A Retiring Cricketers Team of 2018

Autumn Test and ODI series are in full swing. However, I can’t help looking back upon the careers of cricketers who have bowed out after the latest season in England. The following twelve players make a pretty strong team, too.

He may not be a household name but Johannes Myburgh’s popularity with the Somerset faithful earned him a warm round of applause when he left the field at Taunton for the last time in August. The Pretorian had been at the county for only five seasons yet his one-day performances in particular, including a 42-ball T20 century against Essex a few months ago, endeared him to West Country crowds.

In his native South Africa, Myburgh had once played alongside Jonathan Trott, who also migrated to England to further his career. He did pretty well out of it, too. He eventually qualified for England and, after making piles of runs for Warwickshire, made his debut in the 2009 Ashes series. After a few years his Test batting average was way up in the sixties but by the time he retired in 2015 it was back at a still-decent 44. Although an even better 50-over batsman, he was still doing a sterling job alongside Ian Bell in the County Championship in 2018, striking 124 in his penultimate match.

Another South African-born batsman, Nick Compton has also called it a day. Part of the great Compton cricketing dynasty, he began and ended his county career at Middlesex but it was at good old Somerset that he reached his peak. In 2012, he came within a whisker of achieving the traditional landmark of 1000 runs before the end of May in 2012 and played 16 Tests for England. His steady style seemed well suited to five-dayers but he made only two centuries and was discarded two years ago He’ll be fine as an eloquent pundit, I’m sure.

Former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams is also retiring at the age of 38. Despite his immense value as batsman and fielder to his county, he never quite managed a full senior international appearance ad, after a mediocre 2018, it was probably a good time to step back.

Paul Collingwood was another one-county stalwart, representing his home side of Durham for more than two decades. Including his 300+ appearances for England, he has quite with more than 30,000 runs, 400 wickets and 600 catches to his name. Not as tabloid-friendly as KP, Flintoff et al, he was nonetheless one of England’s finest all-round cricketers for a decade and was still an effective contributor to Durham’s cause into his 40s.

Will Gidman, who has also quite the game, was another all-rounder but who enjoyed a relatively brief stint at the top on the county circuit. He was already 26 when, alongside older brother Alex, he enjoyed a stellar season for Gloucestershire. Notts enticed him away in 2015, followed by Kent but his best cricket was behind him when he left the game aged 33.

Like Gidman, South Australian Stephen Crook may not be a familiar name but for the last several seasons he was a huge hit at Northamptonshire. His seam bowling and big hitting helped the county to two T20 titles but apparently his interests extend well beyond cricket so he won’t be bored in retirement.

Sean Ervine is probably better known, and for numerous summers was a banker in my fantasy cricket team. For Hampshire, he didn’t necessarily make loads of hundreds or collect five-fors but he was one of those consistent all-rounders who would always do a job for you. He split acrimoniously from the Zimbabwe set-up in 2004, otherwise he may have enjoyed more international success.

James Foster must be one of the unluckiest of England players in recent times. One of the best wicketkeeper batsmen in the country he had the misfortune of being a contemporary of Chris Read and Matt Prior, and picked up only seven Test caps in 2001 and 2002. However England’s loss was Essex’s gain and he was a hero at Chelmsford, regaining his place in 2017 to win the Championship crown. He lost his spot this year, though, and at 38 reluctantly stepped down.

James Tredwell was another whose England career was restricted by a parallel career; in his case, Graeme Swann. The mild-mannered, follically challenged Kent off-spinner was never destined for superstar status and he must be one of the very few cricketers who played for two different counties simultaneously (not in the same match obviously!) in different formats.

Another massive Fantasy Cricket points scorer in the past several seasons is Steve Magoffin. A bit of a county journeyman, the Aussie seamer was regularly near the top of the wickets table and bowling averages while at Sussex between 2012 and 2017 and he retires with a total of 597 first-class wickets at an incredible average of just 23.60. Understated, unsung but often unplayable.

