County Cricket: Abell Somerset Pipped to the Title again

For a Somerset supporter, it’s a tired, weary refrain but, like so many other years in the past two decades, 2026 brought great hopes of that maiden Championship crown only for them to be dashed in the last couple of weeks. For much of the summer, it has looked like a two-horse race. Essex and Surrey were in the frame early on, and Warwickshire had their noses in front for a week in April but for most of the season, Somerset and Nottinghamshire have been nose to nose. 

Yorkshire have not had the best campaigns but they ended up playing a major role in deciding the fate of the Championship pennant. Not only did they do the double over Somerset but also nicked their match at Trent Bridge, derailing the Notts charge. Credit to Warwickshire for coming up on the rails with three consecutive victories. 

This week, the long-time candidates knew the race was run once Warwickshire had already established a first-innings lead against Leicestershire at the end of day one. Usually it is Oliver Hannon-Dalby topping the wickets table but this season, it is the equally unsung Ethan Bamber who has been a revelation with the ball, ending the season with another nine wickets. Sam Hain also finished strongly, capping a supreme September with 142. 

Nottinghamshire seemed to have the edge on Yorkshire but when Ben Coad and Jack White left their second innings in tatters at 85 all out, the tide was turning. Yet Notts were not yet defeated. Kiwi ‘keeper Mitch Hay was busy with six catches and a stumping but, with wickets tumbling, Jonny Bairstow went on the attack and won the game with his third six of the innings. 

So what about Somerset? The Taunton faithful were deflated as Dan Lawrence’s ton put old rivals Surrey in charge at stumps on Thursday. The home side simply had to rack up a massive total and hope to bowl them out twice. They came darned close, defied only by the Sunday rain. Saturday was a day of amazing batting achievements. Tom Lammonby hit a career-best 229 and shared a stand of 334 with Tom Abell, who produced a sensational ‘triple’ of his own, including four consecutive sixes off poor Ralphie Albert. He then put on 195 with a free-hitting Migael Pretorius (84) for the ninth wicket, a county record. The innings total of 731 was Somerset’s second highest ever. Reducing Surrey to 68-4, there was a chance that Leach and the seamers could still win the match but it was not to be. 

Sussex won the South Coast derby at Southampton against relegated Hampshire. Bowlers were generally in charge, especially Sussex’s Tom Price and Jaydev Unadkat, but skipper Tom Haines showed the home county what they had consistently failed to do all summer, scoring a decisive 130. Had they not been docked twelve points for their 2025 financial problems, Sussex would have finished above Somerset. 

Elsewhere, Glamorgan capped a surprisingly solid campaign with a commanding performance against Essex. Asa Tribe (184) and Kiran Carlson (107) pushed their first innings to 505 and opener Zain ul-Hassan weighed in with the ball; his medium-pacers yielding 5-14. Dean Elgar ended his first-class career with a battling 108 and a rapid 68 by George Bell saved the game. It was an end of an era at Cardiff, too, as their faithful middle-order also bowed out. Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke have been loyal servants for many years and Joe Root’s brother Billy also walked into the sunset with another fifty to his name. 

In Division Two, champions-elect Durham and Lancashire fought a weather-affected draw at Old Trafford. Emilio Gay ended the season as he began with 141, while the home side’s Josh Bohannon ended his 2026 drought with an unbeaten 190. Kent confirmed their promotion with an eight-wicket triumph over bottom county Gloucestershire. Ben Compton’s 126 and Matt Milnes’ nine wickets were the highlights. 

Like Bohannon, Ryan Higgins has not enjoyed the best domestic campaign but the Middlesex all-rounder left the best to last. Just days after his century against Leicestershire helped bring the One-Day Cup to Lord’s, he scored another – alongside a 4-30 bowling stint - as the North Londoners despatched Northants by seven wickets. 

Worcestershire finished above Derbyshire by beating them at New Road. In a low-scoring encounter, Matthew Waite struck the game’s only half-century, while Ben Allison produced match analyses of 11-64, surely one of the best bowling performances all year. 

Team of the Week: Lammonby (Som), Tribe (Gla), Bohannon (Lan), Hain (War), Abell (Som), Higgins (Mid), Bairstow (Yor +), T Price (Sus), Bamber (War), Milnes (Ken), Aliison (Wor)

County Cricket: It’s Warwickshire’s Title to Lose

The penultimate round of Championship fixtures threw all sorts of spanners into the works. Leicestershire were docked 27 points for their sub-standard pitch last month, but their five-wicket victory over Hampshire gave them faint hope of Division One survival whilst relegating their defeated rivals. Yet again, Hampshire failed to register a batting bonus point, Ian Holland taking 6-38, but at least Nick Gubbins made 132 in the second innings to give Leicester a stiff target. However, with Kelly and Cox putting on 156 for the fifth wicket, success was assured. 

Essex are the only county within reach of Leicestershire, after succumbing to a two-day hammering by Warwickshire. Ethan Bamber took his season’s wicket tally to sixty as the home side were bowled out twice for under 200. Warwickshire’s rapid win added pressure to title rivals Nottinghamshire and Somerset. For three days at Leeds, there was little to choose between the Cidermen and Yorkshire. Inexperienced Tyke seamer Ben Cliff took 8-76 but the real turning point was the patient stand of 166 between George Hill and former Somerset spinner Dom Bess, which yanked their side from 54-6 to respectability. The visitors looked rocky on 76-3 but Ben Coad and Cliff again ripped through the rest to leave Somerset eleven points adrift of the Midlanders. 

At Hove, third-placed Nottinghamshire were always struggling against Sussex, who established a 118-run first-innings lead. On day four, there was to be no fairytale revival as Aristides Karvelas, who must be the only Greece-registered bowler in the county game, took 5-42, then his team knocked off the required 76 with the loss of three wickets. 

Twenty wickets tumbled on the first day at The Oval, so the match was decided by a second-innings runfest. Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe compiled an excellent 155 and Mason Crane a career-best 114 not out on their way to a total of 594. Despite a century from Ryan Patel, Surrey could not get close and slipped to their fourth loss of a disappointing summer. They now cannot finish higher than fifth. 

Surrey now stand in the way of Somerset’s bid for that elusive maiden title but, if Warwickshire avoid defeat at home to Leicestershire, the pennant will transfer from Trent Bridge to Edgbaston next season. Sigh…. 

In Division Two, Durham maintained their unbeaten record with a draw against Worcestershire. Former India opener Mayank Agarwal struck the week’s highest individual score (177) on day one, assisted by ‘keeper Ollie Robinson (97), but a 179 partnership for Hose and D’Oliveira anchored a solid response in spite of Ben Stokes’ six wickets. Weather and time conspired to produce a stalemate on the fourth day. 

Behind them – a long way behind – Kent advanced into the second promotion slot by beating Lancashire inside three days. Khaled Ahmed ended with match analyses of 8-94 as Kent eased to a win by seven wickets. Fellow Durham-chasers Northamptonshire were just twenty-three runs short of a brilliant triumph versus Derbyshire when bad light and rain cruelly intervened. The soon-to-retire Derby captain Wayne Madsen ended a barren run of form with a first-innings 151, but Ricardo Vasconcelos (132) set Northants on their way to a probable vital win before the elements took charge. 

At Bristol, foul weather also denied Middlesex a deserved victory over bottom side Gloucestershire. Visiting ‘keeper Harry Duke’s 94 was the game’s top score but on the final day it was the seam duo of Higgins and Roland-Jones who had the hosts on the rack at 145-9 until play was called off. 

These two will now help decide who goes up with Durham. Northants travel to Lord’s this week while Gloucester visit Canterbury, where Kent are surely favourites. It is getting tense…. 

