Massive run chase ends in a tie

It certainly was a crazy week in the County Championship. From an almighty clatter of first-day wickets to a couple of extraordinary climaxes, the dramas continued right to the end. 

Seventeen wickets fell on day one at Cheltenham’s college ground, before Cameron Bancroft (184) and James Bracey (204 not out) lifted Gloucestershire’s second innings to more than 600. The 593-run target they set Glamorgan would, if reached, obliterate the world record. With Labuschagne and Northeast nicely set at stumps, the visitors weren’t panicking and even when the skipper was caught behind for 187, eighth man out, just 49 were needed from the last fifteen overs. Mason Crane bravely maintained the run rate and the last pair required only two from the final over. Scores were level with Ajeet Singh Dale’s concluding delivery to Jamie McIlroy. Edged! James Bracey leapt to take a stunning one-handed catch and promptly hared off around the boundary in celebration. A TIE! The world record run chase was missed but 592 all out was still the highest fourth-innings total ever seen in England. Bracey’s double-century and ten catches also eclipsed all the other century-hitting ‘keepers this week. Pity poor Crane for shepherding Glamorgan so close to what would have been an astonishing win. 

Elsewhere in Division Two, twenty-two wickets tumbled on Sunday at Northampton but there was to be no Cheltenham-style batting recovery. Northants’ Emilio Gay scored the game’s solitary fifty as Sussex rounded off a 63-run success inside seven sessions. Nathan McAndrew (Sussex) and the home skipper Luke Procter were the pick of the bowlers. 

At Chesterfield, Yorkshire batsman James Wharton virtually beat Derbyshire on his own, following the latter’s humbling for 76 all out with a commanding 188. In the second innings, Ross Whitely did at least offer an entertaining whirlwind 52 but Ben Coad (6-30) and Vishwa Fernando (4-58) polished things off with a day to spare. Bowlers also dominated early proceedings at Leicester, with Bens Mike and Green ripping through the Middlesex line-up with ease. A target of 466 was always beyond the Londoners and, at 270-9, captain Toby Roland-Jones resorted to T20-ish antics, whacking eight sixes before Currie had him caught to register Leicestershire’s maiden victory of the campaign. 

At the top of Division One, Surrey made short work of closest rivals Essex at The Oval. Jamie Smith marked his England call-up by striking 100 and 70, and Ryan Patel also chipped in with a century of his own. Jordan Clark was typically useful with the ball, but it was paceman Tom Lawes’ 4-26 which inflicted most damage, the triumph opening up a 29-point lead over Essex. 

Somerset had to overcome adversity and a thrilling fourth-day chase to beat Warwickshire and leapfrog Essex in the table. At Taunton, Michael Burgess’ 147 and Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s 6-56 put Warwickshire in the driving seat by th third day. However, a brilliant unbeaten 152 by Tom Abell, ably supported by Banton and Rew, secured a fantastic win against the odds. 

Kent’s miserable season continued, beaten by Hampshire by six wickets at Southampton. James Vince racked up 211, sharing a 259-run stand with Ben Brown (116), then James Leaning’s 118 was not quite enough to prevent the follow-on. Kent did make Hants bat again but it took a scrambling 28-ball 56 not out from Liam Dawson to get the visitors over the finishing line. 

Worcestershire finally removed the zero from their ‘Win’ column by defeating Durham at Chester-le Street. Ben Stokes picked up three wickets and a half-century but was powerless to stop New Zealander Nathan Smith and his fellow bowlers. Nevertheless, the week’s top performer with the ball was the evergreen James Anderson. His glorious international career may be over but his 7-35 for Lancashire in Nottinghamshire’s first innings was a throwback to his younger days. Keaton Jennings plundered another big ton but a defiant last-day 115 not out by Joe Clarke blunted Anderson et al to record a draw. 

It's now back to the one-day stuff for the heady days of summer, but can any Twenty20 or Hundred contests match the thrills and spills of the County Championship?! 

Team of the Week:- Bancroft (Glo), Jennings (Lan), Wharton (Yor), Vince (Ham), Northeast (Gla), Abell (Som), Bracey (Glo +), N Smith (Wor), Fernando (Yor), Coad (Yor), Anderson (Lan)

Somerset Crash the Essex Party

Only five fixtures in the County Championship this week, but most actually produced a result. Oddly, it was the bowlers in charge in Division One while in Division Two, the batsmen stole the show.

With Surrey resting, this was Essex’s chance to re-establish a formidable lead at the top. However, on a seaming wicket at Taunton, they surprisingly cane off second best in a match which was done and dusted within two days. Nobody reached fifty and Somerset’s pace quintet shared the wickets, whilst Essex achieved a slight first-innings advantage when Jamie Porter (5-37) and Sam Cook (5-38) swept through the home side with ease. When Somerset batted again on Saturday afternoon, they must have feared the worst. However, openers Renshaw and Dickson made a solid start, and Craig Overton struck the winning boundary with only three wickets left. That meant Somerset leapt above Surrey, and Essex’s margin over the champions is a mere three points. 

It shouldn’t last long, given that the winner of Warwickshire’s trip to The Oval later this week will go top, and the weather is set fair/ 

At the other end of the table, Kent despatched Lancashire at Old Trafford by seven wickets. The home county’s run of dreadful starts continued, bowled out for a paltry 92. Harare-born Nathan Gilchrist produced a career-best 6-24, supported by Wes Agar’s 4-35. At least Bell and Hurst dug in to set Kent some kind of target on the last two days, but Daniel Bell-Drummond’s unbeaten 79 ensured the win bonus went Kent’s way. They now meet Worcestershire while Lancashire travel to Nottinghamshire who are also winless. 

