My Hundred: from 10 to 6

 10: Majid Khan

The Pakistani’s career was already well established when he exploded into my consciousness in 1974. I think I was at my Nanna’s house one August day when Dad and I were watching an ODI against England. Majid Khan was blazing a century at a pace almost unknown in those days. I was an instant fan. Sadly he had few opportunities to play international one-day cricket although he was a brilliant batsman to watch in the first-class game, too. He was undoubtedly a superior strokemaker to his cousin Imran but of course not quite up to his bowling standard. Majid also graced Glamorgan for a few years in the Seventies, consistently one of the best in the county game. What I particularly liked about him was his old-school attitude. He would think nothing of ‘walking’, and had the serenity to defy the feared West Indian pace attack on their own territory while retaining a sense of style. 

9: Sunil Gavaskar

Another hero of mine from the 1970s was Sunil Gavaskar. There was something noble about such a short batsman ducking and weaving against the world’s fastest bowlers and to this day nobody has beaten his aggregate of 774 in a Test series against West Indies. He could be frustratingly slow, as illustrated by his notorious 36 not out for India in a 60-over World Cup innings but in the Test match arena, he was the greatest batsman of his era, able to defend stolidly then hook a bouncer with ease.

‘Sunny’ rewrote the record books many times, becoming the first man to play a hundred consecutive Tests, score 10,000 Test runs, and setting the bar for centuries at 34, which lasted for almost two decades until his famed successor Tendulkar zoomed past. Gavaskar managed just one season in county cricket (for Somerset!) but my abiding memory is of his wonderful last day 221 at The Oval in 1979 which so nearly earned India a sensational victory. Chasing a target of 438, stumps were drawn at 429-8, ending an absorbing day’s play. Having willed him to succeed I was left emotionally drained. He was an inspiration. 

8: Sarfraz Nawaz

A contemporary of both Majid and Gavaskar, Sarfraz Nawaz was a very different kettle of fish. At six feet six he was unusually tall for the sport in those days but he was nowhere near as quick as Thomson, Holding, Garner et al. I recall trying to copy his short, shuffling stride, which deceived so many batsmen. He was a stalwart of the Northamptonshire attack for many years, an almost alien presence with his height, moustache and consistent success with the ball.

What he lacked in pace he gained in skill, a pioneer of reverse swing which influenced fellow Pakistan legends such as Imran or Waqar Younis. Like Stuart Broad, for instance, he could be distinctly average, then produced devastating bursts. His 7-4 in 33 balls to turn the tables on Australia in 1979 at the MCG was astounding, and his bowling was decisive in Pakistan’s first series win over India. He wasn’t always a gentleman on the pitch and in retirement was often outspoken about issues such as match-fixing: a better cricketer than politician! 

7: Sarah Taylor

On the face of it, perhaps an unexpected choice for a top-ten position, but Sarah Taylor epitomises the importance of personality and enjoyment of playing cricket that seems rare in this modern world of millionaire contracts and hard-nosed professionalism. She first made her mark for England as a 16 year-old and, as women’s cricket boosted its profile, Taylor was undoubtedly one of the world’s shiniest stars. She became the first woman to play men’s grade cricket in Australia and has contributed to assorted record ODI partnerships, in the process exhibiting some flamboyant strokeplay. She also demonstrates the tidiest, most athletic wicketkeeping standing up of anyone I can recall, of any gender.

However, when I first watched women’s cricket on the telly, Sarah stood out for her sunny disposition on the pitch. Instead of snarling sledging she could be heard bantering with colleagues, always bright as a button. For instance, I was at Cardiff enjoying an Ashes T20 when she was forced to make an acrobatic catch from an over-enthusiastic Katherine Brunt throw. Even from my seat I noted her exaggerated glare towards the fielder before her face exploded into a smile. You don’t get that from Jonny Bairstow! She was probably the last person I'd expect to have her career curtailed by anxiety issues, but her first time-out was announced in 2015. This speaks volumes for the horrors of mental illness as well as the character of Sarah Taylor.

6: Peter Trego

In May 2019 I was at Lord’s to witness Somerset’s One Day Cup triumph. Tom Abell lifted the trophy but nobody looked more delighted to have won than Peter Trego. The all-rounder had been an integral part of Somerset in all competitions for so long, with little silverware to show for it so he could be forgiven for hurrying around the entire boundary clasping every outstretched hand, including mine. It was the highlight of my day.

Whilst Tregs hasn’t represented his home county throughout his career, it was still a shock when, last season, having limited opportunities in our First XI, he transferred to Nottinghamshire. At 39, he has nonetheless done a cracking job with the ball in the four-day Bob Willis Trophy, and I don’t begrudge him one bit. He was probably the first sportsman I observed wearing an ugly ‘sleeve’ tattoo but I much preferred watching his energetic fast-medium bowling and wide smile as he crashed another T20 ball into the Taunton crowd. He probably peaked too late for England selectors but he will always be a West Country folk hero - and mine.

