County Cricket: Gloucester Gallop but Rhodes Makes One-Day Hay

The 2025 Royal London One-Day Cup launched this week without the Hundred’s hullabaloo but threw the spotlight on some of the less lauded counties and individuals more often seen plying their trade in the Seconds. 

With few players lost to the more lucrative competition, Gloucestershire would be expected to thrive in the 50-over cup and they duly won all three opening fixtures, racking up plenty of runs in the process. They swept aside Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Surrey, the latter fielding a host of unknowns and little-knowns. Ben Charlesworth, Oliver Price and James Taylor enjoyed their time at the crease, and James Bracey was one of several wicketkeepers to shine during the past week and a half. 

Welbeck CC’s ground at Sookholme played host to Nottinghamshire’s home fixtures, including a high-scoring tie with Worcestershire. Tom Moores thrashed 140 off 93 balls, following it up with a golden duck! Jake Libby and Kashif Ali each reached three figures in the nailbiting Notts defeat. Somerset’s Rew brothers enjoyed a couple of big partnerships but failed in a two-wicket surrender to Lancashire. 

Somerset’s victims included Durham, who nonetheless had easy wins over Sussex and Kent. In the first match, Ollie Robinson claimed the rare distinction of making a hundred and taking six catches. Yet even his performance was eclipsed by team-mate Will Rhodes who ended the week as both the tournament’s highest run-scorer and wicket-taker. In that same Sussex encounter, he fashioned 96 then took 5-30 with his seamers. 

The highest score of the week was Imam ul-Haq’s 159 in Yorkshire’s 202-run massacre of Northants. The county are the only one in Group B with two wins from two, which also owed much to young Ben Cliff’s seven wickets, including 5-46 at Northampton. Other five-fors were achieved by the likes of Alfie Ogborne (Somerset) and Leicestershire’s teenage quick, Alex Green, who took five not once but twice in his two games. 

I should also mention a couple of players who excelled in a losing cause. Essex suffered a run of three defeats despite Tom Westley’s sterling efforts with bat and ball. At Neath, Glamorgan’s only completed match was notable for two substantial individual innings. Hampshire’s skipper Nick Gubbins stroked an unbeaten 144, before his opposite number Kiran Carlson reacted to the steady fall of wickets at the other end (all caught) by lashing ten sixes in a 92-ball 135. The home side’s innings lasted only five balls later, still 72 adrift. 

The next batch of fixtures includes the Roses tie at York, Glamorgan’s trip over the Severn Bridge to Gloucestershire, whose position atop Group A will be matched by Hampshire should they overcome Worcestershire and Leicestershire. In Group B, the Yorkshire-Somerset clash could be critical, but Lancashire need to make up for lost time and their Sedburgh washout with a successful South Coast jaunt to Sussex and Kent. 

Team of the Week:- Imam ul-Huq (Yor), Bracey (Glo +), Libby (Wor), Rhodes (Dur), Carlson (Gla), Kashif Ali (Wor), Westley (Ess), Ogborne (Som), Zaman Akhtar (Glo), A Green (Lei), Cliff (Yor)

Princely Albert steers Hampshire to 100% record

This week, I’ll start with news that we may have seen the last of two great stalwarts of the county game. James Hildreth is one of the most prolific batsmen in Somerset’s history, and hugely popular in and around Taunton. In both 2005 and 2019 he struck the winning runs in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup, respectively but in the past few seasons has struggled. Last week, he announced his retirement at the end of the summer but another injury, after a score of 12 versus Durham, has forced him to bring it forward. He never played for England, and neither did Darren Stevens who, at 45, will be released by Kent. He has enjoyed some of his best seasons in the Championship since passing 40 but has been used sparingly in 2022. Unlike Hildy, he wants to keep going, but who would take a punt on someone of his age? I think it’s best to retire gracefully and stay in the game as a coach, and be remembered as a brutal batsman and consistently nagging medium-pacer par excellence.

In this week’s RL 50-over fixtures, Somerset slumped to another three defeats, as did Glamorgan in Group B. At least the former pushed Middlesex almost all the way at Taunton, the last pair getting the Group A leaders across the line with four balls remaining. Middlesex skipper Steve Eskinazi made it three consecutive centuries, including 182 in 136 deliveries in the London derby. Surrey also took a pasting at Hove, where Sussex crushed them by 216 runs. Captain Cheteshwar Pujara plundered twenty fours and five sixes in his 174, one of two tons this week. Who’d have thought the dour Test batsman could be such a wonderful one-day strokeplayer?

