Somerset Take Surrey Revenge

In May, Surrey ended Somerset’s unbeaten start in the Championship, albeit with a draw. This week in the reverse fixture, Somerset took revenge at Guildford with

a 102-run victory. In a low-scoring match, George Bartlett’s 137 seems mighty
impressive, while Craig Overton (5-38 in the first innings) and Jack Brooks
(5-33 in the second) made the champs’ star-studded line-up look weak indeed.
Success at Kent next week will set my heart a-fluttering, albeit with three months
to go.

Yorkshire needed a win to go second but a soggy Headingley prevented any chance of a
positive result against Essex. It was also tough on Gary Ballance who was unbeaten
on 51 when play ended early in the afternoon within reach of a century in each
of his five Championship fixtures. Dom Bess’ loan from Somerset bore fruit with
an unbeaten 91 and three wickets but all in vain.

Bottom clubs Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire met at Edgbaston and the home team
dominated the first three days. Adam Hose struck his maiden first-class ton and
Jeetan Patel claimed 6-16 before Ben Duckett and Chris Nash shared a stand of 199
to save Notts’ bacon. With all counties having played five, they’re still in
the relegation spot, though. Next up are Hampshire at home.

But who will replace them? Lancashire remained in pole position despite being held
to a draw by a resilient Leicestershire. Liam Livingstone followed his 114 with
a 36-over bowling stint on the final day which conceded a meagre 40 runs but
the wickets stubbornly refused to fall.

On paper, Derbyshire appeared to have a nailed-on points bonanza at
Chester-le-Street. In the event, struggling Durham made an exciting fight of
it. Matt Critchley’s runs and Ravi Rampaul’s wickets seemed to have put Derby
in the driving seat but when Alex Lees carried his bat for 107 Durham were back
in the hunt. On the final day, Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine took charge and
the county scrambled their first success of the summer by just 29 runs.

If you’d said Glamorgan would be runners-up in June, I would probably have
laughed. Yet that’s exactly where they sit after an innings victory over
Northants. Billy Root’s 229 was easily the highest individual score of the week,
‘keeper Tom Cullen contributed runs and seven catches, and Michael Hogan was
back in his old mean form with the ball. Heady days!

Sussex advanced to third, giving Middlesex a bloody nose at Lord’s. Stiaan van der Zyl
spent more than seven hours at the crease and Ben Brown made another century as
the South Coasters opened up a massive first innings lead. James Harris and
John Simpson showed more resistance second time around but Ollie Robinson finished
on 7-98 to cause the Londoners more problems. Amazingly Malan’s team are a
pathetic eighth and need wins against Leicestershire and Glamorgan to get a
promotion challenge underway. Lancashire next meet Worcestershire, whom they defeated
quite easily just a fortnight ago.

Team of the Week: Lees (Dur), Duckett (Not), Van Zyl (Sus), Root (Gla), Bartlett (Som),
Brown (Sus +), Critchley (Der), C Overton (Som), Patel (War), Robinson (Sus),
Hogan (Gla)

Spinners in Gr-Eight Form

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Surrey make it Eight wins from Ten

Gutted! Somerset deliver yet another brilliant victory, only for Surrey – yet again – to do the same. It’s turning out to be a right battle royal for the Championship but it’s definitely Surrey’s to lose. At least I’m confident Somerset won’t be in a relegation battle this year.

At the Oval, Nottinghamshire asked the home side to bat and allowed Mark Stoneman to reach three figures for the first time this season. After being bowled out for 375 on day two, they proceeded to dismiss Notts twice in under 92 overs. With brother Sam on England duty, Tom Curran took 5-32 in the first innings, while 20 year-old Conor McKerr weighed in with match figures of 7-47.

A day later Somerset completed a 224-run victory over Yorkshire, Jamie Overton wrapped up four of the last five wickets on the final afternoon after a fine 132 by Tom Abell and a second rapid half-century by Lewis Gregory set up the declaration. The in-form Gregory also took six wickets while leading the seam attack.

Champions Essex advanced to third after hammering Hampshire by an innings at Chelmsford. David Lawrence top-scored with 124 but Tom Alsop’s second innings 51 was the highest a Hants player could manage. Peter Siddle was the pick of the Essex bowlers, ending the match with 7-70. At Southport, Lancashire came from behind to beat bottom-club Worcestershire by four wickets. Dane Vilas and Bolton lad Josh Bohannon shared a stand of 139 to push Lancs over the line.

This week Surrey face a trip up the A12 to Essex while Somerset host Lancashire at Taunton. If Surrey win their next two games they can probably afford to lose to their rivals and still take the title.

