County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 9

The Rothesay County Championship returned after nearly a month on the sidelines as all 18 counties took to the field. It was the first of four rounds in 2025 that will see the Kookaburra balls in use, resulting in a rather unsurprising seven draws in nine matches. The trial of the ball that is used in Australia has been moved into the summer block of county cricket in an attempt to encourage reverse swing. The trial was used in the opening rounds of the 2024 campaign, with wickets at a premium and batsmen cashing in.

Nottinghamshire remain top of Division One after a high-scoring home draw with Yorkshire, although Surrey have closed the gap to just two points with a nine-wicket win away at Worcestershire. The only other result came at Wantage Road as Northamptonshire chased down 311 inside 63 overs on day four to secure a four-wicket win over Middlesex. Runaway leaders Leicestershire were held at home by Glamorgan while Kent showed guile to bat out for a draw against Lancashire. 

1. Finlay Bean – Yorkshire (224)

Opening the batting is Yorkshire’s Finaly Bean. The 23-year-old had featured in six of Yorkshire’s opening seven games this season, but was yet to make a half-century before his Trent Bridge heroics. After hosts Nottinghamshire had posted 487, fellow opener Adam Lyth was dismissed for a golden duck by the ever-reliable Mohammad Abbas.
 
Bean stuck around as Yorkshire’s middle order all got starts, yet departed before making a significant impact on the scoreboard. Young all-rounder Matthew Revis offered Bean a stable partnership as the pair put on 130-runs for the sixth wicket. The knock comes at a crucial time for Bean who was starting to face competition for his spot at the top of the order. At the beginning of May, Dom Bess filled in as opener as Bean missed out.

2. Cameron Bancroft – Gloucestershire (58 & 176)

Rather topically after Australia’s exploits in the World Test Championship final and their first test against the Windies in Barbados, Cameron Bancroft is in the runs again. The Gloucestershire captain scored 58 in a first innings that amassed to 187 – with only three other batsmen scoring more than 10. 

As we have come to expect from Bancroft in First Class cricket, the Western Australian became a nuisance for the bowlers in the second innings, scoring 176 from 366 deliveries. Facing an innings break deficit of 212 runs, Bancroft was eventually dismissed with his side 169 runs in the ascendency before Graeme van Buuren took on the responsibility of extending the lead. The Ashes start in 146 days and Australia look no closer to settling on a batting lineup, perhaps the door isn’t closed just yet for the 32-year-old. 

3.  Tom Lammonby – Somerset (133 & 33) (0-8)

Somerset have raised eyebrows this season with their selections at the top of the order. The duo of Sean Dickson and Archie Vaughan were replaced at the top by all-rounder Lewis Gregory and tail-ender Josh Davey. Davey opened the batting with Tom Kohler-Cadmore this week, but Tom Lammonby’s ever presence at number three provided the Cidermen with some sense of stability.

Lammonby scored his second century of the season against Warwickshire, the first time he had scored multiple tons in a season since his debut year of 2020. His knock came against an impressive attack that included Ethan Bamber, Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Australian leg-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli. Along with Kohler-Cadmore, Lammoby’s runs set up a 147-run lead at the innings break, a margin that looked likely to see Somerset pick up victory before Warwickshire calmly batted out for a draw.

4. James Coles – Sussex (148* & 53) (0-29)

Sussex youngster James Coles notched his first competitive century of the season, with his only other triple figure score in 2025 coming in pre-season. His unbeaten 148 against Durham was the foundation for Sussex’s first innings score of 361 as six south coast batsmen failed to reach double digits. In his second innings – and at a time of the game where the draw was all but confirmed – Coles scored 53 before being bowled by Ben Raine.

Chester-le-Street was the epicentre of the English cricketing world last weekend as a certain fast bowler made his return to red ball action. Impatient groans could be heard across the country as the Hove outfit won the toss and elected to bat, but the 21-year-old put on a show for the spectators, successfully navigating an attack that included international calibre players in Matthew Potts and Bas de Leede.

5. Ashton Turner – Lancashire (154) (0-12)

After Marcus Harris’ exploits in the County Championship so far this season, you’d be forgiven for thinking Lancashire fans may be keeping a keen eye on Australian cricket. Harris returned to Australia this week in a pre-arranged deal with the club, meaning Jimmy Anderson took over as captain and fellow Aussie Ashton Turner took his place in the middle order following a promising start to his Vitality Blast campaign. 

On a flat wicket at Blackpool, Lancashire posted 639-9 and declared overnight before day four. Luke Wells opened the batting with 152 while Josh Bohannon notched 124, but Turner just took the honours for highest individual score with his 154. The score came from just 148 balls – including 11 fours and six maximums – to push the hosts into a commanding position. Despite Lancashire’s lead of 265 runs, Kent batted sensibly to end the match on 328-8, denying the hosts a maiden win of the season. Without Turner’s blistering innings, they would not have had the chance in the first place. 

6. Graeme van Buuren – Gloucestershire (6 & 175) (2-91 & 4-64)

Graeme van Buuren had somewhat underperformed with the bat in 2025, scoring just two half centuries, well below the level of someone with a First Class career average in excess of 40. The South African-born Englishman turned his fortunes around against Derbyshire, posting a third-highest career score of 175 to move Gloucestershire into pole position for an unlikely win.

Following on from Bancroft’s opening performance, van Buuren was able to form a fast-paced partnership with wicketkeeper James Bracey, combining for 106 runs in under 20 overs. With the ball, van Buuren took a flurry of four wickets across a tense day four, leaving the visitors teetering on 283-8, chasing 316. Unfortunately for both sides – and fans – the game simply ran out of time to see a winner decided with Gloucestershire two wickets and Derbyshire 20 runs away from much needed victories. 

7. Michael Pepper (WK) – Essex (3 & 140) (3 catches)

After seeing Hampshire’s lead of 157 runs heading into the third innings of the game, Essex fans would have the right to be pessimistic after some of their sides batting collapses this season. Five of the top six were dismissed for scores between 10 and 20 in their second innings, leaving captain Tom Westley and wicketkeeper Michael Pepper to salvage a draw from the jaws of defeat. Joining the action at 131-5, Pepper attacked a Hampshire lineup that included Kyle Abbott and Liam Dawson to race to 140 from 154. 

Pepper’s innings was a stark contrast to Westley’s – who also brought up three figures – with the captain finishing the match unbeaten on 130 from 322 balls. It was the ‘keepers first century since the opening weekend of the season against Surrey, although this one was arguably much more important in the context of the game. Frustratingly for Pepper, he was eventually dismissed by part-timer Tom Prest – just his fifth First Class wicket in 26 matches.

8. Grant Stewart – Kent (2 & 130) (0-49)

Two games ago, Grant Stewart scored his first century in seven years. Six weeks later he has another. Insert something about London buses here. Stewart strolled to the crease with Kent sat on 116-7, staring down the barrel of a fifth defeat of the season as Lancashire still held a 149-run advantage. The order of the day had been to sit tight and defend – probably the reason Matt Parkinson opened the batting in the fourth innings – but the Italian all-rounder had other ideas.

Instead of respecting the Red Rose bowling, Stewart played with the long handle as he struck 130 from 122 deliveries, allowing Kent to hold a 33-run lead by the time he was dismissed. Joey Evison’s unbeaten 77 combined with Wes Agar’s quick runs at number 10 meant Kent had done enough on the final day to take a draw back down south. With the ball, Stewart did not enjoy such success, going wicketless from 13 overs on a pitch that offered little for the seamers.

9. Nathan Smith – Surrey (6) (1-27 & 6-38)

Returning to face his old county, Nathan Smith reminded Worcestershire fans why they appreciated him so much last year. On day one, Surrey rolled their hosts for just 214 as Matthew Fisher and Jordan Clark took three wickets a piece, but it was in Worcestershire’s second innings where Smith earned his money.
 
The New Zealand man picked up the wicket of Gareth Roderick in the first over before dismissing fellow Kiwi Henry Nicholls for a two-ball duck. The following morning, he would grab the wickets of overnight batsmen Ben Allison and Adam Hose and would round off his efforts by seeing off tailenders Fateh Singh and Jacob Duffy. It was Smith’s maiden red-ball five-wicket haul on English shores and his first all together since his career best 6-36 for Wellington against Canterbury in February 2024.

10. Jack Morley – Derbyshire (18) (6-55 & 1-178)

The aforementioned match between Gloucestershire and Derbyshire went down to the wire and both sides will feel that the win just evaded their reach, although without Jack Morley’s efforts, Derbyshire could have been blown away. Morley took career best figures of 6-55 in the first innings, assaulting the top order as he dismissed Joe Phillips, Ollie Price and Miles Hammond after a promising Gloucestershire start. 

He would return to take another flurry of wickets late in the piece, reducing the hosts from 178-7 to 187 all out in just 11 balls from his end. Since leaving Lancashire permanently over the winter, Morley has settled well in the East Midlands, currently on the longest run of County Championship cricket he has had in his career to date. With 22 wickets to his name at an average of 39.5, the 24-year-old is by no means the finished article, but with consistent bowling now a part of his game, there are reasons to be cheerful for Derbyshire fans.

11. Liam Guthrie – Northamptonshire (0) (7-94 & 2-60)

Game of the week came at Wantage Road as Northamptonshire chased down 311 in 62.3 overs on day four to claim an important win over Middlesex. With all the drama coming at the end of the game, you’d need to cast your mind back to remember the most important contribution with the ball. Australian seamer Liam Guthrie claimed career best figures of 7-94 – and match figures of 9-154 – to skittle the Middlesex top order. 

