The county cricket season used to have its high point with the principal one-day final. This year, Warwickshire thrashed Surrey to take the cup in a game nobody other than Ian Bell, Man of the Match Jonathan Trott and the Bears fans will remember. On the other hand, we have just witnessed the most exciting climax to the unfairly maligned County Championship I can recall.
Right up to the final half-hour of the season, the pennant could still have been heading to any of three counties. It was already a rollercoaster ride just following Somerset’s match against Nottinghamshire at Taunton. The home side needed to win and collect a bonus point more than Yorkshire while hoping Middlesex didn’t beat the champions at Lord’s.
It started perfectly. Chris Rogers and James Hildreth put on 269 for the third wicket then, at 322-4, Imran Tahir and Jake Ball took five Somerset wickets for no runs! Despite a gallant effort by Dominic Bess, we failed to reach 400 to secure the fifth batting bonus point. Young Bess then shone with the ball to leave Notts 227 adrift. Rogers then rubbed the relegated side’s noses further in the mire, adding a second personal century en route for a declaration 540 ahead. Before day three was over, Leach and van der Merwe had finshed things off. Somerset had done the business but would that lost bonus point prove critical?
Meanwhile, the top two were engaged in a much tighter, slower contest. Would it be too much to hope that it would end in a draw to hand the title to Somerset, ending those 120-odd years of hurt? Reliable Middlesex opener Nick Gubbins struck 125 but Jack Brooks’ 6-65 put Yorkshire in front. However, at 53-4, the leaders were very much back in it. Enter Tim Bresnan. The ex-England bowler is very much a genuine all-rounder these days and, supported by Hodd and Azeem Rafiq, he helped overhaul their opponents’ total. If they reached 350 a Yorkshire win would bring the title back to Leeds by one point. At 349-9 rain stopped play. Now all we Somerset fans wanted was an immediate Middlesex wicket. Alas, it wasn’t to be, and they played on to 390.
Day 3 ended with the score on 82-2. Delicately poised. Clearly, with Somerset on top, a draw suited neither side; a competitive declaration was inevitable. Dawid Malan struck 116 and Stevie Eskinazi a swift 78 not out, and the whole season came down to an afternoon single-innings shoot-out: 240 runs and ten wickets. The Middlesex seamers kept the wickets falling but at 5.30pm, a draw looked the likeliest result. Come on!!! Bu along comes Toby Roland-Jones. He only goes and grabs a hat-trick! The four points deducted for slow over rates didn’t matter; Middlesex were the champions for the first time since 1993.
Somerset’s agony goes on. Rogers announced his retirement from first-class cricket after his side’s victory but before the final day’s incredible conclusion. To bow out with two hundreds in the same match is impressive but the county’s first-ever Championship would have been so much better!
The final relegation issue was also decided on the last day. After a couple of great escapes, Hampshire couldn’t convert a first-innings lead over Durham into the win they needed. In the end, Mark Stoneman and Steve Borthwick signed off their Durham careers with a 162-run partnership, setting up a six-wicket victory. The batsmen have taken the Surrey shilling (and a bit more!) but are leaving a side which finished a creditable fourth, one ahead of their new masters. Ha ha!
Hampshire’s defeat meant that the Warwickshire v Lancashire fixture was of less importance. In the end, the Midlanders triumphed with ease. In a low-scoring encounter, Tim Ambrose’s 59 not out was the highest individual score!
Coincidentally, the top pair in Division Two also met in the last week. The first day was lost to the weather. Then, with both Essex and Kent pretty much assured of promotion, Sam Northeast blasted his way to 178 not out, helped by bowling of mixed quality by almost all of the Essex eleven.
Worcestershire sealed third position by easing to a nine-wicket win over demoralised Derbyshire. Harvey Hosein and captain Wayne Madsen each reached three figures in a losing cause but Worcester’s reliable young Joes, Clarke and Leach, were the stars. Poor Brett d’Oliveira. He enjoyed a fabulous start to the season but ended with a ‘pair’. Hopefully he can kick on next year, but the county need more reliable bowling performances to retun to the top tier.
At Grace Road, Leicestershire snatched victory from the proverbial jaws thanks to Clint McKay and Charlie Shreck destroying the Glamorgan batting on the third afternoon. A familiar tale in this disappointing Championship campaign for the Welsh. In the other game, wicket-keepers Ben Brown and Phil Mustard were amongst the runs but neither side could secure a winning end to their season.
I’ll soon be reviewing the season’s top performances and identifying the most consistent players throughout the long summer. But now for my final County Team of the Week:-
Gubbins (Mid), Stoneman (Dur), Rogers (Som), Clarke (Wor), Northeast (Ken), Hosein (Der +), Bresnan (Yor), Leach (Wor), Roland-Jones (Mid), Brooks (Yor), van der Gugten (Gla)
Showing posts with label Chris Rogers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Rogers. Show all posts
Friday, 23 September 2016
Sunday, 23 August 2015
5th Ashes Test: Clarke’s final victory but Cook’s Ashes
It has certainly been an extraordinary Ashes series. Not for the final result, but for the sequence of five one-sided encounters. Also, surely there has never been so few days of cricket played in a five-Test rubber, especially given the favourable weather most of the summer. Mind you, England fans were praying for a bit more rain on this Sunday afternoon with just two wickets remaining and well short of the follow-on target. However, the clouds parted long enough for Peter Siddle to mop up the tail-enders and give Michael Clarke a modicum of comfort after an awkward few months.
4-1 would have been a travesty, and even 3-2 was perhaps slightly flattering to England. Joe Root remains a beacon of talent for the home side but both Chris Rogers and Steve Smith outscored him across the series. Stuart Broad was the only Englishman to take more than 12 wickets while no fewer than four Aussies did so, led by Mitchell Starc with 18
The real difference between the sides was the pathetic performances by Australia’s middle -order. Michael Clark has been a magnificent run machine and adventurous captain, but he aggregated a paltry 132 from nine innings. Shane Watson was dropped after the Cardiff defeat, neither Marsh brother produced any score of note, Adam Voges managed a couple of 50s and little else, and there were no Brad Haddin heroics this time around.
