Trott and Chopra secure second place

Warwickshire 413 for 8 (Chopra 160, Trott 104, Rushworth 5-94) lead Durham 201 by 212 runs
Scorecard

Warwickshire have secured a second-place finish in the County Championship and with it and top-two finish in all three competitions.

Centuries from Varun Chopra and Jonathan Trott helped them accrue the bonus points they required to ensure that - excepting the unlikely event of a points reduction for slow over-rates or similar - they cannot be overhauled by Sussex. It means Warwickshire's players will add £159,000 - the reward for second-place in the Championship - to the £45,000 they won as runners-up in the Royal London Cup and the £175,000 they won for lifting the NatWest T20 Blast trophy.

They also earned themselves an excellent opportunity of finishing the season with a victory. With the first-innings lead over Durham already well over 200, they retain hopes of batting just once in this match

While there may be a temptation to look at isolated moments - such as the poor weather that robbed them of victory at Old Trafford in April - and dream about what might have been in this Championship campaign, the result of head-to-head meetings with the champions should produce a sobering effect. Yorkshire crushed Warwickshire by innings margins both home and away this season and are, without doubt, the deserved champions. Warwickshire have some improvements to make if they are to challenge them next season.

With that in mind, though, the return to form of Trott and Chopra is heartening. Both players, the senior batsmen in this side, endured tough starts to the season with Trott coming close to retirement after his abortive comeback against Sussex in April.

Thanks to the support of the club, the England set-up and the highly-respected sports psychologist Steven Peters, Trott has returned to something approaching his best and has been in prolific form in recent weeks.

This was his second Championship century in successive innings, his third in eight innings and his fifth century in all competitions dating back to July 21. He also finished the Royal London Cup as the highest England-qualified run-scorer. Had he started the season in such form, there is little doubt he would have been in the England ODI squad for the Sri Lanka tour.

It might still prove unwise to discount him from future squads. While the England management are, wisely, keen not to feed any speculation that could burden him with undue pressure at this stage, they have kept in touch with Trott and reassured him that the door has not been shut on him.

"Trott has done brilliantly well," James Whitaker, the national selector said when announcing the ODI squad. "He's been through some tough times in the last 12 months and he's worked himself into a position, with help from ECB and other people around him, to feel comfortable enough now to play for Warwickshire.

"Not only that but perform exceptionally well. So he's now in a position where we're looking at him as someone who could be considered again in the future.

"But let's take each stage at a time. We'll be having conversations with him in the future and seeing what the best way forward is for him next year. Well done to him but slowly, slowly. Let's see how the winter goes. It's a delicate situation and we respect the way he's come back into consideration. We have a duty of care towards him."

By Trott's own reckoning, he is playing at his best when the straight drives only just miss the stumps on their way to mid-on. So to see him here, leaning into those familiar cover drives, flicking off the legs and easing the ball down the ground imperiously was to see a class act somewhere near its best. Perhaps even more reassuringly, Trott was furious with himself after his dismissal, spooning a long-hop to midwicket; a sure sign that the insatiable hunger for runs had returned.

But, bearing in mind the state of mind in which Trott found himself in Australia and, again, after that match against Sussex, it might well be considered a triumph that he has simply returned to the game. Many in these parts are content to see him back on the field, with a bat in his hand and a smile on his face. The rest is a detail. Besides, if England do not recall him, Warwickshire may benefit from Ramprakash-esque feats on run-scoring over the next few years.

It may be that Chopra now has the more realistic chance of an England call-up. Certainly the position of opening batsman has yet to be nailed down in either Test or ODI cricket and, after a modest start to the season, he has returned to the sort of form that renders him a serious contender.

He has a wider range of stroke than either Sam Robson or Alastair Cook and, if a propensity to fence outside off stump remains a concern, it has been overcome to the effect that he was the only Warwickshire batsman to reach 1,000 first-class runs in each of 2011, 2012 and 2013 and will once again finish this season as the club's highest first-class run-scorer.

