County Cricket: Duckett Double, Hadley Heroics

The two leading title contenders met at Trent Bridge but the batters dominated to produce a stalemate. Nottinghamshire stay top after Joe Clarke’s prolific form continued, and Ben Duckett notched his first century of the county season, and it was an unbeaten 203, although Surrey bowling Burns, Sibley and Patel at the end probably helped a wee bit. 

Warwickshire leapfrog Surrey into second spot following a 377-run trouncing of Yorkshire. It is a weird scorecard. Three sub-200 totals scattered around the decisive Warwicks second innings of 553-6 declared, in which Sam Hain’s 164 not out headed a succession of solid scores. Oliver Hannon-Dalby was back in the Warwickshire fold after his Worcestershire loan, and claimed match figures of 7-71 against his home county. Harry Brook chipped in with sixty-six runs but couldn’t save his side. 

One-time leaders Somerset continued their miserable May, leading Glamorgan before crumbling in their second innings despite two more Tom Abell half-centuries. Inexperienced Aussie Ryan Hadley took 3-28 but it was his batting which sparked the last-day headlines. Glamorgan still faced an awkward target of 283, and Hadley entered the fray as nightwatchman with four wickets down. Incredibly, he was still there at the death, having persevered for almost five hours, facing more deliveries than in the whole of his first-class career, finally driving to the boundary to bring up his maiden fifty and winning the match by two wickets. His fifty-over 114 partnership with Sean Dickson (76) defied all that the Somerset seamers could throw at them and now the Welsh are above them in the table. 

Sussex achieved victory number three, with Leicestershire their latest victims at Hove. Centuries from Daniel Hughes (the only one by any opener this week) and John Simpson put them out of sight, then three wickets apiece by Robinson and Hudson-Prentice left the batsmen with a simple chase which they won at a gallop. Meanwhile, at Chelmsford, Hampshire’s batting woes continued, their hosts Essex winning by six wickets inside three days. The visitors’ James Fuller took 5-43 in the first outing but Matt Critchley compensated for early jitters against Kyle Abbott (4-36) by thumping fifteen fours in his unbeaten match-winning ninety. Hampshire now have the unenviable task of defeating leaders Notts later this week. 

In Division Two, Durham remain at the helm, comfortably beating Worcestershire by nine wickets at New Road. Despite Ben Raine’s 5-63 and 2-54 by the rarely-spotted Ben Stokes, Worcester claimed a slender led at halfway. However, Callum Parkinson (5-13) induced a collapse which left Gay and McKinney to add to their run tallies and steer their side to victory. 

Middlesex returned from Old Trafford with a win bonus and healthy bowling figures, especially by Ryan Higgins. On the third and final day, Ben Geddes steadied the ship and piloted his side home by six wickets, dropping Lancashire to fourth. Last week, Northants crushed Worcestershire by an innings but this time they were on the end of a similar pasting. Derbyshire recovered from a loss to Kent to compile a formidable 604-7 declared, crowned by a double-hundred stand between Martin Andersson and Brooke Guest. Northants tried to drop anchor, but with Shoaib Bashir sending down more than sixty overs and Guest catching six nicks off the seamers, Derby were patient and took the win. 

Having collected their first triumph for a year last week, Kent made it two on the bounce at Bristol. Gloucestershire pushed them all the way to the closing session, with Bell and Williams taking fourteen of the eighteen wickets to fall. Nonetheless, James Taylor enjoyed his first ten-wicket haul and Tawanda Muyeye (90 and 108) top-scored for Kent in the two-wicket success. 

In the last round before a Championship break, Kent entertain leaders Durham at Beckenham and Middlesex welcome Derbyshire to Lord’s. Northants visit Gloucestershire, and it’s off to the Southport seaside for Lancs and Worcestershire. 

Team of the Week:- Hughes (Sus), Duckett (Not), Clarke (Not), Hain (War), Muyeye (Ken), Guest (Der +), Higgins (Mid), Hadley (Gla), C Parkinson (Dur), Hannon-Dalby (War), J Taylor (Ken)

Alastair Cook quits, England need a new Chef

So Alastair Cook has fallen on his sword. Well, let’s hope the blade is blunt because his successor as England skipper will be sorely grateful for the opener’s runs and experience on and off the field.

After nearly five years and 59 Tests as captain of the national side, it remains hard to register that Cook is only 32. On quitting the England post, Andrew Strauss went the whole hog and retired from the sport but there are plenty of years left in Alastair’s cricketing locker. Good for Essex, great for England. Provided he stays injury-free and any dips in form don’t last, he could serve England for another five years at least. Maybe ten; just look at Misbah-ul-Haq! And then there is the issue of personal targets. Cook is already easily the highest Test run scorer in England’s history with more than 11,000 and 30 centuries.

His average of 46.45, though creditable, is the weakest of any of the other 11 men with at last 10,000 runs to their names. However, apart from Sunil Gavaskar, Cook is the only regular opening batsman on that short list of all-time greats, making his achievements even more impressive. His stats as captain ain’t bad either. The pressures of leadership haven’t had a notably negative effect on his scoring, although his removal from ODI duties may have helped.

Inevitably, scrutiny will be applied to his legacy as captain. He enjoyed a fabulous first few years including the memorable 2012-13 triumph in India and Ashes retention later that summer. The revenge at home to Australia in 2015 and subsequent success in South Africa last year were further highlights, but the demolition by Johnson, Harris and Warner Down Under and the recent woeful tour of Asia blotted his copybook. Nevertheless the best captain in the universe can't win matches on his own, and England's current transitional squad without a top-class spinner have brought Cook's win percentage down to a modest 40%.

However, I won’t criticise him for his resilience in the face of Pietersen-gate and KP’s powerful but misguided supporters three years ago. The ECB was right to drop and banish Pietersen to the modern day equivalent of Saint Helena, i.e. the Big Bash and IPL. However, I’m sure he earned more than Napoleon did in exile two centuries ago!

