County Cricket: Somerset Rewdy and Abell

Somerset Rewdy and Abell 

Only four Championship fixtures this week, but they delivered a high degree of excitement over the four days. At the Rose Bowl, Hampshire and Somerset engaged in a tight game of cat-and-mouse, with little between them, and enough in the wicket to please batters and bowlers alike. Lewis Gregory returned to lead Somerset and eventually turned the game in their favour, but the result was in doubt well into the final day. 

James Rew struck 86 to take Somerset to a 50-run first-innings lead, then Hampshire were heading towards a potential 400 total until Gregory mopped up the last four wickets. His side still had a lot to do. A target of 288 was not going to be simple. However, good things happen when Rew and Tom Abell are together at the crease. They put on 89 but, even after Rew was caught behind for 59 and three more were despatched, Abell maintained admirable patience and determination and his eighth boundary brought up both his century and victory for Somerset. There is talk about England sniffing around young Rew but I hope they hold off until the county’s season is over, preferably with a maiden title in their grasp. Well, you can only hope…. 

There were only forty-one runs separating Warwickshire and Essex, too. Seamers were generally on top and 220 proved to be the highest total, and Beau Webster’s 91 the top individual score. Chasing 206 to win on the fourth day, Essex slumped to 21-4, their top three falling to the veteran Keith Barker, back in the Warwickshire side after a seven-season stint at Hampshire. Harmer and Akhtar offered some tail-end resistance but Webster broke both to earn the home side’s first success of the year. 

Barker is a mere spring chicken compared with James Anderson but the former England record-breaker bowled his way to another Team of the Week entry and Lancashire dealt Gloucestershire another Spring blow at Bristol. The home side did acquire their first bonus points of the campaign, but batting remains a huge problem. Anderson (3-12) and George Balderson (5-34) skittled Gloucester for 136 but Matt Taylor’s 6-43 kept them in the match. Second time around, Hammond and Bracey put on 148 for the fourth wicket to extend the game into the final day. At 46-3, Lancashire were tottering but Keaton Jennings’ second 70+ score guided then home by four wickets. 

At Wantage Road, there was no repeat of Northants’ rampant run glut but batsmen were too dominant to prevent a draw. Nathan McSweeney struck a second successive ton and James Sales stroked his way to 164 but, in their second outing, Middlesex safely batted through four sessions to seal the draw. Sam Robson shared a couple of century partnerships with Holden and Du Plooy on his way to 162, falling to Guthrie shortly before the curtain fell. 

Lancashire will extend their Division Two lead next week, travelling to Durham, while it will be the Derbyshire attack eager to rip into the Gloucester line-up. 

Team of the Week:-  Jennings (Lan), Robson (Mid), J Rew (Som +), Bracey (Glo), Abell (Som), Sales (Nor), Gregory (Som), Balderson (Lan), M Taylor

County Cricket: Procter’s Lotta Runs, Sussex Success

Big totals and career bests peppered the domestic cricket scoreboards this week, while Sussex made it two out of two. They were second-best at home to Warwickshire, although Fynn Hudson-Prentice took six wickets to keep their final-day target within reach. An unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 144 between Jack Leaning and Tom Price saw them home. 

However, thanks to their pre-season points deduction, they sit third behind Somerset and Nottinghamshire. The former came away from Chelmsford a day early with a ten-wicket victory against the county which has pipped them to the title in recent years. Controversially, they invoked new injury substitution rules not once but twice. Fresh from plundering runs for the Second XI, white ball specialist Will Smeed made his first-class debut but it was stand-in skipper Craig Overton who stole the show. In addition to four wickets, he crashed his highest score of 141 to establish a lead that Essex failed to dent. 

Champions Nottinghamshire got off the mark with a 192-run victory over promoted Glamorgan at Trent Bridge. Fergus O’Neill and Brett Hutton each took four first-innings wickets, then Joe Clarke (136) pressed home their advantage to set the Welsh side an improbable target of 478. Tribe and Crane offered some resistance until left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White mopped up the tail. Having suffered badly in the opening fixture, Hampshire recovered to hammer Yorkshire at Headingley. Jake Lehmann, son of Aussie star Darren, scored 76 and 92, but it was their South African stalwart, Kyle Abbott, who produced his latest Team of the Week performance, with match figures of 10-70. 

At The Oval, Surrey looked good for success against Leicestershire, as Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope each notched welcome tons. However, their achievements were placed into perspective by the opposition’s reply. Opener Rishi Patel (164), ‘keeper Ben Cox and new recruit Stevie Eskinazi all made centuries of their own to boost the team total to 691. However, the bat-friendly pitch ensured there would be no fourth-day collapse by Surrey, and the current England pair added 80+ to their names to secure a draw. 

Sussex and Notts now have a blank week, so Somerset could open up a significant lead should they beat Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. 

In Division Two, Gloucestershire’s miserable start continued, again failing to register a single bonus point with bat or ball. They lost another game by an innings, this time by Durham. Ex-England under-19 captain Ben McKinney scored 244 and shared a triple-century partnership with Alex Lees, which was almost as many as Gloucester could manage in both innings. 

Northamptonshire’s batting was even more extraordinary. Their top four batsmen racked up a humungous aggregate of 684-2 and may well have reached a thousand without a declaration. Captain Luke Procter called time when unbeaten on 264, and was rewarded when Harry Conway claimed 5-36 as Kent’s batting fell apart. Following on, Ben Compton scratched together 114 but Kent really avoided defeat courtesy of the wet weather which descended on Canterbury on Monday. 

Jimmy Anderson was at it again, adding six wickets to his season’s tally, including a decisive 4-18 to complete an exciting 29-run success against Derbyshire. Marcus Harris also contributed 191 runs to the Red Rose cause. In the other match, there were no centuries and only three fifties as Worcestershire narrowly beat Middlesex. It seems strange seeing Oliver Hannon-Dalby out of the Warwickshire side but the 36-year-old seamer was the pick of Worcester’s attack, while the ever-reliable Jake Libby top-scored with 79. Later this week, Middlesex face the Northants run machine, while Gloucestershire must hope to leap out of the traps for a change against Lancashire to prevent another capitulation. 

Team of the Week:-  Procter (Nor), McKinney (Dur), J Smith (Sur), Pope (Sur), Lehmann (Ham), Cox (Lei +), C Overton (Som), Abbott (Ham), Hudson-Prentice (Sus), Conway (Nor), Anderson (Lan)

County Cricket: Critchley and Rew off to Another Flier

Luckily for the cricketing fraternity, Storm Dave subsided just in time for the new County Championship season, even if Chester-le-Street required some residual tidy-up, causing a delay in Durham’s opener against Kent. 

This time last year, I confidently predicted success for Surrey and Lancashire and naturally I was wrong. I’ll stick with them for topping their respective divisions in 2026. Mind you, Surrey’s bowling is currently nowhere near as star-studded as their batting. They struggled early on against Warwickshire, for whom Dan Mousley top-scored with 144. Only Ben Foakes’ 128 kept Surrey in the game on day one, but Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence held their nerves to lodge tons of their own and see out the draw. 

Champions Nottinghamshire didn’t have it all their way, either, ceding the initiative to their hosts, Somerset. Toms Abell and Kohler-Cadmore, plus James Rew were in fine form with the bat and the latter, at barely 22, already boasts twelve first-class hundreds. He opened the 2025 campaign in similar fashion. Captain Craig Overton delayed the fourth-day declaration for far too long to stand any chance of winning. 

Essex all-rounder Matt Critchley was another who, as last year, was quick out of the blocks. He tonked Hampshire’s attack for 173 before destroying their second innings efforts with a return of 5-9. Leicestershire’s surprise return to Division One resulted in a heavy defeat at home to Sussex. Tom Clark was the game’s only centurion, but the star performer was the county’s academy graduate Henry Crocombe, whose pace netted him a match aggregate of 9-69. After a twelve-point deduction, Sussex will be relieved to have a positive number on the board. 