Somerset Celebrate at Lord's at last

When Somerset clinched a place in the Royal London One-Day Cup final a fortnight ago, my first thought was: “Oh, well. We’re bound to finish second again”. You can hardly blame me; in the past decade or more we’ve made a maddening habit of falling at the final hurdle, be it in the Championship or a knockout competition so why should 2019 be any different? Somerset’s opponents were Hampshire, reigning champions and, in stark contrast to us, with an unenviable record of finals success, so history was not on our side. Furthermore, they had murdered us at Taunton at the group stage.

What about showing my support by travelling to London? Hmm. Why should I splash out on a Lord’s ticket and another for the return train journey from Cardiff only to witness the inevitable crushing disappointment at first hand. And yet…what if this was the game that turned the tables? I’d be gutted if I missed the one occasion where Somerset finally fulfilled their potential. Encouraged by my wife, and with only thirteen days before the fixture, I determined to go online and make the bookings before my natural pessimism could regain the upper hand. Thank God I did!

And so it was with a mixture of excitement and apprehension that this 57 year-old caught the 07.26 to Paddington thence by Tube to Baker Street. Taking my seat in the Mound Stand close to the Somerset zone in the Edrich Stand, I took in the atmosphere at the ‘Home of Cricket’. When the teams were announced a chink of hope broke through. The 2018 winners were missing not only Vince and Dawson on England World Cup duty but also South African Aidan Markam, while we were more or less at full strength. Well, it made up for the years when Somerset were robbed of our own international stars.

Sadly the stadium was only half full at the start but the sun was beginning to make an appearance bathing the greensward in light. Old Father Time was surely pointing his arrow towards the Somerset dressing room as its occupants entered the pitch, closely followed by Tom Alsop and Aneurin Donald. Hampshire had won the toss, which proved to be about the only thing that went their way all day.

Craig Overton looked lively but it was the unsung Josh Davey who removed both openers during the Powerplay. Somerset looked a tight unit in the field, cutting off singles and Lewis Gregory flinging himself around the boundary to prevent boundaries. Indeed, fours were in very short supply until last year’s centurion Rilie Rossouw joined his skipper Sam Northeast in the middle. Enter Jamie Overton.

He’d spent the previous two weeks loaned out to Northants for the Championship but he made a fabulous return to the Somerset fold. Bowling at up to 90mph his controlled hostility was troubling the in-form Northeast. ‘Joverton’ reaped his reward by forcing the dangerous Rossouw to play on then induced both Berg and Wood to miss-pull skiers into the hands of Bartlett in front of the Somerset fans. Hampshire spent ten overs failing to strike a boundary and Tom Abell brought himself on for a rare 50-over bowl and bowled both Northeast and Abbott. Mason Crane and James Fuller stopped the rot but saved any fireworks until the last three overs, marring Jamie Overton’s figures and making their total vaguely respectable: 244-8.

Respectable perhaps but, in these days of regular 350+ scores, it was hardly challenging. However, the fat lady had not yet sung. My only previous one-day final visit to Lord’s had been the one in 1996 when Lancashire bowled out Essex for a paltry 57, so I wasn’t yet counting my chickens.

Fortunately, after the 45-minute break spent wandering around the sun-baked Food Lawn and picnic area, I enjoyed the opportunity to watch young ‘keeper Tom Banton in action for the first time. Noticing Fidel Edwards’ tendency to stray onto leg stump he struck him for 4-6-4, hitting him out of the attack after only three overs. The 20 year-old was making Azhar Ali look pedestrian and before we knew it Somerset’s opening partnership reached 100. Fans around me were taking bets on how quickly Somerset would win. 29.2 overs? 32.4? I would have gone for 48.3!

Edwards eventually returned to the attack, this time from the Pavilion End. It worked. In two overs his pace did for both openers and later on what looked like a long hop was slapped by Abell straight to Donald at midwicket. Kyle Abbott was hard to get away and Mason Crane’s leg-spin was accurate. Nevertheless, at the 30-over mark, Somerset needed only three an over to reach their target. Surely we couldn’t screw this up? Luckily we had the wise head of James Hildreth to manage proceedings. George Bartlett seemed set on turning singles into risky twos but Hildy’s experience held sway. Northeast switched the attack with T20-style frequency, bringing the field in to increase the pressure but all to no avail.

At six o’clock, two Hildreth boundaries and a single off Edwards had taken Somerset to that elusive Lord’s success. The shouts of “Zummerzet la-la-la” intensified and filled St John’s Wood with West Country fervour. There was no way I was leaving the ground without witnessing the presentation of the trophy. Irritatingly the podium was erected below the Warner Stand, as far from the fans as it was possible to be. My zoom lens tried its best as the flames flared and the champagne fizzed but our hopes were pinned on a lap of honour. When it eventually came, it was a rather haphazard affair but the squad did finally line up in front of the Edrich Stand and deliver a rousing rendition of the Somerset song. County legend Peter Trego was so emotional he walked along by the advertising boards and clasped any outstretched hand he could find – including mine. 

