The County Championship is back with a bang. Hampshire, Somerset, Derbyshire and Leicestershire all recorded opening-round wins, but who performed well enough to merit selection in Wisden’s inaugural team of the week?
1. Paul Horton (c) (26 & 61)
Top-scored with 61 in Leicestershire’s serene chase of 230 to seal a shock win over Sussex – their first at Hove in 24 years.
2. Ben Duckett (43 & 61)
A brisk 43 to set up Nottinghamshire’s first-innings 408, and an even brisker 61 as they built on their healthy lead. A sterling Championship debut for his new club.
3. Joe Clarke (112 & 97*)
Was stopped three runs short of becoming the youngest Notts batsman to ton up twice in the same Championship game by a cruel but sensible declaration. Did plenty to enhance his England claims nonetheless.
Two types of leave…pic.twitter.com/RQOYCMXiCs
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) April 8, 2019
4. Joe Root (73 & 130*)
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No surprises here, Joe Root’s in the runs[/caption]
Showed off his enduring class with 203 runs in the game. Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth also impressed, but Yorkshire’s batting will look thin when he goes back to England.
5. Sam Northeast (169)
Set up the only 500-plus score of the round with a stellar 169, and set the tone for a marker-laying innings victory over Championship hopefuls Essex. An important knock personally after a quiet 2018.
6. Dawid Malan (19 & 160*)
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Could Dawid Malan force himself back into the England reckoning ahead of the Ashes? [/caption]
Spared Middlesex’s blushes with an unbeaten 160 not out following on, before declaring and letting us all enjoy Eoin Morgan opening the bowling. Could he yet make a bolt for an Ashes recall?
7. Harvey Hosein (wk) (78 & 62, 2 catches)
The engine room in Derbyshire’s impressive win over Durham, notching two half-centuries. His first-innings 78 was especially valuable, rescuing his side from 36-4. The next highest score was just 24.
“I’m not sure many modern young pros could play on a hangover today. I guess they call that progress…”
Our secret cricketer reveals all about pre-season tours. https://t.co/d4dVZFskMs
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) April 8, 2019
8. Lewis Gregory (3-26, 5-18)
Dramatically swung Somerset’s game against Kent his side’s way, taking 5-18 to derail a chase of 206. His first-innings 3-26 also limited the deficit.
9. Tom Taylor (6-47 & 4-75, 33 runs)
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The performance of the round?[/caption]
Supplied arguably the individual performance of the round. Claimed four wickets in his opening spell to reduce Sussex to 36-5, a position from which they never truly recovered, and finished with new career-best innings figures and a maiden ten-wicket haul in a thumping win.
10. Kyle Abbott (2-38 & 5-77)
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Kyle Abbott made his Kolpak move to Hampshire in 2017[/caption]
Just as it looked like Essex might battle to a draw against Hants, Abbott struck, nicking off centurion Ravi Bopara to spark a remarkable collapse of five wickets for seven runs. Chipped in with the crucial wickets of Tom Westley and Sir Alastair Cook in the first innings to finish with seven for the game.
11. Fidel Edwards (5-51 & 3-49)
Outdid his Kolpak teammate by one wicket, grabbing 5-51 in the first innings and 3-49 in the second. Even at 37, shows little sign of the years catching up with him.
