Three months after my previous England Ashes ladder, what's changed? England have lost a Test series they were expected to win, won an ODI series when their tour threatened to go off the rails, and are set to appoint Andy Flower as their new coach. So who's up and who's down from three months ago?
1) Andrew Strauss (-)
His position could hardly be more secure.
2) Alastair Cook (+1)
Finally ended his century drought to confirm his status as an automatic selection.
3) Kevin Pietersen (+1)
Has been well below his best of late but, providing his head is in the right place, absolutely will play.
4) James Anderson (+7)
A huge winner from the West Indies tour: advanced from being out of the side to being England's premier quick bowler, bowling with immense skill with new and old ball alike.
5) Stuart Broad (+1)
Continues to demonstrate the skill and, especially, the temperament to relish an Ashes challenge, even if England would ideally like him to be their number eight and fourth seamer.
6) Paul Collingwood (+1)
A fine tour of the West Indies, aided by the struggles of Bell and Shah, has made Collingwood a certain starter.
7) Andrew Flintoff (-5)
A disappointing Test series in the West Indies - and, more importantly, more injury worries. However, if fit, England couldn't leave out their 'talismanic' all-rounder? Or could they?
8) Matt Prior (-3)
Appears unfortunate to slip three places after batting magnificiently in the Test series in the West Indies. However, his keeping continues to be a source of great concern. And, if Flintoff is not in the side and England only select four bowlers, the need to hang onto every chance may supersede the extra runs Prior could bring. Still, would have to do a lot wrong in the next three months.
9) Graeme Swann (-)
Swann was superb in the West Indies, providing a fine example of the classical off-spinners' craft. He fully deserves his chance against Australia, particularly given their dislike for off-spinners.
10) Steve Harmison (-2)
Endured a poor tour of the West Indies - but his replacement Amjad Khan was even more disappointing. If he can start the season well, may yet get another chance against Australia.
11) Michael Vaughan (+5)
His reputation has increased hugely of late other contenders have struggled while he has been in the runs for Yorkshire - albeit in Dubai. All the signs indicate England would like him to bat at three (or why not open?) in the Ashes, providing he can show some semblance of form in the meantime.
12) Monty Panesar (+1)
Displayed some increased variations when recalled for the final Test in the West Indies, Panesar is near-certain to feature in the Ashes. But that may well be as England's second-choice spinner, providing they can recognise that is one area in which they may just enjoy supremacy over Australia.
13) Owais Shah (-1)
Given his long-overdue chance, Shah struggled. But he may yet get another two Tests against the West Indies to show he has the technique and temperament to bat at number three. But would England trust him in an Ashes campaign?
14) Ravi Bopara (+6)
A fine century in his only Test innings of the winter will have only boosted his chances, despite mediocre ODI returns. However, would England really be happy to pick such an inexperienced player to bat at number three - especially one who appears the happiest of hookers?
15) Ryan Sidebottom (-)
Played when patently unfit in the Carribean and it would be of little surprise if he never played international cricket again.
16) Adil Rashid (+1)
Were England not impressed with what they saw in the West Indies? How else to explain his non-selection over Gareth Batty? But if England, as they should, prepare turning tracks for the Aussies then he could feature as a secret weapon.
17) Tim Ambrose (+2)
Scored a fluent 76* in his only innings on tour, while his keeping was of a higher calibre than Prior's. So if England only play four bowlers, he could have a chance of selection, even if few would really fancy his chances of scoring big against Australia given his struggles against South Africa.
18) Mark Davies (N/A)
Could be coming good at just the right time, having had a strong tour with the England Lions in New Zealand. He has been afflicted by injuries throughout his career, but at 28 he should be in the form of his life. And his statistics: 232 wickets at 21 in first-class cricket are mindbogglingly good.
19) Sajid Mahmood (N/A)
Yes, yes. But Mahmood has all the raw attributes to be a destructive wicket-taker at international level. And, given how Harmison and Khan performed in the West Indies, he has an outside chance of featuring.
20) Simon Jones (-6)
Injured again. But if he could only put together a handful of impressive performances, temptation would run high.
21) Ian Bell (-11)
Dropped after the First Test debacle and not seen since. Bell will play again for England but probably not until this summer has passed.
22) Robert Key (-1)
Captain of the England Lions, and perhaps England in the World Twenty20 too, Key is a character who inspires respect. But competition for the number three spot is fierce.
23) Amjad Khan (-5)
Did himself no favours in the West Indies with shoddy fielding and wayward bowling.
24) Kabir Ali (-2)
If the England side was selected on county form from the last two seasons, Ali would be in. As it is, he isn't even deemed good enough for the Lions.
25) Matthew Hoggard (-2)
He's still hoping. But few are joining him.
Bubbling under
Batsmen: Joe Denly, Samit Patel, Eoin Morgan, Mark Ramprakash
Keepers: James Foster, Steven Davies
Bowlers: Darren Pattinson, Liam Plunkett, Chris Tremlett
What are your views on this ladder and the makeup of the England side?
Showing posts with label Mark Davies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Davies. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
2008 Season Review: Durham
Continuing our season reviews, 'Durhamfootman' offers an assesment of Durham's triumphant campaign.
Final placings:
Championship Div 1 - Winners
FP Trophy - Semi-finalists
Twenty20 Cup - Semi-finalists
Pro 40 Div 1 - 3rd place
After the euphoria of 2007 and the club’s first piece of silverware, it was always going to be hard to live up to the expectations, some of it optimistic, of its supporters in 2008. Yet that is precisely what Durham did, by winning their maiden county championship title, just 16 years after gaining first-class status.
The central core of Durham’s success lay in its seam attack. The loss of Ottis Gibson was always going to be difficult to overcome, but England, in their wisdom, saw fit to provide the solution, by dropping Steve Harmison from the test team.
Harmison, with a point to prove, set about demolishing division 1 batting line-ups with vigour. Re-discovered rhythm, pace and accuracy saw him return figures of 60 wickets at an average of 22, ably supported by Callum Thorp (50 @ 19s) and Mark Davies (39 @ 15s). A less successful season for Plunkett and Onions, both suffered from injury problems and struggled to get going, once fit. More will be expected from them next season, once Harmison returns to the England fold.
