County Cricket: Worrall and Clark Sweep Hampshire Aside

While the continuing dreadful weather forced most counties to adopt the Plan B of simply maximising their batting bonus points, Surrey proceeded to claim a second successive innings victory, this time against neighbours and rivals Hampshire. With Essex failing to prevail over Durham, after four fixtures, the Chelmsford outfit stand dead level with the champions. 

A steady century from Rory Burns and a blistering unbeaten 106 from Jordan Clark helped Surrey to a healthy lead on day two, but Dan Worrall’s five-for, spread over three days, finished the job without the need to bat again. At Chester-le-Street, Nick Browne marked his first Championship outing of the season by scoring 184, taking Essex to 488, eclipsing Durham’s Ackermann-assisted total of 358. Following a Sunday washout, Lees and Bedingham made the game safe against the spinners. 

At Edgbaston, Ben Duckett helped himself to a double-hundred for Nottinghamshire. In response, Warwickshire openers Yates and Davies suffered a rare joint failure, although they were rescued by the lower order.  A draw was inevitable, as was the case at Kidderminster. With rain forecast, Somerset declared after reaching 300, then Libby and Roderick put on 194 for Worcestershire en route to achieving a fifth batting point.  

Four weeks and still just a single result in Division Two. Leaders Leicestershire and Northamptonshire swapped scores of 450-ish, although George Bartlett was the only centurion. Poor Peter Handscomb was run out on 99. At Headingley, too, it was all about reaching 450 before the rain arrived. With England’s former opener Adam Lyth scoring 97 and current middle-order duo Joe Root and Harry Brook hitting three figures, Yorkshire made the target but, despite Wayne Madsen’s patient 105, Derbyshire fell three runs short. 

At least the good folk of Bristol had more cricket to enjoy. Gloucestershire’s Marchant de Lange struck a blow for the bowlers by taking 6-49 and restricting Middlesex to 203. Second time around, Max Holden (111) and the redoubtable Ryan Higgins (155) turned the tables, switching the pressure onto the home side. The weather closed in, but – hey! – the match did extend into a fourth innings, the only one this week to do so. 

It's a relatively quiet Bank Holiday weekend for the County Championship but, with Surrey not playing, Essex will reclaim the lead whatever happens in Somerset. Speaking of which, I note that my former local club Bridgwater have signed former West Indies captain and Ben Stokes’ T20 nemesis Carlos Brathwaite. The residents of Park Road had better install higher fences and reinforced windows….

Team of the Week:- Burns (Sur), Duckett (Not), Root (Yor), Brook (Yor), Browne (Ess), Higgins (Mid), Roderick (Wor +), J Clark (Sur),  de Lange (Glo), Worrall (Sur), Hannon-Dalby (War)

Pope and Amla Steer Surrey Closer

In the race for the title, the top three each won again to pull away from the field. At The Oval, no centuries were scored but two fifties from Olly Pope and a smooth unbeaten 80 by Hashim Amla eased Surrey to a six-wicket victory over Warwickshire. Hampshire’s trip to the Scarborough seaside netted them 20 points and an eighth success of the summer. Kyle Abbott took his season’s tally to 49 wickets, more than anyone else, although colleagues Abbas and Barker are also in the top six in Division One. The seam trio are really fuelling the South Coasters’ bid for a first crown in decades.

At Old Trafford, it was definitely a game of two halves. Matt Henry ably led the Kent attack into a commanding lead over Lancashire, but the home side didn’t roll over to have their tummy tickled for a second time. Josh Bohannon (134) was part of two century partnerships as they declared on 439-9 by lunch on the fourth day. There was no chance of a Kent run chase but only Daniel-Bell Drummond survived the experience against Williams, Sundar and Tom Bailey, who ended the match with career-best figures of 11-110. More importantly, the 184-run triumph keeps Lancashire just about within range of Surrey should the leaders slip up.

There weas plenty of entertainment at Cheltenham where Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire not only served up plenty of runs but also an exciting finish, a difficult combination in a first-class contest. Ryan Rickelton led the visitors to a handsome first-innings lead, only for Gloucester skipper Graeme Van Buuren’s 127 not out to help set up a thrilling final afternoon. Needing 202 off a minimum 37 overs, Northants got off to a cracking start with Will Young and Rickelton again before losing a steady flow of wickets to Zafar Gohar’s spin. In the end, it was tail-ender Simon Kerrigan who hit Higgins for the winning boundary.

