019 Eleven, Ryan Higgins. The Gloucester man doesn’t rip up any trees with either bat or ball but is a huge asset in all formats, playing a major role in his county’s march to Finals Day. Amidst all Surrey’s international stars, Will Jacks could easily be missed but his hard-hitting and economic T20 bowling were probably more influential than Amla, Roy, Pope, Foakes, Plunkett et al. Given a good run in next year’s Championship the homegrown 21 year-old could join the county’s list of England caps. 

Wicket-keeper:

Worcestershire’s Ben Cox claimed more dismissals than anyone else in the Bob Willis Trophy while Middlesex’s John Simpson and Nottinghamshire’s Tom Moores also combined runs with decent performances behind the stumps. Had Alex Davies been a regular ‘keeper for Lancashire he may have taken a slot but instead I’ve plumped for Glamorgan’s Chris Cooke. The Johannesburg-born 34 year-old rarely reaches three figures but in a side frequently short at the top of the order the skipper has shorn up the innings, made vital catches and as captain brought on some of the county’s young prospects. 

Bowlers:- 

Let’s get the no-brainer out of the way. Simon Harmer goes straight into the side for a third successive year. He took 38 red-ball wickets at under 16, along with ten in the Blast, pushing Essex towards another title. Team-mate Jamie Porter was also in the wickets, as were fellow seamers, David Payne (Gloucestershire), George Garton (Sussex), Jake Ball (Notts) and the incredible 44 year-old Darren Stevens (Kent). However, I have opted for another veteran paceman, Tim Murtagh of Middlesex, whose 25 four-day wickets came at just 12.72 and seven Blast victims at an economy rate of 6.61. When Jamie Overton switched mid-season to Surrey, Josh Davey stepped up admirably but it’s the other twin, Craig Overton who was even more instrumental in blowing away the opposition in August. It was only in the final that Somerset conceded a single batting bonus point and Craig was the man who led that formidable seam attack. One to watch is definitely Surrey’s 21 year-old left-arm spinner, Dan Moriarty. If he works on his batting, he could well be a future star. 

And so, based on stats and my Teams of the Week, my County Eleven of 2020 is as follows:-

Libby (Wor), Lees Dur), Duckett (Not), Clarke (Not), Ackermann (Lei), Jacks (Sur), Cooke (Gla +), Higgins (Glo), C Overton (Sur), Harmer (Ess), Murtagh (Mid). 12^th man: Lyth (Yor)

Essex Edge the Trophy final

 If I may, I’d like to start with the end. I shall return to the Vitality Blast but for me the main event was the five-day final of 2020’s Bob Willis Trophy. The coronavirus crisis prevented any professional cricket until August but the ECB’s hastily-organised Championship substitute has proved a surprise hit. 

With fans absent, counties invested in superior camera angles for streaming and supporters have responded enthusiastically. On the pitch, as last year, Essex and Somerset dominated the first-class game and once more met to decide the direction of the premier trophy. Given Somerset’s recent record, it was inevitable that they again finished as runners-up, albeit without actually losing. 

It was strange to see a batting line-up lacking Trescothick, Hildreth and Trego but Ed Byrom (aged 23) and Tom Lammonby (20) delivered well-crafted centuries. However, it was the rather more experienced Sir Alastair Cook whose 172 essentially won the competition by means of a narrow first-innings lead at Lord’s. On the final day, Jack Leach got amongst the top-order so Ryan Ten Doeschate gave up the run chase and helped dig in to secure the draw Essex needed. 

Essex are also the reigning Vitality Blast champions but they have been way off the pace this rump of a summer. The South group was topped by Surrey’s band of internationals, joined in the quarter-final line-up by Sussex (who beat Essex in the final round) and Kent. For all the contributions of Roy, Billings, Harmer, Topley et al, the week’s stars from this group were probably Laurie Evans and George Garton. The former struck two 70+ scores for the leaders, while the latter claimed four wickets in each match bolstered by some lusty late hitting. Hampshire were never really in the hunt but Shaheen Shah Afridi stole the show by bowling out Middlesex with the final four deliveries of the contest, ending with 6-19! 

The Central group was quite a tight affair. Come the final weekend, Gloucestershire were home and dry but Somerset could sneak into the quarters with victory at Bristol. They very nearly made it but Tom Smith hit the very last ball to the boundary to end their hopes. That meant that winners of Northamptonshire v Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston would progress. Adam Hose’s brilliant 119 looked likely to be decisive only for Tom Taylor to reach his maiden fifty in the penultimate over and snatch a three-wicket victory. 

Nottinghamshire easily held on to first place in the North group thanks partly to Ben Duckett’s half-centuries and Steve Mullaney’s typical mix of wickets and cameo innings. Lancashire finished second despite losing heavily to Durham and falling tamely to Leicestershire. Nevertheless their seven-run Roses success at Old Trafford earlier in the week was enough to qualify on twelve points. Joe Root again made a desperate pitch for an England T20 recall by scoring two 60s and taking three cheap wickets. 

And so the domestic T20 tourney heads towards a climax in the autumn gloom of October. The students may be spreading Covid like the leaves of a chestnut tree but hopefully this truncated cricket season may yet give us cricket fans something else to savour. At least it won’t be Somerset coming second…. 

Team of the Week: A. Cook (Ess), Rutherford (Wor), Lammonby (Som), Evans (Sur), Root (Yor), Duckett (Not), Moores (Not +), Gregory (Som), Garton (Sus), Trevaskis (Dur), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Ham)

Somerset reign by beating the rain

Last week it was Storm Ellen, this one, Storm Francis. Both wreaked havoc across the UK, but each affected the cricket schedule in different ways. 

Essex, beneficiaries of some fourth-day sunshine a week ago, failed to even complete a single innings against Hampshire at Arundel, although Sir Alastair Cook passed 24,000 first-class career runs with a 66^th century. Kent advanced to second in the South table by dealing Surrey their fourth successive defeat, but it was a close-run thing. Ben Foakes’ first ton of the summer restricted Surrey's deficit to 64 before Rikki Clarke (5-20) and Sam Curran  (4-39) gave their batsmen a fairly easy target of 192. Enter the venerable Darren Stevens. He ripped out three top-order batsmen in his first spell and Matt Milnes wrapped things up with the home side an agonising 17 runs short. 

At Radlett, another evergreen seamer, Tim Murtagh, maintained his 2020 form taking a second-innings 5-34 to set up Middlesex’s five-wicket triumph over Sussex. 

In the Central group, Somerset seemed once more destined to fall victim to the weather with their opponents on the ropes eight wickets down and 300+ behind. Fortunately the rain abated and the outfield dried sufficiently to hand Craig Overton and Jack Brooks the opportunity to finish the job. ‘Coverton’ and Josh Davey claimed sixteen wickets between them as Gloucestershire were skittled twice for sub-100 scores. So much for their first four-dayer against their local rivals for donkeys’ years! The Cidermen have yet to concede a single batting bonus point, a remarkable achievement, and yet online viewers were also treated to Bartlett, Abell and Tom Lammonby each reaching three figures. It was the latter’s maiden century in only his fourth match. 