Team of the Week: Vasconcelos (Nor), Tribe (Gla), Agarwal (Dur), Madsen (Der), Hose (Wor), Duke (Mid +), Daz Ahmed (Glo), Holland (Lei), Khaled Ahmed (Ken), Cliff (Yor), Bamber (War)

County Cricket: Somerset at the Summit

For the second week in succession, runs were very much in short supply and the only teams to break 400 were the big guns of the First Division. Leaders Nottinghamshire led the way with 451-8, bolstered by centuries by Jack Haynes and Liam Patterson-White. However, having lost much of Wednesday to rain, they needed Leicestershire to capitulate. For once, they didn’t. Josh Hull dug in for 97, then the tenth-wicket pair of Scriven and Davey added a vital 106 to avoid the follow-on. With no time to force a result, Haseeb Hameed helped himself to 109 not out before they called it a day. 

By then, both Somerset and Warwickshire had already clinched victories and the all-important points that entailed. Somerset were first to celebrate, steamrollering Glamorgan by an innings. Tom Lammonby (95) top-scored, and Craig Overton and Jack Leach were the pick of the bowlers. Warwickshire’s margin of victory over Hampshire was even more emphatic, also within three days. Rob Yates made 109 and Indian spinner Manav Suthar claimed seven wickets to leave their opponents rooted to the bottom. A season’s total of three batting bonus points tells the story of their miserable campaign. 

So Somerset sit top, five points ahead of Warwickshire and twelve above Notts, but there is plenty to play for, and I know Somerset will blow it yet again. Below the top three, Sussex edged Essex by 47 runs. In their first innings, Essex lost their last seven wickets for just six runs, including James Crocombe’s second hat-trick in as many matches. That’s a rare achievement. James Coles had another fine all-round performance and opposite number Matt Critchley did his best to maintain the Essex run chase before being last out on 96. 

The Oval witnessed an even more exciting climax. In a very low-scoring affair, with nobody making a half-century, it all came down to a Friday afternoon showdown. Matthew Fisher’s 6-25 in Yorkshire’s second innings left Surrey a target of 185. While still more wickets tumbled, Josh Blake compiled the most important unbeaten 43 of his first-class career but it was number eleven batsman Dan Worrall who clipped the winning boundary at the death for a one-wicket triumph. It was only Surrey’s second of the summer, but their chances of reclaiming the Championship are nil. 

Somerset next travel to Leicester, Warwickshire to Cardiff, while Notts host Hampshire. All might be expected to win but rain and determination to avoid the drop could easily upset the odds. 

Durham continued to run away with Division Two, collecting victory number nine, meaning a win at Middlesex next week will guarantee promotion with two games remaining.  They didn’t have it all their own way at Northants. David Bedingham passed 1,000 runs for the season but the clincher was Callum Parkinson’s 6-20 as the home side were wiped out for a frightful fifty runs. Nobody reached double figures! 

Kent consolidated their second place by defeating Worcestershire by 84 runs. Sam Northeast’s second-innings 132 inflicted much of the damage and, although Brett d’Oliveira stuck around for a 5 ½-hour 103 not out, his colleagues fell by the wayside too readily. Gloucestershire enjoyed a rare moment of glory. After losing nine of their previous ten in the league, they thumped Derbyshire by 213 runs. James Bracey found some belated form, scoring a century in each innings, then handing the baton to slow left-armer Sai Kishore who bamboozled the Derby line-up for eighteen frugal overs and a final analysis of 5-20. 

Lancashire’s woes persisted when they lost heavily to Middlesex. Luke Hollman’s 54 was the game’s top score as bowlers took charge. George Balderson bowled well for Jimmy Anderson’s side but Helm, Higgins and Sharma eclipsed him. Middlesex now have the unenviable task of overcoming rampant Durham if they are to have the slightest chance of promotion. Kent head north to Derbyshire, and Old Trafford hosts a battle between the bottom two, Lancashire and Gloucestershire. 

Team of the Week: Yates (War), Lammonby (Som), Northeast (Ken), Bracey (Glo +), Haynes (Not), Coles (Sus), Pattefrson-White (Not), Fisher (Sur), Sai Kishore (Glo), C Parkinson (Dur), Crocombe (Sus)

County Cricket: Cox Leads Essex Charge to the Top

It was a great return to first-class cricket for some of England’s finest wicketkeeper-batsmen, some of whom had a major influence on the positions at the congested summit of the County Championship. 

Jordan Cox prepared for his Test debut by pinging a double-century for Essex against Leicestershire, which propelled his county from fourth to first in Division One, although Paul Walter’s second-innings 110 laid the foundation for Essex’s last-day run chase. 

They benefited from a rare home defeat for Nottinghamshire at the hands of a resurgent Somerset. Another England debutant, James Rew notched another fifty, but it was his younger bother Thomas who struck his own maiden ton to follow a 68. 24-year-old South African opener Jordan Hermann also weighed in with his first Somerset century, while it was Craig Overton’s 5-29 which polished off the champions’ miserable match, losing by 306 runs. 

Yorkshire skipper Jonny Bairstow added another two half-centuries to his tally, while opening bat Will Luxton, thirteen years his junior, helped himself to 236 runs in the draw with Warwickshire, including a fine 167, his inaugural three-figure score in first-class cricket. His opponents were nowhere near reaching their fourth-day target, and were eight wickets down at the close. Sam Hain occupied the crease for well over four hours for his 69, which ultimately thwarted the Roses’ attack. 

At Hove, Sussex registered their fourth victory, finishing just a point behind Essex and two ahead of Somerset. They hammered Glamorgan by an innings, inspired by James Coles, who combined a career-best 224 not out with a decisive 3-34 in Glamorgan’s second innings which started well but ended with a whimper. 

Sussex now entertain neighbours Hampshire, while Somerset welcome Warwickshire to Taunton and reigning champs Nottinghamshire travel south to face the pretenders at Chelmsford. 

Durham remain clear in Division Two after thumping Derbyshire inside three days. Their total of 377 wasn’t massive but first Kasey Aldridge (5-19), then Matt Potts (8-66) broke any Derby hopes of rescuing a draw. Harry Came could at least hold his head high in defeat, carrying his bat for 105 over 95 overs and six hours. 

Northamptonshire kept in touch by handing Gloucestershire their sixth loss in the season so far. How they would welcome the return of Kane Williamson, whom I recall being interviewed on the regional news programme in Bristol fifteen years or so ago as a raw teenager learning his trade in a foreign land. Like everyone, I was shocked to read of his sudden international retirement in the middle of New Zealand’s Test series in England. Definitely one of the modern greats. Anyway, another of the week’s former England glovemen, James Bracey returned to form, his second-innings 148 not out ensuring Northants had to bat again.  Saif Zaib and Nathan McSweeney had made tons on day one but it was Calvin Harrison’s rapid unbeaten 92 on day four which clinched the winning bonus. 

Kent sit third after eclipsing Lancashire at Blackpool by 140 runs. Twenty-two wickets fell on the first day and Liam Livingstone, on his first Championship outing for five years, claimed five of them. However, in the final analysis, it was the Kent seamers who stole the show. Keith Dudgeon took 6-21 as Lancashire slumped to 87 all out. The home batsmen fared better next time out but Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud claimed 6-69 to seal the win by 140 runs. 

Middlesex’s margin of victory over Worcestershire was one better at New Road. Luis Du Plooy compiled the only three-figure score of the game, and Pakistan’s one-Test wonder Zafar Gohar enjoyed the best bowling figures with 6-31. Middlesex and Kent meet at Canterbury tomorrow, while the top two fight it out at Chester-le-Street. If he can stay out of the pub long enough, Ben Stokes is expected to get some batting practice for Durham. 