The left-armer’s charge was put on hold by a fantastic century from wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell, but the paceman would dismiss Cracknell early on day two. Guthrie would claim two of Middlesex’s top three again in the second innings, but did receive more support from his teammates this time. Perhaps without a declaration while eight down, he could have claimed a maiden First Class 10-wicket match. Disappointingly for Guthrie, his efforts with the bat were short lived as he departed for a golden duck and was the crowning wicket in Ryan Higgins’ hat-trick.

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 8

The conclusion of week eight of Rothesay County Championship action also brought with it the end of the opening block of the season. Starting from Thursday, the 18 counties will lock away their whites, instead donning the colourful attire of the Vitality Blast. After seven games, it is Nottinghamshire who have sprung a surprise to sit atop of the Division One table, extending their lead with a 163-run win over Yorkshire at Headingley. The White Rose join Worcestershire as the two sides occupying the relegation spots.

In Division Two, it is an exciting Leicestershire side who sit 31-points clear at the summit. The Foxes picked up their fifth win of the season with an innings and three run victory at home to Lancashire. East Midlands neighbours Derbyshire are somewhat unexpectedly sat in second, also recording their own innings victory against Kent. Kent prop up the table, although do remain within seven points of Lancashire, Middlesex and Northamptonshire. 

1. Caleb Jewell – Derbyshire (232)

After scoring five half-centuries in his first six innings of the season, Caleb Jewell had endured a minor lean patch, averaging 27.5 across his last seven innings. This week, the 28-year-old saw a return of the form that Derbyshire fans had gotten used to seeing, scoring a career-best 232 against Kent. It is Jewell’s first ton since his 100 not out for Tasmania against New South Wales two months ago, although this one coming further up the order.

The Incora County Ground has served up some flat pitches in 2025, with the home side scoring north of 300 in four of their six home innings so far – including 472 and 587-5 declared. Jewell’s natural stroke play is a perfect match for the Falcons, with his fast starts often allowing the more traditional Harry Came (who scored 89) and Wayne Madsen (100) to settle in around him. The Hobart-born batsman will certainly be on the radar of Australian selectors ahead of a busy year of Test cricket. 

2. Ben Compton – Kent (156 & 49)

Batting on the same pitch as Jewell, Ben Compton also made sure to cash in, although was not rewarded with the same application from his teammates. It feels some time ago that the Kent opener was mooted as a possible England candidate, reaching 1,000 First Class runs before the end of May in 2022, including a century against New Zealand while batting for a County Select XI. 

The opener scored short of half of Ken’s first innings runs in the East Midlands, while Daniel Bell-Drummond’s 61 was the only other individual score to exceed 19. Compton has been a much-needed mainstay at the top of the batting order. Zak Crawley’s England exploits opened the door for wicketkeeper Harry Finch to open the batting, but a lack of runs means that 39-year-old Joe Denly now partners the third-highest run scorer in the division.  

3. Rehan Ahmed – Leicestershire (136)

The County Championship always throws up surprises, shake ups of the order and new talent year on year, but not many would have predicted Rehan Ahmed would have a duo of centuries during the first two months of the season. In a Leicestershire side that has found extreme success with their seam attack, Ahmed has been utilised as a batsman who can bowl as fifth or even sixth bowler, as opposed to the first-choice leg-spinner he has become for the England Test side. Despite this, he has taken seven wickets at an average of 22 in 2025.

Both centuries coming against Lancashire, Ahmed was able to set up a comprehensive victory at Grace Road. The England man enjoyed a 256-run partnership with former captain Lewis Hill, who scored 119 himself, taking the hosts 74 runs ahead of their opponents by the time it was broken. With ball in hand, Ahmed bowled with control to restrict his second innings economy to a mere 2.0 an over.

4. Sam Hain – Warwickshire (86 & 87*)

Perhaps unlucky not to score a 20th First Class century at New Road, Sam Hain seemed to be batting on a different pitch to everyone else. The Hong Kong-born batsman posted 86 in the first innings, falling short of the three figures as the final five Warwickshire wickets quickly tumbled in the space of 5.4 overs. He would go one run closer – and unbeaten – in the second innings, this time being left stranded at the final three Bears wickets departed for just 15 runs.

Chasing 327 runs for an unlikely victory, Worcestershire looked to be on the ropes at 181-8 before rain intervened to force the draw. Hain’s batting efforts were the only real difference between two sides that both saw their seamers flourish and their batsman flounder. A welcome return to form, his first innings 50 was the first time the ex-England man had reached the milestone this season.

5. Charlie Allison – Essex (0 & 140)

After being clean bowled by older brother Ben for a duck last week, Charlie Allison’s time at the top of the Essex order had come to an end. Despite looking technically sound, along with some promising shots, the 20-year-old averaged 17.1 as an opener from nine innings. His move down to number four in the Essex order may have been a defensive move, but it may just have unlocked his undoubted ability.

Despite falling for a duck in the first innings, Allison bounced back to score his maiden First Class century. The ton came against a bowling attack consisting of Dan Worrall, Sam Curran, Nathan Smith and Jamie Overton, and almost set his side up for victory. His score meant that the defending champions were asked to chase 418, and with rain interrupting the match with Surrey 289-7, the Chelmsford-based outfit will be disappointed not to claim victory at The Oval.

6. Saif Zaib – Northamptonshire (159 & 56) (0-34 & 0-3)

A handy all-rounder who can sometimes struggle with inconsistencies, Saif Zaib has made a fantastic start to Northamptonshire’s 2025 season. Batting at six, Zaib has scored three centuries already this season, doubling his number of red-ball tons inside an eight-week period. 

Coming to the crease at 57-4, Zaib was aided by James Sales and Calvin Harrison both making scores north of 50 to claw Northants away from danger. Scoring 159, the all-rounder took the hosts to 469 all out, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and securing four batting bonus points in the process. The game eventually petered out into a draw, but Zaib’s improvements with the bat have been a bright spark in an otherwise dim Northamptonshire season.

7. John Simpson (WK) – Sussex (106*) (2 catches)

Making this side more times than anybody else this season, John Simpson has embodied Sussex’s fighting spirit since moving to the South Coast. Taking over as captain at Hove, Simpson has moulded his side into one of the most exciting in the country, although like anyone else, can be prone to a batting collapse.

It was Simpson’s work with the bat that most impressed this week, scoring an unbeaten 106 to go within touching distance of victory on day two. In response to Hampshire’s 154, Sussex were reduced to 83-5 as Simpson partnered with all-rounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who scored 74 himself. The duo moved the Sharks score to 256-6 in a stand that lasted almost 60 overs. Despite reaching three figures, the captain was unable to move the total any further along as the final four wickets fell for just a single run.

8. Jack Carson – Sussex (16) (1-21 & 5-26)

With his batting being the highlight of his 2025 so far, Jack Carson has made this team after claiming his first five-wicket haul of the season. After a four-wicket haul at Edgbaston on opening weekend, Carson had struggle to take wickets – although he does feature in a side that has featured Hudson-Prentice, Ollie Robinson and Jayden Seales. 

The Northern Irishman bowled just four overs in the Hampshire first innings, trapping Nick Gubbins LBW. His second innings all but confirmed a derby day win after Simpson’s heroics, bowling 10 overs to take Hampshire wickets five through to nine, eliminating any slim prospect of a lower order revival posting a challenging target. Most importantly, Carson grabbed the big wicket of Liam Dawson – set on 48 at the time – in what felt like a hammer blow to the hosts. If not for Shoaib Bashir’s own return at Trent Bridge, maybe Carson’s performance would be of higher attention to those in charge.

9. Logan van Beek – Leicestershire (15) (3-38 & 4-61)

Over its history, the County Championship has had some iconic overseas signings. Maybe these players are not in the world’s elite group of players, but they come back year on year and adapt to whatever conditions are on offer. For me, Logan van Beek is certainly in that position. The Dutchman currently plies his trade at Leicestershire, taking the new ball alongside Ian Holland to lead an inexperienced bowling attack. The duo have taken 54 wickets between them so far with Holland averaging 17.1 to van Beek’s 23.7.

Against Lancashire, van Beek grabbed the wickets of Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings on day one, breaking a 74-run opening partnership to bring two fresh batsmen to the crease. While the latter went on to score 112 at the second time of asking, van Beek sent Wells back to the pavilion for a second time, this time adding the dangerous trio of Josh Bohannon, Marcus Harris and George Bell to his list. Despite not taking a fifer in the opening block of the season, van Beek has taken at least three wickets on five occasions this season, displaying his consistency that is so often lauded. 

10. Matt Kuhnemann – Glamorgan (6*) (1-22 & 6-53)

Named in Australia’s 15-man squad for the World Test Championship final yet unlikely to play, Matt Kuhnemann has taken the opportunity to play alongside Marnus Labuschagne at Glamorgan. The leg-spinner signed in Cardiff to play a single game against Middlesex, certainly making an impact in his sole appearance.

Kuhnemann took six wickets in Middlesex’s second innings, including top order batsmen Max Holden, Sam Robson and Leus du Plooy – also dismissing du Plooy in the first innings. The Queensland man bowled 22.3 overs as the men from Lords’ narrowly avoided an innings defeat, instead setting a target of 8 for Glamorgan to chase down. It has been a challenging few months for Kuhnemann. After taking 16 wickets in a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, his bowling action was reported to the ICC, forcing the 28-year-old to undergo testing in order to be cleared again. With the possibility of an ICC medal on the horizon, he will be hoping that the next handful of weeks will be more enjoyable.