After failing to pass 52 until July 21, he has now made two centuries in his last four Championship innings and looks as if the burden of captaincy sits easily on his shoulders. He may, in time, even be considered an alternative captain of England.

With Warwickshire racing to claim the fifth batting bonus point, and with it the second-place finish, they sacrificed a few wickets in the final session. Sam Hain, who bats so like Trott you wonder if a paternity test should be taken, played across a straight one, Rikki Clarke was bamboozled by a slower one and Tim Ambrose was adjudged to have edged a pull. By the time Keith Barker steered one to the cordon, Chris Rushworth had another five-wicket haul and his 20th first-class victim in 10 days.

His batsmen will have to offer equally strong support, if his success is not to go to waste.

Read More..

Cotton takes limelight from Footitt

Derbyshire 289 and 162 for 1 (Slater 73*, Madsen 66*) lead Leicestershire 141 (Cotton 4-20) by 310 runs
Scorecard

Derbyshire's young seamer Ben Cotton took the bowling honours away from Mark Footitt at Derby as Leicestershire's batting folded again to leave them facing the prospect of another defeat.

Footitt's position as the country's leading wicket-taker was rewarded with a place in England's Performance squad but it was Cotton's 4 for 20 and Tony Palladino's 3 for 34 which undermined Leicestershire, who were skittled for 141 to trail by 148 runs.

It could have been much worse but for 34 from Ben Raine and an unbeaten 24 from Charlie Shreck, which lifted their side from the depths of 63 for 7 and edged their team past the follow-on target of 140. However, by the close, Derbyshire held all the aces at 162 for 1, a lead of 310.

It means the bottom club in Division Two will have to stage a remarkable recovery to avoid becoming the first county since the Second World War to go two seasons without a Championship victory.

They will have to improve considerably on another lamentable batting performance in sunny conditions which offered no excuses for the rash of reckless strokes that started an ignominious collapse to leave the innings in ruins by lunch.

Ned Eckersley set the tone by going hard at a wide ball from Palladino in the fourth over of the morning and former Derbyshire batsman Dan Redfern failed on his return when he tried to cut a ball that was too close to him and played on.

Tom Wells was dropped at square leg but it was only a brief reprieve for the visitors as three wickets fell in the space of 19 balls with the score on 63. Wells was caught behind down the leg side, skipper Niall O'Brien edged a firm-footed flash at Cotton before he had scored and Angus Robson drove low to gully with the follow-on still 77 runs away.

But Raine showed the application and selectivity which had previously been lacking and, with Rob Taylor, took the total into three figures before Taylor was hurried by a short ball from Footitt and played on.

Raine and Shreck added 33 but with Leicestershire only two away from their target, Raine was caught in the covers trying to hit Cotton over the top and showed his dismay as he walked off.

Atif Sheikh just cleared point to get the runs required but was bowled next ball to leave Derbyshire with a lead of 148 and they stretched that to 201 by tea for the loss of Billy Godleman, who was stumped giving James Sykes the charge.

Ben Slater and skipper Wayne Madsen enjoyed themselves in the evening sunshine with the former providing an object lesson to Leicestershire's batsmen by adding a half-century off 125 balls to his first innings century.

Madsen passed 1000 Championship runs for the season on the way to his 50, which came courtesy of a dropped catch at deep square leg by Redfern which summed up another chastening day for Leicestershire.

O'Brien said: "The batsmen let the team down today, there was no reason why we couldn't have batted the majority of the day but unfortunately there was a severe lack of concentration and application, there were too many loose shots from the top and middle order."

Footitt admitted his inclusion in the performance squad was a great end to a memorable season. "I am really excited and can't wait to get out there. When I set out at the start of the season my main aim was to get 50 wickets.

"When I went past that the aim was to see how many I could take and now it's been capped off by being told I'm in the performance squad to go to South Africa."

Read More..

