Somerset Win Big but Lightning also Strike Twice

In this week’s South division fixtures, Somerset showed hey meant business. Although undone by a Sam Billings century at Canterbury, they bounded back by accumulating 241-5 at home to Hampshire a few days later. Tom Abell (96 not out) and Sean Dickson (65) shared a stand of 144 before Ben Green proved it wasn’t a featherbed wicket by taking 5-29. On Tuesday, it was all about the seam bowlers, Aussie Riley Meredith (4-12) leading the way as Middlesex were skittled for 78. Not quite England v Oman, but it did Somerset’s net run rate a world of good. 

Sussex also won twice, scoring over 200 on each occasion. Daniel Hughes reached 65 twice as they defeated Surrey and Gloucestershire. Middlesex broke their duck with a last-over victory over Kent, for whom Zak Crawley is struggling for runs. Not so Ollie Pope, who was left high and dry on 99 in Surrey’s loss against Sussex. 

In the North group, Nottinghamshire remain pointless after five games. going down to Derbyshire and table-toppers Lancashire, who also edged their contest against Birmingham Bears. Derbyshire were involved in tow of the most one-sided encounters of the week. Ross Whitely smashed a 16-ball 46 not out and grabbed three wickets in a 96-run drubbing of neighbours Notts, but struggled against Yorkshire at Headingley. Adam Lyth (84) and Dawid Malan (79 not out) were rarely troubled in their pursuit of 180. 

Lots to play for in the coming weeks, and almost any county could progress to then knockouts, even Nottinghamshire, but hey may require the luck of a United States to do so! 

Team of the Week:- Wells (Lan), Hughes (Sus), Bedingham (Dur), Abell (Som), Pope (Sur), Billings (Ken +), Coles (Sus), Whitely (Der), Raine (Dur), Green (Som), Rehan Ahmed (Lei)

Two Sams Stoke County Heatwave

At the start of the week, the UK’s temperature records were tumbling all over the shop. County cricket then took up the reins and several of the sport’s long-standing peaks were also consigned to history.

Amongst them was the number of catches in a Championship fixture. Kent’s wicketkeeper-captain Sam Billings pouched no fewer than twelve against Warwickshire. Joe Denly’s century and Matt Milne’s clinching 4-11 may have stood out in Kent’s push for victory at Edgbaston but when the batters edged, Billings pounced – again and again.

In Division Two, winless Leicestershire had reason to be cheerful having notched an impressive 584 in their first outing. Two days later that total was in the record books for the wrong reasons – as the highest first innings total anywhere in the world achieved by a team losing by an innings! Glamorgan’s reply began horribly as the openers were gone with the score at just 9. Enter Sam Northeast. The 32 year-old has been in fine form lately but who could have predicted his side would declare at lunch on the fourth day with him unbeaten on 410? He shared a triple-century stand with Colin Ingram and 461 for the sixth wicket with Chris Cooke, a Championship record. His personal score is the highest in the competition in my lifetime, and the team total of 795-5 obliterated Glamorgan’s all-time best. With only two sessions remaining, I assumed skipper David Lloyd would let the pair continue and allow Northeast a shot at Lara’s 501 but, in a decision of astonishing foresight and faith in Michaels Neser and Hogan, he made Leicester bat again, and they slumped to 183 all out. Maybe it was a bowler’s track after all….

There was another 400+ partnership at Derby, where Nottinghamshire’s Hameed and Duckett put the home team’s bowlers to the sword. Despite Brooke Guest’s 109, Derbyshire were forced to follow on but ground out a final day draw. Middlesex and Sussex also failed to find a winner at Lord’s. Runs flowed merrily for the first three days, leaving no time to force a result. Sussex skipper Cheteshwar Pujara struck his third double-century of the season but John Simpson was one of numerous ‘keepers to reach three figures this week, and Tom Helm represented the bowlers’ union admirably.