Ben Harmison made steady, if not spectacular, progress with the ball, but was found a little wanting, with the bat. Nevertheless he has shown that he may well have the ability to play a bigger role in 2009. Spin has never been one of Durham’s strong suits, but Paul Wiseman was an ever-present, chipping in with 16 wickets and scoring some very useful runs. Gareth Breese had limited CC opportunities, yet averaged 184 in the final two games of the season. Reason enough, I think, to thank him for.
The batting department was less successful. Batting collapses were an all too familiar feature of Durham’s season, without ever proving truly fatal. DiVenuto (1058 runs) and captain, Benkenstein, (783 runs) were the bedrock of the batting line-up and the team’s reliance on them, in the early part of the season, at times bordered on the embarrassing.
The introduction of Will Smith steadied the ship and he chipped in with 925 runs from 12 matches, which included 3 big hundreds, one a double hundred, and 3 fifties. Fortunately for Durham, of those three players, only one of them was ever out of form, at any one time.
The overseas players did little to rectify the batting imbalance, McKenzie was poor and Chanderpaul only came good towards the end of the campaign. Phil Mustard failed to improve on his 26 average from 2007, but his final innings 84, helped get Durham over the line. The fact that Durham secured 8 batting points less than Surrey, is probably a ‘flattering’ reflection on Durham’s batting. This will need to be addressed for the 2009 season.
Durham were able to make a determined defence of their FP title, losing out to Kent in the semi-final. They established themselves in the Pro 40 division 1, after promotion last term, finishing a creditable 3rd. The biggest improvement came in the Twenty20 cup, where Durham’s record of being the worst county in T20 cricket was redressed with a maiden appearance (albeit woeful) at Twenty20 finals day.
2009 will be an interesting season. Benkenstein looks set to relinquish the captaincy, but is likely to remain Durham’s most influential player. Harmison will be a big loss. The contracts of some senior players will end next year, which is likely to lead to some retirements.
The challenge for Durham will be to continue with the development of its young players like Harmison jnr, Stoneman, Smith, Coetzer, Muchall and Park, all of whom have now got first team experience. These are the players who must step up and be ready to fill the places that will be left in 2010 by DiVenuto and the, poorly selected, overseas batsmen. Hopefully Durham will then be able to acquire the services of a world class spinner. It is now time for the team that convincingly won the 2nd XI Championship, to lead Durham's 1st XI to further success, in the coming seasons.
Player of the Season:
Probably a toss up between Harmison and Smith
Most Disappointing Player:
Neil McKenzie
Highlight:
Stupid question
Lowlight:
Twenty20 Cup semi-final
If you're interested in writing a season review for your county, please email it cricketingworld@hotmail.com
Final placings:
Championship Div 1 - Winners
FP Trophy - Semi-finalists
Twenty20 Cup - Semi-finalists
Pro 40 Div 1 - 3rd place
After the euphoria of 2007 and the club’s first piece of silverware, it was always going to be hard to live up to the expectations, some of it optimistic, of its supporters in 2008. Yet that is precisely what Durham did, by winning their maiden county championship title, just 16 years after gaining first-class status.
The central core of Durham’s success lay in its seam attack. The loss of Ottis Gibson was always going to be difficult to overcome, but England, in their wisdom, saw fit to provide the solution, by dropping Steve Harmison from the test team.
Harmison, with a point to prove, set about demolishing division 1 batting line-ups with vigour. Re-discovered rhythm, pace and accuracy saw him return figures of 60 wickets at an average of 22, ably supported by Callum Thorp (50 @ 19s) and Mark Davies (39 @ 15s). A less successful season for Plunkett and Onions, both suffered from injury problems and struggled to get going, once fit. More will be expected from them next season, once Harmison returns to the England fold.
Ben Harmison made steady, if not spectacular, progress with the ball, but was found a little wanting, with the bat. Nevertheless he has shown that he may well have the ability to play a bigger role in 2009. Spin has never been one of Durham’s strong suits, but Paul Wiseman was an ever-present, chipping in with 16 wickets and scoring some very useful runs. Gareth Breese had limited CC opportunities, yet averaged 184 in the final two games of the season. Reason enough, I think, to thank him for.
The batting department was less successful. Batting collapses were an all too familiar feature of Durham’s season, without ever proving truly fatal. DiVenuto (1058 runs) and captain, Benkenstein, (783 runs) were the bedrock of the batting line-up and the team’s reliance on them, in the early part of the season, at times bordered on the embarrassing.
The introduction of Will Smith steadied the ship and he chipped in with 925 runs from 12 matches, which included 3 big hundreds, one a double hundred, and 3 fifties. Fortunately for Durham, of those three players, only one of them was ever out of form, at any one time.
The overseas players did little to rectify the batting imbalance, McKenzie was poor and Chanderpaul only came good towards the end of the campaign. Phil Mustard failed to improve on his 26 average from 2007, but his final innings 84, helped get Durham over the line. The fact that Durham secured 8 batting points less than Surrey, is probably a ‘flattering’ reflection on Durham’s batting. This will need to be addressed for the 2009 season.
Durham were able to make a determined defence of their FP title, losing out to Kent in the semi-final. They established themselves in the Pro 40 division 1, after promotion last term, finishing a creditable 3rd. The biggest improvement came in the Twenty20 cup, where Durham’s record of being the worst county in T20 cricket was redressed with a maiden appearance (albeit woeful) at Twenty20 finals day.
2009 will be an interesting season. Benkenstein looks set to relinquish the captaincy, but is likely to remain Durham’s most influential player. Harmison will be a big loss. The contracts of some senior players will end next year, which is likely to lead to some retirements.
The challenge for Durham will be to continue with the development of its young players like Harmison jnr, Stoneman, Smith, Coetzer, Muchall and Park, all of whom have now got first team experience. These are the players who must step up and be ready to fill the places that will be left in 2010 by DiVenuto and the, poorly selected, overseas batsmen. Hopefully Durham will then be able to acquire the services of a world class spinner. It is now time for the team that convincingly won the 2nd XI Championship, to lead Durham's 1st XI to further success, in the coming seasons.
Player of the Season:
Probably a toss up between Harmison and Smith
Most Disappointing Player:
Neil McKenzie
Highlight:
Stupid question
Lowlight:
Twenty20 Cup semi-final
If you're interested in writing a season review for your county, please email it cricketingworld@hotmail.com
Monday, 1 September 2008
Championship Review - Week 17
Most teams have three games left and eight teams could still win the Championship, while in Division 2, Worcestershire have a very good week off.