Team of the Week:-  Hermann (Som), Luxton (Yor), Cox (Ess), Coles (Sus), Du Plooy (Mid), T Rew (Som), Bracey (Glo +), C Overton (Som), Zafar Gohar (Mid), Potts (Dur), Hasan Mahmud (Ken)

County Cricket: Duckett Double, Hadley Heroics

The two leading title contenders met at Trent Bridge but the batters dominated to produce a stalemate. Nottinghamshire stay top after Joe Clarke’s prolific form continued, and Ben Duckett notched his first century of the county season, and it was an unbeaten 203, although Surrey bowling Burns, Sibley and Patel at the end probably helped a wee bit. 

Warwickshire leapfrog Surrey into second spot following a 377-run trouncing of Yorkshire. It is a weird scorecard. Three sub-200 totals scattered around the decisive Warwicks second innings of 553-6 declared, in which Sam Hain’s 164 not out headed a succession of solid scores. Oliver Hannon-Dalby was back in the Warwickshire fold after his Worcestershire loan, and claimed match figures of 7-71 against his home county. Harry Brook chipped in with sixty-six runs but couldn’t save his side. 

One-time leaders Somerset continued their miserable May, leading Glamorgan before crumbling in their second innings despite two more Tom Abell half-centuries. Inexperienced Aussie Ryan Hadley took 3-28 but it was his batting which sparked the last-day headlines. Glamorgan still faced an awkward target of 283, and Hadley entered the fray as nightwatchman with four wickets down. Incredibly, he was still there at the death, having persevered for almost five hours, facing more deliveries than in the whole of his first-class career, finally driving to the boundary to bring up his maiden fifty and winning the match by two wickets. His fifty-over 114 partnership with Sean Dickson (76) defied all that the Somerset seamers could throw at them and now the Welsh are above them in the table. 

Sussex achieved victory number three, with Leicestershire their latest victims at Hove. Centuries from Daniel Hughes (the only one by any opener this week) and John Simpson put them out of sight, then three wickets apiece by Robinson and Hudson-Prentice left the batsmen with a simple chase which they won at a gallop. Meanwhile, at Chelmsford, Hampshire’s batting woes continued, their hosts Essex winning by six wickets inside three days. The visitors’ James Fuller took 5-43 in the first outing but Matt Critchley compensated for early jitters against Kyle Abbott (4-36) by thumping fifteen fours in his unbeaten match-winning ninety. Hampshire now have the unenviable task of defeating leaders Notts later this week. 

In Division Two, Durham remain at the helm, comfortably beating Worcestershire by nine wickets at New Road. Despite Ben Raine’s 5-63 and 2-54 by the rarely-spotted Ben Stokes, Worcester claimed a slender led at halfway. However, Callum Parkinson (5-13) induced a collapse which left Gay and McKinney to add to their run tallies and steer their side to victory. 

Middlesex returned from Old Trafford with a win bonus and healthy bowling figures, especially by Ryan Higgins. On the third and final day, Ben Geddes steadied the ship and piloted his side home by six wickets, dropping Lancashire to fourth. Last week, Northants crushed Worcestershire by an innings but this time they were on the end of a similar pasting. Derbyshire recovered from a loss to Kent to compile a formidable 604-7 declared, crowned by a double-hundred stand between Martin Andersson and Brooke Guest. Northants tried to drop anchor, but with Shoaib Bashir sending down more than sixty overs and Guest catching six nicks off the seamers, Derby were patient and took the win. 

Having collected their first triumph for a year last week, Kent made it two on the bounce at Bristol. Gloucestershire pushed them all the way to the closing session, with Bell and Williams taking fourteen of the eighteen wickets to fall. Nonetheless, James Taylor enjoyed his first ten-wicket haul and Tawanda Muyeye (90 and 108) top-scored for Kent in the two-wicket success. 

In the last round before a Championship break, Kent entertain leaders Durham at Beckenham and Middlesex welcome Derbyshire to Lord’s. Northants visit Gloucestershire, and it’s off to the Southport seaside for Lancs and Worcestershire. 

Team of the Week:- Hughes (Sus), Duckett (Not), Clarke (Not), Hain (War), Muyeye (Ken), Guest (Der +), Higgins (Mid), Hadley (Gla), C Parkinson (Dur), Hannon-Dalby (War), J Taylor (Ken)

County Cricket: Procter’s Lotta Runs, Sussex Success

Big totals and career bests peppered the domestic cricket scoreboards this week, while Sussex made it two out of two. They were second-best at home to Warwickshire, although Fynn Hudson-Prentice took six wickets to keep their final-day target within reach. An unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 144 between Jack Leaning and Tom Price saw them home. 

However, thanks to their pre-season points deduction, they sit third behind Somerset and Nottinghamshire. The former came away from Chelmsford a day early with a ten-wicket victory against the county which has pipped them to the title in recent years. Controversially, they invoked new injury substitution rules not once but twice. Fresh from plundering runs for the Second XI, white ball specialist Will Smeed made his first-class debut but it was stand-in skipper Craig Overton who stole the show. In addition to four wickets, he crashed his highest score of 141 to establish a lead that Essex failed to dent. 

Champions Nottinghamshire got off the mark with a 192-run victory over promoted Glamorgan at Trent Bridge. Fergus O’Neill and Brett Hutton each took four first-innings wickets, then Joe Clarke (136) pressed home their advantage to set the Welsh side an improbable target of 478. Tribe and Crane offered some resistance until left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White mopped up the tail. Having suffered badly in the opening fixture, Hampshire recovered to hammer Yorkshire at Headingley. Jake Lehmann, son of Aussie star Darren, scored 76 and 92, but it was their South African stalwart, Kyle Abbott, who produced his latest Team of the Week performance, with match figures of 10-70. 

At The Oval, Surrey looked good for success against Leicestershire, as Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope each notched welcome tons. However, their achievements were placed into perspective by the opposition’s reply. Opener Rishi Patel (164), ‘keeper Ben Cox and new recruit Stevie Eskinazi all made centuries of their own to boost the team total to 691. However, the bat-friendly pitch ensured there would be no fourth-day collapse by Surrey, and the current England pair added 80+ to their names to secure a draw. 

Sussex and Notts now have a blank week, so Somerset could open up a significant lead should they beat Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. 

In Division Two, Gloucestershire’s miserable start continued, again failing to register a single bonus point with bat or ball. They lost another game by an innings, this time by Durham. Ex-England under-19 captain Ben McKinney scored 244 and shared a triple-century partnership with Alex Lees, which was almost as many as Gloucester could manage in both innings. 

Northamptonshire’s batting was even more extraordinary. Their top four batsmen racked up a humungous aggregate of 684-2 and may well have reached a thousand without a declaration. Captain Luke Procter called time when unbeaten on 264, and was rewarded when Harry Conway claimed 5-36 as Kent’s batting fell apart. Following on, Ben Compton scratched together 114 but Kent really avoided defeat courtesy of the wet weather which descended on Canterbury on Monday. 

Jimmy Anderson was at it again, adding six wickets to his season’s tally, including a decisive 4-18 to complete an exciting 29-run success against Derbyshire. Marcus Harris also contributed 191 runs to the Red Rose cause. In the other match, there were no centuries and only three fifties as Worcestershire narrowly beat Middlesex. It seems strange seeing Oliver Hannon-Dalby out of the Warwickshire side but the 36-year-old seamer was the pick of Worcester’s attack, while the ever-reliable Jake Libby top-scored with 79. Later this week, Middlesex face the Northants run machine, while Gloucestershire must hope to leap out of the traps for a change against Lancashire to prevent another capitulation. 