The other promoted side, in the top tier for the first time since 2005, more than held their own. Glamorgan brought Division One cricket back to Cardiff and it was 40-year-old Colin Ingram who showed the way in each innings against Yorkshire, for whom Dom Bess took seven wickets. The home side’s Mason Crane went one better, including a five-fer. Jonny Bairstow was one of the first players to be replaced under the competition’s experimental substitution rule after he injured a finger early on. 

In Division Two, Middlesex trounced Gloucestershire by an innings. Skipper Leus du Plooy racked up 182 before unleashing his bowlers. Veteran Toby Roland-Jones took 5-37 then, with Gloucester following on, it was Ryan Higgins and teenager Sebastian Morgan who inflicted the damage. 

It was an excellent week for anyone called Anderson or Andersson. At 43, James rolled back the years for Lancashire, claiming eight Northants victims. The Red Roses were heading for a surefire victory, but on the final day, George Bartlett marshalled the tail brilliantly to avoid defeat, even if it left him high and dry on 95 not out. Credit, too, to team-mates McManus and Sanderson for digging in so effectively in the closing stages. Emilio Gay was 2026’s first ton-maker in Durham’s draw against Kent, while Derbyshire’s Martin Andersson notched the opening double-hundred. He put on 273 for the fifth wicket with Luis Reece as the county declared on 625-8. Kent passed 300 on both occasions but needed the solid batting of Brookes, Waite and Taylor to secure the draw. 

Team of the Week:-  L. Wells (Lan), Lategan (Wor), Du Plooy (Mid), Mousley (War), J Rew (Som +), Ingram (Gla), Critchley (Ess), Andersson (Der), Roland-Jones (Mid), Crocombe (Sus), Anderson (Lan)

Massive run chase ends in a tie

It certainly was a crazy week in the County Championship. From an almighty clatter of first-day wickets to a couple of extraordinary climaxes, the dramas continued right to the end. 

Seventeen wickets fell on day one at Cheltenham’s college ground, before Cameron Bancroft (184) and James Bracey (204 not out) lifted Gloucestershire’s second innings to more than 600. The 593-run target they set Glamorgan would, if reached, obliterate the world record. With Labuschagne and Northeast nicely set at stumps, the visitors weren’t panicking and even when the skipper was caught behind for 187, eighth man out, just 49 were needed from the last fifteen overs. Mason Crane bravely maintained the run rate and the last pair required only two from the final over. Scores were level with Ajeet Singh Dale’s concluding delivery to Jamie McIlroy. Edged! James Bracey leapt to take a stunning one-handed catch and promptly hared off around the boundary in celebration. A TIE! The world record run chase was missed but 592 all out was still the highest fourth-innings total ever seen in England. Bracey’s double-century and ten catches also eclipsed all the other century-hitting ‘keepers this week. Pity poor Crane for shepherding Glamorgan so close to what would have been an astonishing win. 

Elsewhere in Division Two, twenty-two wickets tumbled on Sunday at Northampton but there was to be no Cheltenham-style batting recovery. Northants’ Emilio Gay scored the game’s solitary fifty as Sussex rounded off a 63-run success inside seven sessions. Nathan McAndrew (Sussex) and the home skipper Luke Procter were the pick of the bowlers. 

At Chesterfield, Yorkshire batsman James Wharton virtually beat Derbyshire on his own, following the latter’s humbling for 76 all out with a commanding 188. In the second innings, Ross Whitely did at least offer an entertaining whirlwind 52 but Ben Coad (6-30) and Vishwa Fernando (4-58) polished things off with a day to spare. Bowlers also dominated early proceedings at Leicester, with Bens Mike and Green ripping through the Middlesex line-up with ease. A target of 466 was always beyond the Londoners and, at 270-9, captain Toby Roland-Jones resorted to T20-ish antics, whacking eight sixes before Currie had him caught to register Leicestershire’s maiden victory of the campaign. 

At the top of Division One, Surrey made short work of closest rivals Essex at The Oval. Jamie Smith marked his England call-up by striking 100 and 70, and Ryan Patel also chipped in with a century of his own. Jordan Clark was typically useful with the ball, but it was paceman Tom Lawes’ 4-26 which inflicted most damage, the triumph opening up a 29-point lead over Essex. 

Somerset had to overcome adversity and a thrilling fourth-day chase to beat Warwickshire and leapfrog Essex in the table. At Taunton, Michael Burgess’ 147 and Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s 6-56 put Warwickshire in the driving seat by th third day. However, a brilliant unbeaten 152 by Tom Abell, ably supported by Banton and Rew, secured a fantastic win against the odds. 

Kent’s miserable season continued, beaten by Hampshire by six wickets at Southampton. James Vince racked up 211, sharing a 259-run stand with Ben Brown (116), then James Leaning’s 118 was not quite enough to prevent the follow-on. Kent did make Hants bat again but it took a scrambling 28-ball 56 not out from Liam Dawson to get the visitors over the finishing line. 

Worcestershire finally removed the zero from their ‘Win’ column by defeating Durham at Chester-le Street. Ben Stokes picked up three wickets and a half-century but was powerless to stop New Zealander Nathan Smith and his fellow bowlers. Nevertheless, the week’s top performer with the ball was the evergreen James Anderson. His glorious international career may be over but his 7-35 for Lancashire in Nottinghamshire’s first innings was a throwback to his younger days. Keaton Jennings plundered another big ton but a defiant last-day 115 not out by Joe Clarke blunted Anderson et al to record a draw. 

It's now back to the one-day stuff for the heady days of summer, but can any Twenty20 or Hundred contests match the thrills and spills of the County Championship?! 

Team of the Week:- Bancroft (Glo), Jennings (Lan), Wharton (Yor), Vince (Ham), Northeast (Gla), Abell (Som), Bracey (Glo +), N Smith (Wor), Fernando (Yor), Coad (Yor), Anderson (Lan)

England Success: Should Tests Rebrand as Cricket 5*?

What an extraordinary game of cricket the First Test in Rawalpindi was. Since BazBall was launched earlier this year, not only have England’s first-class cricket fortunes been refreshed and revitalised but also it seems that another new format has been introduced by the back-door. 

It has been coming. Setting aside the hideous Hundred, cricket records have been tumbling as fast as global temperatures in recent years. No UN conferences will be able to turn back the clock on the man-made shift to longer hitting and swifter scoring rates. 

When England’s tourists unveiled their starting XI last week, we knew what to expect. So soon after the Twenty20 World Cup was added to the 50-over title, it was inevitable that, should players learn not to get out early to silly shots, the limited-overs ethos could also be applied to the Test arena. With six-hitting all-rounders Stokes, Jacks and Livingstone batting down to eight, this match was never going to resemble a Boycott-Amiss-Tavare defensive masterclass from the mid-1970s. 

I never thought I’d see the day when a Test side racked up more than 500 runs on the first day, with four centurions contributing to a total of 657 compiled at more than 6.5 an over. Even Zak Crawley was at it, equalling Chris Gayle’s record of 14 runs from the opening over. His century partnerships with Ben Duckett in each innings were both in the all-time top ten of fastest ever. Overall, England’s two-innings total of 921 runs in just 136.5 overs demolished the previous run-rate record set by the same side at Trent Bridge only this summer. Harry Brook may have been the star, but even Ollie Robinson struck one ball over the ropes. 

Of course, we have witnessed some superlative Test innings in recent years but they don’t all result in victories. Whatever the declaration – if made – there is often insufficient time to fashion a result. However, if you plunder 900+ runs at such extraordinary rapidity, and you have a few decent proven Test bowlers amidst the T20 specialists, then there is always a chance. Seventeen years after his last appearance on this ground, a 40-year-old James Anderson was again on hand to take 4-36 and bowl 12 maidens to hasten Pakistan’s demise on the final day. 

The home nation should take some credit for making a fist of the response and restricting the margin of defeat to two figures. With skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Imam ul-Haq in the batting line-up, they were able to score 579 in their own first innings. And yet they lost the match. 

