A muted week in the County Championship for England’s Test players in the County Championship, with only ten of the teams in action. Here’s how those without a rest week got on.
Joe Root
Having passed 50 just once in his first four County Championship innings, Root made it back-to-back hundreds. He cashed in against Glamorgan, pilling on 156 at nearly a run a ball. Taking down the Glamorgan attack, Root used his range of sweeps to get on top of the spinners, before James Harris trapped him in front.
On a pitch that turned from day one, his off-spin came in handy in the third innings, taking 2-52 off his 22 overs as Yorkshire’s victory push was thwarted. He was also involved in a bizarre run out while fielding at silly point. Kiran Carlson drove the ball into Root’s shin, which rebounded to the keeper for a simple dismissal.
Harry Brook
Brook made 65 at Headingly, dominating the spinners after the platform had been laid. He hit Mason Crane for two sixes and the part-time spin of Carlson and Thomas Bevan for four boundaries.
Matt Fisher
Off the back of a four-for against Derbyshire, Fisher went wicketless against Glamorgan. An ankle injury in the second innings limited him to just three overs.
Tom Hartley
Hartley had an underwhelming game with the ball at Old Trafford as Kent beat Lancashire by seven wickets. He went wicketless across both innings and was hit for 66 off his 22 overs. However, he scored a handy 35 down the order, before fellow spinner Matt Parkinson knocked him over.
Zak Crawley
In what will be a cherished victory for Kent, Crawley hit a commanding 41 off 47 to lay a strong platform. He powered six boundaries before edging George Balderson behind. He was unable to affect the second innings as Balderson got him again in the second over for a single. Still, in a tough game for the top order, with just one half-century from a top-six batter, Crawley’s first innings was an important one.
Ollie Robinson
Playing second fiddle to Jayden Seales, Robinson recorded figures 2-83. His two wickets were both lbws. David Lloyd left a ball that nipped back in, and Anuj Dal missed a straighter one.
Other players of interest
Sam Cook continues to lead the way with the ball, taking seven wickets in Essex’s loss to Somerset. He now has 25 wickets this season. Elsewhere Daniel Bell-Drummond continued his fine form for Kent. He scored an unbeaten 79 in their chase against Lancashire.
Up at Headingly, Finlay Bean made his highest first class score, 173, taking his career average over 42, while Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty took four wickets each in Glamorgan’s first innings. Sam Northeast, the leading run scorer in the country, made another hundred, helping Glamorgan to 372/7 and securing a draw.
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