Then there were the big match-winning bowling dramatics by England’s pacemen. Sometimes it takes just one big performance by one man to swing a game, and Jimmy Anderson, Steve Finn and Ben Stokes each delivered. And then there was Stuart Broad. Every year he seems so ordinary then produces one devastating spell. In 2015 it was that amazing 8-15 on the first morning at Trent Bridge. Matt Wood showed promise, Ian Bell saved his bacon at Edgbaston and Alastair Cook occasionally showed his charges how to bat in a Test match.
However, it was not the greatest summer for Gary Ballance (discarded after the Lord’s defeat), Jos Buttler and Adam Lyth. Following the New Zealand encounters, the Yorkshireman deserved his chance to last the Ashes series but he didn’t really convince as Cook’s long-term opening partner. Perhaps he should stay for the Pakistan series, if only because there are no other credible alternatives.
As for Australia, Clarke will be bitterly disappointed to lose the Ashes. Again! Nevertheless he will be missed. Smith’s arrival as the middle-order saviour must come as a relief, but who should occupy berths four to six? Chris Rogers has been a rock at the top since his rebirth for the Test team two years ago and now he has also called it a day, aged 37. He and David Warner looked an excellent partnership, their contrasting styles not harming their facility to get an innings off to a good start. Trent Bridge excepted, of course! Perhaps Michael Klinger could become the latest thirty-something to earn a green baggy?!
Mitchells Starc and Johnson still demonstrated the value of left-arm pace and swing, and the latter passed the landmark of 300 Test wickets. Josh Hazelwood took 16 wickets at 26, Nathan Lyon was a constant thorn in the side and Peter Siddle was almost impossible to score off at The Oval. I still don’t know why he wasn’t selected for the fourth Test but hindsight is a wonderful thing. He wouldn’t have made a difference in that crazy first innings at Nottingham, though.
Despite all these plus points, Australia contrived to lose overall and English cricket is enjoying the feelgood factor once more. Can they regain the number one position again? Well, South Africa may have something to say about that, and before that there is the small matter of the UAE, where Pakistan humbled England a few years ago.
Anyway, for a few months more, Cook and co can bask in the warm glow of Ashes success. ODI defeats probably won’t matter too much although given the ferocious criticism at the start of the summer, perhaps they should! Farewell, Clarke and Rogers. You’ll be hard to replace.
4-1 would have been a travesty, and even 3-2 was perhaps slightly flattering to England. Joe Root remains a beacon of talent for the home side but both Chris Rogers and Steve Smith outscored him across the series. Stuart Broad was the only Englishman to take more than 12 wickets while no fewer than four Aussies did so, led by Mitchell Starc with 18
The real difference between the sides was the pathetic performances by Australia’s middle -order. Michael Clark has been a magnificent run machine and adventurous captain, but he aggregated a paltry 132 from nine innings. Shane Watson was dropped after the Cardiff defeat, neither Marsh brother produced any score of note, Adam Voges managed a couple of 50s and little else, and there were no Brad Haddin heroics this time around.
Then there were the big match-winning bowling dramatics by England’s pacemen. Sometimes it takes just one big performance by one man to swing a game, and Jimmy Anderson, Steve Finn and Ben Stokes each delivered. And then there was Stuart Broad. Every year he seems so ordinary then produces one devastating spell. In 2015 it was that amazing 8-15 on the first morning at Trent Bridge. Matt Wood showed promise, Ian Bell saved his bacon at Edgbaston and Alastair Cook occasionally showed his charges how to bat in a Test match.
However, it was not the greatest summer for Gary Ballance (discarded after the Lord’s defeat), Jos Buttler and Adam Lyth. Following the New Zealand encounters, the Yorkshireman deserved his chance to last the Ashes series but he didn’t really convince as Cook’s long-term opening partner. Perhaps he should stay for the Pakistan series, if only because there are no other credible alternatives.
As for Australia, Clarke will be bitterly disappointed to lose the Ashes. Again! Nevertheless he will be missed. Smith’s arrival as the middle-order saviour must come as a relief, but who should occupy berths four to six? Chris Rogers has been a rock at the top since his rebirth for the Test team two years ago and now he has also called it a day, aged 37. He and David Warner looked an excellent partnership, their contrasting styles not harming their facility to get an innings off to a good start. Trent Bridge excepted, of course! Perhaps Michael Klinger could become the latest thirty-something to earn a green baggy?!
Mitchells Starc and Johnson still demonstrated the value of left-arm pace and swing, and the latter passed the landmark of 300 Test wickets. Josh Hazelwood took 16 wickets at 26, Nathan Lyon was a constant thorn in the side and Peter Siddle was almost impossible to score off at The Oval. I still don’t know why he wasn’t selected for the fourth Test but hindsight is a wonderful thing. He wouldn’t have made a difference in that crazy first innings at Nottingham, though.
Despite all these plus points, Australia contrived to lose overall and English cricket is enjoying the feelgood factor once more. Can they regain the number one position again? Well, South Africa may have something to say about that, and before that there is the small matter of the UAE, where Pakistan humbled England a few years ago.
Anyway, for a few months more, Cook and co can bask in the warm glow of Ashes success. ODI defeats probably won’t matter too much although given the ferocious criticism at the start of the summer, perhaps they should! Farewell, Clarke and Rogers. You’ll be hard to replace.
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Aussies Back with a Vengeance at Lord's
After England’s triumph at Cardiff, I was expecting a bit more fight from the Aussies at Lord’s, but surely nothing as emphatic as what Michael Clarke’s men delivered this week. The First Test result had a lot to do with crushing the confidence of Mitchell Johnson, first by providing a wicket to neutralise sheer pace and second by the partisan crowd goading him on the boundary whenever possible.
I’m no expert on the art and science of the groundsman’s skills but the match proved simply to be a one-sided affair where the Australian batsmen dominated the English bowlers, and their seamers routed the home batsmen, especially in the second innings.
