County Cricket: Triple Hants, 100% Northants

At the end of the Blast’s second week, Northamptonshire are the only county with a 100% record. James Sales’s 5-21 helped sweep aside close rivals Gloucestershire, then last year’s prolific Chris Lynn steered the Steelbacks to a final-over triumph against Warwickshire with an unbeaten 115. Beau Webster had earlier slammed 97 but the Bears have now lost all four fixtures to date. 

In the same Central & West group, Glamorgan did the double over reigning champions Somerset. In Cardiff, Tom Banton got the latter off to a cracking start, but Nathan McAndrew trimmed the strike rate and capture four wickets. Glammy captain Kiran Carlson wasted no time in tearing the bowling apart, racing to 109 as his side romped home with more than six overs remaining. In the return fixture, it was a much closer affair. Chasing 202 to win at Taunton, it was Somerset old boy Sean Dickson who top-scored with 63, but it was Jimmy Neesham who struck the last ball for a boundary to clinch the win. I am not a happy bunny! Somerset need to rediscover winning ways in the derby against Gloucestershire. 

In the South division, Hampshire reeled off a hat-trick of successes. Liam Dawson had a profitable week. His 76 not out was timed to perfection as Surrey were defeated in the last over, and five cheap wickets helped despatch Middlesex and Sussex, although Scottish seamer Sean Currie’s economy also played its part. Surrey’s stellar batting line-up was also flattened by Kent, but on Wednesday they turned things around at home to Middlesex, Ollie Pope making 51 not out. 

Up North, Derbyshire amassed the highest team total of the week. In the East Mids derby, Aneurin Donald (84) and Martin Andersson (69 not out) blitzed the first eight overs on the way to 234-4. With Tom Moores striking seven sixes, Nottinghamshire made a decent fist of a chase, but finished twenty-three runs short. 

Yorkshire top the table, swatting aside Durham by 58 runs (Moeen Ali taking 2-12 in three overs) before losing their unbeaten record in a cross-table fixture at home to Gloucestershire, for whom D’Arcy Short slammed 82 and claimed 4-31. Leicestershire are bottom, despite a thrilling two-wicket success at Old Trafford. Needing only 146 to win, Saqib Mahmood and George Balderson kept Lancashire in the match until a scrambled single sealed the deal. Last man Sol Budinger could not bat after being stretchered off after a fielding collision so it was closer than the scoreboard suggests. 

Team of the Week:-  Carlson (Gla), Lynn (Nor), Lyth (Yor), Short (Glo), Pepper (Ess +), Webster (War), Dawson (Ham), Sales (Nor), Mulder (Ess), Usman Tariq (War), Currie (Ham)

County Cricket: Worcestershire and Hampshire Fly into the Final

Despite most of the group stages being dominated by Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, the One Day Cup Final at the end of September will be contested instead by Hampshire and Worcestershire. 

When it really mattered, Gloucester’s wheels well and truly came off in Group A. Having lost their 100% record against Essex, their eight-pointer on Tuesday versus Hampshire also ended in defeat, by five wickets. James Bracey blazed his way to another century, but a rapid opening stand of 112 between Orr and Gubbins set the scene for a successful run chase. At the same time, Worcestershire cruised to a six-wicket win, grateful for Kashif Alli’s 58-ball 80. That meant Gloucestershire dropped from first to third while Jake Libby’s side sailed direct to the semis. 

Group B leaders Yorkshire held their nerve to defeat Kent at Canterbury. James Wharton top-scored with 118 then, once Jayden Denly had been caught for 79 off Dom Bess, the home side struggled to make headway against spin. Bess ended on 4-43 but the coup-de-grace was applied by debutant seamer Matthew Firbank. Sussex’s Archie Lenham claimed 5-48 to end Warwickshire’s participation in the competition, but Somerset made no mistake against Northamptonshire, aided by Archie Vaughan’s maiden List A century. The other county in the hunt for progressing, Middlesex, had to work much harder to reach the top three. Chasing Lancashire’s 291 at Old Trafford, Harry Singh reduced them to 127-6 but the partnership of 126 between Morgan and Fernandes turned things around. The latter was caught in the final over with eight runs still required and the last pair at the crease. However, from the penultimate delivery, Noah Cornwell scored the winning runs and carried Middlesex into the quarter-finals. 

That effort earned Middlesex a home tie against Hampshire and things looked positive when, in spite of Ali Orr’s 108, they restricted them to just 229-9. It didn’t last. The veteran Hants bowlers Kyle Abbott (2-38) and Liam Dawson (4-33) were instrumental in stemming the runs and taking wickets, eventually ending the innings 42 runs short. At Taunton, Gloucestershire were battered in their derby encounter with Somerset. Jake Ball bowled Bracey second ball and left their rivals all out for 159 with the wicket of Miles. The Rew brothers took charge of Somerset’s chase, which succeeded with eighteen overs to spare. 

Even lacking several one-day experts, Somerset’s white-ball reputation made them favourites against Worcestershire but it all went horribly wrong. Ben Green and Jack Leach bowled well and the target of 266 wasn’t notably daunting. Enter Khurram Shahzad with the ball. He had four of the top order caught, and the rest of the batsmen fell regularly, sliding to a pathetic 141.

Yorkshire’s group stage supremacy also counted for nothing against Hampshire at Scarborough. Liam Dawson struck the week’s highest individual score (142), surpassing Harry Came’s 139 for Derbyshire, helping his county post a decent 304-6. When rain forced a reduction of nine overs, The White Roses must have fancied their chances, especially as Imam -ul-Haq in such imperious form. Indeed, he made 105 off 97 balls, his fourth ton of the tournament, but nobody else passed thirty, and they finished eighteen runs behind. 

Next up for the men’s county outfits are the Blast quarter-finals and the return of the County Championship whose summer break has made me forget what the hell was happening. I look forward to having my memory jolted. 