Now for the succession. How England must regret James Taylor’s early retirement, forced by ill health. He would have been the perfect candidate; an excellent all-round batsman with experience of leading the Lions and his county. Joe Root must surely be handed the reins. At 26, he is old enough and mature enough, one of the few automatic choices for the Test XI and genuine world-class. Yet that doesn’t make him a good captain.

Most national sides resort to making their best player – no, best batsman - captain at some point, from Lara to Ponting, Tendulkar to Mathews. Yet, for all the stardust emanating from such players, the tactical nous and dressing room leadership can sometimes be missing. For England, Botham, Flintoff and that man Pietersen spring to mind.

Stokes and Buttler are non-starters (on account of temperament and Test ability, respectively) while Keaton Jennings is too much of a newcomer, and he has yet to take charge at Durham, for us to have evidence on which to judge him. Stuart Broad has been touted on account of his short-lived captaincy of the T20 team but leading in a Test match requires more than being able to add up to 20 and bringing in sufficient fielders during a Powerplay.

There are few obvious contenders from within the county game. James Vince and Sam Northeast have yet to convince as batsmen when it comes to the step-up to international level while picking Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty would be frankly ridiculous, although as a Somerset fan I am naturally biased! Some may prefer a more positive, combative leader in the McCullum mould, such as Stokes, Bairstow or Anderson? Really?!

No it has to be Root. I’m sure the selectors will trust his ability to learn on the job, applying the unflappability and decision-making skills obvious in his batting to the captaincy. All England supporters must hope the extra responsibility doesn’t hamper his day job. This is where Alastair Cook can continue to lend a massive hand. He may have resigned as skipper but his value to the England Test team will remain immense for some time to come.

James Taylor - Retired but Not Out

I was as shocked as anyone when I first caught the internet headline announcing the sudden retirement of James Taylor. Why would one of England’s best batsmen and fielders call it a day at just 26 years old?

Then came the explanation that an examination and scans after an uncharacteristic display of symptoms had revealed a potentially fatal heart condition ARVC. Remembering the reaction to ex-England opener Wilf Slack’s fatal collapse at the crease, and watching the game on TV when Spurs footballer Fabrice Muamba’s heart stopped, I’m hopeful we will be spared the sight of JWA suffering a similar fate. Faced with a choice of continuing his playing career or dying, it’s a no-brainer. If we have learned nothing else about Taylor, it is that he is one of the most intelligent cricketers around.

It is cruel and absolutely ridiculous that he was often defined by his height, or lack of it. As a fellow shorty, I have followed his career for years, since he started breaking all sorts of records at Leicestershire and the England under-19s, revelling in his success in county cricket and failing to understand why he wasn’t selected for his country. When he finally made it to the Test and ODI sides, I was delighted for him.

I did feel irritated that he had to move away from lowly Leicestershire to high-flying Nottinghamshire but I guess it’s the way of top sport that you have to play in the top division to really get noticed. Nevertheless, some ignorant people saw his sixty-six inches rather than his weight of runs. Kevin Pietersen, take a bow! Maybe KP just felt threatened by young talent who was shorter than he was, and his ego couldn’t cope!

At first, Taylor’s strengths seemed to sit within first-class cricket but in the past few years, he has demonstrated his immense value in the fifty-over game. In fact, I’d say he had no peers in that format in this country. He wasn’t a slogger in the Hales/Buttler mould, but could be devastating either for Notts or England. His final List A average of 53.11 is extraordinary. World-class! He was also a brilliant, shrewd captain and a very nifty close fielder to boot.

He hadn’t delivered to his Test potential but showed no fear against South Africa’s fast bowlers, either in his first Test at Headingley in 2012 or last at Centurion earlier this year. Nevertheless, I’m convinced he had greater staying power in the middle-order than, say, Ballance, Compton or even Bairstow.

The breadth of supportive tweets and comments in the past few days from around the counties are testament to his popularity as a character and respect as a cricketer. I haven’t seen anything from Pietersen, of course. Provided his imminent heart surgery is successful, I look forward to following Taylor’s next career, hopefully remaining in cricket. He’ll definitely be missed on the pitch and on top of everything, I now have to find a new favourite player!

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.

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)

AP x 2 = 501 for Lancashire

This really was a week for batsmen. Four scored double-centuries, two of them sharing a 500 partnership, yet one (Steve Smith) couldn’t even squeeze into my Team of the Week!

The White and Red Roses were again in full bloom, as Yorkshire and Lancashire cemented their positions atop Divisions One and Two. The chasing packs must be getting cricked necks gazing up at the distant summits.

Andrew Gale led his side from the front at Scarborough, piling up 164 but it was Jonny Bairstow’s scintillating form making all the headlines. A brisk 139 pushed him into the England squad at Gary Ballance’s expense, then he struck the winning runs in the second innings, too. Worcestershire did at least take the game into a fourth day.

Durham did their best to hold on to second place but Hampshire’s defiance and some final afternoon rain scuppered their hopes. Gordon Muchall’s 145 and nine more wickets for Chris Rushworth were all in vain after 20 year-old ‘keeper Lewis McManus defied the Durham attack for almost three hours. Meanwhile Warwickshire found themselves in the runners-up spot after despatching Somerset by seven wickets. Sam Hain composed another unbeaten century and Jeetan Patel claimed nine victims, although the losers’ Craig Overton took 6-74 and kept his name in the England frame in case the selectors need fresh blood.

Following a disappointing first half of the season, James Taylor rediscovered his appetite for runs, falling just nine short of a triple-century in Nottinghamshire’s innings defeat of Sussex. Chris Read’s 121 and seven catches were also noteworthy, while Harry Gurney’s left arm seam and swing also did a lot of damage to the South Coast side for whom Matt Machan top-scored with 108.