Runs flowed more freely in the second tier, and eight players reached three figures. Sussex needed only one innings to defeat Derbyshire. Chteshwar Pujara top-scored with 113, before young West Indian Jaydon Seales sealed the victory with 5-29. At Lord’s, both the first and fourth days were washed out, ruining the contest and the chances of Middlesex and Leicestershire of keeping Sussex in check. Peter Handscomb (109), Sam Robson (162) and Leus du Plooy (139) enjoyed some decent batting practice. 

Up at Headingley, Joe Root struck his second ton in succession as Yorkshire racked up a huge first-innings lead over Glamorgan. Both he and Finlay Bean (173) set a cracking pace, too, in the hope of providing ample time to bowl the opposition out a second time. However, the visitors were no pushover. A 210-run stand involving Sam Northeast and Colin Ingram was the centrepiece of an excellent fightback. Ingram struck twenty boundaries in his 113 but it was his skipper Northeast who remained at the crease on 142 not out when a draw was agreed, thwarting Yorkshire’s bid for an opening victory of 2024. They now have a fortnight to put that right, against leaders Sussex who could be running away with the division should they beat Glamorgan in their game in hand. 

Team of the Week:- Robson (Mid), Bean (Yor), Northeast (Gla), Root (Yor), Pujara (Sus), Ingram (Gla), Hurst (Lan +), S Cook (Ess), Porter (Ess), Seales (Sus), Gilchrist (Ken)

New Season, New Records

Welcome back to the County Championship! The momentous Test series in India has retreated to the back shelf of the memory, the T20 World Cup seems a long way off and I wonder how many players in either England squad will seek, or be allowed, some practice with their clubs. My fellow Somerset fans will no doubt be curious to observe the return of Shoaib Bashir, who has probably played more hours for his country than his county! 

The pre-season has seen its usual messy news of international signings being withdrawn by their international Boards or pulling out for personal reasons, with a rash of last-minute signings. Cricket Australia’s orders to Lancashire to restrict Nathan Lyon to seven appearances were already controversial and we await to hear whether CA deem his one delivery faced and two overs bowled at a soggy Old Trafford constitute one of those permitted. It could keep the lawyers busy. 

The weather certainly kept the groundstaff busy this week. After one of the wettest winters in living memory, more rain washed out two fixtures entirely: at Derby and Chester-le-Street. Worcestershire’s New Road has pretty much been swallowed up by the River Severn on a permanent basis so it was a good job that their opener against neighbours Warwickshire took place at Edgbaston. Three innings were played but Monday’s weather robbed the home side of the opportunity to whack it around for an unlikely victory. Worcester’s Pakistani batsman Kashif Ali, in only his ninth first-class match, notched both his first and second centuries, but all to no avail. 

As in 2023, Essex registered a first-game success. This year’s came at Trent Bridge, where a Joe Clarke ton enabled Nottinghamshire to claim a narrow first-innings lead despite a Sam Cook hat-trick. However, on the final two days, it all went pear-shaped. A solid batting performance down the order put Haseeb Hameed’s side under pressure, then Sam Cook did the rest, putting Notts to the sword with 6-14. Could he earn an England call-up? I doubt it. Not unless he takes another ten-for at The Oval or Lord’s! So a good start for Essex, but their points haul could be all but wiped out should they be punished for Khushi’s bat being too big! 

The latter looks unlikely. When Middlesex hosted Glamorgan in Division Two, only fifteen wickets fell across all four days which featured few interruptions. Some may blame the Kookaburra ball but the Lord’s pitch must have been the softest of feather-beds because various all-time run records were ripped up. Glamorgan skipper Sam Northeast, never one to ease up after reaching three figures, stroked his way to an unbeaten 335, unbelievably the highest individual score ever seen at this ground in over 200 years and some 70,000 innings. Ably supported by Colin Ingram, he declared with the fourth wicket stand one shy of 300. 

Yet the game wasn’t over. In reply, Middlesex were less cavalier in their approach and proceeded to torture the Glammy attack for more than two days. Ryan Higgins, in particular, cashed in with his maiden double-hundred before being stumped by Chris Cooke on 221. The county were finally bowled out for 655, their second highest in history. Reader, it ended as a draw. 

Elsewhere, Somerset scooped the most bonus points at Canterbury, but old-timers Bell-Drummond and Denly eased heir way to centuries second time around. Like the April sun, champions and hot favourites Surrey had little chance to shine at Lancashire, although Cameron Steel polished off the home team’s tail very cheaply. New boy Dan Lawrence also claimed four wickets but didn’t get a chance to bat. 

In the second tier, Sussex were deprived of a likely victory by bad light at Hove. Opener Tom Haines (133) and some vibrant late-order hitting earned them a lead of 107, before James Coles and Ollie Robinson tormented the Northants batters. The ever-reliable Procter, Keogh and McManus dug in to prevent Sussex having a chance to knock off a few runs before the weather closed in. 

The forecast is not brilliant for the next round of fixtures, either but, with Surrey, Essex and Hampshire all at home in the South-East, they have the best chance of securing a result, although respective opponents Somerset, Kent and Lancashire will aim to come out on top. 