Division 1
Ahh, the great British summer. Evocative of such wonderful resorts including the home of the British seaside holiday. Unfortunately, this great British summer has been a bit damp, and the Surrey and Lancashire players could only manage four days on the beach as the Blackpool pitch wasn’t fit for cricket. Surrey now look doomed while Lancs are being drawn into the relegation dogfight.
On the other side of the Pennines, Yorkshire were also by the seaside entertaining Kent at Scarborough. Unusually for Scarborough, the pitch had something in it for the seamers early on and Kent were reduced to 227 all out despite a ton from Martin van Jaarsveld. Yorks then lost two early wickets before the pitch began to flatten out and 146 from Jacques Rudolph with support from Antony McGrath and Adam Lyth took Yorks to 457 and a big lead. Kent did much better second time round, with a ton from Neil Dexter, supported by Joe Denly and van Jaarsveld and some late order hitting from James Tredwell took Kent to 433 leaving Yorks needing 205 in 51 overs. In a remarkable turnaround, Yorks struggled with only Lyth able to get above 50 and were indebted to the bowlers seeing out the last fifteen overs to salvage a draw. Yorks stay in the relegation zone, albeit just 12 points behind Kent in 3rd.
There was another remarkable finish at Basingstoke, where Hampshire played host to Durham. Durham batted first and Will Smith made 70 out of a total of just 156, with Dimitri Mascarenhas taking five wickets. Mark Davies went three wickets better with 8 for 24 as Hants made just 96 in reply, Mascarenhas top scoring with 26. James Tomlinson then got in among the wickets taking five as Durham made 179 second time round leaving Hants needing an unlikely 240 for victory. At 77 for 5, victory was a long way off, but an unbeaten 94 from Sean Ervine took Hants to a victory that took them to just a point behind Durham in 5th. Durham would have gone top had they won.
A more mundane affair at Hove, as Sussex made 339 in their first innings before Nottinghamshire replied with 558 for 7, with centuries for Bilal Shafyat and Mark Wagh and 98 for Matt Wood. An unbeaten Murray Goodwin century and 93 for Mike Yardy led to Sussex to safety at 243 for 3 and a draw, which featured Chris Read bowling a couple of overs. That was enough to send Notts to the top of the table, while Sussex are 6th, five points above Yorkshire in 8th, who they still have to play twice.
So with the end of the season approaching, just 21 points separate the top eight teams in the Division. My predictions? At the bottom Surrey have too much to do and Lancashire look like a team in freefall. At the top, I genuinely don’t have a clue.
Division 2
With Worcestershire having the week off, Warwickshire had a chance to make up ground on their neighbours at the top. With Jonathan Trott scoring 181, the Bears declared on 476 for 9 against Derbyshire. Chris Rogers led the Derby from the from with an unbeaten 248 as Derby made 474, Ian Salisbury taking 5-fer. Warwicks then made 241 for 3 in their second innings, with Darren Maddy getting a ton and the game finished in a draw. Warwicks stay 2nd while Derby are now too far behind to maintain their promotion challenge.
Third placed Northamptonshire also had the chance to close the gap against struggling Glamorgan, the Welshmen making 287 with Johan van der Wath taking 5-fer. A century from Niall O’Brien and an unbeaten 202 from Lance Klusener (in a stand of 211) took Northants to 488 for 7. Glamorgan then made 238 in their second innings, with Monty Panesar taking four wickets, to leave Nothants requiring 38 to win with just 5 overs left in the game. Alex Wharf took three wickets to keep the chase in check and Northants finished ten runs short, which could be critical come the end of the season.
Essex still entertain hopes of promotion and they did their chances no harm against Leicestershire. In their first innings only HD Ackerman with 55 got into double figures as the Foxes made just 107, Darren Masters taking 5-fer. James Foster then hit his second century in two weeks with an unbeaten 132 as Essex made 335, despite five wickets for Claude Henderson. Chris Wright then took six wickets as Leicester capitulated to 154 and Essex won by an innings to just about stay in touch in 4th.
England Player Watch
Michael Vaughan returned to action and made just ten runs in his two innings. Rob Key didn’t do a lot better with 19 while Joe Denly hit two 50s. James Foster seems to have found some batting form to go with his fine wicket-keeping, unlike Tim Ambrose, who made just 5 for Warwickshire.
Adil Rashid made a useful 43 in Yorkshire’s first innings, but could only muster one wicket in each innings. Dimitri Mascarenhas took a 5-fer and contributed useful runs in Hampshire’s unlikely win, while Liam Plunkett went wicketless on what appeared to be a bowler friendly wicket. Monty Panesar took six wickets and scored an unbeaten 30 runs, as he committed his future to Northants
Player of the Week
As always, the context of the match is critical to deciding this, so while Chris Rogers and Lance Klusener both made unbeaten double hundred and Mark Davies recorded the best bowling figures of the season, they don’t make it this week. For an unbeaten 94 which steered Hampshire to an unlikely victory over title chasing Durham, this week’s player of the week is Sean Ervine.
Division 1
Ahh, the great British summer. Evocative of such wonderful resorts including the home of the British seaside holiday. Unfortunately, this great British summer has been a bit damp, and the Surrey and Lancashire players could only manage four days on the beach as the Blackpool pitch wasn’t fit for cricket. Surrey now look doomed while Lancs are being drawn into the relegation dogfight.
On the other side of the Pennines, Yorkshire were also by the seaside entertaining Kent at Scarborough. Unusually for Scarborough, the pitch had something in it for the seamers early on and Kent were reduced to 227 all out despite a ton from Martin van Jaarsveld. Yorks then lost two early wickets before the pitch began to flatten out and 146 from Jacques Rudolph with support from Antony McGrath and Adam Lyth took Yorks to 457 and a big lead. Kent did much better second time round, with a ton from Neil Dexter, supported by Joe Denly and van Jaarsveld and some late order hitting from James Tredwell took Kent to 433 leaving Yorks needing 205 in 51 overs. In a remarkable turnaround, Yorks struggled with only Lyth able to get above 50 and were indebted to the bowlers seeing out the last fifteen overs to salvage a draw. Yorks stay in the relegation zone, albeit just 12 points behind Kent in 3rd.
There was another remarkable finish at Basingstoke, where Hampshire played host to Durham. Durham batted first and Will Smith made 70 out of a total of just 156, with Dimitri Mascarenhas taking five wickets. Mark Davies went three wickets better with 8 for 24 as Hants made just 96 in reply, Mascarenhas top scoring with 26. James Tomlinson then got in among the wickets taking five as Durham made 179 second time round leaving Hants needing an unlikely 240 for victory. At 77 for 5, victory was a long way off, but an unbeaten 94 from Sean Ervine took Hants to a victory that took them to just a point behind Durham in 5th. Durham would have gone top had they won.