The Colwyn Bay sea air worked wonders for the South African duo of Ashwell Prince and Alviro Petersen. Both passed 250 as they smashed the Lancashire partnership record and accumulated the 13th highest stand for any wicket in first-class cricket history! Facing an overall target of almost 700, Glamorgan unsurprisingly fell short, although a robust first innings tail did its best to frustrate the visitors. Number eleven Michael Hogan even had time to score a career best 57! Nevertheless, Sean Kerrigan and Arron Lilley polished off Welsh resistance in the end.

Kent took the Thames estuary bragging rights, thumping Essex by an innings and 207. Ben Harmison and Sam Billings each reached three figures while Callum Haggett and the evergreen Darren Stevens picked up twelve wickets between them.

Derbyshire beat Northamptonshire in the other Division Two fixture. Mark Footitt collected another five-for, and young all-rounder Alex Hughes achieved his debut hundred. For the visitors, opener Ben Duckett had mixed fortunes. A duck was followed by 154 but the Chesterfield fans enjoyed a seven-wicket triumph.

While the runs piled up in the Championship and Lord’s Test, there weren’t many big scores in last weekend’s T20 Blast. Nevertheless, Jason Roy’s blistering 122 consigned Somerset to another heavy defeat. The County Championship now takes a two-week break as the T20 Group stage ends and the Royal London Cup begins.

Some excellent performances couldn’t get into my Team of the Week: Rogers (Aus), Duckett (Nor), Petersen (Lan), Prince (Lan), Taylor (Not), A Hughes (Der), Read (Not, * +), Patel (Not), C Overton (Som), Gurney (Not), Rushworth (Dur)

Australia and India win the first big battles

The ICC schedulers ensured that the 2015 World Cup was guaranteed an interested audience right from the off. All the big guns have opened their accounts, and results have arguably gone with expectations, although none of the matches have produced an exciting finale.

The New Zealand-Sri Lanka opener was perhaps the hardest to predict, but Brendon McCullum's destructive innings and Corey Anderson's 75 off 46 to ridicule the death bowling reputations of Malinga and Kulasekera got the Black Cap off to a blistering start in Pool A. Across the sea at the MCG, fellow hosts Australia demolished the old enemy in considerable style.

Still no Michael Clarke so George Bailey skippered the side whose only failure was to win the toss. Aaron Finch became the first centurion of the tournament with 135, then Glenn Maxwell and Brad Haddin gave the England pacemen a late mauling before Steve Finn's end-of-innings hat-trick lent the fielding side a spurious air of confidence. Eoin Morgan's men had after all conceded 342 runs and were about to see Starc, Hazelwood and Johnson unleashed upon Moeen Ali and Ian Bell. In the end, it was Mitchell Marsh's medium pace which did the damage, together with a few superb catches, leaving England's final partnership of James Taylor and Jimmy Anderson 13 overs in which to knock off 150-odd runs.

A shame the match ended in controversy after the umpires came unstuck over an lbw decision which turned into a run-out. Taylor may feel aggrieved that the mistake deprived him of a likely debut ODI century, but England were never going to win the match. Morgan's position looks perilous after notching his fourth duck in five innings. However, England can hardly sack him mid-tournament,and he will get his chance of making runs against Scotland, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the coming weeks. Quarter-final qualification should be assured. Failure to progress may leave selectors no choice but to replace him with, in my humble opinion, either Root or Taylor.

Earlier today at Hamilton, Zimbabwe handed South Africa an early scare dismissing the top four for only 83 after barely 20 overs. However, the Proteas bat deep, and this merely spurred David Miller and JP Duminy into thrashing a world fifth wicket ODI stand of 256. Elton Chigumbura's team were certainly not overawed by Steyn and Morkel, but the consistency of Philander and Imran Tahir proved more problematic. Hamilton Masakadz struck a defiant 80 but SA triumphed by 62 runs.

One of the greatest rivalries in international sport is India v Pakistan at cricket, and Adelaide had the pleasure of hosting the latest contest between the pair, with their ever-exuberant hordes of colourfully-attired fans. India came into the competition on the back of some dismal results but Virat Kohli's return to form, some fine stroke play from Dhawan and Raina plus 4-35 from Mohammed Shami were too much for Pakistan. They were bowled out three overs short, every single dismissal a 'caught'.

The West Indies enter the fray tonight, along with Associate hopefuls Ireland and Scotland, with the UAE and Afghanistan in the following few days, but the big four have laid down their gauntlets in style.

Cook had to go

I was about to call this blog 'Cook has to go' but then I read the Cricinfo headline which indicated the decision had already been made. A lotn of vitriol has been tossed in the England captain's direction but I don't blame him for standing his ground. A class act in Test cricket, he has recovered from a slump in form before and was confident that he could do so again in the 50-over stuff. Sadly that confidence hasn't translated into action.

The quotes and messages had become more open and vague in the past week, once England succumbed to Sri Lanka so meekly, but I kinda hoped Alastair would wake up, smell the coffee and stand down of his own volition. Maybe Paul Downton had dug himself too deep a hole but the anti-Cook bandwagon had proved unstoppable.

The Essex man must realise that his position as opener was untenable and therefore so was his retention of the captain's role. England need someone who can keep his head and hit Powerplay runs, often against spin which has often caused his undoing. Gary Ballance probably ought to come into the side, with Alex Hales tested as Moeen Ali's opening partner.

Joe Root and James Taylor should be guaranteed middle-order slots for the World Cup, no question. Where there is a problem is on who takes Cook's place as skipper? Unlike football, the captain has to do more than call heads or tails and shout a bit. However in this day and age he has to be worth his place as a cricketer, be it with bat, ball or both. Eoin Morgan's aggregate of 90 runs in the 7 ODIs this winter is atrocious. Without the 62 in match 4 in Colombo, he would be above Cook in line for the axe. Yet the calm Irishman seems to lead a charmed life.

I'd give the captaincy to Root and give Morgan the boot. If not Root, then be brave an pick Taylor, a successful leader of the Lions. I'd rather have Ian Bell in the side. At least he is a reliable run-maker, albeit in a more conventional mould. His ODI average us similar to Morgan's and strike rate not far short.