At Chelmsford, there was no chance whatsoever of a nail-biting conclusion; it was all about accumulation of runs as only sixteen wickets fell in total. Essex batted first, Nick Browne ending unbeaten on 234 before Somerset continued in the same vein. They delayed their first-innings declaration until late on the fourth afternoon, allowing teenage ‘keeper James Rew and Tom Banton to strike their maiden first-class centuries. Somerset really needed more, and now their next two fixtures, against fellow strugglers Gloucester and Warwickshire are ‘must-wins’. But they will have to wait until after the summer holidays, when the Hundred and One-Day Cup take over.

In Division Two, Nottinghamshire extended their lead to thirty points thanks to a straightforward defeat of Sussex inside three days. Overseas stars James Pattinson and Dane Paterson shared most of the wickets to fall. Further north, Middlesex lost ground by only drawing a rain-hit encounter against Durham. Opener Michael Jones racked up 206 for the home team, before a ton from John Simpson ensured maximum batting bonus points for Middlesex. They now go into the summer hiatus, Glamorgan breathing down their neck with a game in hand. Anuj Dal’s superb all-round performance for Derbyshire made the difference against Worcestershire and very much keeps them in the promotion hunt.

Team of the Week: Browne (Ess), Jones (Dur), Bohannon (Lan), Rickelton (Nor), Van Buuren (Glo), Simpson (Mid +), Anuj Dal (Der), Pattinson (Not), Abbott (Ham), Bailey (Lan), Paterson (Not)

Essex Shine in the Lights, Hales Hits the Heights

First I must raise a glass to Nottinghamshire for grasping the first county crown of 2017. The Royal London Cup Final at Lord’s was a game of two centuries. Mark Stoneman may have been disappointed at not making the England Test squad but he ripped an unbeaten 144 out of Surrey’s useful total of 297-9. However, this was eclipsed by Alex Hales’ superb 187 in 167 balls. Helped by his skipper’s valuable 58, he not only ensured his side chased down the target but also easily surpassed the previous one-day final record set more than fifty years ago by Geoff Boycott, of all people.

With Notts sitting pretty at the top of Division Two, it looks like a successful finale for veteran wicketkeeper Chris Read. The county were thwarted in their bid to extend their lead by the rain but Steven Mullaney’s 168 and five cheap wickets against rivals Kent showed they have promotion in the bag even with two months to go.

Meanwhile, in the top tier, the loss of almost two days’ play couldn’t halt Essex’s impressive march to the Championship title. At Chelmsford, after dismissing Middlesex for under 250, openers Nick Browne and Alastair Cook put on 373 for the first wicket. Cook’s departure merely brought in Varun Chopra whose own century, with Browne’s ‘double’, took Essex past 500 without further loss. He was only batting because Tom Westley left mid-match to join the Lions. Incidentally Westley also reached three figures, so everyone’s a winner!Nevertheless, it was Simon Harmer's 9-90 which wrapped things up in stirring style.

In the week when all Championship fixtures were day/night events, it was such a shame that awful weather ruined so much of them. Little more than a day’s play was possible at Headingley, but at least those who witnessed some action were able to see yet another batting masterclass from Kumar Sangakkara. His 180 not out at almost a run a ball was his sixth hundred in ten innings. He’ll be sorely missed in the second half of the summer, and not only by Surrey.

At the Rose Bowl, almost the whole game was concertina’d into the fourth day. True to form, Somerset had the worst of it but, amidst the clatter of wickets (many by Hampshire’s Gareth Berg), managed to hold on for a draw. Last week I despaired at the plight of Somerset’s young skipper Tom Abell, hoping he managed some runs this time. So what did he achieve? A pair of ducks! Everyone is allowed temporary dips in form but poor Tom is desperately in need of confidence, which surely now can come only from a drop to the Seconds or club cricket, I’m afraid.

The Edgbaston weather wiped out the final day of Warwickshire’s contest with Lancashire, but not until Shiv Chanderpaul had compiled another 141 to his 26,000+ first-class run tally. Andrew Umeed’s 113 for the home side was only his second century but there’ll be plenty more, I’m sure. Jos Buttler made a rare Championship appearance for Lancs but fluffed his lines by scoring three runs in two innings and 26 balls. Haseeb Hameed fared little better.