Finally a mention for Andy Hodd. His whole career seems to have been spent as understudy, first to Tim Ambrose or Matt Prior at Sussex, then Jonny Bairstow at Yorkshire but when he did step up into the first XI he accumulated more than 5,000 senior runs and 400 dismissals. It seems fitting to make him my 2018 retirees’ twelfth man. Sorry, Hoddy!

Somerset Make it a Three-Way Title Finale

At the start of the week, the County Championship looked like a two-horse race. A few days later, two became three. I would have put money on Yorkshire seaming their way to victory against Somerset at Headingley. However, it all went pear-shaped on the first day as the hosts were bowled out for 145. Despite Ryan Sidebottom’s 5-51, Somerset opened up a considerable first innings lead. The champions fared a bit better on day three but, with Root and Bairstow banned from participating, there was too little support for centurion Jake Lehmann. This time it was slow left-armer Jack Leach who did most of the damage, completing his fourth five-for in five matches. Incredibly Somerset are just one point behind Yorkshire with the final round of games to come.

Gareth Batty may have been called up for England but Leach is by far the most successful leftie in the Championship this summer. At Chester-le-Street neither Batty nor fellow potential Bangladesh tourist Ansari took any wickets as Durham sneaked a 21-run win over Surrey. Sam Curran did his best on the final few days, taking 7-58 then compiling an unbeaten 50 before Stoke and Onions applied the coup-de-gras.

Jason Roy aggregated more than 200 runs in the match but Durham’s Keaton Jennings stole the show with another double-century. He is by some margin the highest scorer in Division One and can add to his tally next week.

With Yorkshire stumbling, Middlesex must have seen the finishing line looming large at Old Trafford, but Lancashire showed some admirable fight. At 248-2 on day one, all was going the leaders’ way, then Jarvis and Kerrigan instigated a collapse. Haseeb Hameed is the talk of the town at the moment but he was dismissed for a duck, while his senior opening partner, 20 year-old Rob Jones carried his bat for 109. Unfortunately, too many hours’ play were lost to produce an exciting climax and a draw ensued.

The bonus points ensured that Middlesex remain on top by nine points. But we’re in for the best finish to the Championship in years. If Somerset beat relegated Nottinghamshire and the Yorkshire-Middlesex clash is drawn, there is a distinct possibility of Somerset’s late charge yielding that elusive first title. Too many ifs and buts, of course, but it keeps things interesting to the last.

In Division Two, Essex were surprisingly humbled at home by struggling Glamorgan. However, the six bonus points collected were sufficient to confirm them as champions. Chris Silverwood seems to have succeeded where others have failed in recent seasons. They have some decent young batsmen but in this game relied too much on captain Ryan Ten Doeschate, James Foster and Graham Napier. Special mention should go to the Welsh side’s Kiran Carlson. Following his embarrassing ‘pair’ last week, the Cardiff 18 year-old struck 119 to become Glamorgan’s youngest ever centurion. It was a very close conclusion but van Gugten and Hogan got the better of the Essex tail and Glamorgan won by eleven runs.

The margin of Worcestershire’s triumph over Sussex was identical at Hove. Nobody made three figures but two bowlers claimed ten wickets or more. Steve Magoffin’s 5-38 and 5-32 deserved to win the game, but Worcester’s new arrival from Barbados, Miguel Cummins snared 12 for 166, claiming the last four to fall.

Northamptonshire have enjoyed an impressive September but their victory over Gloucestershire came to late to challenge for promotion. Ben Duckett signed off with 78 and thoroughly deserves his chance with England. He’s been magnificent in 2016. However, it was Rob Newton and Alex Wakely who produced first innings hundreds which laid the foundation for their final success of the summer. Nevertheless, it took another impressive bowling performance from Ben Sanderson to deny Gloucester an improbable run chase. He took 8-73, taking his season’s first-class tally to 55 at an excellent average of 21.

The Derbyshire-Leicestershire fixture ended in a draw but, while Mark Cosgrove was at the crease, the visitors were in with a chance of knocking off the 347 required. However, when he fell victim to Callum Parkinson for 110, he brakes were applied and it took dogged defence by Jones and Sayer to avoid defeat and hand Derbyshire their first Championship success of the season. Now they must travel to Worcester in hope of ending their 2016 drought. Meanwhile Kent entertain Essex at Canterbury and should have enough points in the bank to join their Thames-side neighbours in the top tier next year.

