County Cricket: Duckett Double, Hadley Heroics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

Surrey Scare but Almost There

Autumn rains may have arrived a tad early, but there was still some drama in the penultimate round of County Championship fixtures. Surrey’s smooth march to the title was surprisingly disrupted at The Oval by basement side Northamptonshire, for whom Karun Nair – who boasts a Test ‘triple’ for India - struck 150 and Jack White took 4-45 to make the home side follow on. Come the last day, openers Burns and Sibley stopped the rot by batting out the final four hours or so without trouble. 

Essex have only a mathematical chance of overhauling Surrey after an all-or-nothing final-day declaration against Hampshire failed to pay off. Adam Rossington and Tom Prest swapped centuries and Essex’s Matt Critchley was caught off Dawson’s spin for 99 before the stakes – and scoring rates – were raised on Friday. Hampshire were set a target of 267 in about 60 overs and at 32-4 looked set to capitulate. However, the experienced duo of James Vince and Liam Dawson turned disaster into triumph, putting on 184. Critchley nabbed them both but Ben Brown took them over the line with time running out. 

At the other end of the table, 42-year-old Tim Murtagh followed his retirement announcement with eight wickets for Middlesex at Lord’s. However, it was all in vain because Warwickshire have the in-form Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who claimed eight of his own. The lanky Yorkshireman is no spring chicken himself but has led the line admirably all season. Danny Briggs became the second spinner this week to be dismissed on 99 and Will Rhodes made 102 as the Londoners struggled to gain a foothold in the match. In the second innings, Sam Robson carried his bat for 107 but Warwickshire wrapped up the victory by eight wickets, leaving Middlesex in the relegation zone. 

They can still overtake Kent, who were second-best to Somerset, for whom Lammonby and Goldsworthy reached three figures, until the Taunton weather saved their bacon. At Old Trafford, only 84 overs were possible but the draw made little difference to the mid-table. Next week, Surrey should clinch the five points required at Southampton, although Hampshire have the incentive of snatching second place from Essex. Northants are down, but Kent (against Lancashire) just need to match Middlesex (at Nottinghamshire) to remain in Division One in 2024. 

Joining them will be Durham and, almost certainly, Worcestershire. IN between rain delays, the two played out a single-innings draw this week, Scott Borthwick top-scoring with 134 not out. A resurgent Leicestershire have a theoretical chance of promotion but there was no real opportunity to narrow the gap by defeating Yorkshire at Grace Road. Derbyshire failed to break their season’s duck at home to Sussex but Brooke Guest did equal Derby’s record of seven catches in the first innings. Gloucestershire are also winless, and Sussex are in their way next week, just as Glamorgan are Derby’s barrier. Most of the season’s honours have been decided but don’t rule out some late-September excitement. 

Team of the Week:- Lammonby (Som), Robson (Mid), Borthwick (Dur), Vince (Ham), Nair (Nor), Guest (Der +), Critchley (Ess), Briggs (War), Conners (Der), Murtagh (Mid), Hannon-Dalby (War)

Leicestershire clinch the Cup, Northants lose again

The 50-over One-Day Cup Final is criminally under-reported these days, but Leicestershire and Hampshire served up a thriller worthy of a big back-page headline. Lewis Hill won the toss and elected to bat, but at 18-4 and 89-6, it looked like Leicestershire’s 38-year wait for another List A trophy would continue. However, local academy products Harry Swindells (117 not out) and Sam Evans (60) rescued the innings, setting Hants a testing target of 268. In reply, Hampshire played it steady, while Mulder, Wright and Scriven bowled tightly. When in Josh Hull’s concluding over, Liam Dawson misjudged a ramp shot to fine leg, it was down to Keith Barker to strike a boundary off the last ball to win. He failed, and Hill’s unfancied side were champions at last. 