It goes without saying that the pitch was ridiculously benign, offering little to seamers or spinners alike, but nonetheless England managed to take twenty wickets and emerge victorious. Personally, I feel a bit queasy. It was hardly the Test cricket that I have loved for six decades. However, can I really complain about a game which produced so many runs whilst maintaining the excitement of a potential close finish? That is the essence of entertaining sport and if it helps to retain the Test format amongst all the other micro-formats then it has to be applauded. 

Ever since the days of Packer’s World Series Cricket, Test matches and first-class cricket generally have been on a downhill slide but, given this massive injection of pace and sustained stroke-making pyrotechnics, perhaps all it needs is a tweak in branding. Goodbye, the 5-day Test Match, hello ‘Cricket 5*’!

England Invincible!

When Zak Crawley nudged Jansen to the cover boundary, he did more than secure the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy. Apart from a satisfying return to personal form, he emphasised a new-found invincibility for England’s Test side, an incredible turnaround after a dreadful eighteen months. 

The clean sweep of people in new roles must have had an influence. I don’t know how much of the reversal of fortunes is down to current skipper Ben Stokes but I’m sure Brendon McCullum’s forceful personality and matching cricketing strategy is the key factor. Bizarrely, England’s ODI and T20 results have been poor while the transition to ‘Baz Ball’ in the Test arena has yielded incredible results. And the opposition nwas hardly weak and feeble, either. Since the defeats in Australia and the West Indies last winter, England polished off the strong New Zealand side, won the postponed decider against India then this month took the series against South Africa. 

Jonny Bairstow and Ollie Pope have thrived with the bat and whoever has been fit to bowl, from Matthew Potts to Ollie Robinson, has also done a great job. The Yorkshire batter just needs to stay off the golf course and focus instead on less dangerous leisure sports like tomb-stoning or helicopter skiing. 

Yes, Stokes’ insistence on trying to hit every ball for six has not always worked. His retirement from the 50-over game just means he adopts his ODI approach in first-class cricket. Why waste it?! Even without the captaincy, Joe Root is still Joe Root and then there are the timeless oldies, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad continually taking wickets and breaking records. 

In the past, viewers have become used to England throwing away opportunities or caving in under pressure. If the summer of 2022 is anything to go by, that’s all in the past. 

Concede 553 in the first innings? No problem: win by five wickets (vs NZ)

Bowled out for 141? No problem: win by five wickets (NZ)

First-innings deficit of 132? No problem: achieve highest ever run chase to win by seven wickets (India)

Lose first match of series by an innings? No problem: win the second by an innings

Lose two days to rain and royal death? No problem: polish off series-clinching triumph in two and a bit days and still have time for a few rounds of golf (not Bairstow, of course).

All quite extraordinary. But how will the switch to Twenty20 in Pakistan and Australia go? With mostly different players and captain, the Test side’s performances probably won’t affect things much too much, although a shared air of confidence may pervade the whole squad. If so, the rest of the world should again fear England at this winter’s World Cup.

Somerset bounce back amidst Nationwide Runfest

At long last, a more familiar line-up ensured Somerset ended their dismal run with a surprisingly decisive victory over champions Warwickshire. Most of the side chipped in, including Matt Renshaw’s century and typical tight bowling plus splendid catching from Craig Overton.  That they wound things up inside three days proved fortuitous because Sunday’s rain prevented positive results in six of the nine fixtures. 

However, there may not have been a winner at Bristol had Gloucestershire and Surrey batted on all week! From 37-3, Surrey ran rampant to pass 600, led by Jamie Smith’s 237 not out. The home county’s openers Marcus Harris and Chris Dent quickly showed this was a batsman’s paradise, sharing a stand of 296. A draw was agreed with only 12 wickets having fallen. None of them fell to Gloucestershire’s Mohammad Amir, returning to first-class cricket for more than two years. 

There was another huge partnership at Headingley, where Dawid Malan and Harry Brook put on 259 in a total of 571. Ollie Robinson and Grant Stewart ensured Kent avoided an innings defeat. Ben Compton and Daniel Bell-Drummond also continued good recent form but England’s Zak Crawley failed twice. At Southampton, Nick Gubbins struck a century in each innings for Hampshire but James Anderson was in an old-fashioned mean mood at the head of a solid Lancashire attack. 

At Chelmsford, a Luke Procter century and Ben Sanderson’s 4-32 left Essex following on against Northants, only for a steadfast middle-order performance to see them safely to a draw. Later this week, leaders Surrey and Hampshire face winless Northants and Gloucestershire, respectively. 

In Division Two, Nottinghamshire consolidated their position at the top by defeating Worcestershire. Dane Paterson’s first-innings 8-52 was easily the best bowling statistic of the county week but all-rounder Ed Barnard’s unbeaten 163 forced Notts to bat a second time. It merely delayed the inevitable, with Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke picking up half-centuries to win by five wickets. 

Middlesex had an easier task in overcoming bottom side Leicestershire at Lord’s. Opener Mark Stoneman’s hundred was the highlight, although his seam colleagues were unrelenting with the ball, Ben Mike’s brave 99 not out nothwithstanding. 

Derbyshire and Glamorgan provided the week’s closest and most entertaining contest. After an evenly-matched first two days, Derby’s Wayne Madsen and ‘keeper Brooke Guest’s second ton of the match set the visitors a challenging target of 331. Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Northeast got the Welsh off to a great start but after Chris Cooke and Kiran Carlsen lost their wickets, both sides could eye a possible triumph. In the end, time ran out with Glamorgan 21 runs and Derbyshire two wickets short. 

The towering scores in Division One were also in evidence at Hove. Cheteshwar Pujara struck a double-hundred for Sussex, but even this was eclipsed by a triple-century opening stand by Alex Lees and Sean Dickson, which was curtailed just short of a Durham record. Sussex ‘keeper Mohammad Rizwan, one of the finest T20 batsmen in the world, had an interesting game. He scored 79, took three wickets behind the stumps and, during a two-over stint as medium-pace bowler with a draw inevitable, a wonderful over-the-shoulder catch at first slip! 

This week, Notts and Derbyshire aren’t in action, so Middlesex can take over at the pinnacle by defeating Sussex but Glamorgan could do the same with a home conquest of Leicestershire. 

Team of the Week: Dent (Glo), Dickson (Dur), Gubbins (Ham), Madsen (Der), Pujara (Sus), J Smith (Sur), Guest (Der +), Barnard (Wor), C Overton (Som), Paterson (Not), Anderson (Lan)

Anderson’s 1000, Amla’s epic 37

In a week of one T20 Blast round and the return of the County Championship, it was another personal milestone for Jimmy Anderson which stole the headlines. In Lancashire’s rain-hit draw against Kent, his best-ever 7-19 included first-class wicket number 1000, when a trademark outswinger induced an edge from Heino Kuhn to ‘keeper Vilas. It’s 14 years since Robert Croft reached the same mark and 16 since Andy Caddick became the previous seamer to do it. The bulk have come in England whites and, with Tim Murtagh still 150-odd behind at the age of 39 and, given the current supremacy of limited overs cricket, it may never happen again. 

Lancashire sit in second place behind Group 3 leaders Yorkshire, who beat Northamptonshire. Harry Brook followed his 50-ball 91 not out in the Blast with a second-innings 113 while Dom Bess’ nine wickets eclipsed opponent Simon Kerrigan’s seven. Sussex failed to beat Glamorgan and so remain at the bottom but the two Roses counties are certain of reaching the top league in the decisive phase. 

In Group 2, late-order rescue acts were the order of the day at Taunton. Somerset’s 8^th and 9^th wickets contributed 222 before Leicestershire’s eighth wicket partnership record was shattered by Harry Swindells (171 not out) and Ed Barnes (83 not out). A draw was inevitable, which leaves Somerset needing at least a draw to progress. Gloucestershire advanced to second by completing a 164-run victory over Middlesex. Matt Taylor and Dan Worrall each took five wickets to finish things off. 