Team of the Week:- Orr (Ham), Came (Der), Imam-ul-Haq (Yor), Tribe (Gla), Lammonby (Som), J Rew (Som +), Dawson (Ham), B Green (Som), Khurram Shahzad (Wor), Lenham (Sus), Leach (Som)

County Cricket Team of 2024

I find the increasingly random series of Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals in England difficult to follow and be enthused by. Jimmy Anderson’s farewell was a key moment and it was curious to see how McCullum and co went about the business of scouring the counties on search of a potential long-term replacement for the legendary swinger and also the injury-prone Matt Wood. In the old days, it just took a five-for at Lord’s to earn a call-up. These days, it’s a nasty delivery to Buttler in The Hundred or just being a six-foot-seven leftie, even one with an average of sixty-odd! 

But I digress. This is all about the county cricket scene and the most successful performers across the summer, including all three major formats. My statistical trawl ignores a bowler’s height or bat width, but does incorporate the number of Team pf the Week appearances made. There is a bias towards County Championship players, partly the result of biff-baff merchants missing the One Day Cup in favour of The Hundred, a competition omitted from my thoughts because it neither involve counties nor counts as proper cricket…. 

Openers 

Surrey’s inevitable progress to a third successive Championship was anchored by their openers. Discarded by Bazball-era England, Rory Burns and Dom Sibley formed the best opening partnership in the country, and the latter also released his adventurous streak in the Blast. Adam Lyth (Yorkshire) and Alex Lees (Durham) were solid as ever, and it will be welcome to see the former back in the Championship’s top tier next season. Runs from Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater kept Nottinghamshire in Division One and Dean Elgar ground out 1,144 runs the old-fashioned way (just a solitary six!) for Essex. April wasn’t even halfway through when Warwickshire’s Alex Davies harvested 257 from Carse, Potts and the rest of Durham’s attack Gloucestershire won the Blast but tore up few trees in Division Two. Nonetheless, Cameron Bancroft was a star at the top for them. 

Middle Order 

Bancroft’s colleague Miles Hammond enjoyed arguably his best summer to date, culminating in a match-winning 58 not out in the Blast Final. One-Day Cup victors Glamorgan boasted a prolific middle-order, featuring Kiran Carlson and Sam Northeast, a third of whose first-class total came in just one innings, an unbeaten 335 against Middlesex in the very first game of the season. Another veteran at Cardiff, Colin Ingram, also scored a century in that drawn fixture, and went on to add four more at an average of 90. Across all three domestic competitions, he aggregated 2,001 runs, miles ahead of anybody else. Leicestershire’s Peter Handscomb was the highest scorer in the One-Day Cup, Ryan Higgins thumped five tons for Middlesex, Sam Hain’s 569 runs for the Bears was beaten only by Sussex’s Dan Hughes and Michael Pepper (Essex) produced two of the seven T20 centuries scored. However, nobody in Division One outscored Durham’s David Bedingham, who breezes back into my Team of the Season. 

All Rounders 

Last year, Ed Barnard proved a vital cog in the Warwickshire wheel and, along with Will Rhodes, was a major part of their red-ball engine room. With the ball, he was also the joint highest wicket-taker in the 50-over tournament. Ryan Higgins’ bowling wasn’t at the same level as his early-summer batting and so Liam Dawson is a no-brainer for the 2024 all-rounder slot. Usually, it’s his off-spin which catches the eye but in 2024, he notched almost a thousand runs in Hampshire’s Championship campaign, not too shabby for a number six. 

Wicket-Keeper 

This time last year, I hoped that James Rew wouldn’t be a one-summer wonder for Somerset. Well, he wasn’t quite as prolific in the four-day stuff, but he added se promising vim and vigour to his one-day CV as the county reached both finals. John Simpson led from the front as Sussex achieved a long-delayed promotion from Division Two. Aged 36, he enjoyed his best ever Championship season, breaking the 1000-run barrier at almost 75, with 44 victims behind the stumps. However, Gloucestershire’s James Bracey was supreme with bat and gloves and gets my vote for 2024. 

Bowlers 

2024 was momentous because, after five consecutive appearances in my yearly XI, Simon Harmer acquired only 45 first-class wickets for Essex, dropping him out of contention. Jack Carson’s off-breaks proved invaluable in Sussex’s red-ball season but I have plumped for Jack Leach who finished the season very strongly. Sadly for me, the rest of his side didn’t. 

It was very much a year for seamers. Even the top T20 wicket-taker was not a spinner but the left-arm paceman David Payne of Gloucestershire. Jamie Porter and Kyle Abbott were the leading wicket-takers in Division One, averaging below 20, while Porter’s colleague Sam Cook was similarly mean. Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Zak Chappell and Ben Sanderson were all in the mix, while Ben Coad’s 68 victims in the Championship and One Day Cup placed him top of the heap. Surrey may have lost Gus Atkinson to England, where he looked very much at home, but the county’s attack tended to share out the honours. Dan Worrall was the pick of the bunch, taking 50 at barely 16 apiece.

 

Before revealing my overall selection, I must mention Leicestershire’s Louis Kimber. To be honest, he didn’t have the most productive of seasons but on one amazing afternoon at Hove, he wrote his name in the record books. Needing a miracle to reach the target set by Sussex, batting at eight, he launched an incredible assault and just kept going and going. One over by international Ollie Robinson went for a ludicrous 43 and he was eventually dismissed for 243, including an unprecedented 21 sixes and a hundred-ball double-century. Respect! 

Lyth (Yor), Elgar (Ess), Bedingham (Dur), Hammond (Glo), Ingram (Gla), Bracey (Glo, wkt), Dawson (Ham), Abbott (Ham), Coad (Yor), Leach (Som), Porter (Ess) 

Also in the squad: Barnard (War), Simpson (Sus +), Worrall (Sur)

County Cricket: Surrey Make it Three in a Row

With Alec Stewart’s outfit increasingly resembling a cricketing Manchester City in terms of squad depth and quality, it is no surprise that Surrey retained the County Championship with a game to spare. The success could so easily have been rubber-stamped the week before had it not been for Somerset’s unexpected triumph at Taunton. This time, normal service was resumed. Surrey easily defeated Durham at The Oval before being crowned champions as soon as Somerset were bowled out a second time by Lancashire at Old Trafford on the final morning. 