11. Mohammad Abbas – Nottinghamshire (6*) (6-45 & 1-52)

Eyebrows were raised when Mohammad Abbas made the move to Trent Bridge, coming off the back of a successful four-year stint at Hampshire, but the seamer has been in spectacular form at Trent Bridge this season. After Fergus O’Neill was the star in April, Abbas has taken over to take 16 wickets from three games, averaging 18.8 and going at an economy of 2.83. His skillset is complimentary to a Nottinghamshire attack that includes the likes of Dillon Pennington and Josh Tongue, offering greater control over the ball.

Against Yorkshire, Abbas did the damage in the first innings to restrict the visitors to 159. Wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne took both catches as the Pakistan man dismissed openers Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean with the new ball. Pennington and Brett Hutton got to work on the middle order before Abbas would return to dismiss a tail that was intending to attack. 

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 7

The seventh week of the Rothesay County Championship saw surprises across the board as all 18 counties returned to action. Runaway leaders Nottinghamshire fell to a seven-wicket defeat at Chester-le-Street as Durham recorded their first home win of the season. The result means that Surrey now sit three points behind the Trent Bridge outfit after their emphatic innings and 28 run victory at home to Yorkshire. Bottom of the table Worcestershire grabbed their first win of the season with 225 runs separating themselves and Essex.

In Division Two, Leicestershire extended their lead at the top with a seven-wicket win over Middlesex at Lord’s. In-form Glamorgan have moved into third place after a comfortable home victory over Northamptonshire, with the latter falling to the bottom of the table, while Gloucestershire found their first success of the year with home victory over Kent.  

1. Haseeb Hameed – Nottinghamshire (206* & 13)

Haseeb Hameed has started the 2025 campaign in scintillating form. The former England opener has scored 695 runs – the most in the top division – averaging a staggering 99.28. Still only 28-years-old, Hameed surpassed 8,000 First Class runs during his six-hour knock against Durham.

After a 104-run opening partnership with Ben Slater, Hameed stood at the other end while Nottinghamshire endured a mini-collapse and fell to 140-4. Cameos from Kyle Verreynne and Brett Hutton helped the Notts total increase, but nobody came close to Hameed’s unbeaten 206. Perhaps a contrast to the batter that England fans remember from 2021, the Nottinghamshire captain scored his runs at a strike rate above 85, showcasing more freedom at the crease than earlier in his career.

2. Luke Wells – Lancashire (141 & 50) (1-40 & 0-13)

Lancashire’s lacklustre start to the season saw the Red Rose make drastic changes after defeat at Northamptonshire last week, but maybe the best change of all was to move Luke Wells back to the top of the order. The former Sussex man had formed a dangerous partnership with Keaton Jennings in previous years, but had moved down to number six in order to allow Michael Jones and Matthew Hurst to bat in the top five.

Wells was back to his old self at Old Trafford. His 141 set the platform for the hosts to post a sizeable 458 on a slow Manchester pitch. By the time the opener was dismissed, Lancashire sat on 244-5, just six runs shy of achieving their first bonus batting point with 21.4 overs left before the cut off. With Derbyshire narrowly avoiding the follow-on, Wells was forced to bat for a second time in the match, posting a 65-ball half-century as Marcus Harris’ men aimed to push for a declaration early on day four.

3. Emilio Gay – Durham (104 & 0)

In a Jekyll & Hyde start to the season, Emilio Gay notched his second century in a Durham shirt with a gritty 104 against Nottinghamshire. Normally batting at three, the Italian came to the crease with his side 156-2, thanks in part to 17-year-old nightwatchman James Minto sticking around to score 67 from 113 deliveries. 

Gay’s century was all that of a classic number three’s innings with the three figures coming up after five-hours in the middle, coming at a strike rate of 47. In response to Hameed’s monstrous innings, Gay and wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson forged a 127-run stand, taking the hosts to 402-5, just five runs behind the visitors’ initial blow. His second hundred of the season, Gay’s only regret could be that he did not kick on to record a larger score.

4. Cameron Green – Gloucestershire (128 & 67*)

Cameron Green’s arrival in Bristol has been well documented. The Australian all-rounder was a marquee – and maybe surprising – signing for Gloucestershire, with the county being aided by a ‘significant donation’ from a member in order to get the deal over the line. The member in question will have no regrets over his financial contribution after Green’s match-winning performance against Kent.

Batting at five, Green scored 128 and was one-half of a 222-run partnership with fellow centurion James Bracey, moving the hosts from an uncomfortable position into a dominant one. The value of Green’s runs are somewhat inflated due to the Australian’s recent back injury ruling him out of any bowling, but the 25-year-old would produce again in the fourth innings. Chasing 162, Gloucestershire found themselves 57-4, but the all-rounder remained at the crease to post 67 not out and guide his side to victory with three wickets in hand, with no other batsman posting more than 19.  

5. Jonny Bairstow – Yorkshire (89 & 77)

After Yorkshire’s innings defeat at Surrey, it was confirmed newly installed captain Jonny Bairstow will miss their upcoming clash with Nottinghamshire. Bairstow will instead replace Will Jacks in the Mumbai Indians squad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League season, due to Jacks’ upcoming England commitments. Currently occupying the second relegation spot, Yorkshire will certainly feel the impact of losing an in-form Bairstow.

The 35-year-old fell agonisingly short of a 32nd First Class century at The Oval, falling to the part time spin of Dan Lawrence. His innings did hold together a Yorkshire side that never threatened the defending champions, with six batsmen falling for single-digit scores. Facing an innings-break deficit of 257, Bairstow and James Wharton offered hope of a northern revival down south, but as soon as the latter was dismissed by Matthew Fisher, Yorkshire’s captain was fighting a lone battle. The White Rose collapsed from 167-3 to 229 all out, with Bairstow falling to another part timer in Ryan Patel as he looked to force the hosts to bat again.

6. Ollie Robinson (WK) – Durham (141) (7 catches)

Already mentioned for his stand with Gay, Ollie Robinson was Durham’s top scorer at Chester-le-Street with 141. After the dismissal of the number three, Robinson formed another strong partnership with all-rounder Graham Clark. The duo combined for 162 runs during their time in the middle, with Clark himself also reaching three figures with 121. Part of the England touring side in New Zealand over the winter, Robinson’s 10th First Class ton came at a strike rate of 74.

England’s obsession with the profile of their wicketkeeper is an age-old debate. Jos Buttler and Bairstow were trialled as Adam Gilchrist-like ‘keepers who could take the game away from the opposition, with Ben Foakes selected for his glove work. While James Rew is in the current England squad – and with Jordan Cox missing out again through injury – it is hard to see where Robinson fits in, although he may be the most well-rounded option when it comes to balancing the two disciplines.  

7. Grant Stewart – Kent (182 & 41) (2-54)

June 27th, 2018. South Korea had just beaten Germany 2-0 in the World Cup, Shotgun by George Ezra was top of the UK charts and Alastair Cook was still a Test cricketer. It was also the day that Grant Stewart scored 103 from 74 against Middlesex to post his only First Class century. 2,515 days later in Bristol, he had his second. 

Batting at number eight - but seven for the sake of this side - Stewart scored at just under a run a ball to take the visitors from 137-6 to 401-7. The importance of the knock cannot be understated. Former Warwickshire man Chris Benjamin posted 93, but no other Canterbury-based batter troubled Gloucestershire’s attack. Kent posted 424, a more than respectable score away from home before Green and Bracey counterattacked. Despite the result, Stewart’s efforts did secure Kent four batting bonus points, four more than many would have predicted after the top order were quickly dealt with.

8. Jordan Clark – Surrey (69) (3-31 & 4-45)

Surrey’s bowling attack is always hard to predict considering the sheer start power that resides at The Oval. Taking away a quarter of part-timers, Surrey have already used 10 bowlers in the County Championship this season. That in mind, Jordan Clark’s availability to become an ever-present in this side makes him one of the most quietly important players in the country. Clark currently has 22 wickets at an average of 23.3 this season, 10 more wickets than any other Surrey man.

On day one against Yorkshire, the 34-year-old conceded just 31 runs from 16.4 overs, arguably a more impressive figure than the three wickets he collected. In the second innings, Clark snatched the huge wicket of Adam Lyth, immediately pushing the visitors onto the back foot, before taking the second new ball early on day four to finish off the Yorkshire innings. With bat in hand, the ex-Lancashire man showed his worth with a classy 69, moving Surrey into a position where the innings victory was on the cards.

9. Matthew Waite – Worcestershire (73 & 8) (3-34 & 6-19)

Maybe the quirkiest stat to come from the weekend’s play, Worcestershire finally secured their first batting bonus points of the season – three of them for that matter. Another first innings collapse looked on the cards as the lower order were once again asked to salvage the seemingly impossible. In a contrast to his staunch defence on the opening weekend at Somerset, Matthew Waite played freely and aggressively to score 73 from 91 deliveries.

His most important contribution came with the ball as the all-rounder claimed his second five-wicket haul in red ball cricket. Waite finished the second Essex innings with career-best figures of 6-19, aiding his career-best match figures of 9-53. Worcestershire’s leading wicket taker dismissed set opener Charlie Allison and first innings top scorer Robin Das, before returning to blitz the lower order. He took four of the final five wickets, including two in four balls to wrap up the game, handing the Pears their first win of the season.