Gloucester meet Hampshire next week, the winner guaranteed to reach the final six. Should they draw, both might do so if Somerset lose to Surrey. Hampshire should have beaten them yesterday having established a phenomenal first-innings lead of 416. Colin de Grandhomme compensated for his T20 duck by striking the week’s highest score of 174 not out. However, Hashim Amla, that legend of ODI strokeplay, batted all day to accumulate a mere 37.  Luckily his younger Surrey team-mates proved just as diligent and patient to frustrate Barker, Abbott et al. There were maidens galore but the final few wickets stubbornly refused to fall. 

Nottinghamshire currently sit pretty in both competitions after thumping Derbyshire by an innings. Not for the first time this season, Luke Fletcher was the pick of their attack, with match stats of 8-64. Warwickshire are 14 points adrift after losing two days to rain at Edgbaston against Durham. At least there was time for Rob Yates to make a ton. 

Matters are coming to a head next week in preparation for the delayed arrival of The Hundred. Whoopy-doo! 

Team of the Week: Yates (War), Hammond (Glo), Bracey (Glo +), Brook (Yor), De Grandhomme (Ham), Swindells (Lei), Bess (Yor), M Taylor (Glo), Fletcher (Not), Kerrigan (Nor), Anderson (Lan)

England's youth selection pays off

It’s a touch over four years since Ben Stokes struck his record-breaking 258 at Newlands. 

Incredibly England almost contrived to lose that Test match, with AB De Villiers and another double-centurion Hashim Amla in fine form. But four years is a long time in international cricket. Stokes has hit the lows and highs and has transformed himself into a national treasure, while both Amla and AB have quit the Test arena.

England are one-day world champions and South Africa are a team in transition. Both are blooding youth, but it’s the tourists who have enjoyed crunching victories in the past few weeks, romping home by an innings at Port Elizabeth. Quinton de Kock and Vernon Phliander were instrumental in guiding the Proteas to an opening triumph straight after Christmas but the tide has turned dramatically.

At Cape Town the older brigade, led by Jimmy Anderson (7-63), Stokes and Denly who performed strongly, although Dom Sibley’s maiden century was crucial. This week, it was Ollie Pope who cemented his place in the side with his own inaugural hundred and the Player of the Match award. Yet none of England’s five under-25s have disgraced themselves. Sam Curran bowled well at times, Zak Crawley played himself in as Burns’ replacement and Dom Bess registered his first five-fer in international cricket. 

It’s kinda strange to think that Pope is only Surrey’s second-best wicketkeeper-batsman (behind Foakes) and last summer Bess struggled to hold down a first XI place at Somerset. Sometimes opportunities creep up on you and are there to be grasped and taking a 2-1 lead in South Africa is a mighty good line on a young player’s CV. With Wood and Stokes steaming in at 90mph, Jofra Archer and Anderson weren’t badly missed and a rare overseas Test series success looks highly probable.

No, the problems stand mainly with SA batting. Six innings completed, no scores of 300. So far the first-innings 284 at Centurion is their peak and De Kock’s 95 that day is the highest individual score. Maharaj’s world record-equalling 28 off Joe Root may have been a thrash in desperation but it speaks volumes that it has been arguably the most compelling piece of batsmanship South Africa have managed in the past month. With Faf du Plessis talking of stepping down, they need to improve. And fast.

Harmer hammers hopeless Hampshire

At last an excuse to indulge in an orgy of alliteration! While Somerset sat out the ninth round of Championship fixtures, nearest challengers Hampshire took a brutal beating on their travels to Chelmsford. Essex advanced to within seven points of Hampshire with an innings victory, for which they can thank spinner Simon Harmer. His match stats of 12 wickets for 60 tell the story and he now has more wickets than anyone else in the division.

Tunbridge Wells was the scene of Nottinghamshire’s fourth defeat of the season, going down by 285 runs to Kent. Zak Crawley and Joe Denly struck centuries while most of the bowlers contributed with wickets. Warwickshire also eased their relegation worries with a three-wicket triumph at York. Tom Kohler-Cadmore awaits punishment from the ECB for his part in the odious sex competition and he fell for a second-ball duck as his Yorkshire team-mates struggled against the seam of Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Craig Miles. Dominic Sibley added two further fifties to his season’s tally but the finish was tighter than Yorkshire could have imagined on the final morning.

In the next fortnight, Somerset face both their nearest rivals, which could go a long way in deciding the fate of the 2019 title.

In the Division Two promotion chase, Lancashire opened up a twenty-point margin with an impressive victory at Derby. England pacemen Jimmy Anderson and Graeme Onions dominated proceedings with seventeen cheap wickets between them against a side for whom Luis Reece opened both batting and bowling. Keaton Jennings needed only one ball to achieve a ten-wicket win.

Glamorgan and Sussex share second place after their respective draws. After an impressive sequence of scores for Ireland and the Seconds, Paul Stirling returned to the Middlesex First XI and duly racked up a ton, as did colleague Sam Robson. Glamorgan had little opportunity to shine but Marnus Labuschagne did his Ashes hopes no harm with another half-century and five wickets. At Kidderminster, Sussex and Worcestershire were evenly matched and no result was possible. For the visitors Chris Jordan enjoyed a reasonable all-round performance, Ben Brown added 144 more runs to his summer’s terrific total, Laurie Evans delivered a measured 113 and debutant bowler Aaron Thomason too no wickets but whacked a useful 90.

In the remaining fixture, just twenty wickets fell across four days at Leicester. The home side’s opener Hassan Azad compiled two hundreds, and shared a first innings stand of 320 with Neil Dexter on the way to 487 all out. Gloucestershire trumped that with 571, the bulk of it from the blades of Chris Dent and the in-form Ryan Higgins. Horton and Azad again accumulated 211 for the first wicket, fashioning a remarkably symmetrical partnership in which each reached three figures before declaring and agreeing the draw.

Both Sussex and Glamorgan have the opportunity this week to displace the Red Roses at the top, but only by defeating Durham and Gloucestershire, respectively.

Team of the Week: Hassan Azad (Lei), Crawley (Ken), Denly (Ken), Dexter (Lei), Labuschagne (Gla), Higgins (Glo), Cullen (Gla), Harmer (Ess), Onions (Lan), Hannon-Dalby (War), Anderson (Lan)

Double Delight for Somerset

Setting aside a few World Cup warm-ups, last week was all about Somerset and Hampshire. First-class victories left them occupying the top spots in the Championship, neatly setting up their clash at Lord’s in the Royal London One-Day Cup final.

The tournament has been depressingly downgraded by the ECB, squeezed into the schedule before the big-bucks World Cup and the Ashes. The once hugely popular county competition has been treated like a toddler being told she can watch one more episode of Peppa Pig before the grown-ups regain control of the remote. Anyway, tell that to the Zummerzet boys on Saturday who cheered Tom Abell’s side to a comprehensive and thorough thrashing of an admittedly depleted Hampshire. Any trophy for the perennial runners-up is mightily welcome, believe you me!

Earlier in the week, Somerset had edged a low-scoring game at Taunton against Warwickshire to stay top of the table. Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s 5-18 and Liam Norwell’s second innings 7-41 maybe deserved better, but the leaders boasted a superior collective attack, including the reliable Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory and won by 49 runs.

Newport has been in the new a lot lately. The Welsh football club were at Wembley for a play-off final and the old Spytty Park ground hosted its first Championship game for over fifty years. This week, its Isle of Wight namesake was also granted a rare first-class fixture, and spectators were treated to a 244-run triumph for Hampshire. Sam Northeast and new recruit Ajinkya Rahane shared a brisk 257 second-wicket stand to set up a declaration and the formidable seam attack of Abbott, Edwards and Barker did the rest, each claiming six wickets in the match.

