Northants Misery goes on....

In a summer of dramatic finishes and topsy-turvy performances, one thing has been constant: Northamptonshire's inability to win a County Championship match. They don't even get close. This week the beneficiaries were Sussex; the margin: an innings and 86 runs, achieved in barely two days. Nice to see David Willey back bowling after his back injury but Luke Wright's 158 defied everyone bar Andrew Hall, then the seaming pitch was tailor-made for Steve Magoffin. The Aussie took 5-12 and 3-28 as Northants - with the honourable exception of bowler Steven Crook - capitulated once more. Sussex advanced to sixth in the table, while the Wantage Road outfit languish sixty-four points adrift at the bottom.

With Nottinghamshire not playing this week, Yorkshire return to pole position despite failing to press home their first innings dominance over Durham. Openers Adam Lyth and Alex Leez shared another massive partnership (270) but on the final day the visitors held on for a draw thanks to half-centuries by Richardson, Stoneman and Mustard. Somerset cling on to third despite being second best to Middlesex for most of the game at Uxbridge. Dawid Malan made it two successive centuries, while Paul Stirling and newcomer Nick Gubbins each struck two 50s before Chris Rogers declared on the final morning. Fortunately for my lot, Nick Compton and James Hildreth remained in good nick and defeat was easily avoided.

Somerset have a reasonable chance of bouncing back with a trip to Wantage Road next weekend although, knowing our luck, Peters will strike a 'triple' and Azharullah will take 8-20 and 6-15 and that'll be that! Nottinghamshire can reclaim top spot by beating Lancashire at Liverpool.

In Division Two, Hampshire were given a scare at the Rose Bowl. Gloucestershire racked up 504-8 declared and might have won the match had Hampshire's last pair Tomlinson and Balcombe not hung around for thirty-odd overs and scored rare half-centuries. Will Gidman's 119 was the top score in the match. Worcestershire now have the luxury of a four-point lead with a game in hand, with Leicestershire next in line.

Hants must also be concerned to see Surrey's winning streak continuing. From another disastrous early season, Gary Wilson's side have won three of their last four fixtures, thrashing Glamorgan by nine wickets. The Colwyn Bay sea air clearly did Chris Tremlett the world of good. He took 5-60 and thumped four sixes on the first three days before Chris Cooke staved off an innings defeat. Zafar Ansari completed his second century, while both Rory Burns and skipper Wilson each made 97 in a mammoth score of 589-8 declared.

Kent also won as the Grace Road wicket seemed to get increasingly easy as the match wore on. Mitch Claydon and, unsurprisingly, Darren Stevens each weighed in with a half-century and five-for before Sam Northeast's measured 112 not out saw Kent home by six wickets. Finally at Chesterfield, it was a fairly even contest between Derbyshire and Essex. Even with Ryan Ten Doeschate blasting 104, the target of 367 in 61 overs was never going to be achieved. The game will best be remembered for the performance of Nick Browne. The 23 year-old opener scored his maiden hundred in the first innings then produced his second on the final day! Not only that, but in so doing he became the first Essex batsman to hit unbeaten centuries in both innings of a Championship contest. Maybe he should swap places with another Essex opener struggling for runs....?!

Yorks and Notts Advance, Prince is king.

While international cricket and the Premier League have seen frequent changes in the hierarchy in the past year or so, the County Championship seems to be following suit. This week, Nottinghamshire inflicted a first defeat upon previous leaders Somerset while Yorkshire thumped Warwickshire inside three days to join them at the top with 142 points, both claiming a maximum 24 points. With 16 for a win, at this rate anybody except Northants could win the pennant come September.

All the Notts bowlers played a part as Somerset batsmen, Trescothick apart, were despatched for 168 on the first day, then Mullaney and Jacques overtook that total on their own. The in-form Samit Patel and Riki Wessels took the home side lead to approaching 300. Chris Jones, Peter Trego (107 not out) and a 71-run tenth wicket stand between Dockrell and Jamie Overton took the match to the fourth day but, despite Craig Overton's double-strike in the opening over, Chris Read's side wrapped up a seven-wicket victory.

Not for the first time in recent seasons, Warwickshire's batsmen let down their bowlers, to the benefit of Yorkshire. Even without Root and Ballance, the Tykes were simply too strong. They could even blood an 18 year-old slow left-arm spinner in Karl Carver and come out smelling of (White) Roses. Aaron Finch top-scored with 110. At the Riverside, Durham simply overpowered Sussex. Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings contributed centuries while Ben Stokes starred with the ball. His ten wickets mean he will be hammering on the England selectors' door once more. Not too vigorously, of course; he should learn a lesson from the locker incident!

Lancashire were the latest county to hammer Northamptonshire at Old Trafford. The visitors could take some comfort from leaving Lancs at 33-3, but Ashwell Prince (257 not out) and Steven Croft (156) shared a triple-century partnership. Jos Buttler and Tom Smith advanced the total to a formidable 650-6 declared, and Smith (again), Chapple, Kerrigan et al bowled the bottom side out twice by early on the last morning. Middlesex must be licking their lips for the visit of Peters et al next weekend. Don't buy tickets for Day Four!

In Division Two, neither of the runaway leaders were in action but Surrey's resurgence continued, taking them to the giddy heights of third place. Skipper Gary Wilson (160 not out) and Chris Tremlett (90) each made career-best scores in the first innings total of 522-9 declared. Angus Robson responded well with two half-centuries and number eleven Charlie Shreck struck a maiden 50 but Leicestershire were unable to prevent a ten-wicket defeat.

Young opener Daniel Bell-Drummond's 101 helped Kent to 333. Not a massive total but it was almost sufficient to beat Derbyshire by an innings. Darren Stevens and Alex Riley shared sixteen wickets, the former's 6-64 in the second innings being the most striking set of figures. Kent's win couldn't lift them above Glamorgan despite the latter failing to clinch victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol despite topping 600. The home team ground out a draw by scoring at under two an over on the last day. Earlier, Jacques Rudolph and Ben Wright produced centuries and four others passed 50 for the Welsh but their bowlers were too slow to pierce the defences of Ian Cockbain, Will Gidman and Will Tavare. The latter's uncle Chris would have been proud of his defiance and slow-scoring!

Glamorgan next travel to Worcester, Gloucestershire to Essex but the tastiest tie looks to be Hampshire's visit to The Oval where Surrey could now be strong opposition, especially if it's a spinner's wicket.

I'm on holiday at the weekend so I offer my Team of the Week a bit earlier and briefer than normal:-

Robson (Eng), Rudolph (Gla), Sangakkara (SL), Prince (Lan), Root (Eng), Mathews (SL *), Wilson (Sur +), Stokes (Dur), Stevens (Ken), Tremlett (Sur), Prasad (SL)