County Championship Round-Up - Week 1: Sturdy Wessels carries Notts to victory

This week saw the earliest ever start to a Championship season and 2010 champions Nottinghamshire, widely tipped to challenge again this year, got off to a strong start with a 92 run victory over Worcestershire at Trent Bridge. Riki Wessels, who controversially joined the county on a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa last season before the loophole was swiftly closed, played the decisive hand with a second innings knock of 113 from 244 balls to leave their opponents with a tough fourth-innings target of 392. This was the 13th first-class hundred for the son of former South African captain Kepler Wessels, who is at last beginning to fulfill some of the undoubted talent which saw him make his first-class debut as a teenager in 2004.

The visiting side threatened at one stage of the run chase; captain Daryl Mitchell (102) and Moeen Ali (94) putting on 175 for the third wicket, but Mitchell’s century was in vain as Andre Adams and Luke Fletcher took four wickets each to secure victory for Nottinghamshire on the final morning. The chances of any play on Sunday would have been rated as negligible on the opening day. The home side’s 2011 batting woes resurfaced early on as 25 year-old Richard Jones took 6-32 to demolish a line-up which was supposed to be more resilient now, following the acquisitions of Michael Lumb and James Taylor, for 110. But Worcestershire, tipped by many for relegation come September, failed to make the advantage count as they were themselves bowled out before the close with a lead of just 20. Even without the injured Stuart Broad and Darren Pattinson, Nottinghamshire have a strong seam attack, and they worked together on this occasion as the wickets were shared between them. This depth could prove crucial later in the season as rivals such as Lancashire and Durham cannot claim to have such plentiful reserves.

Elsewhere in Division One, London clubs Surrey and Middlesex returned to Division One after absences of three and five years respectively. And they suffered contrasting fortunes. Surrey, seen by many as capable of an immediate title challenge, following a swift resurgence under Chris Adams and Rory Hamilton-Brown, battled hard to defeat Sussex by 82 runs at The Oval. There were long periods when the visitors dominated play - the hosts were reduced to 124-5 of the opening morning, and youngsters Joe Gatting (72) and 21 year-old centurion Luke Wells (108), who has been compared to Alastair Cook by none other than Mark Ramprakash, staved off the Surrey attack at various times. But the match-winning performances came from Surrey players. Tom Maynard scored a brisk unbeaten 86 in the first innings to guide his team to 264, before England internationals Stuart Meaker and Jade Dernbach combined to restrict the three-time champions to 196. Maynard, who has flourished since leaving his home county Glamorgan, again contributed with a second innings 47 but this time it was his captain, Hamilton-Brown, who grabbed the headlines after making 89 from just 103 deliveries to give his team a lead of 342. This was Surrey’s fifth consecutive Championship victory and will give them great confidence going into the upcoming London derby at Lord’s.

Middlesex suffered a tougher baptism of fire in the top flight. A visit to perennial nearly-men Somerset was always likely to be a tough proposition and so it proved with Vernon Philander, Nick Compton and George Dockrell taking the game away from the Division Two champions. Philander’s Test career has begun sensationally, with early returns the like of which have not been seen since the First World War. And he did not disappoint in his first Somerset outing. Playing against the club he briefly represented in 2008, he was a constant threat to the batsmen and was rewarded with 5-43 in the first innings, as Middlesex were restricted to 246 at a ground known for heavy run scoring. Joe Denly, playing his first game for Middlesex following a winter move from Kent, top-scored with 73. In reply, the hosts failed to take the game away from their visitors but an 151 run partnership between Nick Compton, who fell one short of his hundred, and Craig Kieswetter (83), would eventually prove critical on a surface which took turn on the final day. 19 year-old Irishman George Dockrell took advantage of this with superb figures of 6-27, suggesting that Murali Kartik would not be too greater loss to the county, and ensuring that his team required just 72 for victory. Dockrell, who has already impressed in two global tournaments, may soon be on England’s radar. Despite the loss of four wickets the target was reached in just 16 overs.