Eighteen years of hurt were over. Now dare I dream about winning the Big One, the title that has eluded Somerset since their nineteenth century inception, the County Championship? Winning at Lord’s was wonderful but clutching the pennant really would make 2019 the year of all years.

Life as a Somerset supporter

Life as a fan of any club, in any sport, is inevitably a rollercoaster ride. Winning matches is great, and doing so in entertaining fashion is a bonus, but the old cliché of ‘It’s all about winning trophies’ is hard to avoid. And that’s where supporting Somerset has been a particularly tough test. So why couldn’t I have simply plumped for a proven champion county like Surrey, Middlesex, Lancashire or Yorkshire? The answer is, of course, because Somerset picked me.

I can’t recall exactly when and where it happened but it must have been inspired by my delightful family holiday spent in and around Minehead in the summer of 1971. As it happened, that was one of Somerset’s best cricket seasons for a while but it had long been considered one of the sport’s sleepy backwaters. There were no international stars, just a few ageing ex-England players in Brian Close and Tom Cartwright plus a motley collection of journeymen and young recruits from that longstanding cricket academy in Millfield School. It was probably the random combo of attractive scenery and sympathy that brought me and SCCC together.

Somerset’s Taunton HQ must be one of the county circuit’s most recognisable grounds. Like The Oval’s gasholders, the trio of sandstone church towers provided a familiar backdrop to the arena for TV cameras set high on the River End pavilion. From the opposite side, the Quantock Hills fill the space between what is now the Sir Ian Botham Stand and the sky. Whilst living and working nearby, I attended several matches there, in addition to a few sneaky peaks through the Garner Gates in lunch breaks, but my introduction to live cricket was Somerset’s trip to Essex at Chelmsford on a cool May afternoon in 1975. It was to be a winning start thanks largely to a then little-known West Indian called IVA Richards. More of him later…..

The following season we came agonisingly close to clinching a first ever trophy. While it wasn’t the featured live game, Dad and I were following the fortunes of Somerset at Glamorgan, watching BBC2’s cricket coverage of the final round of Sunday League fixtures. We lost a thrilling encounter by just one run and the title on away games won, and this teenager was in despair. In ’78 we were again runners-up, not only in the Sunday League but also the premier knockout competition, the Gillette Cup. This has been a recurring theme for the past four decades.

Luckily, the lengthy search for silverware ended the following year. Neither Essex nor Somerset had ever won anything. Then, in one glorious season, the two clubs shared all four titles on offer. For us it was the John Player (Sunday) and Gillette Cup. Under Brian Rose’s captaincy, with Ian Botham an established international all-rounder Viv Richards’ extraordinary batting and Joel ‘Big Bird’ Garner leading the attack, Somerset’s golden era had begun.

The forty-over league proved to be our speciality and yet we could finish only second in three of the subsequent four years. It was in June 1981, following my end-of year exams at Exeter University, that I enjoyed my only live experience of watching our three legends playing together.

It was at the Bath Festival clash with neighbours Gloucestershire but, instead of the current bristling rivalry, the atmosphere was light and friendly and before the game we could stand on the outfield while the players warmed up amongst us. Standing alongside Joel Garner (below) I could appreciate just how tall he was (barely fitting into my lens, below), and he played his part in our 20-run triumph, taking 4-21 as Gloucestershire suffered a catastrophic collapse.  

That memorable summer we clinched the Benson & Hedges Cup (55 overs a side), repeated the feat in ’82 and took Kent apart in the Nat West Trophy final (successor to the Gillette Cup) in ’83. After that, it all went horribly quiet. In 1985 the county tore itself in two, not over Brexit but on the thornier issue of whether to replace Richards with the younger and frankly more conscientious Kiwi, Martyn Crowe. Somerset hadn’t experienced such division since the Monmouth Rebellion three centuries earlier, and that hadn’t ended well! Despite my hero-worship of King Viv, I actually sided with the more forward-thinking members at SCCC. Richards departed, followed by his friends Garner and Botham and suddenly captain Peter Roebuck and Vic Marks were left with some mighty boots to fill.

The victory champagne dried up. For years, we couldn’t even finish second. It wasn’t until 2001 when Jamie Cox’s side ended the barren run with success over Leicestershire in the new 50-over C&G Trophy. It has since gone down in folklore because of Leicester seamer Scott Boswell’s nightmare second over, in which he bowled eight wides. Eight!

It wasn't as if we had no decent players. Quite the reverse. Talented locals like Vic Marks, Colin Dredge, Richard Harden and Marcus Trescothick were supplemented by imports such as Andy Caddick, Mushtaq Ahmed, Steve Waugh, Graeme Smith and Jimmy Cook. The latter spent only three years at Somerset, yet racked up 28 centuries and almost 7,000 first-class runs. And still we struggled.