A few days earlier, the county’s Championship line-up – without Swindells – narrowly failed to prevent Sussex from moving closer to Worcestershire in the second promotion place. All looked lost for them at Hove, too. Jaydev Unadkat and Aristides Karvelas ripped them apart in the first innings and they faced an Everest-esque target of 499 in almost two days to avoid defeat. That they came within 15 runs is a credit to the batsmen’s professionalism and skill. Not for the first time, Colin Ackermann led the way with 135 but Unadkat mopped up the tail and all that effort proved in vain. 

Also in Division Two, Gloucestershire remain winless, thwarted by the weather and Derbyshire’s spirited performance, notably Anuj Dal’s first-innings 6-69. At Cardiff, Shan Masood plundered 192 for Yorkshire and Glamorgan were forced to follow on after Ben Coad and Matthew Revis claimed eight cheap wickets. Fortunately for the home crowd, Eddie Byrom and Sam Northeast each scored centuries to see out the match. One win from thirteen surely hastened Matthew Maynard’s decision to resign as coach. 

The Division One fixtures focussed mainly on relegation issues. In the wake of lengthy rain delays, cordial declarations created a meaningful climax at Edgbaston. Olive Hannon-Dalby’s 7-46 put Warwickshire in charge against Northamptonshire, but on day four, Ben Sanderson gave his relegation-threatened side real hope, reducing the home county to 24-5. However, Michael Burgess’s unbeaten 78 saw Warwickshire home by two wickets. 

At Canterbury, Zak Crawley got Kent off to a promising start with 158 but, with Joe Clarke in rare good form for Nottinghamshire, it was Kent who ended up relieved to avoid defeat, educed to 86-6 at stumps. The Manchester weather wasn’t kind to cricket last week and Lancashire, for whom Dane Vilas struck 124, were unable to press home their first-innings advantage against Middlesex. 

This week, if Surrey beat Northants at The Oval and Hampshire restrict Essex at Chelmsford, the County Championship belongs once again to Surrey and the South Midlanders are relegated. Kent visit Somerset and Middlesex host Warwickshire hoping to maximise their points return in the battle to avoid joining them. 

Team of the Week:- Crawley (Ken), Masood (Yor), Northeast (Gla), Clarke (Not), Ackermann (Lei), Swindells (Lei), Burgess (War +), Anuj Dal (Der), Unadkat (Sus), Hogan (Ken), Hannon-Dalby (War)

Hannon-Dalby Hoists 100% Warwickshire

It’s not often you find Leicestershire and Northamptonshire near the top of a county table but both are looking good in the One-Day Cup qualifiers. Leicester lead Group A after having a fruitful week, beating Essex, Hampshire and Lancashire at Old Trafford, where Rishi Patel and Colin Ackermann each scored centuries and Sol Budinger came close in a total of 411-6. 

Group B also witnessed a few totals of 400+, both scored against Somerset, whose attack in this tournament is heavily depleted. Only Andrew Umeed showed any consistency amidst the carnage, passing fifty in all three fixtures, and striking 119 against Sussex, for whom Cheteshwar Pujara once again showed his class. Somerset were taken for 415-8 by Northants, who have a new name to chant. Indian opener Prithin Shaw crashed 39 boundaries to all corners in a blistering 244. This is the second-highest List A innings ever seen on these shores, then he notched another terrific ton against Durham. 

The highest innings of all came at Bristol, where Gloucestershire helped themselves to 454-3 against their old West Country rivals. James Bracey thumped an unbeaten 224 from 151 deliveries, by far a county record. In only his second senior game, poor James Langridge saw 95 runs stuck off his eight overs. 

However, it is Warwickshire who top the table, maintaining a five-out-of-five start. Victories over Glamorgan and Derbyshire were not always straightforward but they crushed Worcestershire by nine wickets. Ed Barnard continued his all-round form, while Oliver Hannon-Dalby notched thirteen wickets in the week, including 5-31 at Worcester. 