However skipping a generation is not in an England selector's DNA. Root could be a Steve Smith. Why not? Get in-form players, forge a united dressing room and be a force to be reckoned with in Australia. All we need now is some good bowlers......

Cook's ban a blessing in disguise?

When I read of Alastair Cook's one-match ban for orchestrating his side's slow over rate - again - I laughed. With seemingly every England fan begging him to stand down before the World Cup, he has been the archetypal immovable object insisting that his form will return. Soon. Honest!

The fact that England actually beat Sri Lanka seems to have been completely overlooked. Shouldn't we have congratulated him for leading the team to a well-earned victory? Was the slow over rate a brilliant ploy to frustrate Sanga, Mathews et al? And let's not forget his assured 42-ball innigs of 34 either. Or did the bowlers get together, tieing their bootlaces between each delivery in the sure knowledge that Cook's enforced lay-off would allow the selectors to test the post-Cook line-up earlier than expected?

Woakes and Finn bowled well, but it was Moeen Ali, Joe Root and Jos Buttler whose stroke-making intelligently reached the target eight balls early. With Alex Hales, in for Bell, contributing 27 and Bopara a single six, much of the new batting brigade looked in good nick.

On the down side, Ben Stokes' bowling was once more not up to the required standard, and Eoin Morgan's latest failure hardly makes him the ideal successor to Cook as ODI captain. I've always considered him over-rated. A Test average of 30 is mediocre and an ODI average of 37 is not exactly world-class, and remarkably similar to both Root's and Cook's, even if his strike rate is a very respectable 85 (to Cook's 77).

While Cook sits out his suspension, I'd hope the selectors bring in James Taylor, probably at three while Hales is promoted to form a potentially lively left-handed opening strike force. While I like Ian Bell, this must surely be the time to give Taylor a go. Winning this series is hardly a priority; developing a competitive World Cup outfit for 2015 and beyond most certainly is.

I still worry more about the bowling, which looks distinctly toothless without Anderson and Broad, and their physical condition makes them unlikely to be sustainable for long. Finn and Woakes have hardly been injury-free in recent years either, and in my view have lost a good three years' international experience. Nevertheless, get the batting right and, as India and Sri Lanka have shown before, success is always possible.

England Lost in Transition?

Everyone seems to have been putting the boot into England in recent months, be they ex-players or representatives of other nations. Clearly they have ulterior motives, such as selling books, settling old scores and unsettling their World Cup rivals. Nevertheless, the ECB and the coaching chiefs must have realised that tactics and strategies can never remain static. You do need to look at the influence of Twenty20 on scoring rates, the use of spinners and ploys concerning Powerplays, etc.

Australia and South Africa have just indulged in a right ding-dong series which left the former fractionally ahead of India at the top of the ICC rankings. England should leapfrog Sri Lanka into fourth place with a series win in the coming weeks and we should remember that SL come into these matches on the back of a 5-0 drubbing by Kohli and co in a hastily-arranged competition. True, not all their superstars played, but England do have some world-class performers of their own. All England have to worry about is where they sit in the batting order, which of the lesser mortals join them, and how to pace an innings. Not much to ask, is it?!

Since the start of 2013, England have played 39 ODIs, losing 21 of them. They won only three out of nine home fixtures during the summer, half to their opponents this week. It's not all about bad starts. Watching their painful mid-innings agonies against India at Cardiff in August, the so-called future of England's batting looked anything but. Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan struggled to score boundaries as much as Cook, Bell and Root, while the only sixes came from Woakes and Tredwell when the game was already lost.

Cook is clearly hanging on for the World Cup and it is not beyond the bounds of credibility that he can score some runs in Sri Lanka and indeed Down Under next year. Moeen Ali's elevation to his opening partner is, to me, a no-brainer. His blistering 50 in the warm-up proved he can be effective not only as a useful spinner but also an exciting strokeplayer.

Ian Bell will come in at number three but what is the preferred middle-order? Presumably Joe Root will start the first game, as will Eoin Morgan, probably my least favourite England batsman now KP has departed. Ravi Bopara has his critics but he is a decent all-rounder capable of rattling the advertising boards and frustrating batsmen with his nagging medium-pacers. Jos Buttler may have jumped ship from Somerset to join a relegated Lancashire (ha-ha!) but he is the undisputed 'keeper-batsman for his country and is capable of ferocious hitting towards the end of an innings and taking the attack to bowlers slow and quick.

I wouldn't play Chris Jordan or Harry Gurney, and James Tredwell deserves a place only where the wicket looks conducive to slow off-breaks. James Anderson is a shoo-in, and I reckon it's worth giving Steven Finn another opportunity to bowl to his potential. He has been going backwards since his initial breakthrough, and he needs a decent series to book his seat for the flight to Australia where the pitches will probably suit him better. The fact also remains that his is number eight in the world rankings, ahead of all Sri Lankans. I'd prefer Chris Woakes to Ben Stokes because of the latter's expensive bowling. The Warwickshire man is no mug with the bat in any form of cricket, either, despite the more aggressive demeanour of the Durham star.

Finally, I must mention James Taylor. Previously best known as a fine County Championship batsman for Leicesteshire then Nottinghamshire, he hugely enhanced his reputation in the one-day game in 2014 and I'd love to seem him get some ODIs uner his belt. England are right not to fill their batting berths with T20 specialists like Roy, Hales and Wright. Players like Taylor and Vince must get their chance soon, capable of keeping the score ticking over while the more explosive hitters like Hales and Buttler do their stuff.

Ideally I'd have Hales opening but with Cook esconced, this would be my favoured Eleven: Cook (*), Ali, Bell, Taylor, Root, Bopara, Buttler (+), Woakes, Tredwell (or Stokes, in which case he'd advance to eight), Anderson, Finn. Sri Lanka must start favourites although theirs is a worryingly ageing squad. At least Angelo Mathews is 'on fire' right now and, as ever, the veterans like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Herath will shoulder most of the responsibility. Let the contest begin!

