County Cricket: Gay Day for Durham, Gloucester find Form

It was a strange week, results-wise. All four Division One fixtures were drawn, but all three in Division Two had a positive outcome – apart from the losers, of course! 

In the higher echelon, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire met at Trent Bridge for the chance to displace Somerset from the top spot. As elsewhere, batters were largely in the ascendancy. Ed Barnard (165) and Chris Woakes (64, 3-44) ensured Notts had to follow on, but the home side managed to bat out almost two days for the draw meaning Warwickshire leapfrogged Somerset by a single point. Haseeb Hameed followed his first-innings duck with a ton, Kyle Verreynne made 115, and both Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke added their second half-centuries of the match. 

There were five centuries at The Oval, and Essex opener Dean Elgar almost scored two. Surrey’s Dan Lawrence contributed 125 and three tail-enders in seven balls but Elgar and Westley spent almost fifty overs together on the final day. Batting was so easy that even wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was given a couple of overs, conceding just seven. 

At Headingley, both Yorkshire and Sussex racked up 500+ totals, including 136 for John Simpson and a 182 partnership between the Tykes’ Finlay Bean and Doncaster-born Aussie Sam Whiteman. A Simpson catch curtailed Joe Root’s innings four short of three figures but he then spent hours spinning his way to 3-67 although the draw was nailed on.  The same was true at Cardiff. In the battle of the new arrivals, Glamorgan racked up a decent 440 only for Leicestershire to establish a lead of 146, with the aid of centuries by Jonathan Tattersall and Jake Weatherald, who retired hurt on 104. 

They host Notts later this week, and Hampshire welcome Glamorgan, with neither yet to register a victory. Surrey are also winless so far and meet Sussex, while Somerset take on second-bottom Yorkshire. 

There may haven been little to satisfy the purists, or bowlers, in the top tier but it was totally different lower down. After being tonked three times already, Gloucestershire not only earned their first bonus points of the campaign but also proceeded to defeat Derbyshire by ten wickets. Miles Hammond top-scored with 145 but much of the damage was inflicted by Gloucester’s numbers nine and ten, Henry Brookes and Will Williams. Both narrowly missed out on hundreds but their 191-run ninth-wicket partnership very nearly knocked WG Grace off the records. Williams chipped in with five wickets, too. 

For the first three days, it was an exciting contest at Chester-le-Street, where leaders Lancashire were looking good for a third win of the season. Marcus Harris struck 146 on Friday, and James Anderson delayed his second innings declaration until ex-Durham all-rounder Paul Coughlin reached three figures by stumps on Sunday. It wouldn’t have mattered. Second time around, Emilio Gay and David Bedingham found batting a breeze, putting on 290 for the third wicket at a cracking pace. There’s now talk of Gay being called up for England this summer, which is probably the kiss of death to his career. 

Worcestershire made short work of Kent at New Road, where Garth Roderick took nine catches behind the stumps and seamer Tom Taylor claimed 5-56 to hasten Kent’s demise. The latter now encounter Derbyshire, and Durham will cement their position in the promotion hunt by beating Middlesex. 

Team of the Week:- Elgar (Ess), Gay (Dur), Hammond (Glo), Harris (Lan), Clarke (Not), Lawrence (Sur), Barnard (War), Simpson (Sus +), Raine (Dur), Willliams (Glo), T Taylor (Glo)

County cricket: Porter Carries Essex to Their First Win of 2025

Top-order runs were the order of the week, which ended with dismal weather scuppering hopes for sixteen-point win bonuses. Essex and Middlesex were the exceptions, each opening their respective 2025 accounts.

Essex and Worcestershire fought a tight contest at Chelmsford, overcoming a first-innings deficit to eke out a 28-run triumph. Paul Walter’s 104 began the turn-around then Jamie Porter completed the job. While Ethan Brookes was at the crease, clumping seven sixes, Worcester were still in the hunt but Jamie Porter’s caught-and bowled ended his resistance, finishing with 6-52. 

Nottinghamshire and Sussex top the table only two points ahead of Essex. Notts were heading for an innings defeat of Warwickshire when the rain clouds rolled over Birmingham. On day one, Brett Hutton and Fergus O’Neill each claimed five-fors, then Haseeb Hameed carried his bat for 138 to leave the home county in serious trouble. Ed Barnard, Kai Smith and Oliver Hannon-Dalby dug deep to defend the draw, and the weather completed the task. 