In Division One, the leading counties all won to maintain the status quo. A blistering 150 not out by Will Jacks and eleven wickets from Dan Worrall handed the advantage to Surrey at home to Essex, while Hampshire remain hot on their heels thanks to a six-wicket triumph at Cheltenham. Gloucestershire’s Miles Hammond produced a brilliant 169 at second time of asking but the old Barker-Abbott double-act cleaned up all ten wickets, leaving the batters just enough overs to earn the sixteen extra points.

At Northampton on Wednesday, a seven-nation army couldn’t have held Jack White back. He took 5-11 but Lancashire turned the tables with fine bowling by Tom Bailey and Kiwi Will Williams, then a Josh Bohannon ton. Warwickshire may be county champions but Kent kept them in a worrying eighth place with the aforementioned result, while Rain prevented Somerset from pressing home their advantage over Yorkshire and escaping the relegation zone.

Next week’s fixtures, the last before proper cricket takes a long summer break, sees Surrey probably adding to Warwickshire’s pressure, but Gloucestershire have a decent opportunity to end their season’s duck against Northants in front of the Cheltenham Festival crowds. It’s festival time, too, at Scarborough, where Yorkshire host title-chasing Hampshire. In the second tier, Glamorgan have six weeks in which to bask in the afterglow of all those records while Gloucestershire have the unenviable trip to Trent Bridge. Middlesex will go second by defeating Durham.

Team of the Week: Hameed (Not), Duckett (Not), Pujara (Sus), Northeast (Gla), Mulder (Lei), Cooke (Gla), Billings (Ken +), Milnes (Ken), Worrall (Sur), Williams (Lan), J White (Nor)

Stevens breaks records, Abbott breaks Somerset

Because of an impending holiday in Portugal, I am taking the unusual step of writing this week’s county blog before the full set of fixtures are over. However, with most of the results already confirmed, it’s not completely crazy.

Somerset’s hopes of that elusive Championship title rest entirely on beating Essex at Taunton next week after being flattened by Hampshire at the Rose Bowl inside three days. They have become accustomed to bowling sides out twice, thanks to the Overtons, Gregory, Leach or Davey but this week they came up against Kyle Abbott, who claimed the best bowling figures ever for the county and the best by anybody since Jim Laker since the Fifties.

First up he took 9-40 then, once Somerset’s openers had established a solid 86, he produced another devastating spell of 8-46. And yet Somerset may have triumphed had Hampshire not had to rely on centuries by Liam Dawson in the first innings and James Vince in the second.

Meanwhile, Essex did all that could be asked of them by routing Surrey at Chelmsford. Porter and Cook each claimed five-fors in the first innings then the spin of Simon Harmer polished off the calamitous ex-champions on Thursday afternoon. Dan Lawrence and the reliable Ryan Ten Doeschate each struck tons. As a result, a draw will be enough in the final fixture at Taunton. I think all us Somerset fans know exactly how it will play out….

Kent look set to beat Yorkshire and that man Darren Stevens has done it again. After a mediocre summer, Kent decided not to renew his contract but they may be reconsidering because he thumped a career-best 237 as part of a Kent record sixth-wicket partnership of 347. At 43, he is also the oldest double-centurion for the county for seventy years. And he’s not finished in this match because at stumps on day three he has 4-12 with the ball. What a legend! It’s rare for a man making three figures twice to be outshone, but that’s what has happened to his skipper Sam Billings.

Nottinghamshire have a chance of a first victory of the season, thanks largely to Steve Mullaney and Joe Clarke, who is seeking to emulate Billings by heading towards a second hundred of the match. Dom Sibley’s unbeaten 215 for Warwickshire may have done enough to ensure a draw.

In Division Two, Gloucestershire defeated Worcestershire despite Ed Barnard’s 6-42, and must surely be home and dry for a promotion they can’t honestly have predicted. Northamptonshire are set to join them and Lancashire in the top tier next season, barring a late-order miracle comeback by Durham. ‘Keeper Adam Rossington’s batting counter-attack and Ben Sanderson’s wickets look to have done the trick.