Ryan Patel’s 134 and eight wickets from Dan Worrall did for Durham, but Rory Burns made another decent contribution as both opening bat and skipper. Meanwhile, Somerset blew their opportunity to maintain the pressure. No fewer than 21 wickets fell on the first day, with Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory and Toms Bailey and Balderson each claiming four. On the second outing, Lancashire recovered admirably. Luke Wells struck a century, then his 4-34 proved crucial as the visitors crumbled from 107-1 to 224 all out. 

Hampshire advanced to second place, thumping Worcestershire at home by 235 runs. A stand of 220 by Nick Gubbins (201 not out) and Liam Dawson (109) laid down the gauntlet, but only Garth Roderick (94) and Ethan Brookes (132) made any headway against the strong attack. Hampshire chose to bat again, and Kyle Abbott sealed maximum points with 5-36. 

At Canterbury, Kent succumbed to their eighth Championship defeat, this time at the hands of Nottinghamshire, who surely now only need avoid losing their final fixture to remain in the top flight. Ben Slater’s 160  and 196-run opening partnership with Haseeb Hameed set the ball rolling, and Kent were helpless to stop it. 

It took Essex under two days to flatten Warwickshire at Edgbaston, but the hosts have surely done enough to be relegated. Shane Snater (5-13) in the first innings and Jamie Porter (6-36) in the second inflicted the most damage. They now welcome Surrey in the season’s last week, while Somerset and Hampshire meet at Taunton to decide the runners-up position. At the other end, Lancashire must beat Worcestershire to have any chance of staying up.

Sussex will definitely replace Kent in Division One next year after crushing Gloucestershire by an innings at Hove. Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the bowlers but Henry Crocombe polished off the last four batsmen to complete the rout. Middlesex also won by a similar margin a day early, their victims being bottom county Derbyshire. The soon-to-depart opener Mark Stoneman delivered a crisp 115, while Toby Roland-Jones continued his recent form by amassing ten wickets in the match. 

However, for them to achieve promotion, they must beat Sussex and hope Yorkshire fall to Northamptonshire next week. The White Roses were always on top against Glamorgan, with Ben Coad scooping eight more victims. Northants sit in fourth having eclipsed Leicestershire by nine wickets. James Sales struck 135 to take control of the match and Leicestershire looked odds-on to lose by an innings, sliding to 92-7 second time out. However, Scott Currie shared a couple of century partnerships to make Northants bat again. I should also mention wicketkeeper Lewis McManus. He only made thirty runs but managed four stumpings to spinners Keogh and Chahal, a rare feat in the modern game. 

Team of the Week:- Slater (Not), Stoneman (Mid), Gubbins (Ham), Brookes (Not), L Wells (Lan), Dawson (Ham), McManus (Nor +), Snater (Ess), Worrall (Sur), Roland-Jones (Mid), Porter (Ess)

County cricket: Abell and Leach Boost Somerset Challenge

The onset of September serves as a reminder that, like summer itself, the County Championship is coming to a close. Surrey have led the table almost from day one in April and when skipper Rory Burns’ 161 set his side on the way to a first-innings 525 at Trent Bridge, a third successive title looked inevitable. However, Nottinghamshire didn’t roll over. Two teenagers, Freddie McCann (aged 19) and Farhan Ahmed (just 16!) shone in only their second matches, striking 154 and taking ten wickets, respectively, to frustrate the reigning champions. 

Behind them, Somerset narrowed the gap to twenty-four points by crushing Durham. Spin was king at Taunton. Building on batting foundations led by Tom Abell and James Rew, Jack Leach opened the bowling in the visitors’ second effort and continued unchanged for more than thirty overs to take 7-50. Michael Vaughan’s son Archie accompanied him, finishing with a commendable 2-40 as Somerset triumphed by 293 runs and earning maximum points. The next round of fixtures puts the top two counties up against each other. Should Somerset gain an improbable victory, it could make the final weeks very interesting indeed. Can’t see that happening, though. 

Worcestershire made it two on the trot, coming from behind to defeat Essex at Chelmsford by only 43 runs. Michael Pepper had contributed to a solid Essex lead but, set a target of just 184 on the final morning, they tumbled to 140, Dutch seamer Logan van Beek starring with 4-23. Hampshire overtook Essex in third place with a thumping innings win over lacklustre Lancashire. Gus Atkinson’s rare Test achievement of a century and five-fer was eclipsed by Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson. Not only did he strike an unbeaten 104 and take 5-47 but he also added another five scalps on Saturday to finish the match a day early. 

Kent suffered another drubbing, this time against Warwickshire who did their hopes of avoiding relegation a world of good. Will Rhodes set them on their way with 201 but it was Oliver Hannon-Dalby who added the coup-de-grace with a clinching 6-43. Whoever wins the West Midlands derby next week should be safe for another year but Kent absolutely must beat Hampshire to survive. 

Sussex still look favourites to go up, rediscovering winning ways against bottom side Derbyshire at Hove. Daniel Hughes and John Simpson hit tons but Jack Carson also caught the eye. The off-spinner followed a career-best 97 with figures of 5-90 and 6-67. Without Wayne Madsen’s match aggregate of 215 runs, Derby’s margin of defeat would have been even heftier.

Closest rivals to Sussex, Yorkshire and Middlesex, produced a run-fest stalemate at Headingley. For the White Roses, Jonny Bairstow and George Hill each broke 160, then Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins responded with centuries of their own. The spinner toiled for hours after hour but a draw was agreed on the final afternoon. 