Worcestershire remain only six points adrift after their draw at home to neighbours Warwickshire. Daryl Mitchell has been around for ages but his 110 was remarkably his first ever red-ball ton against Warwicks, for whom Will Rhodes struck an impressive 207. A draw was inevitable and now Worcester host leaders Somerset, the winners destined for a place in the Bob Willis final. 

Debutant Callum Taylor showed his fellow Glamorgan batsman how to score runs, making 106 against Northamptonshire. However, he blended in well second time around with a duck, before tail-ender Marchant De Lange went wild, blazing a 78-ball 113, in the process surpassing the county record for the fastest hundred. However, it was too little, too late, and Charlie Thurston saw Northants home with a rapid 64 not out. 

The weather was unkind to northern England, with no positive outcomes possible. The Roses encounter at Headingley proved a sterile encounter with batsmen broadly in charge. Adam Lyth top-scored with 103 then two ex-Tyke umpires had no option but to halt proceedings on the final morning. Leaders Derbyshire were also hamstrung at Chester-le-Street, but Luis Reece had time to add 122 runs to his two wickets. 

Leicestershire entertained Nottinghamshire but it was the visitors’ ex-Somerset legend Peter Trego who rolled back the years with the ball. Ackermann and Swindells ensured Leicester didn’t suffer a final day humiliation but neither have a chance of reaching the final. After the week’s break for T20 action, Leicester can instead extinguish any hopes harboured by Yorkshire but Derbyshire have an excellent chance of qualifying at Lancashire. Essex are in pole position in the South group but, as ever, it’ll be the performance of cold fronts and shower clouds which are likely to decide the leading two points scorers. 

Team of the Week: Rhodes (War), Reece (Der), Abell (Som), Thurston (Nor), Foakes (Sur +), Taylor (Gla), Stevens (Ken), De Lange (Gla), C Overton (Som), White (Nor), Davey (Som)

Spinners the winners as Essex move ahead

While Eoin Morgan and his men celebrated their astonishingly close World Cup success over New Zealand, the County Championship approached another break, this time for the T20 Blast. The global 50-over tournament wasn’t a vintage one for spinners but it was the slow bowlers who delivered the best performances this week.

Leaders Somerset suffered an embarrassing innings defeat at Headingley where Keshav Maharaj took ten wickets, one of five bowlers to achieve the feat. Three Yorkshire batsmen also scored centuries as Somerset struggled throughout, missing Gregory and Leach on England Lions duty. Meanwhile Essex held their nerve to beat Warwickshire by 187 runs and knock Somerset off their perch for the first time. Alastair Cook struck a couple of eighties, but the greatest damage was inflicted by Peter Siddle and Simon Harmer with the ball.

Nottinghamshire were dealt another blow at home to Surrey despite two six-fors from Ravi Ashwin. The Indian star was outdone by the homegrown talent that is 20 year-old Sikh Amar Virdi. Yet to play a single one-dayer for his county, he finished with impressive match stats of 14-139.

At Southampton Hampshire and Kent played out a high-scoring draw. Felix Organ struck a maiden ton and Riley Rossouw was also in the runs, but the visitors’ Joe Denly produced the game’s highest individual score, 154. Darren Stvens rolled back the years with a trademark 60 and seven wickets. It will be interesting to see how his body deals with a T20 campaign, this time with Derbyshire!

All Second division counties were also in action, and Lancashire pulled away from the pack thanks to an innings victory over Sussex, whose recent meltdown has seen them plunge from third to eighth. Skipper Dane Vilas hit an unbeaten 132 and caught five Sussex batsmen, while Matt Parkinson took ten wickets. At least the Old Trafford visitors rallied a bit in the second innings, led by Delray Rawlins’ first ever hundred, but it was too little too late.

Glamorgan slipped up at home to Middlesex. Skipper Dawid Malan’s 166 was easily the best score of the county week, and Toby Roland-Jones maintained last week’s good all-round form proving that it wasn’t essential to be a slow bowler to succeed. Chris Rushworth was another example of a seamer who mixed it with the spinners. He claimed ten Worcestershire victims in Durham’s 109-run victory at Chester-Le-Street.

Northamptonshire advanced to third spot despite their win against Derbyshire being only their second of the summer. Thomas Bavuma top-scored with 132 and Ben Sanderson took seven wickets. In the final pre-Blast fixture to finish today, Gloucestershire finished off bottom-placed Leicestershire. Jack Taylor had been bowled one short of a century but his captain’s first-innings 125 set up the six-wicket success.

The promotion race behind Lancashire is now wide open but we must wait another month to find out whether Glamorgan can hang on. Middlesex are beginning to look ominous challengers at last, while Worcestershire and Sussex have probably put themselves out of reach. At least all eighteen counties have a chance of winning the Blast. Let’s hope the World Cup has inspired greater numbers to pour through the turnstiles from Canterbury to Cardiff, Lord’s to Leicester, Chelmsford to Chester-le-Street, and that the players keep them royally entertained.

Team of the Week: Cook (Ess), Robson (Mid), Denly (Ken), Bavuma (Nor), Malan (Mid), Vilas (Lan +), Roland-Jones (Mid), Maharaj (Yor), Ashwin (Not), Virdi (Sur), Rushworth (Dur)

Cook and Porter carry Essex to victory

After beating second-placed Hampshire last week, Essex went one better by defeating leaders Somerset inside three days at Chelmsford. Alastair Cook top-scored with 80, while Jamie Porter finished with match stats of 9-73 as Somerset struggled on what must have been a tough wicket for batting.

In the other top fight fixture, last year’s champions Surrey finally notched their first Championship win of the summer, overcoming Warwickshire by 74 runs. As in Essex, there were no centuries, but Mark Stoneman aggregated 104 across both innings. Sam Curran added a 52 and five wickets while Ben Foakes claimed five catches and a couple of stumpings. Surrey now face Yorkshire, Somerset meet the team they beat in the RLOC final, Hampshire and Essex have the easier challenge, playing bottom county Nottinghamshire.

There were three Division Two encounters, after which Glamorgan are unexpected leaders. Beaming with confidence, they nipped across the Severn to Bristol and returned bearing 21 points, enough to overtake Lancashire, although the latter have one game fewer. Labuschagne was again in the runs and the evergreen Aussie Michael Hogan took seven Gloucestershire wickets.

There were changes at the other end of the table, too. Sussex were shocked by lowly Durham at Hove, and it wasn’t even close. Cameron Bancroft struck 158 in the first innings and Alex Lees 143 in the second, before Ben Raine polished off the home team with 6-27, aided inevitably by Chris Rushworth. Remarkably this leaves Middlesex at the foot of the whole shebang.