Hove witnessed more of a run-fest. Sussex opener Tom Haines scored 174 and 69 not out, while two of Surrey’s England internationals Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence responded with centuries of their own. A draw was inevitable, 

Partnership of the week was the 279 shared by Durham’s Alex Lees and Emilio Gay. The latter must have been particularly pleased with his personal 152, following three ducks in the first few matches. Visiting captain Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 86 ensured Yorkshire’s path to safety. At Southampton, Hampshire had the better of the draw with Somerset, despite a solid all-round performance by Migael Pretorius. 

The next round of Championship fixtures includes the meetings of last year’s bitter rivals Surrey and Somerset, and this season’s leading pair. 

The only positive result in Division Two saw Middlesex cruise to a nine-wicket success at home to Glamorgan. Max Holden top-scored, whilst the wickets were largely shared between the seamers. At Derby, Northamptonshire raced to 500-8 declared, assisted by tons from Luke Procter and Saif Zaib but captain Wayne Madsen’s second half-century of the game and Caleb Jewell’s fifth 50 of the campaign steered Derbyshire to stumps. 

Leicestershire were in the box seat against Lancashire, thanks to Tom Scriven’s 5-46 and centuries stroked by Rehan Ahmed and Peter Handscomb, 13 years his colleague’s senior. When Lancashire slumped to 16-3 in their second innings with a day to spare and more than 200 runs adrift, a slaughter looked likely, only for Manchester gloom to descend and save Leicester. 

Three hundreds entertained the Canterbury spectators. Ben Compton’s 178 was the biggest, but James Bracey (151 not out) and Cameron Green (112) advanced Gloucestershire to 472 all out. It could have been much higher but for Nathan Gilchrist’s 7-100. As things turned out, the second-innings declaration came too late to bowl Kent out again a second time. Gloucestershire host leaders Leicestershire in next week’s reduced bunch of games. 

Team of the Week:-  Compton (Ken), Haines (Sus), Procter (Nor), Gay (Dur), Madsen (Der), Handsworth (Lei), Bracey (Glo +), Waite (Wor), O’Neill (Not), Gilchrist (Ken), Porter (Ess)

Worrall Wins it for Surrey

Plenty of positive results and a few nail-biters in the Championship this week. The leading three in Division One all won, with Surrey’s fourth on the trot keeping them comfortably at the summit. They overwhelmed Worcestershire at The Oval with a day to spare. The reliable Jordan Clark top-scored, but it was Dan Worrall’s ten-wicket haul which caught the eye. 

It was a real game of two halves at Chelmsford, where a 209-run partnership between Ed Barnard and Michael Burgess and three wickets apiece for Yates and Simmons piled pressure on Essex late on Saturday. However, their spinners Matt Critchley and Simon Harmer turned the tables, leaving the home side an awkward target of 330. At 12-2, things looked grim but Jordan Cox made 112, then Matt Critchley was left high and dry on 99 as he and Harmer sealed the deal. 

It was another topsy-turvy affair at Taunton. Tom Banton and James Rew have struggled so far this season but each reached three figures as Somerset stormed to 554 against Kent. When Overton and Pretorius led a useful attack to dismiss Kent for 178, the visitors looked as if they’d been on the end of a lethal Usyk combination. However, they seemed to have bounced up from the canvas on Sunday when Zak Crawley’s 238 helped the visitors to 388-2. Undeterred, Somerset struck back with three late wickets, and left themselves with a potentially tricky 180 to score by the end of the match. Fortunately, Matt Renshaw and Andy Umeed struck the perfect balance of watchfulness and strokeplay to secure an eight-wicket triumph and maintain Somerset’s second place. 

At Trent Bridge, Hampshire came away with their first success of the summer, defeating Nottinghamshire by five wickets. Apart from Lyndon James (106 not out), the hosts found runs hard to come by against Abbas and Abbott in particular, and it required a sixth-wicket century stand from Middleton and Fuller to drag Hampshire from 44-5 to reach the finishing line.

 Ben Stokes’ first Championship outing for two years lured the media to Blackpool and he achieved a welcome five-for but only twenty runs for Durham. Hopefully the journos present also stayed to observe not one but two players who hit tons in each innings. Keaton Jennings performed the feat for Lancashire then David Bedingham, trying to save and possibly gain an unlikely victory on day four, repeated the achievement. He and the more belligerent Ollie Robonson placed Durham just 161 short with seven standing but, when Bedingham was caught behind off Nathan Lyon, the remaining batsmen capitulated leaving Robinson unbeaten on 171, handing Lancashire their first win of 2024.