In Division Two, Sussex lost ground in the promotion chase after losing a close encounter with Middlesex. Runs were in short supply at Lord’s, so Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Ollie Robinson helped themselves to eighteen wickets between them. Warwickshire remain top after Glamorgan crumbled to another innings defeat. At least they passed 200 twice, but Ian Bell also did so all on his own. The ex-England star is enjoying a renaissance this summer. and his 2014 was his 56^th first-class century of a 20-year career. Jeetan Patel’s spin did most of the damage with the ball, taking ten wickets.

Kent leapfrogged Sussex into second following a six-wicket triumph at Derby. Crawley and Denly put on 170 for the second wicket, then Grant Stewart and Matt Henry beefed up the tail to record a total of 561. Spin twins Adam Riley and an unwell Joe Denly restricted Derbyshire to 270 second time around and the match was as good as won.

At the other end of the table, Gloucestershire easily outscored Leicestershire at Bristol. Skipper Chris Dent’s second innings 214 not out was the critical difference between the teams. Northamptonshire had already despatched Durham inside two days, registering only their third win of the Championship. The ever-reliable Ben Sanderson took 4-34 to leave his batsmen a simple target of 65.

The top three counties each now play at home, Kent’s tie against Northants looking the easiest on paper, although the Sussex seamers must fancy the opportunity to get stuck into the Leicester batsmen.

Team of the Week: 

Stoneman (Sur), Dent (Glo), Denly (Ken), Bell (War), Abell (Som), Vilas (Lan +), Gregory (Som), Patel (War), Siddle (Ess), Sanderson (Nor), McKerr (Sur)

Morkel and Trott ride to the front

Surrey ensured they remained at the top of the pile by beating Yorkshire at Scarborough, but they had to come from behind to do so. The home side enjoyed a 75-run first innings lead but after Morne Morkel (5-39) and Jade Dernbach (3-34) ripped through them on the third day, skipper Rory Burns led the charge to the target.

Neither Nottinghamshire nor Somerset could keep up with the leaders. At Trent Bridge, the Notts openers were in fine form. Chris Nash and Jake Libby each made centuries then, with Stuart Broad leading the attack, declared with the expectation of bowling Worcestershire out in just over a day. They failed. The England seamer had an ankle niggle and Joe Clarke had a point to prove. He was still there on 177 at the very end as the bottom side avoided defeat.

When Essex roared to 517-5, Somerset’s chance of winning shrank to almost zero. Ravi Bopara and the returning Ryan Ten Doeschate shared a 284-run partnership but in reply Somerset managed to accumulate more than 400. On the final afternoon, Essex set an ambitious target of 319 and credit to the visitors for seeming intent on accepting the challenge. However, when the top four fell cheaply, the shutters came down and Abell and Gregory dug in for the draw.

There were neither winners nor losers at Old Trafford either. Batsmen were in charge, and no fewer than five reached three figures. Lancashire’s current ‘keeper Dane Vilas top-scored with 134 but Hampshire opener Joe Weatherley showed admirable patience to survive the whole of day four to attain his maiden hundred.

Both Warwickshire and Kent each achieved their fifth victories of the season in Division Two. Ian Bell’s run of form was halted but his ex-England colleague Jonathan Trott racked up more than 200 in the leaders’ visit to Durham. Jeetan Patel’s nine wickets and Tim Ambrose’s ten catches did the rest. Meanwhile at Canterbury Kent flattened Middlesex by 342 runs. Grant Stewart’s 6-22 helped bowl out Malan’s men for 56 first time out, with Eskinazi the only one reaching double figures. Batting at ten, Stewart proceeded to crash a 74-ball century before Middlesex struggled again. When Tim Murtagh top-scores you know you have big problems!

Leicestershire advanced to third, defeating Derbyshire with thanks to Mohammad Abbas’ decisive 6-54, and Northamptonshire leapt from the bottom by putting Glamorgan to the sword. The Welsh, despite the best efforts of Usman Khawaja, are having a nightmare summer so far, so must hope Colin Ingram can resurrect some pride in the T20 Blast which starts next week. If not, 2018 will be a long, agonising road.   

Team of the Week: 

Nash (Not), Libby (Not), Clarke (Wor), Trott (War), Bopara (Ess), Ten Doeschate (Ess), Ambrose (War +), Patel (War), Podmore (Ken), Stewart (Ken), Mohammad Abbas (Lei)

County Cricket Team of 2016

It was all change for the domestic trophies in 2016. Yorkshire relinquished the Championship pennant to Middlesex, albeit only after an incredibly close winner-takes-all final afternoon. Earlier, the 50-over competition was won by Ian Bell’s Warwickshire, and the T20 Blast by Northamptonshire, proving once again that the shortest format is the most unpredictable of them all.

For England, Joe Root’s all-round batting quality shone through, and it was wonderful to watch Chris Woakes finally make the step up from top-notch county stalwart to the international stage. Of course, playing for England deprives the domestic game of the best players for much of the season. It was nice to see Alastair Cook and Jonny Bairstow make some runs for Essex and Yorkshire before the ECB called them back for England duty, but they weren’t available for long enough to justify places in my county team of the year.
As before, this is based partly on my Teams of the Week and partly on the end-of-season statistics.

