Vince Convinces and Tom Price’s value soars

Hampshire cheated the rain by taking Northamptonshire to the cleaners inside three days. They thundered to the top of Division One by an innings and 270 and already look prime candidates for the Championship pennant, along with Surrey. Skipper James Vince and Nick Gubbins shared a third-wicket stand of 188, which is almost what Northants managed in total across both their innings. James Fuller took 6-37 in the first reply, then Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott swept the home side away for 63 all out. 

Middlesex had to work harder to beat Nottinghamshire, scoring at more than six an over in the afternoon gloom at Lord’s to earn a 4-wicket victory. Mark Stoneman was the pick of their batsmen but Ryan Higgins produced one of those doughty all-round performances that used to be his trademark at Gloucestershire. Pity poor Ben Duckett whose 184 runs came to nought. 

At Taunton, Lancashire had the better of Somerset, despite career-best scores by Tom Abell and teenage ‘keeper James Rew, who also took six catches in Lancashire’s mammoth first innings. Keaton Jennings had looked set to make a ‘double’ but retired hurt when on 189. An unbeaten partnership of 89 between Gregory and Aldridge ensured a draw. 

Previous wet weather and a final-day washout also prevented a result at Canterbury involving Kent and Essex. For the visitors, Nick Browne and Tom Westley put on 265 for the second wicket, while Zak Crawley helped himself to 170. The top two don’t play next week, so the winner of Warwickshire v Surrey will leapfrog both. 

All three Division Two fixtures were drawn, and runs were in short supply between the showers. Indeed, only two players reached three figures. Kiran Carlson’s 119 couldn’t prevent Glamorgan following on at home to leaders Durham, but his team-mates defied the aptly-named Ben Raine et al to save the match. At Worcester, Gloucestershire’s Tom Price achieved a remarkable double on Thursday. He smashed a maiden century, then claimed a hat-trick, all three victims caught behind by James Bracey. 

In the week’s other game, Yorkshire were stranded just 63 runs short of the Sussex target thanks to the Hove rain, with Adam Lyth and Shai Hope on half-centuries. In the next round, Durham will extend their lead handsomely by beating Derbyshire but, if not, Leicestershire will pounce with success at home to Glamorgan. 

Team of the Week:-  Crawley (Ken), Jennings (Lan), Duckett (Not), Vince (Ham), Abell (Som), Rew (Som +), Higgins (Mid), T Price (Glo), Fuller (Ham), Mohammad Abbas (Ham), Ajeet Dal (Glo)

Somerset Blitz Record Books to reach Finals Day

They may be in deep trouble in the Championship but Somerset dug in during the past week of the Vitality Blast not only to qualify for the quarter-finals but also to make the last four in incredible fashion. In the South Group, they overcame Middlesex with just two balls remaining while long-term leaders Surrey were despatched decisively thanks to a third-wicket stand of 165 between Smeed and Abell, plus three wickets in seven deliveries for Craig Overton, who capped a great evening of family bragging rights by having twin brother Jamie caught behind.

In yesterday’s quarter-final against Derbyshire, the Taunton crowd must have been breathless in amazement. Somerset struck eighteen sixes and twenty-two fours, led by Tom Banton and Riley Rossouw on their way to an English Blast record total of 265-5.  Poor Derbyshire never got started. Wayne Madsen’s runs ensured they reached the knockouts but, with the exception of George Scrimshaw’s bowling, they were never at the races, bowled out for a paltry 74, a record losing margin. To keep the unwanted records flowing, Mattie McKiernan’s four overs of leg-spin went for 82. The fifteenth over conceded 36 runs, including an embarrassing no-ball and five sixes.

The unpredictability of T20 was confirmed when Surrey, so dominant for most of the summer, hosted Yorkshire at The Oval and somehow contrived to lose. Players on both sides were absent on England duty but there were still plenty of internationals on the pitch. David Willey had been allowed to race up to London and put in a good all-round stint for the visitors but Jamie Overton’s brutal striking looked to set to win the game for Surrey. They needed just five from Jordan Thompson’s final over but, after three dots, JOverton dithered over running on a fumble by ‘keeper Tom Kohler-Cadmore and ran himself out. Narine was brilliantly caught in the deep first-ball but Thompson held his nerve at the death and the Vikings were home by a single run.

Their Roses rivals also had a topsy-turvy week. After losing to Worcestershire and Derbyshire, they scraped through as North division runners-up only by defeating the leaders, Birmingham Bears. Lancashire also had several players away for the India T20I but regardless they made short work of Essex, courtesy of tight seam bowling from Bailey, Wood and Lamb, and an unbeaten 76 by 37-year-old Steven Croft. Their Finals Day entrance pits them against … Yorkshire!

Somerset’s semi-final will be against old Finals Day adversaries Hampshire, who knocked out the Bears by 104 runs. The latter had produced seven 200+ scores but needed only 187 to win. That they didn’t come remotely close was largely down to James Fuller’s 4-17 and Nathan Ellis’ 3-4 in just nine balls.

So, who will win this weekend? Not Somerset. Obviously. If they have their star players back, I’ll plump for Lancashire but Hampshire have a habit of surprising me..