Chris Rogers’ recent record-equalling run of Test fifties and Steve Smith’s fabulous couple of years weren’t mere accidents, and their 284-run second-wicket partnership sucked the life out of Anderson and co, with both achieving their highest scores so far in Test cricket. If the 37 year-old opener can aggregate more than 200 runs with a bad head, what could he have produce when in full health? Meanwhile, Smith seemed to be toying with the England attack in the manner of Viv Richards in his pomp!
Australia’s first four wickets posted 426, England’s a mere 30. At least Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes produced a resilient stand of 145 to keep things interesting. Nevertheless, Clarke showed shrewd determination by not enforcing the follow-on, allowing Rogers and Smith (again) and a grateful David Warner to rub Cook’s nose in the guano. It obviously worked because the England second innings didn’t even last two sessions, let alone the five needed to survive the match.
Steve Smith deservedly won the Man of the Match award but credit should also be shared amongst the five main bowlers. Josh Hazelwood and Johnson claimed eleven wickets between them, more than the entire England attack. Starc, Lyon and Mitchell Marsh – recalled in place of Shane Watson - also weighed in with handy performances. Johnson’s run out of Stokes on the last afternoon added to the humiliation. Stuart Broad’s jaunty ‘nothing to lose’ knock of 25 proved to be the top score in England’s second innings, more than Lyth and Bell managed between them in both attempts.
Australia have rarely enjoyed a margin of victory as wide as the 405 runs at Lord’s. Only Graham Gooch (against India) has produced a superior aggregate to Steve Smith’s in a Test at the same ground. Jimmy Anderson’s match analysis of 0-137 must be amongst his worst. It all amounts to a miserable four days for Bayliss, Cook et al; a severe reality check after the recent buoyant mood amidst the soaring strike rates.
So what now for Edgbaston? Obviously England will be down and the opponents in great spirits but it’s still 1-1 with three matches to go. Will England make changes? Ian Bell’s persistent failure to get past one must be making him vulnerable, although he must fancy his chances of rediscovering old magic on his home turf. The Yorkshire trio of Lyth, Root and Ballance had a disappointing match but could yet be joined by county colleague Jonny Bairstow next week given his scintillating form in the Championship. James Taylor’s huge innings for Notts puts him in the frame but he has lacked the consistency needed to displace the middle order incumbents.
Amongst the bowlers, the selectors must have been looking at Derbyshire’s Mark Footitt. For all his left-arm seam credentials and plentiful wickets, I can’t see any of the four playing at Lord’s making way for a man plying his trade – however successfully - in Division Two for one of the least fashionable counties. Even without changes, it will make for an interesting contest.
I’m no expert on the art and science of the groundsman’s skills but the match proved simply to be a one-sided affair where the Australian batsmen dominated the English bowlers, and their seamers routed the home batsmen, especially in the second innings.
Chris Rogers’ recent record-equalling run of Test fifties and Steve Smith’s fabulous couple of years weren’t mere accidents, and their 284-run second-wicket partnership sucked the life out of Anderson and co, with both achieving their highest scores so far in Test cricket. If the 37 year-old opener can aggregate more than 200 runs with a bad head, what could he have produce when in full health? Meanwhile, Smith seemed to be toying with the England attack in the manner of Viv Richards in his pomp!
Australia’s first four wickets posted 426, England’s a mere 30. At least Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes produced a resilient stand of 145 to keep things interesting. Nevertheless, Clarke showed shrewd determination by not enforcing the follow-on, allowing Rogers and Smith (again) and a grateful David Warner to rub Cook’s nose in the guano. It obviously worked because the England second innings didn’t even last two sessions, let alone the five needed to survive the match.
Steve Smith deservedly won the Man of the Match award but credit should also be shared amongst the five main bowlers. Josh Hazelwood and Johnson claimed eleven wickets between them, more than the entire England attack. Starc, Lyon and Mitchell Marsh – recalled in place of Shane Watson - also weighed in with handy performances. Johnson’s run out of Stokes on the last afternoon added to the humiliation. Stuart Broad’s jaunty ‘nothing to lose’ knock of 25 proved to be the top score in England’s second innings, more than Lyth and Bell managed between them in both attempts.
Australia have rarely enjoyed a margin of victory as wide as the 405 runs at Lord’s. Only Graham Gooch (against India) has produced a superior aggregate to Steve Smith’s in a Test at the same ground. Jimmy Anderson’s match analysis of 0-137 must be amongst his worst. It all amounts to a miserable four days for Bayliss, Cook et al; a severe reality check after the recent buoyant mood amidst the soaring strike rates.
So what now for Edgbaston? Obviously England will be down and the opponents in great spirits but it’s still 1-1 with three matches to go. Will England make changes? Ian Bell’s persistent failure to get past one must be making him vulnerable, although he must fancy his chances of rediscovering old magic on his home turf. The Yorkshire trio of Lyth, Root and Ballance had a disappointing match but could yet be joined by county colleague Jonny Bairstow next week given his scintillating form in the Championship. James Taylor’s huge innings for Notts puts him in the frame but he has lacked the consistency needed to displace the middle order incumbents.
Amongst the bowlers, the selectors must have been looking at Derbyshire’s Mark Footitt. For all his left-arm seam credentials and plentiful wickets, I can’t see any of the four playing at Lord’s making way for a man plying his trade – however successfully - in Division Two for one of the least fashionable counties. Even without changes, it will make for an interesting contest.
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Team of the Week 20th June 2014: The Vince & Binny Show
The summer is shaping up nicely. The sun is shining warm and bright here in Cardiff, there is a heady brew of first-class and slog and two Test series have enlivened the week. And I haven't even mentioned the FIFA World Cup. Blast, now I have! When Costa Rica start to advance the ICC ladder, we need to watch out!
Anyway, back to my cricket Team of the Week. Daryl Mitchell's excellent form and Alex Hales' rediscovered love of four-day cricket continued. Kraigg Braithwaite made a usefull hundredd in the Westt Indies victory over New Zealandd (not typos!) but my openers are Chris Rogers and Zafar Ansari. The Aussie's reputation for patient innings building was enhanced by an uncharacteristically quick 180 for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire, while Ansari, fifteen years Rogers' junior, realised his first senior century in Surrey' victory over Derbyshire. His spin bowling yielded five useful wickets, too.