Then in 2007, following the arrival of Justin Langer, a new golden age beckoned. We returned to Division One, tightened up on discipline and discovered that the exciting new Twenty20 format played towards our strengths. Somerset were great to watch, competing in every competition. And yet, for some reason, the fates conspired against us. Apart from the solitary T20 success in 2005, we crumbled under the weight of destiny and expectation. Between 2009 and 2012, we were beaten finalists five times in the Blast and 40-over CB40 trophy, and runners-up twice in the Championship. Surely we would win something? No.

For years, the Taunton pitch was notoriously batting-friendly, ideal for high scores but useless for taking the twenty wickets needed to win matches. It made for some incredible run chases though. In 2009, I was invited to join some old BBC friends to watch day one of Somerset’s home fixture against Yorkshire. Jacques Rudolph piled on the runs and the draw seemed inevitable right until the final day. As I followed proceedings online, Arul Suppiah and Peter Trego crashed centuries in the last two sessions to pull off a remarkable victory. Heartwarming stuff.

Marcus Trescothick’s age and fitness have restricted his appearances but he resolutely refuses to retire until the elusive Championship pennant flutters proudly above Taunton. I fear he’ll have to be batting in a wheelchair. For all the talents of the much-loved Trego, James Hildreth, Lewis Gregory, Tom Abell, Dom  Bess, Jack Leach and the Overton twins, another county always seems to do just that little bit better. In 2018 it was Surrey, while an excellent T20 season ended in the semis. 

                                

Could 2019 see us get over the line at last? Old hands like me fear the worst but if the planets of batting and bowling align, anything’s possible. Please let it happen, even if it’s just to see the smile on Marcus Trescothick’s face.

It’s a Blast for Boom-Boom

Sussex and Notts find one-day form at last

Yorkshire stand atop the North division thanks to more fine batting performances, especially by their wicket-keepers. In the six-wicket victory over Durham, for which Stephen Cook and Michael Richardson both reached three figures, it took a special innings from Jonny Bairstow to power to their tough target with two overs to spare. In a rare outing for his county, the England man plundered 174 in just 113 balls. He was assisted by Aussie Peter Handscomb, who helped himself to a superb 140 himself against Derbyshire, and almost 300 across the week. Even in defeat against Worcestershire, his 88 did at least keep the White Roses in contention for a while.

Nottinghamshire won three out of three, taking them to third place. Samit Patel had a decent week but the star solo performance came from Billy Root, who made 107 not out against Warwickshire. And he isn’t even the best batsman in his family! Elsewhere, Leicestershire opener Mark Pettini followed a magnificent 159 with a duck, and Stephen Croft’s rapid 127 for Lancashire against Warwickshire included a 34-run over off poor Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Bowlers found life hard again this week, but Durham’s novice medium-pacer James Weighell maintained his excellent start to his 50-over season, adding another 8 wickets to his tally. His 4-34 against Leicestershire was the stand-out statistic.

Further South, Somerset held on to their 100% record. The Taunton crowd last Tuesday enjoyed 706 runs and when Daniel Bell-Drummond (106) and Alex Blake (116 in 58 balls) set a massive target, things looked gloomy for the home side. That left the stage for a Peter Trego special. He doesn’t bowl these days, but he can still whack the ball around. His 135, backed by half-centuries from Elgar and Hildreth, took them almost all the way before van der Merwe and Gregory applied the final boundaries. Somerset smashed well over 300 again at Cardiff, where Jim Allenby chose the fixture with his previous county to produce a special innings. His 144 not out was the highest score but partners Dean Elgar and James Hildreth provided the fireworks.

Glamorgan did at least win a match for a change, clinching a nail-biter at Sophia Gardens versus Essex by just one run. Colin Ingram struck a brilliant 142 and, when the visitors lost their first two wickets for two, the Welsh side looked firmly in control. However, two century partnerships involving Varun Chopra took Essex to just seven runs from victory in the final over. Unfortunately for them, Harmer, Porter and Wagner couldn’t find the all-important boundary.

At least Essex did find themselves on the right side of an extremely close contest at the Oval. Surrey paceman James Dernbach took 4-31 but Simon Harmer did last the distance this time, guiding Essex to the finishing line with four balls remaining.

However, it was Sussex who enjoyed three consecutive successes during the week. New signing Laurie Evans stole the show against Kent with an 86-ball 134 not out, and the momentum could take them to the knockout stage. Amidst all these hundreds, credit to Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones for accumulating combined stats of 8-81, including 4-10 against Hampshire.

Next week’s Essex encounters with Sussex and Somerset could be thrilling, while Friday’s West Midlands derby involving Warwickshire and Worcestershire looks particularly tasty.

Team of the Week: Bell-Drummond (Ken), Bairstow )Yor +), Richardson (Dur), Handscomb (Yor), Madsen (Der), Bopara (Ess), Blake (Ken), T Wells (Lei), Roland-Jones (Mid), Weighell (Dur), Dernbach (Sur)

County Cricket Team of 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In summary, my County Team of 2016 is:-

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

12th Man: Roland-Jones (Mid)

Essex Almost There!