A more mundane affair at Hove, as Sussex made 339 in their first innings before Nottinghamshire replied with 558 for 7, with centuries for Bilal Shafyat and Mark Wagh and 98 for Matt Wood. An unbeaten Murray Goodwin century and 93 for Mike Yardy led to Sussex to safety at 243 for 3 and a draw, which featured Chris Read bowling a couple of overs. That was enough to send Notts to the top of the table, while Sussex are 6th, five points above Yorkshire in 8th, who they still have to play twice.
So with the end of the season approaching, just 21 points separate the top eight teams in the Division. My predictions? At the bottom Surrey have too much to do and Lancashire look like a team in freefall. At the top, I genuinely don’t have a clue.
Division 2
With Worcestershire having the week off, Warwickshire had a chance to make up ground on their neighbours at the top. With Jonathan Trott scoring 181, the Bears declared on 476 for 9 against Derbyshire. Chris Rogers led the Derby from the from with an unbeaten 248 as Derby made 474, Ian Salisbury taking 5-fer. Warwicks then made 241 for 3 in their second innings, with Darren Maddy getting a ton and the game finished in a draw. Warwicks stay 2nd while Derby are now too far behind to maintain their promotion challenge.
Third placed Northamptonshire also had the chance to close the gap against struggling Glamorgan, the Welshmen making 287 with Johan van der Wath taking 5-fer. A century from Niall O’Brien and an unbeaten 202 from Lance Klusener (in a stand of 211) took Northants to 488 for 7. Glamorgan then made 238 in their second innings, with Monty Panesar taking four wickets, to leave Nothants requiring 38 to win with just 5 overs left in the game. Alex Wharf took three wickets to keep the chase in check and Northants finished ten runs short, which could be critical come the end of the season.
Essex still entertain hopes of promotion and they did their chances no harm against Leicestershire. In their first innings only HD Ackerman with 55 got into double figures as the Foxes made just 107, Darren Masters taking 5-fer. James Foster then hit his second century in two weeks with an unbeaten 132 as Essex made 335, despite five wickets for Claude Henderson. Chris Wright then took six wickets as Leicester capitulated to 154 and Essex won by an innings to just about stay in touch in 4th.
England Player Watch
Michael Vaughan returned to action and made just ten runs in his two innings. Rob Key didn’t do a lot better with 19 while Joe Denly hit two 50s. James Foster seems to have found some batting form to go with his fine wicket-keeping, unlike Tim Ambrose, who made just 5 for Warwickshire.
Adil Rashid made a useful 43 in Yorkshire’s first innings, but could only muster one wicket in each innings. Dimitri Mascarenhas took a 5-fer and contributed useful runs in Hampshire’s unlikely win, while Liam Plunkett went wicketless on what appeared to be a bowler friendly wicket. Monty Panesar took six wickets and scored an unbeaten 30 runs, as he committed his future to Northants
Player of the Week
As always, the context of the match is critical to deciding this, so while Chris Rogers and Lance Klusener both made unbeaten double hundred and Mark Davies recorded the best bowling figures of the season, they don’t make it this week. For an unbeaten 94 which steered Hampshire to an unlikely victory over title chasing Durham, this week’s player of the week is Sean Ervine.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Championship Review - Week 14
Wickets galore before the weather plays havoc with only two positive results. And controversy abounds in Durham.
Division 1
One way to avoid the awful weather was to have a pitch that would guarantee a two day game. Kent were furious at the state of the Durham pitch, having bowled the hosts out for 146 and then going on to make just 78 themselves in the first innings, with Mark Davies taking five wickets. Second time round, Durham managed 108, with Robert Joseph taking six wickets. Needing 177 to win, Kent fell 43 runs short, with Davies taking five more wickets and Martin van Jaarsveld making the only fifty of the match. However, the ECB pitch inspectors found nothing wrong with the pitch, prompting Rob Key to label them as “Muppets”. We may not have heard the last of this and Durham move to within a point at the top of the table.
The only other positive result was at the Rosebowl, where Yorkshire and Hampshire fought out a relegation battle. Both teams scored 236 in their first innings, Jacques Rudolph scoring 89 for Yorkshire whole James Tomlinson took 5 wickets. Adil Rashid then turned (!) in his best bowling of the season taking seven Hampshire wickets. Yorks then completely lost the plot in the second innings, collapsing from 45 without loss to 107 all out, Tomlinson taking four more wickets. Hants knocked off the 108 to win without losing a wicket and move above Yorkshire, who are now in the relegation zone.
Leaders Nottinghamshire put Somerset into bat at Taunton and with Darren Pattinson taking five wickets, they skittled their hosts for just 106. Chris Read’s unbeaten 74 then took Notts to 230 and a comfortable lead on an unusually bowler friendly Taunton wicket. The wicket seemed to flatten out as Somerset made 335 in their second innings, Marcus Trescothick top scoring with 81. Needing 212 to win, Notts were 125 for 4 when the rains came and the match was abandoned. Notts remain top while Somerset are third but with a game in hand.
Finally in Division 1, Lancashire recovered from 31 for 4 to make 206 against Sussex for whom Ollie Raynor took five wickets. A Chris Nash century and 73 from Matt Prior took Sussex to 316 and a substantial first innings lead. At 14 for 3, Lancs started badly again second time round, but 73 from Stuart Law took them to 285, leaving Sussex needing 176 for victory. They had made just 14 without loss when the rain drew a halt to the match and both teams remain within touch at the top of the table.
Division 2
Leaders Worcestershire were put into bat by Derbyshire, and went off like a train, declaring on 450 for 8 scored at 5 and a half an over. Graeme Hick scored a run a ball 149. Simon Jones then took five wickets as Derbyshire scored a creditable 343, with local youngster Paul Borrington and South African Greg Smith both getting into the 80s. With time already lost to rain, Worcester declared after a rapid 296 for 3, Stephen Moore scoring a nearly run a ball 156. However, the rain ruined Worcester’s victory chances as the game finished with Derby on 34 without loss.
