Azeem Rafiq, Race, Root and Roses

Like most sports, cricket needs to make its headlines on the pitch. While England threatened to win the World T20 in Dubai, the UK media seemed happy to oblige. As long as Jos Buttler was racking up the runs, and Chris Woakes and Mark Wood taking wickets, all seemed well. Then came Jimmy Neesham and Tim Southee and it all fell apart. 

By the time Australia were crowned champions and New Zealand came to terms with another defeat in a final, the Press had moved on to more serious matters away from the wicket. And they don’t come much more serious than Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism against Yorkshire. 

His county cricket career over, he has been brave to stick his head above the parapet and tell it as it is. Yorkshire’s attempted cover-up, Gary Ballance’s unacceptable ‘banter’ and Joe Root’s ‘hear no evil, see no evil, let’s talk about the Ashes instead’ attitude have done cricket no favours whatsoever and now former players at other counties have also felt emboldened to blow the whistle on racist comments made by county executives. It’s no longer just a White Rose problem. 

The ECB and Yorkshire’s sponsors have hit the county where it hurts but where will it end? Azeem Rafiq’s comments about “institutionalised racism” seem increasingly justified, which makes me angry given we’re in the 2020s, not the 1970s. In the Nineties, black cricketers seemed to be consigning ancient attitudes towards race to history, with the likes of Small, Lewis, Butcher, Cowans, Malcolm , Lawrence et al breaking into the elite. English Asians took a bit longer but Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Ravi Bopara and others have since made their mark. And yet they have been sometimes badly treated, too. 

Azeem Rafiq’s appearance before the Parliamentary committee yesterday promoted the issue of racism in cricket to the main story on the Six o’Clock News and things are now getting brutally ugly and personal. Ballance, Michael Vaughan and Tim Bresnan have all been forced to deny making derogatory comments to players of Asian descent. Someone is lying. Does Rafiq have an alternative agenda, aiming lethal barbs at former Yorkshire colleagues out of sheer spite? It seems unlikely. Which means those colleagues are lying to save their skins, reputations and lucrative contracts. Ouch! Nasty business. 

I daresay many people will just get on the anti-Woke bandwagon and lump Rafiq’s allegations in with statue-toppling and knee-taking but they need to be heard, and acted upon, if casual racism is to be eradicated and treated as wrong instead of normal practice. Let the guilty be punished before the ex-spinner is forgotten. If the ECB wants the headlines to concern the Ashes, the momentum must not be lost.

Notts take charge of Championship

After all August’s white ball shenanigans and Joe Root’s heroics for England, it was good to see the County Championship back up and running. For the first time we have a second phase league system so only the six members of Division One have a chance of winning the 2021 title. 

Somerset’s initial advantage was immediately wiped out by Nottinghamshire, who left Taunton with maximum points and Somerset with a whole chicken coop-ful of egg on their faces. The home team badly missed Craig Overton, on international duty at Headingley, as Steven Mullaney’s side racked up 448. All-rounder Liam Patterson-White top-scored with 101 before the seam trio of Luke Fletcher, Brett Hutton and Dane Paterson ensured a massive first-innings lead. It was slightly harder on day three but Somerset were again bowled out for under 200 and the humiliation was complete. 

At Southampton, Yorkshire were all over Hampshire for most of the match. Gary Ballance’s ton and Jordan Thompson’s seven wickets were instrumental in the Rose Bowl county needing to bat out the entire fourth day merely to avoid defeat. That they succeeded ultimately depended on an incredible rearguard action by the final pair. Kyle Abbott and Brad Wheal defended the last 46 balls without scoring but, more importantly, without losing a wicket. 

It was also quite slow scoring at Old Trafford but at least runs were put on the board. Warwickshire’s Chris Benjamin and Sam Hain shared a stand of 237, then Lancashire batsman Josh Bohannon (170) kept a rampant Liam Norwell (6-57) at bay. Day four was a rather dull round of batting practice en route for a draw. 

In Division Two, Essex were off to a flier, beating Glamorgan by a innings. Welsh bowler Lukas Carey was the only Glammie batsman to reach double figures twice, making Nick Browne’s century look even more remarkable. Shane Snater and Sam Cook starred for Essex with the ball. A positive Covid test in the Surrey camp caused their clash with Durham to be postponed but Gloucestershire enjoyed a six-wicket home triumph over Northants. At halfway, they were in deep trouble but a Ryan Higgins five-fer and half-centuries by Hammnd, Lace and van Buuren turned things around. 

Meanwhile, ex-England opener Mark Stoneman made his debut for his third county of the summer. Maybe he was confused but, lining up for Middlesex, his two efforts lasted a combined four balls for zero runs. Oh dear. Luckily for him, his colleagues made up for his deficiencies. Robert White reached three figures while Bamber, Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones, back after a lengthy injury lay-off, snared seventeen Derbyshire wickets between them to claim a 112-run victory. The redoubtable Darren Stevens slogged a 70-ball unbeaten 107 to keep Kent in the game against Leicestershire but it was Matt Milnes (6-53) which ensured a healthy winning margin. Worcestershire also enjoyed a triumphant start, with Jake Libby’s second-innings hundred leading the way. 

Team of the Week: Browne (Ess), Libby (Wor), Bohannon (Lan), Benjamin (War), Ballance (Yor), Moores (Not +), D Stevens (Ken), Snater (Ess), Thompson (Yor), Fletcher (Not), Milnes (Ken)

Spinners in Gr-Eight Form

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rain delay keeps Surrey at bay

While England’s ODI side were keeping the scorers busy in the series against Pakistan, the counties were reacquainting themselves with the red ball after a month’s fifty-over action.

The clash between current leaders and reigning champions ended in a tame rain-affected draw. After centuries by Burns and Elgar, Surrey looked set for a healthy first innings lead against Somerset until Lewis Gregory led a late-order counter-attack. He struck five sixes on the way to 129 not out as his side surged to 399 all out and took a couple more wickets as Surrey ensured there were no calamities.

Somerset remain top but Yorkshire and Hampshire both won to close the gap. At Canterbury, Ollie Robinson’s 103 propelled Kent into a winning position after two days before Gary Ballance turned the tables with his 159 and Ben Coad’s final day 6-52 closed the deal. Hampshire sit just a point behind after whacking Warwickshire at Edgbaston by 314 runs. Tom Alsop top-scored while all the bowlers chipped in as the Midlanders suffered their second successive defeat.

Nottinghamshire also endured their second defeat of the season so far. Essex crushed them by eight wickets inside three days at Chelmsford, thanks largely to Simon Harmer’s eight wickets. Nick Browne was the only man to reach 50 in the whole match. 