Openers:
In contrast to 2015, it was a fine year for opening batsmen. Marcus Trescothick, free from captaincy responsibilities and limited-overs cricket, enjoyed a fine 25th season for Somerset, Nick Gubbins’ runs were vital in Middlesex’s Championship success, and Mark Stoneman demonstrated why Surrey have prised him away from Durham. However, my places go to Adam Lyth and Keaton Jennings. The Yorkshireman may have been discarded by England, but he made runs in all competitions in 2016. The same is not true of Durham’s Keaton Jennings. Suddenly the Jo’burg-born left-hander found form of which I’d never dreamed him capable, doubling his career tally of first-class centuries in just one summer. He may not ‘do’ the one-day stuff but his dominance of the Championship run table (1,548 and 7 centuries), plus his record six Team of the Week appearances, earn him a spot in my Eleven.

Middle Order
It was a shock when James Taylor was forced to retire from cricket just as his international career was beginning to bloom. He left a big hole in the England middle-order which James Vince could not amply fill this summer. Steve Borthwick and Wayne Madsen were consistent performers but none could match Ben Duckett. The 21 year-old Northamptonshire man amassed well over 2,000 runs in all competitions. Hardly surprising then that he scooped both individual PCA awards and a place in the Bangladesh tour party. He is joined in my 2016 XI by Tom Westley of Essex and Kent’s Sam Northeast. They may have plied their trade in Division Two of the Championship but I wonder how long it will be before they also get their chance for England. Essex, in particular, have an encouraging talent pool of young batsmen.

All-rounders
Genuine all-rounders are a bit thin on the ground in the county game. Darren Stevens wasn’t his usual prolific self for Kent, while Samit Patel was unable to prevent Nottinghamshire from relegation. Somerset’s Peter Trego doesn’t bowl so much these days, helped by his county having the services of the Overton twins and Lewis Gregory. Nevertheless, he broke the 1,000 Championship run barrier in 2016 and struck a career best 154 not out against Lancashire. Now in his thirties, Tim Bresnan is carving quite a niche as a Yorkshire all-rounder these days. Besides supporting the likes of Sidebottom, Brooks and Patterson with the ball, Pontefract’s finest contributed essential runs in the lower order, culminating in his unbeaten 142 against Middlesex which almost clinched the third consecutive title.

Wicketkeepers
Ben Foakes (Surrey), Ben Cox (Worcestershire), Ben Brown (Sussex), James Foster (Essex) and John Simpson (Middlesex) each performed well with bat and gloves, but Tim Ambrose nicks it for me. He claimed more Championship victim than anyone else (57) and averaged a creditable 40 at the crease.

Bowlers
The reliable seamers Graeme Onions, Jack Brooks, Steve Magoffin, Clint McKay and Keith Barker each grabbed more than 50 Championship wickets as usual. Jamie Porter was promoted to new-ball duty for Essex and seemed to relish the responsibility. However, it was his 38 year-old team-mate Graham Napier, in his final season, who stole the glory. For so often he has taken the headlines for his six-hitting but in 2016 it was his wickets which did so much for Essex’s promotion challenge. Toby Roland-Jones seemed to enjoy match-winning performances at crucial times, none more so than the hat-trick which wrapped up the Championship on the very last afternoon. However, I have omitted him in favour of Worcestershire’s Joe Leach. He topped the Division Two table of wicket-takers (65), contributed another 20 in the T20 Blast and scored almost 600 runs in the four-day game.

The change in the toss rules was designed to benefit spinners and the jury’s out. I don’t suppose it made any difference to Jeetan Patel who underlined his reputation as the most consistent wicket-taker in county cricket. Ollie Rayner claimed 51 for Middlesex but the surprise name on the list was Somerset’s Jack Leach. The locally-born 24 year-old benefited from the county’s end-of-season turning track strategy and took his season’s tally of Championship wickets to 65, identical to his Worcestershire namesake.

It was encouraging to see so many different players emerging on the county scene. And I haven’t even mentioned Glamorgan’s Dutch-Aussie Timm van der Gugten, Nottinghamshire’s Jake Ball or Lancashire teenager Haseeb Hameed! How many will kick on in 2017 and will there be more promising newcomers filling the void left by England call-ups? I can’t wait to find out.

In summary, my County Team of 2016 is:-

Lyth (Yor), Jennings (Dur), Duckett (Nor), Northeast (Ken, *), Westley (Ess), Ambrose (War, +), Trego (Som), Bresnan (Yor), Joe Leach (Wor), Napier (Ess), Patel (War)

12th Man: Roland-Jones (Mid)

Roland-Jones rolls Middlesex to the Top

After looking to be a protracted war of the Roses, the Championship battle has suddenly become a five-army contest. By losing by an innings to Middlesex, Yorkshire slipped to fifth in the table. However, their victors leapfrogged Lancashire and currently stand at the summit by a single point!