Keogh and Stone offer rare bright spots

Northamptonshire 251 for 7 (Keogh 104*, Duckett 60) trail Sussex 368 (Zaidi 88, Wells 81, Yardy 56, Magoffin 51, Stone 5-48) by 117 runs
Scorecard

Rob Keogh led a fightback by Division One basement club Northamptonshire against Sussex on the second day at Wantage Road.

The home side are 251 for 7 at the game's midway stage, with an unbeaten 104 from Keogh moving them to within 117 of Sussex's first innings score of 368.

The visitors began briskly after resuming on 300 for 7 with Ashar Zaidi and Steve Magoffin bringing up a century partnership. Despite James Middlebrook's offspin offering turn and with Graeme White off the field with a finger injury, bat dominated ball early on, with Sussex going at a run a minute.

Olly Stone's introduction ceased the flow as the first hour ended, when he bowled Zaidi 12 runs short of his maiden Championship century. However, Magoffin reached his half-century with a flashing cut off Neil Wagner - his first for Sussex, four overs later,

Stone induced the edge to have Magoffin caught behind by Adam Rossington and five balls later Chris Liddle followed as Sussex's innings ended on 368 - with the 21-year-old Stone finishing with career-best figures of 5 for 68.

When Magoffin had the ball in his hand, the leading wicket-taker in Division One ripped out Stephen Peters and James Kettleborough to leave the home side 17 for 2 at lunch.

However, Middlebrook and Keogh led Northamptonshire to calmer waters and two straight drives from the former off Zaidi's left-arm spin signalled their sense of control. It would be ended in bizarre fashion half an hour before tea.

With Magoffin brought back to break up the partnership, umpire Peter Willey deemed the Australian to have broken the stumps in the delivery stride. Willey initially signalled no-ball, but after consultation with both sides, he changed his mind after it was felt the strong westerly winds had blown a bail off and dead ball was then called.

However, with the seventh ball of the 30th over Middlebrook, on 48, drove to Zaidi at mid-off, and was run out comfortably thanks to a direct hit.

This was the last match in which Willey and fellow umpire George Sharp, will officiate thanks to an ECB age limit, unless their legal challenge is successful. Neither would want to exit the first-class scene with such an incident in their final game, particularly on a ground where they both served Northamptonshire with distinction as a player.

Keogh, at the non-striker's end at the time, said: "I don't think anyone realised at the time. I know Peter was asking the scorers whether there was one ball left and there was a delay - but they decided to get on with the game. It's just one of those things.''

Rossington soon followed Middlebrook, but a partnership of 99 between Keogh and 19-year-old Ben Duckett kept the hosts interested.

Although Duckett fell before the close, followed by Andrew Hall, Keogh would reach his century in the final over of the day.

Read More..

Compton rains on Yorkshire's parade

Somerset319 for 3 (Compton 156, Abell 71*, Trescothick 66) lead Yorkshire 253 (Lees 83, Leaning 57*, Trego 4-69) by 66 runs
Scorecard

Barely 24 hours after Yorkshire's chairman Colin Graves announced his plans for world domination - perhaps that is paraphrasing a bit, but you get the general idea - the Championship celebrations are not going awfully well. Rather than do the decent thing and surrender before Yorkshire's might, Somerset have been stirred into one of their best displays of the season. They might even ensure the champions finish with a poke in the eye.

Dominate English cricket for the next ten years was actually the target that Graves has given his coaching staff - and why not, as recently the impression is that their production line of England cricketers is substantially more impressive than the attempts made in certain other counties who Shall Remain Nameless.

Nevertheless, Somerset played the role of party poopers with skill. With the Championship already secured, presumably Yorkshire intend to begin world domination next April. Over the first two days, their ambitions have faded and curled like the leaves that are already beginning to fall prematurely on the roads to Headingley.

Such was the clatter of wickets around the country as the final round of the Championship season began with autumn officially upon us that Yorkshire's below-par first innings went unremarked upon. Realisation dawned, however, as conditions eased further and, by the close of the second day, Somerset's lead was 66 with seven second-innings wickets remaining.