In Division Two, my wildcard tip for a possible promotion, Durham, made it three losses out of three, going down by five wickets at Worcester. Charlie Morris and Josh Tongue did most of the damage with the ball then, despite Chris Rushworth’s defiant five-for, Worcestershire limped to their meagre target of 81. Lancashire also maintained their 100% record, demolishing Northants by ten wickets at Old Trafford. Against his previous county, late-developer Richard Gleeson claimed five wickets in each innings, and the home side won with almost a day to spare.

At Lord’s Middlesex looked to have a slight edge over Leicestershire but, with Colin Ackermann’s runs and Mohammad Abbas restored to the attack, the visitors easily avoided defeat and were only eighty-odd away from snatching a surprise victory. The other fixture also ended in a draw but history was made when Glamorgan played their first senior game at Newport’s Spytty Park since 1965. Spectators would have admired the Welsh county’s day three recovery from the follow-on, as Selman and Labuschagne took them to 364-1 en route for a match-saving 481-8 declared. Gloucestershire even lost six wickets on the final afternoon but clung on against a none-too-strong attack.

Gloucestershire must fancy their chances this coming week against Durham but in Manchester, at least one of the leading pair must relinquish their 100% start, as Worcestershire travel to Lancashire for what already appears to be a key promotion clash. In the higher division, top plays bottom at Taunton in the form of Somerset v Warwickshire while a Hampshire triumph over Notts could advance them into pole position.

Team of the Week: Burns (Sur), Selman (Gla), Alsop (Ham +), Ballance (Yor), Bracey (Glo), Higgins (Glo), Gregory (Som), Harmer (Ess), Morris (Wor), Gleeson (Lan), Rushworth (Dur)

Bancroft, Banton and Ballance bat to victory

While Britain bathed in the late Easter sunshine, the batsmen made hay in the heat. The first week of Royal London Cup fixtures threw up plenty of high scores. In particular, the Trent Bridge crowd on Good Friday enjoyed more than 800 runs and a narrow victory for the home side. Joe Clarke was again in fine fettle, putting aside his infamous list of sexual conquests to complete another century for Nottinghamshire. Dane Vilas’ club record 166 and Stephen Croft’s 110 bought Lancashire close but nineteen from the last two overs proved too onerous for the tailenders. Notts also beat Derbyshire and sit atop the North division alongside Durham, who had Cameron Bancroft’s two centuries and Jason Holder’s all-round performances to thank for their 100% record.

Lancashire fared better at Headingley on Monday but it was a nailbiting climax. With ‘keeper Jonathan Tattersall at the crease, Yorkshire looked set to overhaul the 311 target but run-outs from the last two deliveries left them one adrift. Yorkshire were involved in an even tighter contest on Friday, tieing with Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Tattersall and Tim Bresnan rescued the White Roses from a miserable start but Patterson and Pillans could only scramble a bye from the final ball to finish level.  A few days earlier, Matt Pillans had excelled with the ball and, with Gary Ballance striking 156, Yorkshire crushed Leicestershire by 213 runs.

In the South, four counties claimed two wins from two. Championship leaders Somerset maintained their momentum with a crushing 264-run defeat of Kent and a much closer encounter in Cardiff with Glamorgan. At Taunton, 20 year-old Tom Banton followed his 2^nd XI century with 107 from 79 balls then Craig Overton combined a sizzling 66 not out with 5-18 to complete the rout.

There was an even worse batting balls-up at Bristol, where the fancy dans of Surrey, boasting ten internationals past and present, were dismissed by Gloucestershire for 88 in 24 overs. My sides were splitting. They lost both their matches over the week and, although Tom Curran did his best with six cheap wickets, the batting let them down. At least they weren’t the worst county on display; Kent and Glamorgan contrived to lose all three.

Essex opener Varun Chopra notched a couple of tons but against a strong Middlesex batting line-up he was on the losing side at Chelmsford. Fourth-change leg-spinner Nathan Sowter claimed 6-62 in that one. Channel neighbours Hampshire and Sussex also enjoyed winning starts, with hundreds from Alsop, Northeast and Salt.

Next week, at least two 100% records must end, as Sussex meet both Somerset and Middlesex and the latter also travel to Hampshire. At the other end of the table, one of Kent and Glamorgan will, barring awful weather (not an unlikely scenario in South Wales), pick up a couple of badly-needed points.

Further north, Nottinghamshire face some tasty ties, hosting both Leicestershire and Yorkshire as well as nipping down to Brum for a date with Warwickshire. Cameron Bancroft is also spending a few days in the West Midlands, hoping to keep the runs flowing for Durham, especially as the rest of the top order are struggling for form.

Team of the Week: Chopra (Ess), Clarke (Not), Croft (Lan), Ballance (Yor), Bancroft (Dur), Vilas (Lan), Tattersall (Yor +), Holder (Dur), C Overton (Som), T Curran (Sur), Pillans (Yor)

Leach spins Somerset to the top

At Trent Bridge it was not so much a game of two halves as one of three thirds. After inserting Nottinghamshire on the opening morning, Somerset let the seamers do some damage, with Lewis Gregory (6-68) in particular maintaining his April form. The visitors could have suffered the same fate were it not for a double-century partnership between Tom Abell and George Bartlett before Broad polished off the tail. On the third day, new signing Jack Brooks chipped in with 4-22 but it was spinner Jack Leach whose six-for wrapped up a maximum-point victory, hoisting Somerset to the summit of Division One., just as the month break for the One-Day Cup kicks in. Ho-hum…

Last week’s leaders Hampshire returned to Earth with a brutal bump. They were beaten by an innings on home turf by Yorkshire, for whom Gary Ballance and Joe Root were again in the runs. Leaning and Tattersall extended the total to an impressive 554-7 declared. In reply, Sam Northeast fell one short of a second successive century and Liam Dawson followed his 60-over bowling stint with two fifties but Patterson and Coad wrecked Hampshire’s attempt at rescuing the match.

Kent also racked up 500+ and enforced the follow-on against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Zak Crawley and 20 year-old stand-in ‘keeper Ollie Robinson each reached three figures, as did the home side’s opener Dominic Sibley whose 132 was his fifth hundred in consecutive first-class fixtures. The second innings was heading for a disaster until Tim Ambrose and teenager Henry Brookes put on 141 for the eighth wicket and forced Kent to bat again to clinch the win.

The last two champions, Surrey and Essex, played out an evenly-matched draw at The Oval. The Londoners’ big guns all garnered some runs but Essex relied heavily on Dan Lawrence and skipper Ryan Ten Doeschate to compete in the first innings.

In Division Two, Worcestershire opened their account with a handsome victory at Leicester. Mitchell, Rutherford and Cox all scored centuries in a total of 553-6 but Leicestershire found it tough to emulate them. Charlie Morris claimed a career-best 7-45 and applied the coup-de-grace on the final morning with Paul Horton’s men still eighteen adrift.