Starting a day later, 2nd placed Warwickshire and third place Northamptonshire knew they had an opportunity to make up ground. However, their game was even more weather hit, with only bonus points to chase. Northants batted first, scoring an impressive407 for 8 declared, Lance Klusener top scoring with 83 and Ian Salisbury taking five wickets. By the close of the match, Warwicks had made 353 for 4, with Jim Troughton getting a ton, having put on 148 with Jonathan Trott for the 4th wicket.
20Twenty champions Middlesex travelled to Glamorgan who scored 262 in their first innings, Jamie Dalrymple (below) getting a century against his old club. In reply, Middlesex made 242, Shaun Udal (below) top scoring with 73. Glamorgan had reached 110 for 5 when the rain shortened match drew to a conclusion.
Owais Shah brushes up on his Welsh at Colwyn Bay, perhaps wondering how to say, "I'd rather be at the Oval"
Jamie Dalrymple scores his maiden ton for Glamorgan. Former Middlesex team mates Ed Joyce and Ben Scott look suitably unimpressed.
Veteran off spinner to veteran off spinner. Robert Croft gives it some air to Middlesex top scorer Shaun Udal. (All pics c/o RTE)
Finally, bottom of the table Gloucestershire batted first against Leicestershire, scoring 315, with Marcus North’s century being the highlight. Leicester managed just 228 in reply and Gloucester were strongly placed at 265 for 3 when again the weather brought a premature end to the game.
England Player Watch
Rob Key and Joe Denly were undone by the Durham pitch, while Owais Shah did little to press his claims with 12 for Middlesex (pic above). In the battle of the wicket-keepers, Matt Prior’s excellent season with the bat continues while Chris Read trumped him by a run with and unbeaten 74. A third keeper to get into the 70s was Stephen Davies and with James Foster, England’s next wicket keeper is likely to come from one of these four.
Five wicket hauls for both Darren Pattinson and Simon Jones, although Jones pulling out of the England Lions game injured is another worry. Liam Plunkett could only manage one wicket on the bowlers paradise in Durham, which is the same as Saj Mahmood took and one more than Matthew Hoggard. Adil Rashid seems to have discovered some form with the ball (if not the bat) with seven Hampshire wickets.
Player of the Week
The weather put paid to much of the action. Worthy of mentions are Mark Davies’s two 5-fers, albeit on a helpful pitch and Stephen Moore’s 156 and Graeme Hick’s 149 for Worcestershire. However, this week I’m going with the leading wicket taker in Division 1. For his nine wickets that led Hampshire to a potentially vital win over Yorkshire, this week’s Player of the Week is James Tomlinson.
Division 1
One way to avoid the awful weather was to have a pitch that would guarantee a two day game. Kent were furious at the state of the Durham pitch, having bowled the hosts out for 146 and then going on to make just 78 themselves in the first innings, with Mark Davies taking five wickets. Second time round, Durham managed 108, with Robert Joseph taking six wickets. Needing 177 to win, Kent fell 43 runs short, with Davies taking five more wickets and Martin van Jaarsveld making the only fifty of the match. However, the ECB pitch inspectors found nothing wrong with the pitch, prompting Rob Key to label them as “Muppets”. We may not have heard the last of this and Durham move to within a point at the top of the table.
The only other positive result was at the Rosebowl, where Yorkshire and Hampshire fought out a relegation battle. Both teams scored 236 in their first innings, Jacques Rudolph scoring 89 for Yorkshire whole James Tomlinson took 5 wickets. Adil Rashid then turned (!) in his best bowling of the season taking seven Hampshire wickets. Yorks then completely lost the plot in the second innings, collapsing from 45 without loss to 107 all out, Tomlinson taking four more wickets. Hants knocked off the 108 to win without losing a wicket and move above Yorkshire, who are now in the relegation zone.
Leaders Nottinghamshire put Somerset into bat at Taunton and with Darren Pattinson taking five wickets, they skittled their hosts for just 106. Chris Read’s unbeaten 74 then took Notts to 230 and a comfortable lead on an unusually bowler friendly Taunton wicket. The wicket seemed to flatten out as Somerset made 335 in their second innings, Marcus Trescothick top scoring with 81. Needing 212 to win, Notts were 125 for 4 when the rains came and the match was abandoned. Notts remain top while Somerset are third but with a game in hand.
Finally in Division 1, Lancashire recovered from 31 for 4 to make 206 against Sussex for whom Ollie Raynor took five wickets. A Chris Nash century and 73 from Matt Prior took Sussex to 316 and a substantial first innings lead. At 14 for 3, Lancs started badly again second time round, but 73 from Stuart Law took them to 285, leaving Sussex needing 176 for victory. They had made just 14 without loss when the rain drew a halt to the match and both teams remain within touch at the top of the table.
Division 2
Leaders Worcestershire were put into bat by Derbyshire, and went off like a train, declaring on 450 for 8 scored at 5 and a half an over. Graeme Hick scored a run a ball 149. Simon Jones then took five wickets as Derbyshire scored a creditable 343, with local youngster Paul Borrington and South African Greg Smith both getting into the 80s. With time already lost to rain, Worcester declared after a rapid 296 for 3, Stephen Moore scoring a nearly run a ball 156. However, the rain ruined Worcester’s victory chances as the game finished with Derby on 34 without loss.
Starting a day later, 2nd placed Warwickshire and third place Northamptonshire knew they had an opportunity to make up ground. However, their game was even more weather hit, with only bonus points to chase. Northants batted first, scoring an impressive407 for 8 declared, Lance Klusener top scoring with 83 and Ian Salisbury taking five wickets. By the close of the match, Warwicks had made 353 for 4, with Jim Troughton getting a ton, having put on 148 with Jonathan Trott for the 4th wicket.
20Twenty champions Middlesex travelled to Glamorgan who scored 262 in their first innings, Jamie Dalrymple (below) getting a century against his old club. In reply, Middlesex made 242, Shaun Udal (below) top scoring with 73. Glamorgan had reached 110 for 5 when the rain shortened match drew to a conclusion.
Owais Shah brushes up on his Welsh at Colwyn Bay, perhaps wondering how to say, "I'd rather be at the Oval"
Jamie Dalrymple scores his maiden ton for Glamorgan. Former Middlesex team mates Ed Joyce and Ben Scott look suitably unimpressed.
Veteran off spinner to veteran off spinner. Robert Croft gives it some air to Middlesex top scorer Shaun Udal. (All pics c/o RTE)
Finally, bottom of the table Gloucestershire batted first against Leicestershire, scoring 315, with Marcus North’s century being the highlight. Leicester managed just 228 in reply and Gloucester were strongly placed at 265 for 3 when again the weather brought a premature end to the game.