Yorkshire's coach, Jason Gillespie, had sought to maintain his side's focus ahead of this match by listing the statistical achievements that were still in their grasp, chief among them being the lure of a record points score in Division One if they made Somerset their ninth victims of an impressive season.

But the statistics that flashed on the scoreboard 19 balls from the close of the second day were those of Nick Compton: 156 from 232 balls with 23 fours and a six. Around 16 months ago, Compton's nine-Test career ended on this ground when he entered a strange, strokeless trance against New Zealand. England, fearing a disturbing effect on their captain Alastair Cook, and somewhat suspicious of his dressing room individuality, dropped him.

The irony of his latest replacement being Sam Robson, who had even fewer shots, was apparent to some. Compton seethed, protested, responded and became demoralised, as much as he tried not to be. He has had a pretty ordinary season. His Test career is over. But as he shared successive century stands with first Marcus Trescothick, who passed 66 in making 1,000 Championship runs for the season, and then Tom Abell, Headingley saw his more expansive range. On days like this he plays with true stature.

Compton's previous best score of the campaign was exactly 100 against Durham and his composure at the crease was such that it left one wondering why he has not achieved much more. Against the quicks, he stood as guardsman erect as if he was one of the Duke of Wellington's ablest lieutenants. Yorkshire's attack was committed enough, but as the sun bathed down upon north Leeds, the Headingley crowd had to pretend that they were perfectly content with the way their celebrations were going.

Trescothick was assisted by a dropped chance at third slip by Joe Root when he was 28, and as his innings progressed he discovered, unusually, that Compton was bounding ahead of him. The shock eventually was too much and a gentle dab in Root's first over fell to Lyth at slip. Root immediately withdrew himself from the attack.

Root's experience as a Yorkshire captain has explored the extremes. Middlesex murdered a supposedly safe declaration at Lord's; Nottinghamshire capitulated as Root stood in for Andrew Gale at Trent Bridge for the victory that brought the title.

As Abell, a product of Taunton, only 20 and with a few weeks of first-class cricket behind him, joined Compton in a stand of serene domination - 154 in 43 overs - and Yorkshire felt the end of the season upon them, Root must have feared a repeat of the former.

They say Root will captain England, and they are probably right, but nobody can create miracles to order. Even when they said that about Mike Brearley, it was part miracle, part paper talk. Reclining patiently, beginning to twig that world domination was not going to plan, the cognoscenti faked that they were not overly concerned. If they thought "tek him off" as Yorkshire's bowlers flagged in the final session, they never shouted it. That a touch of reality had crept in, however, could not be denied.

Read More..

Slater maiden ton props up Derbys

Leicestershire 25 for 2 trail Derbyshire 289 (Slater 104, Durston 52, Raine 3-47) by 264 runs
Scorecard

Leicestershire's hopes of ending a two-year wait for an County Championship victory were frustrated by a maiden first-class century from Derbyshire opener Ben Slater on a controversial day that saw India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara given out for handling the ball.

Pujara became only the 59th player in the history of the first-class game to be out in that manner and the first in England since 1996, when Derbyshire wicketkeeper Karl Krikken was dismissed in the same fashion against the Indian tourists at Derby.

But Slater's first hundred in his 23rd game, and 52 from Wes Durston, lifted Derbyshire from 62 for 3 to 289 before Mark Footitt took his 100th wicket in all cricket this season as Leicestershire closed on 25 for 2.

For a game with so little riding on it, tempers flared after five overs when umpires Martin Saggers and Jeff Evans had words with Billy Godleman and Leicestershire captain Niall O'Brien after the Derbyshire opener was involved in a collision with Ben Raine, who was also spoken to. Godleman lasted only five more overs before he edged Raine low to third slip and there was a big wicket for Leicestershire when Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen was trapped half-forward by Charlie Shreck for eight.