Meanwhile, Sussex consigned Durham to a second successive defeat in a low-scoring contest at Chester-le-Street. All was fairly even-Stevens until Stiaan van Zyl held his nerve in the second innings, just managing to make a century as Sussex won by six wickets. Two of the favourites for promotion met at Lord’s and it was Lancashire who prevailed easily. After two miserable seasons, Haseeb Hameed finally struck a first-class hundred, but it was Glenn Maxwell’s off-breaks which proved decisive on day four.

The Cardiff pitch came in for justified criticism as it was a terribly one-sided affair. Batsmen filled their boots – six striking tons – and Northamptonshire piled on 750, the highest score ever seen at Sophia Gardens, spanning 227 tedious overs. Northants opener Ricardo Vasconcelos top-scored with 184 while for Glamorgan Billy Root achieved his maiden hundred for his new county, out-performing his brother Joe for a change. Mind you my dear departed grandmother could probably have driven a few boundaries on such a batting track!

To be honest, there weren’t many more wickets falling at Bristol although there were no records broken. The final day saw Derbyshire aggregate almost 300 runs for the loss of just one wicket, as Wayne Madsen cruised to a double, and Alex Hughes 109 not out. The result with Gloucestershire may have been a tame draw but it does place Derbyshire top of the table as we head into one-day territory. Enjoy it while it lasts, lads!

Team of the Week: Vasconcelos (Nor), Hameed (Lan), Ballance (Yor), Madsen (Der), Van Zyl (Sus), Robinson (Ken +), Gregory (Som), Wiese (Sus), Morris (Wor), Murtagh (Mid), Leach (Som)

Surrey champs but finally beaten

And so the 2018 county season came to an end, heading for a damp squib finale but then rescued by a thrilling conclusion to Surrey’s championship-winning campaign. Like so many matches in this overwhelmingly warm and dry summer, most fixtures failed to reach a fourth day but this week’s exception was a cracker.

At The Oval, I was incredulous as Surrey’s formidable batting line-up was demolished in 27 overs for a mere 67. To top it off, Essex proceeded to rack up an impressive 477-8, thanks largely to centuries by Tom Westley and Simon Harmer. No county had ever overturned a 410 first-innings deficit to win and I naturally assumed the home side were just experiencing the effects of some over-enthusiastic title celebrations. Not a bit of it. Surrey totally dominated day three, Jason Roy and Ollie Pope each reaching three figures as they cruised to 541 all out, the third highest total in Division One all year. Chasing a target of only 132, and with neither Curran brother in action, an Essex victory seemed a formality. However, Morne Morkel and Jade Dernbach had other ideas; Surrey would not surrender their unbeaten status without a battle. Wickets tumbled regularly, but skipper Ryan Ten Doeschate was defiant and, with just one wicket remaining, it was apt that he struck the winning runs off Dernbach.

It made no difference to the Division One standings; Surrey had already clinched the title with ease, much as Essex had done a year ago, but it showed there is also plenty of fight in the four-day format The ECB may have spent a fortune in developing The Hundred but the venerable Championship still has the potential to excite.

Somerset nailed down another runners-up spot, a glorious surprise to me. James Hildreth became only the second man in the top tier to pass 1,000 runs and both Tom Abell and Craig Overton achieved hat-tricks as they flattened Nottinghamshire by an innings.

The only unresolved issue in the competition was who would join Worcestershire through the trapdoor. Nottinghamshire were well beaten with just three bowling bonus points to their name but Lancashire’s latest failure to bag more than two batting points in their eight-wicket victory over Hampshire meant they finished on the same points total, 133. Despite the win, they finished second-bottom because Notts won a game more. This was particularly tough on Tom Bailey, who claimed another eight victims in a highly productive summer. In fact no other Division One team picked up more bowling bonuses, but they just couldn’t press home many advantages earned during the summer. Meanwhile Worcestershire lost for the tenth time, Yorkshire’s Gary Ballance scoring 194 and 60 and the departing Jack Brooks 82 to accompany his seven wickets.

In Division Two, the promoted counties met to decide who finished on top. Kent had been on a charge but it was Warwickshire who triumphed remarkably easily.  He may not have made many runs but Jonathan Trott could retire on a high as Dominic Sibley’s 119, his third century in four Championship innings, laid the foundations for success. Trott’s former England colleague Paul Collingwood also signed off, but his Durham side threw away a sizeable lead against Middlesex. At 37 Tim Murtagh is also knocking on a bit but his seven wickets were crucial in the visitors’ victory.

They finished fourth, pipped by Sussex despite the South Coast side losing to Northamptonshire in two days. Bens Curran and Cotton starred with bat and ball, respectively. Derbyshire opener Luis Reece provided the best bowling figures of the week with his first innings 7-20 but ended on the losing side against Gloucestershire. Craig Miles took 5-50 and 3-46 in his last match for the winners.

In the remaining game, Glamorgan finally remembered how to play first-class cricket, beating Leicestershire at Cardiff. Both sides relied heavily on their tails for runs – a familiar story for the Welsh – but Michael Hogan’s 2-18 and 4-30 were the outstanding bowling stats and Chris Cooke chipped in with 72 runs and five catches. Now all they need to do is fix their top order problems and avoid another wooden spoon.

As for my Championship predictions, I deserve a C+, a great improvement on my usual efforts. Surrey or Essex to win. Yes. Worcestershire and Somerset for relegation: 50%. Kent and Middlesex for promotion: the same. I’ll reveal my County Team of the Year shortly but in the mean-time, here is my final Team of the Week of 2018.

Team of the Week: 

Mitchell (Wor), Reece (Der), Westley (Ess), Ballance (Yor), Pope (Sur), Hildreth (Som), Cooke (Gla +), C Overton (Som), Bailey (Lan), Miles (Glo), Hogan (Gla)

Bell and Cook Reel Back the Years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Ballance saves Yorkshire, Livingstone Lifts Lancs

Yorkshire fans travelling to the Rose Bowl must have been drooling at a rare opportunity to see their England stars Root and Bairstow appearing with the white rose badge. However, the internationals managed a mere 18 runs between them as Hampshire made them follow on. Instead, it was the Test reject Gary Ballance who shone with the bat. The new captain followed his first innings 108 with a match-saving 203 not out in a game where his opposite number James Vince (147) also reminded us what he is capable of.

The only First Division county to win was Lancashire. For the second successive week, their opponents Somerset threw away an early lead, as Alex Davies and captain Liam Livingstone set up a 164-run victory. Unfortunately, the good form enjoyed by team leaders did not extend to Somerset’s young Tom Abell. His first four Championship innings in charge have yielded a pathetic two runs, and I don’t know how many more chances he can be afforded by Mathew Maynard.

Surrey remain top of the table despite failing to beat struggling Warwickshire at Edgbaston. The home team had Ian Westwood largely to thank for grinding out a draw, after his 205 run aggregate, after first innings centuries by Mark Stoneman and Kumar Sangakkara.

