2 minute read We have now entered Phase 3 of this year’s County Championship and after almost four rounds of matches, only three sides have so far managed a win. Durham have won one, while Essex and Surrey have won two. Durham’s efforts have only earned them fifth place in the table, but
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We’re mostly talking about Dan Lawrence this week
3 minute read A single player like Dan Lawrence moving from one club to another is quite a big deal. That might seem odd in a world where the biggest cricket tournament won’t be permitting its teams to keep any more than five players from their squads at the end of this season,
Continue readingDeadly Kookaburras: We’re mostly talking about Durham following-on this week
4 minute read Poor pathetic Durham could only muster 517 all out in their first innings against Warwickshire and were therefore invited to follow-on. Fortunately, they managed to escape with a draw after Matt Potts – yes, that Matt Potts – made 149 not out. It is safe to say that in its
Continue readingAn update on county cricket ground names (and a couple of suggestions)
2 minute read Six years ago we handed out a bunch of awards to various county cricket grounds, in recognition of the terrible names they’d been saddled with as a result of sponsorship. Most of these names have since changed, but some of the new names are quite funny or potentially funny, so
Continue readingWe’re mostly talking about Sam Cook this week
2 minute read Only one team successfully beat both the weather and the opposition this week and Sam Cook’s 10-73 was Essex’s most significant contribution. Those figures were also a pretty handy rebuttal to anyone who suggested Cook was a bowler guaranteed to suffer at the listless hands of the slumberous Kookaburra ball.
Continue readingIt’s the time of year when we write about Sam Northeast
2 minute read Sam Northeast finished last season with 166 not out. He started this one with 335 not out. It wasn’t his highest score for Glamorgan. In 2022, he made 410 not out. These are hugely impressive feats; the kinds of feats that get you talked about as a possible England batter.
Continue readingThe seven phases of the 2024 County Championship
5 minute read Say what you like about the County Championship, it doesn’t stay still for long. Ever-changing, never static – is it carefully calibrated to appeal to modern, smartphone-eroded attention-spans? Or is it more the kind of spoilt, overworked artwork you end up with when you just can’t stop fiddling with something?
Continue readingLife after Stuart Broad: What did England’s next lot of quick bowlers get up to this winter?
5 minute read James Anderson and Stuart Broad made their debuts in their early 20s and then just carried on playing until they were middle-aged. This means the players we might ordinarily think of as constituting ‘the next generation’ are mostly now on the cusp of retirement themselves. England have however given Test
Continue readingNo points for Sai Sudharsan, but a Championship for Surrey all the same
2 minute read The 2023 County Championship was won in the way all great sporting competitions are won: by another team failing to secure quite enough bonus points halfway through a game taking place elsewhere. Surrey are champions again. Essex are not. Essex had needed at least 400 in their first innings against
Continue readingThe Surrey squad will surely beat the Essex team to the County Championship this week
2 minute read Surrey are 20 points clear of Essex with a game to go. The crucial piece of information that you probably don’t quite have at your fingertips is that a maximum of 24 points can be scored in a game. We suppose there’s always an outside chance Surrey could shed a
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