Team of the Week:-  Lyth (Yor), Haines (Sus), Kashif Ali (Wor), Northeast (Gla), Clarke (Not +), Ingram (Gla), Higgins (Mid), Coles (Sus), Steel (Sur), Mike (Lei), Cook (Ess)

Orr-some Sussex Rack up the Runs

In the week when Bazball lost some of its shine at Lord’s, thanks to some old-fashioned quality pace bowling by South Africa’s Rabada and Nortje, there were plenty of examples of effective 50-over batting in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

In the final fixtures of Group B, Hampshire didn’t exactly tear up any trees but they cruised straight into the semi-finals, three points ahead of the rest, thanks to a 72-run success against Yorkshire at Scarborough. However, their 100% record was spoilt by Glamorgan in Neath, where young opener Tom Bevan bounced back from his duck against Lancashire to smash an excellent 134. A month after he ripped up the Welsh County Championship record books, Sam Northeast was at it again, tonking the Warwickshire attack for an unbeaten 177 in 148 deliveries, Glamorgan’s highest individual score in List A cricket. His stand of 245 with Billy Root was also the county’s best fourth wicket partnership in one-day cricket.

With Wells, Jennings and 21 year-old George Balderson’s maiden century propelling Lancashire into the knockouts, it was a very tight race for the third qualifying spot. Kent eclipsed Glamorgan by beating Lancashire in the last match by two wickets with only a ball to spare. Worcestershire finished bottom but did at least notch their first two victories of the campaign.

In Group A, Somerset also broke their miserable duck, a 14-run win at Edgbaston proving scant consolation in a wretched run through the competition they won in 2019. Durham finished below them after losing all three contests this week. Their batting never truly fired on all cylinders but a special mention goes to 18 year-old spinner Stanley McAlindon, and not just for his name which conjures an image of a bewhiskered Scottish bank clerk in the Victorian era. Against Leicestershire, he registered not only a first 50 of his fledgling career but also a very useful 4-29, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a two-wicket defeat.

The week saw plenty of centuries scattered around the country, while all-rounders Wiaan Mulder and James Taylor continued their consistent summer form. Nottinghamshire’s Brett Hutton claimed a remarkable 7-25 against local rivals Leicester during a game which also featured 6-35 from veteran seamer Chris Wright.

However, if it’s runs you want, then simply follow the Sussex team bus. Cheteshwar Pujara took his tournament tally to 614, bettered only by Steve Eskinazi, with a 90-ball 132 containing only a couple of sixes. Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten 189 in a total of 400-4, the first ‘quadruple’ in the county’s List A history. They plundered 249 from the last twenty overs which would have been fantastic in a T20 fixture let alone a 50-over affair. Just a few days earlier, they’d fallen a mere three runs short of the 400 against Somerset, in which Ali Orr cracked eleven sixes in a double-hundred blitz, four of them off poor teenage medium-pacer Alfie Ogborne. Whoever meets Sussex in next Tuesday’s semi-final at Hove will need to steal their bats.

Team of the Week: Alsop (Sus), Orr (Sus), Jennings (Lan), Northeast (Gla), Pujara (Sus), Mulder (Lei), J Taylor (Glo), McManus (Nor +), Waite (Yor), Wright (Ham), Hutton (Not)

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)

Double Delight for Somerset

Setting aside a few World Cup warm-ups, last week was all about Somerset and Hampshire. First-class victories left them occupying the top spots in the Championship, neatly setting up their clash at Lord’s in the Royal London One-Day Cup final.

The tournament has been depressingly downgraded by the ECB, squeezed into the schedule before the big-bucks World Cup and the Ashes. The once hugely popular county competition has been treated like a toddler being told she can watch one more episode of Peppa Pig before the grown-ups regain control of the remote. Anyway, tell that to the Zummerzet boys on Saturday who cheered Tom Abell’s side to a comprehensive and thorough thrashing of an admittedly depleted Hampshire. Any trophy for the perennial runners-up is mightily welcome, believe you me!

Earlier in the week, Somerset had edged a low-scoring game at Taunton against Warwickshire to stay top of the table. Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s 5-18 and Liam Norwell’s second innings 7-41 maybe deserved better, but the leaders boasted a superior collective attack, including the reliable Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory and won by 49 runs.

Newport has been in the new a lot lately. The Welsh football club were at Wembley for a play-off final and the old Spytty Park ground hosted its first Championship game for over fifty years. This week, its Isle of Wight namesake was also granted a rare first-class fixture, and spectators were treated to a 244-run triumph for Hampshire. Sam Northeast and new recruit Ajinkya Rahane shared a brisk 257 second-wicket stand to set up a declaration and the formidable seam attack of Abbott, Edwards and Barker did the rest, each claiming six wickets in the match.

Beckenham is a regular outlier on the county circuit and this summer it welcomed neighbouring Surrey to the Kent town. It produced an entertaining contest of runs a-plenty and a close finish. Sam Dickson contributed 219 in total for the home side but, with Scott Borthwick twice passing fifty and Rikki Clarke in fine all-round form, the champions were pushing for victory on the final afternoon only for young Wiaan Mulder to hold them up, just two wickets short when time ran out.

In Division Two, Lancashire beat their close rivals Worcestershire at Old Trafford by six wickets. For the visitors, Wayne Parnell fought hard but the combination of James Anderson and Richard Gleeson, with his third five-four in successive matches, held sway over three days.

Glamorgan enjoyed a rare away victory, overcoming Derbyshire by two wickets. The home side’s all-rounder Luis Reece struck a century and took four wickets but the Welsh lower order, including Tom Cullen and Daniel Douthwaite (OK, so neither are actually Welsh) got stuck in and finished the job.

At Chester-le-Street Durham lost yet again, this time handing Gloucestershire nineteen points with more than a day to spare, while batsmen were more to the fore at Northampton, where the home side played a high-scoring draw with Sussex. The most notable performances came from skipper Ben Brown (156) and Chris Jordan (166) who delivered a triple-century stand on day one.