Yorkshire’s Division Two match against Kent at Headingley was in some doubt on the eve of the game following April snow in the North. However, the ground was cleared in time and the pitch was surprising the flattest in either division. Five players reached fifty in Kent’s first innings under new coach Jimmy Adams, but it was young all-rounder Mat Coles, batting at number nine, who was able to go on to an impressive hundred, eventually making 103 from 111 deliveries. The visitors finally declared on 537, by which time Yorkshire would have known that victory was out of the question. And the quest to save the game started poorly with new Kent signing Mark Davies (3-48) reducing the white rose county to 111-4. Jonny Bairstow, with 107, supported by Gary Ballance (45) and Adil Rashid (58) guided Yorkshire to apparent safety but another new Kent recruit, Charlie Shreck (4-90), stuck to ensure that the follow-on could be enforced. Hopes of victory for the visitors were soon quashed, however, with Joe Root (76) ensuring that the match was safely drawn.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Derbyshire made a strong start to the season with a 202 run win over Northamptonshire at Derby. The impressive Jack Brooks took five first innings wickets for Northamptonshire, but hundreds from Dan Redfern (110) and New Zealand opener Martin Guptill (137) and fifties from Ross Whiteley (83) and Paul Borrington (98) ensured that Northamptonshire needed 337 runs to win in the fourth innings. Former Yorkshire left-arm spinner David Wainwright did the bulk of the damage, taking 6-33 as his side bowled the visitors out for 134 on an exciting last day.

The matches at Chelmsford and Grace Road finished in just three days. Essex were big favourites against a weak-looking Gloucestershire outfit and justified that tag with an innings victory. Billy Godleman set up the match for the hosts on the opening day with a career best first-class innings of 130 in an Essex total of 364. In reply, no Gloucestershire batsman reached 50 in either innings and, following-on, they were at one stage 42-5 before scrambling to 146 all out. All of the Essex bowlers contributed; Graham Napier picking up 5-58 in the second innings.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire and Glamorgan both failed to adapt to early-season conditions in a match that Leicestershire, who received the wooden spoon at the end of last season, eventually won by 52 runs. Huw Waters (4-57) dismissed two Leicestershire batsmen with the first two balls of the match on the opening morning, to leave the hosts wondering if their start to the season could get any worse. However, after recovering to 247 thanks to 57 from veteran Claude Henderson, Glamorgan’s batting effort was even more inept. Robbie Joseph, who would take match figures of 12-111, starred as the visitors slumped to 34-7 and eventually 124 all out. But this was not the low-point for batting in this encounter. Only two Leicestershire batsmen reached double-figures in their second innings, with Jacques du Toit’s 40 twenty-nine better than any of the others could manage as Matthew Hoggard’s side were dismissed for 110. Nevertheless, a target of 236 would surely prove too much for Glamorgan, and so it proved, although they at least reached a respectable 183 in the context of the game. Both sides are likely to struggle this season.

Finally, Durham’s Championship campaign is yet to start, but it appears that the bowlers are in good form on the evidence of their 373 run win over Durham MCCU, which saw the students dismissed for just 18 in their second innings, the lowest first-class score since 1983.

Really good summary, Shelsey, thanks!

Shelsey - yes, a very comprehensive and helpful overview. Thanks.

Don't know what you think of this going forward but ... there's a lot of good insight and humour provided by posters (not just the Surrey ones!) on matches whilst they are ongoing and upon their conclusion. It might be interesting to include one or two of these comments - agreeing or disagreeing - when doing your round up. A good journalist always listens to his readers!

guildfordbat wrote:Shelsey - yes, a very comprehensive and helpful overview. Thanks.

Don't know what you think of this going forward but ... there's a lot of good insight and humour provided by posters (not just the Surrey ones!) on matches whilst they are ongoing and upon their conclusion. It might be interesting to include one or two of these comments - agreeing or disagreeing - when doing your round up. A good journalist always listens to his readers!

Good idea. Might incorporate it next week!

Good overview, Shelsey. For several years the weaker sides in Div 2 have been very poor (and that included Surrey a couple of years ago!)

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Good overview, Shelsey. For several years the weaker sides in Div 2 have been very poor (and that included Surrey a couple of years ago!)

A gap has certainly opened out. But I'm not sure that is too bad a thing - only the issue is somewhat complicated in cricket by the fact that you can be a good one-day side but a poor Test side. And there is certainly opportunities to improve - Surrey being a prime example.

My view is that Gloucs, Leics and Glam look particularly weak this year, but now I've said that one of them will probably get promoted. I'm not sure these payments handed out for playing young cricketers help - you can understand why a Gloucs, Leics or Glam would want to exploit the system but I'd think those teams would be stronger if they weren't disincentivised to sign experienced cricketers. For instance, I am surprised that the lower Div 2 clubs have shown no interest in Jamie Dalrymple or Chris Schofield - probably because it is more financially beneficial to play a younger player who hasn't made the grade yet.