Another captain, Essex’s Tom Westley, also made it two sets of three figures during the last seven days, including 109 against Kent, and seventeen year-old leg-spinner Luc Benkenstein, son of the former Durham all-rounder Dale, claimed 6-42 in the win over Glamorgan.

However, it’s Hampshire who lead Group B with an unblemished record so far. It wasn’t a smooth run. They squeezed past Derbyshire and close rivals Lancashire by just two wickets, and have 21 year-old bowler John Turner  and the even younger batsman Toby Albert to thank. The latter steered them home each time with well-judged unbeaten half-centuries. Definitely two to watch in a week when two veterans seemed at the end of their careers.

Team of the Week: Eskinazi (Mid), Patel (Sur), Westley (Ess), Pujara (Sus), Kimber (Lei), Bracey (Glo +), Albert (Ham), Trevaskis (Dur), Karvelas (Sus), Benkenstein (Ess), Turner (Ham)

Root and Branch: who's next for England Test captain?

So Joe Root has followed his bosses by leaving his elevated position in English cricket, this time by his own volition. It seems longer ago than five years since Sir Alastair Cook made the same self-sacrificing decision but the cycle was up. Like Olympiads or pre-Brexit general elections, four to five years seem to be the default span of a ‘permanent’ England Test captain and that’s probably enough strain for anyone to take when you’re successful, let alone struggling with results.

It does seem quite a paradox that a nation on top of the world when it comes to one-day cricket should have lost its way in the five-day format but that is the way of the sport in the twenty-first century. They are different beasts requiring slightly different skill sets and, especially, tactics and strategy. If the schedule wasn’t so onerous, Joe Root wouldn’t simply be the best England Test batsman of his generation (and, without any exaggeration, probably my own six-decade lifetime) but also in ODIs and T20. Shot-making, timing and all-round cricketing intelligence work in any format. It’s the same for Kohli, Williamson and Smith, to name but three.

Yet when England lose a few Ashes series and cone a cropper in the Caribbean, who ya gonna blame? The skipper! When England played well a few years ago, his captaincy wasn’t questioned. Unleash Anderson, Broad and Stokes, supported by whoever was deemed to be in form or in the Surrey/Yorkshire squads, hope Root’s openers survive the new ball and we’d have a decent chance. However, once the venerable seam and swing pairing began to show their age and young batsmen honed on the biff-bash stuff failed to demonstrate the required levels of patience and consistency, the Yorkshireman’s days at the helm were numbered.

Analysts and commentators wiser than me admit Joe is no great shakes when it comes to bowling changes, use of spinners or getting the most out of your team-mates. Let’s face it, most England captains are picked on their likelihood of making the team on a regular basis rather than their proven leadership ability in domestic cricket. Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton were exceptions, but the latter’s much-vaunted pedigree was of little assistance in the era of Australian supremacy and improving Pakistan and South Africa, when selection was controlled by one or two fuddy-duddies

As for the current dilemma, we don’t even know who will make the decision to appoint Root’s replacement given the top roles remain unfilled. It’s already late-April so they had better get moving. Strauss and Cook quit both the captaincy and international playing careers but fortunately Root will continue on the pitch where in 2021 and 2022, he has almost single-handedly saved England from suffering even greater ignominy.

Ben Stokes is a hot favourite to take over but, yet again, that seems based entirely on his status as our only world-class all-rounder. The trouble is, the Durham star doesn’t seem entirely suited mentally to the rigours of playing three formats plus that lucrative IPL contract. It seems bizarre picking as captain someone who will miss most of the games and is no provenance as senior leader. Eoin Morgan has overseen success in ODIs but hardly ever plays proper cricket these days

Of this summer’s England-qualified county skippers, only James Vince, Tom Westley, Steven Patterson and Rory Burns would appear to be strong contenders. Patterson’s a bowler which in most minds rules him out. Burns might need to rediscover form at The Oval with the bat and Vince to prove himself as more than just a quality fifty-over man. Could it be the Essex middle-order batter? I wouldn’t dismiss his credentials out of hand but at 33 he is probably too old to last the five-year period, which is a pity. He’d get my vote but, let's face it, it'll be Stokes...