England Player Watch
Rob Key and Joe Denly were undone by the Durham pitch, while Owais Shah did little to press his claims with 12 for Middlesex (pic above). In the battle of the wicket-keepers, Matt Prior’s excellent season with the bat continues while Chris Read trumped him by a run with and unbeaten 74. A third keeper to get into the 70s was Stephen Davies and with James Foster, England’s next wicket keeper is likely to come from one of these four.
Five wicket hauls for both Darren Pattinson and Simon Jones, although Jones pulling out of the England Lions game injured is another worry. Liam Plunkett could only manage one wicket on the bowlers paradise in Durham, which is the same as Saj Mahmood took and one more than Matthew Hoggard. Adil Rashid seems to have discovered some form with the ball (if not the bat) with seven Hampshire wickets.
Player of the Week
The weather put paid to much of the action. Worthy of mentions are Mark Davies’s two 5-fers, albeit on a helpful pitch and Stephen Moore’s 156 and Graeme Hick’s 149 for Worcestershire. However, this week I’m going with the leading wicket taker in Division 1. For his nine wickets that led Hampshire to a potentially vital win over Yorkshire, this week’s Player of the Week is James Tomlinson.
Monday, 12 May 2008
Championship Review – Week 4
The only thing certain about this year’s Division 1 is its uncertainty. The sun comes out and strangely it’s the bowlers who benefit. In Division 2, Essex march onwards - just.
Division 1
Starting with the early pace-setters, Nottinghamshire as they hosted Kent. Catches win matches, and Kent took ten of them to bowl Notts out for just 202. Kent were struggling themselves at 109 for 7 Ryan Sidebottom taking four of the top five in his 5-fer. However, useful lower order knocks from Ryan McLaren and Yasir Arafat took the Kent total to 238. McLaren then took six wickets as Notts made 279, Chris Read top scoring with 88. Set 244 to win, Kent were again struggling on 173 for 7 until McLaren and Arafat put on an unbeaten 71 for the final wicket to see them home by three wickets. Notts stay top of the table, but will have a severely weakened bowling attack for the rest of the summer as Sidebottom and Broad go on England duty. Kent climb to 4th and with Rob Key to come back in to the team, this result may kick-start their season.
Wickets galore on the first day at Old Trafford as Durham’s Mark Davies ripped through the Lancashire team, taking 7 wickets as the home side made just 143 in another instance of ten catches in the innings. This was enough for a first innings lead though as James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff took four wickets apiece in Durham’s reply of 114. Paul Horton scored a century in Lancashire’s second innings, in a match when the next highest score was just 40, as Lancs made 293. Durham were then skittled again for just 90 with Anderson taking five wickets and Flintoff three as Lancs ran out comfortable winners. I suspect the pitch inspectors may have more to say on this though.
The best bowling performance of the week came at Taunton, where James Tomlinson took eight wickets as Somerset were bowled out for just 126. Centuries for John Crawley and Kevin Pietersen in a stand of 190 took Hampshire to 359. By now though, the Taunton pitch was its normal placid self and Marcus Trescothick (151) and Justin Langer (188) put on 272 for the second wicket to allow Somerset to declare on 654 for 6, Zander de Bruyn falling two runs short of his century. Michael Brown scored a century as Hants batted out the match, finishing on 198 for 1.
Division 2
My two tips for promotion met at Chelmsford, with Middlesex starting on top, scoring 302, Andrew Strauss making 88 of them and James Middlebrook taking five wickets. Essex were then bowled out for just 207, with Daniel Evans taking six wickets. Middlesex managed 202 second time round, to set Essex 301 to win. At 202 for 8 a Middlesex win looked certain, but an unbeaten stand of 99 between James Middlebrook (33*) and Chris Wright (71*) against his old club, saw Essex to an unlikely victory and second place behind Warwickshire with a game in hand.
Top of the table Warwickshire were at Derbyshire where the home side recovered from 128 for 7 to make 270 in their first innings, Jon Clare and Tom Lungley both making 50s. Jonathan Trott then made a century as Warwickshire made 310 in their first innings. However, as elsewhere, batting got easier as the game progressed and Derbyshire were able to declare their second innings on 417 for 6, with Danish wicket-keeper James Klokker making his maiden century. Warwickshire batted out the time with the loss of just four wickets, for a respectable draw.
England Player watch
Andrew Strauss looked in decent form with 88 for Middlesex, while Ian Bell also looked fluent without getting a big score: 48 and 28. Kevin Pietersen scored a century in what could be his only county innings of the summer. Paul Collingwood only managed four runs against Lancashire, although that was four more than Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson managed in the same match. Tim Ambrose scored an unbeaten 34 to continue to fight against the weight of runs being scored by Chris Read and Matt Prior.
James Anderson took nine wickets for Lance, and Andrew Flintoff seven in bowler friendly conditions. Flintoff’s injury make the calls for his recall moot, while Anderson would seem to be in a straight fight with Matthew Hoggard for the final seamers spot. Ryan Sidebottom took seven wickets for Notts, while Stuart Broad took the first three wickets of the Kent second innings to open up the possibility of victory.
Player of the week
It’s a very tough call this week. Paul Horton deserves a mention for his century in a game where no-one else scored fifty. James Tomlinson and Mark Davies both ran through the opposition in their matches. However, for a first innings fifty to keep his side in the game, taking six wickets in the second innings to ensure they had a gettable target and then scoring an unbeaten 37 to see the victory complete, the Player of the Week is Kent’s Ryan McLaren.
Division 1
Starting with the early pace-setters, Nottinghamshire as they hosted Kent. Catches win matches, and Kent took ten of them to bowl Notts out for just 202. Kent were struggling themselves at 109 for 7 Ryan Sidebottom taking four of the top five in his 5-fer. However, useful lower order knocks from Ryan McLaren and Yasir Arafat took the Kent total to 238. McLaren then took six wickets as Notts made 279, Chris Read top scoring with 88. Set 244 to win, Kent were again struggling on 173 for 7 until McLaren and Arafat put on an unbeaten 71 for the final wicket to see them home by three wickets. Notts stay top of the table, but will have a severely weakened bowling attack for the rest of the summer as Sidebottom and Broad go on England duty. Kent climb to 4th and with Rob Key to come back in to the team, this result may kick-start their season.