That brought in Pujara for his home debut - but it was one to forget as he wrote his name in the record books for the wrong reasons in the 20th over of the day. Pujara played a ball from former Derbyshire fast bowler Atif Sheikh down into the pitch and then knocked it away with his glove as it threatened to bounce into his stumps. Leicestershire's fielders appealed immediately and after the umpires consulted, Pujara was sent on his way to mark an unusual chapter in what has been a disappointing summer in England for one of the world's most highly-rated batsmen.

At that stage, Leicestershire's decision to put Derbyshire in was looking a good one but inconsistent bowling helped Slater and Durston mount a recovery that saw the home side reach lunch at 120 for 3.

Slater was dropped on 59 at slip off James Sykes in the last over of the morning and that proved a big moment in the day as he and Durston took advantage of some generous width offered by the seamers. They added 124 in 27 overs before Durston swept Sykes to backward square leg and Sheikh struck in the next over when Alex Hughes was lbw one ball after he was hit in the box.

Harvey Hosein gloved a hook at Raine but Slater reached an accomplished hundred off 195 balls when he drove Sykes through the covers for his 15th four.

Former Leicestershire seamer Wayne White chased a wide ball from Raine and was caught behind without scoring before Slater's innings ended when he edged Sheikh low to second slip.

After a 75-minute bad light delay, Tony Palladino chipped Rob Taylor to mid-on and Ben Cotton had his off stump knocked back by Shreck which left Leicestershire with eight overs to negotiate before the close.

Greg Smith did not survive, edging a firm-footed drive which saw Footitt become the first Derbyshire player to take 100 wickets in a season since Geoff Miller in 1984 and Sykes was lbw to Palladino in the final over to leave Leicestershire in an all-too familiar position.

Slater's hundred came a day after he signed a two-year contract: "It's a nice little present if you can put it like that to top it off," he said. "I'm delighted to get my maiden first-class hundred and it's a good feeling."

Raine added: "It's a very good pitch. We bowled on the overhead conditions, it was a bit cloudy and we thought it might do something off the pitch but it didn't do much. Even so, we've had a positive day which is something to look forward to for next season."

Read More..

Claydon five skittles Gloucestershire

Kent 83 for 4 trail Gloucestershire 179 (Payne 54*, Claydon 5-61) by 96 runs
Scorecard

Mitchell Claydon bagged his third five-wicket haul of the season as Kent dismissed Gloucestershire for 179 on the opening day at Canterbury. Responding after tea, Kent fared badly in reaching 83 for 4 in 32 overs, to trail by 96 going into the second day of a Division Two clash that counts for little in the promotion shakedown.

Claydon's stint of 5 for 61 wrapped up the Gloucestershire innings within two sessions but Kent fared little better thereafter. With Rob Key and Ben Harmison sidelined through injury, emergency opener Fabian Cowdrey lasted seven overs before he played down the wrong line to go lbw to David Payne. Ten overs later, the in-form Daniel Bell-Drummond called for a suicidal single to cover to be run out by Benny Howell, then Howell took the ball to trap Brendan Nash lbw for 15.

Just before bad light bought about an early close, Kent's acting skipper Sam Northeast blotted his copybook by chasing one from Liam Norwell to go for 2.

The day started with Gloucestershire batting first after winning the toss on a bright Canterbury morning. But the visitors made a disastrous start in losing five wickets within an hour, including both their opening batsmen for ducks.

Claydon was first to strike from the Pavilion End when, after just 16 deliveries, Chris Dent sparred outside off stump to snick a comfortable catch to Darren Stevens at slip. Six deliveries later and with only five on the board, Stevens struck to remove Will Tavare, also without scoring. Running one down the Nackington Road slope, Stevens snared Tavare lbw after the willowy right-hander's late decision to shoulder arms.