Eoin Morgan's big score at Trent Bridge was an eye-opener, and congratulations to 18 year-old Sam Hain (Warwickshire) and Gary Ballance, but my middle-order consists of a modern legend and a couple of potential England superstars of the next decade. Kumar Sangakkara has seen it, done it and owns plenty of T-shirts. This week's 147 and 61 for Sri Lanka played a huge part in preventing defeat in the First Test at Lord's and also proved he CAN make runs in England. In the same match, Joe Root compiled a great unbeaten 200 but he now needs to do it on a different pitch for a change. Maybe his true home ground, Headingley, could be the place this week? James Vince has been knocking on the door of the senior side for a few seasons now. Presumably his achievements have been written off because Hampshire have been in the second tier of the Championship, but his latest run-a-ball 240 can't be ignored.
Jos Buttler's battling innings for Lancashire kept things interesting until the very end of their loss to Durham, but Jonny Bairstow's 161 not out and six catches for Yorkshire against Sussex wins him the wicket-keeper berth. With Ansari's all-rounder status, I can afford to select Riki Wessels, too. His Championship knocks of 70-odd were contrasting affairs; one lasted 165 balls, the second a mere 48! His 95 in 51 deliveries in the T20 victory over Durham was even more sensational. He would surely have reached three figures had his team-mate Steve Mullaney not hogged the strike and plundered boundaries of his own.
Chris Woakes and James Allenby maintained their consistency as county all-rounders but Stuart Binny's 6-4 in the second ODI against Bangladesh promotes him up the pecking order. Whatever the opposition or format, that is one heck of a bowling stat! Jerome Taylor and Jimmy Anderson produced some fine performances for the Windies and England but I return to the Championship for my final trio.
Kyle Abbott's first-class bowling average is a very handy 20.85, and this was improved by his match return of 8-67 in Hampshire's slaughter of Essex. OK, so he was plundered in the following Twenty20 but the South African brings a touch of class to his county's attack. Overseas we go again - and I'm not referring to the Severn crossing. Michael Hogan's belated return to Wales has made a big difference to Glamorgan's drive for a trophy, or at least promotion. He tookfive wickets in each innings of their victory over Kent.
Finally, Saeed Ajmal is claiming a season ticket for my Team of the Week. He's there again courtesy of a 6-19 for Worcestershire against tiddlers Leicestershire. Will his county look so strong without him?
In short:- Rogers (Mid), Ansari (Sur), Sangakkara (SL), Vince (Ham), Root (Eng), Bairstow (Yor, +), Wessels (Not), Binny (Ind), Abbott (Ham), Ajmal (Wor), Hogan (Gla)
Anyway, back to my cricket Team of the Week. Daryl Mitchell's excellent form and Alex Hales' rediscovered love of four-day cricket continued. Kraigg Braithwaite made a usefull hundredd in the Westt Indies victory over New Zealandd (not typos!) but my openers are Chris Rogers and Zafar Ansari. The Aussie's reputation for patient innings building was enhanced by an uncharacteristically quick 180 for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire, while Ansari, fifteen years Rogers' junior, realised his first senior century in Surrey' victory over Derbyshire. His spin bowling yielded five useful wickets, too.
Eoin Morgan's big score at Trent Bridge was an eye-opener, and congratulations to 18 year-old Sam Hain (Warwickshire) and Gary Ballance, but my middle-order consists of a modern legend and a couple of potential England superstars of the next decade. Kumar Sangakkara has seen it, done it and owns plenty of T-shirts. This week's 147 and 61 for Sri Lanka played a huge part in preventing defeat in the First Test at Lord's and also proved he CAN make runs in England. In the same match, Joe Root compiled a great unbeaten 200 but he now needs to do it on a different pitch for a change. Maybe his true home ground, Headingley, could be the place this week? James Vince has been knocking on the door of the senior side for a few seasons now. Presumably his achievements have been written off because Hampshire have been in the second tier of the Championship, but his latest run-a-ball 240 can't be ignored.
Jos Buttler's battling innings for Lancashire kept things interesting until the very end of their loss to Durham, but Jonny Bairstow's 161 not out and six catches for Yorkshire against Sussex wins him the wicket-keeper berth. With Ansari's all-rounder status, I can afford to select Riki Wessels, too. His Championship knocks of 70-odd were contrasting affairs; one lasted 165 balls, the second a mere 48! His 95 in 51 deliveries in the T20 victory over Durham was even more sensational. He would surely have reached three figures had his team-mate Steve Mullaney not hogged the strike and plundered boundaries of his own.
Chris Woakes and James Allenby maintained their consistency as county all-rounders but Stuart Binny's 6-4 in the second ODI against Bangladesh promotes him up the pecking order. Whatever the opposition or format, that is one heck of a bowling stat! Jerome Taylor and Jimmy Anderson produced some fine performances for the Windies and England but I return to the Championship for my final trio.
Kyle Abbott's first-class bowling average is a very handy 20.85, and this was improved by his match return of 8-67 in Hampshire's slaughter of Essex. OK, so he was plundered in the following Twenty20 but the South African brings a touch of class to his county's attack. Overseas we go again - and I'm not referring to the Severn crossing. Michael Hogan's belated return to Wales has made a big difference to Glamorgan's drive for a trophy, or at least promotion. He tookfive wickets in each innings of their victory over Kent.
Finally, Saeed Ajmal is claiming a season ticket for my Team of the Week. He's there again courtesy of a 6-19 for Worcestershire against tiddlers Leicestershire. Will his county look so strong without him?