Down in Division Two, there were two nail-biting finishes. At Northampton there was a cracking conclusion to proceedings. Duckett, Wakely and Keogh each struck centuries en route for setting Leicestershire a hefty target of 394 in just over a day. Colin Ackermann seemed to be steering them to victory, ably assisted by Mathew Pillans, With time running out on Thursday evening, and just three runs needed, Pillans holed out to Cobb and blew their chances of a first win of the season.

Derbyshire did finally break their duck, beating Glamorgan by 39 runs at Cardiff. Star performer was Derby debutant Hamidullah Qadri. At the age of 16 (yes, 16), the Afghanistan-born spinner claimed 5-60 to end the Welsh rearguard. Elsewhere, there wasn’t much to shout about amidst the raindrops at Hove and Chester-le-Street, apart from Luke Wright’s 118 and a Mark Wood five-for.

Next week, if the sun shines, the key matches could be Kent v Northants and Somerset’s trip to Scarborough. With Gary Ballance likely to be lining up for England, this may be the visitors’ best chance for nicking that elusive victory.

Team of the Week: Browne (Ess), Hales (Not), Mullaney (Not), Sangakkara (Sur), Ackermann (Lei), Wright (Sus), Read (Not +), Berg (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Hamidullah Qadri (Der), Wood (Dur)

Great week for Middlesex and Surrey

The open nature of the County Championship was again much in evidence after the latest round of matches. Non-playing Somerset slipped to fifth but aren’t out of the running. Nor, it can be said, are Hampshire, in eighth place!

However, Middlesex’s crushing defeat of Durham, only their fourth of the season, extended their lead at the top to 26 points. Nicks Gubbins and Compton shared a second-wicket stand of 247, then Ollie Rayner was the star bowler (4-17 and 5-85) as the visitors crumbled twice. No Durham batsmen managed even a half-century.

Yorkshire have a game in hand but failed to beat their Roses rivals at Old Trafford in a high-scoring match. Alex Lees scored 199 runs for the away team but Lancashire opener Haseeb Hameed is on a hot streak right now. He picked up a couple of centuries, ably supported by Tom Smith, leaving Yorkshire, bolstered by Root and Bairstow, no time to meet the formidable target.

Surrey are also flying right now, leaping to third after seeing off Warwickshire by 226 runs with a solid all-round performance. Sam Curran’s 62 and match stats of 6-76 were probably the key contributions, along with Kumar Sangakkara’s 135 runs.

Hampshire won the battle of the bottom two by 176 runs, leaving Nottinghamshire in serious trouble. Wheater struck 102 early on but Scottish teenager Brad Wheal’s second innings 6-51 proved decisive.

In Division Two, Essex also collected win number four, making mincemeat of Derbyshire who have yet to record a single Championship success. Nick Browne pursued his penchant for big scores, making an unbeaten 229, before Ravi Bopara and Graham Napier led the way with the ball. The home team’s ex-Essex opener, now Derby captain, Ben Godleman did manage a hundred but all in vain.

At Northampton, Ned Eckersley scored his third successive century, and team-mates Cosgrove and Pettini also reached three figures for Leicestershire. However, Rob Newton was instrumental in depriving the opposition of a crucial victory, aggregating 224 without losing his wicket.

Sussex collected maximum points in their demolition of Gloucestershire at Hove. Luke Wells and Ben Brown stroked hundreds for the home side but Michael Klinger couldn’t follow his first-innings 129 with another big score and they failed to make Sussex bat again. Worcestershire’s promotion challenge faltered at home to Glamorgan, who delighted in a rare win. Bragg and Morgan scored the all-important runs and Mark Wallace bagged nine catches behind the stumps. A shame for Worcester’s Joe Leach, who was the stand-out all-rounder on display.

It wasn’t Worcestershire’s day, either, in the Royal London Cup quarter-finals. Somerset massacred them by nine wickets with several overs to spare at Taunton. Mahela Jayawardene rewarded his county’s patience with a beautifully-judged 117 not out. They will now take a trip to Edgbaston, after Warwickshire beat Essex by 70 runs. Jonathan Trott’s 101 set them on their way before his spinners finished the job.

It was a closer finish in the Yorkshire-Kent encounter at Canterbury, but the England trio of Willey, Plunkett and Adil Rashid wiped out the tail when Kent looked set for victory in their chase. However, you couldn’t have witnessed a more exciting climax than the one served up by Surrey at Northants. The home side had Surrey nine men down with 14 balls remaining and 27 required. That they succeeded was almost entirely down to the brilliance of Sangakkara, who farmed the strike, hitting a six and four in the final over. Had he not been dropped on seven, things may have been rather different!