The weather was less kind in the East Midlands, where Northamptonshire and Leicestershire couldn’t fashion a result. Mohammad Abbas (3-49 and 3-39) looked the classiest bowler on display, while Leicester’s opener Hassan Azad scored 92, taking his fledging first-class average above 50.

Northants now meet struggling Sussex, Worcestershire are next up for the Glammies and Durham will be fortunate to make it two in two because they face promotion favourites Lancashire. But anything can happen. Just ask Middlesex!

Team of the Week: Bancroft (Dur), Cook (Ess), Lees (Dur), Labuschagne (Gla), Wakeley (Nor), Eckersley (Dur +), Gregory (Som), Raine (Dur), Porter (Ess), Beard (Ess), Hogan(Gla)

Spinners in Gr-Eight Form

In the week that the ICC World Cup launched at The Oval, the County Championship featured some fine performances not so much by batsmen but three reliable spinners. In particular, Edgbaston witnessed two eight-fors – both on the same climactic day. Surrey’s veteran Gareth Batty’s was completed by a hat-trick, then Jeetan Patel reeled off 31 consecutive overs, 18 of them maidens, to ensure Warwickshire registered their first Championship victory of the summer. Remarkably, champions Surrey are still waiting for theirs.

With Somerset having a week off, Yorkshire and Hampshire met at Headingley to decide which of them would take over at the top of Division One. In a rain-affected game, neither could manufacture a win, but Hampshire’s nine points took them seven clear. Gary Ballance’s 100 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 69 set up a declaration but Weatherley and Rossouw batted Hants to safety. Given another couple of hours it could have been a nail-biter, but it wasn’t to be.

At Chelmsford, the Thames estuary derby resulted in a 113-run triumph for Essex. Alastair Cook found his form at last and was denied his chance of a first ever two-century match when dismissed for 90 in the second innings. Kent were set a challenging 338 on day four and, despite Bell-Drummond’s solid 81, were always looking to survive rather than win. Simon Harmer’s 8-98 proved decisive, and the result elevates Essex into the top four.

In Division Two, Worcestershire’s challenge hit a hurdle in the form of Middlesex who hitherto had been struggling. In a mostly low-scoring match, dominated by bowlers, a double-century second innings partnership by Gubbins (91) and Malan (124) was outstanding in more ways than one, swinging the fixture their way before Tim Murtagh’s 6-51 finished the job.

Lancashire could only draw with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham where the fickle weather was the only winner. There was time, however, for Matt Taylor to collect a five-for as the game petered out. Derbyshire advanced to second place by out-bowling Leicestershire over four rain-affected days. Wayne Madsen was the only man to reach 50 (just!) but you couldn’t accuse Leicestershire’s Hassan Azad of not trying. He spent a total of 400 minutes at the crease, grinding out a miserly 90 runs in the process! Tony Palladino’s 5-29 was the highlight. Now 35, the Londoner has seamed away out of the spotlight for years, garnering well over 400 first-class wickets at under 30 apiece, and it would be fitting if his wickets took Derby into the top flight.

There were rather more runs at Hove where Sussex entertained Glamorgan. Welshman Phil Salt, South African Marnus Labuschagne and local boy Ben Brown all reached three figures. However, perhaps the best performance came from the visiting opener Nick Selman. First he carried his bat for 76, then he contributed 99 to a second-wicket stand of 291 with Labuschagne.

Next up for Sussex is a trip to Lord’s, while Lancashire and Derbyshire face relatively simple tasks against Durham and Leicestershire, respectively. In theory, that is. In Division One, Surrey and Somerset met again, this time at Guildford, while Yorkshire and Essex clash at Leeds. Nottinghamshire travel to Birmingham hoping for the victory which would see them climb out of the basement.

Team of the Week: Selman (Gla), Cook (Ess), Labuschagne (Gla), Ballance (Yor), Malan (Mid), Brown (Sus +), Harmer (Ess), Patel (War), Batty (Sur), Palladino (Der), Murtagh (Mid)

England clinch 4-1 victory over India

In the end, England enjoyed another resounding series success over top-ranked India, by 4-1. Virat Kohli must have had both sets of fingers crossed behind his back when he said his side was not outclassed. Alternatively he was perhaps being modest given that for much of the series India’s batting rested heavily on his shoulders.

It may be true that there was no gaping chasm in quality between the two nations, but the statistics don’t lie. Kohli, Pandya and Bumrah delivered a rare victory at Trent Bridge, and it’s true that Edgbaston and Southampton witnessed two evenly-contested games. Had Alastair Cook not delivered two classic ‘Chef’ innings in his final international appearance, the Oval climax could have been another tight affair. All ifs and buts. 

It’s great that Kohli at last overcame his England hoodoo. Indeed, he scored far more runs (593) in the five-match series than anywhere else on either side, and of those playing more than two Tests, was the only man to average over 40. His majestic 149 out of the first innings total of 274 in the first Test was the highlight, demonstrating the technical changes he had made to counter the movement of Jimmy Anderson in particular, and that they worked extremely well.  The trouble is, most of his loyal lieutenants didn’t follow suit. Dhawan, Rahane, Vijay and, until the very last day – when the pressure was off - Lokesh Rahul, all performed badly. Cheteshwar Pujara struck a typically pugnacious 132 not out to give India a rare first-innings lead at Southampton but there were too many consistent batting failures to give India a chance of winning three matches and therefore the Pataudi Trophy. The skipper must be wondering why it took an Essex debut for Murali Vijay to score a first-class century this year, having garnered only 26 in four Test knocks.

The bowling wasn’t amazing either, although Ishant Sharma’s early-summer Sussex experience bore fruit, and Jasprit Bumrah reproduced his white ball qualities in the last three Tests.

And yet history will show England to have ruled the roost. Ben Stokes returned with some fire in his belly, after getting away with his shameful violent assault on passers-by last autumn in Bristol. Stuart Broad had his moments, while Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and newcomer Sam Curran each received Player of the Match awards for their all-round performances.

Alastair Cook’s miserable run will have been forgotten when, having announced his imminent retirement, he remembered why he is England’s highest run scorer and finished a magnificent career with a 147. Yet the home team achieved only three other hundreds in the whole series, including lower-order duo Woakes and a recalled Jos Buttler. Jennings’ hold on an opener spot looks extremely tenuous but he’s fortunate that there are few obvious contenders to replace him and Cook. Bairstow was out of sorts, young Ollie Pope couldn’t reproduce his Surrey form and Malan was rightly rejected early on.

However, this wasn’t merely a series for Cook and Kohli. Instead it was a tantalising triumph for 36 year-old Jimmy Anderson. His match figures of 9-43 at Lord’s were pivotal in England’s innings victory and then, with the last delivery of the entire series, the Burnley Bullet overtook Glenn McGrath to become the highest Test wicket-taker by any non-spinner. Blessed with top-notch fitness, it’s not impossible for Anderson to overhaul Kumble and Warne, although Muralitharan’s 800 is probably a record too far!