Team of the Week: AB and Taylor Prosper

The week ending 29th August was one bereft of first-class cricket but there were important limted-overs matches played, from ODIs to the Royal London quarter-finals and the Nat West T20 Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston. Despite the lack of innings played, there were easily sufficient performances worthy of gracing any of my Teams of the Week.

I'll start with England's skipper. No, not that one; the ever-reliable Charlotte Edwards. Her 108 was her ninth ODI century and helped secure a win against India's Women. On the other side of the world, Aaron Finch produced his own hundred for Australia against South Africa in the Triangular tournament.

With England's middle-order stuggling against India at Cardiff, James Taylor's magnificent unbeaten 146 in 154 balls for Nottinghamshire was a timely advertisement for his growing reputation as a one-day batsman par excellence as well as a consistent run-maker in the four-day game. AB De Villiers has seen it and done it for SOuth Africa but this week he did it again. This time, Australia were on the end of a 111-ball 136 in a game where Faf DuPlessis also reached three figures.

There was an even bigger partnership in the West Indies' third ODI against Bangladesh. The outstanding contributor was wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, plundering 169 from only 121 deliveries. And I can't ignore Suresh Raina's 100 in 75 balls here in Cardiff, where England were a distant second best. I also note that Glen Maxwell enjoyed an easy ride against Zimbabwe last week, too, whacking 93 in 46 balls, but it's not enough to make my team.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan were locking swords in an ODI series, and the former's captain Angelo Mathews continued his recent form. He served up scores of 89 and 93, allied to a few useful wickets. His seamer team-mate Thisara Perera is also becoming a star all-rounder. A 36-ball 65 and 3-19 were the highlights of his week.

My final three selections are all spinners. 'Ooh, Ravi Jadeja' was the frequent cry from the India fans at Sophia Gardens, whether he was taking wickets, fielding or facing his 'handbags' opponent Jimmy Anderson. 4-28 in an ODI victory does indeed merit a few 'oohs'. Warwickshire (aka Birmingham) may have won the T20 Blast but I rate Lancashire's Steven Croft as the player of the day. In the semi, he hit 22 in 12 balls and took 2-11 in three overs. His 1-17 in four was the most economical bowling statistic even if he ended up a runner-up. Then there's another loser in my XI. Zimbabwe may have been defeated by SA but the intriguingly monikered Prosper Utsaya lived up to his name by capturing five wickets.

A one-day-dominated week thus yields the following star Eleven: Edwards (Eng W, *), Finch (Aus), Taylor (Not), De Villiers (SA), Raina (Ind), Ramdin (WI, +), Mathews (SL), Croft (Lan), Jadeja (Ind), Perera (SL), Utseya (Zim)

Team of the Week: Steyn and Sangakkara steam ahead

Some difficult choices this week after a relatively weak pool from which to select last time. Test matches, 'A' internationals, the CPL and the last of an intensive few weeks of Royal London county fixtures were all vying for attention.

For some reason, 111 was a popular score. The late umpire David Shepherd would have been hopping around like a demented flamingo but only one of these batsmen make my team of the week ending 15th August 2014. That's Essex opener Tom Westley, who shared a double-century partnership with Ryan Ten Doeschate in a run chase against Yorkshire, before weighing in with 74 versus Hampshire. Jacques Rudolph, Lendl Simmons and Wes Durston were all in the frame, but Alex Hales' 141 in Nottinghamshire's thumping of Middlesex earns him the other opener spot.

He put on 217 with Michael Lumb yet his colleague and skipper James Taylor produced an even better 100 not out in 55 balls in that match to accompany another unbeaten hundred for the Lions against Sri Lanka 'A'. Worcestershire's 20 year-old Tom Fell delivered three innings each of at least 70 in the past week, although his side struggled a bit. He edges my decision ahead of Pakistan's Younis Khan but I simply can't ignore Kumar Sangakkara. His prolific year continued with 221 in Sri Lanka's victory over Pakistan. Majestic! However, his score was eclipsed by the South African 'A' man Rilee Roussouw, whose 231 helped deflate an Aussie attack in the triangular tournament.

Messrs Dhoni, Buttler and De Kock all made some runs but Hampshire's Adam Wheater steals the wicketkeeper gloves with a 97-ball 135. A shame that it was in vain as his side's run chase fell five runs short of the Essex total.

Paul Collingwood and Notts transfer target Will Gidman each produced a notable all-rund county performance but my remaining four places all go to specialist bowlers. Yasir Arafat claimed 5-36 and 4-49 against Somerset and Kent, respectively, and who can forget Stuart Broad's India-shattering 6-25 in the Fourth Test? A pity his nose took a shattering soon afterwards....

Rangana Herath didn't need to bowl as many overs this week as last but he added another nine wickets to his tally for Sri Lanka. His first-class aggregate now stands at 870, which surely few if any current players can match. His Test average has also dropped below 30, a sign of a top-class bowler. Finally, that man Dale Steyn was at it again, taking 5-46 and 3-38, although his latest eight victims were Zimbabweans. Herath's record is improving but he has a long way to go before emulating the South Afican maestro's 383 Test wickets at 22.56.

Summing up: Hales (Lions/Not), Westley (Ess), Sangakkara (SL), Fell (Wor), Taylor (Lions/Not *), Rossouw (SA 'A'), Wheater (Ham +), Yasir Arafat (Sus), Broad (Eng), Steyn (SA), Herath (SL).

James Taylor, You Got a Friend

When you have been one of the most consistent young batsmen in England for five years yet have been treated shabbily by England, you must wonder whether you do indeed have friend - at least at the ECB. I have long advocated James Taylor as a batsman with the right temperament and nose for runs to warrant a decent run in the Test set-up.

As a prolific Leicestershire teenager in 2009 he won the PCA Player of the Year award and has since added some fine series of innings in one-day cricket, including last summer's domestic 40-over tournament. He has been a regular and mostly successful member of the Lions tourist squad, captain for one winter and a bedrock of the middle order. The fact that he represented a struggling Second Division county was held against him, not that it seems to hold back the likes of Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Michael Carberry and James Tredwell. The powers that be advised him to seek a top-tier outfit for 2013, and Nottinghamshire duly snapped him up.