I’d expect Sussex to come out on top next week against Glamorgan, and Lancashire should beat Gloucestershire to remain top. In the higher tier, Somerset sit it out and celebrate their cup win, so Hampshire will almost certainly overtake them, even if they only draw against third place Yorkshire. Warwickshire have little chance of arresting their decline with a home tie against Surrey who seem barely weakened by England’s World Cup selections.

Team of the Week: Dickson (Ken), Reece (Der), Borthwick (Sur), Northeast (Ham), Hain (War), Brown (Sus +), Clarke (Sur), Jordan (Sus), Parnell (Wor), Norwell (War), Anderson (Lan)

Tendo fires Essex to the Top

With kind weather and a conducive pitch, the Guildford crowds witnessed almost four full days of cricket. Unfortunately for the home fans, Essex came out on top and, buoyed by maximum points, now lead Division One by six points. Surrey made a solid enough start, thanks largely to Mark Stoneman’s 197. However, Essex skipper Ryan Ten Doeschate led a spirited response with an unbeaten168, then Tom Westley’s final day century finished things off.

Yorkshire also achieved their third Championship success of the summer at Taunton but by a mere three runs. I’m gutted that Somerset should lose yet again by such a narrow margin. Neither side managed 300 in an innings and it was Gary Ballance’s second innings 98 not out which proved to be the top individual score. While Ryan Sidebottom was reverse swinging the ball, and only one wicket left, Jamie Overton decided to attack the off-spin of Adam Lyth.  The first ball of the part-timer’s 18^th over went for six, the next for two leg-byes. Seeking a match-winning boundary, Overton just hol out to mid-wicket, dammit! Somerset’s young captain Tom Abell endured another miserable week with the bat. Surely a change is imminent, but the rest of the batting line-up is also struggling.

There were no three-figure scores at Southport either, and it was Lancashire’s bowlers who the upper hand over Middlesex. Stephen Parry was unused on the first morning but took 5-45 on the final morning. Special mention must go to Alex Davies. His runs have dried up but he made an impressive nine catches and a stumping.

Division Two is beginning to resemble a table of two halves. At the top, Nottinghamshire, Kent and Worcestershire each have four victories so far. However, none of them won this week. Indeed, the latter county contrived to lose at home to Glamorgan inside three days. Not wishing to downplay the significance of stand-in skipper Michael Hogan’s 5-38, the crucial passage of play was probably the Glammies’ recovery from 57-6 to 381 all out. It included a century stand for the ninth wicket between Andrew Salter and Lukas Carey.

At Bristol, Samit Patel struck a career-best 257 not out to put Nottinghamshire in the driving seat. However, Gloucestershire batted out the entire final day to salvage a draw. Northamptonshire also registered a fourth Championship success, this time against Derbyshire. It wasn’t all plain sailing, though. Rob Newton was back in form but after he was out for 108 in the second innings, his team collapsed farcically, the remaining eight wickets vanishing for just 52 runs. However, they had sufficient runs in the locker and Derbyshire aren’t exactly prolific scorers. Seamer Ben Sanderson did the rest. There was, however, personal success for the losers’ teenage seamer Conor McKerr. In only his second first-class fixture, the South African claimed a satisfactory ten-for!

At Grace Road, Jofra Archer chalked up another eleven scalps with his fast-medium pace as Leicestershire came a cropper against Sussex. Meanwhile, at Canterbury, Durham came within a whisker of celebrating a first win of the season. On the last afternoon, after skipper Sam Northeast was the eighth man out for 72, Kent’s last three men, Claydon, Coles and Yasir Shah managed to survive the last eighteen overs. Tough on Paul Collingwood who contributed another 171 runs to the north-easterners’ cause.

This week, its back to the Royal London Cup, starting with the two quarter-finals. I wonder whether Somerset’s ongoing woes will impact upon their chances of advancing to the semis. Notts are in form so I fancy they will progress. Yorkshire v Surrey is harder to call but, if pushed, I’d plump for the Londoners to advance to Friday’s decider.

Team of the Week: Stoneman (Sur), Newton (Nor), Northeast (Ken), Patel (Not), Collingwood (Dur), Ten Doeschate (Ess), Davies (Lan +), Archer (Sus), McKerr (Der), Sidebottom (Yor), Sanderson (Nor)

Warwickshire Woes, Derbyshire in Despair

Yorkshire advanced to third, having fought back after their first-week defeat to cruise to victory over Warwickshire. Their success in recent seasons has been in spite of various stars being absent on international duty. This week, their strength in depth was demonstrated still further when the inexperienced seamer Ben Coad garnered another ten wickets. That’s eighteen already for the Harrogate man, at under 14 apiece.

Edgbaston director of sport Ashley Giles is already talking nervously of “no quick fixes” and “transition period” after Warwickshire suffered their second successive innings reverse. The batsmen were woeful again, especially under floodlights when the cloud cover was particularly heavy. In the second innings, Coad and Willey had them at 7-5, and only Patel’s 49 not out prevented an even greater humiliation. Their bowling has been the county’s strength for quite a while but with Chris Woakes now an established England player, even the attack looks a bit creaky. Most of the side are aged thirty or more and, while experience counts for a lot, some new blood looks essential to achieve a better balance.