For all their top-order trials, England must surely take more positives than India from this concertina’d concerto of a tour. Some youth has been blooded successfully and newly-crowned county champions Surrey – always so popular with selectors - are chock full of players who could do a job for England. The Currans and Pope have been tried yet may not reach their peak for a while yet, while Stoneman and Burns are easily the best openers in the Championship and Ben Foakes is a more solid rival to the flamboyant Bairstow as ‘keeper-batsman. On the other hand I suspect the evergreen all-rounder Rikki Clarke will be considered too old to add to his two caps received fifteen years ago. Mind you, he’s only ten months older than J. Anderson, Esquire, and he’s not doing at all badly. Sri Lanka next month might not be Clarke’s cup of tea, so Woakes, Rashid and Moeen may be resting more easily.

As for India, Virat Kohli and co have a few problems when it comes to five-day cricket in England but they are not world number ones for nothing. I’m sure a home series against the West Indies will see them back to winning ways. I’d like to thank India for their contribution to a great summer of sport and I look forward to them returning in a few years’ time and not being outclassed again.

Alastair Cook – a banquet of a career

So we are finally approaching the end of the Cook era for England cricket. After a mediocre summer with the bat, it wasn’t surprising that Alastair chose the next Test match to be his last. After all, it was a reasonable bet that, with the winter tour of Sri Lanka just a few months away, he would have been pushed had he not decided to jump.

However, after Cook’s amazing 160 Tests and 92 ODIs spanning twelve years, I think Alec Stewart was absolutely right when he remarked that we would only really appreciate his contribution to the England cause when he had gone. In these days of biff-bang cricketers like Stokes, Hales, Bairstow and Buttler, Cook had become something of a forgotten man, even though he was still there at the top of the order, walking out to face the opposition quicks almost week in, week out.

Like anyone he has had barren spells before, only to emerge stronger than ever, as he did in the 2010-11 Ashes. The record books show bald statistics like 12,254 Test runs, 32 centuries (both England records), 173 catches and an average just shy of 45 but I reckon his legacy will also be his unflappability, decency and devotion to the national cause. His past three years have featured a peculiar series of performances. In 32 Tests, he has reached three figures only five times but of those, three have been massive double-hundreds, the last coming in the most recent Boxing Day Test against the Aussies.

It’s easy to ignore how important a stick-around opener is to a Test side. See off the shine and you lay the foundation for the exciting strokemakers to take the risks. This summer, England have been lucky that the poor starts made by Cook and Jennings have been matched by India’s own opener problems, and there’s always Root, Bairstow and – ahem – Sam Curran to pick up the pieces. Maybe, as Cook admitted in his retirement announcement, there is “nothing left in the tank” which could explain his dismal form.

However, I hope he’s wrong. If he’s fed up with all the mental stress related to England, then I don’t blame him. However, I sincerely believe he has plenty of runs in him still, for Essex. He has been one of the few opening batsmen to have retained the approval of Graham Gooch, the most powerful figure in the Chelmsford cricketing community. Many have come and gone but ‘Chef’ always seems to have tried to play for his county, his appetite revived after a few weeks on the Bedfordshire farm, possible because of his absence from money-spinning one-dayers and IPL.

So, Alastair, please don’t do a Strauss and quit all cricket. 33 is too young for that. Forgive my agricultural ignorance but by all means tend to the livestock during the winter, and please leave the harvests to the employees and give your summers to the county game. England still needs its head cook to guide future Test batsmen and show there’s more to the sport than ramp shots and heaves to cow corner.

Pakistan deal England another blow

Pakistan don’t get many opportunities to play Test cricket these days. However, they must wish they played England twice a year every year because they seem to have our measure, to put it mildly. Two years ago, Misbah’s team drew 2-2 but could be said to have won on points after the ten-wicket massacre in the Oval finale. Now at Lord’s they have dealt England a First Test defeat for the first time since a West Indies team boasting Walsh, Ambrose, Lara et al won by the same margin, again on the fourth day. 

On the plus side, England fought back to draw that particular six-match series and it is not unfeasible they can salvage something from this truncated rubber in 2018. However, this week the gulf was somewhat embarrassing. Even Joe Root had to confess his side had been second best in all three disciplines: with the bat, ball and in the field. If England could blame unfamiliar conditions prepared by Johnny Foreigner for their winter travails, they can hardly use the same excuse for the pitch at HQ in May, ideal for Anderson and Broad to exploit, and Root’s top six to show the visitors how to bat on a Bank Holiday weekend. Oops!

It went wrong right from the first session on Thursday. Stoneman, Root and Malan were back in the pavilion inside sixteen overs. All that criticism of Alastair Cook – too old, too slow, too out of form, should be at three – and yet the ex-captain was he only man to show any stickability, easily the top scorer in the first innings, with 70. I’m sure Jos Buttler wasn’t selected as a specialist batsman at seven to come in and shore up the lower order midway through the second session, and of course he failed.

Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali aren’t usually touted as frightening pacemen but they skilfully showed up England’s deficiencies and bowled them out for 184. In reply, no fewer than four Pakistani batsman passed 50, and who knows how many Babar Azam might have scored had he not had his forearm broken by a rising ball from Ben Stokes when well placed on 68. Nobody bowled particularly badly; they just weren’t effective enough and Pakistan established a healthy lead of 179.

The obvious team talk would have been to exhort all batsmen to knuckle down, play each ball on its merits, blah-blah-blah. However, when Cook was LBW to an Abbas beauty in the second over to stunned silence in St John’s Wood, the warnings were there one more. Poor Mark Stoneman failed again while Joe Root did at least produce another useful 60-odd. When he was sixth out at 110, a three-day rout looked probable. But from such barren ground, the recalled Buttler and debutant Dom Bess – in his first ever first-class match at Lord’s – bore fruit, developing a 125 partnership which lasted to stumps.

Could the pair – Somerset past and present – maintain the stand and help set Pakistan a challenging target? Whaddya think?! Jos had added just a single before Abbas trapped him leg-before. Seventeen balls later, England had collapsed to 242 all out. Pakistan can be jittery when faced with an apparently straightforward chase but, despite Azhar Ali succumbing to an Anderson gem for 4, there were no major alarms and the job was done with some glorious strokes, including a clubbed six by Haris Sohail off a Bess full-toss.

There’s less than a week to regroup, reconsider and revive England’s fortunes. As for changes, Stoneman’s axe was inevitable and his former Durham team-mate Keaton Jennings has been in sufficiently fine early season for Lancashire to warrant a recall as Cook’s partner. Dom Bess took no wickets but, with his West Country colleague Jack Leach still out of action, should be in the frame again, if only because of his useful batting. At just 20, we Somerset faithful were hoping he would get a few good seasons to learn his craft so I hope the experience doesn’t dent his confidence. Fortunately, it is hardly a Kerrigan-esque situation.