Team of the Week: D’Oliveira (Wor), Rossington (Ess +), Duckett (Not), Madsen (Der), Ackermann (Lei), Abell (Som), Mousley (War/Bears), Fuller (Ham), C Overton (Som), Sams (Ess), Stone (War/Bears)

Essex on a roll, Somerset robbed

 Reigning county champions Essex are the only side with a 100% record thanks to a nervy win at Hove and rain elsewhere. An Lawrence’s 60 was the top score in the match, so it was the familiar combination of seamer Jamie Porter and spinner Simon Harmer which clinched it. Sussex’s George Garton took nine wickets, including Alastair Cook twice, but all in vain. 

Surrey also have a 100% record – of losses – after succumbing to an innings defeat at Arundel. Alsop and Northeast each scored 80+ while Ian Holland claimed a first-innings 6-60 and James Fuller scooped a hat-trick on the final day. At this rate, Surrey will do well to avoid a whitewash. In the other South group, Surrey’s next opponents Kent settled for a home draw with Middlesex after the latter set them an unlikely target of 248 in 32 overs. Robbie White missed his maiden century by a whisker, caught off Darren Stevens on 99. 

Somerset had a topsy-turvy ride at Edgbaston. Struggling to earn a single bonus point, Jamie Overton joined Stephen Davies and put on 190 for the ninth wicket. The bowler thumped six sixes and 15 fours in his 120 and his team looked set to secure an innings victory before the last of several rain delays proved terminal, with Warwickshire eight wickets down. Sums up Somerset’s grim luck with the red ball. 

Worcestershire leapfrogged them at the top of Central division by beating Northants at Wantage Road by 78 runs. Tom Fell was the hero, his 110 the first Championship century since his cancer diagnosis five years ago. At a soggy Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire batsmen struggled again. Home skipper Chris Cooke once more led a second-innings resistance before the weather closed in for good. 

Further north, group leaders Yorkshire and Derbyshire had to settle for a draw at Headingley, but similar results elsewhere ensured they retained the top two positions. Dawid Malan scored a career-best 219 for his new county before Derbyshire worked towards a third batting bonus point at close of play. Derby next meet Durham who to their credit agreed a competitive last-day contest with Leicestershire. A final-hour thrash could have brought Leicester the spoils but another shower prevented a result. 

At Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire made Lancashire follow on, thanks largely to a 178-run stand involving Ben Duckett and Ben Slater, who could be forgiven for a degree of confusion. A fortnight ago, he was striking 172, but for Leicestershire! Last week he made a ‘pair’ and now the runs returned for his new club. A first success of the summer was thwarted when openers Jennings and Davies dug in for the draw. They’ll need more such grit if they are to win next week’s Roses battle. 

Team of the Week: Slater (Not), Robson (Mid), Duckett (Not), Malan (Yor), Fell (Wor), Davies (Som +), J Overton (Som), Holland (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Payne (Glo), Garton (Sus)

Ian Bell rings, Fuller's full of wickets

Most of the Vitality Blast action took place in the northern half of England this week. Worcestershire’s 100% record came to a crashing end, with defeats at the hands of Yorkshire and Durham. The Jets won all three of their matches, with strong starts to each innings. Captain Tom Latham and Cumbrian Graham Clark were consistent openers, Callum MacLeod weighed in with a century and a rare Ben Stokes appearance delivered a 43 and 4-16 in that Worcester fixture.

However, Lancashire top the group following three victories of their own. Last night’s thrilling one-run success over their White Rose rivals was the big one, and there was no ‘bat drop’ celebration for Joe Root, who couldn’t find the last-ball boundary Yorkshire needed. Liam Livingstone added to his considerable run tally for the season but Toby Lester’s excellent start – 4-25 against Derbyshire – couldn’t be maintained. Root and Bresnan took him to the cleaners in the exciting run chase at Old Trafford.

Even more cliffhanging was Friday’s game at Edgbaston. After suffering five successive defeats, Northamptonshire must have sensed success against Birmingham Bears once Richard Levi’s unbeaten 95 had anchored a score of 231-5. However, Ian Bell, once derided for his inability to score quickly enough for England, produced a magnificent 131, including seven sixes. He was dismissed by Buck in the last over with ten needed, then de Grandhomme fell with two to win. Unfortunately for the Bears, Aaron Thomason could only muster a single from the final ball and we had a tie. At least Northants had secured a point.

In the South division, Kent and Gloucestershire share the lead, but both were prevented from adding two to their points total by rain (yes, rain!). At Cheltenham, the weather closed in before the home team could bat, and the same thing happened at The Oval, where the Kent attack was hammered for 250-6. Inevitably, Aaron Finch led the way with a 38-ball 83.

I’m delighted that Somerset are back in the hunt. Their trips to Lord’s and Cardiff resulted in much needed triumphs, Max Waller’s leg-spin being particularly mean at the start of the innings. However, when it comes to taking wickets, James Fuller topped the bill this week. The eighth bowler used by Middlesex against Hampshire, he claimed an impressive 6-28. Nevertheless, they still contrived to lose the game and hand Hampshire a first win of the 2018 Blast.

They meet again next week, but the Kent-Sussex and Birmingham-Yorkshire clashes are the picks of the fixture list. The T20 block is also interrupted briefly by some Championship matches, including another Roses encounter and leaders Surrey travelling to Nottinghamshire. If Finch plays, it could be over in two days.

Team of the Week: 

Latham (Dur), Bell (War), Levi (Nor), Livingstone (Lan), MacLeod (Dur), Stokes (Dur), Brown (Sus +), Archer (Sus), Imran Tahir (Dur), Waller (Som), Fuller (Mid)