Last season he repaid them by scoring around 1700 runs in all competitions, outperforming Hales, Lumb and Patel in the CB40. However, a poor end to the summer probably ruled him out of Ashes contention, that and the emergence of Root and Stokes in England colours, both white and red. At 5 feet 6 tall, he was probably considered too short to take Jonny Bairstow's drinks-carrying duties, too. Most top cricketers play their best cricket on home pitches and struggle on less familiar turners or seam-friendly seamers, so it's great to see James Taylor make more than 400 runs in four matches in Sri Lanka, culminating in a magnificent 242 not out in this week's 2nd unofficial Test.

But, with Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen likely to be absent this summer, and some of the other candidates losing their mojo in Australia, could the Lions performances bring Taylor back into the international reckoning? His two Tests against South Africa and pair of ODIs against Ireland didn't advance his claims at the time, but neither were they so disastrous that his career was rocked to its socks. He has done what he is asked and it's about time he gets the chance to re-establish a place in the middle-order against Sri Lanka in a few months' time. He has over 100 first-class fixtures under his belt, with an average approaching 50. Amazingly his List A average stands above 50, and few in the world can claim that.

Sam Robson has also been doing well with the 'A' team and with a start to match last season's opening games with Middlesex, could come into the reckoning as Cook's opening partner or maybe at three. With last summer's top scorer Moeen Ali also hammerion on the selectors' door, it will be interesting to see who, if anybody, could break into what has been a cosy closed shop of players in the wake of the winter Ashes debacle. I hope that Taylor's Lions innings and a few high scores in the Championship come April will win him enough friends amongst Giles, Whitaker et al. Andy Flower's successor may be the key man to impress, whoever he may be...

White and Red Roses in the ascendancy

And so we reach that point in the calendar when county cricketers have to forget the junior coaching manual and try different things every ball. Yes, this week it's the Friends Life t20 and no, I haven't a clue who's going to win. I'll come onto this tournament in a later blog. It's interesting to look at the County Championship tables at this halfway stage, especially if you're team wear a rose on their caps/helmets.

In the First Division, it's Yorkshire who are in pole position to clinch a title that has eluded them for years. Even without Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow for much of the campaign, their batsmen have been in fine form. Gale and Ballance have been in fine fettle and the reinvigorated all-rounder Adil Rashid boasts a first-class average in three figures, as does Root. The white Roses stand eight points clear of Sussex, whose bowlers Chris Jordan and Stuart Magoffin have taken more wickets than anybody else. However, in this week's match against Notts, there were two innings of 204 not out, by Ed Joyce and the opponents' James Taylor, whose chances of making the England team this summer may have crept up from remote to merely unlikely. Middlesex are third, owing much to Aussie Chris Rogers and a brief burst of high scores from fellow opener Sam Robson. The ever-dependable seamer Tim Murtagh is also right up there with 37 wickets to date and a sub-20 average.

Somerset entered the first-class break on a high after winning their first Championship match of the season. Steve Kirby may be almost twice the age of teenage twin Jamie Overton but the two of them combined well with Craig Meschede to bowl out Derbyshire this week and jump to sixth. Poor Derbyshire remain bottom but, despite that much-publicised comeback innings from Kevin Pietersen an dthe arrival of Ricky Ponting, cash-splashers Surrey also remain winless in seventh. Surely that won't continue come August, especially as they have lost only twice.

In Division Two, leaders Northants had their considerable advantage trimmed to just seventeen points after losing to main rivals Lancashire. Kyle Hogg and Glen Chapple maintained their two-man attack dominance. A week after demolishing Essex for twenty, they bowled Alex Wakely's side out for 62. In a low-scoring game, that proved critical in ending the visitors' unbeaten record. Lancashire have yet to lose, and are themselves 16 points clear in second with a game in hand over Worcestershire, for whom Moeen Ali smashed a career-best 250 against Glamorgan. Ali is now the leading first-class run-maker in domestic first-class cricket this summer. Don't discount Northants, though, because Copeland, Willey and Crook are taking wickets a-plenty, and Andrew Hall remains a considerable asset with bat and ball.

Hampshire and Essex continue to underachieve, while Glamorgan are heavily relilant on captain James Allenby and the bowling of late- developing Aussie Michael Hogan. Kent are very disappointing share a winless record with perennial strugglers Leicestershire. Nice to see Matt Hoggard turning back the clock with a defiant 6-66 in the defeat to Essex, though. These will hope that they can recover form once the T20 fever briefly subsides, but it's a format where Hampshire have enjoyed in the past few years.

Last Ditch Stand defies Somerset

I usually start my review of the week's County Championship fixtures with the notable wins. However, having endured the heartache of watching Rikki Clarke and Oliver Hannon-Dalby frustrate the Somerset attack on the final afternoon at Taunton for well over an hour, this had to be the bill-topper! So, despite more runs from ALviro Petersen, a fine century from Nick Compton (including some T20-style innovation to set up the declaration) and a rare hundred for Jos Butler, Somerset's April hoodoo goes on and still no victories in three games. Worse was to come with news that Craig Kieswetter broke his thumb and will miss six weeks. Meanwhile, Warwickshire can take heart from their rearguard action and time-wasting tactics having been comprehensively outplayed for three days.

At The Oval, Graeme Smith finally reached double figures in their draw against Sussex, for whom Luke Wells starred with 208 and Chris Jordan claimed another five-for. This week sees Surrey crossing the river for the London derby at Middlesex in a game which could help decide who wins the title - or relegation. Who knows?! At Derby, the home side were well beaten by neighbours Nottinghamshire. Stuart Broad enjoyed a good first-class practice session with eight wickets, and James Taylor did his hopes of an England recall no harm at all by scoring 112. Yorkshire also notched their first Championship victory of the summer against Durham. They did it the hard way after Graeme Onions and Mark Stoneman enabled the home side to set the Tykes a not-so-difficult target of 336, because Joe Root made a nonsense of the declaration and pitch to amass 182, falling one ball before his side get the winning runs. With his Lions captaincy announced today, it's been a good week for the boy from Sheffield. If Bresnan and co can get rid of Chesney Hughes quickly, Yorkshire should make it two out of three triumphs by the weekend.

