County Championship 2022 Thread

by Duty281 Mon 04 Apr 2022, 9:38 am

With howling winds, snow, and minus temperatures hitting the green fields of England and Wales, it's a perfect time for the County Championship to return.

Back to basics this year. Two divisions. Ten teams in Division One, eight in Division two. Two get relegated from the former, two get promoted from the latter. The team that tops Division One are the County Champions, with no five-day final or conference system this season.

Division One
Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Surrey, Warwickshire, Yorkshire.

Division Two
Derbyshire, Durham, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Sussex, Worcestershire.

Essex (7/2) and Lancashire (9/2) are considered the leading favourites to be County Champions. Lancashire fell just short last year, while Essex had a Covid-induced aberration of a season. It is tightly contested, however, and Somerset, Yorkshire, Hampshire, and defending champions Warwickshire should all be in the mix. Gloucestershire, Northants and beautiful Kent will be the ones battling to stay up.

Division Two may be somewhat mismatched, with Nottinghamshire (13/10) strong favourites to canter onwards and upwards, and Middlesex, Durham and Glamorgan are the most likely teams to be fighting for the second promotion spot. Derbyshire and Leicestershire will no doubt be looking at the wrong end of the table.

Will Warwickshire defend their title? Or is this the year Somerset finally win the main event? Are Nottinghamshire going to breeze through Division 2? And will Darren Stevens finally get the England call-up we all want to see?

by JDizzle Tue 05 Apr 2022, 7:21 pm

Some random names I will throw out to keep an eye on - some talented young players who hopefully can kick on and have good seasons.

Batters

Tom Haines - Real breakthrough season last year with 1200 runs at 47. Can he back it up?
Jack Haynes - Super talented 21yo. Had a disrupted season with an ankle injury last year, but if he gets a full season I expect him to be the hot name on everyone's lips next winter.
Kiran Carlson - Another one who had a breakout year in 2021. Destructive player who gets his runs fast.

Hon Mention: Bohannon, Bedingham, Vasconcelas

All-Rounders

Ed Barnard - Averaged 50 in his first season in the top 6 last year. Do it again.
Lewis Goldsworthy - Classy batter and useful spinner. All the noises coming out of Somerset suggest he will go big this year. Should get more overs if Leach is away with England.
Joey Evison - His first challenge is breaking into a super strong Notts attack!

Hon Mention: Lammonby, Matt Critchley

Bowlers

Brydon Carse - Two aims: Stay fit and work on control (career economy 3.78). We know he can take wickets.
Jack Carson - He bowled a lot of overs for a young spinner last year on some roads at Hove. I suspect he will have a lot of bowling to do again, but at least they might have some more runs to defend this year.
Ben Sanderson - Won't ever play for England, but love his story. He was playing minor counties cricket in his mid 20s, and now he averages 20.89 with 287 poles. Gets to show his worth in a D1 team now.

Hon Mention: Lyndon James

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Wed 06 Apr 2022, 10:51 am

It's April, JDizzle is mentioning Ed Barnard as one to watch, and cricket is on the horizon. All is well with the world

by JDizzle Wed 06 Apr 2022, 1:41 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:It's April, JDizzle is mentioning Ed Barnard as one to watch, and cricket is on the horizon. All is well with the world

Just wait till the white ball stuff starts and it’s Matt Carter SZN again!

by Duty281 Thu 07 Apr 2022, 12:05 am

Weather's fairly miserable over the next four days, so a few draws and a lot of low scores seems a safe bet.

Will be a very big season for many English batsmen with vacancies and question marks all over the English test batting line-up. I'm looking forward, especially, to how Bohannon and Yates do, they're both knocking on the door. But Burns, Sibley, Hameed and Pope will be trying their best to return to the set-up, as will Bracey and Vince (touted as a potential captain). I suppose Bedingham is trying his best, also, if he ever becomes eligible for England.

I think I'll predict Hampshire to be county champions, thanks to their devastating bowling attack and Vince likely to score plenty, but it's a very tight race. If Anderson doesn't get recalled for England, he could destroy county line-ups all summer long and lead Lancashire to the crown. Essex look good on the batting front. Somerset will never win it.

Northants should finish dead last, weakest squad in Division One by far. Gloucestershire look like Tottenham in the 80s, they've got some flair foreign players in Naseem Shah, Zafar Gohar and Marcus Harris, so they should stay up, meaning it'll have to be Kent who join Northants in going down. But Yorkshire are in such a mess it wouldn't be a surprise to see them drop, in all honesty.