Team of the Week: Jones (Lan), Jennings (Dur), Cosgrove (Lei), Roy (Sur), Madsen (Der), Ten Doeschate (Ess), Hosein (Der +), Kerrigan (Lan), Cummins (Wor), Magoffin (Sus), Sanderson (Nor)

Willey’s Brilliant Broadside

A rich variety of cricket entertained British cricket fans this week. England’s demolition of hapless Australia at Trent Bridge rightly stole most of the headlines, with Stuart Broad’s incredible first innings 8-15 unlikely to be bettered by anyone all season.

Fortunes were reversed in the Women’s Ashes Test. Jess Jonassen enjoyed an impressive debut with two half-centuries, beginning with a 99, before Ellysse Perry made up for a poor game with the bat by taking 6-32 to clinch the match. England now need to win all three T20 fixtures to retain this version of the Ashes.

Earlier in the week, Yorkshire took another step closer to retaining the Championship by dismantling Durham. Wickets tumbled on the first day, then a double-century stand involving Glenn Maxwell and Adil Rashid piled the pressure onto Mark Stoneman’s men. Plunkett and Rashid completed the job with the ball.

Joe Root may be shining for England but his county ex-colleagues are doing just fine without him, 38 points clear with a game in hand. Middlesex moved back to second place with an exciting victory over Sussex. They came from behind to snatch it by 20 runs, thanks largely to more than 200 runs from Dawid Malan and fine seam bowling by James Harris et al, Steve Magoffin did his usual stuff for Sussex but Malan defied him to set a target that proved just too much.

The London side overtook Warwickshire who came a cropper at the Rose Bowl against Hampshire. James Vince struck a rare century and Fidel Edwards nabbed nine wickets to give the bottom side hope of escaping the drop. Worcestershire remain in trouble after a defeat to Nottinghamshire. Captain Chris Read top-scored for the victors and saw them home by five wickets.

In Division Two, Glamorgan’s loss to Gloucestershire and Surrey’s triumph at Colchester leaves Lancashire and Surrey scorching favourites to be promoted with four matches remaining. Rory Burns scored more runs than anybody else this week, while spin duo Batty and Ansari twirled away industriously for fifteen wickets between them. Monty Panesar made a more modest return for Essex, for whom Nick Browne and Mark Pettini contributed centuries.

There were no hundreds at Swansea, but David Payne was probably the star perfomer, taking eight Glamorgan scalps. Leicestershire enjoyed their first home victory for three years, beating Derbyshire by three wickets. Sadly for them, their sixteen points awarded for the win were later docked because of their persistently poor disciplinary record. It’s normally their on-pitch performance which leaves them bottom of the League but in 2015 it may owe more to whingeing at the umpires.

Finally, the Nat West Blast entered its quarter-final phase. There have been some encouragingly big crowds this summer, particularly at the larger grounds like Edgbaston. The Birmingham Bears were roaring again against Essex, while Hampshire needed James Vince and bad light at New Road to beat Worcestershire, en route for a sixth consecutive Finals Day appearance. David Willey’s 40-ball century and 3-27 took Northants into the semi-finals, while Lancashire join them following a dramatic tie today at Canterbury. Kent went out on wickets lost!

Team of the Week: Burns (Sur), Willey (Nor), Vince (Ham *), Madsen (Der), Malan (Mid), Perry (Aus Women), N O’Brien (Lei +), Woakes (War), Broad (Eng), Edwards (Ham), Magoffin (Sus).

Hogand and Magoffin - Australia's loss, England's gain

As a cricket fan, I'm not enamoured of the central contract system. As soon as a fast bowler takes a few wickets, he is whisked off to the Performance Squad, tours with the Lions, maybe makes the England squad and if he's really good, will hardly ever grace the county game again. No wonder young people have no interest in the domestic game if their local heroes aren't allowed to be seen outside the expensive Test arenas. I fear for Somerset even more now that the Overton twins have been introduced to the ODI set-up.