In short:- Rogers (Mid), Ansari (Sur), Sangakkara (SL), Vince (Ham), Root (Eng), Bairstow (Yor, +), Wessels (Not), Binny (Ind), Abbott (Ham), Ajmal (Wor), Hogan (Gla)
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Notts blast to the top
It's not often that you get 1,500 runs in a four-day contest and still end up with a winner and loser. When Middlesex racked up 505 in their first innings, they must have been pretty satisfied, especially when Tim Murtagh's six wickets earned them a lead over Nottinghamshire of 113. They even had the perceived comfort of declaring on the final day. However, Alex Hales has come alive in the Championship of late, and this rapid run chase of 385 in 80-odd overs is what he is made for. However, he followed his second-day 96 with a relatively sedate 94, leaving Jacques, Lumb and Rikki Wessels to take the attack to Murtagh, Finn and co and clinch not only victory but the top spot in Division One. Had the result gone the other way, it would have been Middlesex sitting pretty. That other limited overs specialist Eoin Morgan proved me wrong by thumping 191, but his scoring rate was surpassed by, of all people, Chris Rogers. The Aussie opener accumulated 228 runs in the match in only 262 balls, yet stil finished on the losing side.
Another week for Northants, another defeat, this time at the hands of Warwickshire. 18 year-old Sam Hain and number nine batsman Keith Barker struck centuries en route to an innings victory. Chris Woakes weighed in with eight wickets and 49 runs, too. At the time of writing, Yorkshire are still playing Sussex and, whilst on top, may struggle to squeeze a win on day four. Jonny Bairstow found some batting form, taking a useful bowling attack for 161 not out. 21 year-old Jack Leaning was caught and bowled by Tredwell when one short of a maiden hundred. Cruel or what?!
Jos Buttler moved to Lancashire supposedly to work on his glovework and learn how to build an innings. That training came in handy this afternoon as he was required to steer his side towards a target of 30 set by fellow strugglers Durham. He managed to reach three figures before running out of partners just 28 runs short. Paul Coughlin had a memorable match for Durham. The 21 year-old bowler from nearby Sunderland claimed four wickets and scored a measured 85 in the first innings, sharing a 150 ninth wicket stand with Phil Mustard.
The top tier is proving to be a very open affair, but in Division Two, the front-runners pushed on and are making it a genuine two-horse race. Hampshire made a mockery of Essex's challenge for promotion by defeating James Foster's men by a massive 470 runs. Kyle Abbott took 8-67 in the match, but James Vince's sensational 240 was the real showstopper. It came at more than a run a ball but included no sixes. It wasn't just a massacre of 'declaration' bowling; Masters, Mills, Panesar, Topley and Ten Doeschate all got the treatment. The 23 year-old became the first to pass 1,000 runs in the Championship, too.
Another heavy scorer this summer, Daryl Mitchell, also made another century for Worcestershire as they despatched Leicestershire by 234 runs. Alexei Kervezee and young Tom Fell also passed 100 but, not for the first time, that Pakistani magician Saeed Ajmal had too many tricks for the home side on the final day. His 6-19 says it all, and he is easily the highest wicket taker in the competition.
While Essex floundered, Surrey took the opportunity to grab third place. Their trip to Derbyshire resulted in only their second win of the season. After getting out for 98 in the last match, Zafar Ansari at last racked up his debut hundred for Surrey, and contributed five wickets, too. It was a great week for Glamorgan, too. They claimed maximum points in a convincing victory at home to Kent. Their foreign-born contingent were the stars; Rudolph and Allenby scored hundreds, Chris Cooke made 96 while Michael Hogan took ten wickets.
Surrey and Glamorgan have excellent opportunities to close the gap behind Hampshire and Worcestershire next week. Meanwhile, back in Division One, Nottinghamshire and Somerset could have a right old ding-dong at Trent Bridge. Warwickshire entertain Yorkshire while Lancashire could hammer another nail into Northamptonshire's coffin and do their chances of survival a power of good at Old Trafford.
Another week for Northants, another defeat, this time at the hands of Warwickshire. 18 year-old Sam Hain and number nine batsman Keith Barker struck centuries en route to an innings victory. Chris Woakes weighed in with eight wickets and 49 runs, too. At the time of writing, Yorkshire are still playing Sussex and, whilst on top, may struggle to squeeze a win on day four. Jonny Bairstow found some batting form, taking a useful bowling attack for 161 not out. 21 year-old Jack Leaning was caught and bowled by Tredwell when one short of a maiden hundred. Cruel or what?!
Jos Buttler moved to Lancashire supposedly to work on his glovework and learn how to build an innings. That training came in handy this afternoon as he was required to steer his side towards a target of 30 set by fellow strugglers Durham. He managed to reach three figures before running out of partners just 28 runs short. Paul Coughlin had a memorable match for Durham. The 21 year-old bowler from nearby Sunderland claimed four wickets and scored a measured 85 in the first innings, sharing a 150 ninth wicket stand with Phil Mustard.
The top tier is proving to be a very open affair, but in Division Two, the front-runners pushed on and are making it a genuine two-horse race. Hampshire made a mockery of Essex's challenge for promotion by defeating James Foster's men by a massive 470 runs. Kyle Abbott took 8-67 in the match, but James Vince's sensational 240 was the real showstopper. It came at more than a run a ball but included no sixes. It wasn't just a massacre of 'declaration' bowling; Masters, Mills, Panesar, Topley and Ten Doeschate all got the treatment. The 23 year-old became the first to pass 1,000 runs in the Championship, too.
Another heavy scorer this summer, Daryl Mitchell, also made another century for Worcestershire as they despatched Leicestershire by 234 runs. Alexei Kervezee and young Tom Fell also passed 100 but, not for the first time, that Pakistani magician Saeed Ajmal had too many tricks for the home side on the final day. His 6-19 says it all, and he is easily the highest wicket taker in the competition.
While Essex floundered, Surrey took the opportunity to grab third place. Their trip to Derbyshire resulted in only their second win of the season. After getting out for 98 in the last match, Zafar Ansari at last racked up his debut hundred for Surrey, and contributed five wickets, too. It was a great week for Glamorgan, too. They claimed maximum points in a convincing victory at home to Kent. Their foreign-born contingent were the stars; Rudolph and Allenby scored hundreds, Chris Cooke made 96 while Michael Hogan took ten wickets.
Surrey and Glamorgan have excellent opportunities to close the gap behind Hampshire and Worcestershire next week. Meanwhile, back in Division One, Nottinghamshire and Somerset could have a right old ding-dong at Trent Bridge. Warwickshire entertain Yorkshire while Lancashire could hammer another nail into Northamptonshire's coffin and do their chances of survival a power of good at Old Trafford.
