Banton’s Record Knock Can’t Swing it for Somerset

The Rothesay County Championship got under way in the most glorious April sunshine, launching the summer season with a bang. And there was an important fixture at Chelmsford where two of the favourites for the title met, Essex and Surrey. The hosts chose to bat first, thrusting debutant Charlie Allison straight into action, where he made 25. But among the rest of the line-up, runs came even more easily, with Jordan Cox (117), Matt Critchley (145 not out) and Michael Pepper (109) all making centuries as Essex eventually declared on 582 for six. Champions Surrey were struggling at 180 for six in reply, but an unbeaten 92 from Ben Foakes saw them up to a total of 365, with Simon Harmer taking four for 83. The follow-on was enforced and Surrey came back out to see off the last six overs of the third day. There are few better anti-Bazball openers in the game than Dom Sibley, and his 66 off 221 balls set the tone for Surrey’s last-day defiance. In 34 overs, Harmer could eke out just one wicket and the away side earned their draw, finishing on 219 for six.

Last season’s runners-up, Hampshire, welcomed promoted Yorkshire to the Utilita Bowl, and the visitors chose to bat first, but were blown away for just 121 in 34.4 overs, with New Zealand signing Brett Hampton picking up his first wicket for his new county. Hampshire’s new skipper Ben Brown’s unbeaten 49 was the highest score achieved by players from either side in the first innings, as he helped the hosts up to 249 in reply. Adam Lyth’s 38th century (106) was the centrepiece of Yorkshire’s total of 275, leaving Hampshire to chase 148, which they managed with five wickets to spare inside three days.

Somerset are once again contenders for the title, and they showed why by dominating relegation favourites Worcestershire at Taunton. The visitors were put in to bat and mustered just 154, with Kasey Aldridge taking five for 36 in eight overs. Somerset had reached 140 for four in reply when James Rew joined Tom Banton at the crease, and by the end of the first day they had taken the score up to 187. But on the second day, everything changed: Banton added a further 260 runs in the day, taking him up to 344 not out, passing the county record score of 342 made by Justin Langer just before close. Banton and Rew (152) added a county record 371 for the fifth wicket. Early on the third day, Banton finally fell for 371, off just 403 balls, with 56 fours (only three batters had ever hit more fours in a Championship innings) and two sixes in the mix. Lewis Gregory took pity on the bowlers and declared on 670 for seven.

In their second innings, the visitors showed dogged determination and batted out 200 overs (only the eighth innings in the Championship this century to reach that landmark) to earn a draw, finishing on 485 for nine and losing just four wickets on the final day. Worcestershire’s heroes included skipper Brett D’Oliveira (121 in 340 balls), Matthew Waite (an unbeaten 87 in 319 balls) and No 11 Tom Hinley (5 not out in 44 balls). Jack Leach toiled long and hard, bowling a mammoth 65-over spell, finishing with figures of four for 107.

Newly promoted Sussex travelled up to Edgbaston, where Warwickshire chose to field first. Tom Clark, with a career-best 140, and John Simpson (181 not out) put on 200 together for the fifth wicket as the visitors went on to reach 528 all out. Tazeem Ali took three for 103 on his first-class debut, with James Coles his maiden victim. Rob Yates (115) led the reply for the hosts, for whom Kai Smith also made his first-class debut, scoring 27. The home side were eventually dismissed for 452, Jack Carson taking four for 92. With time running out, Sussex scored 313 for seven declared in their second innings, after which Warwickshire scored 104 for two in 28 overs before the game ended in a draw.

At Trent Bridge, Durham were put in to bat, and Colin Ackermann hit the first century of the summer (116) as his side reached 378. Australian recruit Fergus O’Neill took five for 81 in his debut in England. O’Neill rather let the side down with the bat, out for a duck with everyone else scoring in double figures, except for Lyndon James, who hit 125 to help Nottinghamshire up to 579 in reply. Matthew Potts finished up with four for 112. Ackermann then completed his second century of the match (124), but had scant support, seeing Durham bowled out for 289; Josh Tongue did most of the damage in his long-awaited first game for Nottinghamshire, taking five for 66. That left the hosts needing 89 for victory, and they hurried to their target for the loss of two wickets.

Two of the promotion favourites met up in the Second Division, where Lancashire travelled to Lord’s and asked Middlesex to bat first. Despite reaching 178 for two, the hosts were bowled out for 260, with Tom Aspinwall picking up four for 32. On his first-class debut, Ollie Sutton took two for 57, with Ben Geddes his first victim. Marcus Harris made an immediate impact for the Red Rose outfit, scoring 138 out of Lancashire’s reply of 359, while Middlesex’s own new overseas recruit, Zafar Gohar, chipped in with four for 79. Max Holden then turned the game in the hosts’ favour with a mammoth innings of 184 which helped his side up to a total of 407 by lunch on the final day, leaving the visitors to chase 309 in two sessions, after Tom Bailey took five for 79. As the day wore on, the tension mounted with decent partnerships followed by a tumble of wickets. With nine overs remaining, two wickets in two balls gave Middlesex a glimpse of victory, but Lancashire hung on, finishing on 262 for eight.

Lancashire’s fellow relegated side, Kent, made quick and easy work of Northamptonshire at the County Ground. The hosts chose to field first and Kent made 231, Tawanda Muyeye top-scoring with 72, while Raphael Weatherall picked up a career-best three for 32. But that total took on daunting proportions as the home side were skittled out for only 143, Jas Singh taking a career-best four for 35. Kent’s 171 in their second innings set a target of 260, but in a low-scoring game that never looked likely, and Keith Dudgeon saw to it with a career-best seven for 36 on his Kent debut in his maiden game in England, as Northamptonshire fell away again, bowled out for just 114 as Kent recorded the summer’s first win by 145 runs.

Derbyshire also won inside three days, beating Gloucestershire at home after they won the toss and chose to field first. The visitors were bowled out for 222, with Luis Reece taking six for 52. Ever-reliable skipper Wayne Madsen top-scored in Derbyshire’s reply (118), while overseas recruit Caleb Jewell took just 48 balls in making 61. All out for 391, the home side’s lead of 169 looked daunting from the start, and with Reece picking up four for 45 to give him match figures of ten for 97, there was little hope for the away side, and Ben Charlesworth’s 110 was a rare ray of light. Jewell’s 51 not out at better than a run a ball saw Derbyshire home by nine wickets as they hurried to their target of 91.

At Sophia Gardens, visitors Leicestershire asked Glamorgan to bat first and then dismissed them for 229. Lewis Hill’s 96 was the highest score in the away side’s reply, but he was one of five to pass fifty as they compiled a total of 427, despite new overseas player Asitha Fernando and Andy Gorvin both taking four wickets. Trailing by 198 runs, it was left to Kiran Carlson to play a largely lone hand in trying to avoid an innings defeat. His 113 ensured Glamorgan reached 248 all out, Ian Holland taking four for 46, to set a simple target of 51, which was achieved in six overs without loss.