2 weeks ago
1. Lehmann banks different ton
With reddish shot swapped for achromatic this week, nan Championship comes to its first break aft six (of 14) matches still looking to found a narrative. Only Essex and Sussex (carrying a points penalty) person won half their matches, but they are only 4th and fifth. Five different counties person 2 wins and 17 points covers nan apical seven. That’s either nan makings of a tight nip-and-tuck play aliases a structural nonaccomplishment to abstracted nan wheat from nan chaff – return your pick.
Even aft truthful galore overs were mislaid to rain, Hampshire’s vulnerable batting would person started nan 4th time pinch immoderate trepidation. Nottinghamshire, nan 2025 champions and 2026 array toppers, were pawing nan crushed keen to group up a chase, nan location broadside 4 down and only 62 runs ahead. Knock complete Jake Lehmann and Ben Brown and location wasn’t overmuch to travel aft – this season, location wasn’t overmuch to travel earlier either.
Brown was soon gone, but Lehmann is still very useful indeed, registering a 17th profession period to clasp disconnected nan baying hounds. Props besides to nan 2 all-rounders, Delano Potgieter and Felix Organ, who kept him institution for astir 3 hours, only 1 much wicket taken successful nan 50 overs possible.
The tie meant that Hampshire are still bottom, but not adrift and that Nottinghamshire are still top, but tin consciousness nan pursuers moving difficult connected their heels.
2. All I want to do is spot you, Leicestershire
At consequence of sounding for illustration Peter Powell introducing Depeche Mode successful nan 1980s, Essex were nan large movers this week, beating Leicestershire for their 2nd consecutive win.
There wasn’t overmuch successful nan lucifer until nan 3rd innings when, aft overnight rainfall had livened up nan Chelmsford pitch, nan visiting batters were soon looking up to spot Jamie Porter, Sam Cook and Shane Snater. If you were picking Champonship bowlers successful nan playground for a pick-up lucifer successful these conditions, you would bagsy Jimmy Anderson first, but these 3 wouldn’t beryllium near opinionated against nan wall for long.
Leicestershire were gone successful 60 runs, Simon Harmer not moreover required to return his hands retired of his pockets and nan target knocked disconnected 3 down. Essex will spell for a hat-trick of wins travel June pinch a travel to … Leicester.
3. Caps connected nan field; level caps successful nan crowd
At Headingley, Yorkshire fielded 865 world caps against Surrey’s 171, which feels for illustration it should beryllium immoderate benignant of record, moreover without nan unavailable Sam Curran’s 140. And, connected this evidence, it appears that world cricket is awesome mentation for nan region game, arsenic Yorkshire hit Surrey by a towering innings and 127 runs.
It was nan Tykes’ 2 ex-England batters (but don’t show Jonny) who group up nan win, Adam Lyth pinch his 41st first-class period and Jonny Bairstow pinch his 32nd – what servants they person been to Yorkshire cricket. They handed complete to nan location side’s all-rounders, George Hill, Matthew Revis and, er, Harry Brook, who shared 13 wickets betwixt them successful a good ensemble effort.
The triumph kickstarted a hesitant play for Yorkshire, who are now 25 points clear of nan driblet area but improbable to beryllium capable to telephone connected Joe Root and Brook for immoderate time, if astatine all. Surrey are conscionable 3 points supra them and must dream that returning players tin re-discover their mojo, which has gone missing for nan first clip successful years.
4. Welsh dragon still breathing fire
Glamorgan are nan astonishment package of nan season, backing up 2 wins pinch getting nan amended of a tie that denied Warwickshire nan apical spot. The promoted region person recovered small trouble successful adjusting to Division One. Their 2 centurions successful nan match, Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram, were 2 of 8 batters averaging complete 30, illustrating nan tremendously useful property of uncovering a people aliases 2 location successful nan bid successful each innings.
The bowling is much reliable than stellar, but they whitethorn person recovered a small stardust successful Tom Norton. The 18-year-old backed up his debut hat-trick past week pinch a mates of world scalps successful Dan Mousley and Beau Webster en way to 4-48. He has gait and aggression and seems to person that ineffable value of conscionable being capable to get batters out. Time will tell, of course.
As it will for Kiran Carlson’s captaincy. The 28-year-old is 1 of nan younger skippers successful nan Championship and he is demonstrating he tin animate his players while delivering important runs himself. If England request to fortify their activity group – and nan grounds of past wintertime suggests they mightiness – his attributes mightiness go very attractive.
5. Covers carnage curbs Kent
Matters are clearer astatine nan apical of Division Two, wherever Durham lead by 20 points. They mightiness beryllium a small miffed that they don’t lead by much aft a leaky screen ruled retired play connected time 3 – though Kent, good up astatine nan extremity of time two, whitethorn person a amended lawsuit for a grievance.
It took a 10th-wicket guidelines of 158 betwixt Ben Raine and Callum Parkinson that ate up 43 overs, to unafraid nan tie for nan leaders and blunt Kent’s caller beardown revival. That’s an advantage of having a coagulated 8 astatine 9 and a decent 9 astatine 11 – not that specified musings are immoderate comfortableness to nan bowlers.
The lucifer was astatine nan small Beckenham ground, nestled betwixt nan houses successful suburban southbound eastbound London, 1 of 2 outgrounds utilized this week successful Division Two. Like James Anderson searching for nan shot down nan railings astatine Southport, infrastructure and instrumentality problems whitethorn conscionable beryllium 1 of those things – a value worthy paying for nan delights of cricket successful smaller venues wherever nan region crippled tin spot its roots much clearly.
Kent hosted Durham successful Beckham this weekend. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images
6. Tossing nan Kimber successful proves crucial
The champion lucifer of a quiet week was a low-scoring thriller astatine Bristol that consigned Gloucestershire to nan ft of nan array and sent Northamptonshire into nan 2nd promotion slot.
After yet much trade and cunning from Ben Sanderson had near Northants pinch a target of 249, Gloucestershire were warmish favourites erstwhile nan visitors mislaid their sixth wicket pinch 97 still to get. Enter Louis Kimber, a like-for-like replacement for Saif Zaib, who had been withdrawn nether nan concussion protocol.
Kimber, who made an bonzer double 100 a mates of years agone for Leicestershire, had small to suffer and overmuch to beryllium having not been selected since nan first lucifer of nan season. He played his earthy crippled and teed disconnected to nan tune of 66 pinch 11 fours and 1 six to resistance his squad home, 2 wickets nan eventual margin.
The substitute norm has provoked overmuch statement successful caller weeks but cipher wants to spot concussed players return nan field. That said, having an explosive and motivated effect subordinate disposable for a business that perfectly suits his crippled seems a very fortunate happenstance. Cricket is simply a funny aged game.
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