At The Oval, 42 year-old Shivnarine Chanderpaul compiled his 74th first-class century, 182, for Lancashire. However, on the fourth day the Surrey pair of Borthwick and Sangakkara put on 256 for the second wicket to save the game. It was also interesting to see Lancashire’s limited-overs spin specialists Parry and Kerrigan working well in harness in the Championship. Surrey now stand top, three points ahead of Hampshire, who had the edge in a draw against champions Middlesex. There were no hundreds, but Roussouw (99) and Carberry (98) came close!

Somerset’s traditional weak start to the season was maintained, beaten by newly-promoted Essex by eight wickets. Wickets fell regularly on the first two days, with Somerset on top after the first innings. However, Neil Wagner’s bowling and Alastair Cook’s decisive 110 combined to wrap up an eight-wicket triumph.

Essex now meet neighbours Middlesex at Lord’s, Somerset travel to Old Trafford, Hampshire host Yorkshire and Warwickshire must turn things around against high-flying Surrey.

In Division Two, it’s very tight at the top. Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Kent each made it two wins out of two, making hay while the sun shone across the land. At Derby, there was a genuine nailbiting finish. After Lancs reject Luis Reece and Billy Godleman struck a Deryshire record 333 for the first wicket, Northants set about the target of 326 in 65 overs. When Richard Levi was thumping boundaries at will, success seemed assured but when he was caught behind on 99 still 50 short, the result was in doubt. In the end, it took a Rory Kleinveldt six to clinch victory off the penultimate ball. After last year’s terrible season, this narrow loss must have been particularly galling. Hopefully they can concentrate on the positives, as they say.

Nottinghamshire rubbed Durham’s noses in the doo-doo at Chester-le-Street. Keaton Jennings (102 not out) ran out of partners in the second outing, leaving Greg Smith and Jake Libby to steer the visitors towards the inevitable win.

Kent were also good travellers, outscoring Sussex at Hove. Sam Northeast returned from injury to thump 173 not out while that man Darren Stevens scored another two 50s and a five-for. Like Chanderpaul, he proves that 40 is not the age barrier it is often made out to be.

Supporting players Worcestershire and Gloucestershire also recorded 16-point win bonuses. John Hastings and Tom Kohler-Cadmore shone in the former county’s eight-wicket defeat of Glamorgan, who looked completely out of their depth for a second consecutive week. At Bristol, Liam Norwell took ten wickets for 99 runs in the innings drubbing of Leicestershire.

Leicester’s fixture against Glamorgan next weekend is already looking like a battle of the wooden spoon contenders. Meanwhile, the Worcestershire-Northants encounter is the pick of the matches.


Team of the Week:
Reece, Godleman (both Der), Sangakkara (Sur), Northeast (Ken), Chanderpaul (Lan), Eckersley (Lei +), Stevens (Ken), Fletcher (Not) Wagner (Ess), Norwell (Glo), Coad (Yor)

Durham back in the Hunt, and Trescothick back in Form

Most of Division One’s nine counties have been in the frame for the Championship pennant this summer, and now it’s Durham’s turn to post a genuine challenge. They enjoyed a brief burst of hot sunshine by sneaking a two-wicket win over former leaders Lancashire at Southport. Adam Hickey and Chris Rushworth saw them to the finish line despite a five-wicket haul from Tom Smith. Ben Stokes and Jimmy Anderson each bowled tidily in opposition to each other, although the latter was excused duties on the last two days.

Lancashire now sit in fourth, only a few points ahead of Somerset who enjoyed a ten-wicket trouncing of Nottinghamshire, many people’s tip for the title. The Cidermen’s tail is longer than a gibbon’s these days but it didn’t matter when Marcus Trescothick is in this form. Now 40 and sporting spectacles, the opener struck a splendid 218 in the first innings and helped Johann Myburgh knock off the hundred-odd runs on the final afternoon when the weather was on the verge of breaking.

Accompanying that Somerset performance, Surrey dumped Notts into the bottom two and made Hampshire’s task of avoiding the drop even tougher, beating the latter by an innings. No fewer than three men made three figures, including skipper Gareth Batty, whose maiden hundred formed half of a record-breaking double-century eighth wicket stand with Ben Foakes. Batty then took 6-51 to round things off nicely.

It’s getting even closer in Division Two. Leicestershire prevented Gloucestershire going top by winning at Cheltenham and did their promotion chances no end of good, too. Just eleven points separate the top four. Ben Raine enjoyed a good all-round game although Paul Horton’s final day 73 proved to be the highest individual score.

At the other end of the table, Glamorgan finally secured a victory in an exciting encounter at Colwyn Bay. Teenager Aneurin Donald not only achieved his maiden hundred but also converted it into the joint fastest ‘double’ in first-class cricket history! No matter that he went for a duck second time around. His 234 included fifteen sixes! 341 adrift, Derbyshire did make a game of it in the second innings, as Chesney Hughes and Billy Godleman also made tons, but Rudolph and Meschede steadied a rocky ship to claim a four-wicket victory.

In the Tunbridge Wells derby, Kent’s Sam Northeast’s 190 bested Ross Taylor’s 142 not out in a drawn encounter. Sussex were made to follow on but they comfortably avoided defeat on the final day.

After the week’s Twenty20 fixtures, Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire sit atop their respective leagues, while Glamorgan’s easy win over struggling Somerset ensured a quarter-final place. Middlesex won London bragging rights after edging Surrey in front of a record English county T20 attendance at Lord’s. Elsewhere, Ian Bell biffed fifties in each of Warwickshire’s three matches, although they won only two of them.

The knockout qualifiers will be decided next Friday evening while the Championship takes a fortnight’s break.