These days the most consistent quality bowlers in county cricket are neither English nor young; they are Australian thirty-somethings Michael Hogan and Steve Magoffin.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Hoges a few times since moving to Cardiff. Since coming to Glamorgan in 2013, he has been mightily impressive in all formats. That year he captured 100 wickets in all competitions then in 2014 he took 63 in the Championship at under 20 apiece. Unfortunately he missed the start of this summer’s campaign but is starting to regain that metronomic consistency Sophia Gardens has come to expect. His long stride and high action make him so difficult to play. In Saturday’s T20 clash with Somerset, he conceded only 14 runs off four overs, including the last, and even delivered a maiden!

He may be 34 but only made his first-class debut six year ago, when Western Australia plucked him from club cricket in NSW. He took 3-29 in his debut, taking the scalps of Chris Rogers and David Hussey in the same over. In fact, he is in Glamorgan on a British passport so maybe he’s a better bet than Mark Wood or Steve Finn should a crisis unfold. OK, that’s not going to happen, but he has an impressive record. His averages in first-class, List A and T20 formats are almost identical, and all are sub-25. Pretty darned good!

Hogan made his debuts Down Under in the same WA team as Steve Magoffin, who has really found his feet at Sussex in the past few seasons. A year older but just as tall, the Perth-educated Queenslander also had a late start, aged 24, before swinging and seaming his way through several successful Aussie summers. Furthering his cricketing education in the county game, Magoffin seems to be more settled on the South Coast, where he is now in his fourth year.

Unlike Hogan, Magoffin rarely plays the shorter formats but as long as he is taking wickets and conceding so few runs in the four-day tournament, Sussex won’t care one jot. In 2015, he’s already captured 43 Division One wickets at 22 apiece, including twelve at Trent Bridge and four in his first three overs yesterday against leaders Durham. In eleven years, he has almost 500 in first-class cricket, a creditable total from 127 matches.

All in all, batsmen should never ignore Messrs Magoffin and Hogan. They may not be household names but they are consistently amongst the top performers on the county circuit. They may not be about to be plundered by the ECB or CA so enjoy them while you can on a ground near you.

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)

Team of the Week: Browne Breaks Records

After missing the previous week while in Tenerife (not much interest in cricket in an international hotel during the football World Cup!), it was back to the usual mixture of the quick and quirky at home and abroad. While Yorkshire's L-men Lyth and Leez produced another big opening stand, they can't compete with young Nick Browne. He became the first Essex batsman to strike two unbeaten centuries in the same match, and they happened to be the first senior three-figure scores of his career! Meanwhile, the rather more experienced Hashim Amla was taking two consecutive hundreds off the Sri Lankans in SA's ODI series, no mean feat.

No room for Nick Compton in the England set-up but he twice passed 80 for Somerset in the Championship draw with Middlesex, followed by a brisk 46 in today's T20 win over local rivals Gloucestershire. Leicestershire skipper Josh Cobb was also in the runs in both competitions; a 137 versus Kent and 60 in the T20 against Lancashire. Luke Wright's 158 for Sussex was the highest score of the week, albeit against Northamptonshire, so he edges out other middle-order centurions Will Gidman and Dawid Malan. Paul Stirling's week consisted of three half-centuries for Middlesex, which should help him nail down a solid place in the side.

My wicketkeeper is not David Bairstow, despite his rapid T20 hundred today. His Championship duck cancelled it out! Jos Buttler also made some swift T20 runs for Lancashire but my gloves go to Surrey skipper Gary Wilson who scored an unbeaten 97 as well as captaining the county to another big Championship win which puts them right in the promotion mix.

I was tempted to add Andrew Flintoff to the team after his five wickets in the biff-bang stuff. However, he barely batted and was somewhat fortunate to get those wickets. Chris Tremlett, on the other hand, combined a five-four and late-order 56 for Surrey, while Mitch Claydon trumped that with 5-77 and 77 for Kent against Leicestershire. Anthony Ireland's 5-22 was the pick of the short-format bowling performances in England but Sunil Narine's stupendous return of 4-1-3-0 for Guyana in the CPL opener takes the biscuit for economy, and for a change also keeps Saeed Ajmal out of the XI.