10. Kyle Abbott – Hampshire (14 & 25*) (5-47 & 3-44)

Kyle Abbott has had a fantastic start to 2025, sitting proudly at the top of the Division One wicket taking charts. Abbott, who played 11 Tests for South Africa in the mid-2010’s, has claimed 31 poles across 12 innings so far, averaging an astonishing 16.64. His opening spell against Warwickshire was crucial, reducing the Bears to 30-3 after sending Rob Yates and nightwatchman Oliver Hannon-Dalby back to the pavilion. The South Africa man would return to claim the destructive middle order trio of Sam Hain, Beau Webster and Ed Barnard.

He would take three more wickets in the second innings, dismissing Yates and Hain again, this time adding New Zealand batsman Tom Latham to an already impressive collection. James Fuller claimed his own fifer, while John Turner grabbed two wickets, meaning Abbott missed out on a 10-wicket haul for the match, but his efforts had already moved Hampshire into pole position for the win.

11. Ajeet Singh Dale – Gloucestershire (2) (7-110 & 2-69)

Gloucestershire paceman Ajeet Singh Dale bagged his second five-wicket haul in his five-year career, claiming best figures of 7-110. The fiery spell has moved the 24-year-old into joint second on the list of wicket takers in Division Two, having taken 22 wickets along with Nathan Gilchrist and Toby Roland-Jones. The form has earned him a call-up to the England Lions squad for two four-day games against India A next month.

Ben Compton, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jack Leaning quickly departed to the bowling of Singh Dale, reducing the visitors to 64-4. The lower order revival – led by Stewart – somewhat dented the Englishman’s figures, although he would claim three wickets for 13 runs at the end of the innings. Wickets were much more evenly spread across Kent’s second visit to the crease, but Singh Dale’s ability to take wickets in clusters allowed Gloucestershire to remain in the match before the heroics of Green.

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 6

Week six of the Rothesay County Championship has restored the table to parity, with every side having played five games – meaning we are already over a third of the way through the red ball season. In Division One, there was a huge win for the seemingly unstoppable Nottinghamshire who move 12 points clear at the summit, while Sussex claimed victory to move into third place. Yorkshire’s draw with Essex means that Somerset sink into the relegation zone.

In the second division, Glamorgan recorded their first win of the season with an innings victory away at Kent. Elsewhere, Northamptonshire recovered from some precarious positions to beat Lancashire – with the Red Rose currently holding the wooden spoon in Division Two. 

1. Adam Lyth – Yorkshire (58 & 185) (0-5)

Adam Lyth’s first innings 58 was a key factor in Yorkshire reaching 216 by the time Essex bowled them out towards the end of day one. On a difficult wicket at Chelmsford, only eight of the 22 batsmen from either side had reached double figures after one innings each. 

The opener would return on day two after Essex collapsed for 123 – and would quickly pile the pressure on the home side. With half-centuries from James Wharton and Jonny Bairstow aiding the cause, Lyth put on 185 runs from 287 balls, spending just shy of seven hours at the crease. It was Lyth’s second century of the season, both coming in the second innings away from home. The visitors would post a spectacular target of 520 for the Chelmsford outfit to chase.

2. Jake Libby – Worcestershire (13 & 167)

Jake Libby will be wishing he can play at Hove every week. His career-best score of 215 was scored on the ground in 2022, with the opener returning in 2023 to score 198. He would reproduce this form in 2025, but it was a solo effort that fell short of a remarkable victory.

Worcestershire starred down the barrel at a staggering chase of 361, thanks in part to a 104-run first innings deficit. Libby saw opening partner Gareth Roderick depart after just 5.3 overs and may have been fearing the worst given Worcestershire’s shameful batting collapses this season. Libby would stand tall, scoring 167 of the 361 required runs, but would be dismissed as the eighth man to fall with the Pears still 75 runs short of their target.

3. Tom Latham – Warwickshire (184)

Warwickshire’s marquee overseas signing joined up with the Bears squad for the first time this season as New Zealand opener Tom Latham made his debut. With the settled partnership of Rob Yates and Alex Davies at the top of the order, Latham slotted in at number three in a batting lineup full of international quality. 

That quality would immediately shine through as Latham ticked along to post 184, departing with the score 450-5. The knock allowed the middle order to play without pressure, leading to Ed Barnard recording a career-best 177 not out, while Zen Malik scored a maiden First Class ton with an unbeaten 105. Despite sitting second in the Division One table, Latham’s innings satisfies Warwickshire’s need for top order runs, having averaged just 242.5 runs per innings as a side before this week’s clash with Surrey.

4. Marcus Harris – Lancashire (121 & 43)

Just five games into the season, Marcus Harris is already a strong favourite to be regarded as the best overseas signing of 2025. The Australia opener has batted at four for Lancashire, scoring a mammoth 749 runs from 10 innings, averaging 83.2 in the process, giving himself a shot at reaching the 1,000-run mark before the end of May. Not only has he held together Lancashire’s batting lineup, but he has thrown himself back into the picture for a Test recall. 

Harris scored his third century of the season at Wantage Road giving his side a rare lead of 38 runs at the halfway point of the match. Keaton Jennings (41) and Matty Hurst (59) were the only two Lancashire batsmen to score above 13 runs as the Aussie piled on 121. Chasing 236 in the fourth innings, Harris top scored with 43, but after his 83-run stand with Josh Bohannon was broken, the lower order again collapsed to fall to a 70-run defeat. Harris will now take on the responsibility of interim club captain following Jennings stepping down from the role on Tuesday afternoon.

5. Ben Foakes (WK) – Surrey (174*) (2 catches)

After Warwickshire’s assault with the bat on a flat wicket at Edgbaston, Surrey were faltering 346-9, still 319 runs behind their hosts. In partnership with Matthew Fisher – who scored 40 runs from 145 balls himself – Ben Foakes was able to steer Surrey to 504 all out. Still 161 runs behind the eight ball, the reigning champions were forced to follow-on, but Foakes’ knock had delayed the inevitable until the afternoon session of day four, forcing the draw. 174 not out marks a new career high score for Foakes, beating his 149 that was posted against Hampshire in 2016. 

Surrey have a uniquely unsettled batting lineup in a different way to most counties. Ollie Pope’s international commitments saw Ryan Patel move back to number three, while short-term overseas signing Kurtis Patterson was left on the sidelines. Surprisingly, Jason Roy was given a first red ball outing in five years, replacing Jamie Smith. Foakes’ presence in the middle order will give Surrey much needed stability as they prepare to chase down early pace-setters Nottinghamshire. 

6. Ben Kellaway – Glamorgan (181*) (0-2 & 2-18)

For the second week in a row, Ben Kellaway makes this side, but it was his batting efforts that was the talking point this week. Kellaway struck his maiden professional century with an unbeaten 181, posting the impressive total in just 228 balls. Glamorgan batters got in and got out before going big at Canterbury, with Jersey-born Asa Tribe falling an agonising six runs short of a maiden ton, but Kellaway’s knock ensured the visitors had a chokehold on the game from close on day one.

The efforts of the 21-year-old all-rounder meant that Glamorgan not only recorded an impressive innings victory at Canterbury but also took four of the five batting bonus points on offer. Combined with bowling the hosts out inside 75 overs, the men from Cardiff took a 23-point haul back along the M4.

7. George Hill – Yorkshire (0 & 4) (6-51 & 3-31)  

Yorkshire’s George Hill is a genuine candidate to feature in future England Test squads. Since making his First Class debut in 2020, the 24-year-old has scored over 2,500 runs at an average of 31.8, as well as taking 96 wickets at 23.4. He was a standout performer with the ball at Chelmsford, taking career best match figures of 9-82 across both innings.

At the end of day one, Hill got the prized wicket of Dean Elgar before quickly dismissing nightwatchman Jamie Porter, leaving Essex 27-3 overnight. Hill would return to see off Robin Das, before blowing away the tail with three wickets in 17 deliveries. After dismissing captain Tom Westley in the second innings, Hill grabbed the crucial wickets of Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper – who had both faced over 200 balls- to set up a thrilling final hour that saw Essex hold on for a draw with one wicket remaining.

8. Jack Carson – Sussex (102 & 39*) (0-5 & 0-31)

In the current climate of English spin, Jack Carson’s name has been mentioned on a handful of occasions when discussing who Ben Stokes and Brendan McCullum should invest their time in. The off-spinner has taken just six wickets this season, although he does ply his trade on a Hove wicket that tends to favour seam bowling. 

Carson’s 11 First Class 50’s prove that he has always been handy with the bat, but the Northern Irishman notched his maiden century this week with a crucial 102 against Worcestershire. Coming to the crease after Tom Taylor ripped through the Sussex top order, Carson partnered Fynn Hudson-Prentice on 88-6, before taking control of the game and steering Sussex to a respectable 284. His innings ended with a strike rate just shy of 74, wasting no time to drag Sussex out of a potentially match-defining rut.

9. Ben Sanderson – Northamptonshire (19 & 65) (1-49 & 1-40)

At number nine, Ben Sanderson gets his second feature in as many weeks. After his nine-wicket heroics last week, he sneaks in towards the bottom of the order due to his tail-end – and possibly game winning – batting efforts against Lancashire. 

