A Retiring Cricketers Team of 2018

Autumn Test and ODI series are in full swing. However, I can’t help looking back upon the careers of cricketers who have bowed out after the latest season in England. The following twelve players make a pretty strong team, too.

He may not be a household name but Johannes Myburgh’s popularity with the Somerset faithful earned him a warm round of applause when he left the field at Taunton for the last time in August. The Pretorian had been at the county for only five seasons yet his one-day performances in particular, including a 42-ball T20 century against Essex a few months ago, endeared him to West Country crowds.

In his native South Africa, Myburgh had once played alongside Jonathan Trott, who also migrated to England to further his career. He did pretty well out of it, too. He eventually qualified for England and, after making piles of runs for Warwickshire, made his debut in the 2009 Ashes series. After a few years his Test batting average was way up in the sixties but by the time he retired in 2015 it was back at a still-decent 44. Although an even better 50-over batsman, he was still doing a sterling job alongside Ian Bell in the County Championship in 2018, striking 124 in his penultimate match.

Another South African-born batsman, Nick Compton has also called it a day. Part of the great Compton cricketing dynasty, he began and ended his county career at Middlesex but it was at good old Somerset that he reached his peak. In 2012, he came within a whisker of achieving the traditional landmark of 1000 runs before the end of May in 2012 and played 16 Tests for England. His steady style seemed well suited to five-dayers but he made only two centuries and was discarded two years ago He’ll be fine as an eloquent pundit, I’m sure.

Former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams is also retiring at the age of 38. Despite his immense value as batsman and fielder to his county, he never quite managed a full senior international appearance ad, after a mediocre 2018, it was probably a good time to step back.

Paul Collingwood was another one-county stalwart, representing his home side of Durham for more than two decades. Including his 300+ appearances for England, he has quite with more than 30,000 runs, 400 wickets and 600 catches to his name. Not as tabloid-friendly as KP, Flintoff et al, he was nonetheless one of England’s finest all-round cricketers for a decade and was still an effective contributor to Durham’s cause into his 40s.

Will Gidman, who has also quite the game, was another all-rounder but who enjoyed a relatively brief stint at the top on the county circuit. He was already 26 when, alongside older brother Alex, he enjoyed a stellar season for Gloucestershire. Notts enticed him away in 2015, followed by Kent but his best cricket was behind him when he left the game aged 33.

Like Gidman, South Australian Stephen Crook may not be a familiar name but for the last several seasons he was a huge hit at Northamptonshire. His seam bowling and big hitting helped the county to two T20 titles but apparently his interests extend well beyond cricket so he won’t be bored in retirement.

Sean Ervine is probably better known, and for numerous summers was a banker in my fantasy cricket team. For Hampshire, he didn’t necessarily make loads of hundreds or collect five-fors but he was one of those consistent all-rounders who would always do a job for you. He split acrimoniously from the Zimbabwe set-up in 2004, otherwise he may have enjoyed more international success.

James Foster must be one of the unluckiest of England players in recent times. One of the best wicketkeeper batsmen in the country he had the misfortune of being a contemporary of Chris Read and Matt Prior, and picked up only seven Test caps in 2001 and 2002. However England’s loss was Essex’s gain and he was a hero at Chelmsford, regaining his place in 2017 to win the Championship crown. He lost his spot this year, though, and at 38 reluctantly stepped down.

James Tredwell was another whose England career was restricted by a parallel career; in his case, Graeme Swann. The mild-mannered, follically challenged Kent off-spinner was never destined for superstar status and he must be one of the very few cricketers who played for two different counties simultaneously (not in the same match obviously!) in different formats.

Another massive Fantasy Cricket points scorer in the past several seasons is Steve Magoffin. A bit of a county journeyman, the Aussie seamer was regularly near the top of the wickets table and bowling averages while at Sussex between 2012 and 2017 and he retires with a total of 597 first-class wickets at an incredible average of just 23.60. Understated, unsung but often unplayable.

Finally a mention for Andy Hodd. His whole career seems to have been spent as understudy, first to Tim Ambrose or Matt Prior at Sussex, then Jonny Bairstow at Yorkshire but when he did step up into the first XI he accumulated more than 5,000 senior runs and 400 dismissals. It seems fitting to make him my 2018 retirees’ twelfth man. Sorry, Hoddy!