There were other big wins for Lancashire over Kent at Blackpool and Middlesex against Notts at Radlett, although Middlesex were on the receiving end of a last-over thriller against Essex at Chelmsford. Hampshire sit second in Group A, assisted by Nick Gubbins’ runs at the top, and some decisive bowling feats by Mason Crane and Brad Wheal. 

The group stages are completed in the next seven days. Warwickshire require only one, maybe two wins from their three fixtures, which include a crucial encounter with Northants. Leicestershire will also be home and dry from Group A should they defeat Middlesex and Yorkshire, with Hampshire favourites to join them in the knockouts. The other two places are up for grabs, with several counties in the mix. Somerset are not one of them. They will be pleased just to avoid another 400-run hammering. 

Team of the Week:- Shaw (Nor), Bracey (Glo +), Gubbins (Ham), Umeed (Som), Barnard (War), Pujara (Sus), Ackermann (Lei), Higgins (Mid), Bess (Yor), Wheal (Ham), Hannon-Dalby (War)

Essex Gain Ground but Rew Rules for Somerset

It wasn’t a great week for Lancashire. First, they bowed out of the Blast, eased out by Surrey, then came a gallant but ultimately unsuccessful Championship chase against Essex at Blackpool. The visiting captain Tom Westley put Essex in a good position only for Tom Bailey (6-59) to rip out the tail. However, Sam Cook and Paul Walter bowled Essex back into a commanding position, which was extended by Dan Lawrence’s 135 and a late pre-declaration slog by Doug Bracewell. Set 430 to win on the final day, Lancashire were in the hunt well into the last session but Rob Jones was running out of partners. Last man Will Williams dug in but Bracewell ended Jones’ innings to give Essex the victory by 46 runs and advance them into second place. 

Nottinghamshire also lost in the T20, throwing away a promising advantage against Somerset, but with the red ball they held their own admirably against Division One leaders Surrey to secure a draw. Lyndon James and Brett Hutton claimed five-fors while Will Young (Notts) and Jordan Clark traded centuries. Warwickshire defeated Kent at a three-day canter in Canterbury. Opener Rob Yates finished unbeaten on 228 and tournament debutant Glenn Maxwell thrashed 81 to give the home county little chance of even making Warwickshire bat again. Oliver Hannon-Dalby took four wickets in each innings. 

Another great ton by teenager James Rew, this time a double, put Somerset on a similar victory charge at home to Hampshire. However, Dawson and Nick Gubbins, who spent four hours over his unbeaten 50, frustrated their old rivals’ bid for a deserved success, aided by a second-string bowling line-up. It was an extraordinary climax at the remaining top-tier game. Bottom sides Middlesex and Northamptonshire met at Merchant Taylor’s School and the result went down to the very last ball. Sam Whiteman’s 114 helped the away team to a 322-run lead but, despite Eskenazi’s early retirement through injury, Sam Robson, John Simpson and Toby Roland-Jones took Middlesex to the brink of victory. When Robson reached three figures, he became – remarkably – the county’s first centurion of the summer but, needing three from the final delivery, he and De Caires could only scramble two. The scores were level and a draw resulted. 

In Division Two, Durham are making it look easy. They crushed Gloucestershire by nine wickets. Alex Lees’ 195 outscored the whole of Gloucester’s second innings. Leicestershire remain second after a rain-affected draw at Cardiff. With a positive outcome impossible, Glamorgan’s Michael Neser thumped 176 not out, then Leicester’s Rishi Patel went three better, sealing a contract extension. 

There were runs galore in a very tight encounter at Hove. Set a target of 380 by Sussex on the fourth afternoon, Derbyshire could have been forgiven for resorting to innocuous batting practice. To their credit, they were far more positive. Leus du Plooy led by example but once he was sixth out for 128, Sussex sensed a chance to win. They captured two more wickets and stumps were drawn with Derbyshire nineteen runs short of success. 