Unusually, the Gloucestershire-Northants fixture was abandoned after day one, the umpires ruling that the Bristol pitch was too dangerous following Justin Broad’s 7-37. Only 241 runs were scored, while over in Cardiff, Colin Ingram beat that all on his own. The veteran South African amassed a personal best of 257 not out for Glamorgan against Leicestershire but any hopes of his side doubling their meagre total of one victory were dashed by a second successful partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb, who each made three figures to secure a draw. 

Glamorgan now face Sussex while Middlesex play Gloucestershire. If Leicestershire can tame Yorkshire at home, they could still sneak into the promotion places. 

Team of the Week:- Burns (Sur), Hughes (Sus), Rhodes (War), Abell (Som), Ingram (Gla), Madsen (Der), Handscomb (Lei +), Dawson (Ham), Carson (Sus), Leach (Som), Hannon-Dalby (War)

County Team of the Year, 2023

The leaves are starting to lose their green sheen, the shelves are full of Halloween costumes so it must be time for my annual review of the best and most consistent players across the County Championship, One-Day Cup and Vitality Blast. It seems odd that one or two bright performances in front of a selector can warrant an international call-up (e.g. Rehan Ahmed, George Scrimshaw), while consistent quality is consistently ignored (Ed Barnard, Jamie Porter) but maybe here’s a lot of political stuff going on that I don’t see. Hopefully, this review shines a light on the unsung stars of domestic cricket. 

Openers 

In the four-day format, several opening batters in Division Two stood out for me. A rejuvenated Leicestershire boasted Rishi Patel, promoted Worcestershire had the ever-reliable Jake Libby (but not in the Blast) and Derbyshire’s Luis Reece broke all sorts of records, not least with scoring two centuries in each of his matches against Glamorgan, who must be sick of the sight of him. He and his partner Harry Came forged many a solid start, only for the bowlers to fall short. Kent’s evergreen Daniel Bell-Drummond was a revelation in the white-ball stuff, and Ed Barnard’s promotion to open in the One-Day Cup for his new county, Warwickshire, resulted in him being the competition’s top scorer.  However, there was no ignoring Alex Lees, who dominated the second half of the summer and anchored many of Durham’s victories. 

Middle Order 

Another Durham batsman who is no stranger to my Team of the Year is David Bedingham, and he appeared in six Teams of the Week, more than anyone else in 2023. Another South Africa-born Division Two star was Leus Du Plooy who, like Reece, struck over a thousand Championship runs at an average above 80. Glamorgan also failed to win many games, at times leaving Kiran Carlson as a one-man team. Across all formats, his was the second-highest run aggregate in the country. Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke somehow scraped a thousand runs, while Essex skipper Tom Westley was his side’s top scorer, too. Gloucestershire’s 22-year-old Oliver Price was excellent in the 50-over competition, and older brother Tom looked a useful bowling prospect, too. However, my middle-order is completed by Josh Bohannon and James Vince. The latter was the Blast’s leading run-maker for he second season running, and the former compiled more across all three formats (1822) than anybody else. 

All Rounders 

I’ve mentioned Ed Barnard already, and his move away from Worcestershire didn’t damage his ability to make useful red-ball runs while also opening the bowling. Ryan Higgins also transferred to a Division One squad, Middlesex and put the rest to shame, scoring 1,617 runs and taking 53 wickets. It didn’t prevent relegation on the very last afternoon but I’m sure this England-qualified all-rounder will bounce back in 2024. He’s no Ben Stokes but, aged 28, he’s perfectly qualified to deliver Bazball if required. Matt Critchley (Essex) is surely the top leg-spinner-batsman in county cricket and Sussex’s Fynn Hudson-Prentice enjoyed a fine summer in the Championship, especially with the bat. However, Liam Dawson gets the nod from me. His international days may be behind him, but his value to Hampshire was evident time and time again, right up to the final fixture.

 

Wicket-Keeper

 

As last year, picking one man for the role proved a nightmare. Ben Foakes and Ben Brown topped the County Championship dismissals table, keeping to two of the best seam attacks around, but their batting wasn’t so great. When he played, Chris Cooke inevitably played a blinder at the crease and behind the stumps for Glamorgan, and Durham’s Ollie Robinson accumulated over 1,300 runs and ten stumpings. It was a tough choice, and maybe my Somerset allegiance affected my judgment, but I have opted for the teenage sensation James Rew. He crashed five centuries in the Championship, demonstrating that the county’s locally-produced youngsters don’t all wish to abandon proper cricket. I hope he wasn’t a one-season wonder. 

Bowlers 

Unusually, Craig Overton didn’t feature in the wicket league this year, and his contribution to Somerset’s T20 success was in his catching, not bowling. Instead, Matt Henry, Josh Davey and Ben Green led the way. As last year, Wiaan Mulder (Leicestershire), Tom Bailey and Matthew Potts were consistent wicket-takers, while at Essex, Jamie Porter and Sam Cook hoovered up more than a hundred first-class wickets at under twenty apiece. Durham’s Ben Raine was Division Two’s highest wicket-taker, and Oliver Hannon-Dalby continued to shine with Chris Rushworth at Warwickshire. OHD even claimed 24 victims in the One-Day Cup, the best by a country mile, and his county didn’t even reach the final, destroyed by Dawson at the semi stage. Brett Hutton topped the bowling charts in the Championship, with 62, proving again that Nottinghamshire need not worry too much that Stuart Broad has retired.  Last, but not least, there is Simon Harmer. He may not be the most economical but, whether with red or white ball in hand, the Essex man is an icon of consistency. In 2023, there were none of the old eye-catching eight-fors but he still snared 85 in total and makes my Team of the Season for the fifth consecutive year. Remarkable. 

So here is my considered multi-format selection:- 

Lees (Dur), Reece (Der), Bohannon (Lan), Bedingham (Dur), Vince (Ham), Rew (Som, wkt), Higgins (Mid), Dawson (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Hutton (Not), Hannon-Dalby (War). 