In a way I can see why Ed Smith and co opted to bring back the IPL sloggers to try something more exciting but to me it smacks of desperation. I cannot understand why some suggest Bairstow hands the gloves to Buttler and swap roles. It would mean no change in personnel and arguably weakening the ‘keeping. Crazy! Maybe it’s time for the new chief selector Smith to venture outside Middlesex for a change and see who else is out there in county cricket other than Malan, Morgan and Finn, languishing in the second division. He may be in for a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, Pakistan will be licking their lips, a well-drilled outfit of excellent young bowlers, able batsmen and enthusiastic fielders hoping to seal a series victory at Headingley next week. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

New Zealand hang on for memorable series win

After the embarrassment of Auckland, England bounced back impressively in the Second Test. However it wasn’t quite enough to level the series. The grassy slopes of Christchurch always look so beautiful and bucolic, even - dare I say it – English. It was a great place for the Barmy Army to witness a winning finale to a five-month tour Down Under, and for four days everyone seemed to be following the script. The Black Caps had narrowly missed out last time and a repeat performance looked likely when Joe Root declared with almost four sessions remaining. 

The first skirmishes were fairly even-stevens. Trent Boult and Tim Southee continued where they left off, grabbing all ten first innings wickets. However, Jonny Bairstow’s 101 and Mark Wood’s unexpectedly classy 52 kept the home side at bay for an extra hour or so. I’d doubted the wisdom of replacing Craig Overton with Wood as much for the former’s useful late-order batting as the latter’s faster bowling. Shows how little I know!

NZ made a terrible start to their response. For Boult and Southee, read Anderson and Broad. The England new-ball veterans ripped out the top five for just 36 runs and a massacre looked a distinct possibility. Enter BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme, who rescued matters with a 142-run stand. Southee then emulated Wood with a run-a-ball fifty to reduce the deficit to just 29.

Alastair Cook’s terrible run continued, edging Boult to the ‘keeper for 14, but this time the next four batsmen each notched half-centuries, even if Joe Root was perhaps disappointed that, yet again, he failed to convert a promising half-century into three figures. Stoneman, Vince and Malan desperately needed good scores to prolong their Test careers into the English summer. This they achieved, but it remains to be seen who is in form after the first five County Championship fixtures. Root indicated that Cook will be opening regardless, which could be a tad premature, although back at Chelmsford, the former skipper is normally prolific.

As for England’s failure to bowl out the home team, that was largely down to, not Williamson or Taylor, but a gritty 83 from opener Tom Latham and a dogged 56 from Ish Sodhi. He defied short stuff from Wood and claustrophobic field settings for spinners Leach and Root for more than three hours. Just as valuable were the seven runs amassed by Neil Wagner. He defended and defied for 103 balls, knowing that the last man, Southee, was unwell and available only in an emergency. In the event he wasn’t needed and somehow the rearguard action was successful. New Zealand had occupied the crease for 124 overs losing only eight wickets. They had drawn the match but achieved their first series victory over England since 1999 and the first at home since the days of Hadlee and Crowe in 1983-4. 

It’s a shame that New Zealand don’t get more opportunities in Test matches. Like England, they are a match for anybody on home soil even though, again like England, they struggle overseas. In Williamson, Boult and Southee, they have three world-class operators who deserve more exposure to Test cricket.

As for England, they still need to find a way of winning Tests abroad. They edged the limited overs contests but seemed to lack the nous to score enough runs or take twenty wickets when it matters. Anderson and Broad are currently irreplaceable and any injuries to either could be disastrous to the country’s chances later this year. Root apart, the middle-order remains patchy, as is the bowling support. Much as it pains me as a Somerset supporter to lose our best bowler in the Championship, I predict Jack Leach keeping his place as specialist spinner It’s up to Moeen Ali to rediscover his mojo, not only in Tests but also in ODIs and T20s. Malan will stay, if only because he plays for Middlesex, and Stoneman’s Surrey connection may yet save him, too. I look forward to the return of county cricket to see who shines brightest.

Ashes 2017-18: Cook and Smith share New Year’s Test Honours

Congratulations to those English cricketers who were rightly represented on the New Year’s Honours List. However, Joe Root, James Anderson and Alastair Cook will have to wait a bit longer for their knighthoods. Heather Knight’s OBE and the ‘M’s for Amy Shrubsole and Tammy Beaumont were dished out for their contributions to England’s World Cup triumph last summer but after Cook’s innings at the MCG this week you’d think the British media were celebrating an even greater success.

Well, the former skipper undoubtedly demonstrated why he has been retained as Test opener. I don’t know when an English batsman last batted not only through a whole day’s play but an entire innings without being dismissed, but this is precisely what the side has been missing. Cook himself admitted his effort was several weeks too late. Nevertheless his 244 not out was just what the doctor ordered following the three successive defeats, not just for England but also his own cricketing health. Since his 241 at Edgbaston in August, he scratched around for just 261 runs in 14 innings before accumulating almost as many in just the one outing at Melbourne. Talk about peaks and troughs!

Root declared himself proud of his team’s response to losing the Ashes and it was certainly a revelation to see Stuart Broad and Anderson turn a poor first day position into a promising one by lunch on day two. Broad’s batting broadside also boosted England’s first innings total to almost 500, sharing a century stand for the ninth wicket and putting severe pressure on Steve Smith.

However, the Aussie captain hasn’t amassed a world-beating Test average of 63 without showing grit and determination on a consistent basis. Despite having 80,000 spectators watching your every twitch, and knowing he had already dropped Cook in the slips, Smith stepped up to the plate and, by the close of the final day’s play, had delivered yet another century, the sixth of 2017, to steer his side to a draw. Even David Warner reined in his natural aggressive instincts, sticking around for a five-hour 86.

Honours even? Maybe, but it was England’s fightback which caught the eye. Like Craig Overton, his replacement Tom Curran made Smith his first ever Test wicket, but nobody else seems able to get him out. Anderson’s handiwork on a dirty ball may have been proved to have been entirely legal and with the blessing of both umpires, but it was Broad’s five wickets which pleased selectors and fans the most. 

So what will change for the Sydney climax? Moeen Ali may well be stood down to give Mason Crane an opportunity, although that would weaken England’s batting. It may also weaken the bowling as for much of last summer, he wasn’t even deemed good enough to play for Hampshire.

Deputising for Starc, Jackson Bird proved to be a turkey for the Aussies, going wicketless for 108 runs, even worse than Moeen. Apparently, Ashton Agar has been called up to the home team’s squad for Sydney, but he certainly won’t be scaring the England’s batsmen. Perhaps this is a ruse to lull them into a false sense of security before another short ball battering. We’ll see. Alastair Cook will presumably return to single-figure scores so maybe this is the stage for Vince and Woakes to show what they’re made of. I sincerely hope so. There may be a few spare MBEs going come the Queen's Birthday....