Toby Roland-Jones thumped a sizzling 79 and captured six wickets, advancing his reputation sufficiently to earn a place In England's Test squad to face Pakistan on his home ground. Credit for the Middlesex win should be shared with Stevie Eskinazi, whose 157 was a second consecutive hundred in only his third first-class match. Clearly the selectors (Angus Fraser?!) were at this match because only that can explain why Gary Ballance, who made 132, also received the call-up.

Warwickshire are only a point behind after a ten-wicket demolition of Surrey. Ex-England star Jonathan Trott hit 123 while Surrey's latest big-money recruit Aaron Finch scored 110 in 98 balls in a rare four-day start. Jeetan Patel grabbed a pair of five-fors to wrap up the win. The Midlanders are looking a good bet for the title, with only Chris Woakes in contention for England duty.

Lancashire could only draw with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge but at least a second innings hundred from 19 year-old opener Haseeb Hameed prevented a potential embarassment. Further north, Keaton Jennings racked up his fifth county hundred of the summer in Durham's draw with Hampshire, who were their hosts' equals in the game.

In the Division Two top-of-the-table clash, Essex thrashed Kent by ten wickets at Chelmsford. Their first innings of 569 all out contained no three-figure scores but four of 80+, led by 94 from Ravi Bopara, who also took five wickets. It would have been an even more emphatic result had captain Sam Northeast and James Tredwell not put on a mightily impressive 212 for the eighth wicket!

Worcestershire progressed to third position after an entertaining three-wicket triumph at home to Leicestershire. In a match full of runs but a great contest, they had to score over 300 at a gallop in barely two sessions on the final day. Fortunately for them, another half-century from number eight Joe Leach and Joe Clarke's 123 saw them home. It was also encouraging to see Tom Fell back in action after cancer treatment. Dexter, Cosgrove and Horton each struck centuries in Leicester's losing cause.

At Hove, Sussex had ensured Glamorgan remain winless. Despite hundreds from Wells, Joyce and Brown, they couldn't close out the match. This was largely due to the in-form David Lloyd's unbeaten 102. The Cardiff faithful must be wondering how their side can be so consistently strong in the T20 Blast yet consistently soggy in the Championship.
Talking of soggy, the Chesterfield pitch was so wet that not a ball was bowled in Derbyshire's fixture with Northants. Sadly not a good advert for 'festival' pitches.

This week, Essex travel to Cheltenham in the hope of reopening an ample lead at the top. I doubt the Gloucestershire ground will suffer the same fate as Chesterfield. Middlesex could also put daylight between themselves and Lancashire by winning at Taunton, although if Roland-Jones makes his England debut, Somerset will have more chance of stopping them.

Team of the week:
Hameed (Lan), Jennings (Dur), Eskinazi (Mid), Northeast (Ken), Bopara (Ess), Lloyd (Gla), Brown (Sus +), Patel (War), Roland-Jones (Mid), van der Gugten (Gla), McKay (Lei)

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)

2014 Overall Team of the Year

To complete my review of the year, I'll examine the performances across all three formats, and not restrict myself to international cricket.

have not been the most successful batsmen outside Twenty20 but David Warner has played himself into my good books. Having played for Australia in T20 before even playing a single first-class match, he has since become a vital cog in the Green Baggie wheel. With Chris Rogers playing the anchor role, Warner has been given free rein to play his strokes and in 2014 collated more than 2,000 runs, averaging over 63 in Tests and a T20 strike rate of 142. He has been paired with Hashim Amla of South Africa. He just oozes class and unflappability whatever the format, and made more than 2500 runs in total. He doesn't seem to have many weak points. Even in T20 his strike rate in 2014 was on a par with McCullum and Finch, superior even to that of Chris Gayle.

Kumar Sangakkara may now be 37 years old, but his batting just seems to improve with age. Top scorer in Tests and ODIs, who cares about T20? His Test average last year was 71, pushing his career figure to a mighty 58, ahead of Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar. A shoo-in at number three, and did I mention he keeps wicket better than Dhoni, too?

Virat Kohli is also starting to carry his 50-over talents across to proper cricket, even on the hard pitches of Australia. He was another of the 2,500-run select few, whose most noteworthy statistic was his ODI strike rate of 99.62! Somewhat less of a global phenomenon, Kane Williamson has shone in what was an excellent year for New Zealand. He averaged 62 in Tests and, with his county cricket exploits included, scored 1,558 first-class runs. Add his List A and T20 figures and the run tally extends towards 3,000. I really hope he shines at the World Cup.