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)

Team of the Week 25th April 2014: Cook and Maxwell in prime form

For my first Team of the Week of the 2014 'summer', there's a good mix of the familiar, the new and the forgotten. In England, it was a good week for opening batsmen. Greg Smith (Leicestershire) and Derbyshire's recruit from Lancashire, Stephen Moore, each made hundreds, but they are edged out by Essex's Alastair Cook and Lancashire's Sydney-born Paul Horton. Cook picked up 166 runs in a draw, presumably happy to let James Foster do the skippering. Meanwhile, Horton scored one run more, Mr Consistent with 83 and 84. He ended the 2013 season with three hundreds and two ducks in the final four first-class matches, and the Red Roses will be relying heavily on him for runs this year.

Nick Compton (100 not out) and Gary Ballance (174) each reminded England selectors of their middle-order Test credentials, even if they were both born in Africa. The Yorkshire batsman will probably have the edge once Sri Lanka come to town next month. Much as I'd like to, I can't ignore the IPL. Glenn Maxwell added another two big scores, 89 and 95, to his opening blast for Kings XI Punjab. Oddly, he's never made a T20 hundred in 65 innings but he came very close this week.

My wicketkeeper of the week is Tim Ambrose. Several yeara ago, he was the England number one, scoring runs for fun, but then Matt Prior and, later on, depression, got the better of him. Last year he seemed rejuvenated at Warwickshire and this week, he not only contributed a useful cameo with the bat, he claimed six catches in the first innings. Facing seamers of the quality of Woakes and Barker, he should pouch many more.

Peter Trego was welcomed back to Somerset's starting XI and inevitably enjoyed a decent performance in the draw at Durham. However, Gloucestershire's Will Gidman gets the nod as all-rounder. A late developer, cricket-wise, he has eclipsed his older brother and county captain Alex, albeit more as a bowler than batsman. His 3-43 and 6-50 against Glamorgan bolstered his impressive career stats to 169 first-class wickets at under 21 apiece. Even allowing for the fact that they've mostly come in the Championship's second flight, that's pretty good going.

Jack Brooks is another who didn't make the county grade until his mid-20s but he excelled for Yorkshire this week, taking eight Northants wickets. He of the distinctive white headband was accompanied by he of the flowing dark ginger curlilocks, Ryan Sidebottom. The left-armer claimed 7-50 in the match, which was won by an innings. My final two earned their 'call-ups' in Cardiff and the UAE. Mohit Sharma played three times in the IPL this week, taking six for only 44 runs in total. His 4-14 against Mumbai was the pick of the bunch. Back in the Championship, Dean Cosker peered out of the shadow of the retired Robert Croft to capture 5-46 for Glamorgan. Now aged 36, his left-arm spin has earned him over 550 first-class wickets. They haven't come cheap but he does sterling work for the Welsh side.

So there you have it. Take a bow: Cook, Horton, Compton, Ballance, Maxwell, Ambrose (+), W Gidman, Sidebottom, Brooks, M Sharma, Cosker.

Aussies in the firing line

After a miserable Champions Trophy tournament, the disgraceful off-pitch behaviour of David Warner and the hasty replacement of Mickey Arthur as coach by Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke's men must have been relieved to get back to playing first-class cricket this week. Taunton often plays the role of warm-up venue for tourists and to their credit, Somerset have fielded most of their first eleven to give the Aussies a bit of a test in advance of the Ashes series.

For much of Wednesday, the county must have wished all their innings came against the Australian bowling attack. Nick Compton showed the selectors what he could do, stroking 13 boundaries in his 81 while Chris Jones enjoyed his elevation to the top rank by reaching an effortless maiden century. I peeked through the Garner Gates for a few overs, and neither Pattinson nor Lyon seemed able to stem the flow of runs. James Hildreth joined in the fun and Lehmann must have held his head in hands with Somerset breezing along at 304-2. However, suddenly the tap was shut off and the home team suffered a collapse almost Essex-esque! Eight wickets fell in eight overs for 16 runs, including five successive ducks, as Mitch Starc and Pattinson bowled and struck the pads with stunning frequency and accuracy.

The second morning saw Shane Watson in sparkling form, advancing smartly towards a hundred. He'd creamed 20 boundaries before he pushed Overton to Trego on 90. Cowan was the only failure in that first innings, although Phil Hughes scored the only other half-century. Despite facing George Dockrill, Hughes seemed comfortable against spin and the ouoting will have done him a lot of good. When Somerset batted again, only James Hildreth and a typically aggressive 60 from Peter Trego gave the bowlers some tough treatment, leaving the tourists 260 to win. On most pitches that could be a troublesome target but this is Taunton and this is a less than scary Somerset attack.