There were plenty of runs from Middlesex’s top three, too. Stewart Robson, Ed Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi each scored hundreds in the first innings and fifties in the second. However, helped by bad light, Essex kept Finn, Roland-Jones et al at bay throughout the fourth day as the champions failed to capture the final two wickets.

In Division Two, Nottinghamshire and Kent made it three wins out of three. The former side lead the way courtesy of their maximum points at Trent Bridge, where they crushed Sussex by an innings inside two days. The home side must have had a prior engagement on Sunday because they blazed to 447 before day one was completed. Unsurprisingly, it was Riki Wessels who led the assault, slamming seven sixes and 22 fours in a maiden double-century. James Pattinson and Stuart Broad did much of the damage with the ball on the Saturday.

At Canterbury it was that man Darren Stevens who stole the honours yet again, with a peerless all-round performance, featuring 107 runs and nine wickets. It was a good, too, for stand-in ‘keeper Adam Rouse who narrowly missed out on his first Championship hundred and took five catches. It was another very short match at Worcester, too, in which the home team eked out a tight 20-run winning margin against Derbyshire. Moeen Ali’s first-day 50 proved to be the highest score of the game, while captain Joe Leach picked up a couple of five-fors.

There was little to choose between the counties at Grace Road, either, but runs flowed fluently on all four days. Both Leicestershire and Glamorgan reached 420 in their first innings, then a Mark Pettini century set up a pointless declaration on the last afternoon. After an early scare, Aneurin Donald’s 66 not out ensured there was to be no repeat of last week’s batting collapses for the Welsh.

In the other fixture, Paul Collingwood contributed 101 runs, two wickets and five catches for Durham at Bristol. However, Gloucestershire opener Chris Dent’s patient six-hour 101 meant there was insufficient time for the visitors to ram home their advantage, and a draw ensued.

We now have a four-week break in the Championship to allow the sadly-unloved Royal London Cup a run in what I hope will be the late Spring sunshine.

Team of the Week:
Robson (Mid), Westwood (War), Vince (Ham), Ballance (Yor), Wessels (Not), Livingstone (Lan), Stevens (Ken), Leach (Wor), Rouse (Ken +), Broad (Not), Pattinson (Not)

Stoneman gives Surrey a solid start

For once, the April sun shone on the County Championship’s opening day of the season, and five of the six fixtures offered positive results inside three days. The venerable competition has been emasculated this year, with Division One slimmed to eight counties and only 14 matches, so we need to make the most of what first-class cricket is played this season. There were certainly some impressive performances in the first week.

Mark Stoneman made a perfect start to his Surrey career, contributing 162 to his side’s total en route to an innings defeat of Warwickshire. The Midlanders were skittled by Mark Footitt in their first innings but at least Jonathan Trott’s second innings 151 kept the game interesting into day three.

One of the title favourites, Yorkshire were up against it thanks to a bowling injury crisis. Despite skipper Gary Ballance’s best efforts with the bat, Hampshire duly took advantage. South African Kyle Abbott nabbed 7-41 before runs through the order sealed a four wicket victory.

Lancashire looked set to beat promoted Essex at Chelmsford after young wicketkeeper Alex Davies struck an unbeaten 140 then took five catches. Kolpaker Dane Vilas made 166 in his first two innings for the Red Roses, too. However, Dan Lawrence, still a teenager, battled on for 141 match-saving runs on the final day.

Two of the leading contenders for promotion were off and running with substantial wins. Nottinghamshire weren’t supposed to go down in 2016 but they should have enough firepower to bounce back into the top tier. Stuart Broad and Luke Fletcher were amongst the Leicestershire wickets but it was James Pattinson’s 89 not out and 8-84 match stats which really caught the eye. That said, the home side’s Ben Raine also enjoyed a fine all-round week. Unfortunately, Leicestershire are still in the red thanks to Charlie Shreck’s multiple pre-season discretions warranting a points deduction.

Kent were justified in crying foul after being robbed of promotion last autumn. Their 334-run mauling of Gloucestershire at Canterbry signified their intention to challenge again. Darren Stevens is beyond evergreen; he’s practically immortal. Kent must hope he is because his second-innings 6-12 was the pick of the bowling figures this week. He was ably supported by former Middlesex paceman James Harris who, if he stays free of injury, could well be the crucial addition to the squad.

Northamptonshire led the table after two days having trounced Glamorgan by an innings. Rory Kleinveldt thumped a typically rumbustious 86 and claimed six wickets, Ben Sanderson adding seven more and the Welsh were down and out. They will do well to avoid the wooden spoon come September.

Team of the Week:
Davies (Lan +), Stoneman (Sur), Trott (War), Ballance (Yor), Lawrence (Ess), Vilas (Lan), Stevens (Ken), Kleinveldt (Nor), J Pattinson (Not), Raine (Lei), Abbott (Ham).

Notts Advance at the Double

The British weather did its best to disrupt the county cricket schedule, but there was still plenty of excitement around the Championship and Royal London Cup.

Yorkshire can still be caught after only two full innings were possible at Hove. England discard Gary Balance struck 165 before Sussex responded with no fewer than three individual centuries. Ed Joyce, Mike Yardy and the relatively youthful Ben Brown reached three figures but a draw was already inevitable.

Middlesex closed the gap to thirty points by beating Durham at Chester-le-Street. Bowlers were generally in charge, notably Graeme Onions, who grabbed 7-68 on day one. In the second innings, the consistent Chris Rushworth claimed another five-for, yet both finished on the losing side. That had much to do with Neil Dexter’s runs and James Harris’s eight wickets.
Nottinghamshire also consolidated their third place, helped by Steven Mullaney’s 112 and one of those Alex Hales specials, an unbeaten 189 not out. Samit Patel’s 4-23 in 22 overs completed an innings defeat of Warwickshire.

At Taunton, Somerset compiled a huge score and had Worcestershire on the rack at 44-4 before the rain set in. The visitors kept going without losing another wicket but the unbeaten double-century stand between James Hildreth (220 not out) and Peter Trego (130 not out) was all in vain. At least we had the better of the two in terms of bonus points, which could be crucial in the relegation battle. Next week, Worcestershire face another battle at the bottom, this time versus Sussex, while Somerset face an awkward trip to Yorkshire.

All Division Two matches ended in damp squibs. Lancashire’s draw with Glamorgan meant that the Old Trafford side are almost certain to be promoted next month. Glen Chapple could add only two to his first-class tally of 980 wickets. Will he make the thousand by the end of the campaign?! A Ben Foakes century and Tom Curran’s 6-61 were the only performances to note in the truncated Surrey v Gloucestershire fixture.