Beckenham is a regular outlier on the county circuit and this summer it welcomed neighbouring Surrey to the Kent town. It produced an entertaining contest of runs a-plenty and a close finish. Sam Dickson contributed 219 in total for the home side but, with Scott Borthwick twice passing fifty and Rikki Clarke in fine all-round form, the champions were pushing for victory on the final afternoon only for young Wiaan Mulder to hold them up, just two wickets short when time ran out.

In Division Two, Lancashire beat their close rivals Worcestershire at Old Trafford by six wickets. For the visitors, Wayne Parnell fought hard but the combination of James Anderson and Richard Gleeson, with his third five-four in successive matches, held sway over three days.

Glamorgan enjoyed a rare away victory, overcoming Derbyshire by two wickets. The home side’s all-rounder Luis Reece struck a century and took four wickets but the Welsh lower order, including Tom Cullen and Daniel Douthwaite (OK, so neither are actually Welsh) got stuck in and finished the job.

At Chester-le-Street Durham lost yet again, this time handing Gloucestershire nineteen points with more than a day to spare, while batsmen were more to the fore at Northampton, where the home side played a high-scoring draw with Sussex. The most notable performances came from skipper Ben Brown (156) and Chris Jordan (166) who delivered a triple-century stand on day one.

I’d expect Sussex to come out on top next week against Glamorgan, and Lancashire should beat Gloucestershire to remain top. In the higher tier, Somerset sit it out and celebrate their cup win, so Hampshire will almost certainly overtake them, even if they only draw against third place Yorkshire. Warwickshire have little chance of arresting their decline with a home tie against Surrey who seem barely weakened by England’s World Cup selections.

Team of the Week: Dickson (Ken), Reece (Der), Borthwick (Sur), Northeast (Ham), Hain (War), Brown (Sus +), Clarke (Sur), Jordan (Sus), Parnell (Wor), Norwell (War), Anderson (Lan)

England clinch 4-1 victory over India

In the end, England enjoyed another resounding series success over top-ranked India, by 4-1. Virat Kohli must have had both sets of fingers crossed behind his back when he said his side was not outclassed. Alternatively he was perhaps being modest given that for much of the series India’s batting rested heavily on his shoulders.

It may be true that there was no gaping chasm in quality between the two nations, but the statistics don’t lie. Kohli, Pandya and Bumrah delivered a rare victory at Trent Bridge, and it’s true that Edgbaston and Southampton witnessed two evenly-contested games. Had Alastair Cook not delivered two classic ‘Chef’ innings in his final international appearance, the Oval climax could have been another tight affair. All ifs and buts. 

It’s great that Kohli at last overcame his England hoodoo. Indeed, he scored far more runs (593) in the five-match series than anywhere else on either side, and of those playing more than two Tests, was the only man to average over 40. His majestic 149 out of the first innings total of 274 in the first Test was the highlight, demonstrating the technical changes he had made to counter the movement of Jimmy Anderson in particular, and that they worked extremely well.  The trouble is, most of his loyal lieutenants didn’t follow suit. Dhawan, Rahane, Vijay and, until the very last day – when the pressure was off - Lokesh Rahul, all performed badly. Cheteshwar Pujara struck a typically pugnacious 132 not out to give India a rare first-innings lead at Southampton but there were too many consistent batting failures to give India a chance of winning three matches and therefore the Pataudi Trophy. The skipper must be wondering why it took an Essex debut for Murali Vijay to score a first-class century this year, having garnered only 26 in four Test knocks.

The bowling wasn’t amazing either, although Ishant Sharma’s early-summer Sussex experience bore fruit, and Jasprit Bumrah reproduced his white ball qualities in the last three Tests.

And yet history will show England to have ruled the roost. Ben Stokes returned with some fire in his belly, after getting away with his shameful violent assault on passers-by last autumn in Bristol. Stuart Broad had his moments, while Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and newcomer Sam Curran each received Player of the Match awards for their all-round performances.

Alastair Cook’s miserable run will have been forgotten when, having announced his imminent retirement, he remembered why he is England’s highest run scorer and finished a magnificent career with a 147. Yet the home team achieved only three other hundreds in the whole series, including lower-order duo Woakes and a recalled Jos Buttler. Jennings’ hold on an opener spot looks extremely tenuous but he’s fortunate that there are few obvious contenders to replace him and Cook. Bairstow was out of sorts, young Ollie Pope couldn’t reproduce his Surrey form and Malan was rightly rejected early on.

However, this wasn’t merely a series for Cook and Kohli. Instead it was a tantalising triumph for 36 year-old Jimmy Anderson. His match figures of 9-43 at Lord’s were pivotal in England’s innings victory and then, with the last delivery of the entire series, the Burnley Bullet overtook Glenn McGrath to become the highest Test wicket-taker by any non-spinner. Blessed with top-notch fitness, it’s not impossible for Anderson to overhaul Kumble and Warne, although Muralitharan’s 800 is probably a record too far!

For all their top-order trials, England must surely take more positives than India from this concertina’d concerto of a tour. Some youth has been blooded successfully and newly-crowned county champions Surrey – always so popular with selectors - are chock full of players who could do a job for England. The Currans and Pope have been tried yet may not reach their peak for a while yet, while Stoneman and Burns are easily the best openers in the Championship and Ben Foakes is a more solid rival to the flamboyant Bairstow as ‘keeper-batsman. On the other hand I suspect the evergreen all-rounder Rikki Clarke will be considered too old to add to his two caps received fifteen years ago. Mind you, he’s only ten months older than J. Anderson, Esquire, and he’s not doing at all badly. Sri Lanka next month might not be Clarke’s cup of tea, so Woakes, Rashid and Moeen may be resting more easily.

As for India, Virat Kohli and co have a few problems when it comes to five-day cricket in England but they are not world number ones for nothing. I’m sure a home series against the West Indies will see them back to winning ways. I’d like to thank India for their contribution to a great summer of sport and I look forward to them returning in a few years’ time and not being outclassed again.

Ashes 2017-18: England save the worst for last

Congratulations, Australia. One more, they made home advantage count and duly wiped the floor with Joe Root’s tourists, extending the winning margin to 4-0 courtesy of an innings victory at a scorching Sydney. It seemed somehow fitting that poor Root was too ill not only to complete his final innings but also to attend the end-of-series presentations.  It also seemed appropriate that Root retired ill having outscored all his colleagues in the final game. One of the other two Englishman to leave with reputation reasonably intact, Jimmy Anderson, was left with the thankless task of trotting out the pleasantries and excuses.

When the Aussies amass 649-7 and then dismiss the opposition for 180, it’s a pretty conclusive result. I commented a few weeks ago that there wasn’t a huge difference between the teams but those words look woefully misjudged today! Steve Smith’s run glut obviously caught the eye but his four-man attack of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and indefatigable spinner Nathan Lyon each captured more than 20 wickets. England managed to take only 58 in the whole series.

Both Marsh brothers reached three figures at the SCG while Cook, Bairstow and Malan were England’s only centurions of the series amidst generally pitifully low scoring. Anderson was the only English bowler to average under 35 and also led the wicket table on 17. Moeen Ali, Jake Ball and young Mason Crane each ended with bowling averages in three figures, and the Hampshire leggie was considered to have bowled well! Never mind; 25 years ago, Shane Warne was tonked on his debut, too, and I believe he went on to have quite a useful Test career.

So, in terms of Test cricket, what can Bayliss, Strauss and Root do to stop the rot? First of all – and this might seem perverse - they should forget the Ashes debacle Down Under. 4-0 looks – and was – humiliating but I don’t think any country would have beaten the Aussies this winter. England won at home last time and will probably do the same in 2019, with the likes of Anderson (if fit), Broad, Overton, Roland-Jones and Porter leading the attack.

Short-term, there are Tests to play in New Zealand. Conditions there will be more conducive to Root’s less pacey but perhaps more skilful seam and swing merchants, and the Black Caps don’t have Steve Smith in their line-up. I suggest that England don’t make wholesale changes. Give Ball, Crane and Overton another go but not sure about Tom Curran. He was only picked because of his Surrey connections anyway; certainly not on 2017 county form.

