A funny two-tier week. Rain destroyed all four Division One fixtures on the last day but in the second group, three of the matches were wrapped up before the weather could do its worst. And so that’s where I’ll start.
For the second successive week, both Essex and Kent enjoyed victories by an innings, widening the gap between themselves and the chasing pack. Ryan Ten Doeschate’s side made mincemeat of third-placed Worcestershire at Chelmsford. The ever-reliable David Masters took 7-51 as the visitors slid to 230 all out. Alastair Cook popped in to score 66 but it was Tom Westley who outscored Worcestershire all on his own! Tendo also chipped in with a hundred of his own before Graham Napier’s five-for and a few wickets for that man Westley finished things off with a day to spare. Essex are now almost guaranteed promotion. It’s been a long time coming.
Down on the South coast, there were no centuries to celebrate, although Will Gidman was stranded on 99 in Kent’s first innings of 496. As has become customary this summer, their four main seamers shared the Sussex wickets fairly democratically and the job was done was minimal fuss.
Glamorgan looked in an unfeasible hurry to scurry home from Northampton. They surrendered meekly, twice bowled out for under 140. Last week, Rob Keogh made three figures. This time, he left the major run scoring to Ben Duckett and claimed amazing bowling figures of 9-52 and 4-73 with his occasional off-breaks. Graeme White polished off the remaining seven wickets. They seemed transformed and it seems odd that Northants have been so poor in the Championship. Perhaps Keogh’s performance highlights the paucity of their seam attack until Ben Sanderson’s recent good form.
In the race to the pennant, Middlesex and champions Yorkshire now look to be out on their own. The former seemed to be in the driving seat at Edgbaston when the rain closed in. Warwickshire’s Josh Poysden (8-133 match figures) and Middlesex’s Ollie Rayner (7-91) were the pick of the players.
Meanwhile at Southampton, Gareth Berg had Yorkshire concerned on day one, taking 6-56. However, Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom restored White Rose supremacy on Thursday. After setting Hampshire 298 to win on the final day, the same bowlers looked set for a repeat performance. However, the weather was always going to win.
At Old Trafford I was optimistic about Somerset’s chances of staving off relegation as Tom Abell helped push the score past 200 with the loss of just Trescothick’s wicket. I was even more positive when Peter Trego accelerated on the second morning, eventually walking off with a career-best 154 not out, scored at almost a run a ball. More encouraging was ‘keeper Ryan Davies keeping him company and contributing an unheard-of 86 out of their eighth wicket partnership of 236. Alviro Petersen’s 155 made sure the game was drawn. We’re now fourth but not out of the woods.
Nottinghamshire, however, looked doomed after narrowing the gap behind Durham by a mere two points. They now have to win their final two matches and hope Durham lose theirs. Harry Gurney’s 6-61 and Jake Libby’s 144 gave Notts a first innings lead. but another big Keaton Jennings score (171 not out), his sixth this season ensured the home side remained out of the danger zone albeit in a precarious seventh. Jennings is now improbably the top scorer in Division One.
Durham now meet Yorkshire, Notts travel to a title-hungry Middlesex and Hampshire also have a difficult date at The Oval. It should go to the final week, and that’s how it should be!
Surrey rested at the end of the week but they were in high spirits after ending Yorkshire’s hopes of a double. Stuart Meaker took five wickets in their Royal London Cup semi-final triumph. Somerset’s ambitions for a first one-day final in years were also snuffed out by Warwickshire. Davies again was advancing the Westcountrymen’s cause in the chase before Jeetan Patel delivered one of his devastating spells, winning five lbw decisions to win by just eight runs. Ouch!
Team of the Week: Duckett (Nor), Jennings (Dur), Westley (Ess), Petersen (Lan), Trego (Som), Keogh (Nor), Bresnan (Yor), Davies (Som +), Brooks (Yor), Gurney (Not), Masters (Ess).
Showing posts with label David Masters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Masters. Show all posts
Saturday, 3 September 2016
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Double-Centuries Dominate the Championship
I may have fancied the London counties for he title but it was a good week for the North as both Yorkshire and Durham picked up their second wins of the campaign. At Headingley, Yorkshire looked to be struggling in the wake of a career-best 270 from Derbyshire's Chesney Hughes. However, England batsmen Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow underlined their credentials by striking 236 and 186, respectively, including a 231-run partnership, on the way to an innings of 677-7 declared. Then on the final day Jack Brooks led the attack with 5-40 to secure an impressive victory.