Rain robbed Leicestershire of a probable triumph at Northampton. Skipper Mark Cosgrove struck a composed 110 and Niall O’Brien a more impatient 95 to establish a first innings lead, before Clint McKay and Will White left their batsmen a target of just 116. Sadly for the basement county, they could face fewer than seven overs before play was abandoned as a draw. The Derbyshire-Kent encounter was memorable only for Billy Godleman’s twin hundreds, making it three in row for the 26 year-old opener.

The Royal London One-Day Cup may not be given much of a future by the PCA, but it has provided four counties with a chance of silverware, none of them participating in this weekend’s T20 Blast Finals Day. Nottinghamshire capped a good week, knocking out holders Durham. Hales and Patel reprised their star turns in their fifty over quarter-final. Essex were booted out at the same stage for the fourth consecutive competition, this time by Yorkshire. Paul Grayson and James Foster must be scratching their heads over this but their young talent may yet flourish in the next season or two, unless England steal Reece Topley, that is!

That man Michael Klinger delivered another match-winning innings for Gloucestershire, handing Hampshire a rare one-day defeat. In the other tie, Surrey’s Curran twins were showing that the pace attack without the retired Chris Tremlett still has a promising future as they kept Kent’s top batsmen quiet. Jason Roy thumped a run-a-ball century but a blistering 100 from Matt Coles, including nine sixes, almost produced an incredible turnaround before he became the tenth man out seventeen runs short.

Next weekend, Gloucestershire hope that talisman Klinger will return from Oz to hit them into the Lord’s final and end Yorkshire hopes of a second trophy. Surrey host Notts in the other semi, which could be a cracker!

Team of the Week: Godleman (Der), Hales (Not), Ballance (Yor), Hildreth (Som), Dexter (Mid), Patel (Not), N O’Brien (Lei +), Harris (Mid), T Curran (Sur), McKay (Lei), Onions (Dur)

First Ashes Test: Bayliss 1 Boof 0

After all the hullaballoo, the latest of an increasingly frequent Ashes contests finally got under way with a straightforward England victory. Given that it’s very rare for a side leading 1-0 to lose an Ashes series, New England are already looking a good bet to regain the urn.

It does seem odd to hear an Antipodean accent playing up England’s chances but, even though Jason Gillespie ruled himself out, fellow Aussie Trevor Bayliss has made a best possible start to his reign. I’ve no doubt that the confidence developed during the recent series against New Zealand under the fledgling Strauss/Farbrace regime played its part. There will be strategies, grand and individual, but batsmen will enjoy having the opportunity to go for their shots without fear. The return of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad on home pitches is also vital not only to a harmonious England dressing room and fanbase, but also to upsetting the opposition.

England pretty much led from start to finish, or at least from the time Joe Root came in at 43-3 to accompany Yorkshire colleague Gary Ballance. Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon were clearly targets for the strokemakers, and Joe Root led with finesse. I said it four years ago and will say it again: Joe Root is the real deal at Test level. His proven ability in ODIs and T20 is a bonus. In 28 Tests, he has aggregated well over 2,000 runs at 56. Ballance’s averages also stands above 50 but I suspect that will decrease in time, just as Ian Bell’s has. I fancy Root to advance to three in the order, nudging Bell and Ballance down a slot.

There were breezy half-centuries from Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, surely the best number eight in recent memory, as England advanced to 430 at more than four an over. Only Mitchell Starc’s five-for gave Australia much to shout about, but at least they didn’t let England get out of sight. Chris Rogers responded in the right manner, and was unfortunate not to reach a deserved hundred. He fell to a Buttler catch from a Mark Wood delivery that moved and bounced.

Aussie coach Darren Lehmann cannot have been pleased with the rest of his batsmen. No other man managed 40 in the first innings. Needing 412 to win, and Sunday heading for a likely washout, all Michael Clarke and co needed to do was bat out the fourth day to ensure a draw and re-group for round two. Given all the reports of a ridiculously placid Cardiff pitch, this shouldn’t be too difficult for a classy, experienced team. Yet they failed. Badly.

England bowled and fielded with admirable discipline, while the batsmen generously threw away their wickets at regular intervals. David Warner did at least get to 52 before Ali trapped him just before lunch. Johnson had suffered a miserable match with the ball but he could now open his shoulders and counter-attack. That’s fine, but he needed the top order to provide the ballast at the other end to ensure they had wicket in hand come close of play. They didn’t. Clarke, new old boy Adam Voges and 2013 hero Brad Haddin fell in single figures and Shane Watson’s LBW trials persisted. Game over.
I’d be surprised if Mitchell Marsh didn’t replace Watson at Lord’s but there’s no real need for England to tinker very much. Leave Cook and Bell alone but I’d promote Ali to six ahead of Stokes and Buttler. The bowlers stuck to their task although there may be a case for introducing Steve Finn on his home ground. Having a ‘Dad’s Army’ isn’t necessarily a weakness for Australia but the old heads and hearts need to be more in evidence if they are to salvage the Ashes in the next few months.

England Fail and West Indies Rally

One-nil up with just Barbados to come and a series clinching win looked the most likely outcome for England. Even when faced with a modest target of 192, I fancied Anderson, Broad et al to skittle the West Indies batting on that third afternoon. Strike! 2-0!

But the Windies are showing some fight, some resilience, qualities somewhat lacking in Test cricket in their recent past. Well down the ICC rankings and without a win over England in eleven attempts, they had some work to do. It all started so well in Antigua.

Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root and James Tredwell had set things up nicely but it took a splendid rearguard maiden century by Jason Holder to salvage a draw. Then on Grenada, that magnificent 182 not out from Root, two fifties from Cook produced a nine wicket victory. Six more victims for James Anderson saw him accelerate smoothly ahead of Botham and the rest at the top of England’s Test wicket table.

The final fixture seemed to be going England’s way when Alastair Cook reached three figures for the first time in more than 30 attempts and two years. However, Jerome Taylor and colleagues stuck to their task and restricted the opposition to 257. Anderson’s 6-42 would have defeated most teams but another counterpunching innings from Jermaine Blackwood at six kept the deficit down to 68.

Buoyed by that, the home attack performed admirably again, and only Ballance, Buttler and Stokes made double figures. Nevertheless, with wickets falling so rapidly on the first two and a bit days, England must have felt confident. The situation might also have been made for Shiv Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels to knuckle down and plod their way to success. However, this has been a terrible month for the veteran of 164 Tests, and it was Darren Bravo and that man Blackwood again who shared a century stand to win the game and level the series.

So what went wrong for England? The fine performances from Root, Ballance, Anderson and Cook masked deficiencies elsewhere. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing but the recall of Jonathan Trott to the side, especially as opener, proved disastrous. An almost unprecedented three ducks in six innings not only knocked his confidence but has since prefaced his complete retirement fron international cricket. Adam Lyth must surely get his opportunity against New Zealand at the start of an arduous summer on home soil.