Team of the Week:-  Procter (Nor), McKinney (Dur), J Smith (Sur), Pope (Sur), Lehmann (Ham), Cox (Lei +), C Overton (Som), Abbott (Ham), Hudson-Prentice (Sus), Conway (Nor), Anderson (Lan)

County Cricket: Critchley and Rew off to Another Flier

Luckily for the cricketing fraternity, Storm Dave subsided just in time for the new County Championship season, even if Chester-le-Street required some residual tidy-up, causing a delay in Durham’s opener against Kent. 

This time last year, I confidently predicted success for Surrey and Lancashire and naturally I was wrong. I’ll stick with them for topping their respective divisions in 2026. Mind you, Surrey’s bowling is currently nowhere near as star-studded as their batting. They struggled early on against Warwickshire, for whom Dan Mousley top-scored with 144. Only Ben Foakes’ 128 kept Surrey in the game on day one, but Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence held their nerves to lodge tons of their own and see out the draw. 

Champions Nottinghamshire didn’t have it all their way, either, ceding the initiative to their hosts, Somerset. Toms Abell and Kohler-Cadmore, plus James Rew were in fine form with the bat and the latter, at barely 22, already boasts twelve first-class hundreds. He opened the 2025 campaign in similar fashion. Captain Craig Overton delayed the fourth-day declaration for far too long to stand any chance of winning. 

Essex all-rounder Matt Critchley was another who, as last year, was quick out of the blocks. He tonked Hampshire’s attack for 173 before destroying their second innings efforts with a return of 5-9. Leicestershire’s surprise return to Division One resulted in a heavy defeat at home to Sussex. Tom Clark was the game’s only centurion, but the star performer was the county’s academy graduate Henry Crocombe, whose pace netted him a match aggregate of 9-69. After a twelve-point deduction, Sussex will be relieved to have a positive number on the board. 

The other promoted side, in the top tier for the first time since 2005, more than held their own. Glamorgan brought Division One cricket back to Cardiff and it was 40-year-old Colin Ingram who showed the way in each innings against Yorkshire, for whom Dom Bess took seven wickets. The home side’s Mason Crane went one better, including a five-fer. Jonny Bairstow was one of the first players to be replaced under the competition’s experimental substitution rule after he injured a finger early on. 

In Division Two, Middlesex trounced Gloucestershire by an innings. Skipper Leus du Plooy racked up 182 before unleashing his bowlers. Veteran Toby Roland-Jones took 5-37 then, with Gloucester following on, it was Ryan Higgins and teenager Sebastian Morgan who inflicted the damage. 

It was an excellent week for anyone called Anderson or Andersson. At 43, James rolled back the years for Lancashire, claiming eight Northants victims. The Red Roses were heading for a surefire victory, but on the final day, George Bartlett marshalled the tail brilliantly to avoid defeat, even if it left him high and dry on 95 not out. Credit, too, to team-mates McManus and Sanderson for digging in so effectively in the closing stages. Emilio Gay was 2026’s first ton-maker in Durham’s draw against Kent, while Derbyshire’s Martin Andersson notched the opening double-hundred. He put on 273 for the fifth wicket with Luis Reece as the county declared on 625-8. Kent passed 300 on both occasions but needed the solid batting of Brookes, Waite and Taylor to secure the draw. 

Team of the Week:-  L. Wells (Lan), Lategan (Wor), Du Plooy (Mid), Mousley (War), J Rew (Som +), Ingram (Gla), Critchley (Ess), Andersson (Der), Roland-Jones (Mid), Crocombe (Sus), Anderson (Lan)

County Cricket: Nottinghamshire End the Summer in Style

At the start of the domestic cricket season, I feared another summer of Surrey dominance and Somerset near-misses. Well, with regard to the latter, we did finish third in the Championship and were beaten semi-finalists in the One-Day Cup but proved triumphant in the T20 Blast. Not a bad 2025 at all. 

As for Surrey, they looked all set to retain the four-day crown only for Nottinghamshire to blow the whole thing wide open with that memorable twenty-run victory at The Oval. In the final round of fixtures, all they effectively needed to do was outperform Surrey in first innings bonus points and the pennant would be on the way from London to the East Midlands. 

It may have been late September but all nine matches produced results; not a single draw. Notts welcomed Warwickshire to Trent Bridge while Surrey popped down the M3 to meet Hampshire, desperately fighting for top tier survival. Mohammad Abbas and Brett Hutton did their bit with the ball but at the Rose Bowl, Sibley, Burns et all came unstuck in the face of wily Kyle Abbott, James Fuller and new recruit Washington Sundar. Zero batting points, game over.  Another Haseeb Hameed century set up his side’s seventh win of the campaign to take the crown in style. By the time, Raful Chahar ripped through the second Hampshire innings with 8-51, it was too late for Surrey. 

At one stage, Somerset had an outside chance of nicking the runners-up position. Against relegation-threatened Essex, Lewis Goldsworthy’s even ton helped them to 438 all out, only for a 277-run opening stand by Elgar and Walter to scupper any hopes of victory. A draw looked certain until Jamie Porter (4-18) and co skittled the visitors for 99, leaving Allison to conclude matters with a six off Jake Ball on the final morning. 

Worcestershire were already down and out, and Sussex merely rubbed their noses in it. Centuries from James Coles and John Simpson, plus eleven wickets for Ollie Robinson set up win number four, although seamer Tom Taylor, a rare bright light in Worcester’s dismal Championship season, almost sparked a sensational comeback. Never mind, at least they have the 50-over trophy in their New Road cabinet. 

Going into the final afternoon, the other relegation slot was still uncertain. Hampshire looked doomed, but it all rested on the outcome of Durham’s clash with Yorkshire at Headingley. Both sides had begun the week in deep trouble but the home team had a six-point advantage. With Hampshire beaten, a draw would suit both counties. Ben Raine clubbed 101 for Durham, then took 5-76, although Mayank Agarwal’s 175 anchored Yorkshire’s superior total of 475. On the South Coast, tears must have been shed and cats kicked, only for Dom Bess and George Hill to orchestrate a horrendous batting humiliation on day four. Durham lost, and were relegated by a single point. Across the season, their bonus point tally was extremely respectable but they had failed to cash in, losing six games to Hampshire’s three, and that cost them dearly. 

Leicestershire and Glamorgan were already assured of replacing them in Division One. I am so glad that these less-prosperous and relatively unfancied counties had beaten the big boys of Middlesex and Lancashire to promotion. Leicestershire maintained their impressive form, defeating Northants by 167 runs. Rehan Ahmed was absent but on-loan Steve Eskinazi weighed in with 155. Liam Trevaskis closed his campaign with 6-85. 

Glamorgan didn’t sign off with a win, but they didn’t need to. Instead, they handed Lancashire a consolation prize at Cardiff, Tom Bailey and George Balderson sharing thirteen wickets. Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy struck the highest score of the week, a hefty 263 not out, en route for an innings win over Gloucestershire but Derbyshire clinched third place with their own crushing victory over bottom side Kent. Experienced batsmen Luis Reece (211) and Wayne Madsen (198) put on 358 for the third wicket, out of 698-6 declared, and Reece’s 5-63 made him only the 51^st player ever in world first-class cricket to strike a double-hundred and claim a five-for. That’s some achievement! 

Watch out for my season review and 2025 all-format Team of the Year. 

Team of the Week:- Reece (Der), Walter (Ess), Agarwal (Yor), Du Plooy (Mid), Madsen (Der), Eskinazi (Lei), Simpson (Sus +), Hill (Yor), Robinson (|Sus), Hutton (Not), Raful Chahar (Sur)

County Cricket: Notts and Leicester extend their leads

Unlike last week, runs were harder to come by, and wicketkeepers struggled with the bat. Somerset and Glamorgan each notched their third wins in succession, while Division One is looking very tight. 