Cowan and Khawaja need to play themselves into real contention for the Test side, while Clarke will want to find his old form after his injury lay-off. Of the bowlers, Peter Siddle again struggled for rhythm and his only wicket was that of number ten Jamie Overton. The Australians have a second county warm-up at Worcester next week but sadly they look one of the weakest green baggy squads I can remember for a long time. With no Hussey, Ponting or even Mitchell Johnson, the look surprisingly ordinary. The ludicrous non-selection for Tests of David Hussey remains one of the most ridiculous decisions by any country in the past decade, and he (and Chris Rogers) are clearly better than the current top order. If they're good enough, they're young enough. Cricket Australia may regret it come the end of summer.

Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year

It may seem odd for everyone to want their say on the musings of one book but Wisden is an annual above all others. 150 not out says it all. Cricket's annual yellow bible traditionally selects five stars of the sport in the past year but differs from most other lists in that it excludes players who haven't previously been chosen.

The 2013 quintet are all deserving but the shock is that Jacques Kallis hadn't appeared before. Is it because of his previous failures in England? Is it because the selections tend to focus on the English domestic season? I suspect there is a bit of both but also the Saffer all-rounder's consistency over the years. He has career statistics few can match - ever - but while he has enjoyed many good years, there may often have been two or three other batsmen who have had a great one, and that is all that's needed to win the vote.

His partner in crime on the 2012 tour of these shores, Hashim Amla, certainly could be ignored no longer. He is a colossus of cricket across all formats, with only Michael Clarke (a 2010 choice) rivalling him on the international stage. The third South African on the list, Dale Steyn also somehow evaded Wisden's panel over the past decade but as the undisputed king of fast bowling, his achievements last year made him a shoo-in. Maybe Saeed Ajmal can count himself unlucky for a second year in succession, but the next time Pakistan come to England, a big haul of wickets will surely earn him a place amongst the five.

Marlon Samuels also benefited from a consistent run of high scores against England, along with a 260 against Bangladesh in November, and became the fourth overseas player in the list. Since 1997, the Wisden Five has featured a West Indian only once, when Ottis Gibson and Shiv Chanderpaul broke the drought in 2008, so congratulations to Marlon for flying the Caribbean flag.

The only English-qualified man this time is Nick Compton, whose prolific start to the 2012 summer also earned him an England call-up and Somerset fans like me a headache for the coming county campaign. The top bowler in the Championship, Graeme Onions didn't qualify because he was included three years ago, and the superb Alastair Cook appeared in 2012, his 'annus memorabilis'.

Are there any genuine world stars never to have been amongst Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year? Well, there is no Ganguly, no Sehwag and
neither Hussey brother (despite some prolific summers in the county game). On the other hand there have been some solid county pros whose runs and wickets in a particular season have delivered the Wisden vote if not a lengthy international career. Last year's Alan Richardson, Ian Austin (1999), Nigel Briers (1993) and Tim Munton (1995) spring to mind.

Three months into 2013, are there any obvious candidates for the 2014 Wisden? The Champions Trophy and Ashes will probably produce the leading candidates but Messrs Ashwin, De Villiers and Pujara must be in with a shout. On the basis of two days of the County Championship, maybe James Vince and Chris Jordan should also be dusting off their suits ready for next Spring!

Compton and Rutherford: Honours Even

Well, masses of credit to New Zealand for at least keeping the series interesting. More than that, after the first few days' play,there was even the prospect of a sensational Black Caps win amidst the verdant setting of Dunedin. Had it not been for the Day 1 washout, Brendan McCullum's men could yet have taken a lead. However, once they put their woeful first innings shot-making out of their minds on what was by all accounts a perfect batting track, the England top order are probably the best in the business at grinding out a result.

It was all looking so promising as the NZ new boys Bruce Martin and Hamish Rutherford helped deliver their side an extraordinary 293-run lead. Martin and Neil Wagner shared eight cheap wickets to embarrass the visitors, then the tall 23 year-old left-handed opener compiled 171, one of the best debut Test innings in history, to defy England's lauded attack. His skipper gave Finn a late-order thumping, but credit to Jimmy Anderson for persevering on an unhelpful pitch to take four wickets and keep the team in with a chance.

WIth almost two days to bat, this was an occasion tailor-made for Alastair Cook and Nick Compton. The former has done it umpteen times at this level while the latter is no stranger to concentration, focus and painstaking performances for Somerset. And that's just in T20! I was delighted that Compton reached his maiden Test century just before close on Day 4 to prevent a potentially nervous night.

And yet England could give even greater thanks to Finn the nightwatchman. He stuck around for almost five hours for his 56 while first Compton, then Trott and Pietersen fell at the other end. KP and Root each failed twice in the match but ultimately it didn't matter because Ian Bell and Matt Prior held their nerve and made sure McCullum and co wouldn't have the opportunity to thrash their way to a low target at the death.