Northamptonshire’s top order was quickly dealt with by Lancashire, collapsing to 67-6 in the first innings and 107-5 in the second. Sanderson came to the crease on day two with his side 189-7, only 151 runs ahead in a tight affair. Discontent with the position of the game, the pace bowler unleashed a devastating attack on the Red Rose bowlers, striking 65 from a mere 28 deliveries. His innings moved the game into a neutral state, setting a target of 236 for the visitors to chase, before the quarter of Sanderson, Liam Guthrie, Harry Conway and Calvin Harrison provided Northants with their first win of the 2025 campaign.

10. Kyle Abbott – Hampshire (67 & 18*) (5-57 & 3-62)   

Hampshire’s performance at Trent Bridge was certainly one to forget for the county. Nottinghamshire scored 678 runs in the match with Freddie McCann, Jack Haynes and Liam Patterson-White all reaching three figures (and all being unfortunate to miss out on this side). In response, Hampshire could only muster 196 and 116 in their respective innings, falling to a 366-run defeat.

Kyle Abbott’s individual efforts bucked the trend of his teammates sub-par performance. Abbott took a staggering 43rd career fifer in the first innings as he gutted Nottinghamshire’s middle order, before dismissing both openers on his way to a three-wicket haul in the second innings. The South African top scored with 67 during Hampshire’s first innings after coming to the crease at 106-7, while he was left stranded at the end of the game as the hosts wrapped up the win at the end of day three.

11. Tom Taylor – Worcestershire (32 & 10*) (5-56 & 2-37)  

Another player involved in a losing effort, Tom Taylor’s first innings bowling spell will be up there with the best of the season come September. After finding no success with the new ball, Taylor and partner Ben Allison were rested and reintroduced with Sussex forming another solid opening partnership. 

With the score 80-0, Taylor grabbed the wicket of Daniel Hughes before dismissing Tom Clark and Tom Alsop for three and eight ball ducks respectively, as Allison found the edge of James Coles leaving the hosts 81-4 at lunch. After the break, Taylor completed his five-wicket haul with the important wickets of John Simpson and Tom Haines, finishing his rout with Sussex 88-6.

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 5

Week five of the Rothesay County Championship saw seven games take place, with three in the top division while there was a full fixture list in Division Two. Division One saw two thrilling run chases as Warwickshire and Somerset secured victory over Yorkshire and Essex respectively, leaving the two defeated counties languishing towards the foot of the table.

In Division Two, early high-flyers Leicestershire picked up their third win of the season after a strong first-innings performance saw them breeze past Northamptonshire, while Middlesex chased down 365 to deny Kent an almost certain victory. There were three draws across the country, with the most notable coming from Sophia Gardens where the match ended with Derbyshire needing 30 runs and Glamorgan needing one wicket to force a result.

1. Rishi Patel – Leicestershire (105 & 0)

Rishi Patel was many people’s pick for top run scorer in Division Two this campaign, but his season was halted immediately after sustaining a hand injury while fielding on day one of the Foxes opening game. He batted at 11 – failing to score – before returning last week, making just one run across two innings. 

Scoring 105 against Northamptonshire, Patel was back to his old self, churning out a classic openers century at a strike rate of 55. His ton set up the host’s score of 304, becoming even more important considering both sides failed to break the 200 run mark in the three remaining innings. With Patel and the more aggressive Sol Budinger at the top of the order, the Foxes are sitting pretty at the top of Division Two, 21 points clear of second-placed Derbyshire and 30 clear of Middlesex in third.   

2. Daniel Bell-Drummond – Kent (5 & 223)

It has taken five weeks, but we finally have moved a number three batsman up to open for the sake of balance. Alarm bells were ringing in the away dressing room at Lord’s when Kent were trailing by 29 runs at the close of play on day one after winning the toss and electing to bat. An innings-break deficit of 109 looked a tough challenge to navigate on a wicket that had saw only two players score more than 40 across both sides.

Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond notched his 19th First 	Class century in style, going on to score 223 – passing 9,000 First Class runs in the process – and give the Canterbury-based side an unlikely shot at victory. Partners came and went, with Zak Crawley’s 68 the next highest contribution, but Bell-Drummond batted with the lower order and was the last wicket to fall as Kent posted 473, setting Middlesex 365 to win.

3. Ollie Price – Gloucestershire (253*) (1-54 & 0-32)

Ollie Price is one of the country’s brightest young batting talents, scoring over 2,500 runs since his Gloucestershire debut in the summer of 2021. His unbeaten 253 at Old Trafford was a career best for the 23-year-old who racked up his second century of the season, remaining at the crease for a staggering nine-and-a-half hours.

In response to Lancashire’s 450, Gloucestershire’s number three put on a 203-run stand with Miles Hammond to move the visitors within touching distance of avoiding the follow-on. As the lower order all got settled at the crease but departed before seriously impacting the scorers, Price stuck around, allowing the visitors to declare eight wickets down for 589. 

4. Marcus Harris – Lancashire (167 & 24)

Marcus Harris spent two years at Gloucestershire in 2022 and 2023, but the Australia opener came back to haunt his former side in Manchester. Harris scored 167, acting as the backbone to strong partnerships with Josh Bohannon and Matty Hurst – with the latter combining for 212 runs. 

The 32-year-old has scored 585 runs in a Lancashire shirt at an average of 83.5, the highest in Division Two and 258 more than the Red Rose’s second highest scorer, Bohannon. After last year’s disappointing campaign from 2024’s overseas signing Tom Bruce, Harris has provided an air of much-needed stability to a middle order that has a tendency to collapse quickly and dramatically. 

5. James Rew (WK) – Somerset (9 & 116) (2 catches)

Arguably the performance of the week, James Rew steered Somerset home to chase down 321 on a wicket that was almost indistinguishable from the grass surrounding it. Facing an attack consisting of Jamie Porter, Simon Harmer and new England man Sam Cook, Rew batted beyond his years to move Somerset into a winning position. By the time the wicketkeeper was eventually dismissed, the men from Taunton required just nine runs with three wickets in hand.

Rew will undoubtedly play Test cricket in the future. In just 45 First Class matches, the 21-year-old has scored 10 centuries and eight half-centuries, averaging over 43 in Division One. For comparison, at the time of Joe Root’s England debut, the then 21-year-old Root had eight centuries from 37 matches at an average of 38. In a time of uncertainty regarding England’s batting lineup, it is not unreasonable to see Jamie Smith promoted up the order to accommodate Rew behind the stumps. 

6. Graham Clark – Durham (160)

Durham’s draw at away at Hampshire was hardly the most thrilling of games, with the draw becoming almost a certainty halfway through the second day of play. The visitors were sitting precariously on 82-4 as Graham Clark walked to the crease, but the 32-year-old produced a gritty 160 to extinguish any scares of a lower order collapse.

Clark stayed at the Southampton crease for 309 deliveries, allowing the tail-end to add valuable runs to an already sizeable total. Durham were dismissed for 511, with Hampshire replying with 470. Durham’s openers Alex Lees and Emilio Gay steadily made their way to 61-0 before rain forced both sides to shake hands and call time on a bat-dominated draw.

7. Ben Kellaway – Glamorgan (22 & 74) (0-17 & 5-101)

Glamorgan’s Ben Kellaway is one of the County Championship’s most unique bowlers. The 21-year-old is an ambidextrous bowler who is able to bowl right-arm off-spin as well as left-arm orthodox. It was his right-arm that did the talking against Derbyshire, taking a crucial five-wicket haul in the fourth innings of the game to slow down the visitors’ charge to victory.

Kellaway already had two wickets to his name, but with Derbyshire needing 60 runs from 54 balls with five wickets in hand, the game was in the balance. Dangerman Martin Andersson top-edged a reverse sweep into the hands of wicketkeeper Chris Cooke, before Kellaway turned one through the gate of new batsman Zak Chappell with the very next ball. He would grab the wicket of Anuj Dal to claim career best bowling figures, but the visitors would bat out for a draw with a single wicket remaining. 

8. Simon Harmer – Essex (3 & 4) (4-43 & 4-120)

On the previously mentioned Somerset wicket, Simon Harmer produced his usual magic to take eight wickets in the game. Despite Taunton often providing favourable wickets for quality spinners, many sides would have been forgiven for selecting an all-seam attack, but you can’t leave out Harmer.

The South Africa man prized the wickets of Tom Lammonby and Tom Abell in the first innings, reducing Somerset to 78-5. Coincidentally, the leg spinner would dismiss the duo again second time around – along with Tom Banton – to leave Somerset hanging by a thread on an identical 78-5. His magic would be put on hold by Rew’s spectacular salvation innings, but Harmer would continue to hold up an end, ticking along at just above three runs per over.

9. Ben Sanderson – Northamptonshire (18 & 32) (3-62 & 6-72)

Northamptonshire duo Ben Sanderson and Harry Conway bowled in tandem to take a combined 17 wickets in the game, but it is the former that sneaks into this team having taken nine wickets for 134 runs. After Patel’s earlier century had put Leicestershire in the driving seat at Grace Road, Sanderson came back with a vengeance in the second innings, dismissing all of the top five to reduce the hosts to 52-5. 

Partner Conway would take over, handling the majority of the lower order after his own first-innings fifer, before Sanderson would finish off the assault with the wicket of number nine Ben Green. A top-order collapse of their own would follow Northants as Josh Hull clean bowled Ricardo Vasconcelos, Luke Procter and James Sales to leave the efforts of Sanderson and Conway in vain.