 They stay bottom, though, and need to beat winless Warwickshire to extricate themselves from the relegation places before the four-week red-ball break. Essex hop over the Tnames to Kent and Somerset head north to face Durham in bids to keep Surrey in their sights. The champions follow the M3 to meet Hampshire who look woefully short of runs. 

In the second tier, Sussex rediscovered their winning ways at Hove, but Yorkshire pushed them all the way in a low-scoring contest. Ben Coad and George Hill bowled well for the Tykes but Ollie Robinson (the other one!), Sean Hunt and, by capturing Joe Root’s crucial wicket, Tom Haines, bowled the South Coasters to victory by only 21 runs. 

Middlesex are just seven points behind after beating Glamorgan in another nervy finale at Sophia Gardens. Mark Stoneman (129) delivered a heathy first-innings lead before Marcus Labuscagne (111) and Colin Ingram (105) steered Glamorgan back inti the game. With Mason Crane spinning five men out, it looked touch and go but the ninth-wicket partnership between Davies and Helm extended to 52 to nick it by two wickets. 

At Leicester, Gloucestershire declared on a mammoth 706-6. Openers Cameron Bancroft and Ian Charlesworth put on 313 and the pace accelerated with James Bracey and skipper Graeme van Buuren. On day four, Leicestershire made runs throughout the order to dig out a draw. The outcome was the same at Derby, where Northamptonshire generally had the better of things. A rapid 153 not out by Emilio Gay propelled them to a declaration capable of giving the bowlers something to aim at in two-and-a-bit sessions. At 141-7, that looked a great decision but Zak Chappell and Anuj Dal added 108. Two snap wickets put Northants on the verge of victory only for Dal and the last man Dupavillon to survive the final two overs. 

Next week’s Division Two highlight is set to be the top two counties battling it out at Lord’s. Should be interesting… 

Team of the Week:- Crawley (Ken), Jennings (Lan), Gay (Nor), Bedingham (Dur), Banton (Som), Robinson (Ken +), Barnard (War), Critchley (Ess), Hill (Yor), Worrall (Sur), Robinson (Sus)

Run Sprees All Around the Counties

As last week, it wasn’t much fun being a bowler in the County Championship. With Monday’s rain causing early abandonments and batters helping themselves to huge scores, every single fixture ended as a draw, although there was one exciting finish to warm the cockles on a cold afternoon. 

At the Oval, Surrey led at the halfway stage, with Dom Sibley equalling Tom Lammonby’s score of exactly 100. On the final day, Somerset’s captain Lewis Gregory, Kasey Aldridge and Craig Overton dug deep to extend their lead and reduce Surrey’s chance of a victory charge. However, that is what they did face. Despite needing 209 in only 19 overs, the champions decided to go for it, T20 style. Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence made the perfect start but once Smith swiped to the hands of Renshaw at long on, wickets tumbled and the run chase was aborted. 

Essex looked likely to notch a second successive victory at Chelmsford, only for the weather to close in with just three Kent wickets remaining. The visitors, along with many older cricket fans (like me), must have been mourning the death of the incomparable Kent and England spinner, Derek Underwood. However, even ‘Deadly Derek’ would have struggled for wickets this week. Dean Elgar (120) and Matt Critchley (151 not out) helped Essex reach 530-7 declared, after which they were always in the driving seat, despite centuries by Compton and Bell-Drummond. A whizz-bang unbeaten 116 by ex-Kent player Jordan Cox left Kent with a mountain to climb. Finally, 18 year-old Jayden Denly and his Uncle Joe rescued the situation before the clouds intervened. 

Edgbaston saw a crazy day and a half, in which the Warwickshire top three made hay. At one stage, they were 590-1 and who knows what records could fall? They were scoring on excess of five an over, too, with Alex Davies (256) trumping colleagues Rob Yates and Will Rhodes who each passed 170, too. Durham’s reply was none too shabby yet they still had to follow on, and the strange nature of the game was demonstrated by nightwatchman Matthew Potts top-scoring in the second innings with an unbeaten 149! 

There was only one centurion at Trent Bridge, namely Joe Clarke, who later fell second ball as Worcestershire briefly threatened, especially when Kiwi quick Nathan Smith had ball in hand. However, a draw ensued, as it did at the Rose Bowl, where the fourth day was washed out. Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings (172) starred, but poor George Bell was run out on 99. Ouch! 