So no whitewash. Both sides can take some positives from the match. England probably won't suffer such a collective batting meltdown again, and showed in the second innings while they remain number two in the world. Wellington should hold no fears. The home team also demonstrated some talent in depth, although I have to say it did owe a hell of a lot to Rutherford's straight bat and level-headedness and McCullum's belligerence. The others need to step up to their high standard if New Zealand are to win either of the remaining fixtures but anything is possible!

First Class Cricketers of 2012

Kevin Pietersen made a lot of headlines in 2012, not always for the right reasons. It surprised me to see that he ended the year having scored more first-class runs than anyone else in the world! The tally of 1,932 probably owed much to his international layoff in the summer which enabled him to score heavily for Surrey, followed by a productive Test series in India.

England played 15 Tests in the year so their other top batsmen appear high on the list, too. Alastair Cook was in great form with or without the captaincy, accumulating 1,880, of which 1,249 came in England colours. Nick Compton started 2012 as an England Lions player, enjoyed a prolific start to Somerset's Championship season, spent months out injured then came back to play all four Tests on England's tour of England as a stand-in opener. His 1,855 runs put him third in the first-class list, averaging a very impressive 77.29.

Australians occupy the next three places. Ed Cowan has yet to cement a place in the national side but he played a lot of cricket, domestic and international, to score 1,784 runs in total. Michael Clarke appeared in barely half the number of first-class matches as Cowan, yet gathered only 16 fewer runs across the year. His Test tally of 1,595 was comfortably ahead of nearest challengers Cook, Hashim Amla, Pietersen and Trott, the only others to reach four figures in 2012. Chris Rogers is the only non-Test playing man to top 1,700 runs in the calendar year. His 2012 included a mighty 49 innings for Middlesex and Victoria, yielding 1,737 runs.

Like Cowan, Phil Hughes put in a good shift in all formats last year but in Tests, special mention should go to Shiv Chanderpaul, whose nine appearances for the West Indies brought him 987 runs at an average of just under 100. Mike Hussey can hold his head high as he faces retirement as his last full year for Australia brought him 898 runs at a shade under 60.

The most eye-catching stats for a wicketkeeper were AB De Villiers' 815 Test runs at 58, although he only donned the gloves after Mark Boucher's sad career-ending eye injury at Taunton in the summer. Matt Prior showed again how useful a batsman he can be, even at six or seven, accmuulating 777 runs at 39 for England. In all first-class games, only Sarfraz Ahmed dismissed more batsmen than Prior: 65 from 16 games in Pakistan. Hampshire's young 'keeper Michael Bates enjoyed a great summer, but needs to work on his batting to threaten Prior's position as England's number one.

Rangana Herath pipped fellow spinner Graeme Swann to top the Test wicket-taking table of 2012, with 60 in only 10 games. A shame none of his Sri Lanka team-mates could follow his lead. Anderson and Broad also took at least 40 Test wickets each but when it comes to all first-class victims, one Englishman stands head and shoulders above the rest in world cricket: Monty Panesar. His 102 included 33 in England colours, where he often outshone the established Swann, whose annual tally was 81.

Ahead of Swann was another off-spinner, Jeetan Patel. He didn't have a great year for Wellington or New Zealand but played a big part in Warwickshire's County Championship triumph, as did Chris Wright and Keith Barker. It wasn't a year only for the slow bowlers. Vernon Philander may not have matched his sensational start to Test cricket in 2011, but his 85 wickets in all first-class cricket placed him second in the world. A fair proportion of them came for Somerset, even on the traditional batting track at Taunton.

Jackson Bird's 70+ wickets for Tasmania and Australia A at under 20 apiece finally earned him an international call-up and he looked a useful fast bowler in the defeat of Sri Lanka in the dying days of 2012. Graeme Onions was also in fine form in an otherwise mediocre Durham side last summer, averaging a mere 16.24 from his 16 matches.

I haven't actually mentioned any genuine all-rounders. That's because 2012 didn't appear to be a vintage year for those who excel at both batting and bowling in the first-class game. Is this because T20 has channelled those with dual talents into playing in a way that simply doesn't suit longer-form cricket? Maybe it's just a blip!

If I had to pick first-class teams of the year, here goes....

ALL 1st class cricket:-

Cook, Cowan, Compton, Pietersen, Clarke(*), Pujara, Prior(+), Philander, Bird, Onions, Panesar.

TESTS: Cook, G Smith, Amla, Kallis, Chanderpaul, Clarke (*), De Villers(+), Swann, Philander, Anderson, Herath

One-day cricket to follow....