Sussex’s slender hopes were skittled by Derbyshire, for whom Luis Reece crafted a second innings 184 and took 5-63. White ball specialist Reece Topley enjoyed a reasonable but long-delayed first-class debut for Sussex, albeit in a losing cause. Leicestershire will definitely finish bottom of Division Two as Glamorgan are on the verge of victory against them in Cardiff. Kraigg Brathwaite earned his crust by grinding out 103.

Unless we decide to stay on the Algarve for another six years to retain EU residency, I’ll be back to report on the conclusion of proceedings next week.

Team of the Week: Mullaney (Not), Sibley (War), Clarke (Not), Billings (Ken), Dawson (Ham), Rossington (Nor +), Stevens (Ken), Simpson (Mid), Abbott (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Sanderson (Nor)

Raine-ing Sixes and Aaron Finch Sings for Surrey

After four games of the Vitality Blast, Worcestershire remain the only county with a 100% record. Their star performer was perhaps also a surprise: Dillon Pennington. In Friday’s North division game against Northamptonshire, reduced by rare rain to a nine-over thrash, the Shropshire teenager grabbed 4-9 in his two overs.

Nottinghamshire sit in second place thanks to victories over Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Young ‘keeper Tom Moores contributed another couple of feverish fifties while Dan Christian provided more runs and wickets to the Outlaws’ cause. However, when it comes to sixes, Ben Raine reigned supreme. At Edgbaston, the Leicester all-rounder clumped ten of them in a 100-run defeat of the Bears on his way to 113 off 46 balls.

His innings was not the highest of the week. In the South group, T20 specialist Aaron Finch followed his 58 for Surrey against Essex with a 79-ball unbeaten 131 at Brighton. Even Rashid Khan got clobbered for ten an over. However, this is Sussex’s only loss in the competition so far. Earlier in the week, they travelled to Glamorgan and Hampshire and emerged from each with eight-wicket victories. Luke Wright and Laurie Evans shared two sizeable partnerships in both games.

However, Kent top the table on net run rate. Sam Billings thrashed 95 not out from the Hampshire attack, taking a particular liking to Gareth Berg, whose four overs went for sixty. It was a close contest, though, as Dawson and Berg couldn’t quite complete the chase, falling just three runs short. Kent, too, were on the receiving end of a tight finish, losing by five runs to Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Next Friday sees some tasty encounters such as the Roses match at Old Trafford, Kent hosting Surrey and Somerset’s visit to Cardiff. If possible I may even pop along to that one myself….

Team of the Week: 

Wright (Sus), Finch (Sur), Moores (Not +), Billings (Ken), Christian (Not), Raine (Lei), Clarke (Sur), Zampa (Ess), Ferguson (Der), Pennington (Wor), Pillans (Sur)

Northants Rollercoaster Ride

For once, most of the Championship fixtures produced a positive result, which makes for interesting movements in both divisions. The week began with the Nat West T20 Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston where Yorkshire were heavily fancied to secure the first leg of a possible Treble.

Ironic that David Willey, who joined them from Northamptonshire to boost his chance of an England career, experienced defeat to Durham in the semis then could only watch as his old side progress to the final. Three years ago, Willey practically won the climax single-handedly but in 2016, it was a good all-round bowling performance and a rumbustious 80 from Josh Cobb which took the trophy back to Wantage Road. They may have a small squad and little money but one strong point of Twenty 20 is that just about anyone can win it.

In the four-day game, it was a fantastic festival fixture at Scarborough for Yorkshire, who advanced to within five points of leaders Middlesex. They hammered nervy Nottinghamshire by 305 runs. Gary Ballance hit an unbeaten hundred before declaring, but his seamers had a field day. Thirty-somethings Tim Bresnan and Jack Brooks nabbed fifteen cheap wickets between them, with Willey unable to make the team.