Team of the Week: Trescothick (Som), Bell (War), Hughes (Der), Northeast (Ken), Taylor (Sus), Donald (Gla), Foakes (Sur +), Raine (Lei), Batty (Sur), Higgins (Mid), Payne (Glo)

Lancashire and Petersen Push ahead

The British weather certainly didn’t play ball last week. All the Championship matches endured at last one day’s washout and, consequently, all were drawn. Lancashire were thwarted in their bid to open up a healthy lead at the top of Division One as only fifteen wickets fell at Lord’s. Alviro Petersen’s 191helped them to a 500+ score but Stevie Eskenazi’s maiden first-class hundred and Sam Gubbins’ first ‘double’ helped Middlesex to maximum batting points and denied Lancashire’s attack much joy for a day and a half.

In contrast, Somerset were all over bottom-side Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.. After the Overton twins captured eight wickets on day one, Johann Myburgh and James Hildreth each reached three figures. With on eye on the gloomy weather forecast, they stepped up the run rate and even teenage ‘keeper Ryan Davies thumped three sixes in his first fifty before the declaration. Sadly for us, the home side’s batsmen stuck to their task and lost only five wickets before the rain ended proceedings in mid-afternoon on the third day.

Only 190 overs were bowled at Edgbaston, where Warwickshire had the better of what play there was. Clarke, Rankin and Patel each took three Nottinghamshire wickets in the first innings, while Tim Ambrose collected five catches and a stumping. He and Clarke each scored 70+ in reply, but Jake Ball again impressed with the ball.

This week, Middlesex travel north for the Scarborough festival fixture, where Yorkshire need to win to maintain the Championship challenge with Lancashire, who visit Nottinghamshire. Hampshire face an awkward trip to Durham, while Surrey, seemingly hellbent on cherrypicking any decent player from other counties, host Warwickshire.

The race for promotion remains open after Kent could muster a mere ten points at home to Derbyshire. In their first innings, Sam Northeast scored more than half the side’s 379 runs but Derbyshire mustered well over 500, including centuries by in-form Wayne Madsen and Shiv Thakor. With naughty boy Matt Coles again missing, the Kent attack toiled with little success.

In the other Division Two fixture, a paltry twelve wickets were taken at Leicester as the rains dominated. Mind you, despite Neil Dexter’s first day 136, Gloucestershire’s batsmen were in charge. Chris Dent (165) contributed to a couple of big partnerships especially for the second wicket with Graeme van Buuren (121 not out).

The top two next meet at Chelmsford, with Essex just four points adrift and a game in hand. Glamorgan may be impress in the T20 Blast but they prop up the rest in four-day cricket. They play another disappointing side, Sussex, at Hove.

Only a few T20 games finished this week, but amongst them was Yorkshire’s narrow Roses victory over Lancashire. Elsewhere Michael Klinger racked up an unbeaten 101 to defeat a feeble Gayle-less Somerset in the West Country derby at Taunton, while Ravi Bopara struck a 43-ball 81 not out for Essex against Kent. How the Chelmsford outfit would love to beat their neighbours in this week’s red-ball encounter!

Team of the Week: Klinger (Glo), Gubbins (Mid), Petersen (Lan), Northeast (Ken), Madsen (Der), Ambrose (War +), Clarke (War), Thakor (Der), J Overton (Som), Mills (Sus), M Taylor (Glo)

Roses Reign over the Rain

Unfortunately, my hopes for a week of results proved groundless. The early hot sunshine quickly gave way to two days of rain across most of the country. The exceptions were Old Trafford and Headingley, where both Yorkshire and Lancashire wrapped up welcome innings wins over Surrey and Hampshire, respectively.

Yet again, batsmen dominated the week. We had two triple-century partnerships, three double-century scores and two near-misses. Yorkshire’s victory was founded on a record Leeds stand of 372, involving England’s Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies scored more than half of Surrey’s runs but didn’t get the support.

The champions lead the table by one point, but Lancashire advanced to second, and have a game in hand. Procter, Hameed and Petersen racked up a big first innings lead of 347, leaving Hampshire more than two days to defend in between rain breaks. Jimmy Anderson and Simon Kerrigan boasted combined figures of 60-31-88-8 and the visitors couldn’t hang on for long enough. To make matters worse, they secured only a single bonus point and now prop up Division One.

Somerset were enjoying the best of their match at Warwickshire before the final day washout. Tom Abell’s patient 102 and a couple of quicker half-centuries from Peter Trego were supported by some useful bowling by the Overton twins but the home side were spared the chance to bat a day or attack a 300+ target.

The Middlesex-Nottinghamshire fixture lost two whole days, but not until Sam Robson had struck his third first-class hundred of the summer. However, the England selectors are persevering with one of his opponents, Alex Hales who did at least contribute a useful 73 in the cause.

In Division Two, it was four draws out of four, leaving Essex still on top. Ed Joyce (250) and Luke Wells (116) put on 310 for Sussex against Derbyshire, while colleague Lewis Hatchett’s 5-58 was the week’s best bowling performance in the Championship.

Elsewhere, Kent’s Sam Northeast delivered his highest First-class score of 189 against Gloucestershire, for who Hamish Marshall continued his sprightly early-season form. Young ‘keeper Adam Rouse claimed eight catches for Kent, too.

At Leicester, the cricket didn’t match up to the football, but the home county’s lofty position in the league is almost as surprising as the Foxes’! Neil Dexter scored 98 and took three cheap Northants wickets but the lack of play on Day 3 proved crucial. There wasn’t much play at Cardiff either, but enough for Brett d’Oliveira and Joe Clarke to fill their boots again. The Worcester pair shared a third-wicket partnership of 253 and the opener made an impressive ‘double’.