Following their reverse against Durham, Nottinghamshire bounced back with a 163-run triumph against Yorkshire, their first at Headingley for fourteen years. They didn’t have it all their own way. New Lions recruit George Hill took 5-40 for the home side, before Mohammad Abbas swung things back with a commanding 6-45. Joe Clarke’s second half-century of the match helped Notts set a difficult target of 464 which they rarely looked like approaching. Five wickets from Dillon Pennington and six catches by ‘keeper Kyle Verryenne ended the resistance to deliver nineteen points to the leaders. 

Surrey remain in second place despite failing to beat Essex at The Oval. In fact, rain on the final day may well have saved them from defeat. Centuries by Paul Walter and Charlie Allison had left Surrey chasing over 400 to win on the last day. Michael Pepper stumped both openers off Harmer’s spin, then Jamie Porter claimed five more wickets, including that of Sam Curran, whose return from the IPL yielded two 70+ scores. Another England white-ball specialist, Jason Roy, bagged a sorry pair but the match ended with three Surrey wickets intact. 

Sussex are third, defeating Hampshire by nine wickets inside three days. The only batting partnership of note was the 173 shared by Sussex skipper John Simpson (106 not out) and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, while the off-spinner Jack Carson inflicted much of the damage to Hampshire’s second innings, ending on 5-26. Bowlers were also on top at Durham, where Somerset’s third win on the bounce came against the odds. Mitchell Killeen’s 5-38 on debut placed Durham on the driving seat then, although the visiting seamers restored some balance, Somerset still faced a tricky chase of 265. Thanks to Tom Lammonby and Tom Abell, they succeeded, making runs look almost easy. 

Despite this winning streak, Somerset are only fifth, one point adrift of Warwickshire, whose bid to go second was wrecked by the Worcester rain. Sam Hain found some form at last, twice passing eighty, but it was a welcome return, too, for Chris Woakes and Chris Rushworth. The latter claimed 4-37 and 3-30 as Warwickshire pushed to bowl out their neighbours. However, Waite, Brooks and Taylor proved stubborn, and the weather ended proceedings with Worcestershire on 181-8. 

Leicestershire maintained their unexpected grip on Division Two, thumping Lancashire by an innings and reaching the halfway stage fifty-one points clear at the summit. Test spinner Rehan Ahmed is still only twenty and is now making his mark in the county game as an all-rounder. Batting at three, he compiled an assured 136, putting on 256 with Lewis Hill, then dismissed the Lancs tail-enders to polish off the second innings. Keaton Jennings’ 112 was his side’s only score above 40 and not even Marcus Harris could lift them. 

They are not the basement county, though. Kent’s appalling run has dropped them to an ignominious eighth after a crushing loss to Derbyshire. At least Ben Compton could hold his head high, adding 205 runs to his season’s tally, but Derbyshire’s total of 587-5 declared proved insurmountable. 41-year-old Wayne Madsen notched another ton, but star of the show was opener, Caleb Jewell. The Tasmanian left-hander struck a career-best 232 spanning almost nine hours. 

Like Somerset, Glamorgan made it three in a row, advancing to third in the table by taking Middlesex to the Cardiff cleaners. Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson each achieved three figures before their attack took twenty wickets, something they rarely managed last year. No Kellaway this week, but left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann popped up from Australia to win the match with 6-53. 

At Northampton, another classy Aussie, Cameron Green, struck his third hundred in five matches for Gloucestershire in a more old-fashioned contest between bat and ball at Wantage Road. Northamptonshire, for whom Saif Zaib accumulated 215 runs, tended to dominate and were putting severe pressure on their visitors until rain took control on the fourth afternoon. With Bracey, Green and Hammond back in the pavilion, Gloucestershire would have been the most relieved. 

So that is it for the County Championship for four weeks. It hands over the spotlight to the Vitality Blast, in which anything can happen. No doubt some big overseas names will dip in and out with mixed results, while homegrown stars will shake things up. Champions Gloucestershire begin their defence at home to Kent while runners-up (grrr) Somerset face former nemesis county Surrey. 

Team of the Week:- Compton (Ken), Jewell (Der), Rehan Ahmed (Lei), Lammonby (Som), Hain (War), Saif Zaib (Nor), Verreynne (Not +), Carson (Sus), Mohammad Abbas (Not), Kuhnemann (Gla), Rushworth (War)  

County Cricket: Notts hit the heights, Lancashire rock bottom

The record dry and sunny Spring continued to lend cricket grounds a real summery atmosphere. Trent Bridge was also the scene for Nottinghamshire dealing Hampshire a hefty 366-run blow and consolidating their position at the top of Division One. Young Freddie McCann returned to their middle-order with a century, then the second innings was dominated by a 238-run partnership between Jack Haynes and Liam Patterson-White. Mohammad Abbas took 5-31 against his old mates but in the end it was Lyndon James (5-21) and Brett Hutton who instigated Hampshire’s second-innings crumble. 

On the South Coast, Worcestershire lost again, making little headway against the bowling of Sussex’s Finn Hudson-Prentice and Ollie Robinson. John Simpson took eight catches behind the stumps and off-spinner Jack Carson struck his maiden hundred but the bowling of Tom Taylor kept Worcestershire in the game. While Jake Libby was at the crease, they were even threatening to win it but when he was eighth out for 167, the remaining target pf 75 was just too stiff for the tail. 

Sussex advanced to third, but Warwickshire remain above them after a tame draw against Surrey. Only fifteen wickets fell on a placid Edgbaston featherbed, enabling Tom Latham (184 in his first game of the season), Ed Barnard (177 not out) and Surrey ‘keeper Ben Foakes (a career-best 174 not out) to fill their boots. 

Contrast that with the tense finish at Chelmsford where Yorkshire had Essex on the rack throughout. The bowling of George Hill and Ben Coad, followed by Adam Lyth’s 185 and a typical Bairstow blast, left Essex facing four sessions and a massive victory target of 510. At 45-4, the home team looked dead and buried but a slow but solid partnership between Critchley and Pepper, plus dogged defence by the tail (the last wicket survived for 14 overs) saved the draw. 

In the second tier, only two fixtures were played but the results were significant. At Canterbury, Kent’s hopes of bouncing back into the promotion places were dashed ruthlessly by bottom-side Glamorgan. Last week, spinner Ben Kellaway hit his record score of 74. This week, he extended that to a whopping 181 as the Welsh side racked up a total of 549-9 declared. They endeavoured to back this up by bowling out Kent twice inside two days. The wickets were shred out generously but Timm van der Gugten was the pick of the attack. 

The result elevated Glamorgan to sixth, but Lancashire’s 70-run defeat by Northamptonshire consigned them to the basement. Keaton Jennings promptly quit the captaincy but the primary problem seems to be the batting, with the notable exception of his successor, Marcus Harris. The Aussie’s prolific start was maintained with another 164 runs, but the Northants seamers and leggie Calvin Harrison (4-32) were too strong overall, earning then their opening victory account for 2025. 

Next up, they play Glamorgan and leaders Leicestershire travel to Middlesex. In the next rung up, all counties are in action, including Notts at Durham and Warwickshire at home to Hampshire. Worcestershire’s ambitions of taking at least one batting bonus point lie in the hands of Essex’s useful attack. 

Team of the Week:- Lyth (Yor), Libby (Wor), Latham (War), Harris (Lan), Foakes (Sur +), Barnard (War), Kellaway (Gla), Hill (Yor), James (Not), Van der Gugten (Gla), Hudson-Prentice (Sus)

County Cricket: Yorkshire shatter victory margin record

The super-dry tracks may have been to most batsmen’s liking but bowlers were able to hasten a few extremely decisive results in the County Championship. Yorkshire even went as far as breaking the competition’s record for a winning margin by runs, humbling Worcestershire at Headingley by a whopping 504. Inside three days! The home side knocked 425 on day one then, when Coad and Thompson reduced Worcester from 90-0 to 162 all out, the dominance became still more pronounced. Dom Bess struck his maiden century, Malan and Bairstow upped the tempo before declaring, setting a fanciful target of 610. Worcestershire barely lasted a session, the seamers again in charge. 