Notts should cruise through Division Two, they have no business being in it. Broad will lay waste to the batsmen of Division Two in April. I think it'll be Middlesex joining them in promotion. They struggled last year, but they've got solid batting options and the x-factor of Shaheen for the early season. Glamorgan and Worcestershire look sturdy, but a bit toothless bowling-wise. There's quite a few good international batsmen in Division Two this year, at least for the early part - Labuschagne, Pujara, Azhar Ali, Rizwan.

Derbyshire and Leicestershire to be the bottom two in Division Two. A shame they can't be relegated to the Minor Counties.

by guildfordbat Thu 07 Apr 2022, 11:12 am

Good posts there, Duty.

Meanwhile, in a duel between openers looking for a return to the England side, Sibley takes on Burns at Edgbaston ....

by JDizzle Thu 07 Apr 2022, 11:59 am

Somerset are missing Overton, Gregory, Davey and Leach today. That would be a top 5 County bowling attack. Coupled with inexperienced batting, it could be a rough test at Hampshire who are on top after Somerset elected to bat.

Did see a stat in a Wigmore piece in the Telegraph that April has seen the highest totals for the last few years - as he reckoned it is before pitches get tired and groundsmen have no time to prepare good treks because so much cricket is played on them.

by JDizzle Thu 07 Apr 2022, 2:13 pm

Hampshire did well knocking over the Somerset tail before lunch, but the work starts now they are bowling to the top order.

by king_carlos Thu 07 Apr 2022, 2:35 pm

50 up for Nick Browne for Essex. I've said a few times but he lost form at the worst time. He'd been averaging over 40 in FC cricket for a while whilst scoring a decent number of tons. Then a few years ago his form plummeted. It'd be great if he can rediscover his best. From what I've seen of both I'd rate Browne a better bat than Lees to be honest.

Then again I'd rate Burns, Sibley and Hameed as better as well...

Nice to see Hildreth getting runs again too.

by king_carlos Thu 07 Apr 2022, 3:35 pm

Hants bring a spinner into the attack and Dawson gets Hildreth in his first over. Cracking innings from Hildreth in the circumstances though, a shame he couldn't get the ton.

by Duty281 Thu 07 Apr 2022, 3:39 pm

Michael Atherton's son, Josh De Caires, on 79* v Derbyshire. That's his first first-class fifty in just his third game.

Gloucs in a bit of difficulty v Northants at 42/4. A chance for Bracey to make a telling contribution.

by JDizzle Thu 07 Apr 2022, 3:42 pm

Duty281 wrote:Michael Atherton's son, Josh De Caires, on 79* v Derbyshire. That's his first first-class fifty in just his third game.

Gloucs in a bit of difficulty v Northants at 42/4. A chance for Bracey to make a telling contribution.

The first successful jinx of the 2022 County season! De Caires gone for 80.

by Duty281 Thu 07 Apr 2022, 6:51 pm

Centuries for Cook and Browne, but Kent fought back late on. Cook could still do a job for England. Lawrence out for 7. Hampshire set to thrash Somerset, even with Hildreth's battling 87. It's a shame Hildreth isn't ten years younger. Bracey 77* and keeping his side afloat. Surrey's game in the balance, Pope 40*, but getting county runs has never been his issue.

by JDizzle Fri 08 Apr 2022, 1:44 pm

JDizzle wrote:Somerset are missing Overton, Gregory, Davey and Leach today. That would be a top 5 County bowling attack. Coupled with inexperienced batting, it could be a rough test at Hampshire who are on top after Somerset elected to bat.

No control in the Somerset attack. Siddle has bowled 5 maidens in 14 overs, the rest have bowled 2 in 52. Need the rest of that attack back ASAP or it could be a relegation fight for the longest tenured D1 team.

by Duty281 Sat 09 Apr 2022, 6:58 pm

Lees (160*), Bracey and Foakes all getting centuries in the opening games. Been a lot of runs in these games.

by sirfredperry Sun 10 Apr 2022, 1:42 pm

Quite what Middx were doing declaring when they did is beyond me. Middx suffered a disastrous opening-match defeat last year and never really recovered.

Middx also lost a number of matches when their opponents made huge fourth-innings scores in 2021. Yes, it's a long chase for Derby but they could do it.

by Duty281 Mon 11 Apr 2022, 10:43 am

Wins for Hampshire and Nottinghamshire on the opening weekend, everywhere else was a draw. It was a brilliant comeback win for Notts, 52/4 became 534-9 dec. after Mullaney's 192 and Evison's 109, which proved to be a match-winning score.

Northants needed 299 on the final day to beat Gloucestershire, and looked to be on their way to doing it at 233/4, but a late collapse left them 265/8 and just hanging on for the draw.