Next week, Lancashire’s bid for the top spot could be halted by Durham, while Yorkshire must be confident of a decent return from Taunton, weather-permitting. Leicester are giving the Sri Lankans some pre-Test practice, so Essex should extend their lead at home to Derbyshire.

Team of the Week:
D’Oliveira (Wor), Joyce (Sus), Root (Yor), Bairstow (+ Yor), Northeast (Ken), S Davies (Sur), Trego (Som), Roland-Jones (Mid), Haggett (Ken), Patterson (Yor), Anderson (Lan)

2015 County Cricket Team of the Year

So 2015 ended with Ashes success for England, a second Championship crown for Yorkshire, limited-overs trophies for Lancashire and Gloucestershire and a miserable finale for Sussex. But who were the individual stars of the summer? I’ve compiled my Team of the Year based partly on my Teams of the Week and partly on the end-of-season statistics.

Openers:
It wasn’t a vintage year for openers in first-class cricket, although Michael Carberry, Mark Stoneman and, in a September flurry, Marcus Trescothick each passed 1000 runs. However, there were some memorable summers for one-day pinch-hitters. Jason Roy and Steven Davies were superb for Surrey but for consistency I’ve gone for Michael Klinger and Alex Hales. The veteran Aussie arrived late but produced a devastating deluge of centuries in limited overs competitions, playing a major role Gloucestershire’s T20 Blast triumph. He also appeared in no fewer than five Teams of the Week in this blog. Hales chose to spend some time as a gun for hire overseas but when he put his mind to it, he scored heavily in all formats for Nottinghamshire. But will he get to partner Cook for England against Pakistan?

Middle Order
So many options here! James Vince outscored everyone in T20 but was unusually mediocre in proper cricket. James Taylor started poorly but gained ground to win back his international place in ODIs. Luke Wright was a ray of shining light in an otherwise dismal summer for Sussex, and James Hildreth likewise for Somerset. Indeed he was top scorer in Division One but was surprisingly short of runs in the one-day stuff.

My choice begins at Durham with Steve Borthwick. He still bowls some leg-spin in T20 but is more of a specialist batsman these days. He scored few centuries but chipped in regularly at number three. Kent’s young captain Sam Northeast also saved his best innings for Twenty20, and it was his hundred which thwarted Somerset in the match where Chris Gayle struck his 150.

The season’s greatest run machine was Ashwell Prince. The veteran South African delayed his retirement for just one season and how Lancashire must have been grateful for that decision. He was also part of that record-breaking 500+ stand with Alviro Pietersen. Niall O’Brien claimed the most dismissals, Ben Brown more runs but my wicketkeeper-batsman is Jonny Bairstow. He produced five three-figure scores for Yorkshire before he was brought in to replace Gary Ballance for England. His Championship average was a tidy 100-odd so who knows what he might have achieved with his county had his team-mate not lost form in Test cricket?

Amongst all-rounders, the evergreen Darren Stevens and Peter Trego were typically in the frame but I’ve gone for Samit Patel for his mixture of vital innings and handy wickets. Notts didn’t have a great year with the ball, so his off-spin rescued the side more than once.

Bowlers
Chris Rushworth made only one Team of the Week but he was the most prolific wicket-taker in first-class cricket, with 88. He rarely played in limited-overs fixtures but he has to be in this Eleven. Joining him as seamers are Surrey’s Tom Curran, James Harris of Middlesex and Yorkshire’s Jack Brooks.

Curran, helped by his 17 year-old brother Sam, was instrumental in hauling Surrey up to the Division Two title, while Harris’s Championship wickets and late-order runs gave Middlesex the impetus to be runners-up. It was hard to pick the final man in the Team of the Season.

Yorkshire’s success was built primarily on their attack. Twelve victories generally means bowling sides out twice, and the White Roses had strength in depth. Ryan Sidebottom missed some games through injury yet he claimed more than 40 wickets at under 18 apiece. Tim Bresnan, Steve Pattinson, Graeme Onions and Adil Rashid all contributed but the main man was Jack Brooks. If he wasn’t the wrong side of 30, the bandana man would have been in the England squad by now instead of Mark Wood.

The likes of Footitt, Rushworth and Brooks may have to content themselves with notching up hundreds of wickets in county cricket instead of the England kit, and their respective clubs will be grateful. Meanwhile, for all the talk of overseas stars, the only foreigners in my XI are Prince and Klinger. As far as England are concerned, I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of Curran, Northeast or Hales.

In short, my County Team of 2015 is:-

Klinger (Glo), Hales (Not), Borthwick (Dur), Northeast (Ken), Prince (Lan), Bairstow (Yor/Eng +), Patel (Not), Harris (Mid), T Curran (Sur), Brooks (Yor), Rushworth (Dur).

Lancashire and Surrey Up, Somerset Heading Down?

Last week began with Finals Day of the Nat West T20 Blast, in which the spin bowlers dominated the batsmen. Stephen Parry and Arron Lilley were particularly effective as Lancashire took the title.

Bank Holiday Monday saw the T20 double-header at Cardiff. I was there to witness two excellent and contrasting victories for England against Australia. Anya Shrubsole ripped out the first four Aussie women then Natalie Sciver took four wickets of her own before adding 47 decisive runs to earn that consolation win at the end of the Women’s Ashes series. Stars of the men’s game were Moeen Ali and Eoin Morgan for England, although Steve Smith threatened to take his side to victory. Sadly for him, he fell for 90, and Australia’s run chase went with him.