At Hove, Sussex were on course for a similar slaughter, with Somerset their hapless victims. They inflicted the greatest damage with the bat on days two and three. Tons by Tom Haines and John Simpson helped Sussex to a second-innings total of 501-7 but there was no Banton blockbuster to save the game (he was out for a duck). Abell, Gregory and Pretorious showed some resistance but young left-arm seamer Sean Hunt took his match tally to nine wickets and his side to victory by 260 runs. 

It was a much tenser finish at Chester-le-Street. Durham and Warwickshire produced a belter which could have gone either way. Local lad and last year’s England under-19 captain Ben McKinney top-scored with 153 but there were runs made all the way down the order for both teams. On the last day, chasing 339, Warwickshire were reduced by Potts and Raine to 90-5, but the combination of Ed Barnard’s experience and canny play by the youthful ‘keeper Kai Smith and all-rounder Michael Booth, polished off by a six from Ethan Bamber, took them over the line by one wicket. 

Champions Surrey could manage only a draw at The Oval against Hampshire despite a couple of hundreds by Dom Sibley. To their credit, the visitors recovered from 35-3 overnight to bat out the last day, thanks largely to Nick Gubbins’ 117 and Toby Albert’s unbeaten 78. At Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire and Essex also appeared too well-matched to achieve a win for either county. Notts batsman Jack Haynes (142) shepherded the tail in the second innings to make it safe, leaving Essex no time to launch an attack. 

The Easter fixtures include Surrey facing a run-happy Sussex and the other joint leaders, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire playing each other in Birmingham. The holiday weekend weather forecast looks grim, though. 

In Division Two, Kent became the only county to win their opening two games, defeating Middlesex by eight wickets at Canterbury. Bowlers were largely in charge for the first three innings until the Kent duo of Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye tipped the balance the other way with an unbroken third-wicket stand of 225. 

Despite their two wins, Kent sit a point behind Leicestershire at the top following the latter’s draw at home to Derbyshire. Runs flowed continuously, although only Martin Andersson (101) reached three figures. Interesting to see Leicester’s former boy wonder spinner being used as an opening batsman, not without success. 

At Old Trafford, Lancashire were forced to follow on after Northamptonshire racked up 496 and Calvin Harrison took 4-34. However, Josh Bohannon (155) led the Red Roses to the security of a draw, although tall leggie Harrison captured another seven wickets. In the Severn derby, Gloucestershire generally had the better of Glamorgan. Cameron Bancroft and Oliver Price laid the foundations of a likely success but the ever-reliable Colin Ingram ensured that didn’t happen. They next travel to bottom side Middlesex, Gloucestershire aim to deny Kent a third successive win and Lancashire host leaders Leicestershire. 

Team of the Week:-  McKinney (Dur), Sibley (Sur), Haynes (Not), Malan (Yor), Ingram (Gla), K Smith (War +), Potts (Dur), Harrison (Nor), Booth (War), Thompson (Yor), Hunt (Sus)

County Climax: Yorkshire and Lancashire Swap Divisions

Not surprisingly for late September, the weather put a downer on proceedings right across the UK, affecting both the England-Australia ODI decider and the conclusion of the County Championship. For some, the damp squib meant extra tea and computer games in the pavilion followed by batting practice wearing thermals. On the other hand, there were relegation and promotion issues to be decided. 

With so many days lost to rain, only two results ere possible. At Taunton, wickets tumbled like dominoes, with Hampshire coming out on top by five wickets. For Somerset, Jack Leach enjoyed a good finish to the summer but Kyle Abbott’s reliable pace yielded figures of 9-74, enabling Hampshire to displace Somerset in the runners-up position. I suppose it’s better than ending the year with our traditional trio of second-places, having already lost both domestic finals. 

Essex and serial champions Surrey played out a tame draw at Chelmsford. Four batsmen helped themselves to centuries, the biggest (182) from the blade of Dean Elgar, who in the process swept past the 1000-run mark. Further north, the Durham-Kent contest was limited to two days, sufficient only for both counties to rack up three batting bonus points, a rare achievement for Kent in 2024. Alex Lees top-scored with 144. 

The week began with Nottinghamshire requiring batting bonus points and Lancashire to fail in order to stay up and consign the latter to Division Two. The Red Roses duly crumbled to 177 against Worcestershire while centuries from Freddie McCann and South African ‘keeper Kyle Verreynne took Notts past 350 and safety. Verryenne played only four innings but signed off with an average of 248! Opponents Warwickshire had not been out of the woods but Sam Hain’s unbeaten 153 completed the rescue mission. Lancashire’s woeful first-innings batting this season cost them dear. As for Worcestershire, Joe Leach retired having contributed to his side’s highest finish since 2011. 

Sussex bowed out as Division Two champions but it was heartbreak for their visitors Middlesex. Losing the first two days’ play,  Sam Robson led the way with a lightning 113 but James Coles and Jack Carson ripped through the rest of the card. Sussex closed the door on their promotion ambitions on the final day, Coles and captain John Simpson sharing an unbeaten stand of 226 to deliver a draw. Meanwhile, Yorkshire celebrated the knowledge of their rivals’ misery by racking up a total of 726-7 declared, almost 600 ahead of Northants’ paltry effort. Huddersfield-born James Wharton’s second first-class ton was a biggie: 285 in 319 balls, including ten sixes. As a result, the two Roses counties swapped places for 2025! 

Derbyshire finished bottom, despite Wayne Madsen crunching another 105 runs, his sixth career century against the Foxes. The Severn derby hsd little riding on the result so credit to the skippers of Glamorgan and Gloucestershire to embrace the opportunity to make a game of it in the likely two days possible. Innings forfeits made it a single-innings shoot-out. The Welsh batted first, declaring at 381-4 upon Chris Cooke reaching three figures but Gloucester capitulated tamely, Andy Gorvin and Ben Kellaway each taking three wickets. Both teams will be hoping for an improved four-day campaign next year but at least Glamorgan have the Blast trophy to build on. 

Look out for my county review and Team of the Year shortly…. 

Team of the Week:- Lees (Dur), Elgar (Ess), Wharton (Yor), Westley (Ess), Hain (War), Cooke (Gla +), Coles (Sus), Gregory (Som), Gregory (Som), Abbott (Ham), Leach (Som), Phillip (Lan)

County Cricket: Surrey Make it Three in a Row

With Alec Stewart’s outfit increasingly resembling a cricketing Manchester City in terms of squad depth and quality, it is no surprise that Surrey retained the County Championship with a game to spare. The success could so easily have been rubber-stamped the week before had it not been for Somerset’s unexpected triumph at Taunton. This time, normal service was resumed. Surrey easily defeated Durham at The Oval before being crowned champions as soon as Somerset were bowled out a second time by Lancashire at Old Trafford on the final morning. 

Ryan Patel’s 134 and eight wickets from Dan Worrall did for Durham, but Rory Burns made another decent contribution as both opening bat and skipper. Meanwhile, Somerset blew their opportunity to maintain the pressure. No fewer than 21 wickets fell on the first day, with Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory and Toms Bailey and Balderson each claiming four. On the second outing, Lancashire recovered admirably. Luke Wells struck a century, then his 4-34 proved crucial as the visitors crumbled from 107-1 to 224 all out. 

Hampshire advanced to second place, thumping Worcestershire at home by 235 runs. A stand of 220 by Nick Gubbins (201 not out) and Liam Dawson (109) laid down the gauntlet, but only Garth Roderick (94) and Ethan Brookes (132) made any headway against the strong attack. Hampshire chose to bat again, and Kyle Abbott sealed maximum points with 5-36. 