India's Win or England's Defeat?

So the dramatic change of fortunes didn't materialise and India duly wrapped up a nine-wicket victory. Here in England, all the talk is about the so-called mistake of not picking Monty Panesar, but opinions seem to be divided over who he should have replaced, which suggests it wasn't such an obvious selection after all. The same goes for what should happen for the Second Test. Bresnan or Patel?

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and not even the Indian team were expecting the pitch to go so low and slow after the first two days. Ojha may have taken the most wickets, but Zaheer Khan and Yadav also bowled quite well, while England's seamers were simply ineffective. I don't know what the Mumbai groundsmen are preparing but all I can offer Cook, Flower and Miller by way of advice is not to worry about having a number eleven who can't bat. This is not limited-over cricket!

The media seems to be full of England's failure but let's not forget India's triumph. Pujara was a revelation, Sehwag was revitalised, Yuvraj Singh showed he has recovered and Ojha proved he can slug it out with the best of them, taking wickets and breaking batsmen's hearts in the process in more than the familiar four overs.

With the notable exceptions of Alastair Cook and Matt Prior, the visiting batsmen came off a distant second best. The skipper was correct in shifting the blame away from the Monty non-selection to the poor performances of the remaining batsmen. It was unfortunate that proven stars like Trott, Pietersen and Bell all failed twice, even without an Ajmal bowling at them. New boy Nick Compton stonewalled successfully in the second innings while Cook gathered pace, and is unlikely to be discarded for Mumbai. Bairstow for the absent Bell is pretty much a given.

So what about India? Meagre returns from Tendulkar and Dhoni must continue to cause concern but I doubt there will be changes unless injury intervenes. It's 1-0 to the home nation and in convincing style. Now they have to maintain that superiority but a series win is not yet guaranteed.

Sehwag and Pujara take charge

After all the waiting, India enjoyed the best of the opening skirmishes in Ahmedabad. So many under-fire home players but at least two restored their confidence on Day 1. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir relished their first century stand for yonks, then Viru progressed to one of his run-a-ball specials before missing a sweep off Graeme Swann. It's eleven years since his Test debut in South Africa, when he scored a relatively sedate 105 at six in the order, and two whole years since his last hundred, on the same ground.

That impressive debut in 2001 was shared with a big innings from Sachin Tendulkar but the Little Master looks a pale shadow of the batsman he was even a couple of years ago. He lasted a mere 18 balls before becoming Swann's third victim. This match gave Virat Kohli a chance to establish his true Test credentials but despite a very patient spell at the crease, he made only 19. Thank goodness for one other young star. Cheteshwar Pujara followed his 159 against New Zealand in August with an unbeaten 98, and I hope he quickly reaches three figures in the morning.

Yuvraj Singh, like Tendulkar, recently crashed a major score in a rare domestic first-class outing and he looked solid in partnership with Pujara. If the pair can continue until lunch, England will be looking down the barrel. However, Swann was beginning to get real grip and spin, and has reason to be optimistic about adding to his four wickets. Tim Bresnan suffered at the hands of Sehwag and Anderson couldn't get any swing. India's side is awash with slow bowlers so perhaps England will rue the inclusion of Patel instead of Panesar. We'll see.

I'm also nervous for Nick Compton. As a Somerset fan, part of me really wants him to do well as an ambasssador for his adopted county. However, should he notch up loadsa runs, he could end up with a central contract and then where will we be in the Championship next summer?! A Compton-Cook opening pair won't make for an exciting exhibition of strokeplay. I can't see our Nick becoming the second man in a few days striking a six from the first ball of a Test match innings, a la Gayle. Of course, that's not why he was picked; the fireworks are Pietersen's prerogative.We'll know in the next few days whether he marks his return with a Sehwag rocket or Tendulkar damp squib.

Team of the Summer

While the Olympian Team GB will win most awards come the end of 2012, there have also been some great cricketing performances across the domestic season in England. Here is my Team of 2012, encompassing all forms of cricket, from Tests to T20.

Joe Root is the name on everyone’s lips, with his Young Cricketer of the Year award and England call-up for the India tour. However, he won’t be opening for my team of the summer. Instead, I’ve plumped for Varun Chopra and Chris Nash. The Warwickshire batsman notched up another 1000+ first-class runs, including some big hundreds, and also averaged more than 50 in the CB40. He also represented the England Lions. The Sussex opener has also acquired more responsibility in recent years, providing runs in all competitions, long with his useful spinners in the one-day and T20 competitions. Only three men outscored him in the Friends Life tournament and he was the only batsman in the PCA’s Most Valuable Player top 10 for the County Championship.