A funny two-tier week. Rain destroyed all four Division One fixtures on the last day but in the second group, three of the matches were wrapped up before the weather could do its worst. And so that’s where I’ll start.

For the second successive week, both Essex and Kent enjoyed victories by an innings, widening the gap between themselves and the chasing pack. Ryan Ten Doeschate’s side made mincemeat of third-placed Worcestershire at Chelmsford. The ever-reliable David Masters took 7-51 as the visitors slid to 230 all out. Alastair Cook popped in to score 66 but it was Tom Westley who outscored Worcestershire all on his own! Tendo also chipped in with a hundred of his own before Graham Napier’s five-for and a few wickets for that man Westley finished things off with a day to spare. Essex are now almost guaranteed promotion. It’s been a long time coming.

Down on the South coast, there were no centuries to celebrate, although Will Gidman was stranded on 99 in Kent’s first innings of 496. As has become customary this summer, their four main seamers shared the Sussex wickets fairly democratically and the job was done was minimal fuss.

Glamorgan looked in an unfeasible hurry to scurry home from Northampton. They surrendered meekly, twice bowled out for under 140. Last week, Rob Keogh made three figures. This time, he left the major run scoring to Ben Duckett and claimed amazing bowling figures of 9-52 and 4-73 with his occasional off-breaks. Graeme White polished off the remaining seven wickets. They seemed transformed and it seems odd that Northants have been so poor in the Championship. Perhaps Keogh’s performance highlights the paucity of their seam attack until Ben Sanderson’s recent good form.

In the race to the pennant, Middlesex and champions Yorkshire now look to be out on their own. The former seemed to be in the driving seat at Edgbaston when the rain closed in. Warwickshire’s Josh Poysden (8-133 match figures) and Middlesex’s Ollie Rayner (7-91) were the pick of the players.

Meanwhile at Southampton, Gareth Berg had Yorkshire concerned on day one, taking 6-56. However, Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom restored White Rose supremacy on Thursday. After setting Hampshire 298 to win on the final day, the same bowlers looked set for a repeat performance. However, the weather was always going to win.

At Old Trafford I was optimistic about Somerset’s chances of staving off relegation as Tom Abell helped push the score past 200 with the loss of just Trescothick’s wicket. I was even more positive when Peter Trego accelerated on the second morning, eventually walking off with a career-best 154 not out, scored at almost a run a ball. More encouraging was ‘keeper Ryan Davies keeping him company and contributing an unheard-of 86 out of their eighth wicket partnership of 236. Alviro Petersen’s 155 made sure the game was drawn. We’re now fourth but not out of the woods.

Nottinghamshire, however, looked doomed after narrowing the gap behind Durham by a mere two points. They now have to win their final two matches and hope Durham lose theirs. Harry Gurney’s 6-61 and Jake Libby’s 144 gave Notts a first innings lead. but another big Keaton Jennings score (171 not out), his sixth this season ensured the home side remained out of the danger zone albeit in a precarious seventh. Jennings is now improbably the top scorer in Division One.

Durham now meet Yorkshire, Notts travel to a title-hungry Middlesex and Hampshire also have a difficult date at The Oval. It should go to the final week, and that’s how it should be!

Surrey rested at the end of the week but they were in high spirits after ending Yorkshire’s hopes of a double. Stuart Meaker took five wickets in their Royal London Cup semi-final triumph. Somerset’s ambitions for a first one-day final in years were also snuffed out by Warwickshire. Davies again was advancing the Westcountrymen’s cause in the chase before Jeetan Patel delivered one of his devastating spells, winning five lbw decisions to win by just eight runs. Ouch!

Team of the Week: Duckett (Nor), Jennings (Dur), Westley (Ess), Petersen (Lan), Trego (Som), Keogh (Nor), Bresnan (Yor), Davies (Som +), Brooks (Yor), Gurney (Not), Masters (Ess).

Yorkshire surge a-Head

While England were giving Pakistan a hiding in Test cricket, the remaining county players were involved in a week of the white ball stuff. Most sides played a couple of Royal London Cup group fixtures before a Friday night of T20 Blast.

Yorkshire are top of the North group in the 50-over competition and heading for the Blast quarter-finals, too. Travis Head and Jack Leaning shared a county record stand of 274 against Leicestershire the young Aussie left-hander making 175 in 139 balls. Leaning also thrashed a 29-ball 64 against Northants later in the week. If the specialists didn’t make the runs, then the likes of Tim Bresnan stepped up to the mark.

Jesse Ryder starred with the bat for Essex, who lead the South division with Somerset. The latter won both their games, gaining revenge for recent defeats at the hands of Middlesex. Peter Trego doesn’t bowl much these days but against the Londoners, he followed a century with a useful 2-27. A shame Somerset are struggling so badly in the Blast. With no chance of qualifying for the knockouts, they fielded a very unfamiliar team against Hampshire and received a sound beating. Liam Dawson took 5-17.

Northants had a mixed week. Lying second in the Blast North division, they welcomed back Ben Duckett after his prolific one-day performances for the England Lions. He didn’t score any more centuries but contributed quite a few runs to the cause. Instead, Richard Keogh struck 134 in 110 balls in the win over Durham.