Also in the squad: Barnard (War), Carlson (Gla), Bell-Drummond (Ken)

County Championship: Surrey Lose - but Retain the Title

Two of the three crucial Championship issues were settled on the penultimate day of the season, but the second relegation position was still in doubt with just a few overs remaining on the final afternoon. At Canterbury, Kent had the better of Lancashire, thanks in part to Joe Denly’s first ton of the year, while a Luke Wells century ensured the draw. That meant Middlesex needed to beat Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to avoid the drop, and they gave it everything to the bitter end. 

The two sides were close all the way through. Ryan Higgins and Ben Slater swapped first-innings hundreds, leaving then visitors just a day and a bit to manufacture a result. Sam Robson produced another unbeaten second-innings century before Toby Roland-Jones declared, leaving his bowlers an ample sixty-odd overs to take ten wickets. At the same time, Notts had the incentive of requiring only 207 to win themselves. At 106-1 and 151-4, they had the upper hand but three wickets in four overs altered the complexion completely. Robson was at the heart of it again, this time with his part-time leg breaks, and the Notts tail-enders Hutton and Ball struggled with the dilemma of whether to swing the bat or play for the handful of singles needed to achieve the target. Safety-first won the day, and Middlesex were down and out. 

At the other end, Surrey’s simple ambition of four bonus points to retain the title was looking far from straightforward. Against Hampshire, they failed to notch a single batting point, thanks to Liam Dawson’s 5-44, but young Tom Lawes also strangled Hants with his 5-27. Essex were also making a pig’s ear of their game against Northants. Already relegated, Luke Procter’s side ended the summer facing both front-runners but played their best cricket so far. Rob Keogh’s 172 was the difference on day one, but when Ben Sanderson and Procter deprived Essex of any batting points, Surrey clinched the title. For the record, both Surrey and Essex lost, but the top of Division One looked the same as last week. 

The remaining fixture at Edgbaston fizzled out into a rain-affected draw. Warwickshire edged the play over Somerset and it was Chris Rushworth, not Hannon-Dalby, who picked up a five-for. Ed Barnard also ended a fine season with his new county with 73 and four cheapish wickets. 

Durham consolidated their Division Two dominance with an innings defeat of Leicestershire at Chester-le-Street. For a change, Alex Lees failed, but yet another five-point batting bonus haul was achieved thanks to David Bedingham and Graham Clark reaching three figures. Durham picked up an amazing 54 batting bonuses from their fourteen matches. In comparison, Middlesex collected a paltry two! Ben Raine and Vishwa Fernando destroyed the visitors’ batting and hopes of an unlikely promotion. 

Worcestershire will join Durham in the top tier next year, despite losing an exciting encounter with Yorkshire. After Bean and Wharton served up a tasty dish of ‘declaration bowling’ to Libby and Haynes, the White Roses were set a near-record second-innings target of 360 at more than five an over. They made it, too, courtesy of Wharton’s 89, skipper Shan Masood’s 123 and a fine fifth-wicket partnership of 84 in under eleven overs between Hill and Tattersall. 

Sussex advanced to third after hammering Gloucestershire by 339 runs at Hove. After four sessions, it was honours even, but when James Coles led a formidable charge to a second-innings total of 505-7, the game was up for winless Gloucester. In only his sixth first-class appearance, left-arm seamer Bradley Currie took an excellent 3-27 to polish things off. In South Wales, Glamorgan and Derbyshire signed off after disappointing campaigns with another draw. However, end-of-season hats off to Derby opener Luis Reece, who completed his third and fourth hundreds against Glamorgan in a single summer. I think this created a new record for the County Championship. His 119 not out also meant he struck seven successive first-class 50s for the second time. In doing so, he joined a very select band of cricketing legends such as Fry, Hammond, Hutton and Bradman. Not bad company for this unsung 33-year-old all-rounder. 

Unfortunately, the season finale came too soon but it’s almost October now. Only six months to go before county cricket all starts again. But not for the likes of Simon Kerrigan, Gareth Berg, Tim Murtagh, Steven Davies and, if the rumours are true, Sir Alastair Cook, who endured a rather scratchy season. At almost 39, he can retire with a glorious career with England and Essex; 33,000 runs, 86 centuries and a knighthood to boot. He will be missed. 

Team of the Week:- Reece (Der), Slater (Not), Robson (Mid), Bedingham (Dur), Bohannon (Lan), Keogh (Nor), Dawson (Ham), Currie (Sus), Lawes (Sur), Sanderson (Nor)

Durham Promotion all but Certain

 After last week’s One-Day Cup exploits, Hampshire and Leicestershire were again on form in the County Championship, although titles look set to elude them, given the similar winning ways of their closest rivals. 

The sensational September heatwave seemed to benefit bowlers rather than batters, so all eight fixtures produced a result. At The Oval, Surrey marched on towards a second successive crown by defeating Warwickshire by an innings and 97 inside three days. Ed Barnard’s excellent 50-over all-round performance continued into the first day here, taking 5-66, but it was all downhill for his county from there. Ben Foakes struck a solid century, before Dan Worrall and Jordan Clark finished things off on the third morning. 

Essex are still pressing in second place, waiting to pounce should Surrey falter. They, too, wrapped up a decisive home victory with a day to spare, taking Middlesex apart by 297 runs. Michael Atherton’s off-spinning son Joshua de Caires claimed an excellent 8-106 for the losing side, but it was Jamie Porter (first-innings 6-34), Simon Harmer (second-innings 5-43) and debutant Umesh Yadav whose figures ultimately impacted the outcome. 

Hampshire were always on top against Somerset, with Liam Dawson striking a century and taking seven wickets. Nick Gubbins’ second-innings 139 not out took the game out of sight on day three. Meanwhile, Lancashire advanced to fourth with a straightforward demolition of bottom side Northamptonshire. Josh Bohannon’s 175 was the top score of the week, then Luke Wells’ part-time leg-spin generated a career-best 5-25. The Red Roses could also leapfrog Hampshire with a win this week but the Pennant won’t be flying above Old Trafford in 2024. 