Alex Gidman, Gloucestershire's only player with 1000 runs for the campaign and who recently announced his departure to Worcestershire, stroked a couple of crisp boundaries in his 12 before he too went lbw, this time to Claydon. His hesitant prod, half-forward and outside the line, leaving umpire Neil Bainton with little option but to raise his finger.

Claydon picked up a third scalp in his next over. Getting one to lift and leave Gareth Roderick, the right-hander found a thick edge to James Tredwell at second slip for 11. Gloucestershire's opening hour demise continued when a Stevens' outswinger squared up Hamish Marshall and found the edge through to third slip to send the Kiwi packing for 5 and leave the visitors on 29 for 5.

Claydon, effective and dangerous despite his shortened run-up, bagged his 50th Championship wicket of the summer when he had Ian Cockbain well held by Tredwell for 6 in the cordon diving in front of first slip.

Claydon took a breather after his 11-over stint of 4 for 21 to be replaced by Calum Haggett who struck with his first delivery of the match by having Tom Smith caught in the gully from an ill-advised back-foot force. Then, in the final over before lunch, Benny Howell was turned in defence by another Stevens awayswinger that flew off the edge to second slip where Tredwell took another spectacular one-handed catch, this time to his right, to make it 62 for 8 at lunch.

Though Payne, with an unbeaten 54 from 89 balls, and Craig Miles, 48, proffered resistance after the break, Miles chipped one for Adam Riley to mid-off, then Claydon returned to have last man Norwell caught behind for his 51st scalp of the summer.

Read More..

Rejuvenated Ryder maintains Essex push

Essex 198 for 3 (Browne 106*) lead Worcestershire 84 (Leach 39, Ryder 5-24) by 114 runs
Scorecard

While the "Chelmsfort" of T20 fame can be a lairy cauldron of noise and attitude, the Championship crowd tends to be a more pleasant bunch. After Worcestershire were bowled out inside the first session of the day, there was guarded optimism about Essex's chances of pipping Hampshire to promotion from Division Two. Discussion of whether missing out for the fourth season in a row would constitute a failure generally elicited a good-natured shrug and a "let's see how we do here".

Essex are already in a commanding position to win for the sixth time in seven but Hampshire's resurrection from 53 for 5 in Cardiff ensured the calculators will continue to whir into the second day. At tea, a customer informed the ice cream lady that Hampshire were 233 for 5. "I don't know what that means, love," came the reply. Head scratching abounds. At the very least, it seems Essex will need to take three batting points (another 102 runs from the next 41 overs) in victory and hope Hampshire can do no better than draw.

Had Essex not failed to win for eight games after beating Derbyshire in their first outing back in April, they would not be relying on results elsewhere, of course, though a lengthy injury list, and in particular the need to use a dozen different seam bowlers throughout the year, stands in mitigation. This was their most in-form attack, the reinvention of Jesse Ryder continuing apace, and they wreaked carnage. Nick Browne then stroked a composed century to ease any fears that the pitch inspector present, Tony Pigott, would need to convene a panel.

On a late September morning, as bowlers around the country feasted, Worcestershire collapsed inside 26.2 overs. Ryder's opening spell was rewarded with sumptuous figures of 10-4-24-5, recording his first-class best for the third time this year. Paul Grayson, understandably, purred in approval. Essex are in the process of trying to make sure he returns to Chelmsford for a few summers more.

Worcestershire had giddily claimed promotion after Jack Shantry's heroics against Surrey but this was the comedown. If the film was The Hangover, the morning session would have been the bit where they woke up to find Mike Tyson's tiger in the bathroom.

The Worcestershire scorecard, which only had two batsmen in double figures, required a double take and there were whispers that the pitch might not stand up to a second look. With the green grass of home in the middle and bare patches for the spinners at both ends, it seemed designed to produce a result; but while Essex needed some fortune in winning the toss, their seamers did far more than just flip a coin.