Surrey also made short work of Lancashire at The Oval, and must surely be safe from relegation with two matches remaining. Sam Curran top-scored with 96 and it was nice to see Mark Footitt taking 7-62 on a rare outing for the Londoners. At Taunton Somerset had the better of Hampshire, as a terrific run-a-ball eighth wicket stand of 217 by Van Der Merwe and Craig Overton, with his debut hundred, set the visitors a tricky last afternoon target. However a second century of the game by Sean Ervine secured the draw.

At Chester-le-Street, almost two days’ play were lost, so Ian Westwood’s 127 and Jeetan Patel’s 5-32 for Warwickshire were in vain. Both counties sit in mid-table, looking anxiously over their shoulders.

Northants are struggling in Division Two but after scoring 551 in their first innings at New Road, a second victory of the season beckoned. Keogh, Crook and Chad Barrett all reached three figures, the latter becoming the county’s highest scorer for a number ten in their history! It was only the 27 year-old South African’s second first-class game, too. However, after some creative declarations setting Worcestershire 401 to win in 80-odd overs, another hundred by Daryl Mitchell and Joe Clarke’s 125 helped reach the target. It also kept them in contention for promotion.

However, Essex and Kent remain above them, each claiming innings victories this week. The leaders dented Leicestershire’s hopes at Grace Road inside three days, thanks largely to Jamie’s Porter’s eighth wickets and an assured 154 from teenager Dan Lawrence, whose first-class average now stands at a fine 47.

Kent also thumped Gloucestershire on the road at Bristol. Sam Billings and Darren Stevens plundered 258 in 49 overs while Hardus Viljoen was the pick of the Kent bowlers. The margin of victory would have been far greater had Hamish Marshall not shown admirable resistance in each innings.

It was a much closer affair at Cardiff, where Sussex just held on to edge Glamorgan by two wickets. Like Marshall, Chris Nash scored more than anyone else in each outing, but it was Ben Brown and George Garton who survived nine awkward overs to see them home. Sussex are still very much in the hunt to go up, with a game in hand. Beating Kent next week at Hove will do their chances a world of good. Lose, and they needn’t bother booking hotels around Lord’s or Headingley next summer.

Now for an honourable mention for Charlotte Edwards. Deposed as England captain, she nevertheless led the Southern Vipers to triumph in the inaugural Women’s Super League T20 tournament at Chelmsford. One in the eye for Mark Robinson!

Bank Holiday weekend sees the Royal London Cup semifinals. Somerset might be confident in their visit to Warwickshire but I fear they are too dependent on Hildreth, Trego and Jayawardene. Meanwhile, Yorkshire have another attempt at a one-day trophy, meeting Surrey in Leeds. I don’t know if they’ll have Root and Bairstow available, but it could be an away victory of Jason Roy is also released. And there’s a certain David Willey….


Team of the Week: Mitchell (Wor), Nash (Sus), Ervine (Ham), Marshall (Glo), Billings (Ken +), Stevens (Ken), Crook (Nor), Bresnan (Yor), Brooks (Yor), Porter (Ess), Footitt (Sur)

The Lyth and Lumb Show!

In a rain-affected week, there were quite a few games abandoned without a ball being bowled. However, Essex remain star performers in the Royal London One-Day Cup and Worcestershire are the only county with four wins in the T20 Blast.

Adam Lyth scored only his second List A century in Yorkshire’s impressive win over Northamptonshire and, 24 hours later, he went and struck his third! These were no stodgy Boycott-like innings; Lyth managed 15 sixes and was instrumental in reviving the White Roses’ one-day fortunes. Their contest with Lancashire resulted in a crushing 242-run victory, as Martin Guptill’s team-mates collapsed like a pack of cards.

Michael Lumb maintained his impressive run of form, notching another ton, this time against Durham but the highest partnership of the week came courtesy of the Gloucestershire openers Chris Dent (142) and Michael Klinger (166) against Hampshire.

Somerset endured a mixed week of abandonments, a win, defeat and a thrilling tie against Essex. The defeat was pretty conclusive, as Kent’s Joe Denly and Sam Billings thumped centuries before their bowlers finished the job. Ever-reliable colleague Matt Coles also had a very busy week of four matches, including a 52-ball 91 and a total of six wickets.

