Hampshire have eyes on first title in 50 years but Lancashire have recruited well and champions Surrey will be tough to beatCaptain Tom Westley (Championship and 50-over Cup) Coach: Anthony McGrath Last season: 4th Continue reading...
Lancashire and Warwickshire look most likely to fight for the title, with Jimmy Anderson’s availability potentially decisive, while Hampshire benefit from a bolstered batting lineup Continue reading...
For the past five years Harmer has been a luminescent walking wonder and wicket threat in county cricketSimon Harmer plonks down on a plastic seat at Edgbaston’s Birmingham end, Essex’s home for the length of their Championship game against Warwickshire. It’s lunch on the third day and there are 20 minutes before play restarts.For the past five years Harmer has been a luminescent walking wonder in county cricket, causing panic through the opposition as he strides into bowl, sunglasses on, jumper worn long over his bottom. In his first season for Essex in 2017, he took 72 wickets at 19.19; in 2018, 57 at 24.45; in 2019, 83 at 18.28; in 2020, 38 at 15.06 (in six games of the...
In the era of Richards, Botham, Fletcher and Gooch, football had yet to swamp cricket and humour pervaded the rivalry The two best teams in county cricket battled for the Bob Willis Trophy at Lord’s. Despite the absence of spectators it was an earnest, engaging contest and a curious throwback to four decades ago when Essex and Somerset were also two of the best and most entertaining sides in the country.This is not so surprising if you recall some of the personnel: the trinity of Viv Richards, Ian Botham and Joel Garner at Somerset and Keith Fletcher, Graham Gooch and John Lever at Essex were instantly recognised on TV screens against a backdrop of packed stands at Chelmsford or Taunton....
Winner-takes-all finale to County Championship and yet there is talk of culling counties to make way for The HundredWith autumn stepping into its strides – and conkers rolling fat and round outside the pavilion at Lord’s – cricket still has one hand to play in this eye-popping summer. A single round of the County Championship remains, the winner tantalisingly yet to be decided. The two contenders, Essex and Somerset, meet on Monday at Taunton to fight it out, with crowds expected to burst the gates, Sky sending a camera crew and a double-decker temporary press box for the media wheeled in for the occasion.If Somerset, five times runners-up this century, win it will be their first championship title and romantics...