Snater and Westley send Essex clear

This week’s One-Day Cup was one of mixed fortunes for all, and rain also throwing a spanner in the works. Group 2 leaders Essex are the only county to have won more than three games. They thrashed Kent by nine wickets, with Alastair Cook and Tom Westley in charge, but at Bristol left it to the last ball to edge past Gloucestershire by two wickets. Aussie medium-pacer Shane Snater took his wicket tally to thirteen, comfortably ahead of anyone else so far. It was a tough week for Gloucestershire, especially as Jack Taylor struck three half-centuries, Ben Charlesworth aggregated 160 runs (including a 99 not out) and Graeme Van Buuren took six wickets. 

Durham are hard on their heels after Sean Dickson’s 76-ball 103 and a fine all-round performance by teenager Luke Doneathy helped stall Lancashire’s charge. Batsman Rob Jones and seamer Tom Bailey did their best for the Red Roses but another defeat, to Midlesex, could cost them dearly. 

In Group 1, Somerset are the only unbeaten county in the competition and could have ended the week with a 100% record had they not had two fixtures curtailed by the weather. They sit level on points with Glamorgan, who slaughtered Surrey, featuring a typically miserly ten-over spell by Michael Hogan (1-18). Nigel Selman’s 140 against Leicestershire was the top score around the country but sadly it proved in vain as their opponents were prevented from completing their reply by rain. 

They probably wouldn’t have reached the target, having been put to the sword at Welbeck by Nottinghamshire who triumphed with thirty overs remaining. Neighbours Derbyshire achieved their first victory in the tournament, also against Notts. Tom Wood’s 109 off only 59 balls was the outstanding innings, and wasn’t the product of hit-and-hope slogs; there were only three sixes but 14 fours. All-rounder Finn Hudson-Prentice continued his good form and yet they are languishing near the bottom of Group 1. 

Next week sees the final league fixtures and it really is all to play for. Almost anyone can sneak into the top four placings in each group. Essex meet their closest rivals Durham and Lancashire so I’d expect at least two of these three to qualify for the quarter-finals. I expect Gloucestershire to be in the mix, too. 

Somerset probably need two wins from last three matches, but it could go down to their trip to Warwickshire next Thursday. Glamorgan close with two home ties, but Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire are tough opponents who also fancy their chances of progression. 

Team of the Week: Charlesworth (Glo), Eskinazi (Mid), Selman (Gla), Westley (Ess), Burgess (Not +), T Wood (Der), Taylor (Glo), Hudson-Prentice (Der), Van Buuren (Glo), Bailey (Lan), Snater (Ess)

Essex Bounce Back and Rushworth breaks Record

My comments last week about Gloucestershire benefitting from sitting out a potentially wet week proved prescient. Only 68 overs were possible at Taunton, time only for Surrey opener Rory Burns to score another fifty and Lewis Gregory to register his 300^th first-class wicket. So Gloucester remain top of Group 2 but Hampshire made up lost ground by beating Middlesex at Lord’s by 7 wickets. Although he came in for a pounding from Keith Barker in the second innings, Tim Murtagh was on good form but it was Hampshire’s Kyle Abbott who starred, taking eleven cheap wickets. 

In a very tight Group 1, Essex leapfrogged from fifth to first by trouncing Derbyshire by an innings and 15. An inexperienced attack was taken apart by the champions’ top four, including a 221-run stand by Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence, who clubbed an unbeaten 152, including a century in boundaries alone. Lawrence then had Godleman caught by Ten Doeschate which proved significant given that Simon Harmer proceeded to take all the other first-innings wickets. Derby made a better fist of their second attempt but the seamers chipped in to beat both their opponents and the weather on the final day. 

Durham advance to third after dealing Worcestershire their first defeat of the season, and a comprehensive performance it was, too. Will Young and Jack Burnham made hundreds but it was Chris Rushworth who deserved the headlines. His 9-108 match analysis was impressive enough but he was really emotional after removing Haynes to become his county’s record first-class wicket-taker surpassing Graeme Onions’ career tally of 527. 

Yorkshire edged in front in Group 3 with a draw against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens. Following the near-nationwide washout on day one, a result was never a realistic proposition. Joe Root was bowled by Douthwaite just one short of his ton as the White Roses established a first-innings lead despite Michael Neser’s 5-39. There was a similar situation at Hove, where Kent were easily dismissed on day one, losing two wickets to England international Jofra Archer before he succumbed to injury again. The Sussex attack was more toothless later on as Crawley, Robinson and centurion Jack Leaning ensured there was no chance of losing. 