Sussex pair Chris Jordan and part-timer Tymal Mills showed why England has come a-calling. Jordan’s contribution included a 50-over five-for and half-century, followed by 3-18 against Kent in the Blast. Mills’ 3-15 was the best T20 bowling statistic of the county week.

Coming up, while I am swanning around on the shores of Lake Garda, the counties try their hands at the four-day format once more. The Roses battle at the top of Division One is resumed. Leaders Lancashire host Warwickshire while Yorkshire take the short trip north to Durham. In Division Two, Essex will hope to restore their winning ways at home to Leicestershire, who must be a bit ring-rusty after this week. Annoyingly, the Blast calendar and Sky TV schedule mean that the games are no longer starting simultaneously, but as long as we get some entertaining cricket I’ll let it pass!

Team of the Week: Lyth (Yor), Klinger (Glo), Duckett (Nor), Denly (Ken), Billings (Ken +), Ingram (Gla), Jordan (Sus), Coles (Ken), Gregory (Som), Tredwell (Ken), Gurney (Lan)

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).

County Team of the Year 2014 - the batsmen

My twenty-odd Teams of the Week consisted of more than 160 individuals, each of whom produced something special at some point, whether in a Test, County Championship, women's cricket, one-dayers or any number of T20 knockabouts. Nobody appeared five times but several were mentioned on four occasions. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Gary Ballance owed much to their performances on the international stage, three make my Team of the Year and Luke Wright narrowly missed out.

It was a summer when number nines broke all sorts of batting records, from Kumar's two half-centuries in a Test to Jack Shantry's ten wickets and century. Alfonso Thomas claimed four wickets in four balls for Somerset against Sussex but was strangely ineffective in the short formats, traditionally his strength. Club player Richard Oliver epitomised the rags to riches story. He was plucked from Reigate Priory and Worcestershire Seconds obscurity to play T20 before striking a maiden First-class hundred and earning a contract through 2015 for good measure. September saw Derbyshire's eighteen year-old wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein take no fewer than eleven catches on his debut, a world record.

So what about those whose consistency throughout a hectic domestic season merits inclusion in the all-important Mike's Spin on Cricket County Team of 2014?

My openers are Alex Hales and Adam Lyth. Last year the Nottinghamshire batsman was earning plaudits for his T20 strokeplay but dropped by his county in first-class cricket. In 2014, he stepped up not only to the England ODI side but also to the Notts first XI. He passed 1,000 runs in the longer format and reached four figures in List A and T20 combined. He looked a more confident player but by no means a Test opener. Not yet, anyway. Adam Lyth scored more first-class runs than anybody else (1,619) including eight centuries. His partnership with Alex Lees played no small part in Yorkshire's march to the title and he also took more catches than any non-'keeper in the county game. Honourable mentions go to Varun Chopra (Warwickshire), Chris Rogers (Middlesex), Daryl Mitchell (Worcestershire) and, for their one-day exploits, Jason Roy (Surrey) and Jacques Rudolph (Glamorgan).

Like Roy, Luke Wright has a fearsome reputation in twenty-over cricket, and his 153 in 66 balls at Chelmsford in July was the highlight of the Nat West Blast. He averaged 52 in the first-class game, too, but he doesn't make my team! The Irish-English-Irish star Ed Joyce enjoyed a productive start and end to the season for Sussex, accumulating 1501 Championship runs. With Steve Magoffin's wickets, he was the main reason for Sussex's third place in Division One. Hampshire's young James Vince was also knocking on the England selectors' door with some fine knocks in all competitions and he edges out fellow contender James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Sam Northeast (Kent) and Alex Gidman (Gloucestershire).

Wicketkeepers often hang around at the top for years but, boy, thhey have to work hard for it! Chris Read, Tim Ambrose and Mark Wallace are all consistent catchers and scorers, but two players stood out for me. Sam Billings seems to have finished Geraint Jones' Kent career with his batting exploits in the Royal London Cup, and he had 59 Championship victims behind the stumps, too. Nevertheless the evergreen James Foster wins my place for his glovework and vital runs for Essex which took them remarkably close to promotion.