I derided Leicestershire, but they also managed a draw after the last wicket pair of opener Azad (who carried his bat for a stupendous game-saving ton) and the number 11 defied Worcestershire for 26 overs.

by guildfordbat Mon 11 Apr 2022, 5:12 pm

Duty281 wrote:Wins for Hampshire and Nottinghamshire on the opening weekend, everywhere else was a draw. It was a brilliant comeback win for Notts, 52/4 became 534-9 dec. after Mullaney's 192 and Evison's 109, which proved to be a match-winning score.

Northants needed 299 on the final day to beat Gloucestershire, and looked to be on their way to doing it at 233/4, but a late collapse left them 265/8 and just hanging on for the draw.

I derided Leicestershire, but they also managed a draw after the last wicket pair of opener Azad (who carried his bat for a stupendous game-saving ton) and the number 11 defied Worcestershire for 26 overs.

Hi Duty - as you say, stupendous effort by Leics to get a draw against Worcs. Like you again though I suspect, saving a game is different from winning one and I'm not convinced Leics will achieve too many of the latter.

by JDizzle Mon 11 Apr 2022, 5:31 pm

Worcs will be gutted not to get over the line, but 18 year old left arm spinner Josh Baker took 4-51 in the fourth innings. And if he can contribute this year, it is a big hole filled in their side as they were having to muddle through with Brett D’Oliveira as their leading spinner last year!

by guildfordbat Mon 11 Apr 2022, 6:21 pm

As I tipped him as one to watch a few years ago, I thought I should get in quick and flag that Glamorgan off spinner Andrew Salter currently has the best innings return of the season. 7/45 in their Div 2 draw at home to Durham. Very Happy

Incredibly, Olly remembered my tip when Salter won MotM in last year's RL50 final although I've largely done the guy no favours with his career struggling to properly take off. He was also being used (unsuccessfully) as a makeshift opening bat against Durham.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Tue 12 Apr 2022, 9:52 am

guildfordbat wrote:As I tipped him as one to watch a few years ago, I thought I should get in quick and flag that Glamorgan off spinner Andrew Salter currently has the best innings return of the season. 7/45 in their Div 2 draw at home to Durham.

Incredibly, Olly remembered my tip when Salter won MotM in last year's RL50 final although I've largely done the guy no favours with his career struggling to properly take off. He was also being used (unsuccessfully) as a makeshift opening bat against Durham.

Guildford, I will remember #takes from the forum from 2013, but can't remember what deadlines I have coming up by the end of the week at work. I have my priorities set right Laugh

by guildfordbat Tue 12 Apr 2022, 12:23 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:
guildfordbat wrote:As I tipped him as one to watch a few years ago, I thought I should get in quick and flag that Glamorgan off spinner Andrew Salter currently has the best innings return of the season. 7/45 in their Div 2 draw at home to Durham.

Incredibly, Olly remembered my tip when Salter won MotM in last year's RL50 final although I've largely done the guy no favours with his career struggling to properly take off. He was also being used (unsuccessfully) as a makeshift opening bat against Durham.

Guildford, I will remember #takes from the forum from 2013, but can't remember what deadlines I have coming up by the end of the week at work. I have my priorities set right

Olly - totally correct application of priorities and please quote me on that at your next appraisal. Very Happy

by king_carlos Tue 12 Apr 2022, 3:42 pm

guildfordbat wrote:
Duty281 wrote:Wins for Hampshire and Nottinghamshire on the opening weekend, everywhere else was a draw. It was a brilliant comeback win for Notts, 52/4 became 534-9 dec. after Mullaney's 192 and Evison's 109, which proved to be a match-winning score.

Northants needed 299 on the final day to beat Gloucestershire, and looked to be on their way to doing it at 233/4, but a late collapse left them 265/8 and just hanging on for the draw.

I derided Leicestershire, but they also managed a draw after the last wicket pair of opener Azad (who carried his bat for a stupendous game-saving ton) and the number 11 defied Worcestershire for 26 overs.

Hi Duty - as you say, stupendous effort by Leics to get a draw against Worcs. Like you again though I suspect, saving a game is different from winning one and I'm not convinced Leics will achieve too many of the latter.

I really don't understand Azad not getting looked at by the Lions at least. Given he's made many runs in Div 2 I can understand not being parachuted into the Test side but not even a look in for the Lions surprises me.

Harry Brook was playing for the Lions in red ball cricket over the winter with a FC batting average of 28...