Notts and Surrey Fire towards the Final

While the cream of the world’s one-day batsmen were struggling to accumulate scores of 300+ in the Champion Trophy, elsewhere in England those left behind were making hay while the sun shone on the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup.

The group stage runners-up and third placers met in the sort-of-quarter-finals at Taunton and Headingley. Somerset scored an impressive 405 but unfortunately for them, it w in pursuit of a stunning 429-9 racked up by Nottinghamshire, who had passed 400 twice in last year’s competition. Even without Hales, their batting in limited overs has enormous potential, and most delivered last week.

Brendon Taylor thrashed 154 in 97 balls, followed by a rapid 62 in the semi-final a few days later. Riki Wessels and Samit Patel knocked half-centuries but only Somerset’s reliable Dean Elgar managed a decent innings (91) in response. The late-order did their best with cameo hitting but were bowled out 24 runs and two overs short.

Surrey also claimed an away win by the same margin. That man Kumar Sangakkara passed three figures yet again in that beautifully fluent style that is his hallmark.

When it came to the semis, Surrey were even more emphatic. England discard Jason Roy rediscovered some form with 92 and wicketkeeper struck a second successive score of 86, ahead of the Sri Lankan legend’s 72-ball 73. In a week where county attack were being taken apart, all credit – albeit grudgingly! – to Gareth Batty, who took 5-40 as Worcestershire crumbled.

At Chelmsford, Alastair Cook achieved a third century in the competition this summer for Essex, and at more than a run a ball. His face may not fit the current template for power and aggression but often it’s mastery of the basic which can be so effective in the 50-over game, and Cook is undoubtedly a master batsman. His skipper Ryan Ten Doeschate also produced another of his 102 not outs  And yet it wasn’t enough. A brilliant partnership of 185 between Samit Patel, sweating in the sunshine, and the ebullient Steve Mullaney, took them to the brink of the huge 374 target before Mullaney was caught behind off Wagner on 111. Patel took his side over the finishing line six deliveries later.

It all sets up an enthralling final next month.

Team of the Week: Cook (Ess), Wessels (Not), Sangakkara (Sur), Patel (Not), B Taylor (Not), Mullaney (Not), Foakes (Sur +), Gregory (Som), Batty (Sur), Azeem Rafiq (Yor), Porter (Ess)

Cook and Porter steer Essex into Pole position

In a week when the Mumbai Indians fashioned an unlikely one-run triumph in the IPL final it was Essex who made longer-form cricket appear relatively easy in England.

Not only did they top their Royal London Cup group, thus advancing directly to the semi-finals, but their innings victory over Hampshire also took them to the top of the County Championship. Alastair Cook scored another century, while Jamie Porter’s 5-24 wrecked Hampshire’s first innings, from which they couldn’t recover. The newly-promoted side are beginning to look like potential 2017 champions, although the real test will come when Cook is absent later in the summer.

The Roses clash ended as a draw, with Handscomb, Leaning and Chanderpaul trading hundreds. Jack Brooks was a more unlikely centurion, doubling his previous best score, but he took only one wicket. Jimmy Anderson’s injury scare not only blunted Lancashire’s attack but also could weaken England’s cause in the forthcoming Test series.

The other local derby, Surrey’s trip across the Thames to Middlesex, was also inconclusive. The home team’s James Franklin was in cracking all-round form, but Kumar Sangakkara produced centuries in each innings, taking his first-class career tally to sixty. It seems a shame that the Sri Lankan legend has since announced his retirement from the red-ball game when he is stroking the leather around as fluently as ever.

Marcus Trescothick is two years older, but he signalled his determination to serve the Somerset four-day cause for a bit longer by scoring his sixtieth hundred for his county, taking him past Harold Gimblett’s long-standing record. Earlier in the week, he also passed the 25,000-run landmark in all first-class cricket, an achievement which I am sure will become extremely rare in the future. He was unable to help Somerset beat Warwickshire, though. Another ex-England star with a mental illness, Jonathan Trott, trumped him with a first-innings 175, and the Midlanders may well have taken the sixteen points for victory had the first two days at Taunton seen more play.

This weekend, eyes will focus on the clash between first and second, as Essex host Surrey at Chelmsford, which should be a cracker if the weather doesn’t break on Sunday.

Worcestershire made it three wins out of three in Division Two, giving Derbyshire a real hiding on their home turf. Daryl Mitchell and Brett D’Oliveira shared an opening stand of 243, but it was Joe Leach’s second-innings 5-32 which proved most decisive.

Nottinghamshire remain top of the table and could have opened up a significant lead had Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke not combined to thwart Broad, Patel et al throughout the entire final day. Indeed, the Cardiff outfit looked doomed when forced to follow on, but the in-form Ingram rose to the occasion yet again.

Another man who constantly delivers the goods for his county is Darren Stevens. After rain messed up days one and two, and Leicestershire racked up 420 all out, he thrashed a rapid 100 for Kent but there was insufficient time to find a way of generating a positive result, leaving Kent in second spot.

The highest scores of the week, both team and individual, were seen at Hove. Durham scrambled their way to 287 then on Saturday, Luke Wells and Stiaan van Zyl put on a whopping 376 for the third wicket. Wells alone scored a career-best 258, the highest score of the season to date, including 34 fours and seven sixes. Jofra Archer and Vernon Philander also enjoyed a powerful partnership, taking fourteen wickets between them, and Durham couldn’t quite bat out the final day.

All ten counties in Division Two are in action on Bank Holiday weekend. The most interesting may well be the traditional Tunbridge Wells encounter between Kent and Sussex, and Nottinghamshire versus Gloucestershire.

Team of the Week: Trescothick (Som), Mitchell (Wor), L Wells (Sus), Sangakkara (Sur), Ingram (Gla), Wessels (Not +), Franklin (Mid), Leach (Wor), Abbott (Ham), Archer (Sus), Porter (Ess)

Bell and Cook Reel Back the Years

Four counties ensured their progress to the Royal London Cup quarter-finals with a game to spare. Worcestershire lead the North division despite suffering a heavy defeat to Lancashire at Old Trafford. Yorkshire slipped to second after a surprise 5-wicket loss to Warwickshire, for whom Ian Bell was in superb form all week. He passed 90 in each of his three matches, including his first century for a year. Coventry-born Grant Thornton weighed in with seven wickets but the county’s normally formidable attack has looked rather threadbare, and they could well finish bottom of their group.

Yorkshire skipper Gary Ballance thumped 152 in 118 balls against struggling Northamptonshire while Alex Hales reached three figures in Nottinghamshire’s lost game against Durham. Victory over Northants will see them safely through to the knockout stages. Despite being docked a point pre-season, Durham may yet join them, and they will have local academy product Graham Clark to thank. Opening with Jennings, he notched up scores of 93 and 114 this week.

