Essex on a roll, Somerset robbed

 Reigning county champions Essex are the only side with a 100% record thanks to a nervy win at Hove and rain elsewhere. An Lawrence’s 60 was the top score in the match, so it was the familiar combination of seamer Jamie Porter and spinner Simon Harmer which clinched it. Sussex’s George Garton took nine wickets, including Alastair Cook twice, but all in vain. 

Surrey also have a 100% record – of losses – after succumbing to an innings defeat at Arundel. Alsop and Northeast each scored 80+ while Ian Holland claimed a first-innings 6-60 and James Fuller scooped a hat-trick on the final day. At this rate, Surrey will do well to avoid a whitewash. In the other South group, Surrey’s next opponents Kent settled for a home draw with Middlesex after the latter set them an unlikely target of 248 in 32 overs. Robbie White missed his maiden century by a whisker, caught off Darren Stevens on 99. 

Somerset had a topsy-turvy ride at Edgbaston. Struggling to earn a single bonus point, Jamie Overton joined Stephen Davies and put on 190 for the ninth wicket. The bowler thumped six sixes and 15 fours in his 120 and his team looked set to secure an innings victory before the last of several rain delays proved terminal, with Warwickshire eight wickets down. Sums up Somerset’s grim luck with the red ball. 

Worcestershire leapfrogged them at the top of Central division by beating Northants at Wantage Road by 78 runs. Tom Fell was the hero, his 110 the first Championship century since his cancer diagnosis five years ago. At a soggy Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire batsmen struggled again. Home skipper Chris Cooke once more led a second-innings resistance before the weather closed in for good. 

Further north, group leaders Yorkshire and Derbyshire had to settle for a draw at Headingley, but similar results elsewhere ensured they retained the top two positions. Dawid Malan scored a career-best 219 for his new county before Derbyshire worked towards a third batting bonus point at close of play. Derby next meet Durham who to their credit agreed a competitive last-day contest with Leicestershire. A final-hour thrash could have brought Leicester the spoils but another shower prevented a result. 

At Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire made Lancashire follow on, thanks largely to a 178-run stand involving Ben Duckett and Ben Slater, who could be forgiven for a degree of confusion. A fortnight ago, he was striking 172, but for Leicestershire! Last week he made a ‘pair’ and now the runs returned for his new club. A first success of the summer was thwarted when openers Jennings and Davies dug in for the draw. They’ll need more such grit if they are to win next week’s Roses battle. 

Team of the Week: Slater (Not), Robson (Mid), Duckett (Not), Malan (Yor), Fell (Wor), Davies (Som +), J Overton (Som), Holland (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Payne (Glo), Garton (Sus)

Renshaw runs lift Somerset to the top

Excuse me while I attempt to bring my feet fluttering back to earth but it has been a giddy day or two on the cricketing fields of England and Scotland. First there were the pictures of stony-faced Root, Hales, Ali, Rashid et al having been dealt a maiden ODI defeat by the likes of Kyle Coetzer, Calum MacLeod, Mark Watt and George Munsey in front of 6,000 disbelieving fans in Edinburgh. England may well go on to defeat Australia but the Scots can always boast of beating the world’s number one 50-over cricket nation. Next was the sight of Sarah Taylor adding another century to her effortless wicketkeeping for England against South Africa. Now the best of all: Somerset going top of the County Championship!

We’ve done it before, of course. Somerset’s problem for 120 years is never being in that position at the end of the season. With injuries and England call-ups, we ought to be at the opposite end of the table but I shall enjoy the moment while I can. Having forced the previous leading side Nottinghamshire to follow on, Tom Abell’s side must have contemplated wrapping things up inside three days. However, the Notts batting was far more resilient second time around and, with Tom Moores completing his first Championship century, they ended up setting Somerset a tricky 248 to win on the final day. I needn’t have worried. Matt Renshaw took his match aggregate to 167 and Stephen Davies and Abell compiled one of their useful fifth-wicket stands to clinch victory.

They lead the table by a single point from Surrey, who pounded Hampshire by an innings at Southampton. Rory Burns top-scored with 151 before his attack bowled the home side out twice. Rikki Clarke claimed a five-for while Morne Morkel’s debut featured two typically miserly blasts with the ball. It doesn’t get easier for Somerset because they now face a trip to The Oval and a potential dive down the table should Essex beat Notts.

