The Final Furlongs

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Matt H in First Class

There are now just two days left in this season’s county championship, as the final round of matches reach the half-way stage.

Division One

At the top of division one, despite wracking up 493ao, Warwickshire only picked up three of the possible five batting bonus points. They will be wanting to maximise their bowling points as Hampshire bat.

Meanwhile Lancashire, in bowling out Somerset for 380, scored two bowling points and have since picked up one batting. They have 39 more overs in which to try to obtain the remaining available batting points.

However Durham could only manage two batting points as they scored a disappointing 264ao against Worcestershire. They have since attained a further three points from their bowling.

Based on the scores so far, it seems to us that Warwickshire, despite their slow scoring, will have the best chance of winning their match and thus are probably favourites for the title.

At the bottom of the table, Worcestershire’s collapse from 355-3 to 288ao mean they finished the innings 12 runs shy of the total they required to pick up another bonus point that would guarantee safety. Therefore they will be watching today’s events from Southampton closely, because Hampshire need to secure all five batting points to have any chance of survival. Currently 57/0, should they fail to score 400 in 110 overs, they will be relegated. Of course, they also need to win the match, against the league leaders, to stay up and send Worcestershire down.

Yorkshire are not playing this week; Worcestershire’s bonus points were enough to relegate the Tykes.

Durham 264 (WR Smith 66; KAJ Roach 3-57, A Richardson 3-46) & 51/0 (WR Smith 29*) vs Worcestershire 288 (JG Cameron 74, VS Solanki 124; CD Thorp 4-52)

Somerset 380 (JC Hildreth 186; G Keedy 4-57) vs Lancashire 247/3 (SC Moore 68, KR Brown 60, PJ Horton 50; M Kartik 3-60)

Sussex 488 (MW Goodwin 170, MW Machan 71, A Khan 65; CE Shreck 3-92, AR Adams 5-110) vs Nottinghamshire 132/1 (K Turner 52*, AD Hales 49)

Warwickshire 493 (V Chopra 109, S Chanderpaul 171, CR Woakes 62; AD Mascarenhas 3-52, CP Wood 3-87) vs Hampshire 57/0 (JHK Adams 22*, LA Dawson 31*)

Division Two

At The Oval Surrey took all five batting bonus points in scoring 468ao against Derbyshire and subsequently have two bowling points. This has taken them equal to Northamptonshire, whose 343ao and dismissal of Gloucestershire for 183 has afforded them six points. The sides are now tied in second place, behind Middlesex. If Surrey can take the final point, as looks likely, they will be in a good position to take the promotion spot.

Middlesex took all possible bonus points (eight) against Leicestershire, as they bowled them out for 319 and are presently 401/8 in reply.

Kent 237 (JL Denly 69; JC Glover 4-49) vs Glamorgan 113/2 (GP Rees 50*) (D/N fixture)

Leicestershire 319 (GP Smith 108, EJ Eckersley 106; GK Berg 3-32) vs Middlesex 401/8 (DJ Malan 97, GK Berg 70*; JKH Naik 3-123)

Northamptonshire 343 (KJ Coetzer 84, AJ Hall 86; WRS Gidman 5-74, J Lewis 4-61) vs Gloucestershire 183 (DJ Willey 5-29, LM Daggett 4-69) & 84/5 (DJ Willey 3-15)

Surrey 468 (TL Maynard 123; MHA Footitt 3-99) vs Derbyshire 177/7 (PM Borrington 76; TE Linley 3-34)