The runs also flowed fast in Division Two, with three double-centuries and a few near-misses. At Grace Road, Sussex plundered a record 698-9 declared before gales and showers killed off any chance of them bowling out Leicestershire twice. The Kookaburra ball was in part blamed by Leicester coach Alfonso Thomas for the Sussex total, which showed a wee bit of disrespect towards John Simpson (205 not out) and Danny Lamb (a rapid 134), who each achieved lifetime bests. 

Pity the bowlers, too, at Northampton, where 1105 runs were scored for just eight wickets in three days. Emilio Gay racked up 261 for the home county, before Max Holden (211 not out) and Leus du Plooy (196 not out) tool their third wicket partnership to 350 before umpires were forced to call a halt. It was also a shame that Gloucestershire’s encounter with Yorkshire was abandoned with the result very much in the balance. England duo Joe Root and Harry Brook each passed fifty, but Shan Masood and Adam Lyth reached three figures apiece, setting Gloucester an unlikely target of 498. It was to their credit that they reached 405-6, with Charlesworth and van Buuren well in. They never got the chance to complete the task, although Coad and co may well have taken those remaining four wickets. 

Cardiff saw play in all four days, although Glamorgan and Derbyshire traded blows with little chance of a positive result. In the second innings, Luis Reece and Brooke Guest ensured there would be no Welsh success but they had spinner Alex Thomson to thank for keeping them in the game. He claimed twelve wickets, including a career-best 7-65 on the first day. 

Leicestershire will be his opposition next week, while Middlesex v Yorkshire looks tasty, especially as the weather looks set to improve. In Division One, Essex will aim to press home their good opening form against Lancashire, Surrey visit Kent, and Warwickshire face more batting practice against Hampshire. 

Team of the Week:-  Yates (War), A Davies (War), Gay (Nor), Holden (Mid), Du Plooy (Mid), Simpson (Sus), Bracey (Glo +), Critchley (Ess), C Steel (Sur), Aldridge (Som), Thomson (Der)

Surrey’s Revenge

In the final round of fixtures before the Championship breaks for the summer, and the counties split between the One-Day Cup and Hundred, Surrey kept their title defence in firs-class order, wreaking revenge on their T20 conquerors Somerset. 

As has been the order of things on 2023, July ended in a wet weekend, motivating teams to wrap up victories before the covers came on. Three of the Division One matches ended a day early, as bowlers took charge. At Taunton, there were no centurions, but both Tom Latham and Will Jacks were dismissed on 99 as Surrey reached 398 all out. Although Matt Henry took 6-88, it proved a tight contest between the opposing Overton twins. Craig biffed five sixes to prevent an innings defeat but Jamie took the bowling honours in a ten-wicket triumph. 

At Southampton, Essex consolidated their second place behind Surrey by beating close rivals Hampshire by six wickets. Nick Gubbins’ 45 was the highest score of the match as Essex pacer Jamie Porter claimed a couple of five-fors and the home side’s Kyle Abbott ended with match stats of 6-60. Up at Edgbaston, runs were also hard to come by, not only for Middlesex bit a;so Warwickshire, who were bowled out by Ethan Bamber (5-20) et al for a mediocre 60. MIddlesex scrambled a six-wicket win but one statistical quirk stood out for me. In the first Middlesex innings, all four Warwickshire bowlers conceded exactly 49 runs, and three had identical figures of 3-49. I wonder how often that has happened?! 

Trent Bridge enjoyed more action, although Kent probably didn’t have as much fun as Nottinghamshire, who stormed to a 321-run winning margin. Opener Ben Slater scored 100 and 85 in a game which was close for a couple of days, then Brett Hutton (4-44) and Dane Paterson (5-41) swept Kent aside on the fourth afternoon. In the other game, Lancashire looked likely to inflict a seventh defeat on Northamptonshire. Wells, Bohannon and Salt each made tons in a Bazball-esque total of 544-7 declared but the visitors showed some welcome backbone in adversity. Following his 207 partnership with Emilio Gay in the first innings, captain Luke Procter dug in for a 130-minute 27 not out as his side played out a hundred overs, losing only five wickets in the process. 

In Division Two, Yorkshire suffered the double-blow of a 48-point deduction as punishment for their institutional racism and a two-day washout at Scarborough. Adam Lyth had time to score another century but Durham’s in-form Alex Lees was left high and (metaphorically) dry on 66. 