There were other ton-makers, too. Sam Hain also hit 107 for Warwickshire (against Durham again), while Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Worcs), Paul Stirling and, in a rare outing, Eoin Morgan for Middlesex, Riki Wessels (Notts) and Joe Denly (Kent) also got in the act. Surrey’s opener Jason Roy hit the highest T20 score of the week – a 62-ball 120 against Kent – but special plaudits go Colin Ingram’s way. He reached three figures in each format for Glamorgan, although sadly his 101 off the Essex attack was in vain. The Welsh side endured two no-results, although they were already guaranteed a place in the quarters.

Bowlers pitched in, too. In addition to Dawson, there were five-fors from Gareth Batty, Rikki Clarke and the Northants pair Azharullah and Gleeson. Kent’s Matt Coles was recalled and nabbed six Hampshire wickets, albeit for 56 runs.

So what next in the Blast? For all Roy’s heroics this week, and Surrey’s encouragingly large crowds this summer, the county narrowly failed to qualify, edged out by Essex whose last game was abandoned thanks to rain. In a few weeks’ time, Essex now face a trip to Trent Bridge, where the Notts batsmen have been in fine form this year. Northants will host Middlesex, Gloucestershire play Durham, while Glamorgan will welcome Yorkshire to Sophia Gardens. That could be a real cracker, especially if Ingram and Head come – er - head to head.

Team of the Week: Roy (Sur), Hain (War), Head (Yor), Leaning (Yor), Ingram (Gla), Trego (Som), Ambrose (War +), McLaren (Ham), Bresnan (Yor), Coles (Ken), Gleeson (Nor)

Jarvis and Woakes make it a brill week for the bowlers

Hurrah! The last week in May and finally the bowlers have something to celebrate. With five counties collecting their 16-point win bonus, there were some major shifts in league positions, too, with Lancashire surging to the top of Division One, and non-playing Yorkshire slumping to mid-table.

For once, there was considerable competition for places in my Team of the Week, too. I can’t count the performances of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad but, while England were hammering another nail in the coffin of the five-day game, any number of counties were promoting the four-day format in all its glory.

Perhaps the best match was at the Rose Bowl, where Hampshire overcame Nottinghamshire by 69 runs. It probably didn’t help the visitors to lose star bowler Jake Ball to an England call-up mid-game, nor Chris Read to injury. However, despite nine wickets from Harry Gurney, it was the whirlwind sex machine, aka Tino Best, who did most to propel the hosts to victory on day four. Strangely the highest individual score was a mere 72!

Lancashire made short work of Surrey, with Alviro Petersen’s first hundred of the campaign and Kyle Jarvis capturing eleven wickets. Durham are just ten points behind them after despatching Warwickshire. Chris Woakes finished on the losing side despite claiming a magnificent 9-36. However, in mitigation he followed Jake Ball to the England camp before the second innings could begin. Instead, the final day bowling honours went to Durham’s James Weighell, although his own nine-wicket haul came at the expense of 130 runs.

At Lord’s, Middlesex and Somerset shook hands on each side’s sixth successive draw. Chris Rogers and Nick Gubbins swapped centuries, while James Hildreth and Peter Trego again stabilised Somerset’s batting. Trego seems to bowl less these days but two more fifties make him an invaluable asset at six or seven, especially as our new wicket-keeper can’t bat to save his life.

In the second tier, it was the bad old Leicestershire who turned up to Grace Road and face Worcestershire. Matt Henry and Joe Leach cut through their second innings batting like a hot knife through butter, dismissing them for 43 and leaving their own top-order a meagre total to chase, which they did for the loss of only three wickets.

At Derby, Shiv Thakor’s fine century and five-for were in vain, as Kent wrapped up another seven-wicket success. Sean Dickson ended a miserable run by amassing the week’s only double-century, and James Tredwell justified his four-day place with six scalps.

Gloucestershire must be licking their lips now that Michael Klinger has arrived at Bristol. He racked up 140 on his season debut, but it wasn’t enough to beat Northants, for whom Steven Crook found some form with the bat. Glamorgan kept leaders Essex at bay, thanks largely to Will Bragg, who followed a first-innings duck with a career-best 161 not out.

Next week, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that Somerset can break their duck at home to Surrey. I just hope Mr Sangakkara doesn’t take a liking for the Taunton wicket! However, the Bank Holiday weekend heralds the War of the Roses at Headingley. Can Lancashire widen the gap over the champions?
In the promotion hunt, Essex travel to Northampton while Kent entertain Leicestershire, whose new-look batting line-up needs to forget this week’s second-innings horror show.


Team of the Week:
Dickson (Ken), Jennings (Dur), Bragg (Gla), Klinger (Glo), Davies (Lan +), Thakor (Der), Crook (Nor), Woakes (War), Jarvis (Lan), Weighell (Dur), Gurney (Not)

Malan's the Man, Surrey the Team

A relatively quiet week domestically. While the County Championship and Ashes series took a break, the counties completed the group stages of the Royal London One Day Cup. It was rendered even quieter thanks to the rain which swept across much of England in the latter part of the week.

