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).