10. Toby Roland-Jones – Middlesex (24 & 23*) (5-33 & 3-107)

Middlesex stalwart Toby Roland-Jones rolled back the years to take an eight-wicket haul as his side secured a narrow victory over Kent at Lord’s. Roland-Jones – now 37-years-old – would take the wickets of five batsmen in the Kent middle order, quickly seeing them falter to 102-8, while Dane Paterson, Henry Brookes and Ryan Higgins cleaned up around him.

A handy 24 with the bat would turn out to prove more important than initially thought after Bell-Drummond’s mammoth knock to set up a close encounter. The Middlesex skipper would return with ball in hand to dismiss the dangerous Ben Compton and Jack Leaning, before he would partner Zafar Gohar at the crease to see his side over the line with bat in hand. The duo put on a 52-run stand while number 11 Paterson sat nervously in the pavilion as Middlesex move above Kent into third in Division Two.

11. Ethan Bamber – Warwickshire (0*) (5-47 & 4-60)

Ethan Bamber’s move from Middlesex to Warwickshire is possibly one of the most underrated moves over the county winter. 26-year-old Bamber was already considered a leader of the Middlesex attack, partnering with Roland-Jones to take the new ball. Bamber has taken 18 wickets at an average of 27.5 since his move up the M40. 

In partnership with Ed Barnard, the duo made lightwork of Yorkshire’s top order, leaving them 32-3, before Bamber would come back to dismiss new England White Ball captain, Harry Brook. In the second innings, Bamber would get the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root – with Root on 90 at the time. Add in the runout of James Wharton along with his nine-wicket haul, the Warwickshire seamer was easily man of the match as the Bears move up to second in the division.  

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 4

The fourth round of the Rothesay County Championship was the first that saw a reduced number of games. Five matches took place this week, while eight teams spread across the two divisions took their chance to rest and recover, having a much-needed break in a hectic start to the summer.

Nottinghamshire claimed an important win in an early top of the table clash with Sussex, while Surrey recorded their first win of the season at home to Somerset. There was a low-scoring shootout at New Road as Durham bettered Worcestershire, while Leicestershire continued their exciting start to the season with victory away at Gloucestershire. In a week dominated by the bowlers – meaning some rejigging of the order – let’s assess the best performers of the round.

1. Rory Burns – Surrey (76 & 20*)

Surrey captain Rory Burns has endured a disappointing start to the First Class campaign, drawing a parallel with his side’s underwhelming start to their third consecutive title defence. After a first innings 73 against Essex during the opening game, the former England man failed to pass 25 runs in each of his last four innings.

In his familiar opening partnership with Dom Sibley, the duo put on 129 for Surrey’s first wicket, in response to 283 from Somerset. Burns would contribute 76 of those runs, finishing as the Brown Caps’ highest scorer. He would put in a fantastic captains display in the field, assisting his bowlers as the visitors were limited to just 119, before finishing not out as his side coasted home to chase a miniscule target. 

2. Haseeb Hameed – Nottinghamshire (85 & 62*)

In response to Sussex’s below par 169, Haseeb Hameed held together a Nottinghamshire innings that always threatened to fall apart at any moment. When Joe Clarke was dismissed for 19, the hosts sat on 80-3, albeit a much prettier position than their south-coast counterparts but still a couple of wickets away from being dragged into a dogfight. Contributions from Jack Haynes and Liam Patterson-White helped steady a ship that Hameed was guiding through danger.

The Notts skipper went on to score 85 in the first innings, before ticking along nicely to finish unbeaten on 62 as his side went clear at the summit of Division One. Hameed would play second-fiddle to Ben Duckett, with the England man smashing 59 from 31 balls to see the hosts over the line. Hameed has moved onto 443 runs at an average of 110.75 this season, the third most in the top tier of the County Championship.

3. David Lloyd – Derbyshire (93) (0-1 & 0-15)

Opening batsman David Lloyd has dropped to number three in order to give this side some balance. Often overshadowed by the blistering starts fellow opener Caleb Jewell has given Derbyshire this season, Lloyd stepped up to the plate when his Australian partner was dismissed for a four-ball duck. A 156-run stand with Harry Came guided Derbyshire to a much more stable position, although Lloyd was sent back to the pavilion just seven runs short of a seventh First Class ton.

Lloyd’s knock was much needed as the 32-year-old made his first significant contribution of the season. In his six prior visits to the crease, the opener had mustered a mere 76 runs and had failed to score more than 23 in a single innings. 

4. Ian Holland – Leicestershire (52 & 2) (3-36 & 4-32)

Ian Holland has made a fantastic start to the 2025 campaign with ball in hand, taking 20 wickets across Leicestershire’s first four games. On Friday, Holland dismissed the dangerous Ben Charlesworth and Oliver Price within the first nine overs as Gloucestershire were 14-2. He would later come back into the attack to see off Dominic Goodman, limiting the hosts to 252. He dismissed the trio again in the second innings – this time with Goodman coming in as nightwatchman – as well as tailender Ajeet Singh Dale, claiming seven wickets for the match.

Having played as a makeshift opener and in the middle order this season, Holland will bat at four in this team, one of the main casualties of the rejigging mentioned at the start. Leicestershire had an innings break lead of 10 runs, thanks in part to Holland’s 52. The USA international came to the crease with the foxes 37-4, but steady partnerships with fellow half-centurions Lewis Hill and Ben Cox allowed the visitors to not only stay in the game – but start to take control of it.  

5. James Bracey (WK) – Gloucestershire (93* & 5) (3 catches)

James Bracey again makes the cut, however this week the focus is almost solely on his batting efforts. Gloucestershire were faltering at 21-3 when the wicketkeeper came to the crease, and would soon collapse to 88-7, leaving Bracey to bat with the tail in order to give his side any hope of a respectable total.

Fortunately for him, Zaman Akhter and Josh Shaw scored a combined 74 runs to aid Gloucestershire’s revival efforts, while more importantly surviving 128 balls between them. This allowed Bracey to have invaluable time at the crease, scoring an unbeaten 93 from 141 deliveries. His efforts set up a close game before a second innings collapse saw the hosts jump from 87-1 to 105-7, setting Leicestershire up to snatch victory. 

6. Martin Andersson – Derbyshire (107) (1-12) (0-2)

Martin Andersson faced his former county Middlesex after departing the Lords’ based side over the winter, heading to the East Midlands to join Derbyshire following a short stint with the county in the latter stages of 2024. Two weeks ago, Andersson hit his maiden First Class century against Leicestershire, and this week scored his second with a career-best 107.

Following on from Lloyd’s 93 and Came’s 73, Andersson put further pressure on the Middlesex attack to guide Derbyshire to 472. The score was so big that the visitors replied with 315 from 110.1 overs, yet were still made to follow-on by Derbyshire. The placid nature of the wicket at the County Ground meant that the hosts never got a real chance at securing the win as Middlesex finished the game on 307-7.

7. Jordan Clark – Surrey (9) (5-68 & 3-24)

You would have got good odds at the start of April if you said that Surrey would have to wait until week four to have a bowler in this team of the week, but Jordan Clark’s performance against Somerset has finally seen a Surrey man enter this bowling attack. The all-rounder took his seventh First Class five-wicket haul at The Oval, dismissing four of the Cider Men’s lower order.

Clark bagged his first wicket at an important time, seeing off the destructive Tom Banton just as the batsman was starting to look comfortable at the crease. Clark would return before Surrey took the new ball to claim the wickets of Kasey Aldridge and Migael Pretorious, leaving the visitors sitting dangerously on 187-7. In the second innings, Surrey ran riot, with Clark bagging his three wickets in the space of 13 balls from his end. His partnership with Dan Worrall had the hosts on course for an innings victory – with Somerset 38-7 – before Pretorious’ 54* forced Surrey to bat again. 

8. Farhan Ahmed – Nottinghamshire (9) (1-19 & 4-54)

You can’t speak about Farhan Ahmed without prefacing that he is the younger brother of Rehan, but he may just be carving out a name for himself. While many sides have opted for an all-seam attack in April, the off-spinner has been trusted to feature in all of Nottinghamshire’s games so far this season, although rather predictably for a spinner bowling on early season English wickets, Ahmed has played a holding role so far.

His performance against Sussex played a crucial role in the setup of Nottinghamshire’s fourth innings chase of 148. Ahmed claimed season best figures four wickets for 54 runs on a pitch that opposition spinners James Coles and Jack Carson managed a combined 1-37. He claimed the early wickets of Daniel Hughes and Tom Clark before returning to dismiss captain John Simpson, extinguishing all hopes of the visitors posting a sizeable target.  

9. Jake Ball – Durham (13*) (5-47 & 2-27)

Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Brydon Crase, Brendan Doggett and Ben Stokes. Five seam bowlers that could very easily form an attack at Test match level, but in this instance, it is five seam bowlers that were unavailable for Durham’s trip to Worcestershire. The Chester-le-Street outfit scrambled to sign Jack Blatherwick and Jake Ball on loan from Lancashire and Somerset respectively, bolstering a makeshift attack in a must win clash.

Ball set the tone in the first hour of play, taking three wickets that reduced Worcestershire to 22-3, before a duo of lower order wickets would complete his fifer. In a low-scoring affair where just 487 runs were scored while 34 wickets fell, Ball would claim another two wickets in the second innings, marking a welcome return to a format in which he hadn’t featured since August.