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Thu 14 Apr 2022, 12:13 pm

The year is 3082 - Somerset CC are 30-3

by Duty281 Thu 14 Apr 2022, 1:43 pm

Somerset and England are essentially the same team. They should join together as one - Somerland or Engset.

by king_carlos Thu 14 Apr 2022, 2:02 pm

I really don't understand Azad not getting looked at by the Somerset 2nd XI at least. Given he's made many runs in Div 2 I can understand not being parachuted into the 1s but not even a look in for the 2s surprises me.

by JDizzle Thu 14 Apr 2022, 3:20 pm

Marcus Harris FC Average - 39.54
Marcus Harris Test Average - 25.29

Averaged 54.58 in the CC last year and is 80* today.

Shan Masood FC Average - 36.14
Shan Masood Test Average - 29.31

Currently averaging 142 so far in the CC!

Maybe the pitches are fine and English batters are even worse than we thought!

by **Afro** Thu 14 Apr 2022, 6:45 pm

All square at Taunton at close. Think we should just call it a draw now Whistle

by Duty281 Thu 14 Apr 2022, 6:46 pm

Marcus Harris 136 in a total of 227ao for Gloucestershire, Shan Masood's 201* in 271 balls for Derbyshire, and Bedingham's 184* off 240 balls for Durham.

Pope also got a ton, as did Duckett, two Lancashire players got a ton, Cook's made a brisk-ish fifty...I'm not used to this heavy run-scoring in April. The County Championship has turned into the Sheffield Shield.

by JDizzle Thu 14 Apr 2022, 8:24 pm

Duty281 wrote:Marcus Harris 136 in a total of 227ao for Gloucestershire, Shan Masood's 201* in 271 balls for Derbyshire, and Bedingham's 184* off 240 balls for Durham.

Pope also got a ton, as did Duckett, two Lancashire players got a ton, Cook's made a brisk-ish fifty...I'm not used to this heavy run-scoring in April. The County Championship has turned into the Sheffield Shield.

From Tim Wigmore's piece last week... Batting Averages by Month in the CC since 2015:

April - 30.39
May - 29.05
June - 28.96
July - 28.94
August - 27.85
September - 26.18

Few reasons suggested why is batters actually get months to focus solely on red ball batting in the pre season whereas they are chopping and changing throughout the summer. Which applies to groundsmen preparing the pitch too, as they get time to focus on producing them. And when you get to the business end, teams are asking for spicier pitches if they are in title/promotion/relegation dog fights as they need wins.

Tim Murtagh reckons bowlers take a few games to hit their straps and it is actually too cold for the ball to swing in April too!

by king_carlos Fri 15 Apr 2022, 12:34 am

It's the ball as well as pitches. The recent Dukes that swing conventionally for 60 overs at times combined with seam friendly wickets just promotes medium-fast right-arm seamers who can nibble it around.

Which is pretty much the opposite of where Test match bowling is going. Seam is moving towards bowlers searching for swing less and instead aiming to bowl very accurately, at good pace, use the crease more and optimise the wobble ball. Hazlewood early in the Ashes was a prime example. He can bowl an outswinger and has many times throughout his career. His go to with the new ball is now the wobble seam rather than swing though.

I've written about it a fair so folks are likely bored of me but the wobble ball is changing cricket massively before our eyes. A fascinating period for seam bowling even if many batters are struggling to adapt.

by JDizzle Fri 15 Apr 2022, 11:53 am

Good morning for Somerset. Reduced Essex to 133-5. Poor Dan Lawrence has been absolutely stuffed on an LBW that might have just hit a set of stumps balanced on top of another set of stumps.

by Duty281 Fri 15 Apr 2022, 10:10 pm

Overton 7/57 for Somerset, and an early wicket in the fourth innings, but not enough to stop Somerset sliding to another defeat with their batting failing again. Also a good day for Parkinson - freed from the tyranny of carrying the drinks for England, he got 3/39 for Lancashire.

More runs for Azad in Division Two as he tries to rescue Leicestershire once more.

by JDizzle Sat 16 Apr 2022, 11:10 am

Essex 4/4! This is on.

by Duty281 Sat 16 Apr 2022, 11:58 am

Ah Somerset, it's never dull. 28/6!

This must be one of the lowest totals defended successfully, if Somerset pull it off.

by Duty281 Sat 16 Apr 2022, 1:12 pm

Wow, what a finish. Essex losing their ninth when the scores were tied, then Somerset narrowly missing a run-out chance which would have ended it as a tie. Tremendous effort from Overton especially, but also Siddle and Gregory. Rossington played the match-winning hand of 29*.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Sat 16 Apr 2022, 1:30 pm

Dodgy pitch at Taunton, the county season has truly begun

by JDizzle Sat 16 Apr 2022, 9:08 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Dodgy pitch at Taunton, the county season has truly begun

Surrey fans moaning about other counties. The county season has begun. County Championship 2022 Thread 1f609

Craig Overton has averaged 13.41 since 2020. I still foolishly believe he can crack international cricket.

by alfie Sun 17 Apr 2022, 8:57 am

Caught the latter stages of the Somerset-Essex game on radio : was a very exciting finish ! If rather symbolically familiar to supporters of the Cidermen...