Nick Compton made the headlines early on when rain prevented him from reaching the rare milestone of 1000 runs by the end of May. The Somerset number three then missed most of the summer with injury, returning to strike another unbeaten century in the final victory over Worcestershire. Nobody outscored him in first-class cricket, including some runs for the England Lions but he’s not in my XI for his dashing strike rate! Most of my team is selected for their county performances as there have been few consistent players on the international scene, especially England. Bell and Pietersen came close but I could hardly leave out Hashim Amla. He seems to be South Africa’s top scorer in every innings he plays, regardless of format, and that record-breaking 311 not out was the innings of the summer. Overseas stars Chris Rogers and Ramnesh Sarwan caught the eye for Middlesex and struggling Leicestershire, respectively, but my middle-order is completed by Jonny Bairstow. He may not have accumulated as many runs as he did in 2011 but fame didn’t seem to have affected his form for Yorkshire, and he held his own in an inconsistent England squad in Tests, ODIs and T20.

Veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens is such a reliable man for Kent, striking quick runs and taking medium-pace wickets. 2012 was no exception and nobody took more wickets than he did in CB40. However, the outstanding county performer was Somerset’s Peter Trego. Ahead of other sportsmen in the over-tattooed stakes, the Taunton favourite had to shoulder extra bowling duties due to a chronic injury list as well as bolster batting often deprived of Trescothick and Compton. Lesser men may have wilted but Trego simply had easily his best season ever, taking particular pleasure in reaching the 50-wicket milestone in the Championship. A true hero, but despite his globe-trotting T20 exploits, is unlikely to appear on England’s radar. Good, because he’s invaluable to Somerset!

Chris Read is another superb all-rounder. He may not bat until six or seven but he scored more than 1000 first-class runs for Nottinghamshire, many more than Hales, Taylor, Lumb and co. He remains an excellent wicketkeeper and an astute county captain to boot. Matt Prior and Hampshire’s Michael Bates came close, but it’s Prior’s England predecessor who gets the nod as gloveman.

With so much rain around, it was the groundstaff who deserve a special award! However, the pitches and conditions favoured the seamers in 2012. Reliable county pros like Murtagh, Richardson, Adams and Masters again took more than 50 Championship wickets each, as did Sussex’s much-travelled Aussie Stuart Magoffin. However, I could have selected almost any Warwickshire bowler. For me, Chris Wright narrowly shades Keith Barker for his all-format record but the two were often brilliant together, disguising the absence of Woakes and Rankin and playing a major role in the county’s success. Toby Roland-Jones was not on my horizon until mid-summer but the Middlesex seamer finished very strongly, taking 64 first-class wickets all season at under 20 apiece. Nevertheless, Graeme Onions takes the final place. The tall Durham paceman snared more first-class victims than anyone all summer, including a 9-64 against Notts, and impressed in the Third Test against the West Indies, too. He took 68 wickets for his county at a ridiculously good 14.30!

So no spinners! Well, as some small compensation, young Azeem Rafiq will have to settle for 12th man duty. He was particularly effective in T20 and his all-round performance against Essex in the last Championship match did more than anything to secure Yorkshire’s promotion. Warwickshire’s Jeetan Patel and Monty Panesar just miss out.

The XI in summary: Chopra (Warks), Nash (Sussex), Compton (Somerset), Amla (S. Africa), Bairstow (Yorks/England), Read (Notts, capt and w/k), Trego (Somerset), Onions (Durham/England), Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Wright (Warks), Azeem Rafiq (Yorks, 12th man)

KP Out, JR In

Congratulations to Geoff Miller and Andy Flower for holding their nerve and dropping the walking ego Kevin Pietersen from not only the World T20 squad but also the winter tour of India. Until he sorts out his problem - and it is his problem - there is no place for him in an otherwise tight England family unit. Maybe Alastair Cook, Anderson, Swann and Broad can patch up all the differences in time for next summer but I'd be less surprised to hear KP's retirement from intyernational cricket prior to the round of T20 franchise tournaments next Spring.

Without KP and the retired skipper Andrew Strauss, there were two batting places going begging. Ravi Bopara's problems this season have counted against him and James Taylor didn't quite do enough to keep his position. Jonny Bairstow has made himself indispensible with his batting against South Arica and potential wicket-keeping back-up for Matt Prior.

Young Cricketer of the Year Joe Root must be favourite to partner Cook at the top of the order although he is untested at senior level. He didn't do too badly for the Lions and struck an excellent double-century for Yorkshire a few months ago, on his way to almost 1000 first-class runs for the season. He and Michael Carberry must have been rivals for Strauss' position although both made their runs in Division Two in 2012. Maybe Warwickshire's Virun Chopra can count himself unlucky as he scored more Championship runs and in the top tier against superior bowlers.