Meanwhile Durham moved to the top, albeit temporarily, after beating Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. It wasn't quite as much a bowlers' match as their previous fixtures, but Durham had enough strength in depth to overcome a county brim full of England internationals. From Hales, Lumb and Taylor to Broad, Swann and Patel, the home team were ultimately second best after a frantic T20-style run chase on the final afternoon. Stoneman and Mustard flayed the attack for 125 in under 12 overs and the 183 target was reached in barely 19.
On the South Coast, Sussex and Warwickshire played out a rain-affected draw in which Trott, Bell and Woakes warmed up for New Zealand with half-centuries. Luke Wells fell just four short of another century for Sussex, too, while team-mate Matt Prior claimed six catches in the single innings possible. At the time of writing, the Middlesex-Surrey contest is intrigingly balanced, but Chris Rogers' double-century could well have turned the game on its head after his side was made to follow on.
There were some dramatic finishes in Division Two, too. Northants consolidated their stranglehold by beating Kent by seven wickets. A hundred by captain Stephen Peters, ten wickets for Trent Copeland and another fine all-round display by Steven Crook proved too much for the home county at Canterbury. Up at Colwyn Bay, Lancashire pulled off an improbable success on the third afternoon. In a low-scoring match, Glamorgan looked to be cruising towards the 154 target at 94-2 before the evergreen Glen Chapple and spinner Simon Kerrigan instigated a humiliating collapse.
While big scores were the order of the day in Division One, runs were at a premium in the other second-tier fixtures. At Chelmsford I had expected Hampshire to roll over the home side but Essex fought back well to snatch a four wicket triumph inside three days. Alastair Cook hit a half-century but the main damage was inflicted by Graham Napier's batting and the returning seam machine David Masters, whose match aggregate of 9-70 showed what an under-rated bowler he is. Finally, At Leicester, a tight contest was eventually decided by Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger's unbeaten century as they won by nine wickets.
With the CB40 competition opening this week, too, domestic cricket is becoming more complicated with staggered starts and a May mish-mash of formats. The Black Cap tourists have arrived and things are getting interesting in England. It's been a good start to the 'summer' for home-grown Joe Root, Tom Westley, Varun Chopra, Michael Reed and James Vince, as well as overseas players Alviro Petersen, Steven Crook and Simon Katich. I would expect the headlines to turn the way of Cook, Trott, Anderson et al in the next four weeks....
Meanwhile Durham moved to the top, albeit temporarily, after beating Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. It wasn't quite as much a bowlers' match as their previous fixtures, but Durham had enough strength in depth to overcome a county brim full of England internationals. From Hales, Lumb and Taylor to Broad, Swann and Patel, the home team were ultimately second best after a frantic T20-style run chase on the final afternoon. Stoneman and Mustard flayed the attack for 125 in under 12 overs and the 183 target was reached in barely 19.
On the South Coast, Sussex and Warwickshire played out a rain-affected draw in which Trott, Bell and Woakes warmed up for New Zealand with half-centuries. Luke Wells fell just four short of another century for Sussex, too, while team-mate Matt Prior claimed six catches in the single innings possible. At the time of writing, the Middlesex-Surrey contest is intrigingly balanced, but Chris Rogers' double-century could well have turned the game on its head after his side was made to follow on.
There were some dramatic finishes in Division Two, too. Northants consolidated their stranglehold by beating Kent by seven wickets. A hundred by captain Stephen Peters, ten wickets for Trent Copeland and another fine all-round display by Steven Crook proved too much for the home county at Canterbury. Up at Colwyn Bay, Lancashire pulled off an improbable success on the third afternoon. In a low-scoring match, Glamorgan looked to be cruising towards the 154 target at 94-2 before the evergreen Glen Chapple and spinner Simon Kerrigan instigated a humiliating collapse.
While big scores were the order of the day in Division One, runs were at a premium in the other second-tier fixtures. At Chelmsford I had expected Hampshire to roll over the home side but Essex fought back well to snatch a four wicket triumph inside three days. Alastair Cook hit a half-century but the main damage was inflicted by Graham Napier's batting and the returning seam machine David Masters, whose match aggregate of 9-70 showed what an under-rated bowler he is. Finally, At Leicester, a tight contest was eventually decided by Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger's unbeaten century as they won by nine wickets.