In the South group, Somerset ceded the lead to Essex when Ten Doeschate’s men enjoyed a fruitful trip to Taunton on Sunday. Tom Westley (100) and Ravi Bopara (92 not out) dominated in that match but across the week, it was the steady influence of Alastair Cook which caught the eye. He followed a century against Sussex with 60+ scores in the next two fixtures.

He wasn’t exactly hammering sixes. That was left to Darren Stevens, who struck fourteen of them in his brutal innings of 147 for Kent against Glamorgan. And yet he finished on the losing side! Chasing a testing target of 357, he was out with seventeen overs remaining, and the tail couldn’t quite finish what he started. Credit to the Welsh side, for whom Chris Cooke took five catches and the in-form South African Colin Ingram contributed eight sixes and his second successive century. Glamorgan have an outside chance of reaching the last eight, with David Lloyd and paceman Marchant de Lange also shining.

Gloucestershire’s Chris Liddle claimed a couple of five-fors, including 5-52 against his old mates at Sussex, and left-arm seamer Paul Walter took 4-37 for Essex against Middlesex. In only his second List A appearance, the 22 year-old who went to school in my old town of Billericay removed Compton Voges, Simpson and Franklin in a decisive victory.

Elsewhere, the pick of the batting performances must be the 138-ball 178 produced by Hampshire captain James Vince at the Rose Bowl versus Glamorgan. This eclipsed the previous Hampshire limited-overs best by Gordon Greenidge but, like Stevens’ incredible blitz for Kent, was in a losing cause as that man Ingram cleared the boundary a further seven times en route to 115. It was probably the most exciting encounter of the week, as Cooke steered the Glammies to a 3-wicket win off the penultimate ball.

Surrey will progress if they beat Gloucestershire at Bristol while other contenders Sussex and Hampshire meet at Southampton on Wednesday.


Team of the Week: Clark (Dur), Cook (Ess), Bell (War), Vince (Ham), Ingram (Gla), Thakor (Der), Cooke (Gla +), J Overton (Som), Walter (Ess), Liddle (Glo), de Lange (Gla)

Warwickshire Woes, Derbyshire in Despair

Yorkshire advanced to third, having fought back after their first-week defeat to cruise to victory over Warwickshire. Their success in recent seasons has been in spite of various stars being absent on international duty. This week, their strength in depth was demonstrated still further when the inexperienced seamer Ben Coad garnered another ten wickets. That’s eighteen already for the Harrogate man, at under 14 apiece.

Edgbaston director of sport Ashley Giles is already talking nervously of “no quick fixes” and “transition period” after Warwickshire suffered their second successive innings reverse. The batsmen were woeful again, especially under floodlights when the cloud cover was particularly heavy. In the second innings, Coad and Willey had them at 7-5, and only Patel’s 49 not out prevented an even greater humiliation. Their bowling has been the county’s strength for quite a while but with Chris Woakes now an established England player, even the attack looks a bit creaky. Most of the side are aged thirty or more and, while experience counts for a lot, some new blood looks essential to achieve a better balance.

At The Oval, 42 year-old Shivnarine Chanderpaul compiled his 74th first-class century, 182, for Lancashire. However, on the fourth day the Surrey pair of Borthwick and Sangakkara put on 256 for the second wicket to save the game. It was also interesting to see Lancashire’s limited-overs spin specialists Parry and Kerrigan working well in harness in the Championship. Surrey now stand top, three points ahead of Hampshire, who had the edge in a draw against champions Middlesex. There were no hundreds, but Roussouw (99) and Carberry (98) came close!

Somerset’s traditional weak start to the season was maintained, beaten by newly-promoted Essex by eight wickets. Wickets fell regularly on the first two days, with Somerset on top after the first innings. However, Neil Wagner’s bowling and Alastair Cook’s decisive 110 combined to wrap up an eight-wicket triumph.

Essex now meet neighbours Middlesex at Lord’s, Somerset travel to Old Trafford, Hampshire host Yorkshire and Warwickshire must turn things around against high-flying Surrey.

In Division Two, it’s very tight at the top. Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Kent each made it two wins out of two, making hay while the sun shone across the land. At Derby, there was a genuine nailbiting finish. After Lancs reject Luis Reece and Billy Godleman struck a Deryshire record 333 for the first wicket, Northants set about the target of 326 in 65 overs. When Richard Levi was thumping boundaries at will, success seemed assured but when he was caught behind on 99 still 50 short, the result was in doubt. In the end, it took a Rory Kleinveldt six to clinch victory off the penultimate ball. After last year’s terrible season, this narrow loss must have been particularly galling. Hopefully they can concentrate on the positives, as they say.

Nottinghamshire rubbed Durham’s noses in the doo-doo at Chester-le-Street. Keaton Jennings (102 not out) ran out of partners in the second outing, leaving Greg Smith and Jake Libby to steer the visitors towards the inevitable win.

Kent were also good travellers, outscoring Sussex at Hove. Sam Northeast returned from injury to thump 173 not out while that man Darren Stevens scored another two 50s and a five-for. Like Chanderpaul, he proves that 40 is not the age barrier it is often made out to be.

Supporting players Worcestershire and Gloucestershire also recorded 16-point win bonuses. John Hastings and Tom Kohler-Cadmore shone in the former county’s eight-wicket defeat of Glamorgan, who looked completely out of their depth for a second consecutive week. At Bristol, Liam Norwell took ten wickets for 99 runs in the innings drubbing of Leicestershire.

Leicester’s fixture against Glamorgan next weekend is already looking like a battle of the wooden spoon contenders. Meanwhile, the Worcestershire-Northants encounter is the pick of the matches.


Team of the Week:
Reece, Godleman (both Der), Sangakkara (Sur), Northeast (Ken), Chanderpaul (Lan), Eckersley (Lei +), Stevens (Ken), Fletcher (Not) Wagner (Ess), Norwell (Glo), Coad (Yor)

Alastair Cook quits, England need a new Chef

So Alastair Cook has fallen on his sword. Well, let’s hope the blade is blunt because his successor as England skipper will be sorely grateful for the opener’s runs and experience on and off the field.

After nearly five years and 59 Tests as captain of the national side, it remains hard to register that Cook is only 32. On quitting the England post, Andrew Strauss went the whole hog and retired from the sport but there are plenty of years left in Alastair’s cricketing locker. Good for Essex, great for England. Provided he stays injury-free and any dips in form don’t last, he could serve England for another five years at least. Maybe ten; just look at Misbah-ul-Haq! And then there is the issue of personal targets. Cook is already easily the highest Test run scorer in England’s history with more than 11,000 and 30 centuries.

His average of 46.45, though creditable, is the weakest of any of the other 11 men with at last 10,000 runs to their names. However, apart from Sunil Gavaskar, Cook is the only regular opening batsman on that short list of all-time greats, making his achievements even more impressive. His stats as captain ain’t bad either. The pressures of leadership haven’t had a notably negative effect on his scoring, although his removal from ODI duties may have helped.