At Canterbury, Kent succumbed to their eighth Championship defeat, this time at the hands of Nottinghamshire, who surely now only need avoid losing their final fixture to remain in the top flight. Ben Slater’s 160  and 196-run opening partnership with Haseeb Hameed set the ball rolling, and Kent were helpless to stop it. 

It took Essex under two days to flatten Warwickshire at Edgbaston, but the hosts have surely done enough to be relegated. Shane Snater (5-13) in the first innings and Jamie Porter (6-36) in the second inflicted the most damage. They now welcome Surrey in the season’s last week, while Somerset and Hampshire meet at Taunton to decide the runners-up position. At the other end, Lancashire must beat Worcestershire to have any chance of staying up.

Sussex will definitely replace Kent in Division One next year after crushing Gloucestershire by an innings at Hove. Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the bowlers but Henry Crocombe polished off the last four batsmen to complete the rout. Middlesex also won by a similar margin a day early, their victims being bottom county Derbyshire. The soon-to-depart opener Mark Stoneman delivered a crisp 115, while Toby Roland-Jones continued his recent form by amassing ten wickets in the match. 

However, for them to achieve promotion, they must beat Sussex and hope Yorkshire fall to Northamptonshire next week. The White Roses were always on top against Glamorgan, with Ben Coad scooping eight more victims. Northants sit in fourth having eclipsed Leicestershire by nine wickets. James Sales struck 135 to take control of the match and Leicestershire looked odds-on to lose by an innings, sliding to 92-7 second time out. However, Scott Currie shared a couple of century partnerships to make Northants bat again. I should also mention wicketkeeper Lewis McManus. He only made thirty runs but managed four stumpings to spinners Keogh and Chahal, a rare feat in the modern game. 

Team of the Week:- Slater (Not), Stoneman (Mid), Gubbins (Ham), Brookes (Not), L Wells (Lan), Dawson (Ham), McManus (Nor +), Snater (Ess), Worrall (Sur), Roland-Jones (Mid), Porter (Ess)

County cricket: Abell and Leach Boost Somerset Challenge

The onset of September serves as a reminder that, like summer itself, the County Championship is coming to a close. Surrey have led the table almost from day one in April and when skipper Rory Burns’ 161 set his side on the way to a first-innings 525 at Trent Bridge, a third successive title looked inevitable. However, Nottinghamshire didn’t roll over. Two teenagers, Freddie McCann (aged 19) and Farhan Ahmed (just 16!) shone in only their second matches, striking 154 and taking ten wickets, respectively, to frustrate the reigning champions. 

Behind them, Somerset narrowed the gap to twenty-four points by crushing Durham. Spin was king at Taunton. Building on batting foundations led by Tom Abell and James Rew, Jack Leach opened the bowling in the visitors’ second effort and continued unchanged for more than thirty overs to take 7-50. Michael Vaughan’s son Archie accompanied him, finishing with a commendable 2-40 as Somerset triumphed by 293 runs and earning maximum points. The next round of fixtures puts the top two counties up against each other. Should Somerset gain an improbable victory, it could make the final weeks very interesting indeed. Can’t see that happening, though. 

Worcestershire made it two on the trot, coming from behind to defeat Essex at Chelmsford by only 43 runs. Michael Pepper had contributed to a solid Essex lead but, set a target of just 184 on the final morning, they tumbled to 140, Dutch seamer Logan van Beek starring with 4-23. Hampshire overtook Essex in third place with a thumping innings win over lacklustre Lancashire. Gus Atkinson’s rare Test achievement of a century and five-fer was eclipsed by Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson. Not only did he strike an unbeaten 104 and take 5-47 but he also added another five scalps on Saturday to finish the match a day early. 

Kent suffered another drubbing, this time against Warwickshire who did their hopes of avoiding relegation a world of good. Will Rhodes set them on their way with 201 but it was Oliver Hannon-Dalby who added the coup-de-grace with a clinching 6-43. Whoever wins the West Midlands derby next week should be safe for another year but Kent absolutely must beat Hampshire to survive. 

Sussex still look favourites to go up, rediscovering winning ways against bottom side Derbyshire at Hove. Daniel Hughes and John Simpson hit tons but Jack Carson also caught the eye. The off-spinner followed a career-best 97 with figures of 5-90 and 6-67. Without Wayne Madsen’s match aggregate of 215 runs, Derby’s margin of defeat would have been even heftier.

Closest rivals to Sussex, Yorkshire and Middlesex, produced a run-fest stalemate at Headingley. For the White Roses, Jonny Bairstow and George Hill each broke 160, then Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins responded with centuries of their own. The spinner toiled for hours after hour but a draw was agreed on the final afternoon. 

Unusually, the Gloucestershire-Northants fixture was abandoned after day one, the umpires ruling that the Bristol pitch was too dangerous following Justin Broad’s 7-37. Only 241 runs were scored, while over in Cardiff, Colin Ingram beat that all on his own. The veteran South African amassed a personal best of 257 not out for Glamorgan against Leicestershire but any hopes of his side doubling their meagre total of one victory were dashed by a second successful partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb, who each made three figures to secure a draw. 

Glamorgan now face Sussex while Middlesex play Gloucestershire. If Leicestershire can tame Yorkshire at home, they could still sneak into the promotion places. 

Team of the Week:- Burns (Sur), Hughes (Sus), Rhodes (War), Abell (Som), Ingram (Gla), Madsen (Der), Handscomb (Lei +), Dawson (Ham), Carson (Sus), Leach (Som), Hannon-Dalby (War)

County Cricket: Bears Sharpen their Claws for Final Eight

The final week of Vitality Blast group fixtures was a fine advert for the chaotic and unpredictable Twenty20 format. With quarter-final places up for grabs, few counties enjoyed a clean sweep, but the Birmingham Bears and Surrey ensured progress with early victories against Derbyshire and Essex, respectively. 

Despite losing to Northamptonshire, the Bears sealed first place in the North thanks largely to Moeen Ali. His previous golden duck was forgotten as the opener reeled back the years at Edgbaston to slam nine sixes against Leicestershire in an innings of 103. That also ended the visitors’ hopes of qualification, the fourth spot snapped up by Durham courtesy of an eight-wicket drubbing of Derbyshire. 

Also on Friday, Northants met Lancashire at Old Trafford to determine which of them secured home advantage in the knockouts. New recruit George Dockrell was the surprise top-scorer as the home team racked up a formidable 201-9, but a searing 76 from Matthew Breetzke set Northants on their way to a four-wicket win to cap an all-conquering conclusion to the groups. 

A special mention to Northants ‘keeper, Lewis Mc Manus. He wasn’t the most prolific batsman of the week but, in an eight-over thrash at Chester-le-Street, he won the game by striking the only two deliveries he faced for six. That’s what I call decisive! 

Worcestershire were never really in the hunt, and lost their last two games, both right at the death. Yorkshire pipped them with three balls remaining, while Derbyshire duo Whitely and Thomson struck seventeen from Tom Taylor’s concluding over, including a scrambled single from the very last delivery. 

Reigning champions Somerset recovered some composure to roll over both Hampshire and second-place rivals Sussex, the latter with the aid of Ben Green’s 4-17. However, a home quarter-final was denied them on Friday by a barnstorming Glamorgan performance at Cardiff. Captain Kiran Carlson blitzed the county’s highest individual score, 135, more than a century of them in boundaries. Somerset proceeded to be skittled for a paltry 123 as Marnus Labuschagne, of all people, captured the final five wickets. Five days earlier, Glamorgan had been on the receiving end of a similar massacre. A Cheltenham Sunday crowd watched Jack Taylor whack an unbeaten 80 from 35 balls out if a total of 206-6, followed by a top-class bowling attack. The ever-reliable left-arm seam of David Payne starred with 3-7 from three overs. 