With the CB40 competition opening this week, too, domestic cricket is becoming more complicated with staggered starts and a May mish-mash of formats. The Black Cap tourists have arrived and things are getting interesting in England. It's been a good start to the 'summer' for home-grown Joe Root, Tom Westley, Varun Chopra, Michael Reed and James Vince, as well as overseas players Alviro Petersen, Steven Crook and Simon Katich. I would expect the headlines to turn the way of Cook, Trott, Anderson et al in the next four weeks....
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Player of the Week: David Masters
A mixed bag of double-centurions and multiple wicket-takers this week. At the time of writing, England look as if they are heading for another Test victory thanks largely to Stuart Broad and Ian Bell, but the domestic fixtures have produced some stirring performances.
Anyone hitting 200 is always worthy of praise but when Marcus Trescothick does it we barely raise an eyebrow, just mutter once again how he'd walk into any international side if only... He set up another fighting victory for Somerset over Worcestershire with 203 while further west at Swansea, former Essex opener struck a career-best 222 for Northamptonshire in their draw against Glamorgan.
Andre Adams and Darren Pattinson claimed eighteen wickets between them in Nottinghamshire's low-scoring battle against title-chasing Lancashire. New Zealander Adams took ten scalps, but neither bowler took part in today's CB40 win over Glamorgan. Ravi Bopara's 178 for Essex was remarkable given that only one other man made a half-century in the Championship match against bottom club Leicestershire at Southend. However, while that game did bring us my Player of the Week, it's not the in-out England batsman.
The match ended in dramatic fashion. Following Bopara guiding Essex into a position of setting the visitors 315 to win on a tricky pitch, opening bowler David Masters bowled unchanged for 7.4 overs finish with fantastic figures of 8-10 as Leicester slumped to 34 all out. Having already scored 14 more than this total on his own in Essex's second innings, he takes the honours this week.
Masters could be described as the archetypal journeyman pro. However, if you have read my previous blogs you will know that I do not mean this as criticism. The 33 year-old has served Kent, Leicestershire and now Essex with distinction over the past twelve seasons. Not the quickest of openers, he has nonetheless taken 437 first-class wickets at only 27 apiece. His one-day record is less impressive but still pretty good, and he has a first-class century to his name. However, his haul at Southend took his season's total to 61 already, with only fellow unsung hero Tim Murtagh aggregating more than 50 wickets in either Championship division.
For all his consistent performances, David Masters will never get international recognition, especially with so many top-class English seamers on the scene. However, he can be proud of his career to date and Player of the Week accolade!
Anyone hitting 200 is always worthy of praise but when Marcus Trescothick does it we barely raise an eyebrow, just mutter once again how he'd walk into any international side if only... He set up another fighting victory for Somerset over Worcestershire with 203 while further west at Swansea, former Essex opener struck a career-best 222 for Northamptonshire in their draw against Glamorgan.
Andre Adams and Darren Pattinson claimed eighteen wickets between them in Nottinghamshire's low-scoring battle against title-chasing Lancashire. New Zealander Adams took ten scalps, but neither bowler took part in today's CB40 win over Glamorgan. Ravi Bopara's 178 for Essex was remarkable given that only one other man made a half-century in the Championship match against bottom club Leicestershire at Southend. However, while that game did bring us my Player of the Week, it's not the in-out England batsman.
The match ended in dramatic fashion. Following Bopara guiding Essex into a position of setting the visitors 315 to win on a tricky pitch, opening bowler David Masters bowled unchanged for 7.4 overs finish with fantastic figures of 8-10 as Leicester slumped to 34 all out. Having already scored 14 more than this total on his own in Essex's second innings, he takes the honours this week.
Masters could be described as the archetypal journeyman pro. However, if you have read my previous blogs you will know that I do not mean this as criticism. The 33 year-old has served Kent, Leicestershire and now Essex with distinction over the past twelve seasons. Not the quickest of openers, he has nonetheless taken 437 first-class wickets at only 27 apiece. His one-day record is less impressive but still pretty good, and he has a first-class century to his name. However, his haul at Southend took his season's total to 61 already, with only fellow unsung hero Tim Murtagh aggregating more than 50 wickets in either Championship division.
For all his consistent performances, David Masters will never get international recognition, especially with so many top-class English seamers on the scene. However, he can be proud of his career to date and Player of the Week accolade!
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