The next round of fixtures includes a couple of eye-catchers from Group 2. There’s the ever-intriguing London derby, although neither Surrey nor Middlesex seem especially keen on winning the Championship this year. Meanwhile the West Country clash between Gloucestershire and Somerset should decide who leads after week seven, although Hampshire could prove a fly in the ointment with a 24-point victory over Leicestershire. Essex seek to consolidate their Group 1 lead at home to Warwickshire, and Lancashire should return to the pinnacle of Group 3 provided they avoid heavy defeat at Northampton. 

Team of the Week: Lees (Dur), Young (Dur), Leaning (Ken), Westley (Ess), Lawrence (Ess), Robinson (Ken +), Abbott (Ham), Harmer (Ess), Neser (Gla), S Patterson (Yor), Rushworth (Dur)

Glut of Hundreds greet new County Season

It’s not yet mid-April and we’ve had the first results of the 2021 County Championship. How did that happen?! At least we didn’t have to wait until August as we did last year. Of course the Covid pandemic hasn’t gone away and spectators aren’t yet dribbling into the cricket grounds. Today they were probably all greeting the easing of restrictions by queuing for Primark, but over the preceding four days they would have missed some real run fests. I could have included a dozen batsmen deserving of a place in my Team of the Week. Three scores of 150+ simply weren’t good enough. Must try harder, lads! 

By summer I’ll probably begin to work out what formats the 2021 season will embrace, but for now I’ll just take the County Championship as it comes, week by week. It’s a three-group first phase which seemed quite popular in last year’s severely truncated competition and, despite the cold air – and even a little snow at Headngley – the pitches definitely favoured batting. 

In Group 1, champions Essex were held at home by Worcestershire. Tom Westley’s first double-century in six years seemed to have set up another victory, only for Jake Libby and Ed Barnard to frustrate the home side. Libby’s unbeaten 180 was, at 681 minutes, the second longest county innings on record. At Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire’s Liam Norwell claimed the best bowling of the week, a first-innings 5-32, but in their second outing, Durham’s South African David Bedingham (180) and Ned Eckersley (113 not out) turned 22-3 into a match-saving and potentially even match-winning 332-4 declared. However, a draw was agreed on the final afternoon. 

In contrast each of the three Group 2 fixtures produced results. Hampshire looked the most impressive in thrashing Leicestershire by an innings. The home team’s bowling was rather ragged as James Vince’s 231 and Liam Dawson’s rapid 152 not out helped Hampshire to a formidable 612-5 declared. 2020 absentee Kyle Abbott was the pick of the bowlers. Somerset began with an eight-point deduction for preparing a poor pitch in the 2019 finale so desperately needed a victory over Middlesex at Lord’s. Sam Robson’s 165 and fine bowling by Murtagh and Bamber on the first few days showed that was looking unlikely. However, Somerset’s useful attack dismissed Middlesex for just 143 and Tom Abell, George Bartlett and Lewis Gregory did the rest. Phew! 

At The Oval, Surrey’s Ben Foakes’ 133 appeared to have made amends for a first-innings deficit only for Chris Dent and a rampant Graeme van Buuren to nick an eight-wicket triumph for Gloucestershire. 

Group 3 yielded three draws, with little to choose between them. Glamorgan’s trip to Yorkshire pitched the Root brothers against each other, and young Billy resoundingly came out on top, starring with 153 runs to Joe’s aggregate of just 29. Billy shared a stand of 212 with captain Chris Cooke to declare and leave Yorkshire to take a cautious approach on the final day. They were never going to achieve 377 to win so Adam Lyth settled for a patient 115 not out and a draw. 

At Old Trafford, Lancashire skipper Dane Vilas and young Sussex opener Tom Haines exchanged big hundreds but the Manchester weather prevented much action at the weekend. The contest at Northampton also petered out after two innings of 400+. Northants batsmen Vasconcelos and Keogh struck tons in response to 116 by that man Darren Stevens. Now in his 25^th county season, he became the oldest centurion in the Championship for 34 years. It is becoming increasingly likely that Dazza will go on for ever. 