Angelo Mathews also had a fantastic year, converting fifties into hundreds in Test matches, averaging 88 alongside 62 in ODIs. He has grown as a captain for Sri Lanka, too, a great example of a man who has not just fulfilled expectations but exceeded them. Steve Smith has perhaps enjoyed an even steeper rise to the top. With Michael Clarke sidelined by injury, Mike Hussey retired and the rest of the middle-order inconsistent, Smith has rescued Australia for much of the year. Five centuries and an average of 82 in Tests and a good record in ODIs, and by December he had also assumed the captaincy. A wonderful year for him!

While Warner, Williamson, Smith and Mathews have all bowled at international level, surely the best all-rounder in 2014 was Shakib-al-Hasan. Admittedly Bangladesh didn't always face the big boys but as a bowler who also averaged 47 with the bat in Tests he was again a class act. Narine (T20), Herath (Tests) and Mendis (ODIs) may have taken more wickets but in limited overs, few were consistently more economical than Shakib.

Mitch Johnson and Dale Steyn comprise my pace attack. The Aussie's main contribution was in Tests, the highlights coming in the 2013/14 Ashes series. He wasn't a prolific ODI wicket-taker but was surprisingly mean when it came to economy. Steyn is an amazingly consistent trouper over many years. 2014 may not have been his best year but his 39 Test scalps came at just 19.56 apiece and there were 22 ODI wickets at 26.54, too. A fearsome death bowler in T20, too, but not at the top of the tables. My last bowler is Jeetan Patel. The evergreen Kiwi has been a fantastic spinner for Warwickshire in recent years and his 2014 featured 133 wickets all told. His rare talent is to appear equally good in all three forms of cricket. Statistically maybe his best last year came in T20; in 28 games he took 35 wickets at a mere 15, and an economy rate of 5.86, better even than Saeed Ajmal and Malinga.

Just missing the cut were Joe Root, Brendon McCullum, Saeed Ajmal and AB de Villiers.

So my Eleven of 2014 stands as follows:-
Warner (Aust), Amla (SA), Sangakkara (SL, +), Kohli (Ind), Williamson (NZ), Smith (Aust), Mathews (SL *), Shakib al Hasan (Ban), Patel (War/NZ), Johnson (Aust), Steyn (SA).

Roll on 2015..!

County Team of the Year 2014 - The Bowlers

Last week I selected my top four batsmen and wicketkeeper of the English domestic season, and now it's the turn of the all-rounders and bowlers. Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, Jesse Ryder, Tom Smith and Peter Trego were definitely in the running, but the Notts player was let down by his first-class bowling record (22 wickets at 45), Stokes by hs self-inflicted injury and terrible run of scores and the Somerset favourite only by his limited-overs bowling. Trego averaged more than 30 in all three formats and missed reaching the 50-wicket target in the Championship by a whisker. Smith was one of the few bright spots in Lancashire's season, but almost exclusively in the four-dayers. The former Black Cap Ryder was, perversely, a far more effective performer tthe ball than the bat, and he and Graham Napier bowled superbly for Essex. Jesse's lack of runs took him out of the running, though. Instead, the ever-dependable Kent man Darren Stevens and Glamorgan's Jim Allenby grab my five and six berths.

Had he been found guilty last winter of failing to report a corrupt approach Stevens could easily have missed the whole season and, at the age of 38, may have seen his career destroyed. Instead he continued to score runs and take wickets at regular intervals, especially in the Championship and T20 Blast. Glamorgan experienced another disappointing season. They have some fine players but didn't seem to win the games their squad deserves. There are none finer than Jim Allenby. Now 32, the Aussie is a mainstay at Sophia Gardens. He contributed nearly 1,700 runs and was one of the highest scorers in the NatWest T20 tournament, whilest taking 54 wickets at barely 20 apiece. Irreplaceable!

My two main pace bowlers both come from Division Two. Derbyshire's Mark Footitt's Championship tally of 84 wickets was by far the highest in the competition. At 28, the left-arm seamer has endured a stuttering career but 2014 has been his best year by a mile. He did OK in the 50-over competition, too, and amassed 106 victims in total for his county. Special mentions must go to Steve Magoffin (Sussex), Chris Rushworth (Durham, the only man to take fifteen wickets in a DAY) and Jack Brooks (Yorkshire). However, for consistent success in all three formats, another honorary Welshman from Down Under edges my decision. Michael Hogan makes my county Team of the Year for the second consecutive year. Despite missing the early matches, Hogan racked up 98 victims in all, averaging under 20 in four- and one-day cricket. Like Allenby he is always hard to score off and his long-striding run-up and high action make him a formidable attack leader.