Finally, in comes Steve Magoffin. Such a consistent wicket-taker in the first-class game for Sussex, he claimed 5-12 and 3-28 in the county's demolition of Northants. Sorry, Freddie, must try considerably harder!

He wasn't as good as: Amla (SA), Browne (Ess), Compton (Som), Cobb (Leic), Wright (Sus), Stirling (Mid), Wilson (Sur, + *), Claydon (Kent), Ireland (Leic), Magoffin (Sus), Narine (Guy)

Northants Misery goes on....

In a summer of dramatic finishes and topsy-turvy performances, one thing has been constant: Northamptonshire's inability to win a County Championship match. They don't even get close. This week the beneficiaries were Sussex; the margin: an innings and 86 runs, achieved in barely two days. Nice to see David Willey back bowling after his back injury but Luke Wright's 158 defied everyone bar Andrew Hall, then the seaming pitch was tailor-made for Steve Magoffin. The Aussie took 5-12 and 3-28 as Northants - with the honourable exception of bowler Steven Crook - capitulated once more. Sussex advanced to sixth in the table, while the Wantage Road outfit languish sixty-four points adrift at the bottom.

With Nottinghamshire not playing this week, Yorkshire return to pole position despite failing to press home their first innings dominance over Durham. Openers Adam Lyth and Alex Leez shared another massive partnership (270) but on the final day the visitors held on for a draw thanks to half-centuries by Richardson, Stoneman and Mustard. Somerset cling on to third despite being second best to Middlesex for most of the game at Uxbridge. Dawid Malan made it two successive centuries, while Paul Stirling and newcomer Nick Gubbins each struck two 50s before Chris Rogers declared on the final morning. Fortunately for my lot, Nick Compton and James Hildreth remained in good nick and defeat was easily avoided.

Somerset have a reasonable chance of bouncing back with a trip to Wantage Road next weekend although, knowing our luck, Peters will strike a 'triple' and Azharullah will take 8-20 and 6-15 and that'll be that! Nottinghamshire can reclaim top spot by beating Lancashire at Liverpool.

In Division Two, Hampshire were given a scare at the Rose Bowl. Gloucestershire racked up 504-8 declared and might have won the match had Hampshire's last pair Tomlinson and Balcombe not hung around for thirty-odd overs and scored rare half-centuries. Will Gidman's 119 was the top score in the match. Worcestershire now have the luxury of a four-point lead with a game in hand, with Leicestershire next in line.

Hants must also be concerned to see Surrey's winning streak continuing. From another disastrous early season, Gary Wilson's side have won three of their last four fixtures, thrashing Glamorgan by nine wickets. The Colwyn Bay sea air clearly did Chris Tremlett the world of good. He took 5-60 and thumped four sixes on the first three days before Chris Cooke staved off an innings defeat. Zafar Ansari completed his second century, while both Rory Burns and skipper Wilson each made 97 in a mammoth score of 589-8 declared.

Kent also won as the Grace Road wicket seemed to get increasingly easy as the match wore on. Mitch Claydon and, unsurprisingly, Darren Stevens each weighed in with a half-century and five-for before Sam Northeast's measured 112 not out saw Kent home by six wickets. Finally at Chesterfield, it was a fairly even contest between Derbyshire and Essex. Even with Ryan Ten Doeschate blasting 104, the target of 367 in 61 overs was never going to be achieved. The game will best be remembered for the performance of Nick Browne. The 23 year-old opener scored his maiden hundred in the first innings then produced his second on the final day! Not only that, but in so doing he became the first Essex batsman to hit unbeaten centuries in both innings of a Championship contest. Maybe he should swap places with another Essex opener struggling for runs....?!