Nick Compton might have been in the running for opener, a position he used to fill at Middlesex. However, the prolific start to the season he enjoyed at Somerset came at number three. He was by some margin the highest scoring batsman in first-class cricket, averaging just a shade below 100! His role at Taunton was to anchor an innings while the like of Hildreth, Trtescothick, Kieswetter and Trego played their shots, which explains his six not-outs and meagre scoring rate of 46.61.

If he plays for England, especially if Ian Bell is absent on paternity leave for a match or two, it will give the line-up a particularly stodgy look, and then KP will leave a bigger hole in the team. However, this is not T20 and five-day cricket requires stability and calm heads, and Compton does offer such qualities. I'm not really sure why Eoin Morgan has been handed another chance at Test level, unless it is to address the aforementioned scoring rate issue. I just don't see him as a top player in this format but perhaps he is considered to have the game for spin-friendly pitches.

As for the rest of the squad, there are no major shocks. Graham Onions joins the pace battalion after a superb season with an otherwise listless Durham, and Monty Panesar finished the summer strongly with Sussex to lay claim to the second spinner spot on the Asian pitches. Samit Patel could also come into the equation, with his superior batting offering an extra dimension.

Overall, I reckon England could do better than many people have predicted, even if a 4-0 whitewash looks a remote prospect. The two former number one nations have points to prove, which could make it an interesting series.

Onions on fire but Durham burnt out

It was a battle between two counties yet to win a Championship match this season, and Durham vs Lancashire proved to be a very close-run thing. The home side were skittled for 102 thanks to Luke Procter's 5-17, then Graham Onions led the response with renewed vigour. Only Kyle Hogg's late-order resistance and Paul Horton carrying his bat for 49 ensured a first innings lead for the Red Roses. An excellent Ben Stokes century meant that Lancashire needed 200 to win. This time Horton lasted only one ball but, despite another six wickets from Onions, the champions sneaked home by just two wickets. It was misery upon misery for Durham, as their fine for a slow over rate meant they actually achieved MINUS one point and are rooted to bottiom place. At least Onions has bowled hmself into contention for a Test recall this week.

The top two counties weren't playing this week, but weather and Worcestershire's top order prevented Somerset from taking full advantage. All eyes were on Nick Compton's attempt to become the first man since Graeme Hick to hit 1000 first-class runs before the end of May. The traditional landmark now seems rather ridiculous because the domestic season starts so much earlier but Compton has been in excellent form. Sadly, rain washed out his innings on the 31st, before he proceeded to another century the next day. Hey-ho! The final day petered out into a draw with such inevitability that Somerset even bowled Craig Kieswetter. Weirdly the wicketkeeper ended with two wickets for three runs and will probably end the season at the top of the bowling averages!

In the other Division One match, Middlesex advanced closer to Somerset by beating Sussex at Lord's. Tim Murtagh claimed 5-55 before five Middlesex batsmen struck half-centuries on the way to a first innings lead of 208. The visitors only just did enough to make Robson and Rogers bat again, but they only needed ten miniutes to wrap up victory and secure 23 points.

The Division Two leaders Derbyshire were surprisingly well beaten by Gloucestershire at Bristol. Maybe it was the news of the successful attempt to redevelop the county ground that spurred them on. Not for the first time they relied heavily on the Gidman brothers; Alex's runs and Will's wickets produced a seven-wicket triumph. Derbyshire remain top, but Yorkshire narrowed the margin after drawing against Northamptonshire. Rain destoyed any chance of a result, but Joe Root's 125 helped divert attention from Adil Rashid's controversial dropping from the Tykes's first team. Actually, Adil only has himself to blame, and Azeem Rafiq performed OK in his place.

The basement battle between Glamorgan and Leicestershire seemed to be going the way of the Welsh side when James Allenby and Dean Cosker reduced Leicester to 271, then Marcus North and Mark Wallace each reached three figures. Glamorgan piled up 558-9 declared, also assisted by some dreadful bowling from Robbie Joseph, who contributed 13 no-balls to the Glamorgan cause! Fortunately, Michael Thornly (131) and Ned Eckersley (137 not out) saw their side to safety on day four, leaving them fourteen points ahead.