Good day all round for the Overtons , no ?

But I do worry a bit to see all these players who regularly fail for England doing so well in the early CC games. Sort of suggests the standard might not be what it was...

by king_carlos Mon 18 Apr 2022, 1:27 am

JDizzle wrote:
Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Dodgy pitch at Taunton, the county season has truly begun

Surrey fans moaning about other counties. The county season has begun.

Craig Overton has averaged 13.41 since 2020. I still foolishly believe he can crack international cricket.

I've said it a few times but I think Overton is a fantastic swing bowler in English conditions with these recent Dukes that he has on a string. Sadly for him though England also have Anderson, Woakes, Broad and now Robinson as similarly fantastic home bowlers.

I think Overton's height lured the coaches into hoping he could offer something else outside of those conditions. That's where I've just never seen it though. If the conditions allow him to really pitch it up then he can be devastating. He just doesn't have the pace or skills outside of that to trouble Test batters when it's flatter though.

If not for those other even better home conditions bowlers I could see Overton having had a Sidebottom esque career taking around 100 Test wickets at a good average though mainly in the right conditions.

by sirfredperry Mon 18 Apr 2022, 2:59 pm

Some terrific individual performances in the first two rounds of county matches, not the least being Ben Hutton's prodigious efforts.

Glos have been involved in two exciting finishes. What Hants were doing not batting first at The Oval, I don't know. An incredible rearguard by Sussex at Derbys and a nailbiter at Taunton.

by Duty281 Thu 21 Apr 2022, 12:55 pm

Anderson's back playing county cricket, but he's gone wicketless in his seven overs this morning. Seems like another run-happy day, with the exception of Glamorgan who are 69/7 v Middlesex.

by JDizzle Thu 21 Apr 2022, 1:50 pm

Duty281 wrote:Anderson's back playing county cricket, but he's gone wicketless in his seven overs this morning. Seems like another run-happy day, with the exception of Glamorgan who are 69/7 v Middlesex.

Zero wickets combined between Anderson and Broad through two and a bit rounds of the County Championship. Maybe we all owe Strauss an apology?

by JDizzle Thu 21 Apr 2022, 1:53 pm

Sussex have used 7 bowlers in 29 overs. Lovely stuff.

by king_carlos Fri 22 Apr 2022, 5:30 pm

Ton for Josh Bohannon. That's what's missing from his relatively short F-C record so far.

by guildfordbat Fri 22 Apr 2022, 6:52 pm

170 today for Warks' Mike Burgess against Hants. His second big ton of the season. He deserves some time in the sun having battled hard to make it as a county pro.

by Duty281 Fri 22 Apr 2022, 7:15 pm

Good knock for Bohannon and not finished yet. Shan Masood notched his second straight double ton, the first Pakistani to do so in the CC.

by guildfordbat Fri 22 Apr 2022, 7:35 pm

guildfordbat wrote:170 today for Warks' Mike Burgess against Hants. His second big ton of the season. He deserves some time in the sun having battled hard to make it as a county pro.

Continuing my theme of guys who deserve some time in the sun.

A sixfer for the ever willing 'Ronnie' Barker to put Hants in a strong place against Kent.

by Duty281 Sat 23 Apr 2022, 2:29 pm

Bohannon's nudged his score past 200, first double ton of his career. Will definitely get a call up to the test side this summer.

by king_carlos Sat 23 Apr 2022, 3:03 pm

Bohannon will be further helped by usually batting at 3 too. Root can then nudge down to his more usual place at 4. Not that the move to 3 seemed to hurt his form!

3.Bohannon
4.Root
5.Stokes
6.Bairstow
7.Foakes (wk)

That'd be a largely experienced middle order for Bohannon to slip into though.

The openers are still a bombsite though. Lees to me looks like a less good, left-handed version of Sibley if I'm being brutally honest. I still rate Bracey higher as a top 3 batter. It's such a shame he was dropped into the side as keeper and batting 7 when he shouldn't have been anywhere near either of those roles.

Cricket as a whole, but especially English cricket, have long had the issue of picking players on the basis of their domestic performance in one role then asking them to play a completely different role and being surprised when it fails though. One of the best examples for England is picking seamers on their performance as opening/new ball bowlers then using them as change bowlers due to them being the 'junior' seamer.

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