Team of the Week: Browne (Ess), Newton (Nor), Hameed (Lan), Sangakkara (Sur), Bragg (Gla), Brown (Sus +), Franklin (Mid), Leach (Wor), Napier (Ess), Rayner (Mid), Wheal (Ham)

Warwickshire Edg It but 99 is the Magic Number

At last a few victories, although I’d give the batsmen another win on points over their adversaries, with the rain giving both a run for their money.

Warwickshire took a turn at the top of Division One, beating Nottinghamshire in a tight contest at Trent Bridge. However, at 17-4 on the first morning, that outcome looked impossible, only for Chris Woakes and Keith Barker to do their familiar rescue act. Each scored centuries in an eighth wicket stand of 167, and it was game on again. Notts led by just ten after the first innings, then Samit Patel and Luke Fletcher each claimed eight wickets to leave themselves just 227 to win with more than a day remaining. 21-3 overnight, things went from bad to worse. Recognising his rapidly declining support, Patel decided to try and steal the victory single-handed. Clubbing 12 fours and 8 sixes, he made a valiant effort before holing out to Hain 52 runs short.

As predicted, Durham did indeed get the better of Lancashire at the Riverside. Steve Borthwick starred with two hundreds, but it was the unfamiliar trio of Weighell, Carse and McCarthy who did the damage with the ball. Leaders Yorkshire had the weather to thank as they struggled to stave off an innings defeat in Somerset. James Hildreth struck a typically stylish 166, and both Trescothick and Trego fell in the nervous nineties en route to an impressive 566-7 declared. In reply, only Adam Lyth (106) passed 40, then it was batten down the hatches time until the weather finally closed in on Wednesday afternoon. Ah, we woz robbed!

The Oval was unusually wet for the London derby, which spluttered to a damp draw. Ollie Rayner’s 6-79 was the stand-out performance for Middlesex who did at least welcome back captain Adam Voges after his recent concussion.

Essex remain in pole promotion position after forcing Derbyshire to follow on at Chelmsford. They plundered more than 500 despite losing the Championship’s top scorer Tom Westley for a third-ball duck. Fortunately opener Nick Browne found his form in a big way, accumulating 255 and sharing a stand of 210 with 18 year-old Dan Lawrence, for whom I predict great things. Ravi Bopara also caught the eye with his 5-49.

Glamorgan remain bottom after suffering defeat at the hands of neighbours Gloucestershire. They did so despite enjoying a first innings lead, thanks largely to David Lloyd, agonisingly caught on 99. Second time out, needing 269 to win, it looked good for the visitors on 81-0. However, Graeme van Buuren, ripped out the first three, Craig Miles the middle-order and Jack Taylor the tail, and that was that!

Brett D’Oliveira also joined the 99 club, robbing him of a third consecutive century for Worcestershire. He had sold support down the order as his side amassed a first innings 491. Sussex were forced to follow on but were harder to dislodge on day four, and consequently saved the match.

At Northampton, returning fallen hero Monty Panesar was given 59 overs in the match and managed four wickets. Nevertheless, Kent’s Joe Denly took charge with a first innings unbeaten 205, and Daniel Bell-Drummond also maintained his early-season form as the match was curtailed by the wet stuff.

Next week, after a first blast of T20 action, it’s top v bottom in Division Two, but the weather forecast isn’t great for Cardiff. Second-placed Kent travel to Derby while Leicestershire host Worcestershire. In the top tier, this week’s two victors meet at Edgbaston while Yorkshire sit it out. Lancashire could go top by beating Surrey but Notts are also lurking and take a trip south to face Hampshire.

Team of the Week:
Browne (Ess), D’Oliveira (Wor), Denly (Ken), Borthwick (Dur), Hildreth (Som), Patel (Not), Rossington (Nor +), Miles (Glo), Barker (War), McCarthy (Dur), Fletcher (Not)

Worcestershire Down, Hampshire Cling On

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sidebottom Keeps Yorkshire Top

Last week it was Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan and Jack Brooks. This time, it was largely Ryan Sidebottom who steered Yorkshire closer to a second successive County Championship.