Ryder arrived for his first spell in county cricket as a tearaway batsman who bowled the occasional bit of fill-in seam-up. The New Zealander has averaged only 30.00 with the bat but he is now Essex's leading Championship wicket-taker, having taken 43 at 17.79. This was the fourth five-wicket haul of the season and the fourth of his career; in the previous decade of first-class cricket, he had collected 55 wickets. It's British summertime and the living is easy for Ryder.

Worcestershire, having celebrated hard after their dramatic win two weeks ago, were soon looking green around the gills, never mind the pitch. Richard Oliver was caught in the slips off David Masters' fourth ball, before Ryder went around the wicket to tease an outside edge through to the keeper off Moeen Ali.

Daryl Mitchell was next to go, caught at square leg playing across the line, in the first of a few avoidable Worcestershire dismissals. Ryder had the ball moving just enough both up and down and laterally, though Alexei Kervezee was not at his most judicious in attempting to leave one that came back to clip off stump.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Ben Cox were trapped in front, the latter becoming Ryder's fifth wicket, either side of Tom Fell's woeful slash to slip. That left Worcestershire, who still need a handful of points to be certain of winning the Division Two title, 31 for 7 and now possibly a little pink from embarrassment. Joe Leach slapped a few forceful boundaries during a stand for the eighth wicket that more than doubled the score but fell to a brilliant, instinctive catch from Masters to a drive that might otherwise have rearranged his familiar lopsided grin.

Conversation turned to 1991, when Essex were closing in on the Championship title and Middlesex arrived to be dismissed for 51 in scarcely less overs than Worcestershire managed. Home nerves tightened at the thought of a pitch penalty, before Graham Gooch allayed those fears by finishing the day 202 not out. Browne, tall and left-handed, is perhaps more reminiscent of Marcus Trescothick but his third century of the season, featuring some crisp straight drives, provided a similar tonic.

Read More..

Vince, Ervine lead Hampshire through the mist

Hampshire 357 (Vince 144, Ervine 107, Allenby 4-65) v Glamorgan
Scorecard

The first worry on the opening day in Cardiff was that play would not be able to start on time because of the mist. An hour into the opening day, the scene had more than the musk of a Werewolf horror production, with five victims in a grim first hour. After 21 overs, the scoreboard read 53 for 5. The question was asked: "What were they doing out there in the first place?"

Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams won the toss and, on the most September of mornings, decided to bat. It seems in preparation for this match, the visitors noticed the recent trend has been for those batting first to go on and win the game. "It generally tends to deteriorate here," James Vince said at stumps.

Together, he and Sean Ervine were the stars of this particular piece. With centuries to their name, Vince's fourth and Ervine's second of the season, they put on 225 - a new sixth wicket record partnership for Hampshire against Glamorgan, beating the previous record of 198 set in 1922.

Vince's stillness at the crease, through to the point of impact, with his bat coming through in the right time and at all of the right angles, set him apart from the his team-mates. He was consistent in punishing Glamorgan's bowlers for straying from their lengths, particularly Jim Allenby, who was having it all his own way in the morning session.

According to the bods at Opta, Allenby is the 12th player since 1970 to be responsible for at least 10% of his team's runs and wickets for three consecutive seasons. Little surprise, then, that he accounted for four of the five wickets to fall in a frenetic morning session.

Prior to his introduction, Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg had been unlucky not to register a breakthrough, as edges were found without the catching chance that usually follows. With eight overs gone and Hampshire 17 for no loss, Allenby was handed the ball. Six balls later, he handed it back after delivering a double wicket maiden.

He found the first edge that went to hand when Will Smith nicked through to Mark Wallace and then extracted some outrageous bounce off a length that Liam Dawson could do nothing about. Such was the jump off the pitch - Dean Cosker took the catch at gully above his head - that the spot in question earned the attention of Adams and a few Glamorgan players.

The umpires had a gander when Allenby returned for his second brace of wickets in the 21st over; Tom Alsop falling foul of one that reared up this time. A ball later it was five, with Adam Wheater misjudging the line and left a straight one. It was at this point that things turned from feast to famine for Glamorgan.