Somerset get my summer going

It was a week of sun and showers, even in Taunton, but Somerset still had the measure of Sussex. Their six wicket triumph inside three days too the Cidermen to the top of Division One for the first time in ages. That elusive first Championship is still another eight matches away but it's a great feeling to see them in that position at the halfway stage. Ed Joyce and that bete noire Steve Magoffin threatened to derail the victory charge but a spirited late-order innings from Craig Overton, four wickets in four balls from Alfonso Thomas and some final big hits from Craig Kieswetter took us past the finishing line with a day to spare. Magoffin's first innings 6-60 took his career first class wicket tally past 400 and he remains one of the most dangerous seamers on the county circuit.

Yorkshire could have gone top had they not drawn against Nottinghamshire. James Taylor and Chris Read struck the only half-centuries in the game but too much play was lost on the first two days to achieve a result. There was less rain at Edgbaston but Warwickshire's even contest with Lancashire leaves the counties sixth and seventh in the league, respectively. The visitors' Steven Croft fired only his seventh century in four-day cricket.

In Division Two, the two leaders met at Worcester and the resulting draw leaves them dead level on points, 34 clear of third placed Essex. Worcestershire's 'keeper Ben Cox finally made his debut hundred, then Saed Ajmal's 7-63 forced Hampshire to follow on. However, England's loss was the county's gain as Michael Carberry helped stave off defeat with 125, aided by a predictably swifter 85 from Glenn Maxwell.

Evergreen Darren Stevens is also no slouch with the bat and his first day 105 for Kent came at more than a run a ball. However, Tom Westley (116) and Ravi Bopara (162) shared a second-wicket stand of 247 for Essex and their hosts were content to play out the final day for a draw. Essex's signing for the T20 season, Jesse Ryder is normally renowned for his brutal batting but this week he produced not one, but two five-fors with the ball!

It was also a week to remember for David Wainwright. The Derbyshire spinner took 5-54 and delivered a patient century as his side completed a nine-wicket win over Leicestershire, who had at least matched their neighbours for the first two days. Niall O'Brien top scored for the struggling home team in both innings but captain Ramnesh Sarwan continued his woeful form.

It wqas a rollercoaster affair at Bristol. Dunn, Tremlett and Roy rolled Gloucestershire over for 112, then Surrey coasted (see what I did there...?) to a mammoth 626-6 declared. Solanki and Roy each reached three figures while Rory Burns fell on 199, easily his best score so far. With two days left, Surrey must have fancied their chances of achieving a second success in the league this summer. However, Michael Klinger and Ian Cockbain dug their heels in and contrived to prevent a loss which looked almost certain when they faced a first innings deficit of over 500!

Derbyshire are now only nine points adrift of Amla and co and will leapfrog them by beating them next week. Hampshire could put even more daylight between themselves and promotion-chasers Essex in their clash at the Rose Bowl while Worcestershire have an easier task at winless Leicester.

Ponting's Last, Agar's First

It's been a spectacular week for Australian batsmen - and one bowler masquerading as a batsman! I'll deal with Ashton Agar's spectacular record-breaking Test innings separately but there were some even bigger scores from some of his more illustrious countrymen now plying their trade in the County Championship. Surrey remain in deep trouble after yet another draw at The Oval. However, their match against Nottinghamshire will go down as Ricky Ponting's very last in first-class cricket. Fortunately he bowed out in grand style, passing 24,000 runs and reaching his 82nd century, half of which have come in Test cricket. The ovation accorded him as he left the pitch on 169 not out was heartfelt. He may have been a love-hate figure in England but all true fans of the game appreciate his contribution to the sport over the years.

In a mid-table clash, one of Punter's former team-mates, Adam Voges, struck 150 and 51 for Middlesex, albeit in a losing cause. Warwickshire's victory was built on the foundations of one of Virun Chopra's trademark big hundreds, this time an unbeaten 228. Sussex remain top of Division One, thumping Somerset inside three days. Another Aussie did a lot of damage; Steve Magoffin, albeit with the ball. I managed to sneak a glimpse of him giving Craig Meschede a torrid time on Monday afternoon, but even Nick Compton fell to him twice for only seven runs. Marcus Trescothick would love to have scored that many. Two ducks made it four in succession in all forms of cricket! Could it be that the Somerset stalwart's powers are finally waning? I hope not. Durham advanced to second after easily dismissing Derbyshire. SA-born opener Keaton Jennings almost beat Derby on his own, contributing 216 runs, while Chris Rushworth enjoyed replacing England squad member Graham Onions' as new ball merchant, taking 10-103 in total.