Two spinners complete my Eleven. It wasn't a vintage summer for the slow bowlers - outside the T20 - but three stood out. Adil Rashid enjoyed one of his better seasons for Yorkshire but his batting slipped a bit. Saeed Ajmal may be facing an uncertain future with his unusual action but he was extraordinarily effective for Worcestershire in the first half of the Championship. In only nine fixtures, the Pakistani took 63 wickets at 16.47, including two ten-wicket games and a career-best analysis of 7-19 against Essex back in May. The county weren't quite the same without him but limped over the finishing line in second place.

My final selection was also officially the Most Valuable Player of the county season: Jeetan Patel. The 34 year-old Kiwi has been a revelation for Warwickshire in recent years and in 2014 took more wickets across all formats (107) than anyone else. He was particularly prolific in The Blast, taking 25 at 12.56, with a miserly economy rate of 6.11. With a swift first-class century against Middlesex, too, Patel's late-order runs also came in extremely handy. A most valuable player indeed!

In summary, my County Team of 2014 is: Hales (Notts), Lyth (Yorks), Joyce (Sussex), Vince (Hants), Allenby (Glam), Stevens (Kent), Foster (Essex + *), Patel (Warwicks), Saeed Ajmal (Worcs), Footitt (Derbys), Hogan (Glam).

Sad to see only three young Englishmen amidst the veterans and foreign contingent, and it will be interesting to see whether Hales, Lyth and Vince are rewarded with more international caps, thus making them less likely to shine for their counties in 2015. Could Jonathan Trott feature? What about the bunch of youthful Sams, Jacks and Bens who caught the eye? I can't wait for winter to pass and a promising summer of cricket to grab my interest once again.

County Season Review: English Cricket is in safe hands

For many, the summer was all about England's clashes with the Indian tourists, and there was plenty of international cricket to savour. A shame about the less than savoury nonsense involving prickly foes Jadeja and Anderson. England's revival in mid-Test series and India's reversal of fortunes in the ODIs made for some drama but also much scratching of heads.

Perhaps it just demonstrates the joyous unpredictability of the sport. That certainly applies to the county game, even though I had a rare successful prediction of Yorkshire winning the County Championship and Northants being relegated. I'm glad, however, that my forecasts of Somerset going down and Surrey being promoted both proved incorrect!

Warwickshire (in the guise of Birmingham Bears) beat Lancashire in the T20 Blast final but missed out to Durham in the 50-over season finale that was the Royal London Cup Final. They finished second, too, in the Championship, where Yorkshire were simply too strong, especially in the batting department. Despite missing Gary Ballance and Joe Root for much of the season on international duty, and Liam Plunkett either with England or injured, the White Rose outfit, coached by Jason Gillespie, lost only once. That was back in April to a Middlesex side which ended up narrowly avoiding the drop. Yorkshire also topped their group in the 50-over tournament but were knocked out by eventual winners Durham.

Lyth, Leez and Leaning provided youth and plenty of runs, backed up by Bairstow, captain Andrew Gale and overseas signings Aaron Finch and Kane Williamson. Jack Brooks was the second highest wicket taker in Division One but Ryan Sidebottom's twelve appearances resulted in 48 victims at barely 18 apiece, one of the best averages in the top flight. Adil Rashid also made strong contributions with bat and ball, his spin being particularly effective in limited overs formats.

Warwickshire were just too inconsistent in the four-day game to take the title but they were in the frame for all three competitions. Jeetan Patel flew the flag for the old boys, the 34 year-old New Zealander capturing 107 wickets in total. Young Aussie born, Sam Hain, looked a real find in the middle-order, where Jonathan Trott, after a few early season stutters, made a successful comeback in the Championship run-in.

At the other end, newly promoted Northamptonshire found the going far too tough. Not helped by the loss of their regular captain, the form of Andrew Hall and opener Stephen Peters and David Willey's bowling, they lost twelve out of the sixteen matches, winning none. Lancashire also suffered key injuries but, despite 40 year-old Glen Chapple's never-say-die attitude and the all-round excellence of Tom Smith, they will join Northants in Division Two next year.

In 2014, Hampshire and Worcestershire dominated the second tier throughout although Essex's fantastic second half sequence of victories almost broke the duopoly at the end. Moeen Ali cemented his place in the England set-up, and Hampshire's James Vince has also staked his claim. Surrey's woes continued, winning only four first-class games and one in the Royal London Cup. Graeme Smith's second season was again curtailed by injury, which seems to have cut his playing ties with the county permanently. Derbyshire made a spirited challenge, too, after years of struggle. However, Leicestershire became the first county side since the Second World War to go through two whole Championship summers without a single victory. With some of their best young players now plundered by other counties, the future looks bleak.