Bairstow did score another excellent century in the win against Warwickshire but it was the 37 year-old left-am seamer who did the most damage, capturing 11 wickets. Even without Root, Balance, Lyth and Adil Rashid on England duty, Yorkshire look already look like champions-elect. Jason Gillespie deserves a knighthood! Warwickshire’s only compensation was the return to first-team duty of young batsman Sam Hain, who marked the occasion with a duck and 106.

Middlesex overtook Durham in second place after their draw with Nottinghamshire. Once Dawid Malan had struck a career-best 182 not out, the weather and Chris Read’s response ruled out any chance of a positive result.

At the other end of the table, it’s not looking promising for Hampshire. They succumbed to relegation rivals Worcestershire by an innings and now stand 26 points adrift with six games to go. Daryl Mitchell carried his bat for 205, beating the entire Hampshire side on his own, as Saeed Ajmal took 5-28. Jack Shantry’s five-for finished things off second time around.

Meanwhile at Taunton, it took two fine innings from Peter Trego to avoid defeat against Sussex. The visiting batsmen have struggled for runs this summer but, after four of them made hundreds last week, it was the turn of Matt Machan (192) and Chris Nash (142 not out) to pile on the misery for Somerset’s bowlers, sharing a 290 partnership. At 84-5 on the final morning, the home side were heading for defeat, but Trego and Luke Gregory saved the day.

Next week, Somerset visit Merchant Taylor’s in a bid to thwart Middlesex’s title ambitions while Durham can regain second place by beating Warwickshire.

In Division Two, leaders Lancashire were thwarted by a combination of Manchester rain (138 overs were lost) and Essex opener Nick Browne, whose 105 and 50 gave solidity to an otherwise brittle batting display. At Chesterfield, Glamorgan lost a day’s worth of play which could have cost them a likely triumph over Derbyshire and the chance to really close the gap on Surrey. They forced the follow-on but a Hamish Rutherford hundred kept Hogan and co at bay.

At the bottom, Gloucestershire achieved a vital victory over Northants at Cheltenham. Liam Norwell (6-41) and 20 year-old Craig Miles (5-28) were the pick of the seam attack, while Jack Taylor thumped an improbable 156 from 125 balls to establish a healthy first innings lead.

Finally, Kent consigned Leicestershire to the foot of the table by winning at Grace Road by eight wickets inside three days. Matt Coles maintained his recent fine form by claiming ten wickets.

Kent now face a tricky trip to Surrey, while Glamorgan travel to Chelmsford. Get Browne out and they should stand a chance! Cheltenham plays hosts to Leicestershire, so Gloucester must fancy their chances of a mid-table position this time next week!

It wasn’t a vintage weekend of T20 action but Warwickshire made amends for the heavy Championship defeat by topping the North group. A certain Brendon McCullum announced his arrival by clumping 158 off 64 balls in the Bears’ success against Derbyshire. They could do with him in the four-day format, too!

Team of the Week: Mitchell (Wor, *), McCullum (War), Machan (Sus), Nash (Sus), Malan (Mid), Bairstow (Yor, +), Trego (Som), Coles (Ken), Norwell (Glo), Sidebottom (Yor), Saeed Ajmal (Wor).

Team of the Week: Browne Breaks Records

After missing the previous week while in Tenerife (not much interest in cricket in an international hotel during the football World Cup!), it was back to the usual mixture of the quick and quirky at home and abroad. While Yorkshire's L-men Lyth and Leez produced another big opening stand, they can't compete with young Nick Browne. He became the first Essex batsman to strike two unbeaten centuries in the same match, and they happened to be the first senior three-figure scores of his career! Meanwhile, the rather more experienced Hashim Amla was taking two consecutive hundreds off the Sri Lankans in SA's ODI series, no mean feat.

No room for Nick Compton in the England set-up but he twice passed 80 for Somerset in the Championship draw with Middlesex, followed by a brisk 46 in today's T20 win over local rivals Gloucestershire. Leicestershire skipper Josh Cobb was also in the runs in both competitions; a 137 versus Kent and 60 in the T20 against Lancashire. Luke Wright's 158 for Sussex was the highest score of the week, albeit against Northamptonshire, so he edges out other middle-order centurions Will Gidman and Dawid Malan. Paul Stirling's week consisted of three half-centuries for Middlesex, which should help him nail down a solid place in the side.

My wicketkeeper is not David Bairstow, despite his rapid T20 hundred today. His Championship duck cancelled it out! Jos Buttler also made some swift T20 runs for Lancashire but my gloves go to Surrey skipper Gary Wilson who scored an unbeaten 97 as well as captaining the county to another big Championship win which puts them right in the promotion mix.