In Division Two, Durham require just five points from their final two fixtures to confirm promotion. In this week’s encounter with Sussex, opener Alex Lees maintained his run of form with 103, and he was joined in the hundred club by colleagues Graham Clark and Dutch international Bas de Leede. As in the Cup, Leicestershire made short work of Gloucestershire, Wiaan Mulder and Tom Scriven leading the attack. 

Glamorgan’s promotion chances were dealt a severe blow by Worcestershire at New Road. In a low-scoring match, Logan Van Beek starred with the ball, but the Welsh late-developer Jamie McIlroy took 8-75 in total, and the result may have been reversed had Billy Root not run out of partners in the final chase. The sun shine at last on Scarborough, and Yorkshire responded with a resounding rout of Derbyshire. Wayne Madsen was dismissed twice on 93 but Yorkshire’s young Matthew Revis was the only centurion, adding five wickets to cap a fine all-round performance in only the second County Championship success of the season. 

Team of the Week:- Lees (Dur), Gubbins (Ham), Bohannon (Lan), Madsen (Der), Foakes (Sur +), Dawson (Ham), Revis (Yor), Van Beek (Wor), De Caires (Mid), Worrall (Sur), McIlroy (Gla)

One-Day Cup: Dawson Drives Hampshire into Final

 In the final group fixtures of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Leicestershire and Warwickshire held their ground at the top of their respective groups, thus by-passing the quarter-finals. Those four places were taken by Hampshire, Lancashire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, each of whom won their last three matches. 

Warwickshire were involved in a couple of nervy finales, both decided by a single run or wicket. They held off Sussex but succumbed to Durham in a game featuring two enormous innings, David Bedingham’s 152 and Ed Barnard’s 161. The latter also reached three figures in the Sussex encounter, although it was Danny Briggs whose boundary got Warwickshire over the line with an over to spare. 

Somerset’s miserable competition was brightened by Andrew Umeed’s brilliant batting. The Glaswegian capped an excellent month with an unbeaten 172, a third century in five outings, ensuring no Group B wooden spoon. At the other end of the table, Gloucestershire’s Oliver Price was almost as prolific as Umeed and Barnard. In Group A, Aneurin Donald smashed two rapid tons for Hampshire – one to propel them into the knockouts and the next to dominate Worcester’s attack in their Southampton quarter-final. Ian Holland’s eleven wickets the previous week were even more important to the county’s progress. 

The other quarter-final saw Gloucestershire maintaining their momentum by seeing off Lancashire by eight wickets. On this occasion, Price played a supporting role to Marcus Hammond, who plundered six sixes in an undefeated 109 to reach a modest target with half their overs unused. 

The semis were just as truncated, as Hampshire demolished Warwickshire by nine wickets. Liam Dawson hasn’t played much in this year’s tournament but nobody has bettered his 7-15 at Edgbaston. Keith Barker accounted for the top three batsmen, including Barnard, then it was Dawson’s spin all the way. Opener Fletcha Middleton reached 54 not out as the way side ticked off the 94 required with the sole loss of Nick Gubbins. 

That same Tuesday afternoon at Leicester, it was Gloucestershire’s turn to be routed. Hammond was first out for a seven-ball duck, then Wiaan Mulder and Tom Scriven each picked up three wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 125. Mulder rounded off a match-winning all-round performance, stroking nine fours in tandem with Peter Handscomb in a six-wicket victory. We now have a fortnight to wait for the trophy to be decided at Trent Bridge and now it’s back to the red ball…. 

Team of the Week:- Umeed (Som), Barnard (War), Bedingham (Dur), O Price (Glo), Donald (Ham), Handscomb (Lei +), Mulder (Lei), Holland (Ham), Dawson (Ham), Williams (Lan), Baker (Wor)

County Cricket: Surrey Crippled, Bell-Drummond Tripled

This week’s County Championships fixtures produced a satisfying mixture of shocks, record performances and heart-pounding finishes. Before this week, both Surrey and Lancashire were unbeaten and, at The Oval, you’d expect the former to retain that sequence against the latter. Thanks to a last-wicket stand of 130 between Sean Abbott and Dan Worrall, a first-innings lead was duly established. On day three, the Surrey seamers picked up regular wickets, leaving their batters a comfortable target of 208. However, Tom Bailey ran through the formidable top-order, including Tom Latham first ball, and Will Williams finished the job. 

With the counties behind them also lacking consistency, Surrey are still looking good to retain their title. Essex advanced to second at the expense of Warwickshire at Chelmsford. Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence put on 227 for the third wicket before bowlers Porter and Harmer left the opponents facing the follow-on. Late flurries from Bess and Lintott forced the Essex openers to bat again but victory was achieved inside sixteen overs. 

Hampshire made short work of Middlesex at Southampton, where Liam Dawson became the first Hampshire all-rounder to score a century and take ten wickets in the same match. The Londoners have only one batting bonus point on the board all season, a disturbing state of affairs. Kent also won by an innings, at the expense of bottom side Northamptonshire. Last week, Daniel Bell-Drummond was by far the leading T20 run scorer and this time he repeated the feat in red-ball cricket. He joined the select few Kent batsmen to strike a triple-century, moments before his tail-end partner was last man out. 

At Taunton, Somerset made a dreadful start to their fixture against Nottinghamshire, for whom Brett Hutton took 5-34. However, Matt Henry began the turnaround with 6-59, his work continued by George Bartlett and teen sensation James Rew whose tons took the second innings total beyond 500. Notts had well over a day to compile 492 to win but they failed to survive even a few hours. Somerset’s pace attack was ruthless, Josh Davey’s 4-17 the most eye-catching figures. The enormous winning margin of 399 runs was Somerset’s second largest runs victory in their Championship history.

 

In Division Two, leaders Durham were frustrated in their push for a fifth triumph of the season. Their contest at Leicestershire yielded six centuries, two of them from the Durham opener Alex Lees but the most crucial turned out to come from Leicester’s Aussie Peter Handscomb. While all around him floundered, he avoided the temptation to dig in, instead peppering the boundary twenty-one times on the way to an unbeaten 136 and dominating a match-saving ninth wicket partnership lasting twenty overs.