Friday, 2 May 2014
Team of the Week 2nd May 2014: Rogers and Anderson in the swing
Last week it was all about the openers but this time there were only really two candidates for those places in my team of the week. Chris Rogers belied his 'Steady Eddie' reputation by plundering an unbeaten 241 in 290 balls to ensure Middlesex achieved a Lord's record fourth innings target against Yorkshire. The Aussie has been a man in form over the past twelve months, something which can't be said of Somerset skipper Marcus Trescothick. However, Tres struck his first hundred since September 2012 on a tricky wicket against a Sussex attack that only last summer wiped him out for a 'pair'! Buoyed by this, his side pulled together and delivered an innings defeat of Ed Joyce's team.
Unike the previous seven days, the County Championship saw a number of centuries. Ian Bell's excellent 122, Alexei Kervezee's 110 and Ben Foakes's 132 not out all came close, but I could not ignore the following performances. Hampshire's rain-hit draw against Surrey was memorable only for James Vince's splendid 156, while another early season star, Gary Ballance, earns his place for a second week in succession thanks to his 130 in 143 balls in what turned out to be a losing cause for Yorkshire. Wayne Madsen was one of Division Two's top run-scorers in 2013 and this week he top-scored in both Derbyshire's innings, aggregating 167 runs. Worcestershire still beat them with ease.
Leicestershire's Irish wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien thumped a belligerent 133 against Glamorgan, although he claimed only two victims behind the stumps, eclipsing Essex 'keeper James Foster who shared a double-century stand with the aforementioned Foakes.
Lewis Gregory took his season's wicket tally to 20 as he helped Somerset to that excellent triumph at Hove. He followed a 5-49 with a telling 4-48, including the scalp of Ed Joyce, inducing a play-on when the rival captain was going strong on 93. The 21 year-old Devonian has compensated for the loss through injury of Craig Overton and Steve Kirby and let's hope his form continues on the bat-friendly Taunton strip!
Steve Finn staked another claim for an England recall with eight wickets for Middlesex but an incumbent, James Anderson brought success for Lancashire by snaffling two five-fors in the win over Northamptonshire. His former county coach Peter Moores will expect more of the same when Jimmy joins the England squad shortly. The Chelmsford faithful were treated to another David 'Masters-class' as the 36 year-old took 6-48 for Essex against Glamorgan.
For the last two, I have dipped my toe in the wild waters of the IPL. One man is 20, the other is more than twice his age! Sandeep Sharma's medium pacers brought figures of 3-21 and 3-15 for Kings XI Punjab; his wickets against Bangalore included those of Gayle and Kohli. Finally I have picked ahead of Worcestershire spin debutant Saeed Ajmal the veteran leg-spinner Pravin Tambe. Well into his 43rd year, the man from Mumbai was only promoted from club cricket last May, yet this week he picked up four cheap Bangalore wickets (including Kohli again) and 2-31 versus Kolkata in the premier T20 competition. His is an amazing story!
Unike the previous seven days, the County Championship saw a number of centuries. Ian Bell's excellent 122, Alexei Kervezee's 110 and Ben Foakes's 132 not out all came close, but I could not ignore the following performances. Hampshire's rain-hit draw against Surrey was memorable only for James Vince's splendid 156, while another early season star, Gary Ballance, earns his place for a second week in succession thanks to his 130 in 143 balls in what turned out to be a losing cause for Yorkshire. Wayne Madsen was one of Division Two's top run-scorers in 2013 and this week he top-scored in both Derbyshire's innings, aggregating 167 runs. Worcestershire still beat them with ease.
Leicestershire's Irish wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien thumped a belligerent 133 against Glamorgan, although he claimed only two victims behind the stumps, eclipsing Essex 'keeper James Foster who shared a double-century stand with the aforementioned Foakes.
Lewis Gregory took his season's wicket tally to 20 as he helped Somerset to that excellent triumph at Hove. He followed a 5-49 with a telling 4-48, including the scalp of Ed Joyce, inducing a play-on when the rival captain was going strong on 93. The 21 year-old Devonian has compensated for the loss through injury of Craig Overton and Steve Kirby and let's hope his form continues on the bat-friendly Taunton strip!
Steve Finn staked another claim for an England recall with eight wickets for Middlesex but an incumbent, James Anderson brought success for Lancashire by snaffling two five-fors in the win over Northamptonshire. His former county coach Peter Moores will expect more of the same when Jimmy joins the England squad shortly. The Chelmsford faithful were treated to another David 'Masters-class' as the 36 year-old took 6-48 for Essex against Glamorgan.
For the last two, I have dipped my toe in the wild waters of the IPL. One man is 20, the other is more than twice his age! Sandeep Sharma's medium pacers brought figures of 3-21 and 3-15 for Kings XI Punjab; his wickets against Bangalore included those of Gayle and Kohli. Finally I have picked ahead of Worcestershire spin debutant Saeed Ajmal the veteran leg-spinner Pravin Tambe. Well into his 43rd year, the man from Mumbai was only promoted from club cricket last May, yet this week he picked up four cheap Bangalore wickets (including Kohli again) and 2-31 versus Kolkata in the premier T20 competition. His is an amazing story!
Friday, 11 April 2014
Five Cricketers of the Year 2014
It's always interesting to find out who Wisden decides worthy to be one of their prestigious Five Cricketers of the Year. By tradition, players cannot be picked more than once, so some years it must be frustrating. What about Dale Steyn? No, he was picked last year. Michael Clarke? No, 2010. Stuart Broad? Same. Graham Onions? Ditto. Ho-hum.
Actually, there were some deserving candidates fulfilling the criteria. Moeen Ali would have walked it in a less busy year, while Ben Stokes, Michael Hogan, Brad Haddin and Jim Allenby must have been considered. Ashes participants occupied four of the places, two from England, two Aussies. Joe Root's name owes more to that 180 at Lord's than anything else. At that point, I was hailing him as the genuine article, an England Test player with the talent and temperament to be a star for a decade or more. Once he puts the winter debacle behind him, I'm sure he'll bounce back.