Next time I'll review the all-rounders and bowlers who lit up the domestic season in 2014. And there were some crackers!

Team of the Week: Cook and Bell back in business

One-dayers ruled this week, and so did the batsmen. The sun shone (mostly) in Britain and the runs flowed accordingly. For once, the Caribbean didn't get much of a look-in, but I'll start with an A team one-day series Down Under. In recent years, Phil Hughes has been in and out more than the world hokey-cokey championship where CA has been concerned. However, he had a great week for the 'A's, starting with an unbeaten 202 (yes, that's not a typo) against South Africa A, followed by two further half-centuries. His aggregate far outweighed the 165 accrued by Alastair Cook, but the embattled England skipper also makes my Eleven for showing the character in adversity to not only score much-needed runs but also to lead his side to their first Test victory in almost a year. And to blunt the knives of the media and tongues of ex-captains who should know better!

The big centuries scored in that Third Test against India by Gary Ballance and Ian Bell also propel those two into my team of the week. The Zimbabwean has been in good form all summer but when Bell is firing on all cylinders, England normally do well. Last year, Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen enjoyed his best season for the county bt so far in 2014 runs have been harder to come by. Normally better suited to first-class cricket, Madsen surprised me by striking not one but two hundreds this week in the new 50-over One-Day Cup.

There were numerous other excellent middle-order innings in this trophy. Karl Brown, Glen Maxwell and James Hildreth particularly impressed but I've gone with consistency over one-off brilliance. Ex-England leader Paul Collingwood produced a 92-ball 113 against Somerset and 77 versus Warwickshire, also contributing a few wickets to Durham's cause. The century shold have been enough to win the game but Somerset were to compete in three thrilling contests. They came from behind to win that one, then tie the fixture at Nottingham and lose by just two runs in an incredible finish at Taunton after Kent compiled 383!

Lewis Gregory has been a godsend for Somerset when he's been fit this summer, and he scored 105 not out in 71 deliveries against Durham. However, he took a pasting in the Kent match, in which young Sam Billings thumped 135 off just 58 balls. The wicketkeeper also notched 64 in 54 earlier in the week, so he beats England debutant Jos Buttler to the gloves.

Gregory is also eclipsed by Steven Mullaney for the all-rounder of the week position. The Notts man has been batting low in the order in recent weeks but it hasn't prevented him making vital quick runs. IN total, 103 came in 66 balls, alongside 6-59 with his medium pacers. A greatly under-rated member of the Nottinghamshire squad.

James Anderson has to be there, too. Unlike the previous game, he deserved to be the Man of the Match at the Aegeas Bowl, claiming 5-53 and 2-24 to thwart a lacklustre India. His acquittal on disrepute charges in the Jadeja 'handbags' incident polished off a great week for him. Now Ian Botham's longstanding England Test wicket record is there for the taking.

My line-up is completed by two spinners. Jeetan Patel has done wonders for Warwickshire in the Championship and this week he was Mr Consistent in the Royal London tournament, with figures of 4-24, 2-36 and 2-43, adding a few runs, too. He didn't have to bowl as much as Rangana Herath, though. Having already sent down 45 overs in the first innings and now with South Africa under the cosh, he opened the bowling in the second innings with Perera and flogged a dead pitch for another 45. Two in three were maidens, and he finished with stats of 45-30-40-5. It wasn't enough to win as Amla and co defended splendidly to defy SL, draw the match and win the series. Sometimes a backs-to the-wall performance can deliver a dramatic cricket match just as much as a runfest.

My team: Cook (Eng *), Hughes (Aus A), Ballance (Eng), Madsen (Der), Bell (Eng), Collingwood (Dur), Billings (Ken +), Mullaney (Not), Patel (War), Anderson (Eng), Herath (SL)