Leicester’s superior batting bonus points helped them leapfrog Sussex, who also required a desperate rearguard action to avoid defeat at the hands of Glamorgan. With nine wickets down, Oli Carter and Henry Shipley somehow managed to last more than twenty-one overs, the latter making only two scoring shots (both boundaries) from the 56 deliveries faced. 

Bowlers struggled, too, at Headingley. The first-innings totals surpassed a thousand runs, including centuries by Bean, Hill and Revis (Yorkshire) and Oliver Price (Gloucestershire) and a draw was inevitable. It was the same outcome at Worcester, where winless Derbyshire looked likely to break their duck after skipper Luis Du Plooy shared partnerships of over 250 with each of Wayne Madsen and Anuj Dal. However, their bowlers were less successful, as Garth Roderick (123) and Ed Pollock (56 in almost four hours) anchored a dogged last-day dig-in to attain a draw. 

Back to T20 mode now, where Worcestershire have much more chance of silverware… 

Team of the Week:- Muyeye (Ken), Lees (Dur), Bell-Drummond (Ken), Du Plooy (Der), Robinson (Dur +), Handscomb (Lei), Dawson (Ham), Abbott (Sur), McAndrew (Sus), Williams (Lan), Henry (Som)

Surrey Double eclipses Mr Bean

It’s been a great week for two Yorkshiremen, although neither played in the County Championship or the T20 Blast. Jonny Bairstow whacked England to an unlikely 3-0 Test whitewash of New Zealand, then today 20-year-old Finlay Bean ripped the record books apart, accumulating an all-time Second XI best 441 against Notts. Perhaps the two could be batting together in the not-so-distant future?

The county game featured both four-day and twenty-over formats and, although failing to register a victory this week, Surrey top both tables. In the Blast, they were defeated by Essex and Sussex but remain three points clear of Somerset, who were undone by Hampshire’s James Vince, who thumped an unbeaten 129 against them. It’s much closer in the North division, where the Bears, Lancashire and Derbyshire are level on sixteen points. Adam Hose’s 110 not out was instrumental in Birmingham’s 144-run rout of neighbours Worcestershire while Shan Masood and Wayne Madsen fuelled Derby’s home win against their Lightning rivals.

In the first-class game, no fewer than four players reached three figures in Surrey’s 673-7 declared. Amongst them, Sam Curran finally converted a fifty into a ton, while Hashim Amla and Epsom-born Ben Geddes were each dismissed for 124. The former is almost twice the age of the latter! Kent batted out a draw, with Daniel Bell-Drummond scoring a century in each innings.

The only decisive result in Division One came at Chelmsford where spinners were very much in control. Liam Dawson’s second-innings 7-68 reduced Hampshire’s victory target to 299 but Simon Harmer bowled 33 overs unbroken, adding seven wickets to his eight on Sunday and Monday, to deliver Essex a 12-run triumph and deny the visitors a chance to join Surrey at the head of the table.

At Northampton and Bristol, however, the batsmen were in charge. Luke Procter made a career-best 144 not out, putting on 226 with South African Ryan Rickelton to keep Warwickshire at bay. Opener Dom Sibley struck 102, as his 2023 switch back to Surrey was announced. His Warwickshire colleague, ‘keeper Michael Burgess, enjoyed an interesting all-round match. Besides hitting 77 runs and taking five catches behind the stumps, he claimed his first-ever wicket, that of first-innings centurion Richard Keogh!

In the second tier, the pace-setters Nottinghamshire and Middlesex played out a high-scoring draw at Trent Bridge. With Hameed and Lyndon James hitting hundreds, the hosts forced Middlesex to follow on, but Robson and Stoneman shared an opening partnership of 201 to keep Notts’ margin to eleven points. Glamorgan fought back from adversity to eke out a three-wicket success over Worcestershire at Cardiff. Warwickshire’s new signing Ed Barnard forced 131, and Joe Leach took 6-44, leaving the Welsh side in deep trouble. Enter the overseas seam pair Michael Neser and Michael Hogan, who took seven wickets between them, but Glamorgan still needed 332 to win. Colin Ingram (102) and Billy Root (99 not out) ensured they succeeded.

At Hove, Sussex also came from behind to beat Derbyshire by five wickets. Wayne Madsen and Anuj Dal contributed more than half of Derby’s first-innings total of 551-8 declared. Second time around, Jack Brooks had them in a mess but declaring overnight to set Sussex a 344 target still looked a reasonable decision. Oh, until you realise that the opposition feature Ali Orr and Mohammed Rizwan in their line-up. Despite early rain, and assisted by some useful cameos, the chase was completed with seventeen balls to spare, presenting Sussex with a first Championship in front of their home supporters for almost three years. Their next fixture pits them against bottom side Leicestershire while Notts visit Glamorgan.

In the interim, the Vitality Blast group stage will be completed, and the quarter-finals take place over four days. Surrey are pretty much there already, and Somerset may need to beat them on the last day to join them in the knockouts.

Team of the Week: Stoneman (Mid), Orr (Sus), Rizwan (Sus), Bell-Drummond (Ken), Madsen (Der), Keogh (Nor), S Curran (Sur), Burgess (War +), Dawson (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Neser (Gla)

Heino Kuhn and James Vince in a hurry

The Royal London Cup knockout stage delivered nothing on the scale of England’s record-shattering total against the Aussie second string at Trent Bridge. There was no shortage of runs, though, especially when Kent were batting.

In the so-called quarter-finals, holders Nottinghamshire were battered by nine wickets. Chasing 256, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Heino Kuhn mustered 194 for the first wicket before Joe Denly thrashed an unbeaten 52 in 28 balls to take Kent into the semis at Worcester.