This week he’ll have another go against Lancashire and the pick of the round two ties could be the West Country derby between early winners Somerset and Gloucestershire. 

Team of the Week: Haines (Sus), Libby (Wor), Westley (Ess), Vince (Ham), Bedingham (Dur), Vilas (Sus), Foakes (Sur +), Critchley (Der), Gregory (Som), Abbott (Ham), Norwell (War)

Davey Fires Somerset back to the top

With the County Championship entering its final straight, three of the four Division One games ended in victories by more than 200 runs. Crucially, the exception was at Edgbaston where Essex were made to follow on. Warwickshire had racked up 517, helped by Matthew Lamb’s maiden century, making Essex’s chance of victory almost impossible. Tom Westley’s second substantial score of the game did at least prevent a defeat but events in Taunton must have left them frustrated.

It was another low-scoring fixture in Somerset, but the home side’s second innings left Yorkshire in dire straits. Craig Overton may have been absent with the England squad but his replacement Josh Davey was inspired. His 3-30 and 5-21 were integral to third-placed Yorkshire twice being skittled for little more than 100. Their 19 points was enough to move ahead of Essex by eight points. Unless Somerset beat Hampshire next week and Essex lose at home to Surrey – an unlikely combination of events – the title will be decided in a winner-takes-all at Taunton in a fortnight. My heart won’t stand it, and I’ll be in Portugal on holiday when it happens!

Hampshire met Surrey at Southampton this week and it was the champions came off the worse. It was even-stevens after the first innings. Rikki Clarke took 5-21 and Keith Barker 4-38 but when Hampshire batted second, no fewer than five players struck half-centuries, led by a rapid 91 by James Vince. However, it was their 20 year-old opener Felix Organ who clinched the match – with the ball. His part-time leg-breaks clamed 5-25 as Surrey slumped to 151 all out.

At the other end of the table, Nottinghamshire were relegated after Kent demolished them at Trent Bridge. Ravi Ashwin may have taken nine wickets spread over 50 overs but Kent’s star of the show was that wily all-rounder, Darren Stevens. He scored 88 and took 10-92 in the match to send Notts back to the second tier with two fixtures yet to play. They are the only county not to have won in the  Championship. Even Leicestershire have one triumph to their name.

It didn’t happen this week, though. Northamptonshire advanced to a clear second place by winning at Grace Road by seven wickets. Richard Keogh top-scored with 132. Lancashire are assured of promotion, defeating Derbyshire by an innings at Old Trafford inside three days. Josh Bohannon’s 174, his first Championship century, set it up, and the bowlers did the rest to ensure an immediate return to the top tier.

Sussex dealt Gloucestershire’s surprising top three hopes a blow, inflicting an eight-wicket thumping at Bristol. Just about every member of the eleven contributed with runs and/or wickets. Durham schlepped down to Lord’s and came away with a 44-run success. Suddenly they, too, are in the hunt, for which they have Ben Raine (5-26) and South African paceman Brydon Carse (6-26) to thank. Should they beat Northants next week, they will have undertaken a remarkable turnaround and could find themselves a win over Glamorgan away from the rarified atmosphere of Division One.

Worcestershire’s mediocre first-class season improved slightly at New Road where Glamorgan succumbed inside three days. Daryl Mitchell hasn’t been in the runs for a while but struck a welcome second-innings 139. Moeen Ali enjoyed another red-ball outing but it will be at the T20 Finals Day where his time may yet come in 2019.

Team of the Week: Godleman (Der), Mitchell (Wor), Bohannon (Lan), Westley (Ess), Lamb (War), Stevens (Ken), McManus (Ham +), Wiese (Sus), Raine (Dur), Organ (Ham), Davey (Som)

Stokes, Ali and England's Golden Trio Triumph

This summer’s Test series has been a topsy-turvy rollercoaster ride so far. On paper, England and South Africa look well-matched, but each match has been very one-sided. After their Trent Bridge drubbing, Joe Root’s men turned the tables again to record a 239-run victory back in London and ensure they can’t lose the series.

While Cook, Root and Bairstow helped themselves to fifties, Ben Stokes at last demonstrated that he can apply himself to proper Test cricket batting, and Moeen Ali incredibly clinched the game with his first ever hat-trick, much of the talk will be about the debutants.