In Division Two, Steven Crook enjoyed another fine all-round performance as Northants eased twenty points clear at the top. They beat Gloucestershire by seven wickets. Relegated Worcestershire lost their second game, this time by an innings to Hampshire. The victors' bowlers shared the wickets but skipper Jimmy Adams carried his bat for 219 as his team compiled 500-9. The Lancashire weather got the better of Lancashire and Kent in the other match played last week. James Anderson and Kyle Hogg were the pick of the bowlers on display, Katich and Prince were again in the runs for the Red Rose outfit, although Kent's Brendan Nash was the only man to reach three figures as matters headed for a stalemate on day four.

Hampshire ought to beat Essex although David Masters returned from injury to strike early blows. Alastair Cook is also having a rare bat for his county which desperately needs his runs. Leicester v Gloucester has a bottom-of-table ring to it even this early in the season, while Glamorgan could defy critics (including me) by defeating Lancashire at Colwyn Bay. A win for Northants at Canterbury will open up a big gap in the promotion race, but Kent are due some runs from their top order, so Stephen Peters et al shouldn't count their chickens just yet...

Man of the Moment: James Taylor

I was cheered by the news of James Taylor's elevation to the England Test squad. Two years too late, but the best things come to those who wait, as someone - probably my Mum! - once said. As another fully paid-up member of the sub- 5ft 6 club, I take even greater pleasure at seeing a shorty make the grade. These days every athlete seems to be at least 6 feet tall, an image enhanced by watching the Olympics this past week. It'll be the gymnasts next.

Taylor debuted for Leicestershire four years ago as a promising under-19 international and the following year enjoyed a prolific season in the Championship. He was promoted to the Lions squad under James Hildreth's captaincy but, while the Somerset batsman immediately lost form in the domestic game, Taylor continued to plough a lone furrow in Leicestershire's feeble batting line-up and won the prestigious Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year award. He thus followed in the famous footsteps of stars such as Boycott (yes, even he was young once!), Atherton, Flintoff, Broad, Cook and even Andrew Symonds before he opted for the 'baggy green'.

In 2010, I advocated his selection for the full England side to face Pakistan but predictably Miller and co went for the safe option by nipping down to Lord's and recalling Eoin Morgan at number six. To the latter's credit, he scored a century but has since shown he is not a natural at first-class cricket. After trying his hardest at Leicester, the diminutive batsman understandably accepted a move up the M1 to title contenders Nottinghamshire. However, until last week's 163 not out against Sussex he had shown little form in the four-day format while, ironically, excelling in the Pro40 competition.

With England enjoying huge success, he needed to be patient. Still only 22, Taylor's fortune has come at the expense of Jonny Bairstow (Young Player of the Year, 2011) and Ravi Bopara (ditto, 2008) and it is especially sad that the Essex man has pulled out for personal, non-cricketing reasons. If Taylor succeeds this week at Headingley, it could be a while before Bopara gets another chance. However, cricket can be fickle. After all, the world was Ravi's oyster after his three successive Test centuries a few seasons back, but then came his fall from the summit.

In the past thirty years or so, only Paul Franks and Adil Rashid has won the YPOTY accolade without progressing to win a Test cap so it was always likely that James Taylor would get the nod eventually. His batting average is nigh on 50. Even allowing for the fact that many of his 5,244 runs have come in the second tier of domestic cricket, that is still an impressive statistic. His List A average is almost as good, although he has yet to create a truly memorable innings in Twenty 20. The number six berth is a difficult one. With good players ahead of you, it can be difficult to stay focussed in the pavilion and there are few opportunities to forge a major score. With Steyn, Morkel and Philander champing at the bit, he will surely face a barrage of top-class fast bowling but Taylor is nothing if not a calm character at the crease. I hope he rises to the challenge.

Durham break their duck, rain thwarts Warks

It's taken almost four months but Durham finally secured their first Championship victory of 2012. They edged a very low-scoring encounter at home against Middlesex. Lord's is hosting Olympic archery this week but Onions and Rushworth struck gold on day three as the visitors were bowled out for 102, just fifteen runs short. Chris Rogers' 59 was easily the highest score of the match while the wickets were shared by both attacks. Durham remain bottom of Division One, four points adrift of Worcestershire, who didn't play this week.

At the other end of the table, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire are now equal on points after rain prevented both from turning big first innings leads into victories. Jim Troughton and Chris Woakes scored centuries, then Rikki Clarke took 4-46 to make Surrey follow on. However, a combination of the weather and Zafar Ansari's unbeaten 83 allowed Surrey to escape. Notts trebled Sussex's first innings total thanks to big hundreds from Michael Lumb and James Taylor. The latter's first decent score of the season, 163 not out, was perfectly timed as the England selectors suddenly needed to find a new number six. A double-century opening stand by Joyce and Nash frustrated the title hopefuls on the final day.

Warwickshire now travel to Uxbridge to take advantage of their game in hand, while Somerset have a golden chance to go top if they beat Lancashire.

In Division Two, Yorkshire's Adam Lyth carried his bat for a superb 248, at last rediscovering some form. Jonny Bairstow also reached three figures but the weather stopped them claiming maximum points against Leicestershire, who had only three wickets remaining, while nine runs from safety. The result was nevertheless enough to enable Yorkshire to leapfrog Hampshire into the promotion places. It could have been worse for the second-placed side. Kent had much the better of the game as Key and Northeast put on 252 for the first wicket to lead by 175 runs. Only opener Jimmy Adams, with a second 50, and tailender Danny Briggs kept Kent at bay, surviving twenty overs in a vital last-wicket partnership of 42 to force a draw and collect an extra three points. Had Kent won, they would have taken second place themselves.