10. Josh Tongue – Nottinghamshire (39*) (5-44 & 1-78)

For the second time in 2025, Josh Tongue has made this team of the week after starting his Nottinghamshire career in blistering form. The tall quick joined the Trent Bridge side in 2024, but a series of injuries prevented him from featuring in the East Midlands. After an opening day five-wicket haul against Durham, Tongue repeated the feat against Sussex.

I recommend anyone who loves fast-bowling to watch the LBW that saw Tom Alsop trudge back to the pavilion. Struck on the toes, Alsop could not deal with the late movement, causing him to fall over before the umpire could make his decision. Tongue finished the innings with three wickets in the same over, seeing off Sussex’s bowlers. It would come as no surprise to see the 27-year-old rested ahead of England’s one-off Test with Zimbabwe in three weeks’ time, also being played at Trent Bridge. 

11. Dominic Goodman – Gloucestershire (1 & 0) (5-54 & 4-33)

Dominic Goodman claimed a maiden First Class five-wicket haul in the first innings of Gloucestershire’s home defeat to Leicestershire. The new-ball bowler took the early wickets of the returning Rishi Patel and England prodigy Rehan Ahmed, before returning late in the innings to dismiss set batsmen Hill and Holland. He would also beat the defence of Logan van Beek, leaving the tail exposed.

With Leicestershire chasing a fourth innings target of 143, victory looked a certainty, but Goodman and Singh Dale tried in vain to record a thrilling home victory. Goodman claimed the wickets of the visitors top four, leaving them on 35-4 after just 10.1 overs. The foxes would trundle their way to a tricky target with two wickets in hand, but the efforts of the 24-year-old saw Gloucestershire come remarkably close to securing an unlikely first win of the season.

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 3

The third week of the Rothesay County Championship has been and gone, the final week in which all 18 counties were in action before the staggered break integrates itself into the season. There were wins for only Essex and Middlesex this week as rain swept across the country – forcing seven games into draws.

At the early stage of the season, Nottinghamshire and Sussex sit joint-top of the Division One table, while reigning champions Surrey sit seventh after three draws. In Division Two, Leicestershire and Kent are the early pace setters, occupying the promotion places, while title favourites Lancashire are languishing down in fifth after a lacklustre start to the season.

1. Alex Lees – Durham (172)

Ex-England opener Alex Lees made his first significant contribution to Durham’s 2025 season with a mammoth 172 against his home county, Yorkshire. The White Rose put a respectable 307 on the board in their first innings, but at the time Lees was finally dismissed, Durham sat pretty on 301-2. His partnership with Emilio Gay showcased exactly why the Chester-le-Street outfit had been tipped to threaten the top of the Division One table.

Captain Lees has become one of the most consistent run scorers in the country across recent years, making the successful move north at the end of 2018. The 32-year-old surpassed 11,000 runs in First Class cricket at the start of April – and combined with Durham’s stacked batting lineup – it is hard to see him slowing down anytime soon.

2. Tom Haines – Sussex (174 & 69*)

Tom Haines has had a remarkable start to the County Championship season, putting himself firmly in the conversation for an England Test debut this summer. The Sussex man has scored 141, 174 and 69 not out in his last three innings, taking his tally for the season to a championship best 449. 

His 174 against champions Surrey was the determining factor in Sussex’s first innings 435, with only three other batsmen scoring more than 15. Despite the flat wicket that Hove provided, Haines showed quality to survive for seven and a half hours against a bowling attack consisting of Gus Atkinson, Dan Worrall, Jordan Clark and Matthew Fisher. The opener would eventually be bowled by Atkinson, chopping a good length ball onto the stumps.

3. Emilio Gay – Durham (152)

While Lees was piling on the runs at Chester-le-Street, Gay was at the other end, recording his first century in a Durham shirt. The pair came together for a 279-run partnership, falling just short of 70 overs long, as the number three lasted a whopping 335 minutes at the crease. 

Gay, who celebrated his 25th birthday last week, scored 152 at a much-needed time. Having made the move from Northamptonshire over the winter, he scored three ducks in his first four innings of the season, falling far short of the high expectations the Italian international had set for himself. Despite his ventures into List A cricket with Italy, the ex-Northants man is another in a long line of potential England players in the coming years.

4. Dan Lawrence – Surrey (117) (1-87 & 0-36)

Dan Lawrence has started the season under par with bat in hand – as has most of Surrey’s lineup – with most of his success so far coming with the ball. The former England man has acted as Surrey’s main spinner, in response to the flat wickets both Essex and Sussex have served up so far. This week at Hove, Lawrence was able to make a statement in his traditional role, smashing 117 runs from just 111 balls, including six maximums along the way.

The number four was aided by another 80-plus score from opener Dom Sibley, as well as a century from England vice-captain Ollie Pope. A further 60 from Ben Foakes meant that Surrey sat on 420-5, just 15 runs behind their hosts first innings efforts. Lawrence’s ability and intent to move the game forwards on a flat wicket during a rain affected match gave supporters hope that a result could be squeezed out of the game.

5. Peter Handscomb – Leicestershire (142*)

Leicestershire’s exciting start to the 2025 campaign has been much of a team effort, with numerous players chipping in with result-altering contributions. Arguably a more important factor is Peter Handscomb’s calming influence as captain, with the 33-year-old returning to Grace Road to lead a fairly young side.

The ex-Australian international scored an unbeaten 142 at Old Trafford against a promising Lancashire attack, allowing the Foxes to declare with a 228-run lead at the innings break. His side had the Red Rose hanging by a thread on the evening of day three, as Logan van Beek and Ian Holland reduced them to 16-3, but the classic Manchester weather stole Leicestershire’s chances of coming away with a famous – and deserved – win. 

6. Saif Zaib – Northamptonshire (105) (0-2)

In another rain-affected match, Northamptonshire looked in pole position to leave Derbyshire with a maximum 24-point haul. The hosts were bowled out for 307 before Luke Procter’s 150 allowed Northants to dictate the game. 

So good was Procter’s work, all-rounder Saif Zaib arrived at the crease with his side four wickets down but already holding a two-run lead. Zaib went on to smash 105 from 90 deliveries, allowing his side to declare on 500-8 after he was eventually dismissed by Jack Morely. In the early rounds of the championship where draws will be common, Zaib’s blistering knock to secure extra bonus points could prove vital come the end of the season.

7. James Bracey (WK) – Gloucestershire (151* & 30*) (4 catches & 1 stumping)

James Bracey has had a remarkable return to form over recent years after the shambolic handling of his England call-up. Now batting as a regular in the middle order, Bracey went unbeaten across his two innings against Kent, with his first innings 151 undoubtedly the highlight. Combined with Gloucestershire debutant Cameron Green, the pair put on a 167-run partnership before the Australian retired hurt upon reaching triple figures.

With the gloves, Bracey was as trustworthy as ever, taking four catches from the 16 Kent wickets that fell in the match. The wicketkeeper would record his first stumping of the season when centurion Ben Compton came down the wicket to Graeme van Buuren, missing his defensive shot, allowing Bracey to collect easily and whip the bails off. 

8. Fergus O’Neill – Nottinghamshire (50) (5-19 & 2-34)

Australian seamer Fergus O’Neill is somewhat unfortunate to have not made this list yet this season. The Victoria man has taken 18 wickets at an average of 14.72 across Nottinghamshire’s first three games, propelling himself into the minds of Australian selectors ahead of this winter’s Ashes series. 

O’Neill – along with Brett Hutton – took five wickets in Warwickshire’s first innings, reducing the hosts to a measly 93 all out. The bowling figures of O’Neill were astonishing, racking up 14-6-19-5, while claiming the wickets of middle order trio Sam Hain, Dan Mousley and Ed Barnard. In Notts’ batting reply, O’Neill contributed with a half century from 53 balls, helping move the game further away from the opponents before rain intervened.

9. Tom Scriven – Leicestershire (16*) (5-46)

Leicestershire all-rounder Tom Scriven bagged his maiden First Class Five-wicket haul at Old Trafford, finishing Lancashire’s first innings with figures of 20-6-46-5. Scriven had taken the wickets of Marcus Harris and Matty Hurst, stopping the Lancashire fightback in its tracks and reducing them to 184-5.

After tea on day two, the 26-year-old would dismiss Luke Wells, George Balderson and Anderson Phillip within 11 balls, leaving tailenders Saqib Mahmood and John Turner at the crease. It was an innings long in the making for Scriven, who is quickly becoming a dependable championship all-rounder.

10. Nathan Gilchrist – Kent (1) (7-100 & 0-43)

Despite Kent conceding 472 to Gloucestershire, Nathan Gilchrist can walk away from the innings pleased with his individual performance. The 24-year-old has become a mainstay of the Kent seam attack over the last couple of seasons, with this week being one of his most prolific yet.

Gilchrist took seven wickets for just 100 runs, a career best bowling innings, taking the wickets of internationals Cameron Bancroft and the previously mentioned Green. The spell leaves Gilchrist just one short of reaching a century of First Class wickets, a feat that you feel is merely a step on his way to bigger things.

11. Jamie Porter – Essex (0 & 0*) (2-49 & 6-52)

The most controversial moment of the week came at Chelmsford as Jamie Porter wrapped up Essex’s 28-run victory over Worcestershire. Porter took a diving catch off his own bowling to dismiss the charging Ethan Brookes who was on 88 from 104 – 64 of which had come with number 11 Jacob Duffy at the crease. The batsman claimed that the ball was grounded, before Porter pointed at Brookes, causing commotion in the middle before the umpires resolved the situation and confirmed the dismissal.