There was the added sideshow of Australia (minus Michael Clarke) getting some pre-Test practice against Northamptonshire. David Willey may be on his way to Yorkshire, but team-mate Stephen Crook caught the eye not only in the tour match with his blistering 142 not out but also in the defeat of Gloucestershire. His 4-37 and brisk 19 put his county in a good position to qualify for the quarter-finals only for the weather to deprive them of the opportunity to beat Yorkshire, themselves already through.

Durham squeezed out Northants by defeating Derbyshire. John Hastings’ 4-24 and Scott Borthwick’s 2-31 removed the threat of Madsen and co. Derbyshire took their revenge on Worcestershire at Derby where Shiv Thakor put in a match-winning all-round performance.

Somerset enjoyed the best week of any side in Group A, but they were never in the hunt for the knockouts. Surrey may have headed the table but Jim Allenby and Craig Overton nullified the runs of Steven Davies (111) and Rory Burns (76). A few days later, Leicestershire finished another miserable week being thumped by Peter Trego and quitting the new competition without a win.
Earlier they had lost to Worcestershire, for whom Alex Hepburn enjoyed a fruitful debut taking 4-34. Rory Burns was again in the runs in a twelve-run success over Gloucestershire to decide who won the group.

Group B was the preserve of Nottinghamshire despite losing to Kent. James Taylor’s impressive 109 was trumped by Sam Billings’ unbeaten 118 in 89 balls. It also proved enough to qualify in fourth behind Essex, whose sole fixture this week was washed out. Hampshire also progressed although Lancashire edged them by 29 runs. Another Ashwell Prince century took the away side past 300 then, with Alex Wheater also making three figures, the Rose Bowl looked set to celebrate a home victory. Instead, Kerrigan, Jarvis and Faulkner mopped up the tail. Lancashire missed out on the quarters by a tiny Net Run Rate margin, and Old Trafford rain prevented them from gaining the all-important extra point against Glamorgan.

Star man, however, was Dawid Malan, in a real rich vein of form for Middlesex. He plundered 156 in 128 deliveries to reach a mediocre target of 252 set by Glamorgan, for whom Colin Ingram struck 102.

The quarter-finals take place next week after an interlude of four-day cricket. Champions-elect Yorkshire travel to Sussex but a key encounter is Worcestershire’s visit to Somerset. Neither side will want to lose that one in the Division One danger zone. In Division Two, Gloucestershire face Surrey and Lancashire could extinguish any remaining hopes Glamorgan may have of achieving promotion come next month’s climax.

Team of the Week: Davies (Sur), Hales (Not), Malan (Mid), Ingram (Gla), Burns (Sur), Billings (Ken +), Crook (Nor), Trego (Som), Hepburn (Wor), Hastings (Dur), C Overton (Som).

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).

County Team of the Year 2014 - The Bowlers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team of the Week: Trego tops the bill

When selecting my Eleven I usually rank consistency across the week rather than one good performance. However, the scheduling of fixtures and bad weather in Britain made that strategy difficult! The Test stars will have to wait until next week's pick but last week was mostly about one-dayers and Twenty20.

Of the centurion openers, I've plumped for Alex Hales and Niall O'Brien. The former combined a swift 50 for Notts against Hampshire with a relatively measured 101 for the England Lions versus the Sri Lankan A team. Despite reaching T20 Finals Day for the fifth consecutive season, Hampshire were on the receiving end of another good score in the 50-over competition. Leicestershire's wicketkeeper blasted an undefeated hundred off 72 deliveries.

The international 'A' tournament in England also yielded excellent innings from Jonny Bairstow, featuring 123 and 50 not out in the Lions' contests with New Zealand and Sri Lanka, respectively. However, star man of the week was Somerset's all-rounder Peter Trego. In the Royal London Cup, he produced not one, but two splendid centuries to see off Warwickshire and Middlesex, increasing his career tally of List A three-figure scores by 50%!

Trego's new team-mate Tim Groenewald also starred in the defeat of Warwickshire with a rapid 57 and three wickets, while Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan reminded selectors of his one-day credentials by taking six wickets during the week. Last year's top T20 bowler, Azharullah took 5-38 for Northants against Hampshire, eclipsing five-fors from Palladino and Bollinger.

The CPL is represented by Marlon Samuels, for his vicious hundred for Antigua, Shoaib Malik's all-round contributions for Barbados and excellent economic fast bowling by Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor in the Jamaica v Barbados match.

For the record: Hales (Not/Lions), O'Brien (Lei), Samuels (Ant), Bairstow (+, Lions), Trego (Som), Shoaib Malik (Bar), Groenewald (Som), Bresnan (Yor), Azharullah (Nor), Rampaul (Bar), Taylor (Jam)

Team of the Week ending 6th June: All Hales to - er - Mankad?