Elsewhere, there were centuries by Surrey’s Sam Curran against Hampshire and Michael Pepper’s 120 not out for Essex against Sussex. Pepper is the third-highest run-maker so far but his total won’t be added to. Gloucestershire’s defeat of Middlesex and Essex’s loss to Hampshire handed Jack Taylor’s outfit the fourth slot in the quarters, and a daunting trip to Edgbaston, whose spinner Danny Briggs and batsman Sam Hain were amongst the tournament’s group stage stars. 

But that’s six weeks away. In the mean-time, the school holidays will host the Hundred and Metro One Day Cup, which begin next week. As usual, I shall putr my feet up, ignore the franchise competition and focus on the county contest. 

Team of the Week:- Moeen Ali (Bir), Carlson (Gla), Hughes (Sus), Pepper (Ess), Hain (Bir), Labuschagne (Gla), McManus (Nor +), Briggs (Bir), P Brown (Der), Robinson (Sus), Payne (Glo)

No Landslide in the Blast

The UK general election may have delivered a decisive verdict for change, but it’s as you were in county cricket. After the County Championship fireworks, this week’s T20 Blast fixtures turned out to include a box of damp squibs. Damp being then operative word, with five complete washouts and a couple decided by Duckworth Lewis. Middlesex suffered two successive abandonments, one against Surrey, whose subsequent ten-over thrash victory against Kent kept them on top of the South Division. 

Sussex were blown away by Glamorgan’s 235-6 despite a Tymal Mills four-wicket haul, but remain on Surrey’s coat-tails thanks to a 22-run win against rivals Hampshire. James Coles starred in this one, combing a brisk 46 with 4-34. Somerset’s loss on the penultimate ball to Gloucestershire cost them third place, overtaken by Essex with Thursday’s success over Kent at Chelmsford. Paul Walter was their in-form man. 

In the North group, the top two were also unchanged. Birmingham Bears remain in charge courtesy of two contrasting triumphs on the road. At Leeds, Sam Hain struck eight sixes in an unbeaten 98, the highest individual score of the week, but Yorkshire ‘keeper Donovan Ferreira’s 32-ball 66 took the home side within four runs of the target. Next up were Nottinghamshire, who were skittled for just 57, the wickets shared by seven Bears bowlers. The top three batsmen finished the job in just 32 balls. 

The best bowling figures came from the Worcestershire seamer Matthew Waite and young Yorkshire leg-spinner Jafer Chohan. Waite’s 5-21, together with Adam Hose’s runs, did for Leicestershire, while Chohan claimed 5-14 in the defeat of next-door Durham, including three in four balls. 

With just one week of group games left, Surrey and the Bears are in pole position to head straight for Finals Day but with four to play, anything can happen. Surrey can’t afford to drop points against Somerset, Essex or Hampshire and face Kent next Friday. The Bears’ challenge looks easier on paper than Lancashire’s, and the hot-off-the-press news of the Roses match abandonment will help their cause. Don’t rule out Northamptonshire, either, as they meet both the counties above them, placing progress to the knockouts in their own hands. 

Team of the Week:- Carlson (Gla), Hughes (Sus), Hain (Bir), Hose (Wor), Walter (Ess), Ingram (Gla), Ferreira (Yor +), Waite (Wor), Briggs (Bir), Mills (Sus), Jafer Chohan (Yor) 

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)

Louis Kimber’s Record Six-Fest all in vain

Some times with four-day cricket, a rash of big scores is indicative of dull flat batting tracks and drawn matches. This week, however, there were eleven individual scores of 150+ but five of the nine fixtures produced victories, three by an innings. 

With the County Championship returning, it was back to normal for the champions. Surrey crushed Worcestershire at a dry New Road, Dan Lawrence starring with 175 and four wickets, and the bowling strength in depth paying dividends. 

Closest rivals Essex and Somerset both drew, allowing Surrey to re-open a lead of twenty points. Second-placed Essex were facing defeat at home to Durham, who piled on 587 in just four sessions. Ollie Robinson (198) and Alex Lees (113) le the charge before Potts and Siddle claimed seven wickets. Durham chose not to enforce the follow-on, and gave themselves just over a day to bowl out the hosts again. Zealander This time, Tom Westley and Dean Elgar dug in to avoid defeat, the South African veteran notching his fiftieth first-class century. 

Bowlers toiled at Trent Bridge, although two of them, Migael Pretorius and Olly Stone, made 241 runs between them with the bat! Nottinghamshire spent much of the last two days occupying the crease and losing only two wickets to Somerset. Ben Slater compiled an unbeaten 168 before skipper Haseeb Hameed pulled the plug on Wednesday evening. 

At Canterbury, Lancashire hauled themselves out of the relegation mire by pummelling bottom-placed Kent. Luke Wells (150) and Josh Bohannon (205) put on 312 for the second-wicket, more than Kent managed in their whole first innings. Bailey, Williams and Wells finished the job on the final morning. In the other Division One tie, Warwickshire and Hampshire served up a feast of cricket. The runs really flowed in the second half. James Vince and Liam Dawson scored centuries, then a 183-run partnership between Sam Hain and Michael Burgess thwarted Keith Barker et al. Hain was still there with the last man when time ran out. 

Next weekend sees the leading contenders meeting head-to-head at The Oval, while Somerset welcome Warwickshire to Taunton. 

Sussex were victorious at Hove, remaining top of Division Two in the process, but they had to endure one of the most extraordinary rearguard innings ever witnessed. Skipper John Simpson rattled off 183 not out on day one and Tom Alsop 81 on day three, leaving Leicestershire a daunting target of 464. Sussex were cruising at 144-6 when all-rounder Louis Kimber rocked up. After a circumspect start, the 27-year-old decided to chance his arm and went after the spinners. He reached 50 in 37 balls, 100 in 62 and 200 in 100, the fastest in Championship history. His 21 sixes shattered Ben Stokes’ record and England paceman Ollie Robinson became the unwanted victim of the most prolific over ever. With the aid of three no-balls, Kimber pulled, cut, slashed and carved an unbelievable 43 from the over! Just 18 short of victory, Kimber was eventually dismissed for 243, and both sets of players and officials gave him a standing ovation and guard of honour!   

Up at Scarborough, Yorkshire ended their win drought by beating Gloucestershire by an innings.   A triple-century opening stand involving Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean set them on their way, followed by their seam attack, led by Jordan Thompson and Connor McKerr. At Lord’s, Derbyshire are still winless, succumbing to Middlesex by 194 runs. Ryan Higgins enjoyed scores of 163 and 67, adding four wickets to the victory fund. 

At Cardiff, Glamorgan and Northants fought a really competitive, high-scoring encounter. Marnus Labuschagne top-scored for the home county but Northants’ wicket-keeper Lewis Mc Manus (168) was the game’s only centurion. Glamorgan had less than forty overs to attempt a 262-run chase, and they really went for it. Trouble is, the wickets fell regularly, too. When they slipped from 196-5 to 207-8, the chance had gone but the visitors also ran out of overs to remove the remaining two batters. 

It's another full set of fixtures next week, in which Northamptonshire face Sussex and Middlesex travel north to Leicestershire, although the latter’s new signing, Ajinkya Rahane, won’t arrive for a few more weeks. 

Team of the Week:- Slater (Not), L Wells (Sus), Bohannon (Lan), O Robinson (Dur), Higgins (Mid), Lawrence (Sur), Simpson (Sus +), Kimber (Lei), Barker (Ham), Hannon-Dalby (War), McKerr (Yor)