There, Kuhn produced his fourth century in the competition but this time the pursuit was a much closer affair. Brett D’Oliveira (78) and Ben Cox (122 not out) helped Worcestershire – lacking Moeen Ali – to a reasonable total of 306-6 but the South African’s 127 took Kent to within a whisker of victory. Four were still needed with just three balls remaining, but Podmore immediately found the boundary to snatch victory.

At Chelmsford, Jamie Porter’s 3-25 helped restrict Yorkshire to 259-7 but when Steven Patterson eventually entered the bowling fray Yorkshire took charge and ran out winners by 25 runs. A few days later, they travelled to Southampton and found life considerably tougher. Hampshire’s James Vince showed his class with a series of silky strokes en route for 171 in 126 balls and Liam Dawson’s spin claimed four wickets as the White Roses slipped to 241 all out, 107 adrift.

So the final on 30^th June will see  an all-South Coast battle between Kent and Hampshire, Kuhn versus Vince I’m not sure if another Proteas stalwart, Dale Steyn, will still be around to make an impact, or if New Zealander Matt Henry, a revelation in the four-day game, will be as effective in the white-ball contest.

Nevertheless, whoever wins will bring some welcome silverware to the far south of England. Hampshire could yet face another relegation fight in the Championship, while Kent are currently in the hunt for promotion, but the RL Cup will surely boost their confidence for the season’s second half.

Team of the Week: 

Bell-Drummond (Ken), Kuhn (Ken), Vince (Ham), Ballance (Yor), D’Oliveira (Wor), Mullaney (Not), Cox (Wor +), Dawson (Ham), Patterson (Yor), Podmore (Ken), Porter (Ess)

Sarfraz and Imad prevent the Whitewash

Congratulations go to Pakistan for winning the fifth and final ODI, and to England for taking the series. Special plaudits should also go to the Sophia Gardens groundstaff for ensuring the match went ahead on schedule, despite the prolonged spell of rain over the preceding 24 hours.

Sun may have been in short supply during the match, too, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience from seat H28, Block 2 in front of the pavilion. Graeme Swann might find 50-over cricket boring but a game like this was far more edifying fare than a brutal beer-and-boundary-fest.

Put in by Azhar Ali, England looked in control from the start. Alex Hales and Jason Roy produced some crisp strokes before the former chipped Amir to mid-on in the fifth over. There was time for one beautifully timed pull to square leg from Joe Root before he played on. Eoin Morgan then, initially, Ben Stokes struggled but Roy kept his side on a consistent seven-an-over pace.
However, despite hauling Shoaib Malik for two sixes, the two spinners Malik and Swansea’s own Imad Wasim were putting the brakes on the England innings. There was clearly not to be another 400+ total.

Stokes showed his power by clubbing a pair of low trajectory straight sixes off third spinner Nawaz, but even the feisty all-rounder was laid low when an inside edge rearranged his ‘crown jewels’ and prompted a lengthy delay in proceedings! By 40 overs, the run rate was a tad above six an over but when Hasan and Amir retuned, the wickets fell thick and fast. The Pakistan fans on the far side of the ground were chanting Amir’s name and he responded by steaming in from the Cathedral Road end, piling the pressure onto Woakes, debutant Dawson, Willey and Jordan. Some late blows managed to squeeze England past the important 300 mark but it seemed like an opportunity missed.

Such has been Pakistan’s miserable ODI campaign, it seemed rather unlikely that they would attain the 303 target, especially as Glamorgan’s pitch is not known for its run-friendly reputation. Sharjeel scratched around for four overs but when he mistimed a ball from Chris Woakes, the arrival of Babar to join his skipper prompted an improvement.

Woakes’ fifth over went for thirteen and I wondered if we may have a real contest on here. Then when Matt Wood snaffled both batsmen in the fourteenth over, Azhar after lengthy consideration by the video umpire, it looked like business as usual. 15 overs gone: 79-3; 15 short of England at the same stage. Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik, possessor of one of the worst batting records in England of any Pakistan batsman, would have to hit the ground running. They did.

The arrival of Dawson’s spin strengthened their resolve. Sarfraz in particular got the message that he had to move his feet and attack the slow bowler. There were some massive shots which didn’t quite cross the distant boundary rope and some bold sweeps to fine leg but it was Shoaib who struck the first six, well into the main grandstand. Dawson’s first four overs had conceded 41 runs and he was taken out of the firing line.

By this time, Pakistan were ahead of England. Stokes and Wood were going for a steady six or seven an over but the fourth wicket pair still had plenty to do. I thought the tourists could do it but if the partnership was broken, they couldn’t. Dawson was reintroduced in the 38th over. What was Morgan thinking? Sarfraz prepared for a few more giant blows to reach another well-deserved century. Then the debutant tossed one up, Sarfraz saw long-on glory but didn’t get enough on it. At long-on, Hales used his height wisely and made an awkward overhead catch look easy. Two overs later, Dawson got his other man as Shoaib found Roy at long-off.

57 still needed in ten overs. On the face of it, not an impossible task. But this is Pakistan we’re talking about. The 43rd over proved to be a wicket maiden for Willey but by this time Rizwan had his eye in. Dawson conceded another ten to make his figures the worst ever by an England debutant! Morgan gamely brought the field in close but the seventh wicket pair managed to nick enough singles, twos and fours to raise the nose levels amongst the Pakistan fans. A firm drive to the long-off boundary from Jordan finished things off with more than two overs to spare.

Pakistan deserved something from the series so I was glad to see Azhar Ali and his charges have something to celebrate. I decided to stay for the presentations. Interestingly, I was one of the few non-Pakistan fans gathering close to the hastily-assembled podiums. It wasn’t only the men in green receiving the cheers. England’s non-playing Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid also garnered generous applause, their Asian heritage clearly making its mark. It was nice to see.

England may have won the series, breaking a world record along the way, and setting them up for an interesting winter and next summer’s Champions Trophy. At least Pakistan proved to themselves they are capable of chasing a 300 target outside Asia, something they had never done before. Improving their ranking of nine in 50-over cricket may prove tougher….