The final round of the County Championship before the August break comes to a close today – here’s how those on England’s radar performed in a crucial round of matches.
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Essex ensured the gap to Surrey at the top of the Division One table is still bridgeable with a six-wicket win over Hampshire. Surrey’s lead has been reduced to 15 points going into the break. In the Division Two standings, rain frustrated Durham at Scarborough, however they still lead the table by 54 points.
Middlesex’s frenetic victory over Warwickshire keeps the relegation battle alive, along with Kent’s thumping loss to Nottinghamshire.
Alex Lees
Lees has been going through a through a purple patch in recent weeks. His last six innings in the Championship have produced four centuries and had it not been for the rain that may have become five. He was 65* in Durham’s first innings against Yorkshire before the weather swept away any possibility of further play.
Matt Parkinson
Parkinson played his final round on loan for Durham this week before joining up with Kent for the One Day Cup. He bowled only two overs at Scarborough without taking a wicket and went for four runs.
Matthew Potts
Potts took his fifth haul of four or more wickets this season in the one Yorkshire innings that was possible. He made the first breakthroughs of the game for Durham, pinning first Finlay Bean and then George Rickletson lbw, finishing with figures of 4-93 off 25.5 overs.
Ben Foakes
Just eight runs for Ben Foakes in his only dig at Taunton. He became one of Matt Henry’s victims on his way to six wickets in the innings. He was excellent as ever with the gloves, taking five catches and just the one bye on his figures.
Will Jacks
Jacks fell one agonizing run short of a century, unbelievably the second Surrey player dismissed on 99 in the same innings. Tom Latham was out for the unlucky number less than 20 overs before Jacks fell on an identical score. Jacks also contributed to Surrey’s emphatic victory inside three days with a brilliant low catch in the slips to remove Tom Lammonby.
Craig Overton
Overton went wicketless in Somerset’s loss but scored a blistering unbeaten 70 off 63 balls in their second innings. He hit Gus Atkinson for five sixes having come in at 130-7.
Phil Salt
Salt scored a 74-ball hundred in Lancashire’s draw against Northants. He reached three figures with a huge straight six off Jack white. That was one of three centuries in Lancashire’s innings before they declared on 544-7.
Haseeb Hameed
Hameed scored 18 and 45 in Nottinghamshire’s win over Kent. He was part of a 131-run stand with Ben Slater in their second innings.
Matt Fisher
A quiet week for Fisher who bowled eight over and went wicketless against Durham.