While the likes of Ed Joyce, Daryl Mitchell, Darren Stevens, Peter Trego and Alex Gidman produced sterling work for their counties, the future of English cricket looks strong in the hands of the Yorkshire brigade, and their Academy's crop of 'undergraduates'. Vince and James Taylor showed they can score runs in all forms of cricket, and a bunch of Sams also made their presence felt. Sam Robson's promotion to England opener wasn't particularly successful. Indeed his brother Angus outscored him, even with Leicestershire. Sam Hain delivered centuries for Warwickshire and Kent wicketkeeper Sam Billings thrashed some excellent attacks in the 50-over competition. A future rival to Jos Buttler, perhaps?

ANyway, lots to enjoy in 2014. I'll focus on my County Players of the Year in the next few days.

Twenty20 Finals Day: Bears have a Blast

So, after a few months and 122 matches, an encouragingly big crowd at Edgbaston were treated to a dry (but cool) day and a home side victory in the inaugural NatWest T20 Blast tournament. Personally I think the more structured scheduling over a longer period has been a plus. If some of the big international names couldn't commit to the summer, that's a price worth paying to preserve the perfect mix of fun stuff and proper cricket in the form of the County Championship, which in turn breeds the England Test stars of the future.

As for the domestic T20 competition climax, my interest was somewhat diminished by the rare absence of Somerset and the qualification of Surrey. However I was glad to see the likes of Pietersen (13 runs in 16 balls), Dernbach (0-56!) and Batty knocked out by the Birmingham Bears (henceforth to be referred to as Warwickshire) in the first semi-final. Will Porterfield is not renowned as a big-hitting limited over specialist but his unbeaten 81, featuring five sixes, was the highest score of the day and, with the tight spin bowling of Ateeq Javid, was crucial to the Bears' progression. Jason Roy's brisk half-century for Surrey was ultimately in vain.

In the other semi, Lancashire fielded current England Test players Jimmy Anderson and Jos Buttler, along with other internationals past and present in Prince, Khawaja, Kabir Ali and Parry. Smith (Tom) fell to Smith (Will) first ball but Ashwell Prince and Karl Brown rescued the innings. Hampshire's response was a disaster. Jimmy Adams made 53 but Carberry's 10 was the next best as all Lancashire bowlers took wickets steadily throughout the afternoon. The perennial semi-finalists were not to win this year.

The final was to prove a much more exciting affair, heightened by the inclusion of celebrity Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoff in place of the injured Ali. That he took Ian Bell's wicket with his first delivery and, after two consecutive sixes, threatened to complete the fairytale script and clinch an unlikely victory, merely added to the already heady atmosphere under the floodlights. However, the likes of Bears skipper Varun Chopra, Chris Woakes, Boyd Rankin and man of the match Laurie Evans saw Warwickshire home by four runs with Parry, not Flintoff, needing to hit the last-ball six needed to take the trophy in front of the home fans.

As for the tournament as a whole, Jason Roy and Luke Wright were the stand-out batsmen while a whole clutch of spinners and a few seamers caught the eye for bowling consistency across the summer. Wright's spell as an England T20 specialist seems to have ended but he is still under 30 and his 153 not out at Chelmsford Essex in July was the second of his Blast hundreds this season. Tim Westley of Essex also delivered two centuries but, while making no three-figures scores, Surrey's Roy did his future England credentials no harm by aggregating 677 runs from fifteen games, including nine 50s, at a strike rate of 157. That's way ahead of Hales, Carberry, Taylor, Morgan, Trego and Bopara, to name but six other contenders.

With the ball, Dirk Nannes was one of the few globe-trotting pros to deliver value for money, this year in the service of Somerset. His tally of 24 wickets led the table before Jeetan Patel pipped him by one on Finals Day. Over fifteen matches, the Warwickshire Kiwi conceded scarcely a run a ball. Michael Hogan (Glamorgan), Kabir Ali and Junaid Khan (both Lancashire) also led the fast bowler brigade but for a combination of wickets and economy, the stellar performers were Patel, Hampshire's Danny Briggs and relative bowling novice Will Smith plus Middlesex's new left-armer Ravi Patel. Watch out for his rise over the next few years. Briggs hasn't progressed from T20 promise to first-class finished product but maybe this 23 year-old will buck the trend of T20-only bowlers like Parry.

Well done, Warwickshire/Birmingham, and my T20 Blast team of the year is as follows:- Roy (Sur), Wright (Sus), Westley (Ess), Allenby (Glam), S Patel (Not), Stevens (Kent), Wilson (Sur +,*), J Patel (War), Briggs (Ham), Nannes (Som), R Patel (Mid).

Your name doesn't have to be Patel to be a successful T20 slow bowler, but it seems to help! Now for the England-India ODIs and the Championship finale...

Team of the Week: Cook and Bell back in business

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team of the Week: Bhuvi and Jesse Ryding high

For the week ending 18th July, there were some difficult choices, with the First Test at Trent Bridge, Championship and the two major T20 tourneys in full swing. Marcus Trescothick struck another first-class century but his T20 woes continued. Good on him for adding wicketkeeping duties to everything else given Kieswetter's nasty facial injury. Will Tavare of Gloucestershire's first innings 135 was balanced by a duck so my openers are Murali Vijay and Chris Gayle. The former showed Alastair Cook how to build an innings while Gayle was in fine form for Jamaica, including a 63-ball 111 against St Lucia.