England skipper Alastair Cook was selected in 2012 but his female counterpart Charlotte Edwards finally makes the list. Aged 34, she has led the England Women to success in all formats, and claimed the multi-format Ashes trophy last summer. Claire Taylor beat her to the title of first female to be one of the famous Five, but Edwards is as worthy as any male cricketer in the 2014 edition.
Chris Rogers was plucked from Middlesex to fill one of the problemmatic Australian opener slots for the tour here. Playing the anchor to the more ebullient Warner or Watson, the then 35 year-old justified the decision with three centuries between August and January. Just two years his junior, Ryan Harris also enjoyed a superb year, bustling in on his dodgy legs to take plenty of wickets while conceding few runs. Injury has restricted him to only 24 Tests, yet he has amassed 103 victims at under 23 apiece. That's world class. His current absence from the game may yet become permanent but Harris is surely guaranteed legend status!
The quintet is completed by Shikhar Dhawan. The bejewelled Delhi opener made a sensational debut with his 187 in 174 balls against Australia last March, and proceeded to be one of the stars of the Champions Trophy in the summer. I won't forget being at Cardiff to witness his exquisite hundred against South Africa. It's great to see an Indian who hasn't made the big time on the back of IPL success, and I hope he continues to delight audiences with his strokeplay for years to come.
2013 was also the year of Kevin Pietersen (one of the Five in 2006), Michael Clarke (2010) and the retiring Sachin Tendulkar (1997, but could have been almost any of the past 25 years!). Jacques Kallis had to wait until 2012 before his recognition and of course he has also now departed the arena.
As for 2014, who will make the grade? Virat Kohli is in the box seat, and the likes of Kane Williamson, Angelo Mathews and Sunil Narine are in the frame. IN the end, success in Test cricket should be the prime driver for inclusion so that's an open competition....
Actually, there were some deserving candidates fulfilling the criteria. Moeen Ali would have walked it in a less busy year, while Ben Stokes, Michael Hogan, Brad Haddin and Jim Allenby must have been considered. Ashes participants occupied four of the places, two from England, two Aussies. Joe Root's name owes more to that 180 at Lord's than anything else. At that point, I was hailing him as the genuine article, an England Test player with the talent and temperament to be a star for a decade or more. Once he puts the winter debacle behind him, I'm sure he'll bounce back.
England skipper Alastair Cook was selected in 2012 but his female counterpart Charlotte Edwards finally makes the list. Aged 34, she has led the England Women to success in all formats, and claimed the multi-format Ashes trophy last summer. Claire Taylor beat her to the title of first female to be one of the famous Five, but Edwards is as worthy as any male cricketer in the 2014 edition.
Chris Rogers was plucked from Middlesex to fill one of the problemmatic Australian opener slots for the tour here. Playing the anchor to the more ebullient Warner or Watson, the then 35 year-old justified the decision with three centuries between August and January. Just two years his junior, Ryan Harris also enjoyed a superb year, bustling in on his dodgy legs to take plenty of wickets while conceding few runs. Injury has restricted him to only 24 Tests, yet he has amassed 103 victims at under 23 apiece. That's world class. His current absence from the game may yet become permanent but Harris is surely guaranteed legend status!
The quintet is completed by Shikhar Dhawan. The bejewelled Delhi opener made a sensational debut with his 187 in 174 balls against Australia last March, and proceeded to be one of the stars of the Champions Trophy in the summer. I won't forget being at Cardiff to witness his exquisite hundred against South Africa. It's great to see an Indian who hasn't made the big time on the back of IPL success, and I hope he continues to delight audiences with his strokeplay for years to come.
2013 was also the year of Kevin Pietersen (one of the Five in 2006), Michael Clarke (2010) and the retiring Sachin Tendulkar (1997, but could have been almost any of the past 25 years!). Jacques Kallis had to wait until 2012 before his recognition and of course he has also now departed the arena.
As for 2014, who will make the grade? Virat Kohli is in the box seat, and the likes of Kane Williamson, Angelo Mathews and Sunil Narine are in the frame. IN the end, success in Test cricket should be the prime driver for inclusion so that's an open competition....
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
2013 Cricketers of the Year
Following my selection of Test and ODI teams of the Year, it's now time to pick out the players who proved to be the best and most consistent performers across 2013 in all forms of cricket. It's not just about the internationals; there have been some notable achievements by those knocking on the door of national selectors as well as those for whom that door is probably closed for good.
That was the situation thought to be facing Chris Rogers at the start of the year. A one-Test wonder for Australia but a solid run-scorer in first-class cricket, he had been made Middlesex captain for the summer. However, David Warner's attitude and form, together with the sudden change of coach during the tour of England, led to his reinstatement as opener at the ripe old age of 36. While he didn't exactly set the world alight, he restored some reliability to the top order and rounded off the year perfectly with an Ashes century at the MCG. In all, he made more than 2,500 first-class runs during 2013, a marvellous achievement.
Kaushal Silva was elevated to Sri Lanka's team for the last Test match of 2013 and his domestic record explains why. IN only sixteen previous first-class matches, he scored 1,753 runs at an average of almost 80, and nobody claimed more than his nine centuries all year. He is a wicket-keeper, too, so has been sidelined by the combination of Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene. Maybe not for too much longer.
IN addition to Rogers, two other 30-something Aussies batsmen made their presence felt in the county game this summer. Michael Klinger was the main bright spot for Gloucestershire and, taken together with his efforts for South Australia, he scored well over 1,000 runs in each of the first-class and List A formats. Michael Hogan also sprinkled some fairy dust onto Glamorgan wih his long-striding, high action seam bowling. This was followed by more success with Western Australia in the Shield, making him the only man to take more than 100 first-class wickets in 2013.
Graeme Onions once more out-bowled just about everyone else in county cricket yet was left out of the Ashes party presumably because he wasn't tall enough. Apparently, England like their drinks waiters to be at least six feet six, like Finn and Rankin, or ginger, like Bairstow, so the big Durham man was left to watch and laugh/cry as his elders and betters failed so miserably Down Under.
