County Cricket: Essex make the early running

The fielders’ sweaters may have been extra-thick this week but at least most of the Championship fixtures ended in a positive result. Essex made it two wins in three by making short work of Lancashire at Chelmsford. The Red Roses were dismissed twice for under 150, seamers Shane Snater, Sam Cook and Jamie Porter doing most of the damage. 

Surrey also triumphed by an innings, although Kent and the bad weather extended the match into the fourth day. Centuries by Dom S|bley and Dan Lawrence fuelled the champions’ charge to a total of 543-7 declared. He may be used as the fifth bowler but Cameron Steel continues to harvest the wickets, taking his tally for the season to twenty. 

Durham registered their first victory in the top division since 2016, despatching Worcestershire by 185 runs at Kidderminster with a day to spare. The real damage was inflicted on Saturday when David Bedingham crashed 138 in 99 balls. Robinson and Clark increased Worcestershire’s target to an improbable 458, but, despite fifties from Libby, Waite and Smith, the Durham seamers Paul Coughlin, Ben Raine and Matthew Potts were too strong. 

At Taunton, a ninth-wicket stand of 139 between Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius looked to have established a winning foundation for Somerset against Nottinghamshire. However, that was as good as it got. Once Joe Clarke joined Will Young early on Sunday morning, the home attack was forced to toil wicketless for more than 100 overs. Clarke reached his double-century as the pair shattered the county’s third-wicket record which had stood for 121 years. If it hadn’t been for Monday’s heavy rain, they may well have pushed on to 400, 500, 600, …. 

At Southampton, Warwickshire openers Rob Yates and Alex Davies maintained their prolific start to the county season, but at least Middleton and Gubbins kept Hampshire in the hunt on day three, by when time was running out to force a result in worsening conditions. Second time around, Rob Yates notched another unbeaten half-century and even weighed in as a spinner with 4-37. 

Only four Division One fixtures this week, the tastiest being Hampshire’s trip to The Oval and Essex schlepping all the way north to Durham. 

Meanwhile, Middlesex and Sussex earned the first 2024 victories in Division Two. Following recent run-fests, it was the batters who struggled at Lord’s. Yorkshire’s Root and Brook contributed a grand total of 40 between them and, for all the gallant efforts of seamer Ben Coad, it was Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins whose seven wickets and steady batting at the end proved decisive. 

Zafar Gohar’s Pakistan Test career may have stalled after a solitary appearance, but his pair of 50s and second-innings 5-59 probably deserved to bring Gloucestershire success at Hove. However, young Trinidadian Jayden Seales made his mark with the ball and, when it comes to anchoring a tricky run chase, nobody does it better than Cheteshwar Pujara. 2023 demonstrated that Sussex need to make hay while the Indian is available to play for them. 

On home ground, Northamptonshire racked up an impregnable 605-6. Ricardo Vasconcelos made 182, but Karun Nair went even better. The experienced Indian player doesn’t score many centuries but when he does, they tend to be big ones. They declared once he reached 202, and Saif Zaib had ben dismissed for exactly 100. Glamorgan were spared a likely humiliation by a final-day washout. 

Leicestershire were similarly robbed by the rain whilst in a commanding position against Derbyshire. Marcus Harris (214) outscored the whole of the home side’s first innings. Scott Currie’s six wickets was his best tally so far in a nascent career, but the match was called off with only four wickets to fall. 

Sussex rest next week, so Middlesex will go clear at the top by defeating Gloucestershire at Bristol. However, should they fail, Northants meet Leicestershire for a chance to take their place. 

Team of the Week:-  Vasconcelos (Nor), Harris (Lei), Yates (War), Nair (Nor), Clarke (Not), Young (Not), Robinson (Dur +), Higgins (Mid), Zafar Gohar (Glo),  Steel (Sur), 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)