Joe Root's ability to score heavily in Tests was demonstrated once more, keeping out teenagers Sam Hain (109* for Warwickshire) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (99 for Worcestershire). Essex team-mates Ravi Bopara and Jesse Ryder were also extremely consistent. The former England Test batsman top-scored in each Essex innnigs in the win againast Hampshire, then made useful T20 runs. Ryder also enjoyed a good all-round Championship match before combining a five-for and half-century in the two biff-bang fixtures.

Gloucestershire's Will Gidman aggregated 164 runs against Derbyshire and also bowled tidily to earn a spot as my number six, just ahead of Tom Smith, who added another six to his impressive wicket tally for Lancashire. Top 'keeper is Alex Wheater who produced a 107 in adversity for Hampshire.

Luke Gregory stepped up to the plate magnificently for Somerset. His 6-47 helped create a healthy first innings lead against Northants then, with te bottom side threatening to create an upset, who delivered another five-for. Bhuvneshwar Kumar simply has to hold down the number nine spot, scoring a pair of 50s and taking 5-82 for India. Jimmy Anderson may have won the Man of the Match award but for me his bowling wasn't good enough to make my team of the week. Instead I've finished off with two spinners. Jeetan Patel claimed 7-77 in total in Warwickshire's defeat of Durham, followed by 4-19 in the T20 versus Yorkshire.

To end with, Saeed Ajmal has signed off his fabulous spell with Worcestershire with seven more wickets and 73 runs. Where on earth is the county going to get the necessary wickets without him? At least his departure means a space for someone else in my celebratory Elevens!

My team: Vijay (Ind), Gayle (Jam), Root (Eng), Bopara (Ess), Ryder (Ess), Gidman (Glo), Wheater (+, Ham), Gregory (Som), Kumar (Ind), Patel (War), Ajmal (Wor)

Ambrose and Patel take Warwickshire top

Most Championship games this week were drawn but Warwickshire stirred things up by mashing Middlesex in under three days at Edgbaston. Chris Rogers must have regretted his decision to bat first as Chris Wright and co left the visitors ailing at 66-8. Things could have got even more embarrassing but for a last-wicket stand of 61 between Roland-Jones and Finn! Tim Ambrose proceeded to match Middlesex's total of 167 all by himself and, with Jeetan Patel reaching three figures for only the second time, Warwickshire racked up a lead big enough to ensure an innings victory. Patel again took 4-78 to crown a great all-round performance, and the Midlanders are now in pole position.

Sussex lurk just one point behind after a tame draw against Lancashire. Mike Yardy ended a miserable run with the bat by compiling 139, Steve Magoffin claimed 4-36 and Chris Nash made a welcome return after injury. Somerset are third after a tough four days for bowlers at Taunton. Samit Patel and Phil Jacques each scored more than 200 runs in the match, although Peter Trego's pre-declaration blast of 86 in 71 balls brought the contest to life briefly on day three.

It was another run-fest at Chester-le-Street. Yorkshire made the game safe by accumulating almost 600 in their first innings. Gale and Lyth each scored hundreds, while Bairstow and Williamson were dismissed in the 90s. Stoneman and Richards also made centuries for Durham and Jennings' 54 not out prevented any chance of an unlikely last day win for Yorkshire. Northants and Durham are the only Division One counties yet to win and look unlikely to change that next week as they travel to Notts and Sussex, respectively.

In the second flight, Kent leapt to fifth by beating Surrey by eight wickets. In two innings, only Jason Roy passed 50 for Graeme Smith's outfit, while Rob Key and Brendan Nash each fell for 126 in the Kent cause. 22 year-old spinner Adam Riley captured nine wickets and Doug Bollinger strangled the Surrey run rate.

Worcestershire remain top, running out of hours in which to snaffle the final three Glamorgan wickets at Cardiff. Wagg and Cosker bowled well for the Welsh side but two centuries from Daryl Mitchell - taking his season average into three figures - and excellent bowling by Gareth Andrew and Saeed Ajmal kept Worcs in the driving seat for most of the match. The Essex-Leicestershire fixture petered out into a draw. Ned Eckersley kept wicket and contributed 110 for Leicester against an Essex attack lacking both Masters and Napier. Monty Panesar's 6-111 in 50 overs stemmed the flow of runs but there was never a chance of a home success.

Next week, Hampshire have an excellent chance of leading the division, hosting Glamorgan. Surrey will sink to the bottom if they lose to Gloucestershire and Derbyshire overcome Kent. How I will laugh....