In addition to Moeen, James Vince was perhaps the most disappointing. His one-day batting seems to have matured as his first-class performances have declined. He wasn’t a complete disaster. After all, had Alastair Cook not produced that Melbourne masterclass, his series average would also have loitered in the low 20s at best. Malan and Stoneman must stay, but perhaps Ballance could have another chance to walk to the middle holding a bat instead of drinks tray.

At least England can say they pushed the Aussies into a fifth day every time, a modern rarity. The same can’t be said for India in Cape Town. Kohli’s world leaders played their part but, in the event, they were undone by South Africa’s fast bowlers, led by Vernon Philander. Only 760 runs were scored, not many more than Smith et al compiled in their single Sydney innings. However, unless you held unused tickets for the fifth day, it made for a good contest. Kohli’s men must be strangers to defeat but, on foreign soil, South Africa will surely look to reduce the ranking points difference between the two nations. AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn are back, and that can only be good for cricket, too.

Kohli and Ashwin in a class of their own

OK, I give in. Not a quote from Alastair Cook – not in public, anyway – but recognition of my ridiculous-looking prediction of a drawn series between India and England.

My insistence a few weeks ago that there wasn’t much between the two sides is also looking a bit lame, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Cook can point to dropped chances here and there but the innings defeat of England at Mumbai demonstrates that India undoubtedly had the greater strength in depth on their home pitches.

It all started so well. New South African import Keaton Jennings maintained his incredible rise in form this year by scoring a century on the first day of his Test debut. Jos Buttler also chipped in with a rare first-class 50 to take England to 400. Never before had they lost in Asia after making such a total. Of course, all records are made to be broken. Indeed, only two Test sides had ever lost by an innings after scoring 400 in the first innings.

In the event, India’s top four aggregated more than 400 between them, with three century partnerships. Two featured opener Murali Vijay but the star performer was captain Virat Kohli. His 235 from 340 balls was sheer class, not bad for a player who was, just three or four years ago written off as a one-day specialist. This effort, his third ‘double’ of 2016, took his Test batting average above the significant 50 mark. Not only that, but Kohli now boasts an unparalleled 50+ average in all three international formats. Not even AB De Villiers comes close (his T20 performance lets him down badly) and Kohli currently sits in the top three of all the ICC’s individual player rankings.

We shouldn’t ignore the contribution to India’s mammoth 631 all out. They were shambling along at 364-7 when spinner Jayant Yadav came to the crease to join his captain. 59 overs later, he became the first Indian Test number nine to reach three figures, putting in a mighty 241 for the eighth wicket. England would now have to bat a day and a half to avoid defeat, a target which is becoming all too familiar!

There was to be no fairytale ending for Jennings; he fell first ball! Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow did their best but the rest failed miserably, choosing a policy of attacking Ashwin and Jadeja. Huh? When trying to survive 120+ overs?!

Kohli duly collected the Man of the Match award but Ravi Ashwin’s twelve wickets were also eye-catching. Facing this situation, he proved far too wily for England’s stroke-making batsmen. He is also the bowler in form: in the seven Tests against New Zealand and England, he has now snaffled 54 wickets at not much over 20 apiece. For the second year running, he has claimed more than 60. And he has improved his batting somewhat, too.

India made it seventeen Tests unbeaten and five consecutive series victories but I wouldn’t quite place them on the same platform as Clive Lloyd’s West Indians or Steve Waugh’s Aussies. I’d first like to see Kohli’s side replicate their home successes overseas.

As for England, it’s too simplistic to say they picked the wrong bowlers and didn’t “know their best team”. Sometimes you don’t know how series will play out, or anticipate injuries. However, a reliance on the venerable Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad has proved to be a flawed strategy. Even when Anderson played, he only took four wickets, and none at all in Mumbai. No wonder he was so ungraciously prickly.

It’s stating the bleedin’ obvious to claim that Ashwin, Jadeja and Yadav were superior to Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Zafar Ansari and Gareth Batty. Indeed, I presume Ansari only went on tour because of his Asian antecedents and Batty because he also plays for Surrey. I don’t know which other twirlers England could have selected.

Anyway, there’s one more Test to come and – who knows? – England may stage a comeback at Chennai. However, the series is lost and the knives are out for Cook. Unfair. England are pretty dominant at home, and sit second in the Test rankings. It’s quite eve at the top, really. South Africa smash Australia, New Zealand beat Pakistan, Australia wallop NZ in ODIs. It’s good that international cricket is so competitive, and I wouldn’t be astonished if England beat both South Africa and West Indies next summer.

Let’s sit back and enjoy England giving it a go in the deep south or, alternatively, more fabulous displays by Kohli, Ashwin et al.

Bairstow Keeps England on Top

The record books say England won 2-0. However, had the inclement London weather not intervened on the fifth day, it would very likely have finished 3-0, whatever Angelo Mathews may claim.

To their credit Sri Lanka did make a contest of the Lord’s Test. With England at 84-4 and 226-6, they had the upper hand, only for Jonny Bairstow to find solid company at the crease in Chris Woakes. Their stand of 144 restored England’s usual status as favourites.

It was reassuring to see the visitors’ openers finally compile a decent partnership, both Karanuratne and Silva making half-centuries. But then they all collapsed under the magic spell of England’s seamers, Woakes the best and fastest of them.

Alex Hales proceeded to 94 before again missing out on a maiden Test century, trapped lbw to Mathews’ medium pace, and England were able to declare safe in the knowledge that Sri Lanka would not achieve the 362-run target. The weather forecast backed them up and in the event the rain ruled out any chance of a positive result.

It wasn’t a great series for batsmen. Only four hundreds were scored, and Chandimal’s 126 at Chester-le-Street the sole ton for Sri Lanka. Half of those four came from the England wicketkeeper, who compensated for the occasional glaring lapse behind the stumps by dominating the series batting statistics. Only Alec Stewart has struck a higher score by an England ‘keeper, and it can only be a matter of time – perhaps a month or two – before the 25 year-old Yorkshireman breaks that particular record, too.

Neither Root, Compton nor Vince performed well at Lord’s and the latter two are vulnerable to replacement for the Pakistan series. It has to be said that while Sri Lanka inevitably miss the big three batting superstars, England are relying heavily on the experienced bowling pair Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Finn remains an enigma, but Chris Woakes enhanced his reputation as more than just a decent county all-rounder and thoughtful one-day death bowler. Herath apart, it wasn’t a month for spinners, but that could change in the limited-overs competitions.

Chris Jordan hasn’t convinced me but has enjoyed a reasonable start to the 2016 season. Tymal Mills’ conversion from rough, ready and expensive paceman to part-time T20 specialist is complete after his selection for the Twenty20 international. That match doesn’t mean anything other than his potential England debut. The 50-over stuff is more intriguing, and offers England another opportunity to show what their younger, more exciting players can do. Let’s see if they succeed.

Jimmy Anderson and Alastair Cook Make their Milestones

That England clinched the Test series at Chester-le-Street was never in doubt. After the cringeworthy circus at Headingley, the neutral could at least revel in Sri Lanka’s ability to prolong the second match agony into a fourth day. However, it’s sad that the tourists are no longer able to provide a decent challenge to a buoyant England. Angelo Mathews is a magnificent cricketer, as his 2015 stats demonstrate. However, not even he can carry his nation’s batting, bowling, fielding and decision-making alone.

I was so disgusted with the First Test fiasco that I couldn’t even write a blog. However, a few more weeks has left me calmer, cooler and possessed of a broader view! Sri Lanka may no longer be a five-day force to be reckoned with but let’s recognise England’s resurgence. It’s not just about the young guns so beloved of the media.

Jimmy Anderson has surpassed himself, storming to the top of the ICC rankings at the age of 33 thanks to eighteen wickets in the brief series so far. He has also achieved the 450-wicket milestone, only the sixth man, and third seamer, to do so. Stuart Broad ceded the top spot to his team-mate while Chris Woakes did not disgrace himself on his return to the side in Ben Stokes’ place. Steve Finn’s attacking prowess is not what it was, but then right now it doesn’t need to be.