This week sees the last Championship fixtures before the T20 slogfest intervenes. Warwickshire must be confident of regaining top spot as they visit Durham who may be without Onions. However, Notts, who currently stand proud by a solitary point, have a slightly tougher game against Lancashire. Middlesex and Somerset meet to fight for third place, while Surrey and Sussex will crave a victory to pull themselves away from the relegation berths. In Division Two, only Gloucestershire sit it out, while Derbyshire hope to recover by beating Leicestershire, and Yorkshire travel to Colwyn Bay to rub Welsh noses into the sea water. At least Derby know they will go into the break guaranteed of first place. Kent and Northants also meet, with a chance of overtaking the White Roses.

County Championship - Month 1

The domestic season may have got off to a warm, sunny but ridiculously early start but, given the appalling weather this week, it was just as well! Heavy rain just about everywhere, not just in the western half of the country, prevented any results in the County Championship. Indeed, not a ball was bowled in the matches at Bristol and The Oval. So where does this leave the league tables? Division One is headed by Warwickshire, with two wins in their three matches. Jonathan Trott, Rikki Clarke and Keith Barker have made some telling contributions already, keeping them ahead of Somerset and Notts. Chris Read's side have won two low-scoring affairs and rain spared them a likely drubbing against Somerset, for whom Nick Compton added a second double-century of the season to put him way ahead of anyone else in the runs column so far. Andre Adams is once again proving what a worthy performer he is for Notts, while Vernon Philander is close to replicating his international form for the Cidermen, who are missing most of their other frontline seamers as well as the irreplaceable skipper Marcus Trescothick. Other veterans Alan Richardson (Worcestershire) and Jonathan Lewis (Surrey) have also been amongst the wickets but their respective sides have had limited success in April. Durham are propping up the table, largely the result of the abandonment of their game against Surrey. Perhaps surprisingly, the only team to have lost two games are the champions Lancashire. Apart from Prince and Croft last week, no batsman has passed 60 in an innings thus far. They must hope to turn things around at home to Notts this week, weather permitting. In the second tier, Derbyshire have been the surprise form team with two victories out of three. However, Kent's win over Northants and three draws means they lead the table by four points. Their seamer Matt Coles is also the leading wicket-taker in the whole Championship with 21, and he has contributed an unbeaten century, too. Poor Glamorgan have suffered three straight defeats and an abandonment. While their bowlers have been successful, so have the opposition's. Only Wright and Walters have scored more than 100 runs in their six innings to date, which simply isn't good enough. Provided the rains subside at Cardiff, they will face Essex, and last season's skipper and opening batsman Alviro Petersen later this week, and that won't be easy. David Masters will fancy his chances of adding to his wicket tally.

Man of the Moment: Nick Compton

With Marcus Trescothick injured and likely to miss much of the season, Somerset desperately need their other batsmen to step up and provide the runs the captain would surely have made. So far this season, Nick Compton has certainly fulfilled his part of the bargain in the County Championship. In his five matches played so far, including a friendly against Glamorgan and the first-class game against the Cardiff students, Compton has compiled more than 800 runs, including two double-centuries, two 'singles' and a 99. Understandably, this sort of runfest has brought him to the attention of the England Lions selectors although it means that Somerset will lose his services next month during the Lions' game against West Indies. Indeed, the county already has a desperate injury crisis which makes their chances of winning a trophy almost impossible. Traditionally, having a famous name helps a cricketer get on in England circles, especially if the connection is with Surrey, Middlesex or Kent. Dexters and Cowdreys inevitably catch the eye but now a Compton has shown his hand. The surprise is that it has taken Nick so long. He was never really consistent for Middlesex and I raised a quizzical eyebrow when Somerset secured his services a few years ago. In a fine batting line-up I couldn't see where he fitted in. However, with Langer and De Bruyn departed, the Durban-born grandson of England legend Denis lived up to his name in 2011, and now 2012 could be even better for him as his first-class career average advances into the 40s. Where his record falters somewhat is in the Twenty20 format. With Somerset likely to lose the mouthwatering opening pair of both Trescothick and Chris Gayle for the summer's competition, Compton will surely be needed to play. Averaging under 20 and with a strike rate of only 111, he is not ideally suited to the biff-bang stuff. He could, though, hold up one end while Kieswetter, Trego, Hildreth and Buttler plunder boundaries. Actually his 50-over stats aren't too bad, so maybe this isn't too much of an ask for Nick, although with only 120 balls per innings, he still needs to score quickly. Promotion to the Lions isn't always a sure path to success. Somerset colleague Hildreth was a very successful captain for the touring team a few winters ago but a mediocre season for his county pushed him out of the running for an England place, and he was supplanted by James Taylor. Time will tell for Nick Compton but - and forgive my selfishness - for Somerset's sake, I hope he plays poorly for the Lions and maintains his prolific form for the county!