Bell’s ‘pair’ at Bridgetown must surely a blip but there was real inconsistency in the batting. And no, I do NOT see Pietersen as the answer. He has barely scored any runs for Surrey in the Championship yet, so I would want James Taylor at perhaps six, unless Moeen Ali is preferred for his extra spin option.

Nevertheless, the overall result isn’t just about England. This recovery spoke volumes for the spirit of the young Caribbean talent. Blackwood, Brathwaite and Holder showed promise, and 30 year-old Jerome Taylor claimed eleven wickets in the two games in which he played. Next month they host Australia, themselves warming up for their own little encounter with England later in the year. Could be interesting…..

Team of the Week: Cook and Bell back in business

One-dayers ruled this week, and so did the batsmen. The sun shone (mostly) in Britain and the runs flowed accordingly. For once, the Caribbean didn't get much of a look-in, but I'll start with an A team one-day series Down Under. In recent years, Phil Hughes has been in and out more than the world hokey-cokey championship where CA has been concerned. However, he had a great week for the 'A's, starting with an unbeaten 202 (yes, that's not a typo) against South Africa A, followed by two further half-centuries. His aggregate far outweighed the 165 accrued by Alastair Cook, but the embattled England skipper also makes my Eleven for showing the character in adversity to not only score much-needed runs but also to lead his side to their first Test victory in almost a year. And to blunt the knives of the media and tongues of ex-captains who should know better!

The big centuries scored in that Third Test against India by Gary Ballance and Ian Bell also propel those two into my team of the week. The Zimbabwean has been in good form all summer but when Bell is firing on all cylinders, England normally do well. Last year, Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen enjoyed his best season for the county bt so far in 2014 runs have been harder to come by. Normally better suited to first-class cricket, Madsen surprised me by striking not one but two hundreds this week in the new 50-over One-Day Cup.

There were numerous other excellent middle-order innings in this trophy. Karl Brown, Glen Maxwell and James Hildreth particularly impressed but I've gone with consistency over one-off brilliance. Ex-England leader Paul Collingwood produced a 92-ball 113 against Somerset and 77 versus Warwickshire, also contributing a few wickets to Durham's cause. The century shold have been enough to win the game but Somerset were to compete in three thrilling contests. They came from behind to win that one, then tie the fixture at Nottingham and lose by just two runs in an incredible finish at Taunton after Kent compiled 383!

Lewis Gregory has been a godsend for Somerset when he's been fit this summer, and he scored 105 not out in 71 deliveries against Durham. However, he took a pasting in the Kent match, in which young Sam Billings thumped 135 off just 58 balls. The wicketkeeper also notched 64 in 54 earlier in the week, so he beats England debutant Jos Buttler to the gloves.

Gregory is also eclipsed by Steven Mullaney for the all-rounder of the week position. The Notts man has been batting low in the order in recent weeks but it hasn't prevented him making vital quick runs. IN total, 103 came in 66 balls, alongside 6-59 with his medium pacers. A greatly under-rated member of the Nottinghamshire squad.

James Anderson has to be there, too. Unlike the previous game, he deserved to be the Man of the Match at the Aegeas Bowl, claiming 5-53 and 2-24 to thwart a lacklustre India. His acquittal on disrepute charges in the Jadeja 'handbags' incident polished off a great week for him. Now Ian Botham's longstanding England Test wicket record is there for the taking.

My line-up is completed by two spinners. Jeetan Patel has done wonders for Warwickshire in the Championship and this week he was Mr Consistent in the Royal London tournament, with figures of 4-24, 2-36 and 2-43, adding a few runs, too. He didn't have to bowl as much as Rangana Herath, though. Having already sent down 45 overs in the first innings and now with South Africa under the cosh, he opened the bowling in the second innings with Perera and flogged a dead pitch for another 45. Two in three were maidens, and he finished with stats of 45-30-40-5. It wasn't enough to win as Amla and co defended splendidly to defy SL, draw the match and win the series. Sometimes a backs-to the-wall performance can deliver a dramatic cricket match just as much as a runfest.

My team: Cook (Eng *), Hughes (Aus A), Ballance (Eng), Madsen (Der), Bell (Eng), Collingwood (Dur), Billings (Ken +), Mullaney (Not), Patel (War), Anderson (Eng), Herath (SL)

Team of the Week: Big Hitters and Bouncers

Daryl Mitchell is having a great season to match that of his county, Worcestershire. This week he carried his bat for 167 in the defeat of Gloucestershire, his fifth century of the Championship summer, and struck a brisk 36 against Derbyshir ein the Twenty20. Dwayne Smith didn't hang around, either, in thumping 110 not out for Barbados against St Lucia in the CPL. He also recorded a duck but I'll politely forget that ever happened....

My number three did nothing spectacular but credit to Jonathan Trott for reaching three figures for the first time since his traumatic withdrawal from the Ashes tour and early season relapse. His successor in the England middle-order Gary Ballance also weighed in with 110 in the otherwise embarrassing loss at Lord's to India. He enters my team of the week thanks to his graft which put most team-mates to shame.

There were lots of rapid 80s and 90s in the Caribbean and the final Blast group fixtures. Ramdin, Samuels, Hastings, Westley, Whiteley and Finch peppered boundaries but they were totally outdone by Luke Wright. With Sussex facing a target of 220+ by table-toppers Essex, the ex-England T20 all-rounder refused to give in and went onto smash 12 fours and 11 sixes in an unbeaten 153. It was not only the fourth highest T20 score ever but it won the match - even if Sussex failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Darren Stevens is no stranger to my team of the week, and in he comes again. A 38-ball 67 for Kent in the Blast victory over Sussex and nine wickets in the surprising Championship win over Surrey made him one of the top all-rounders. John Simpson rarely makes the headlines in his own county let alone the cricketing world. However the Middlesex wicketkeeper top-scored in each Championship innings, aggregating 171 runs in a losing cause against Yorkshire's very useful attack.

Dale Steyn looked back to his best for South Africa against Sri Lanka last week, with match figures of 9-99, while that man Bhuvneshwar Kumar again frustrated England with both bat and ball. His seam and swing netted 6-82 in the first innings, giving Anderson, Plunkett and Broad a lesson in how to bowl in helpful seam conditions. Kumar notched another half-century, too. In the second innings it was Ishant Sharma who proved to be the star performer. His 7-74 wasn't statistically as impressive as Ryan Sidebottom's 7-74 for Yorkshire but in the context of Test cricket, it was superb.

Finally I've gone for another quick, Stuart Meaker. He had a great start for Surrey this Spring before injury and competition for places kept him out of the team. This week he was back with a vengeance, claiming eleven wickets against Essex in the Championship and 4-30 in the T20 win over Middlesex. Sunil Narine and James Tredwell came close (the latter playing for both Kent and Sussex!) but no spinner this week.