Despite the scenes at the end of the game, it should not be forgotten how important Porter’s spell was. In the absence of partner in crime Sam Cook, Porter lead the attack and rattled through the Pears’ middle order, taking them from 162-5 to 192-8, especially decisive in a low-scoring affair.

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 2

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.

County Championship Team of the Week - Matchday 1

After two weeks of clear skies and warm sunshine across England, the cricketing summer got underway without any rain delays across all nine Rothesay County Championship games. In contrast to the 2024 opening weekend, there were only four draws across the two divisions this week, with games at Taunton and Lords finishing in nail-biting circumstances.

With individual records tumbling, batsmen defying time to salvage a draw and players putting their name into the conversation for England’s Test side, lets have a look at the first Team of the Week of the 2025 summer.

1. Adam Lyth – Yorkshire (13 & 106)

Yorkshire’s return to Division One got off to a less than ideal start, being rolled for 121 inside 35 overs by Hampshire – after winning the toss and electing to bat. Going into the second innings, the White Rose trailed their hosts by 128, a task made harder after two Brad Wheal wickets in consecutive deliveries had them faltering at 4-2 after 1.3 overs.

Adam Lyth had to tame his attacking instincts, instead playing a classic opener’s knock to score 106 from 275 balls. The former England man weathered the Hampshire storm in a way of which his teammates could not follow. Lyth was the last man to fall in an innings that fell one delivery short of the 100 over mark, steering the ship with seven of Yorkshire’s men falling for single figure scores. Despite heading back to Leeds with a five-wicket loss on the board, Lyth’s knock set the hosts a tricky target of 147 in a low-scoring affair.

2. Caleb Jewell – Derbyshire (61 & 51*)

Shortly after signing a one-year contract extension at the Incora County Ground, Derbyshire’s Australian head coach Mickey Arthur made the swoop to sign fellow Aussie, Caleb Jewell. The Tasmanian opener was mooted as a potential David Warner replacement over the winter, but it always felt like he was never seriously in the conversation.

If the 27-year-old is to make a claim to earn his Baggy Green, his Derbyshire debut was certainly an impressive audition. Jewell recorded a duo of half centuries at the top of the order – coming off 37 and 48 balls respectively – finishing on 51 not out in the second innings to steer the East Midlands outfit home for a nine-wicket win.

3. Max Holden – Middlesex (69 & 184)

Max Holden’s opening day 69 – alongside Sam Robson’s 70 – held together a Middlesex innings that failed to get going elsewhere. A deficit of 99 awaited Holden and his men, before three wickets from Lancashire veteran Tom Bailey had Middlesex sat perilously at 7-3. 

A 106-run partnership with all-rounder Ryan Higgins followed by a 163-run stand with new signing Ben Geddes steadied an innings that looked in grave danger of collapsing in dramatic fashion. Batting at three, Holden was finally dismissed by First Class debutant Ollie Sutton for 184, setting up a target of 308, making the hosts unlikely favourites. Lancashire’s 93-run opening partnership quickly dissipated as they fell to 119-4, eventually blocking out for a draw – while trailing by 45 – with two wickets in hand. 

4. Tom Banton – Somerset (371)

The story of the week came from Taunton as Tom Banton broke Justin Langer’s 19-year-old record to become Somerset’s highest individual run scorer in an innings. The England man notched up an astonishing 371 from 403 balls, including 58 boundaries, recording his fourth First Class century in style.

After dismissing Worcestershire for a below-par 154, Somerset’s top order faltered to 39-3, with Banton arriving at the crease late on day one with the game in a crucial phase. Alongside James Rew – who contributed 152 himself – Banton put a sword to the throat of the Worcestershire bowlers, who were eventually put out of their misery when Banton was caught behind off the bowling of Tom Hinley. Somerset declared immediately as Banton departed the field, giving their bowlers just over two days to bowl at the visitors.

5. Brett D’Oliveira – Worcestershire (5 & 121) (1-114)

In a stark contrast to the aforementioned innings, Brett D’Oliveira put in a captain’s display to soak up 340 deliveries in Worcestershire’s 200 over block-a-thon. The Three Pears skipper scored 121 along the way, but as shown with his subdued celebrations, batting out time was the order of the day.

D’Oliveira was eventually sent on his way after padding away Archie Vaughan’s right-arm off-break, before the umpire raised his finger. Perhaps the use of the word ‘adjudged’ on Somerset’s official X account best described a controversial dismissal that got social media talking. Ultimately, the decision did not decide the match due to the batting efforts of the Worcestershire lower order salvaging a draw from a game that looked dead and buried after 100 overs. 

6. John Simpson (WK) – Sussex (181* & 22) (1 catch)

In the only game that had little to no drama on day four, Sussex marked their long-awaited return to Division One with a competitive performance against Warwickshire. Sussex piled on the runs in their first innings, batting halfway into day two before their last wicket fell. In similar fashion to their 2024 Division Two title-winning campaign, it was captain John Simpson who led the way with the bat. The experienced wicketkeeper amassed an unbeaten 181, including a 200-run partnership with fellow south coast centurion, Tom Clark.  

On a placid Edgbaston wicket, bowlers from both sides enjoyed little success in finding the outside edge, with Simpson finishing the game with just the single catch behind the stumps, claiming the wicket of Rob Yates off the bowling of a classic Ollie Robinson delivery.

7. Luis Reece – Derbyshire (3) (6-52 & 4-45)

Derbyshire all-rounder Luis Reece took career best match figures of 10-97 as his side recorded victory over Gloucestershire in the afternoon session of day three. Reece took the new ball on day one, with his opening spell returning figures of 7-5-17-2, dismissing Gloucestershire openers Chris Dent and Ben Charlesworth. Reece came back for his third spell of the day in the evening session, racking up figures of 6.4-1-14-4 to blow away the lower order.

Reece would enjoy another economical performance second time out, finishing with second innings figures of 19.1-5-45-4. After getting the wicket of centurion Charlesworth for the second time in the match, Reece would return to take the wickets of Matt Taylor and Ajeet Singh Dale to leave Derbyshire’s batsmen with a double-digit fourth innings target.

8. Kasey Aldridge – Somerset (13) (5-36 & 2-64)

Before Banton’s record-breaking day at Taunton, all-rounder Kasey Aldridge looked a certainty to claim the Man of the Match award. Worcestershire were looking comfortable on 102-1, with Gareth Roderick and Kashif Ali at the crease, before Aldridge’s magic spell changed the game. The right-arm seamer bowled figures of 8-2-36-5 in his opening spell, with all five wickets coming in the space of 27 balls, reducing the visitors from 102-1 to 130-6. 

Aldridge’s work with the ball was done, bowling just the one – yet elongated – spell in the first innings. He would contribute 13 with the bat, coming in directly after Banton and Rew’s 371-run partnership, before taking two wickets for 64 runs in the second innings.

9. Lyndon James – Nottinghamshire (125) (0-64 & 0-46)

Selecting a bowler who took no wickets in a Team of the Week would normally be a rogue selection – verging on insanity for the sake of attention. In Lyndon James’ sake, his efforts with the bat overshadowed his bowling performance.

The 26-year-old came to the crease at Nottinghamshire sat on 319-6, still trailing Durham’s first innings effort by 59 runs. Aided by half centuries from Matthew Montgomery and Josh Tongue, James was able to score 125, taking the hosts to a mammoth total of 579, a 201-run lead. With the ball in hand, James failed to take a wicket, although did dislodge Colin Ackermann’s bail with what can only be described as a jaffa, but the bail fell back into place and Durham’s number four lived to fight another day.

10. Keith Dudgeon – Kent (26 &14) (1-33 & 7-36)

Kent’s South African seamer Keith Dudgeon had a debut to remember as the Canterbury outfit got their Division Two campaign underway with a home win against Northamptonshire. Dudgeon took a single wicket in the first innings, conceding a modest 33 runs, and contributed 40 runs with the bat across two innings – in a game where three innings were concluded for below 200.

It was Northamptonshire’s second innings where Dudgeon earned his money, finishing with standout figures of 10.4-0-36-7 as the visitors were rolled for 114. The South African’s presence in the Kent seam attack could play a crucial role in their promotion challenge this season, with Dudgeon expected to take the new ball alongside Nathan Gilchrist while youngster Jas Singh waits in the wings.

11. Josh Tongue – Nottinghamshire (55) (2-92 & 5-66)

On the day that Harry Brook was unveiled as England’s new White Ball captain, a member of the 2023 Ashes squad staked his claim to be a part of the new look England setup – as well as Ben Stokes’ Test side. Josh Tongue’s day four assault on the Durham middle-order was exactly what fast bowlers dream about. With the first ball of the 80th over, Graham Clark’s off-stump was sent flying, before George Drissell was trapped on the pads with the sixth ball, taking Durham from 268-5 with two set batsmen, to 270-7 with the tail exposed.

Tongue returned in the 82nd over – and it was rinse and repeat. Ben Raine was clean bowled with ball one, while Ackermann – on 124 at the time – was clean bowled with ball six. Fergus O’Neill quickly took the wicket of Matthew Potts to call time on the Durham innings for 289, the final five wickets falling for 21 runs, setting up a 89-run chase which the hosts gracefully accepted.