County Cricket: Essex make the early running

The fielders’ sweaters may have been extra-thick this week but at least most of the Championship fixtures ended in a positive result. Essex made it two wins in three by making short work of Lancashire at Chelmsford. The Red Roses were dismissed twice for under 150, seamers Shane Snater, Sam Cook and Jamie Porter doing most of the damage. 

Surrey also triumphed by an innings, although Kent and the bad weather extended the match into the fourth day. Centuries by Dom S|bley and Dan Lawrence fuelled the champions’ charge to a total of 543-7 declared. He may be used as the fifth bowler but Cameron Steel continues to harvest the wickets, taking his tally for the season to twenty. 

Durham registered their first victory in the top division since 2016, despatching Worcestershire by 185 runs at Kidderminster with a day to spare. The real damage was inflicted on Saturday when David Bedingham crashed 138 in 99 balls. Robinson and Clark increased Worcestershire’s target to an improbable 458, but, despite fifties from Libby, Waite and Smith, the Durham seamers Paul Coughlin, Ben Raine and Matthew Potts were too strong. 

At Taunton, a ninth-wicket stand of 139 between Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius looked to have established a winning foundation for Somerset against Nottinghamshire. However, that was as good as it got. Once Joe Clarke joined Will Young early on Sunday morning, the home attack was forced to toil wicketless for more than 100 overs. Clarke reached his double-century as the pair shattered the county’s third-wicket record which had stood for 121 years. If it hadn’t been for Monday’s heavy rain, they may well have pushed on to 400, 500, 600, …. 

At Southampton, Warwickshire openers Rob Yates and Alex Davies maintained their prolific start to the county season, but at least Middleton and Gubbins kept Hampshire in the hunt on day three, by when time was running out to force a result in worsening conditions. Second time around, Rob Yates notched another unbeaten half-century and even weighed in as a spinner with 4-37. 

Only four Division One fixtures this week, the tastiest being Hampshire’s trip to The Oval and Essex schlepping all the way north to Durham. 

Meanwhile, Middlesex and Sussex earned the first 2024 victories in Division Two. Following recent run-fests, it was the batters who struggled at Lord’s. Yorkshire’s Root and Brook contributed a grand total of 40 between them and, for all the gallant efforts of seamer Ben Coad, it was Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins whose seven wickets and steady batting at the end proved decisive. 

Zafar Gohar’s Pakistan Test career may have stalled after a solitary appearance, but his pair of 50s and second-innings 5-59 probably deserved to bring Gloucestershire success at Hove. However, young Trinidadian Jayden Seales made his mark with the ball and, when it comes to anchoring a tricky run chase, nobody does it better than Cheteshwar Pujara. 2023 demonstrated that Sussex need to make hay while the Indian is available to play for them. 

On home ground, Northamptonshire racked up an impregnable 605-6. Ricardo Vasconcelos made 182, but Karun Nair went even better. The experienced Indian player doesn’t score many centuries but when he does, they tend to be big ones. They declared once he reached 202, and Saif Zaib had ben dismissed for exactly 100. Glamorgan were spared a likely humiliation by a final-day washout. 

Leicestershire were similarly robbed by the rain whilst in a commanding position against Derbyshire. Marcus Harris (214) outscored the whole of the home side’s first innings. Scott Currie’s six wickets was his best tally so far in a nascent career, but the match was called off with only four wickets to fall. 

Sussex rest next week, so Middlesex will go clear at the top by defeating Gloucestershire at Bristol. However, should they fail, Northants meet Leicestershire for a chance to take their place. 

Team of the Week:-  Vasconcelos (Nor), Harris (Lei), Yates (War), Nair (Nor), Clarke (Not), Young (Not), Robinson (Dur +), Higgins (Mid), Zafar Gohar (Glo),  Steel (Sur), Snater (Ess)

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)

3 in 3 for Worcestershire

While the big names have been diverted to the Hundred the One-Day Cup has given some of the lesser lights of the county circuit to showcase their skills. Worcestershire are the only side to have won their first three fixtures, thanks to last night’s rout of Essex by 182 runs. Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira shared a county record opening stand of 243, and the latter also chipped in with three cheap wickets, as did Joe Leach. The impressive Haynes accumulated almost 300 across the week.

Warwickshire’s Rob Yates passed fifty three times, team-mate Matt Lamb struck his maiden List A century and there were similar achievements from Leicestershire’s Rishi Patel, Surrey’s Ryan Patel (ten sixes in his 131) and Yorkshire’s teenager Harry Duke. 

Somerset enjoyed two victories, including an exciting one-run nail-biter against Glamorgan. Earlier in the week, it was veterans James Hildreth and Steven Davies who starred with the bat but in their Severn Estuary derby clash it was young captain Ben Green (87 and 2-32) and rookie seamers Sonny Baker and Kasey Aldridge who just about did enough. A devastating early spell by Michael Hogan, old enough to be their dad, had given the Welsh a chance but Andy Gorvin could only strike a four not six from the final ball. 

Perhaps the best match of the week came at Scarborough. Graham Clark’s second ton in three games helped Durham to a challenging 335-4 but Bracey and Charlesworth kept Gloucestershire in the hunt at the death. Nevertheless they still needed 16 off the final over, from the redoubtable Chris Rushworth, but two sixes and a four by Jack Taylor gave the West Countrymen their first win. All-round performance of the past seven days must be that of Hampshire’s Nick Gubbins. In a comfortable defeat of Sussex at Southampton, he produced an unbeaten 131 then his part-time leg-spin yielded an excellent 4-38. 

Next week, the juiciest ties include Worcestershire’s hosting of Middlesex, Lancashire’s trip to Durham and the Surrey-Somerset encounter next Thursday, by which time the One-Day Cup will be warming up nicely. 

Team of the Week: Haynes (Wor), G Clark (Dur), Yates (War), R Patel (Sur), Gubbins (Ham), Cullen (Gla +), D Lamb (Lan), Hudson-Prentice (Der), Leach (Wor), Aldridge (Som), Hogan (Gla)