England and Sri Lanka serve up a Superb Climax at Lord's

This wasn't the first time a match between England and Sri Lanka, drifting towards a high-scoring draw, switched to a higher gear on the fifth day. However, there can't have been many Tests between any sides that have ended in such dramatic fashion. Having glanced at the scorecard on my office laptop at lunchtime I had no inkling of the drama that was to play out while I travelled home.

It has to be said that England bossed much of the game, apart from the first half-hour or so when Cook and debutant Sam Robson were returned to the pavilion by Pradeep and Kulasekera. Joe Root may be Yorkshire through and through but his affinity with the Lord's pitch was again much in evidence as he proceeded to his first double-century for England. Another new boy, Moeen Ali, should have marked the occasion with a 50 only to edge an ugly swipe at Herath to the 'keeper. Matt Prior's recall was arguably more controversial than the selection of three uncapped players. Just one - er- prior appearance behind the stumps for Sussex and few runs since April left him potentially unprepared for a big occasion like this. However, his 86 and contribution to the 171-run partnership with Root silenced the critics for a while.

The rcalled Liam Plunkett and Broad flung the bat at the one end while Root reached his 200 and Cook could declare on a mighty 575-9. Sri Lanka weren't overawed. With old mates Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in tandem at 277-2, batting looked so easy and forging a result so difficult. The former went for 55 but Sanga made a beautiful 147 before becoming Ali's first Test victim. Skipper Angelo Mathews also reached three figures, playing excellently as the tail collapsed around him, reducng the deficit to 122.

On day 4, Eranga and Herath bowled as well better than they might have expected on such a flat wicket. Only Gary Ballance showed the determination to stick around for more than an hour or so. Then, with Shane Warne leading the chorus urging Cook to signal an acceleration and have a go at the SL openers before stumps, England finally upped their game. Ballance went for his strokes, Broad struck three boundaries and then the Yorkshire batsman had the hundred in his sights. Clearly that was more important than a pre-close declaration, and I'm sure Cook must have felt a day was plenty in which to bowl the opposition out.

Understandably Sri Lanka did not take on the challenge of the 390-run target, trying instead to accumulate without losing early wickets. Silva made his second 50 then Sangakkara dug his heels in. Nevertheless, 159-2 suddenly became 177-5 as Jimmy Anderson produced one of those devastating bursts. Mathews dropped anchor for more than two hours but his 18 looked set to be in vain.

And yet. Eranga and Herath were still there to face Broad for the final over of the match after 7 o'clock. This was to be one of the most exciting Test match finales for many a year. The first ball saw Herath glove the ball to Prior. He walked, only for TV pictures to show his hand had left the bat when the ball made contact and so it wasn't really out. Somehow I suspect the bowler wouldn't have done the same ha he been in Herath's shoes!

Pradeep desperately defended then the fifth ball rapped his pads in front if the stumps. Up went Paul Reiffel's finger, up went the England players in celebration, but up went the batsman's elbow indicating a review. And rightly so; there had been an inside edge so the decision was reversed. Broad got Pradeep to edge the last delivery but it bounced in front of second slip Jordan. It was all over and Sri Lanka had somehow survived.

It must have been hard for Cook to take; so near yet so far. Should he have been more adventurous and hard-nosed the night before, sacrificing Ballance's first century for the greater good of England? With hindsight, very possibly. However, credit to Sri Lanka. This time they held firm and, on what must surely be his final Lord's appearance in a Test, Sangakkara played two excellent innings for the first time at 'HQ'.

I still predict a 1-0 England series victory. Despite James Vince's wonderful innings for Hampshire, there is no point changing the XI for the Headingley decider. Root, Ballance, Bell and Prior saved Cook's and Robson's bacon this week but the Aussie-born Middlesex man needs more runs to justify the label of long-term partner to the captain. As for the opposition, a new 'keeper will be needed as wil a certain amout of luck if they are to avoid defeat. The ghost of Murali lurks overhead as his successors struggle to make a consistent impact on the home batsmen. They surely won't take twenty wickets and, even with Kumar at last finding form in England, that means they won't win, will they?!

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!

Team of the Week 25th April 2014: Cook and Maxwell in prime form

For my first Team of the Week of the 2014 'summer', there's a good mix of the familiar, the new and the forgotten. In England, it was a good week for opening batsmen. Greg Smith (Leicestershire) and Derbyshire's recruit from Lancashire, Stephen Moore, each made hundreds, but they are edged out by Essex's Alastair Cook and Lancashire's Sydney-born Paul Horton. Cook picked up 166 runs in a draw, presumably happy to let James Foster do the skippering. Meanwhile, Horton scored one run more, Mr Consistent with 83 and 84. He ended the 2013 season with three hundreds and two ducks in the final four first-class matches, and the Red Roses will be relying heavily on him for runs this year.

Nick Compton (100 not out) and Gary Ballance (174) each reminded England selectors of their middle-order Test credentials, even if they were both born in Africa. The Yorkshire batsman will probably have the edge once Sri Lanka come to town next month. Much as I'd like to, I can't ignore the IPL. Glenn Maxwell added another two big scores, 89 and 95, to his opening blast for Kings XI Punjab. Oddly, he's never made a T20 hundred in 65 innings but he came very close this week.

My wicketkeeper of the week is Tim Ambrose. Several yeara ago, he was the England number one, scoring runs for fun, but then Matt Prior and, later on, depression, got the better of him. Last year he seemed rejuvenated at Warwickshire and this week, he not only contributed a useful cameo with the bat, he claimed six catches in the first innings. Facing seamers of the quality of Woakes and Barker, he should pouch many more.

Peter Trego was welcomed back to Somerset's starting XI and inevitably enjoyed a decent performance in the draw at Durham. However, Gloucestershire's Will Gidman gets the nod as all-rounder. A late developer, cricket-wise, he has eclipsed his older brother and county captain Alex, albeit more as a bowler than batsman. His 3-43 and 6-50 against Glamorgan bolstered his impressive career stats to 169 first-class wickets at under 21 apiece. Even allowing for the fact that they've mostly come in the Championship's second flight, that's pretty good going.

Jack Brooks is another who didn't make the county grade until his mid-20s but he excelled for Yorkshire this week, taking eight Northants wickets. He of the distinctive white headband was accompanied by he of the flowing dark ginger curlilocks, Ryan Sidebottom. The left-armer claimed 7-50 in the match, which was won by an innings. My final two earned their 'call-ups' in Cardiff and the UAE. Mohit Sharma played three times in the IPL this week, taking six for only 44 runs in total. His 4-14 against Mumbai was the pick of the bunch. Back in the Championship, Dean Cosker peered out of the shadow of the retired Robert Croft to capture 5-46 for Glamorgan. Now aged 36, his left-arm spin has earned him over 550 first-class wickets. They haven't come cheap but he does sterling work for the Welsh side.