Wickets galore on the first day at Old Trafford as Durham’s Mark Davies ripped through the Lancashire team, taking 7 wickets as the home side made just 143 in another instance of ten catches in the innings. This was enough for a first innings lead though as James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff took four wickets apiece in Durham’s reply of 114. Paul Horton scored a century in Lancashire’s second innings, in a match when the next highest score was just 40, as Lancs made 293. Durham were then skittled again for just 90 with Anderson taking five wickets and Flintoff three as Lancs ran out comfortable winners. I suspect the pitch inspectors may have more to say on this though.
The best bowling performance of the week came at Taunton, where James Tomlinson took eight wickets as Somerset were bowled out for just 126. Centuries for John Crawley and Kevin Pietersen in a stand of 190 took Hampshire to 359. By now though, the Taunton pitch was its normal placid self and Marcus Trescothick (151) and Justin Langer (188) put on 272 for the second wicket to allow Somerset to declare on 654 for 6, Zander de Bruyn falling two runs short of his century. Michael Brown scored a century as Hants batted out the match, finishing on 198 for 1.
Division 2
My two tips for promotion met at Chelmsford, with Middlesex starting on top, scoring 302, Andrew Strauss making 88 of them and James Middlebrook taking five wickets. Essex were then bowled out for just 207, with Daniel Evans taking six wickets. Middlesex managed 202 second time round, to set Essex 301 to win. At 202 for 8 a Middlesex win looked certain, but an unbeaten stand of 99 between James Middlebrook (33*) and Chris Wright (71*) against his old club, saw Essex to an unlikely victory and second place behind Warwickshire with a game in hand.
Top of the table Warwickshire were at Derbyshire where the home side recovered from 128 for 7 to make 270 in their first innings, Jon Clare and Tom Lungley both making 50s. Jonathan Trott then made a century as Warwickshire made 310 in their first innings. However, as elsewhere, batting got easier as the game progressed and Derbyshire were able to declare their second innings on 417 for 6, with Danish wicket-keeper James Klokker making his maiden century. Warwickshire batted out the time with the loss of just four wickets, for a respectable draw.
England Player watch
Andrew Strauss looked in decent form with 88 for Middlesex, while Ian Bell also looked fluent without getting a big score: 48 and 28. Kevin Pietersen scored a century in what could be his only county innings of the summer. Paul Collingwood only managed four runs against Lancashire, although that was four more than Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson managed in the same match. Tim Ambrose scored an unbeaten 34 to continue to fight against the weight of runs being scored by Chris Read and Matt Prior.
James Anderson took nine wickets for Lance, and Andrew Flintoff seven in bowler friendly conditions. Flintoff’s injury make the calls for his recall moot, while Anderson would seem to be in a straight fight with Matthew Hoggard for the final seamers spot. Ryan Sidebottom took seven wickets for Notts, while Stuart Broad took the first three wickets of the Kent second innings to open up the possibility of victory.
Player of the week
It’s a very tough call this week. Paul Horton deserves a mention for his century in a game where no-one else scored fifty. James Tomlinson and Mark Davies both ran through the opposition in their matches. However, for a first innings fifty to keep his side in the game, taking six wickets in the second innings to ensure they had a gettable target and then scoring an unbeaten 37 to see the victory complete, the Player of the Week is Kent’s Ryan McLaren.
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Championship – Week 17
At last, the weather works for Yorkshire and against Sussex. It’s all very close at the top and bottom of Div 1 while in Div 2, Notts put themselves in pole position.
Div 1
Surrey and Sussex met in a game which was critical to both teams at either end of the table. However, the four day drizzle affecting the South East of England last week meant that no play was possible. Surrey keep pace with Kent in the battle to stay up while Sussex drop down to second in the table.
Yorkshire took full advantage of Sussex’s misfortune with a comprehensive win over Warwickshire. Batting first on the normally placid Scarborough pitch, the Bears were skittled for 129, with Matthew Hoggard marking his return with four wickets. Yorkshire then amassed 561 for 7 declared, Jacques Rudolph scoring a double hundred and Tim Bresnan getting his second championship ton of the season. Hoggard and Darren Gough then reduced Warwickshire to 31 for 7 before Tim Ambrose’s unbeaten 89 brought some respectability in a total of 222, Gough taking 5-fer. Yorkshire won by an innings and a lot and are back on top.
Rain affected Lancashire and Hampshire’s efforts to make up ground at the top of the table. Hants batted first scoring 393 with Sean Ervine getting a ton, putting on 80 for the last two wickets with James Bruce (1) and David Griffiths (0). Lancs then declared on 403 for 8, with Luke Sutton and Paul Horton both scoring tons. Potentially more critical to the end of season race was Shane Warne fracturing a rib, which threatens to end his season early. Hants only had time to reach 111 for 2 by the end of play.
The bottom of the table battle was also curtailed, and after 3 days of rain Kent and Worcestershire played a one innings game. Kent scored 293 for 3 with Rob Key and Martin Van Jaarseveld scoring tons. However, this didn’t leave enough time to force a result and both teams came away with four points when both really needed a lot more.
Yorkshire are back on top of the table, but have played a game more than Sussex in second and two games more than Hants, Lancs and Durham in 3rd, 4th and 5th. Any of these could still come out on top. However, with Sussex and Hants left as their last two games, Yorkshire have their destiny in their hands. Hants look to have the easiest run in, but the loss of Warne could be crucial. At the bottom, it looks to be between Kent and Surrey for the second relegation place, although Warwickshire’s loss of form means that they are not out of the equation yet.
Div 2
A tight game at Trent Bridge saw Nottinghamshire bowl Northamptonshire out for 285, with Mark Davies, on loan from Durham, taking 7 wickets. Notts replied two runs shy of that, before bowling Northants out for 229, leaving themselves 231 to clinch a crucial win. A vital 8th wicket partnership between Graeme Swann and Andre Adams of 38 saw them home by 2 wickets to keep them well clear of Essex and Middlesex in the battle for the second promotion spot.
Essex managed to contrive a win against Leicestershire, despite only scoring 191 in their first innings, Jerome Taylor taking 5 wickets. Leicester then declared on 52 for 2, and Essex scored a rapid 151 from 14 overs (against the part time bowling of Tom New and John Sadler) to set Leicester a target of 290 to win. This was 114 too many and Essex keep their challenge alive.
