The Rothesay County Championship action continued this week, with five of the nine games ending in a draw – without the intervention of the Great British weather. Game of the round unquestionably came at the Riverside as Warwickshire pulled off a spectacular one-wicket win over Durham. The hosts set Warwickshire a fourth innings target of 339, with seam bowler Ethan Bamber delivering the winning runs with a six back over bowler Ben Raine’s head.
In a week that saw runs flowing from the openers all the way down to number 11, as well as record-breaking victories and outstanding individual efforts, let’s dissect my Team of the Week from the second round of fixtures.
1. Ben McKinney – Durham (153 & 33)
Ben McKinney’s career-best 153 will be somewhat overshadowed by the dramatic finish at Chester-le-Street, but it’s a knock that shouldn’t be forgotten quickly. His century, along with Matthew Potts’ 70, laid the foundations for Durham’s 62-run lead at the innings break. His strong off-side game shone through early on day one, setting the tone by smashing Ethan Bamber through the covers before sending a straight drive back past the feet of Vishwa Fernando.
The knock was McKinney’s third First Class century in 13 matches as a professional, boasting an average of 41.04 at an appealing strike rate of 75.08. After a baron end to the 2024 season, where he scored just 69 runs across six innings, the 20-year-old found form with the England Lions over the winter. With a century to his name against Australia A in Sydney – and an England setup that seemingly prioritises individual qualities over track records – it’s not unreasonable to suggest that we could see more of the opener in the coming months.
2. Dom Sibley – Surrey (100* & 106)
Surrey’s start to the County Championship season has been below the lofty expectations the side have set for themselves over the last three years. Digging deep to avoid defeat at Chelmsford last week, the Brown Caps were locked in an arm-wrestle with Hampshire at The Oval, with the visitors looking the more likely to snatch victory before being taken off for bad light.
Dom Sibley’s twin centuries were arguably the most impressive individual performance of the week, going unbeaten in the first innings, guiding Surrey to a respectable total of 253. His subsequent 106 in the second innings allowed the hosts to declare, leaving Hampshire a total of 377. Both knocks were classic Sibley innings, digging deep to churn out runs from a tricky Oval wicket, both coming at a strike rate below 50.
3. Josh Bohannon – Lancashire (5 & 155)
Lancashire’s batting woes played a key role in their relegation from Division One in 2024, with inexperienced players struggling to make an impact. The introduction of Michael Jones and Marcus Harris to the top four, as well as Luke Wells moving down to six, have made the Red Rose look a much better outfit with the bat in hand.
Despite the new faces, it was Josh Bohannon that rescued a draw against Northamptonshire at Old Trafford. The number three returned to form to score 155 from 342 balls as the hosts were ordered to follow-on, trailing their visitors by 268 at the innings break. It was Bohannon’s first century since a mammoth 205 away to Kent in June 2024, only being dismissed this week when his attempted sweep deflected off short leg and rebounded back to the diving Lewis McManus.
4. Tawanda Muyeye – Kent (29 & 125*)
24-year-old Tawanda Muyeye struggled when opening the batting in Division One last season. A spectacular 211 against Worcestershire at New Road was the highlight in a tough season for the Zimbabwe-born batsman, often falling for single figure scores at the top of the order. A year in Division Two combined with a move down the order to number four could be exactly what the fluent stroke maker needs.
In a 225-run stand with Ben Compton, Muyeye scored an unbeaten 125 off just 127 balls, hitting five maximums along the way. Kent reached Middlesex’s target of 316 with ease on a pitch that both sides failed to score more than 222 on in their respective first innings. With two impressive wins to their name, the Canterbury outfit are looking strong early in the season.
5. Kyle Verreynne – Nottinghamshire (128* & 3) (2 catches)
With both opening batsmen departing with just four runs on the board, you would be forgiven for thinking Nottinghamshire could have been bowled out on day one at home to Essex, but Kyle Verreynne’s 128 not out steered Notts away from trouble at Trent Bridge. The South Africa international was the only home player to score 50 or above in the first innings, providing a base while those around him got starts but failed to cash in.
The pitch seemed to flatten out with scores increasing throughout the game, as the sides shook hands for a draw while Nottinghamshire sat on 106-1. There were notable scores for Haseeb Hameed, Paul Walter and Jordan Cox – as well as a first Notts ton for Jack Haynes – but Verreynne’s day one performance was the difference between a loss and a draw for the East Midlands outfit.