I’ll start my County Championship review in Division Two. As expected, both Surrey and Lancashire clinched promotion with two matches to spare. Surrey went top for the first time with an innings defeat of Derbyshire. Zafar Ansari did his international credentials no harm with a century and five wickets, but it was skipper Gareth Batty who concluded the win with a hat-trick.

Rain hit the other three games but Lancashire weren’t robbed of success. In fact, Kent forced them to follow on thanks to hundreds from Robert Key and his young successor as captain, Sam Northeast. At Chelmsford, Essex had the best of proceedings against Northamptonshire but a draw was inevitable. The result also hastened the sacking of the home coach Paul Grayson, paying the price for the county’s consistent under-achievement. Let’s hope the new crop of batsmen restore good times in Essex before the wealthy competitors lure them away. Leicestershire and Gloucestershire also played out an unremarkable draw.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire produced another devastating performance, twice bowling Somerset out for under 200. Ballance and Bairstow each passed 90, while Brooks and Sidebottom were the pick of the reliable seam bowling unit. Somerset were dragged back into the relegation fight as both Sussex and Hampshire enjoyed vital victories.

At Chester-le-Street, Durham succumbed to Hampshire inside three days. Ryan McLaren and Fidel Edwards each claimed seven wickets and Chris Rushworth took just two for Durham. Ryan Pringle (99 for Durham) and James Vince (16 fours in 76 not out) were the only players to make 50.

There were more runs at Worcester, where the home side were well beaten by a rampant Sussex. Luke Wright’s 226 was by far the top score of the week, and he was ably supported by Ben Brown and Chris Nash. Chris Jordan enjoyed a return to form with the ball, too. There was something for Worcestershire to savour; teenager Joe Clarke scored an unbeaten 104, his first Championship century. The loss of the first day meant Warwickshire’s contest with Middlesex was something of a damp squib.

While Worcestershire’s fate is far from sealed, just seven points from safety, they really need to win both remaining games. Somerset’s escape is in their own hands, facing both Sussex and Hampshire in the coming weeks. Yorkshire’s coronation as champions again should come this week at Lord’s. Just five bonus points will be enough to put both Middlesex and Nottinghamshire mathematically out of reach.

Team of the Week: Burns (Sur), Key (Ken), Smith (Aus), Sciver (Eng W), Wright (Sus), Northeast (Ken), Brown (Sus +), Ansari (Sur), Brooks (Yor), Parry (Lan), Shrubsole (Eng W)

Gayle Force in Somerset, Raine-ing success for Leicester

Just for a change, I’ll start my weekly review of the county cricket action at the foot of Division Two. The reason is that Leicestershire have finally won a Championship match for the first time since September 2012. When Lewis Hill nudged the single which took them past Essex’s target, you’d think they’d won the World Cup! Maybe now the hoodoo is broken, they can kick on. They actually have some decent players. Unfortunately, the team they beat at Chelmsford are looking very weak. The top order can’t score and without Topley and Masters the young Essex attack lacks experience.

The top two played out a boring draw on a bat-friendly Oval pitch. There were centuries for Jason Roy, Rory Burns and, for the first time, James Faulkner but only two runs for the returning Kevin Pietersen. Surrey narrowed the gap behind Lancashire by just one point, but Glamorgan are now only eight points adrift of second place after defeating Northants by ten wickets. Craig Meschede’s 107 and 3-19 made the difference.

At Derby, Jack Taylor struck his debut hundred for Gloucestershire then after a couple of last morning declarations, his miserly 2-19 almost secured victory over a second-rate Derbyshire. Dilshan has yet to produce the killer innings and only Billy Godleman and Shiv Thakor exceeded 20 in the second innings. However, Gloucester could take only eight wickets and a draw ensued.

In the top tier, Middlesex leapfrogged Durham despite drawing with Warwickshire, but Nottinghamshire enjoyed a victory over a promising Sussex side. Despite poor weather, it was all over inside three days, and there were several performances to savour. Pity Steve Magoffin: 12 wickets yet finished on the losing side. Former Notts favourite Bruce French has a new family star. His nephew Jake Ball took 9-67 in total, Samit Patel hit 100 but teenager Luke Wood fared even better. With Notts reeling at 98-7, he surprised everyone by thumping exactly 100 in 96 balls. Allied to five wickets, he did more than anyone to ensure his county escaped the relegation zone.

In the other match, Hampshire dug themselves out of the mire on day 4 to avoid losing against fellow strugglers Worcestershire, for whom captain Daryl Mitchell hit an unbeaten 142.

It may not have been a vintage week in the Championship but last weekend, the NatWest Blast competition really came alive as some of the IPL superstars joined at the party. There’s no bigger name in T20 than Chris Gayle. Not only did he bring in thousands through the turnstiles at Chelmsford and Taunton but he also sent local residents - human and fish – scurrying and swimming to safety amidst a blitz of sixes. Against Essex, his 92 in 59 balls laid the foundation for a last-ball victory for Somerset. Then, facing a huge Kent total courtesy of Sam Northeast, he smashed an unbeaten 151 only to miss the target by just three runs! What would we do without him?! Hats off, too, to Paul Stirling and Dawid Malan, for giving Middlesex fans plenty to cheer about in the short format game, too. After three weeks, there are no clear favourites; almost every team has won at least one match. Only Kent – with four wins in five – have established some sort of winning sequence.

Team of the Week: Gayle (Som), Stirling (Mid), Northeast (Ken, *), Patel (Not), Watling (NZ), Roy (Sur), Ronchi (NZ, +), Raine (Lei), Wood (Not), Ball (Not), Magoffin (Sus)