In Division Two, Lancashire won the battle of the top two, defeating Northants by eight wickets. Cameron White top-scored for the home side in the first innings but then Simon Katich, a year younger than Ponting, stroked his way to 200. Spinner Simon Kerrigan's 7-63 and Glen Chapple did the rest. Aussie-born Michael Hogan is now officially England-qualified and playing in Wales. His bowling helped Glamorgan keep up with Hampshire for two days and when Marcus North (from Melbourne) took 5-30, a second win of the season looked on the cards. However, James Tomlinson and Danny Briggs bowled Hants to victory by 43 runs.

At the time of writing, Gloucestershire and Kent are slugging it out on an ultra-flat Cheltenham strip where only eleven wickets have fallen on the first three days. Four home batsmen have helped themselves to centuries, led by Alex Gidman's 211 but - guess what? - yet another Aussie, Michael Klinger, creamed 102 not out against some part-time 'declaration' bowling (plus Vernon Philander). Kent will need 411 to win on another hot day, and on this pitch, it's not as impossible as it first sounds.

Amidst more T20 knockabouts, there's another round of Championship fixtures next week. Sussex could open up a big lead at the top of Division One if they beat Middlesex but Yorkshire could regain second spot if they follow the form book against lowly Derbyshire. Even without Root or Bairstow, they should win easily, and without any Aussies, too.

Sussex Surge to the Top

Already 2013 is turning into a nightmare for Somerset, with a second successive heavy defeat. This week's beneficiaries Sussex displaced Middlesex from the top position in the County Championship. At Horsham Marcus Trescothick's men could muster only 182 runs across both innings, with Steve Magoffin returning stupendous match statistics of 12-31, including a career-best 8-20 on the first morning.

With a near washout on day one, it was remarkable that Durham and Middlesex almost created a result at Chester-le-Street. Graeme Onions was the pick of the bowlers while Steve Borthwick, newly converted number three batsman for Durham, collected a couple of half-centuries. However, the draw meant both counties lost ground to Sussex.

In Division Two, it was also a great week for thirty-something seam bowlers. Worcestershire advanced to fourth after 2013 Wisden Cricketer of the Year Alan Richardson picked up twelve Gloucestershire wickets. Moeen Ali's century also contributed to a nine-wicket victory. It was a good week not to be playing, with the weather forcing the other games to be drawn. Northants rested yet still remain 25 points clear of the rest. Nearest challengers Essex were second-best for much of their home tie against Kent, for whom Darren Stevens combined 136 runs with a 4-36.

Lancashire stand on equal points with Essex after taking eight points in Hampshire. Andrea Agathangelou achieved his first Championship century for the Red Roses then, as the match petered out on the last day, Gareth Cross and Steven Cross each made three figures, too. The veteran bowler scenario was also maintained by Glen Chapple's 5-55. In the remaining fixture, Glamorgan set up a 300-run first innings lead over Leicestershire. Jim Allenby (138 not out) and Michael Hogan (4-25) were the top performers on the opening days before the rain took charge.

Leicestershire are still flirting with bottom placing, just ahead of Kent, but at least they brought off an impressive run chase to inflict a first YB40 defeat of Somerset this weekend. Thye need to take confidence from that result as they prepare for an important four-day clash with Kent. At the other end of the table, Hampshire need to win at Northampton to stay in touch with their opponents in the promotion race.

In Division One, Sussex can establish a healthy lead should they overcome Nottinghamshire at Hove, while Yorkshire must fancy their chances in Taunton. Somerset have won some famous victories there against the Tykes in recent seasons but Tres and co must rediscover their once-dominant batting form if they are to record a first Championship triumph of 2013. Derbyshire and Surrey meet in a battle at the bottom. Whoever wins will probably overtake Somerset but a draw wil do neither side a favour.