I was tempted to add Andrew Flintoff to the team after his five wickets in the biff-bang stuff. However, he barely batted and was somewhat fortunate to get those wickets. Chris Tremlett, on the other hand, combined a five-four and late-order 56 for Surrey, while Mitch Claydon trumped that with 5-77 and 77 for Kent against Leicestershire. Anthony Ireland's 5-22 was the pick of the short-format bowling performances in England but Sunil Narine's stupendous return of 4-1-3-0 for Guyana in the CPL opener takes the biscuit for economy, and for a change also keeps Saeed Ajmal out of the XI.

Finally, in comes Steve Magoffin. Such a consistent wicket-taker in the first-class game for Sussex, he claimed 5-12 and 3-28 in the county's demolition of Northants. Sorry, Freddie, must try considerably harder!

He wasn't as good as: Amla (SA), Browne (Ess), Compton (Som), Cobb (Leic), Wright (Sus), Stirling (Mid), Wilson (Sur, + *), Claydon (Kent), Ireland (Leic), Magoffin (Sus), Narine (Guy)

Northants Misery goes on....

In a summer of dramatic finishes and topsy-turvy performances, one thing has been constant: Northamptonshire's inability to win a County Championship match. They don't even get close. This week the beneficiaries were Sussex; the margin: an innings and 86 runs, achieved in barely two days. Nice to see David Willey back bowling after his back injury but Luke Wright's 158 defied everyone bar Andrew Hall, then the seaming pitch was tailor-made for Steve Magoffin. The Aussie took 5-12 and 3-28 as Northants - with the honourable exception of bowler Steven Crook - capitulated once more. Sussex advanced to sixth in the table, while the Wantage Road outfit languish sixty-four points adrift at the bottom.

With Nottinghamshire not playing this week, Yorkshire return to pole position despite failing to press home their first innings dominance over Durham. Openers Adam Lyth and Alex Leez shared another massive partnership (270) but on the final day the visitors held on for a draw thanks to half-centuries by Richardson, Stoneman and Mustard. Somerset cling on to third despite being second best to Middlesex for most of the game at Uxbridge. Dawid Malan made it two successive centuries, while Paul Stirling and newcomer Nick Gubbins each struck two 50s before Chris Rogers declared on the final morning. Fortunately for my lot, Nick Compton and James Hildreth remained in good nick and defeat was easily avoided.

Somerset have a reasonable chance of bouncing back with a trip to Wantage Road next weekend although, knowing our luck, Peters will strike a 'triple' and Azharullah will take 8-20 and 6-15 and that'll be that! Nottinghamshire can reclaim top spot by beating Lancashire at Liverpool.

In Division Two, Hampshire were given a scare at the Rose Bowl. Gloucestershire racked up 504-8 declared and might have won the match had Hampshire's last pair Tomlinson and Balcombe not hung around for thirty-odd overs and scored rare half-centuries. Will Gidman's 119 was the top score in the match. Worcestershire now have the luxury of a four-point lead with a game in hand, with Leicestershire next in line.

Hants must also be concerned to see Surrey's winning streak continuing. From another disastrous early season, Gary Wilson's side have won three of their last four fixtures, thrashing Glamorgan by nine wickets. The Colwyn Bay sea air clearly did Chris Tremlett the world of good. He took 5-60 and thumped four sixes on the first three days before Chris Cooke staved off an innings defeat. Zafar Ansari completed his second century, while both Rory Burns and skipper Wilson each made 97 in a mammoth score of 589-8 declared.

Kent also won as the Grace Road wicket seemed to get increasingly easy as the match wore on. Mitch Claydon and, unsurprisingly, Darren Stevens each weighed in with a half-century and five-for before Sam Northeast's measured 112 not out saw Kent home by six wickets. Finally at Chesterfield, it was a fairly even contest between Derbyshire and Essex. Even with Ryan Ten Doeschate blasting 104, the target of 367 in 61 overs was never going to be achieved. The game will best be remembered for the performance of Nick Browne. The 23 year-old opener scored his maiden hundred in the first innings then produced his second on the final day! Not only that, but in so doing he became the first Essex batsman to hit unbeaten centuries in both innings of a Championship contest. Maybe he should swap places with another Essex opener struggling for runs....?!