The jury’s still out on Nick Compton, who’s out of form this summer while others have filled their boots on bat-friendly pitches. Despite his first-innings 83, I remain unconvinced by Alex Hales, too, but can’t see an obvious candidate with the required composure and consistency. Joe Root is unmoveable and both James Vince and Jonny Bairstow are utterly worthy of a long run in the England whites.

I can’t help feeling Moeen Ali is utterly wasted at number eight. Advanced to seven ahead of Woakes, he proved my point this week by striking an excellent entertaining 155 not out. And yet the batting headlines were made by a man who scored 15 and 47 not out.

Skipper Alastair Cook can get weighed down by expectation or impending landmarks Therefore, it was a relief to all when, during the simple run chase, he clipped a boundary to leg for the runs he needed to become the first Englishman, and the youngest in world history, to break the 10,000 barrier. With so many matches scheduled for England, I can definitely see him proceeding to threaten Sachin Tendulkar’s awesome record in the next six years or so. It could be just injury or a massive sport upheaval that gets in his way.

A solid dependable opener off the impressive Essex production line, Cook earned respect from an early age, much as Joe Root has done. Yes, he has had his dodgy spells but has always managed to bounce back, even with the added yoke of captaincy. What has stood him out from the crowd of other greats like Gower, Gooch or, indeed, Bell, is his ability to make runs and win matches on foreign soil such as India or Australia. Very few top batsmen boast a better average away than at home but Cook’s figures are 49 and 43, respectively, bolstered by 55 on neutral territory. How many other non-Asian men have averaged more than 60 in India? Of those playing more than fifteen innings, the answer is a mere three: Clive Lloyd, Bert Sutcliffe and Hashim Amla.

So what next this summer? After recharging his batteries in the Spring, he delivered three centuries in four games to ignite his county’s promotion challenge and I’m sure he will score more against Pakistan if not before. England are buzzing right now. The Test series is boringly one-sided but at least it distracts from the Twenty20 nonsense and puts the focus back on players such as Anderson and Cook, two of England’s undisputed all-time greats.

Roses Reign over the Rain

Unfortunately, my hopes for a week of results proved groundless. The early hot sunshine quickly gave way to two days of rain across most of the country. The exceptions were Old Trafford and Headingley, where both Yorkshire and Lancashire wrapped up welcome innings wins over Surrey and Hampshire, respectively.

Yet again, batsmen dominated the week. We had two triple-century partnerships, three double-century scores and two near-misses. Yorkshire’s victory was founded on a record Leeds stand of 372, involving England’s Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies scored more than half of Surrey’s runs but didn’t get the support.

The champions lead the table by one point, but Lancashire advanced to second, and have a game in hand. Procter, Hameed and Petersen racked up a big first innings lead of 347, leaving Hampshire more than two days to defend in between rain breaks. Jimmy Anderson and Simon Kerrigan boasted combined figures of 60-31-88-8 and the visitors couldn’t hang on for long enough. To make matters worse, they secured only a single bonus point and now prop up Division One.

Somerset were enjoying the best of their match at Warwickshire before the final day washout. Tom Abell’s patient 102 and a couple of quicker half-centuries from Peter Trego were supported by some useful bowling by the Overton twins but the home side were spared the chance to bat a day or attack a 300+ target.

The Middlesex-Nottinghamshire fixture lost two whole days, but not until Sam Robson had struck his third first-class hundred of the summer. However, the England selectors are persevering with one of his opponents, Alex Hales who did at least contribute a useful 73 in the cause.

In Division Two, it was four draws out of four, leaving Essex still on top. Ed Joyce (250) and Luke Wells (116) put on 310 for Sussex against Derbyshire, while colleague Lewis Hatchett’s 5-58 was the week’s best bowling performance in the Championship.

Elsewhere, Kent’s Sam Northeast delivered his highest First-class score of 189 against Gloucestershire, for who Hamish Marshall continued his sprightly early-season form. Young ‘keeper Adam Rouse claimed eight catches for Kent, too.

At Leicester, the cricket didn’t match up to the football, but the home county’s lofty position in the league is almost as surprising as the Foxes’! Neil Dexter scored 98 and took three cheap Northants wickets but the lack of play on Day 3 proved crucial. There wasn’t much play at Cardiff either, but enough for Brett d’Oliveira and Joe Clarke to fill their boots again. The Worcester pair shared a third-wicket partnership of 253 and the opener made an impressive ‘double’.

Next week, Lancashire’s bid for the top spot could be halted by Durham, while Yorkshire must be confident of a decent return from Taunton, weather-permitting. Leicester are giving the Sri Lankans some pre-Test practice, so Essex should extend their lead at home to Derbyshire.

Team of the Week:
D’Oliveira (Wor), Joyce (Sus), Root (Yor), Bairstow (+ Yor), Northeast (Ken), S Davies (Sur), Trego (Som), Roland-Jones (Mid), Haggett (Ken), Patterson (Yor), Anderson (Lan)

Pakistan's Superior Spin Proves too much for England

After two tense, close contests, Pakistan ran away with the third to clinch the series 2-0. As predicted in my last blog, the Test match was decided by the superiority of the ‘home’ side’s spin attack against England’s.

With Buttler dropped, James Taylor beefed up the batting and Samit Patel offered a third spin option. However, while slow bowlers totally dominated the India v South Africa encounter at Mohali, they didn’t have it all their own way at Sharjah. On the first day, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad conceded just 30 runs in 28 overs, while Patel, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid went for almost four an over. Only Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed took charge and helped Pakistan past 200.

In reply, five England players reached 40 but Taylor was alone in passing 50, taking the team to a first innings lead of 72. It would have been more had it not been for Shoaib Malik’s three late wickets, including that of the injured Ben Stokes. However, they could not ram home their advantage.

Mohammad Hafeez survived an early scare and went on to an impressive 151. Stokes was out of action but England’s two seamers were once more in superb form. Nevertheless they can’t bowl continuously in the UAE heat, and the spinners again looked the weakest link.

Pakistan raced away to a lead of 283, a not impossible target in normal circumstances. However, in Sharjah, Yasir Shah, Malik and Zulfiqur Babar made few mistakes, maintain the pressure and grinding England down. Alastair Cook did his best, outlasting eight of his team-mates in an innings of 63 runs and four hours. England were destroyed in five overs, when the middle-order were sent packing for only 11 runs. Three of them fell LBW, bamboozled by the spin of Babar and Shah, and the series was lost on the final afternoon.

Only Cook, England’s only centurion, Anderson and Broad emerged with much credit from the series. The captain’s massive 263 at Abu Dhabi was almost as many as the second highest scorer, Joe Root, managed in all six attempts. Anderson’s 13 victims came at just 15 apiece and at a phenomenal economy rate of 1.87. Normally you might expect spinners to frustrate batsmen, but the England seamers did their best. Unfortunately, Ali and Rashid showed that, despite the coaching of Shane Warne, they aren’t yet the real deal.

Yasir Shah definitely is and across the series he was the prime difference between the two well-matched teams. Five Pakistan batsmen struck hundreds and averaged 48 or more, demonstrating how to cope with slow bowling at this level. Younis and Misbah surely can’t have many more Tests in them, and Shoaib has already announced his retirement. As with Sri Lanka, Pakistan need to find young batting talent if they are to threaten the other top nations in five-day cricket.

As for England, all is not lost for their forthcoming trip to South Africa. Nevertheless, much rests on the fitness of Broad and Anderson. I’m not sure whether Moeen Ali is the right opening partner for Cook in Tests. However, neither is Alex Hales. Both are excellent one-day openers and England’s squad is looking like a converted ODI outfit; too many all-rounders, not enough specialists. Most other countries are similar; it’s the new era of cricket.