It was almost as if the pitch, worn out from the morning's festivities, had decided to go to snooze for the middle session. Assistance to the bowler was at a minimum, as 142 unanswered runs were put on. It could have been so different had David Lloyd taken a catch off an uncontrolled hook from Vince, on 47 at the time, just two balls after lunch.

From then on, he ensured he rolled his wrists on anything he took on, while continuing to seemingly hit every bad ball for four (he hit 21, in all). He used his feet well against the left arm spin of Cosker and Kieran Bull's offbreaks, eventually bringing up three figures in 134 balls. Currently, he is the leading runscorer in Championship cricket this summer.

Ervine's was a contrasting knock, but no less worthy of praise. Having witnessed the madness that preceded his arrival at the crease, he got off the mark with a sweetly timed cover drive off Wagg. The very next over saw him send Allenby back over his head and into the stands at the River End. The next ball was hacked at, but disappeared for four through gully.

His half-century was brought up in just 59 balls before he eased off the gas and ensured bonus points targets were met. The next 50 runs for his century took a more subdued 114 balls, but still showcased a deft touch that look at odds with his broad, muscular frame. Watching a man of his stature late cut was like watching a polar bear knitting and it was with this very shot that he sewed up a second century in as many matches.

Soft dismissals for both centurions - Vince falling to a smart catch by debutant Aneurin Donald in the deep, while Ervine was strangled down the legside - triggered a collapse of sorts. The last three wickets fell relatively cheaply, but not before a fourth batting point was achieved. Hampshire's lead over Essex stands at 11.

Meanwhile, with England due to announce the squad for their ODI tour of Sri Lanka tomorrow, it looks like being one without Vince. "I don't think I'll make it," Vince told ESPNcricinfo. "I haven't had a call from the ECB so I'm not expecting to be named in it." For the immediate future, he has highlighted a win and, with Worcestershire up against it at Essex, promotion as champions of Division Two.

Read More..

Statistician Anandji Dossa dies at 98

Anandji Dossa, a cricket historian who was considered the doyen of Indian cricket's scoring and statistics, died in New York on Monday. Dossa was 98. Last year, Dossa along with his wife had moved to the United States of America to be with their daughters.

Dossa, a former cricketer who was a reserve in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad but could not break into the side, made an immense contribution to Indian cricket by introducing the culture of cricket scoring and stats. He did live scoring for all major cricket in India for the All India Radio for the first three decades of independent India.

He also groomed a spree of cricket statisticians and scorers. His famous scrapbooks, with newspaper cuttings of every India match from their first Test in 1932 until the 1990s, are an encyclopedia of Indian cricket in itself. He had a habit of noting down minor details in his scrapbook, a technique which has evolved into an integral part of cricket scoring.

Dossa also authored many books, including Duleep - the Man and his Game (co-authored with Vasant Raiji), Cricket Ties: India-Pakistan and Art of Scoring (in Gujarati).

Once he donated most of his collection to the Cricket Club of India, former CCI and BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur preserved it by starting the Anandji Dossa Library in the premises of the club.

Read More..

Adnan Rasool reported for suspect action

Lahore Lions offspinner Adnan Rasool has been reported for a suspect bowling action, following his team's four-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in the Champions League Twenty20 in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Rasool has been placed on a warning list, but can continue to play and bowl in a match. However, according to the CLT20 Suspected Illegal Bowling Action policy, if he receives a report while on the warning list, he will be suspended from bowling for the remainder of the tournament and from bowling in any matches organised by the BCCI until he is cleared. Under CLT20 guidelines, Rasool may also request for an official assessment from the BCCI's suspect bowling action committee.

Rasool bowled four overs, conceding 28 runs and taking one wicket, as Lions succumbed to a four-wicket defeat. After the match, Rasool was reported by the on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Chettithody Shamshuddin, as well as the third umpire Anil Chaudhary.

Read More..