In a few days' time, at Northampton, Yorkshire have another opportunity to overtake leaders Derbyshire, although the latter will end the week with two matches in hand. The four sides at the bottom play each other, too. Last-placed Glamorgan host Gloucestershire at Swansea, while Leicestershire, just three points ahead, travel south to Essex.

My Team of the Season - the Batsmen

As the English domestic season gives way to miscellaneous internationals and the T20 Champions League, I think it's time to look back on the summer and select the players who I think made the biggest impression on cricket in this country, both for county and country. Starting with the batsmen.....

As openers, there are honourable mentions for Ed Joyce - who seemed to switch seamlessly from Ireland to Sussex and back, scoring runs in both first-class and one-day cricket - Warwickshire's Virun Chopra and Joyce's Sussex partner Chris Nash who saved his best performances for the CB40 competition, in which he scored more than 600 runs. However, they are beaten by two outstanding batsmen, one playing out of his skin for England and the other doing what comes naturally, namely compiling stacks of runs at a rate of knots in all forms of the county game. Alastair Cook proved that a great cricketer can succeed in Tests, ODIs and probably T20s given half the chance. His 294 against India was phenomenal but don't forget he scored heavily in ODIs, too, deservedly winning the captaincy. Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick aggregated over 2500 runs during the summer, even more impressive given his absence through injury for much of September. However, he remains the most consistently destructive batsmen in England and possibly the world and walks into my team of the summer.

I could have mentioned Alex Hales, the Nottinghamshire PCA Young Cricketer of the Year and now torturer of the Windies in T20. However, that doesn't mean I don't rate him. It just means that he gets into my side at number three! His season comprised more than 2000 runs, including the English Lions, and he could prosper on the Test scene. When Strauss retires, England have a ready-made replacement. His Lions captain James Taylor also makes my XI. So often his runs dominated a pathetic innings total for Leicestershire in the Championship and, while T20 isn't really his bag, he is a quick and clever scorer in the 40-over stuff. Bopara just beat him to the England team at the end of the season but I hope Taylor gets his chance soon.

A number of players passed 1000 first-class runs for the season, including perennial favourites Vikram Solanki, Murray Goodwin, Dale Benkenstein and Zander de Bruyn. Hampshire's Michael Carberry made a mark soon after returning from life-threatening illness, notching the summer's only triple-century, while Rahul Dravid was the sole beacon of light in India's dark and dismal tour. Two years ago, Wes Durston was released by Somerset and started 2010 representing the Unicorns. Mid-season, he was signed by Derbyshire and in 2011 was in the form of his life, scoring runs for fun in all competitions and contributing wickets, too, in one-dayers. He was always a West Country favourite so good to see him playing well at the age of 30. However, he was eclipsed by Ian Bell. I have always rated him while others doubted his guts in Test matches and scoring rate in ODIs. This summer, he surely removed both those doubts as he averaged more than 90 in all first-class cricket and scored 325 at a decent rate 86 in one-dayers. The 159 at Trent Bridge and 235 at The Oval were both masterclasses in batting and would have earned more plaudits had it not been Cook's aforementioned 294.

Another batsman who scored runs a-plenty in the middle order just happens to be a useful wicketkeeper: Jonny Bairstow. I wrote a lot about the young Yorkshireman recently so I'll just add now that he is a huge talent and will push Craig Kieswetter and maybe even Matt Prior all the way if he develops his glovework at the same rate as his batting.

I'll move on to the rest of my team of the summer next time....

England Lions roaring in the wings

While the senior team are currently conquering all before them, the new pride of England Lions are just about honours even in their one-off four-day match against Sri Lanka 'A' at Scarborough. With such success on the Test scene, there aren't too many vacancies in the 1st XI right now, unless Jonathan Trott doesn't recover from his shoulder injury in time for Edgbaston. However, a good display in an 'unofficial Test' will catch the eye of selectors better than a month of centuries and wickets in the County Championship.

On the Caribbean tour, James Hildreth looked the part as he skippered a classy side. Unfortunately, his form has dipped with Somerset this summer and he has been dropped, along with Adam Lyth and Jimmy Adams. Leicestershire's James Taylor has been promoted to captain what is by and large a very young set of players. The exception is Ravi Bopara and, if Trott is unfit next week and selectors don't want to lose a batsman, his place surely has the Essex number three's name on it. However, if Taylor stakes a major claim for the Lions, why not give him a go at the top table? A former Young Player of the Year, his first-class average is not far short of 50 and he shown more consistency over the past three years than the likes of Lyth, Adams and others.

Taylor got off to a good start today, top scoring with 76, while Bopara made only 19. A few weeks ago, he thumped a big hundred against the same team, so he clearly knows his away around medium pacers and spin. My recent Player of the Week Alex Hales scored 50 today, while Jonny Bairstow and Samit Patel also weighed in with half-centuries. Yorkshire's 20 year-old Joe Root and Craig Kieswetter, an international veteran at 23 (!) fared less well.

Now it will be the bowlers' opportunity to shine. I'm a fan of Glamorgan's James Harris but Surrey duo Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker have fans in high places. Spinner Scott Borthwick hasn't played much first-class cricket in recent weeks, taking few wickets, but a maiden century for Durham against, yes, Sri Lanka A last week may have helped him clinch a place with the Lions ahead of Rashid and Briggs.

None of these players are seriously threatening the places of Anderson, Broad, Bresnan, Tremlett or Swann but if injury or mysterious food poisoning should strike, Geoff Miller and Andy Flower need to know there are talented bowlers waiting in the wings. Dernbach and Patel have already been tried in ODIs so they are in pole position. However, if it were my choice I'd give Chris Woakes the nod.

Anyway, let's see what the next three days bring in Yorkshire, and whether some of the Lions roar loud enough to keep England's Test heroes on their toes.