The West Indies are not best known for spinners, but while Sunil Narine continues to shine in T20, Shane Shillingford blitzed all and sundry for much of the year in first-class cricket. He claimed 88 wickets in all, at more than seven a match and an average of 16.37. That's phenomenal. Like most bowlers, he had to toil against India's talented array of batsmen and then in mid-December, not for the first time, his bowling action was adjudged to be illegal and requiring further remodelling. Time will tell whether he will be the same bowler again. Caribbean cricket can ill lose any reasonably talented cricketer these days.
Mohammad Hafeez is also past the age of 30 and has also had his critics. An opening batsman who can't score runs quickly enough and a spinner who can't take wickets. Yet somehow he was one of the most consistent all-rounders in limited-over cricket in 2013. IN 30 ODIs he accumulated 1,300 runs at a strike rate comparable with Amla and Dilshan and also contributed more than 600 T20 runs in all competitions. His spin option brought him 22 T20 wickets, too, at an excellent economy rate of 6.46 an over.
In addition to the players above, of course the top international stars of the year have already been mentioned in my previous blogs but they deserve a repeat mention in my review of the overall players of 2013. AB De Villiers is caurrently unrivalled as a batsman in all forms of cricket. Not only does he score shedloads of runs but he does so at a rate which puts most contemporaries to shame. His SR of 154 in all T20 games out-guns even Gayle, Pollard, Warner and Ten Doeschate. Add in his wicket-keeping and one-day captaincy duties and AB must be the outstanding all-round cricketer in the world game.
His South Africa team-mate, Dale Steyn, likewise must be the top bowler for his wickets, strike and economy rates spanning the formats in 2013. Final credits go to the 25 year-old Indian batting duo of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. The former has been one of the foremost one-day batsmen and fielders of recent years and, if his exploits in the recent first Test in South Africa are anything to go by, he seems to be adding patience and sensible decision-making to his repertoire. Pujara was the only man apart from Rogers to score more than 2000 first-class runs, and did so without county cricket. Unencumbered by T20 fripperies, his record since the start of October includes a triple, double and three other hundreds in only twelve innings. His FC average for the year is just shy of 100. I hope he goes on to consolidate his position as India's Test number three in 2014.
A happy New Year to them and all readers, too!
That was the situation thought to be facing Chris Rogers at the start of the year. A one-Test wonder for Australia but a solid run-scorer in first-class cricket, he had been made Middlesex captain for the summer. However, David Warner's attitude and form, together with the sudden change of coach during the tour of England, led to his reinstatement as opener at the ripe old age of 36. While he didn't exactly set the world alight, he restored some reliability to the top order and rounded off the year perfectly with an Ashes century at the MCG. In all, he made more than 2,500 first-class runs during 2013, a marvellous achievement.
Kaushal Silva was elevated to Sri Lanka's team for the last Test match of 2013 and his domestic record explains why. IN only sixteen previous first-class matches, he scored 1,753 runs at an average of almost 80, and nobody claimed more than his nine centuries all year. He is a wicket-keeper, too, so has been sidelined by the combination of Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene. Maybe not for too much longer.
IN addition to Rogers, two other 30-something Aussies batsmen made their presence felt in the county game this summer. Michael Klinger was the main bright spot for Gloucestershire and, taken together with his efforts for South Australia, he scored well over 1,000 runs in each of the first-class and List A formats. Michael Hogan also sprinkled some fairy dust onto Glamorgan wih his long-striding, high action seam bowling. This was followed by more success with Western Australia in the Shield, making him the only man to take more than 100 first-class wickets in 2013.
Graeme Onions once more out-bowled just about everyone else in county cricket yet was left out of the Ashes party presumably because he wasn't tall enough. Apparently, England like their drinks waiters to be at least six feet six, like Finn and Rankin, or ginger, like Bairstow, so the big Durham man was left to watch and laugh/cry as his elders and betters failed so miserably Down Under.
The West Indies are not best known for spinners, but while Sunil Narine continues to shine in T20, Shane Shillingford blitzed all and sundry for much of the year in first-class cricket. He claimed 88 wickets in all, at more than seven a match and an average of 16.37. That's phenomenal. Like most bowlers, he had to toil against India's talented array of batsmen and then in mid-December, not for the first time, his bowling action was adjudged to be illegal and requiring further remodelling. Time will tell whether he will be the same bowler again. Caribbean cricket can ill lose any reasonably talented cricketer these days.
Mohammad Hafeez is also past the age of 30 and has also had his critics. An opening batsman who can't score runs quickly enough and a spinner who can't take wickets. Yet somehow he was one of the most consistent all-rounders in limited-over cricket in 2013. IN 30 ODIs he accumulated 1,300 runs at a strike rate comparable with Amla and Dilshan and also contributed more than 600 T20 runs in all competitions. His spin option brought him 22 T20 wickets, too, at an excellent economy rate of 6.46 an over.
In addition to the players above, of course the top international stars of the year have already been mentioned in my previous blogs but they deserve a repeat mention in my review of the overall players of 2013. AB De Villiers is caurrently unrivalled as a batsman in all forms of cricket. Not only does he score shedloads of runs but he does so at a rate which puts most contemporaries to shame. His SR of 154 in all T20 games out-guns even Gayle, Pollard, Warner and Ten Doeschate. Add in his wicket-keeping and one-day captaincy duties and AB must be the outstanding all-round cricketer in the world game.
His South Africa team-mate, Dale Steyn, likewise must be the top bowler for his wickets, strike and economy rates spanning the formats in 2013. Final credits go to the 25 year-old Indian batting duo of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. The former has been one of the foremost one-day batsmen and fielders of recent years and, if his exploits in the recent first Test in South Africa are anything to go by, he seems to be adding patience and sensible decision-making to his repertoire. Pujara was the only man apart from Rogers to score more than 2000 first-class runs, and did so without county cricket. Unencumbered by T20 fripperies, his record since the start of October includes a triple, double and three other hundreds in only twelve innings. His FC average for the year is just shy of 100. I hope he goes on to consolidate his position as India's Test number three in 2014.
A happy New Year to them and all readers, too!
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