In the background behind an enthralling Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford, another round of the County Championship has been bubbling away.

Like with England in Manchester, several counties battled the rain as the Division One title race, and the two divisions’ promotion and relegation battles hotted up.

Here’s how the players who have been selected in England Test squads in the past 12 months fared:

Josh Tongue: 5-29 vs Leicestershire

Parachuted in as a substitute for Adam Finch once released from the England squad in Manchester, Tongue was devastating on an up-and-down pitch at Oakham School, taking 5-29 in his sole outing with the ball, a haul that included three Test cricketers in Rehan Ahmed, Peter Handscomb and Wiaan Mulder. There’s another tight turnaround between the fourth and fifth Tests; given Tongue’s form, an appearance at the Kia Oval for the fifth and final Ashes Test should not be ruled out.

Matt Potts: 2-68, 64 & 0-13 vs Derbyshire

Durham’s draw against Derbyshire was one of a couple of fixtures that came nowhere near a result. Potts picked up two wickets and scored 64 in a high-scoring, rain-affected stalemate at Derby.

Ben Foakes: 20 vs Middlesex

A quiet outing for Foakes in Surrey’s first County Championship win at Lord’s in 26 years. Typically, he took one outstanding catch down the leg side but Jonny Bairstow’s belligerent 99 not out and sharp glovework in Manchester will quieten speculation over the Surrey keeper’s potential reintroduction in the England side.

Will Jacks: 2, 0-16 & 45* vs Middlesex

A similar sort of game for Jacks who was promoted to No. 3 in Surrey’s second innings to ensure the chase was dealt with in rapid time amid the threat of rain. Jacks was involved in a stunning piece of fielding where, after dropping the ball, he parried it up for his teammate Tom Latham t0 take a sensational diving catch of his own.

Jamie Overton: 35, 3-45 & 2-44 vs Middlesex

A very good game for Overton who is back fit and firing for Surrey’s title run in.

Rehan Ahmed: 44 & 33 vs Worcestershire

Ahmed didn’t bowl in the low-scoring game at Oakham School. The 18-year-old all-rounder is still managing a shoulder injury that kept him out for the best part of a month.

Dan Lawrence: 25 & 3 vs Kent

A pair of low scores for the Lawrence as Essex continued to keep the pressure on league leaders Surrey with a comprehensive win over Kent.

Keaton Jennings: 29 & 64* vs Warwickshire

Jennings’ second innings at Edgbaston saw the Lancashire skipper at his patient best, compiling an unbeaten 64 off 174 deliveries as the only member of the Lancashire top six to pass 25.

Alex Lees: 171 vs Derbyshire

The form batter in the country? Quite possibly. Lees struck his fourth hundred in three matches and became the first player in the country to pass the 1,000-run mark in 2023. Should Zak Crawley or Ben Duckett roll an ankle between now and the start of the fifth Ashes Test you can be sure that Lees will be the man to fill the vacant spot at the top of the England order.

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