It was a week of the IPL final, prolific opening batsmen and a controversial run-out. Yorkshire's openers Adam Lyth and Alex Lees put on 375 in the Championship and, with the former's astonishing acrobatic catch 'assist' in the T20 win over Lancashire accompanying his 230, Lyth is a shoo-in for my first position. Lees doesn't join him, and neither does Durham's Mark Stoneman (187) because Alex Hales produced a couple of peaches. Given carte blanche to go for his shots by Notts skipper Chris Read, Hales thumped 167 in 133 balls in a first-class game, followed by a more familiar T20 blast against Derbyshire.

Stoneman's partner and occasional England leg-spinner option, Scott Borthwick almost hit a 'double' in the rain-truncated Middlesex draw, and is my number three. At four I was even tempted to include Vinoo Mankad. His name was mentioned more often than just about any other cricketer this week, as the alleged originator of the bowler-runs-out-non-striker dismissal in the 1940s. However, he misses out only because he has been dead for nearly 36 years. He is eclipsed by my wicket-keeper selection. No, not Jos Buttler. His brilliant ODI 121 for England took him close but his failure to heed two warnings of excessive backing up by Senanayake let him down. Instead, Wriddhiman Saha's IPL final heroic innings of 115 in 55 balls merits recognition. No winners' medal but he can look back proudly on his place in my Team of the Week!

Samit Patel keeps on scoring runs and taking wickets for Nottinghamshire, and this week was no exception. Yet he still can't get anywhere near the England set-up. His 156 was narrowly overtaken by Ed Joyce's unbeaten 164 for Sussex in the same match, and both players keep out other high run-makers in Moeen Ali and Alviro Petersen.

Like Saha and Buttler, Darren Christian's blistering short-form innings with Middlesex was in a losing cause. His T20 assault of 129 in 57 deliveries included twelve fours and no fewer than ten sixes. He even added a pair of wickets, too. Two other all-rounders were in fine form for their respective counties. Glamorgan's Jim Allenby contributed almost a hundred runs in the Championship then blitzed 96 not out at Taunton in a classic T20 encounter. They won despite a typical Trego onslaught, as Peter plundered 94 in a run chase which fell just a few runs short. His 3-37 and 3-25 in the four-day game versus Lancashire showed he is more than just a limited-overs specialist. But then we Somerset fans have known that for years!

My team bats well down the order this week but my final two are bowling specialists. Danny Briggs has played T20 for England but his Championship 5-50 and 2-22 for Hampshire against Derbyshire make him the top spinner of the past seven days. Palladino and Shantry had their moments but Reece Topley made it a return from injury to remember. He claimed ten wickets for Essex against Glamorgan, including a first innings 6-41. In my view, he is a left-armer with more potential than Gurney.

To summarise: Lyth (York), Hales (Nott), Borthwick (Dur), Saha (Kings, +), Patel (Nott), Joyce (Sus, *), Christian (Mid), Allenby (Gla), Trego (Som), Briggs (Ham), Topley (Ess). Twelfth man: Mankad (Ind)....

Tre-mendous Somerset!

Forgive the post title but with Marcus TREscothick and Peter TREgo sharing a 159-run stand in 81 balls for Somerset in the YB40 competition, the headline kind of wrote itself! I know it was against the Unicorns but it was great to see Somerset find the winning touch for the first time last weekend. Worcestershire also broke the season's duck, thumping Sussex thanks to Daryl Mitchell's run-a-ball century. Also in Group A, James Taylor warmed up nicely for the Lions game against New Zealand alongside Samit Patel, as they combined to defeat Northants comfortably. Another Patel - Jeetan - struck his first List A 50 for Warwickshire but he was run out bidding to snatch a tie against Kent in a dramatic finish at Edgbaston.

Hampshire have had a busy few days starting the defence of their title. After a James Vince century saw off Essex and Scotland were summarily dispatched, they came a cropper against Surrey, for whom Steven Davies plundered 127 not out in 104 balls. Ex-England one-day internationals Phil Mustard and Paul Collingwood were amongst the runs as Durham defeated Lancashire by five wickets to make amends for losing to Essex the day before.

In Group C, Glamorgan won twice in consecutive days, with skipper Marcus North aggregating more than 200 runs against Yorkshire and Middlesex. They stand above Somerset in the table, who lead Leicestershire on run rate despite the latter thrashing Gloucestershire by 115 runs. Josh Cobb starred with 107 and 3-34, while fellow opener Niall O'Brien also reached three figures. At Wormsley, Gloucester recovered to complete a nine-wicket trouncing of the hapless Unicorns. Chris Dent polished things off with an 11-ball 29 not out.

This week, the Dutch enter the fray at home to Kent but potential matches to watch will be Surrey vs Durham on Thursday and Yorkshire against Somerset on Saturday following their Championship clash. No Bairstow or Root, but Adil Rashid looks back to his old form for the Tykes, so the Tre-mendous duo need to assert themselves once more to start a successful sequence.

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)