I can’t remember when England last presented first caps to three players in the same match. I’m not convinced by Dawid Malan’s credentials as a Test batsman but of course he plays for one of the London counties, which undeniably helps. Like team-mate Eoin Morgan, he is more suited to limited-overs cricket. However, his performances for the Lions can’t be ignored and so probably deserved an opportunity.

Tom Westley has in the past few years excelled in an Essex side brimming with young talent battling to follow in Alastair Cook’s footsteps. At the age of 28, he has had to bide his time. Like Malan, he averages around 37-38 and owes his call-up to a century in the Lions cause, in his case an unbeaten 106 against the South Africans a month ago. An assured Test debut including 84 runs should mean he keeps the likes of Ballance and Compton out of the team for a bit longer.

Toby Roland-Jones, of course, made a name for himself in Middlesex’s march to the Championship last summer, and in particular that final-day hat-trick to deprive Somerset of their rightful title. Naturally, he received the nod from the friendly Lord’s selectors but it’s taken another year to finally get on the pitch, thank to Mark Wood’s injury. His late-order batting is solid enough, but his career tally of 347 first-class wickets at only 25 is impossible to ignore any longer. And how he stood up to be counted! His first-innings five-for, including a top-four featuring Amla and De Kock, finished South Africa’s chances of competing effectively in this Third Test. Should either Anderson or Broad pack in any time soon, on this evidence, TR-J can perform the role of swing and seamer admirably. The only problem is that he is not far short of 30 himself.

But back to The Oval. Moeen Ali becoming the first England spinner to claim a hat-trick since 1938 wasn’t in the script. That Ben Stokes should heave four Maharaj deliveries into the stands was less surprising. The stats say that the Durham all-rounder became the first English player to strike three consecutive sixes since Wally Hammond in the 1930s. Hammond?! He is a genuine all-time great but not renowned for six-hitting in Test matches, what with having to bat with a plank of wood and boundaries defined by the position of spectators’ seats not sponsors’ adverts.

People have rightly questioned the ability of Stokes, Ali, Bairstow et al to bat to the situation and not merely play their natural attacking game. Bearded Ben answered his critics in fine style, even holding back those sixes until his century was in sight and nine wickets were down. Now those same criticisms are being made of the South Africans. At the very least, Faf du Plessis needs to learn when not to shoulder arms! At least we know Dean Elgar has the strength and ability to make runs in the second innings. The prolific pre-series practice for Somerset has reaped dividends.

England should now progress to winning the D’Oliveira Trophy, but if they lose the toss and bowl first, their recent record is very poor. If Joe Root can be as consistently good at guessing the side of the coin correctly as he is at accumulating runs, England will do very well indeed.

Essex Almost There!

A funny two-tier week. Rain destroyed all four Division One fixtures on the last day but in the second group, three of the matches were wrapped up before the weather could do its worst. And so that’s where I’ll start.

For the second successive week, both Essex and Kent enjoyed victories by an innings, widening the gap between themselves and the chasing pack. Ryan Ten Doeschate’s side made mincemeat of third-placed Worcestershire at Chelmsford. The ever-reliable David Masters took 7-51 as the visitors slid to 230 all out. Alastair Cook popped in to score 66 but it was Tom Westley who outscored Worcestershire all on his own! Tendo also chipped in with a hundred of his own before Graham Napier’s five-for and a few wickets for that man Westley finished things off with a day to spare. Essex are now almost guaranteed promotion. It’s been a long time coming.

Down on the South coast, there were no centuries to celebrate, although Will Gidman was stranded on 99 in Kent’s first innings of 496. As has become customary this summer, their four main seamers shared the Sussex wickets fairly democratically and the job was done was minimal fuss.

Glamorgan looked in an unfeasible hurry to scurry home from Northampton. They surrendered meekly, twice bowled out for under 140. Last week, Rob Keogh made three figures. This time, he left the major run scoring to Ben Duckett and claimed amazing bowling figures of 9-52 and 4-73 with his occasional off-breaks. Graeme White polished off the remaining seven wickets. They seemed transformed and it seems odd that Northants have been so poor in the Championship. Perhaps Keogh’s performance highlights the paucity of their seam attack until Ben Sanderson’s recent good form.

In the race to the pennant, Middlesex and champions Yorkshire now look to be out on their own. The former seemed to be in the driving seat at Edgbaston when the rain closed in. Warwickshire’s Josh Poysden (8-133 match figures) and Middlesex’s Ollie Rayner (7-91) were the pick of the players.