Also still challenging are Middlesex who declared on 305 for 7 against Gloucestershire, before bowling them out for 163. Middlesex then scored a rapid 120 for 2 (unlike Essex, though, this was against Gloucester’s front line bowling attack) to set Gloucester 260. Resolute batting second time round from Gloucester denied Middlesex the win. However, with a game in hand and Notts still to come to Lords, they still have a chance to make up on lost ground.
Glamorgan started well against Derbyshire, bowling the visitors out for 206, with Robert Croft taking 5 wickets. The Welshmen then took a first innings lead, scoring 225. Croft went one better second time round, taking 6 wickets as Derby scored 287, setting Glamorgan 268 to register their second win of the season. However, despite a ton for Gareth Rees, they lost their last 6 wickets for just 12 runs and Derby ran out winners by 42 runs, Ant Botha and Tom Lungley doing the damage with 5 and 3 wickets respectively.
Somerset could confirm their promotion this week at home to Glamorgan. However, the battle for the second spot could also be a lot clearer this week as Notts go to Middlesex, while Essex will be hoping for a draw at Lords and a win for themselves at Derby. Intriguingly, if it goes to the last game of the season, Somerset host Notts, while Middlesex visit Essex.
England player watch
Michael Vaughan managed just five runs for Yorkshire. Andrew Strauss did a bit better with 75 and 36 for Middlesex. Bowling-wise, the return of Matthew Hoggard brought 8 wickets.
Player of the Week
Jacques Rudolph played the stand out innings, with his 220 in Yorkshire’s win over Warwickshire. However, the Player of the Week is the latest player to try to stem the Notts injury jinx. I’m not sure why he’s not getting in the Durham team, but with 7 first innings wickets, along with a crucial unbeaten 35 to keep Notts title challenge alive, the Player of the Week is Mark Davies.
Div 1
Surrey and Sussex met in a game which was critical to both teams at either end of the table. However, the four day drizzle affecting the South East of England last week meant that no play was possible. Surrey keep pace with Kent in the battle to stay up while Sussex drop down to second in the table.
Yorkshire took full advantage of Sussex’s misfortune with a comprehensive win over Warwickshire. Batting first on the normally placid Scarborough pitch, the Bears were skittled for 129, with Matthew Hoggard marking his return with four wickets. Yorkshire then amassed 561 for 7 declared, Jacques Rudolph scoring a double hundred and Tim Bresnan getting his second championship ton of the season. Hoggard and Darren Gough then reduced Warwickshire to 31 for 7 before Tim Ambrose’s unbeaten 89 brought some respectability in a total of 222, Gough taking 5-fer. Yorkshire won by an innings and a lot and are back on top.
Rain affected Lancashire and Hampshire’s efforts to make up ground at the top of the table. Hants batted first scoring 393 with Sean Ervine getting a ton, putting on 80 for the last two wickets with James Bruce (1) and David Griffiths (0). Lancs then declared on 403 for 8, with Luke Sutton and Paul Horton both scoring tons. Potentially more critical to the end of season race was Shane Warne fracturing a rib, which threatens to end his season early. Hants only had time to reach 111 for 2 by the end of play.
The bottom of the table battle was also curtailed, and after 3 days of rain Kent and Worcestershire played a one innings game. Kent scored 293 for 3 with Rob Key and Martin Van Jaarseveld scoring tons. However, this didn’t leave enough time to force a result and both teams came away with four points when both really needed a lot more.
Yorkshire are back on top of the table, but have played a game more than Sussex in second and two games more than Hants, Lancs and Durham in 3rd, 4th and 5th. Any of these could still come out on top. However, with Sussex and Hants left as their last two games, Yorkshire have their destiny in their hands. Hants look to have the easiest run in, but the loss of Warne could be crucial. At the bottom, it looks to be between Kent and Surrey for the second relegation place, although Warwickshire’s loss of form means that they are not out of the equation yet.
Div 2
A tight game at Trent Bridge saw Nottinghamshire bowl Northamptonshire out for 285, with Mark Davies, on loan from Durham, taking 7 wickets. Notts replied two runs shy of that, before bowling Northants out for 229, leaving themselves 231 to clinch a crucial win. A vital 8th wicket partnership between Graeme Swann and Andre Adams of 38 saw them home by 2 wickets to keep them well clear of Essex and Middlesex in the battle for the second promotion spot.
Essex managed to contrive a win against Leicestershire, despite only scoring 191 in their first innings, Jerome Taylor taking 5 wickets. Leicester then declared on 52 for 2, and Essex scored a rapid 151 from 14 overs (against the part time bowling of Tom New and John Sadler) to set Leicester a target of 290 to win. This was 114 too many and Essex keep their challenge alive.
Also still challenging are Middlesex who declared on 305 for 7 against Gloucestershire, before bowling them out for 163. Middlesex then scored a rapid 120 for 2 (unlike Essex, though, this was against Gloucester’s front line bowling attack) to set Gloucester 260. Resolute batting second time round from Gloucester denied Middlesex the win. However, with a game in hand and Notts still to come to Lords, they still have a chance to make up on lost ground.
Glamorgan started well against Derbyshire, bowling the visitors out for 206, with Robert Croft taking 5 wickets. The Welshmen then took a first innings lead, scoring 225. Croft went one better second time round, taking 6 wickets as Derby scored 287, setting Glamorgan 268 to register their second win of the season. However, despite a ton for Gareth Rees, they lost their last 6 wickets for just 12 runs and Derby ran out winners by 42 runs, Ant Botha and Tom Lungley doing the damage with 5 and 3 wickets respectively.
Somerset could confirm their promotion this week at home to Glamorgan. However, the battle for the second spot could also be a lot clearer this week as Notts go to Middlesex, while Essex will be hoping for a draw at Lords and a win for themselves at Derby. Intriguingly, if it goes to the last game of the season, Somerset host Notts, while Middlesex visit Essex.
England player watch
Michael Vaughan managed just five runs for Yorkshire. Andrew Strauss did a bit better with 75 and 36 for Middlesex. Bowling-wise, the return of Matthew Hoggard brought 8 wickets.
Player of the Week
Jacques Rudolph played the stand out innings, with his 220 in Yorkshire’s win over Warwickshire. However, the Player of the Week is the latest player to try to stem the Notts injury jinx. I’m not sure why he’s not getting in the Durham team, but with 7 first innings wickets, along with a crucial unbeaten 35 to keep Notts title challenge alive, the Player of the Week is Mark Davies.
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