The champions advanced to third having dealt Lancashire a five-wicket defeat at Old Trafford. Last year’s stars Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer were again in fine fettle, garnering seven wickets apiece. Essex may be missing captain Ryan Ten Doeschate next week after he was punished for another disciplinary indiscretion with a one-match ban.

In Division Two, Ian Bell became the first Warwickshire player to score two hundreds in a match since – er – he last did it in 2004. Strange to think he hadn’t reached three figures in red-ball cricket for two years then does it twice in a few days. Helped by Jonathan Trott and solid bowling support, Warwickshire outclassed Glamorgan to more twenty-four points clear. Kent remain second but, having amassed almost 600 in the first innings and Matt Henry proceeding to take 6-58, they must be disappointed not to have taken maximum points at Bristol. Instead, Gloucestershire fought back with Dent and van Buuren and secured a draw.

Leicestershire must be feeling dizzy in third place but they were worthy winners over Northamptonshire who can’t seem to score runs. Zak Chappell’s first-innings 6-44 and an excellent performance from medium-pacer Ben Raine, eclipsing his opening partner Mohammed Abbas, helped set up a six-wicket success. 

At Chester-le-Street, Durham contrived to beat Derbyshire despite being skittled for 96 on the opening morning, when Duanne Olivier nabbed 5-20. The inexperienced Gareth Harte’s 114 started to reverse fortunes while the very experienced Chris Rushworth completed the comeback with 5-46. 

As in Division One, next week sees first playing second so, if Warwickshire defeat Kent, Durham could enter the promotion zone should they overcome Sussex at Arundel. With no money and their best batsmen pilfered by the big boys, Durham will be relieved and proud of such an improvement. Northants will host Gloucestershire and harbour hopes of securing a first Championship triumph of 2018.

Team of the Week: 

Renshaw (Som), Burns (Sur), Bell (War), Denly (Ken), Khawaja (Gla), Davies (Som +), van Buuren (Glo), Raine (Lei), Harmer (Ess), Olivier (Der), Rushworth (Dur)

Derbyshire and Glamorgan Hold Firm

Championship strugglers Derbyshire and Warwickshire continued to rule the roost in the T20 North division, each recording their fifth victories of the season. Luis Reece’s best T20 score of his short career, 97 not out against Lancashire, was instrumental in their win over Lancashire, while New Zealand paceman Matt Henry’s six wickets also proved vital in their progress this week.

Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire also picked up two more victories, thwarted by the weather from making it a 100% record for the week. Alex Hales was arguably the county player of the past seven days, improving his scores steadily, culminating in his 101 against Yorkshire. Their mighty top four batsmen make it easier for the relatively weak attack, although Samit Patel, Steven Mullaney and Jake Ball chipped in.

At the other end of the table, Durham finally achieved their first T20 success of the season. Their fixture at Leicester may have ended up as a seven-over thrash but a six-wicket win is still a win. The two Pauls Coughlin and Collingwood each scored rapid 30s to clinch the two points. A couple of days later, when the latter raced to his first T20 century at the age of 41, a second victory looked on the cards. However, Worcestershire’s Joe Clarke, 20 years Collingwood’s junior, trumped him with a dazzling 124 not out from just 53 balls, and his team reached their huge 200+ target with eleven balls to spare.

Despite, or because of, their four no-results, Glamorgan advanced to the summit of the South group. Coincidentally their winning margin against both Gloucestershire and Kent was 25 runs. In each game, Jacques Rudolph hit a half-century and new arrival David Miller produced a rapid cameo, whilst the bowlers all contributed, too.

Somerset climbed to third behind the Welsh and Surrey, thanks to triumphs over South Coast neighbours Sussex and Hampshire. All the squad played their parts but Stephen Davies was the most consistent cameo batsman. The ever-reliable Gloucestershire opener Michael Klinger scored 52 and 101 but was deprived of continuing the sequence at Chelmsford when rain intervened.

Next week includes a host of potentially money-spinning local derbies on Friday evening. Warwickshire host Worcestershire, Sussex nip along to Kent, Somerset travel a few junctions on the M5 to Bristol, Durham and Yorkshire battle for the North East spoils, but the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire duel could be the most interesting in relation to the North group qualification places.

Team of the Week: Hales (Not), Klinger (Glo), Clarke (Wor), Davies (Som +), Denly (Ken), Northeast (Ken), Collingwood (Dur), Mullaney (Not), Rashid (Yor), Henry (Der), Parkinson (Lei)