Meanwhile at Southampton, Gareth Berg had Yorkshire concerned on day one, taking 6-56. However, Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom restored White Rose supremacy on Thursday. After setting Hampshire 298 to win on the final day, the same bowlers looked set for a repeat performance. However, the weather was always going to win.

At Old Trafford I was optimistic about Somerset’s chances of staving off relegation as Tom Abell helped push the score past 200 with the loss of just Trescothick’s wicket. I was even more positive when Peter Trego accelerated on the second morning, eventually walking off with a career-best 154 not out, scored at almost a run a ball. More encouraging was ‘keeper Ryan Davies keeping him company and contributing an unheard-of 86 out of their eighth wicket partnership of 236. Alviro Petersen’s 155 made sure the game was drawn. We’re now fourth but not out of the woods.

Nottinghamshire, however, looked doomed after narrowing the gap behind Durham by a mere two points. They now have to win their final two matches and hope Durham lose theirs. Harry Gurney’s 6-61 and Jake Libby’s 144 gave Notts a first innings lead. but another big Keaton Jennings score (171 not out), his sixth this season ensured the home side remained out of the danger zone albeit in a precarious seventh. Jennings is now improbably the top scorer in Division One.

Durham now meet Yorkshire, Notts travel to a title-hungry Middlesex and Hampshire also have a difficult date at The Oval. It should go to the final week, and that’s how it should be!

Surrey rested at the end of the week but they were in high spirits after ending Yorkshire’s hopes of a double. Stuart Meaker took five wickets in their Royal London Cup semi-final triumph. Somerset’s ambitions for a first one-day final in years were also snuffed out by Warwickshire. Davies again was advancing the Westcountrymen’s cause in the chase before Jeetan Patel delivered one of his devastating spells, winning five lbw decisions to win by just eight runs. Ouch!

Team of the Week: Duckett (Nor), Jennings (Dur), Westley (Ess), Petersen (Lan), Trego (Som), Keogh (Nor), Bresnan (Yor), Davies (Som +), Brooks (Yor), Gurney (Not), Masters (Ess).

Durham dominate, Buttler blasts

While England were rattling up a record ODI total against New Zealand, runs were distinctly hard to come by last weekend in the County Championship. On Day One, all batting sides were dismissed for under 300, although bowlers were less dominant a few days later.

Durham didn’t have it all their own way at Chester-le-Street. However, Somerset’s second innings batting frailties were again exposed, and Sunderland-born Paul Coughlin’s 4-10 finished things off with a day to spare, taking Durham to the top of Division One. Somerset, meanwhile, were consigned to bottom place, despite more effective bowling by Craig Overton (4-40 and 3-41).

Their cause was helped by Yorkshire’s four-wicket defeat of previous leaders Middlesex. Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 125 held the White Roses’ first innings together, and James Brooks bounced back with 5-44. Adam Lyth’s return after a successful Test match stint included a useful 67 which steered his side to victory, and within eleven points of Durham who have played a game more.

Hampshire recorded their first win of the season, easily beating Sussex at Hove. Gareth Berg enjoyed his best week of 2015, taking five wickets and sharing a 165-run partnership with Adam Wheater. He must have been gutted to be run out on 99, though. Fidel Edwards hastened Sussex’s defeat with his first five-for in two years, and his team escaped the relegation zone by three points. It’s already looking to be any two from Hampshire, Somerset and Worcestershire, as I thought at the start of the season.

Looking to replace them, Lancashire and Surrey both won again in Division Two. Despite another ten wickets for Craig Miles and a century from the in-form Michael Klinger, Gloucestershire went down by 91 runs. Lancashire’s veteran Glen Chapple made his first appearance of the summer and added another to his first-class wicket tally of 975, but Kyle Jarvis’ 4-67 and 5-39 proved more decisive. Meanwhile, Surrey made short work of Leicestershire in another low-scoring contest. James Burke took a wicket with his first ball in the Championship en route for match statistics of 6-54. Team-mate Tom Curran, son of the late Kevin who graced the county game a few decades ago, fared even better. He captured nine scalps and contributed an important 60 late-order runs on the first afternoon.

