3 weeks ago
1. Atkinson gets a Tongue lashing
A tie was capable to support nan reigning champions, Nottinghamshire, apical of Division One and their contiguous predecessors, Surrey, very overmuch successful touch successful 3rd place. Sussex, who person won arsenic galore games this play arsenic Nottinghamshire and Surrey combined, are 4th successful nan table, their pre-season punishment holding them back. Somebody must deliberation that each makes sense, but I don’t.
The usage of substitutes has been a matter of immoderate contention this season, pinch immoderate shouting foul and others demanding that players conscionable get connected pinch it, nan crippled having been XI v XI for aeons.
So, it was a astonishment to publication that Gus Atkinson, nan Surrey and England bowler, was not instantly replaced aft being struck not once, but twice, successful 2 overs by Josh Tongue, astir apt nan fastest bowler successful nan country. The 2nd effect virtually brought Atkinson to his knees, provoking contiguous interest connected nan field. He passed nan concussion protocols, but near nan crease 45 minutes later aft involution from nan umpires.
I’m nary aesculapian expert, but delayed concussion seems a comparatively communal affliction aft blows to nan caput and, fixed really risk-averse England are regarding their bowlers, it seems almost cavalier to refrain from intervention.
The protocols kicked backmost successful to forestall Atkinson getting a past tune-up this week astatine Headingley earlier nan first Test originates connected 4 June. As pinch nan points system, I presume personification must deliberation this is simply a bully idea.
2. Bears maul Tykes
Speaking of lashes, Warwickshire were successful record-bothering shape arsenic they hammered Yorkshire by 377 runs astatine Edgbaston, only 1 short of their highest separator of victory. Three innings of 147, 152 and 171 had nan men pinch clipboards twitching, but 553 for 6 declared would person cooled nan transportation inspectors’ heels.
That innings, Warwickshire’s second, was built astir Sam Hain’s undefeated 164, but location were coagulated contributions done nan card, 4 Warwickshire players making a higher people than immoderate Yorkshire subordinate achieved successful either of their 2 knocks.
It must person been a saccharine triumph so for nan Halifax-born Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who haunted his aged region pinch lucifer figures of 7 for 71, nan wise aged usability knowing nan virtues of control. Warwickshire spell 2nd while Yorkshire, who look ray connected bowling, flirt pinch nan relegation zone.
3. Hove is wherever nan bosom is
The caller Sussex captain, Ollie Robinson, confounded his critics arsenic he inspired his squad to different triumph connected nan southbound coast.
It was a lucifer that illustrated nan value of making a people erstwhile set. Leicestershire’s batters registered 7 scores supra 40 but nary 1 bettered Ian Holland’s 63, Robinson picking up six wickets and Jack Carson five, continuing his fantabulous form.
The quality makers were Daniel Hughes and John Simpson, some of whom batted for astir 4 hours for 136 and 114*, getting successful and going on, nan people of experience. They handed things complete to men 15 years their juniors, arsenic Danial Ibrahim and James Coles biffed Sussex complete nan statement earlier nan rainfall could interrupt them again.
4. Norton packs a punch
Surely that’s not Glamorgan successful nan apical half of nan array aft a 2nd consecutive win? It is.
It was a dream lucifer for Ryan Hadley, who channelled his adjacent namesake Richard Hadlee arsenic he took 5 wickets successful nan lucifer and discovered hitherto chartless batting prowess pinch a five-hour undefeated 50 arsenic nightwatchman, anchoring nan fourth-innings chase.
Somerset will wonderment really they squandered a first-innings lead of 125 to beryllium 63 for 8, Tom Norton taking a debut hat-trick for nan Welshmen. Tom Abell and Lewis Gregory brought immoderate respectability to nan paper and they still had a chance erstwhile nan location broadside needed 99 pinch half of their batters gone. Cue Sean Dickson to do an Oliver Hannon-Dalby and he spot nan manus that erstwhile fed him pinch a quickfire 76.
James Rew opened, Lewis Gregory batted astatine No 10 and Jack Leach bowled only 7 of 195 overs delivered by nan Somerset attack. It was a curiously passive performance, particularly considering a triumph would person taken them apical of nan table.
Ryan Hadley celebrates aft guiding Glamorgan to triumph against Somerset. Photograph: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans/Shutterstock
Durham opened up a 23-point spread astatine nan apical of Division Two aft flattening Worcestershire astatine New Road.
Ben Stokes took his seasonal front and picked up 2 wickets successful each innings arsenic he eased his measurement backmost into nan groove. But it was nan different all-rounder Ben, nan 1 pinch a bad sanction for a cricketer, Raine, who bagged nan five-fer. When Callum Parkinson did what a spinner should do and took a five-fer of his ain successful nan 2nd innings, location was conscionable clip for Emilio Gay to burnish his England credentials pinch a half period to assistance his play mean to 92, matching his teammate David Bedingham.
The different 7 counties are not rather yet playing for nan 2nd promotion slot, but if Durham hit Kent this week, they mightiness arsenic good be.
6. James Taylor’s sewage caller friends
Kent pressed nan indebtedness fastener earlier their lucifer against Gloucestershire (why don’t much counties do that?) and their reward was a 2nd consecutive triumph and a spot successful mid-table, 7 points down Middlesex successful 2nd place.
James Taylor took 10 wickets connected his debut – but it’s only a two-match indebtedness from Surrey – arsenic Kent won a splendid lucifer astatine Bristol. Blows were traded evenly crossed their first innings, truthful that group up a second-innings shootout, a script that brings each nan unsocial characteristics of first-class cricket into play connected an ageing transportation pinch tiring bowlers.
When James Bracey fell astatine 112 for 4, Gloucestershire were astir apt aiming for 250, pinch thing much a bonus. Their captain, Cameron Bancroft, was nan cardinal and he continued to swipe nan bowlers up nan incorrect measurement while uncovering partners down nan order, each of his teammates contributing.
Kent group disconnected successful pursuit of 261, knowing a period should seal nan deal. The mercurial Tawanda Muyeye delivered one, backing up his 90 successful nan first excavation pinch 108, but location was still clip for bums to squeak earlier Taylor deed nan winning boundary, 8 down, to put a outpouring successful nan measurement of Kent arsenic they caput to Beckenham to return connected nan Durham juggernaut.
This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