Worcestershire moved within forty points of Durham courtesy of a 110-run success over Gloucestershire on a bat-friendly Cheltenham wicket. Gloucester’s two sets of brothers were heavily involved, notably Oliver Price’s 115 and a determined second-innings stand of 95 shared by Jack (98) and Matt (49 not out) Taylor. However, facing a daunting final day target of 422, they fell between two stools and were all out for 311. 

At Derby, Glamorgan again showed they can amass a decent total. The veteran Colin Ingram led the way with 136 out of 521-8 declared. Derbyshire’s openers made a fine response, Harry Came and Luis Reece putting on 165, before the wheels came off and Glamorgan enforced the follow-on. Second time around, there was to be no middle-order collapse, because the middle-order never got the chance to bat. Came and Reece glided serenely past 100, 200, 300, and captain Du Plooy called time only after Reece had achieved his maiden double-century. Their 360 shattered the previous Derbyshire first-wicket record and also dented Glamorgan’s promotion hopes. They will have to show patience before meeting second-place Worcestershire in their next Championship fixture in September. 

Team of the Week:- Gay (Nor), Reece (Der), Slater (Not), Salt (Sur +), Ingram (Gla), Procter (Nor), Higgins (Mid), Abbott (Ham), Hutton (Not), Bamber (Mid), Porter (Ess)

Potts boiling for Durham

While mourners queued to mourn the late Queen and the counties lined up to attack Andrew Strauss’s plan to systematically destroy county cricket to preserve the precious Hundred, the Championship served up more intrigue as the season approaches its finale. 

In Division One, Surrey’s bid to put daylight between them and Hampshire was thwarted by Northamptonshire. Centuries by Emilio Gay and the reliable Rob Keogh kept them in the game before tons from Hashim Amla and Tom Curran gave the visitors a first-innings advantage. Saif Zaib, restored to the side after a few decent scores for the Second XI, proceeded to strike a vital 129 as Northants batted on to ensure the draw which almost certainly keeps them in the top tier next season. 

Lancashire didn’t play this week but their task of catching the leading pair was made harder thanks to a six-point penalty imposed because of persistent indiscipline. Essex moved to within four points of them after a nail-biting conclusion to their match at Headingley. Needing only 162 to win on the third day, Ben Coad and Steven Patterson looked to have delivered Yorkshire a much-needed victory only for bowler Shane Snater to fight fire with fire and take a one-wicket win with an unbeaten 65. 

Warwickshire and Somerset met in a must-not-lose encounter at Edgbaston. In that respect, both can consider themselves content because it ended in a draw, although Somerset needed to take only four more wickets. Tom Abell (87) and George Bartlett (111) put them in command but Warwickshire’s Sibley, Davies and Hain each passed 50 to save the game. 

Next week, Warwickshire will expect to leap out of the relegation positions by beating winless Gloucestershire while Somerset face a tricky home clash with Northants. Kent travel to Hampshire so I reckon the summer-ending Kent v Somerset fixture will decide who goes down with Gloucestershire. I can’t take the stress…. 

In Division Two, Nottinghamshire are well clear of the rest, but Middlesex overtook Glamorgan in second spot after thrashing them at Lord’s by ten wickets. Opener Mark Stoneman top-scored with a first-innings 128 while Toby Roland-Jones and new recruit Ryan Higgins also chipped in with useful wickets. 

Durham claimed only their second first-class success of the season at Leicester, wrapping it up by seven wickets early on the last morning. Michael Jones was the pick of the batsmen but the undoubted star was Matthew Potts. After his early form and sensational England debut, he has been very quiet since, but this week he destroyed Leicester with a career-best match return of 13-101, those 13 wickets greater than his aggregate tally achieved since June. Meanwhile, at Hove, Leach and Gibbon reduced Sussex to 23-5 on the first morning before they recovered to reach 220. Worcestershire’s first pair almost beat that on their own and Jake Libby proceeded to an unprecedented 215. Second time around, the home county showed more batting gumption and Tom Alsop’s 132 not out saw them too safety. 

Notts next travel to Worcester, Middlesex head up the M1 to a dispirited Leicestershire while Glamorgan are at home to Derbyshire, who have an outside chance of promotion. However, it’s looking like Lord’s and Trent Bridge hosting Division One cricket in 2023, which will please the ECB no end. Will they pull up the drawbridge after them? 

Team of the Week: Gay (Nor), Libby (Wor), Amla (Sur), Hain (War), Keogh (Nor), Simpson (Mid +), Leach (Wor), Snater (Ess), Coad (Yor), Brooks (Som), Potts (Dur).