6. John Simpson (WK) – Sussex (47 & 110*) (6 catches)
John Simpson’s reputation as one of the most dependable wicketkeepers in the country was again enhanced with his first innings performance against Somerset. The 36-year-old took five catches in the first innings of the match, before adding 157 runs across his two attempts with the bat.
The wicketkeeper came to the crease in the third innings while his Sussex side were 300-4, already leading their opponents by 393. Captain Simpson put his foot to the floor, following in the footsteps of opener Tom Haines by notching a century, although Simpson’s came at a much quicker strike rate of 94. The Cider Men replied with 334 on day four, but still fell 260 runs short of a substantial target, giving Sussex their first top-flight win in a decade.
7. Ed Barnard – Warwickshire (12 & 101) (0-42 & 1-47)
All-rounder Ed Barnard strolled to the crease on day four with Warwickshire sitting dangerously on 84-4, still 255 shy of Durham’s target with over 60 overs left of the day’s play. The departure of Hamza Shaikh moments later saw the visitors slip to 90-5, before a resurgent partnership with wicketkeeper Kai Smith salvaged the match for the Birmingham-based side.
Barnard notched his eighth career century in the longest format of the game, grabbing any chance of victory from the jaws of defeat. Just after reaching three-figures, Brendan Doggett found his outside edge, bringing the game back into the balance, leaving Warwickshire needing 54 runs with three wickets in hand.
8. Michael Booth – Warwickshire (58* & 40) (3-72 & 4-66)
Michael Booth had enjoyed a 48-run stand with Barnard before being left to work with the tail. The South African had already scored an unbeaten 58 in the first innings, helping the visitors avoid the follow-on, while his second innings 40 moved the Bears just 15 runs away from their target, before England seamer Potts castled the stumps. Booth had only scored 50 First Class runs before his 98 in the match this week.
With the ball, Booth picked up the middle-order trio of Emilio Gay, David Bedingham and Ollie Robinson on day one, striking just as the hosts looked like they could post a score north of 400. In the second innings, Booth would collect the wickets of Gay and Robinson again, as well as Alex Lees and Colin Ackermann, quickly seeing Durham collapse from 46-0 to 64-4.
9. Calvin Harrison – Northamptonshire (56) (4-34 & 7-119)
Northamptonshire came close to recording a spectacular away win at Old Trafford before Bohannon’s second innings fightback. If the Steelbacks pulled off the win, 26-year-old leg spinner – and Northamptonshire debutant – Calvin Harrison would have taken the plaudits, scoring a career-high 56 with the bat and taking 11 wickets with the ball.
Harrison took his second First Class five-wicket haul at Old Trafford, contributing to a maiden 10-wicket haul in the match. He took seven of Northamptonshire’s nine wickets across the third innings, finishing with staggering figures of 57-16-119-7. Harrison joined from Nottinghamshire on an initial two-game loan deal and will be available for selection against Derbyshire next week, with this performance putting him in the shop window upon his return to Trent Bridge.
10. Ben Coad – Yorkshire (31) (4-39 & 1-30)
Yorkshire recorded their first win since promotion back to the top level, defeating Worcestershire by an extraordinary 504 runs, the biggest winning margin in the 135-year history of the County Championship. There were runs across the board – most notably with nightwatchman Dom Bess scoring a century – but it was a flurry of wickets on day two that sent the White Rose on their way to a historic win.
The Pears had just lost the opening wicket of Gareth Roderick but still looked settled on 101-1 before Ben Coad and Jordan Thompson rattled through the top order, leaving them faltering on 113-6. Two of Coad’s wickets included arguably Worcestershire’s best batsman, Jake Libby, as well as last week’s unbeaten hero, Matthew Waite. By quickly dispatching the middle order, Coad and co were able to charge in at the tail after just 43 overs, while the bowlers were still recovering from 100+ overs in the field.
11. Sean Hunt – Sussex (33) (5-48 & 4-28)
Sean Hunt did not play Sussex’s first game of the season at Edgbaston, but had a more than welcome return at Hove this week. The left-arm seamer claimed the final five wickets of the Somerset first innings, notching his maiden First Class five-wicket haul, limiting the visitors to a score of 201.
His hot streak continued in the second innings, dismissing four of Somerset’s top five, leaving them 17-2 and 80-4 at respective points in the innings. Making his first red-ball appearance since taking no wickets for 53 runs against Yorkshire last season, Hunt will be hoping that this is the start of a prolonged run in an exciting Sussex attack, despite missing day four after leaving the field injured.