Surrey and Kleinveldt shock Somerset and Notts

Only a belated and truncated blog this week owing to my holiday on Crete. Lovely weather, intriguing history and stunning scenery but somewhat lacking in cricket action.

With Essex head and shoulders ahead of everyone else, the Division One microscope was focussed on the relegation battle involving the rest of the counties.

We Somerset fans have endured a sorry summer and, after last week’s fillip, normal misery was restored when we suffered a perfect storm. Not only did Abell’s men get duffed up by Surrey but nearest rivals Middlesex and Yorkshire both won to open up a gap which leaves Somerset probably needing to beat Middlesex this week to maintain their record-breaking top tier stretch.

Steven Finn took 8-79 in the second innings to despatch Lancashire while Yorkshire scrambled to a two-wicket win over Warwickshire. Hampshire had Essex on the rack when Kyle Abbott’s 6-20 destroyed the champs’ first innings. However, 20 year-olds Dan Lawrence (101) and Samuel Cook (5-18) restored the balance of power on the final days. The defeat leaves Hampshire still vulnerable to the drop.  It’s all rather nailbiting.

Nottinghamshire have dominated Division Two all season but, after coming a cropper against third-placed Northamptonshire, now need to win their final match against Sussex to gain the promotion they looked certain to secure only a few weeks ago. Rory Kleinveldt’s 9-65, 4-33 and 91 runs made him the individual all-round performer of the week, although Jeetan Patel ran him close. Glamorgan’s young batsman Kiran Carlsen topped the run-scoring table for the week, striking 191 in the first innings but that man Kumar Sangakkara signed off his home career for Surrey with yet another century, the 103^rd in all cricket. He’s been so supreme in the Championship that on the occasions he is dismissed, spectators are stunned into silence. What a player!

Team of the Week: Wells (Sus), Howell (Glo), Sangakkara (Sur), Carlson (Gla), Davies (Som +), Clarke (Sur), Kleinveldt (Nor), Patel (War), Bailey (Lan), Wood (Not), Finn (Mid)

The Willey and Whiteley Show

Yorkshire went top of the North group thanks largely to a couple of big innings from David Willey. Against Worcestershire, the Vikings smashed a county record 233-6, including a 55-ball 118 by the all-rounder. The Royals’ reply fell well short, but Ross Whiteley stole the headlines with that extremely rare achievement, six sixes in an over. Young off-spinner Karl Carver was the unfortunate bowler.

Burly Richard Levi was smoting sixes at will for Northamptonshire against Nottinghamshire and also whipped 41 in 28 in Leicestershire’s first defeat in the competition so far, albeit on Duckworth-Lewis. Meanwhile, Wayne Madsen furthered his reputation as virtually a one-man team in Derbyshire, accumulating 160 runs and five wickets as an opening bowler. I was also surprised when it was reported that Riki Wessels' 110 against Madsen's side was Notts' first T20 century. He'll miss his old mucker and fellow big-hitter Michael Lumb, though. The former England T20 star announced his immediate retirement this week.

Down South, the rain was the biggest winner. The champagne boys of Surrey lead the table after seven games but their closest rivals have only managed two wins. Poor Glamorgan have experienced three ‘No Results’, including another washout today. I’m not surprised: it poured here in Cardiff most of the day. Kevin Pietersen’s ego-boosting parachute into The Oval resulted in a man-of-the-match half-century followed by a disastrous seven in the London derby, allied to an embarrassing run-out of an angry team-mate Finch! This match, providing an entertaining spectacle under the lights in front of 23,000 fans, was more of a showcase for Surrey’s short-format specialist bowlers like Dernbach and Meaker, supported by the excellent Curran brothers. 

Indeed, it was the bowlers who enjoyed most of the success in the South Group. Jofra Archer’s 4-18 for Sussex was the best of the week, while Mohammad Amir (Essex), Gareth Batty (Surrey) Danny Briggs (Hampshire) and Steven Finn (Middlesex) were consistently economical. For all the latter’s fine performances, and McCullum and Morgan batting, Middlesex prop up the table. However, a few wins would put them at the top. It’s that kind of season. 

Team of the Week: Wessels (Not), Levi (Nor), Willey (Yor), Madsen (Der), Whiteley (Nor), Simpson (Mid +), Pringle (Dur), Batty (Sur), Archer (Sus), Mohammad Amir (Ess), Finn (Mid)