It was an even shorter match at Canterbury, where wickets tumbled early on. Mark Footitt (5-45), Wayne White (6-25) and Matt Cole (5-24) were the main beneficiaries. However, Derbyshire found batting somewhat easier second time around, and Billy Godleman and Chesney Hughes ensured they won by eight wickets.

Tom Westley struck the week’s highest individual score (179) as Essex played out a draw at Northampton. Jesse Ryder and the home county’s Richard Levi each contributed more than 200 runs, too, as the game petered out into a draw leaving Essex adrift of Kent by eight points at the foot of the table.

Next week, Lancashire ought to extend their lead by defeating Leicestershire, but Glamorgan should challenge Surrey in their Guildford encounter. Essex must beat Derbyshire to give themselves a positional boost. In the top tier, Durham can put daylight between themselves and Yorkshire if they overcome fourth placed Sussex. Meanwhile, Somerset can leapfrog Nottinghamshire and Hampshire by thumping Chris Read’s side at Taunton. Warwickshire could also be vulnerable to Worcestershire if Moeen Ali plays.

The England discard, Ali, along with Ian Bell, each scored rapid 90s for their counties in last weekend’s T20 fixtures, even outclassing another big innings for Chris Gayle. I’ve a ticket for what was to be his last appearance for Somerset at Cardiff on Saturday but, sadly, he's been allowed to head back to the Caribbean instead. Cheated, or what?! Oh, well. It'll probably be washed out anyway....

Team of the Week: Moeen Ali (Wor), Root (Eng/Yor), Westley (Ess), Klinger (Glo), Levi (Nor), Ryder (Ess), Buttler (Eng/Lan +), Curran (Sur), Jarvis (Lan), Brooks (Yor), Miles (Glo)

Team of the Week: Steyn and Sangakkara steam ahead

Some difficult choices this week after a relatively weak pool from which to select last time. Test matches, 'A' internationals, the CPL and the last of an intensive few weeks of Royal London county fixtures were all vying for attention.

For some reason, 111 was a popular score. The late umpire David Shepherd would have been hopping around like a demented flamingo but only one of these batsmen make my team of the week ending 15th August 2014. That's Essex opener Tom Westley, who shared a double-century partnership with Ryan Ten Doeschate in a run chase against Yorkshire, before weighing in with 74 versus Hampshire. Jacques Rudolph, Lendl Simmons and Wes Durston were all in the frame, but Alex Hales' 141 in Nottinghamshire's thumping of Middlesex earns him the other opener spot.

He put on 217 with Michael Lumb yet his colleague and skipper James Taylor produced an even better 100 not out in 55 balls in that match to accompany another unbeaten hundred for the Lions against Sri Lanka 'A'. Worcestershire's 20 year-old Tom Fell delivered three innings each of at least 70 in the past week, although his side struggled a bit. He edges my decision ahead of Pakistan's Younis Khan but I simply can't ignore Kumar Sangakkara. His prolific year continued with 221 in Sri Lanka's victory over Pakistan. Majestic! However, his score was eclipsed by the South African 'A' man Rilee Roussouw, whose 231 helped deflate an Aussie attack in the triangular tournament.

Messrs Dhoni, Buttler and De Kock all made some runs but Hampshire's Adam Wheater steals the wicketkeeper gloves with a 97-ball 135. A shame that it was in vain as his side's run chase fell five runs short of the Essex total.

Paul Collingwood and Notts transfer target Will Gidman each produced a notable all-rund county performance but my remaining four places all go to specialist bowlers. Yasir Arafat claimed 5-36 and 4-49 against Somerset and Kent, respectively, and who can forget Stuart Broad's India-shattering 6-25 in the Fourth Test? A pity his nose took a shattering soon afterwards....

Rangana Herath didn't need to bowl as many overs this week as last but he added another nine wickets to his tally for Sri Lanka. His first-class aggregate now stands at 870, which surely few if any current players can match. His Test average has also dropped below 30, a sign of a top-class bowler. Finally, that man Dale Steyn was at it again, taking 5-46 and 3-38, although his latest eight victims were Zimbabweans. Herath's record is improving but he has a long way to go before emulating the South Afican maestro's 383 Test wickets at 22.56.

Summing up: Hales (Lions/Not), Westley (Ess), Sangakkara (SL), Fell (Wor), Taylor (Lions/Not *), Rossouw (SA 'A'), Wheater (Ham +), Yasir Arafat (Sus), Broad (Eng), Steyn (SA), Herath (SL).