At New Road, Yorkshire’s openers Lyth and Bean put on 177 but the county had to struggle for a fourth batting bonus point. Ben Coad claimed 5-33 as Worcestershire slipped to 242 all out. Rain severely disrupted their second innings, robbing the White Roses’ chance of an innings victory.

 After the Blast’s Finals Day, the four-dayers return next week. Amongst others, Durham face Derbyshire while in Division One Surrey must fancy their hop across the Thames to Middlesex, Essex host Kent and Warwickshire welcome Lancashire to Edgbaston. Personally, I hope Somerset press on against Northants – preferably with a T20 title under their belt. Ha-ha! 

Team of the Week:- Yates (War), Lees (Dur), Coles (Sus), Lawrence (Ess), Du Plooy (Der), Rew (Som +), Neser (Gla), Walter (Ess), Bailey (Lan), Hannon-Dalby (War), Coad (Yor)

Harmer hammers hopeless Hampshire

At last an excuse to indulge in an orgy of alliteration! While Somerset sat out the ninth round of Championship fixtures, nearest challengers Hampshire took a brutal beating on their travels to Chelmsford. Essex advanced to within seven points of Hampshire with an innings victory, for which they can thank spinner Simon Harmer. His match stats of 12 wickets for 60 tell the story and he now has more wickets than anyone else in the division.

Tunbridge Wells was the scene of Nottinghamshire’s fourth defeat of the season, going down by 285 runs to Kent. Zak Crawley and Joe Denly struck centuries while most of the bowlers contributed with wickets. Warwickshire also eased their relegation worries with a three-wicket triumph at York. Tom Kohler-Cadmore awaits punishment from the ECB for his part in the odious sex competition and he fell for a second-ball duck as his Yorkshire team-mates struggled against the seam of Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Craig Miles. Dominic Sibley added two further fifties to his season’s tally but the finish was tighter than Yorkshire could have imagined on the final morning.

In the next fortnight, Somerset face both their nearest rivals, which could go a long way in deciding the fate of the 2019 title.

In the Division Two promotion chase, Lancashire opened up a twenty-point margin with an impressive victory at Derby. England pacemen Jimmy Anderson and Graeme Onions dominated proceedings with seventeen cheap wickets between them against a side for whom Luis Reece opened both batting and bowling. Keaton Jennings needed only one ball to achieve a ten-wicket win.

Glamorgan and Sussex share second place after their respective draws. After an impressive sequence of scores for Ireland and the Seconds, Paul Stirling returned to the Middlesex First XI and duly racked up a ton, as did colleague Sam Robson. Glamorgan had little opportunity to shine but Marnus Labuschagne did his Ashes hopes no harm with another half-century and five wickets. At Kidderminster, Sussex and Worcestershire were evenly matched and no result was possible. For the visitors Chris Jordan enjoyed a reasonable all-round performance, Ben Brown added 144 more runs to his summer’s terrific total, Laurie Evans delivered a measured 113 and debutant bowler Aaron Thomason too no wickets but whacked a useful 90.

In the remaining fixture, just twenty wickets fell across four days at Leicester. The home side’s opener Hassan Azad compiled two hundreds, and shared a first innings stand of 320 with Neil Dexter on the way to 487 all out. Gloucestershire trumped that with 571, the bulk of it from the blades of Chris Dent and the in-form Ryan Higgins. Horton and Azad again accumulated 211 for the first wicket, fashioning a remarkably symmetrical partnership in which each reached three figures before declaring and agreeing the draw.

Both Sussex and Glamorgan have the opportunity this week to displace the Red Roses at the top, but only by defeating Durham and Gloucestershire, respectively.

Team of the Week: Hassan Azad (Lei), Crawley (Ken), Denly (Ken), Dexter (Lei), Labuschagne (Gla), Higgins (Glo), Cullen (Gla), Harmer (Ess), Onions (Lan), Hannon-Dalby (War), Anderson (Lan)