Inevitably, scrutiny will be applied to his legacy as captain. He enjoyed a fabulous first few years including the memorable 2012-13 triumph in India and Ashes retention later that summer. The revenge at home to Australia in 2015 and subsequent success in South Africa last year were further highlights, but the demolition by Johnson, Harris and Warner Down Under and the recent woeful tour of Asia blotted his copybook. Nevertheless the best captain in the universe can't win matches on his own, and England's current transitional squad without a top-class spinner have brought Cook's win percentage down to a modest 40%.

However, I won’t criticise him for his resilience in the face of Pietersen-gate and KP’s powerful but misguided supporters three years ago. The ECB was right to drop and banish Pietersen to the modern day equivalent of Saint Helena, i.e. the Big Bash and IPL. However, I’m sure he earned more than Napoleon did in exile two centuries ago!

Now for the succession. How England must regret James Taylor’s early retirement, forced by ill health. He would have been the perfect candidate; an excellent all-round batsman with experience of leading the Lions and his county. Joe Root must surely be handed the reins. At 26, he is old enough and mature enough, one of the few automatic choices for the Test XI and genuine world-class. Yet that doesn’t make him a good captain.

Most national sides resort to making their best player – no, best batsman - captain at some point, from Lara to Ponting, Tendulkar to Mathews. Yet, for all the stardust emanating from such players, the tactical nous and dressing room leadership can sometimes be missing. For England, Botham, Flintoff and that man Pietersen spring to mind.

Stokes and Buttler are non-starters (on account of temperament and Test ability, respectively) while Keaton Jennings is too much of a newcomer, and he has yet to take charge at Durham, for us to have evidence on which to judge him. Stuart Broad has been touted on account of his short-lived captaincy of the T20 team but leading in a Test match requires more than being able to add up to 20 and bringing in sufficient fielders during a Powerplay.

There are few obvious contenders from within the county game. James Vince and Sam Northeast have yet to convince as batsmen when it comes to the step-up to international level while picking Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty would be frankly ridiculous, although as a Somerset fan I am naturally biased! Some may prefer a more positive, combative leader in the McCullum mould, such as Stokes, Bairstow or Anderson? Really?!

No it has to be Root. I’m sure the selectors will trust his ability to learn on the job, applying the unflappability and decision-making skills obvious in his batting to the captaincy. All England supporters must hope the extra responsibility doesn’t hamper his day job. This is where Alastair Cook can continue to lend a massive hand. He may have resigned as skipper but his value to the England Test team will remain immense for some time to come.

Nair and Jadeja Grind England into the Dust

And so to Chennai, and still no respite for England. Another city, another crushing defeat. Until this week, it had been Ravi Ashwin and Virat Kohli lording it over the tourists. Now it was the turn of some of the Indian supporting cast to shine.

It was all looking so good when Alastair Cook won the toss and saw century stands from Moeen Ali/Joe Root and Liam Dawson/Adil Rashid advance England to a creditable 477 all out. At last, a decent platform from which to secure a consolation victory.

However, on the Sunday, the match swung the other way, or at least in the direction of a draw. Lokesh Rahul produced a splendid innings, yet appeared devastated to be caught, top-edging high to Buttler. He may have joined an elite club of batsmen to be out on 199, yet the young opener almost scored as many runs in that innings as the entire England side managed in their second outing.

On the fourth day, things went from bad to worse for Cook and co. Karun Nair took over where Rahul had left off. In only his third Test, the 25 year-old from Jodhpur converted his first ton into a triple, scoring more and more rapidly as the day wore on. He was still there on 303 when Kohli called time. He didn’t do it all on his own. He’d been part of three century partnerships as India piled up 759-7, a record total for India and more than anything previously conceded by England.

On such a flat pitch, it certainly wasn’t beyond England to see out a day and a bit to at least avoid defeat. In Mumbai, it was a much harder task: two and a bit days, and of course they collapsed to an innings defeat. Cook and Jennings did what was expected, putting on 103 for the first wicket. Both openers fell within four overs. Then the big blow was Joe Root missing a sweep on 6. Ravi Jadeja had nabbed all three. He promptly made it four, this time completing a terrific running catch to despatch Jonny Bairstow.

Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes had to knuckle down and bat for just a couple more hours. Unfortunately, with the score on 192-4, the former decided he needed to attack Jadeja and, seeing plenty of open space beyond mid-off, went for a lofted drive. The ball didn’t carry and it seemed as if the whole team deflated. The last six wickets tumbled for a pathetic 16 runs. Still 75 short of making India bat again, England had broken another unwanted record; their 477 had become by far the highest ever Test first innings total made by a side going on to lose by an innings!

After a relatively even challenge in the first two or three matches, the final couple were horrendously one-sided. So who was to blame?

Many are calling for Cook’s head. Ludicrous! He’s done pretty well, apart from the autumn encounters in Asia. England also need his runs too much to discard him altogether, which is what usually happens to outgoing skippers on these strange shores. Hameed and Jennings have each shown promise, but a couple of Tests doesn’t make them the answer to a nation’s prayer. Joe Root is certainly a captain waiting, and he was perhaps the biggest plus on the tour. It’s true he has a poor record when it comes to converting 50s into hundreds. But at least he is consistent at racking up the 50s!

A glance at the England batting averages suggests little to worry about. No fewer an six men averaged over 40. The problem leaps out of the bowling stats. Only Adil Rashid captured more than 10 wickets. Moeen Ali, in theory the ace spinner, took ten at almost 65 apiece! Anderson and Broad, when not injured, enjoyed little success either, and fellow seamers Woakes, Stokes and Ball were even worse.

As for India, only two of their bowlers took more than ten scalps, too. However, Ashwin and Jadeja were masters of their universe, knowing when to apply the pressure and induce false strokes, and having the skills to actually do it. Nair, Rahul, Pujara, Patel and Vijay proved that the makeshift batting line-up was up to the task, with Yadav and Ashwin providing sterling support lower down the order.

Moeen Ali’s rash stroke at Chennai didn’t lose the series, neither did Cook’s captaincy nor any other individuals. There does seem to be a severe issue with fourth innings collapses. That must surely be more mental than a physical failure against spin. At home, England remain a formidable unit, and the emphasis on attacking strokeplay has improved our limited-overs performances no end. But that may well have had a negative impact on the qualities required to play negatively when needed, and it will be needed in five-day cricket. Just watch what Pakistan did in scoring 450 in a magnificent yet ultimately unsuccessful run chase in Australia at the weekend. That took guts!

The selectors had few alternatives on the spin front, but Batty’s inclusion was a daft decision. So was bringing Gary Ballance. I don’t blame them taking Ben Duckett, though. Giving his summer form, that was a gamble worth taking. I just think England’s concentration on T20 skills has tipped the scales too far. We could just accept that India are currently unbeatable in Asia, have a go in the ODIs, work in the nets and re-group for the 2017 summer.