So there you have it. Take a bow: Cook, Horton, Compton, Ballance, Maxwell, Ambrose (+), W Gidman, Sidebottom, Brooks, M Sharma, Cosker.

Yorkshire pile on the power

Rain and a Spring chill prevented a result in all bar one of this week's County Championship fixtures. The exception came in the shape of Yorkshire's emphatic dismantling of Division One new boys Northamptonshire at Headingley. Much fancied as title contenders, a major barrier to success for Andrew Gale's men seemed to be the likely loss to international duty of Root, Ballance, Bresnan and Bairstow. Gary Ballance did indeed continue his excellent form with a first-innings 174. However, Alex Lees' 90 showed that Yorkshire could face some awkward decisions on who to leave out when the England batsmen become available in the next two weeks. England will no doubt pull rank and insist their centrally-contracted players get a run-out but that means leaving Lees, Lyth or even Gale himself in the pavilion. Nevertheless it was the bowling attack which really caught the eye. Veteran Ryan Sidebottom and the late-developing Jack Brooks claimed fifteen wickets between them, ably assisted by Plunkett and Pattinson, and the visitors simply had no answer. Northants' bowlers did achieve something; their eight LBWs in Yorkshire's innings equalled the world record for first-class cricket!

Another England discard, Nick Compton, reminded selectors of his credentials with an unbeaten century to save a game that had been ebbing away from Somerset from day two. Durham's Onions and Rushworth had restricted Somerset to under 200 in the first innings but the visitors will have been encouraged by Luke Gregory's eight wickets and the extremely welcome return of all-rounder Peter Trego.

While the world's media focussed on David Moyes's departure from Manchester United, there was some attention on events at the other Old Trafford a short walk away. Lancashire's Peter Moores' return to his old England job meant the game against Warwickshire was his last in charge. Despite Paul Horton's two scores of 80+, Warwickshire came closest to victory but bad light halted proceedings with Chopra and Javid just 25 runs short and five wickets remaining. The Red Roses now have to find a new leader just as the season is beginning. Glen Chapple is apparently soldiering on as skipper, although his time as coach will surely come.

In Division Two, Hampshire went top by virtue of having played more games than anyone else. After all the showers, a draw with Derbyshire was inevitable but there was some useful batting practice for Stephen Moore (128), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (82) and Jimmy Adams (84). It was a similar situation at The Oval, where Essex reaped the benefit of another Alastair Cook century as the game petered out into a draw. Graeme Smith top-scored for Surrey with 62 and their 21 year-old seamer Matt Dunn claimed his second five-for of his young career.

Bowlers dominated at Cardiff, where Dean Cosker's 5-46 for Glamorgan and Will Gidman's 6-50 for Gloucestershire shone brightly. Pity the visitors' David Payne who was left stranded on a hat-trick when rain curtailed play on the first day. He didn't complete it! At Canterbury, the match did at least progress to a fourth innings. Leicestershire opener Greg Smith top-scored with 118 but a day one washout ruined the game as a spectacle.

Next week, Warwickshire face a tricky trip to Nottinghamshire, while a confident Yorkshire travel to Middlesex. Sussex return to action and, weather permitting, have a good chance of extending their First Division lead. Northants need to re-group before welcoming a Moores-less Lancashire to Wantage Road. In Division Two, leaders Hampshire play for a fourth successive week against a winless Surrey. The 'Shires of Gloucester, Worcester and Leicester all have home ties but Essex will trust in Cook to serve up more runs to gain a victory at Bristol.

Does Flower's tour party have the right Ballance?

These days, the announcement of the England winter touring party is normally a damp squib. Back in the '80s, there were usually half a dozen certainties, a few possibles and then in came a few players who performed brilliantly in the Gillette Cup/Nat West Trophy final the day before. In 2013, Andy Flower et al possess the luxury of a settled and successful side so it's only cover for injuries or the rare turning wicket that allows the opportunity for selectors to spring a surprise.

Cook, Trott, Root, KP, Bell, Prior, Broad, Swann and Anderson pick themselves, so the rest are fighting for only two places. Bresnan is presumably out of the equation through injury so the main contest is for the two vacant seamer positions, along with the number six batsman/all-rounder spot. Maybe this season is not so different from yesteryear in that limited-over form seems to be the dominant factor in choosig players for the Ashes Test squad. Not from the YB40 but recent ODIs.

A few years ago, Michael Carberry was a free-scoring opener for Hampshire. This year he has been brilliant in short formats but mediocre in the Championship. So in he comes! Jonny Bairstow, I can understand, if only because he has become so adept at carrying drinks that there are no others with the same waiting credentials. Tut-tut. In my day, 12th men had to carry drinks on a tray without spilling anything. Any idiot can carry a cool box!

Genuine all-rounders are, surprisingly in this era of T20 bits and pieces players, very thin on the ground. Chris Woakes advanced his case today with a century for Warwickshire, but all too late. Ben Stokes has made the squad as a brisk strokemaker and nippy bowler who can give as good as he gets. His batting catches the eye, but he has captured 41 wickets at 25 for Durham which is pretty useful. I've no problem with Gary Ballance joining the team. Forget his duck against Ireland; he's had an excellent season with Yorkshire in first-class cricket and deserves his chance of a Test debut.

On the bowling side, Boyd Rankin has been impressive in the 50-over games, and Steve Finn always gives the impression that he is the best man to bang 'em in short and bother those pesky Aussie short-arses. How well he can actually deliver against top-class batsmen like Clarke is more debatable. Nevertheless, if I were Jimmy Anderson I'd be a bit worried. It would seem that the selectors are unashamed heightists. Seamers have clearly been included on the bass of being at least 6 foot 5 tall. Why else would Chris Tremlett be there instead of Graham Onions? The latter has been the best Championship bowler in each of the past two seasons delivering under pressure in the top flight and leading the attack for the number one county. Tremlett has managed a mere 32 wickets at 33 from 11 games for a relegated county. Go figure. Perhaps Onions would have tipped the balance too far in favour of players from northern counties? Seems ludicrous to me.

As support spinner, England have turned to Monty Panesar. So awful both on and off the pitch, past glories have swung the decision his way, helped by James Tredwell being right-handed and Sean Kerrigan having frozen at The Oval. Perhaps the Essex loanee will put his disastrous summer behind him and take a few wickets in his single Ashes Test. Actually, I hope he does, but please don't let him go for a night out with Ben Stokes....

I don't know whether members of the England performance programme squad can be called up as replacements, but if I were Chris Jordan - who had a good day against Durham today - and Moeen Ali, possibly the star of the domestic season, I'd keep an eye on signs of broken fingers or twisted ankles on Root, Carberry, Stokes or Trott.