I think that with some work Bairstow could become a top ‘keeper-batsman, much as Alec Stewart was a few decades ago. Buttler has never done much in first-class cricket, not even for Somerset. I like Taylor, Root and, for all his recent travails, Ian Bell. Graeme Swann is badly missed, but world-class spinners are a rarity. Anywhere in the world. Wood and Jordan are OK but unlikely to scare the likes of Amla or De Villiers. On the other hand, South Africa are short of good spinners, too, so we could be in for another competitive series.

Sadness for Sussex, Heaven for Hampshire

When rain swept the nation early in the week, I feared the worst: that the weather would decide the Division One relegation battle and the county season would fizzle out in a damp squib. How wrong I was; there were fireworks a-plenty, and a brilliant climax!

Not only did the battle to avoid the drop go right to the wire, but there were also great performances with bat and ball in all eight fixtures played.

Personally, my relief came a day early. At Taunton, a combination of James Hildreth’s century and spinner Jack Leach’s wickets were enough to guarantee Somerset’s safety regardless of what happened at Trent Bridge or Headingley. Jeetan Patel’s 7-34 left Warwickshire needing only 225 to win on the final day, but Leach and the unlikely figure of Tom Cooper claimed nine of the ten wickets to fall, giving Somerset victory and a sixth place finish. That’s the second successive season when we’ve pulled it out of the fire in late September!

Sussex merely needed to avoid defeat to Yorkshire to remain in Division One. However, the champions weren’t happy to sip champagne and play their reserves. Most of their England stars were on the pitch, but Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan were the pick of the Eleven. In his last game, Michael Yardy did his best, but Sussex’s batting, Ben Brown and Luke Wright apart, has been woeful for much of the summer, restricting their bonus point tally. They lost by 100 runs.

Meanwhile, the first innings scores in Nottingham were fairly even, but then Hampshire grasped the initiative on day three, West Indian seamer Fidel Edwards completing a ten-for in the match as the Notts batting collapsed. Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry kept their heads and Hampshire had won the one that really mattered. Sussex were relegated by just two points!

Worcestershire’s demise had already been set in concrete so it was a huge surprise that they gave second-placed Middlesex a trouncing by an innings and 128 runs. The two Toms, Fell and Kohler-Cadmore each struck hundreds. In the latter’s case, it was his first in the championship.

By contrast, all four Division Two matches were drawn. It was a cracker at Derby where the home side were set a target of 341 in under a day by Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove, whose 156 had made his side narrow favourites. At 285-2, things looked promising as Chesney Hughes reached three figures. However, once he and Madsen were out, it also became a race against the clock. There were two run-outs and in an exciting finale, Derbyshire closed on 331-8. Mark Footitt took another ten wickets on probably his last appearance for the county. He would be badly missed.

Surrey ended the season as second tier champions, but Northants gave them a rollercoaster ride at the end. Another silky century from Kumar Sangakkara and ten wickets for the young Curran brothers left the Londoners 300 runs ahead. However, the visitors fought back with three centurions of their own and time was against even Jason Roy et al in the final session to deny them victory.

Having lost the first day to bad weather, Lancashire and Essex couldn’t conjure up a positive result either. James Anderson and Alastair Cook faced each other for a change and it was the bowler who was most definitely on top, with match figures of 8-90. The England captain aggregated a mere eight runs in two innings, lbw to, then caught by Anderson! Ravi Bopara and Jesse Ryder scored most of Essex’s runs. Ashwell Prince’s career finished with another half-century while 41 year-old Glenn Chapple could take only three more wickets. He is now cruelly 15 short of the thousand in first-class cricket. Will he be back for more next year?!

In the other game, it was a runfest at Bristol. An unbeaten 180 stand between Ingram and Cooke for Glamorgan on the final day was impressive but was completely eclipsed by Gloucester opener Chris Dent. A mediocre season was turned on its head when he spent more than eight hours at the crease compiling a career-best 268. Few have score more in the Championship al summer!

And so the 2015 summer comes to an end. England won the Ashes, domestic silverware went to Yorkshire, Lancashire and Gloucestershire, and the same old questions were being asked about the demise of four- and five-day cricket, 50-over cricket and basically all cricket other than the IPL. Pathetic! There’s room for all formats; it’s just a matter of finding compromises to fit them in the calendar. However, that’s harder than it sounds!

I’ll be reviewing the domestic season’s star performers shortly but, in the mean time, here’s my final County Team of the Week:

Dent (Glo), Duckett (Nor), Sangakkara (Sur), Fell (Wor), Madsen (Der), Bopara (Ess), Cooke (Gla, +), Edwards (Ham), Leach (Som), Anderson (Lan), Footitt (Der)

Worcestershire Down, Hampshire Cling On

With the title already in Yorkshire’s hands, the main focus this week was on the relegation battle. For Worcestershire, it was simple: beat Durham to survive.

They also needed to beat the weather, which was wreaking havoc across England. Indeed, Worcester’s first innings spanned the first three days, then the scoring rates picked up as the away side tried to set a challenging target for Durham on the final day. Unfortunately for them, Dave Richardson (65 not out) and the reliable Steve Borthwick (99) were too good for the Worcester attack and duly clinched victory in their last match of the season.

At the Ageas Bowl, Hampshire also enjoyed a good start, Liam Dawson’s 140 contributing to a 400 score. A weakened Yorkshire struggled in response but more rain meant Hampshire needed an early declaration and a forfeited second innings to contrive a result. At 37-3, the home team looked like taking a giant stride towards safety. However, Andrew Gale and Jack Leaning put on 190 for the fourth wicket, not only denying Hampshire victory but also five valuable points for a draw.

Just along the South Coast, Sussex were hosting Somerset, starting on an equal footing. Ed Joyce chose to bat and both sides could be satisfied with h situation at lunch on day 2. Mike Yardy scored a century on his final appearance at Hove, but Somerset bowled them out. With rain wiping out day three and no risky declarations on the agenda, it was all about bonus points. A flawless double-hundred from Marcus Trescothick took them past 400 then, once Peter Trego also reached three figures, a declaration was offered by Tres. Although Sussex had claimed only one bowling point, the captains shook hands and Somerset finished two points ahead.

There was even less play at Edgbaston, where James Taylor’s 164 was the highlight of Nottinghamshire’s draw with Warwickshire.

In next week’s final round of fixtures, Hampshire must beat Notts at Trent Bridge and hope neither Sussex nor Somerset also win their games versus Yorkshire and Warwickshire, respectively. They will also be praying for washouts at Headingley and Taunton to keep the bonus points down!

In Division Two, the promoted pair of Surrey and Lancashire met at Old Trafford, and it was the former who had the better of the drawn encounter. They declined to enforce the follow-on, allowing Kumar Sangakkara to score his 54th first-class hundred and set the home county 492 to win. The match ended with the score at 195-7, Hameed having produced a valuable 91. Having been called up by England, Surrey’s Zafar Ansari scored 99 but a dislocated finger prevented him from bowling. Meanwhile, James Anderson made his first county championship appearance of the year and took the three wickets needed to reach 700 in his first-class career.

The only match to produce a positive result was at Leicester. Despite losing the first two days to rain, both sides negotiated a target of 307 for Essex in the final two sessions. This they managed, largely thanks to Nick Browne. The opener struck his fifth century of the season to take his side up to third in the table. They’ve done particularly well since coach Paul Grayson resigned!

There wasn’t much to shout about at Northampton, especially for Glamorgan. Wicketkeeper, captain and stand-in opener Mark Wallace retired hurt early on and this could end his amazing run of 230 consecutive Championship matches dating back to 2001. Young Welsh batsman David Lloyd enjoyed a career-best 92. Only fifteen overs were possible in the Kent v Gloucestershire contest. Kent must be relieved the 2015 season has finished. They did at least avoid the wooden spoon with a few recent victories.

Team of the Week: Trescothick (Som), Browne (Ess), Borthwick (Dur), J Taylor (Not), Dawson (Ham), Yardy (Sus), Trego (Som), Foster (Ess +), Kleinveldt (Nor), T Curran (Sur), Barker (War)