English Counties high points of the season – 2013

Derbyshire

County Championship: 8^th (Div 1)

YB40: 6^th (Group B)

FLt20: 5^th (North Group)

High points: Despite being relegated from the first division of the County Championship, Captain Wayne Madsen scored 1,221 Championship runs in 2013 and as a result was rewarded with the Cricket Writers’ Club County Championship Player of the Year award. Chesney Hughes’ was another batsman who shone, with his 270 versus Yorkshire a particular highlight.

 

Durham

County Championship: 1^st (Div 1)

YB40: 4^th (Group B)

FLt20: Quarter-finals

High points: Winning the County Championship Division One. An eight-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in their penultimate fixture gave Durham an unassailable lead over nearest title-rivals Yorkshire, as they claimed their first Championship success since winning back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009. Graham Onions led the way with 70 Championship wickets, whilst Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman both made over 1,000 Championship runs.

 

Essex

County Championship: 3^rd (Div 2)

YB40: 2^nd (Group B)

FLt20: Semi-finals

High points: Success on all fronts, but the bowling of Graham Napier was a particular highlight for the Eagles.

 

Glamorgan

County Championship: 8^th (Div 2)

YB40: Runners-up

FLt20: 3^rd (Midlands, Wales & West Group)

High points: Getting to the Yorkshire Bank 40 final against Lord’s was a testament to the progress Glamorgan are making, especially as a one-day outfield. Australian overseas fast bowler Michael Hogan took 67 Championship wickets and 103 in all competitions, whilst Jim Allenby scored 1,925 runs in total across all three formats. one-day form and also took 40 wickets.

 

Gloucestershire

County Championship: 6^th (Div 2)

YB40: 4^th (Group C)

FLt20: 6^th (Midlands, Wales & West Group)

High points: Will Gidman’s remarkable performance against Leicestershire.

 

Hampshire

County Championship: 4^th (Div 2)

YB40: Semi-finals

FLt20: Semi-finals

High points: Michael Carberry’s runs.

 

Kent

County Championship: 7^th (Div 2)

YB40: 4^th (Group A)

FLt20: 5^th (South Group)

High points: In an otherwise disappointing season, it was a year of dramatic run chases for Kent. The Spitfires broke a 40-over cricket world record when they chased down the Sussex Shark’s score of 336-5 in their YB40 group stage match at Canterbury. Darren Stevens 44-ball-ton was the fastest century of the entire summer and it was his efforts, along with Sam Northeast’s maiden List A hundred, that led the Spitfires to an unlikely victory.

 

Lancashire

County Championship: 1^st (Div 2)

YB40: 3^rd (Group B)

FLt20: Quarter-finals

High points: Winning Division Two of the County Championship. The Lightning almost went the whole summer without losing a match in the domestic four-day competition, only to be undone in their final game by an incredible Darren Stevens knock (205*) as Kent chased down a mammoth 418 to end the streak. But this defeat was not enough to dampen a hugely impressive season for Lancashire in the competition.

 

Leicestershire

County Championship: 9^th (Div 2)

YB40: 5^th (Group C)

FLt20: 4^th (North Group)

High points: The form of batsman Ned Eckersley. In his most prolific season to date, the former wicket-keeper-turned-batter made 1,275 runs including four centuries and four fifties.

 

Middlesex

County Championship: 5^th (Div 1)

YB40: 3^rd (Group C)

FLt20: 4^th (South Group)

High points: Their Australian batsmen.

 

Northamptonshire

County Championship: 2^nd (Div 2)

YB40: 2^nd (Group A)

FLt20: Winners

High points: Winning the Friends Life Twenty20 competition and gaining promotion to Division One in the County Championship. David Willey’s blistering 60 from just 27 balls got the Steelbacks off to a flyer at Edgbaston against Surrey, before one-day captain Alex Wakely (59*) and overseas-Aussie Cameron White (54*) steered their team to a formidable total of 194-2. David Willey’s hat-trick sealed the deal as Northants bowled Surrey out for just 92 to claim their first domestic t20 title.

 

Nottinghamshire

County Championship: 7^th (Div 1)

YB40: Winners

FLt20: Quarter-finals

High points: Winning the Yorkshire Bank 40-over competition. Having topped Group A with an impressive record of nine wins and three losses, the Outlaws blew away Somerset’s batsmen in the semi-final, bowling Marcus Trescothick’s men out for just 119. In the final, Glamorgan put up a significantly better fight, however, Notts conquered thanks to a 99-run fifth-wicket partnership between veteran skipper Chris Read and experienced overseas David Hussey. The Outlaws total of 244-8 proved to be too many for Glamorgan, who were bowled out for 157, with Samit Patel, Stuart Broad and Ajmal Shahzad taking three wickets apiece.

 

Somerset

County Championship: 6^th (Div 1)

YB40: Semi-finals

FLt20: Quarter-finals

High points: The performances of their young Englishman.

 

Surrey

County Championship: 9^th (Div 1)

YB40: 5^th (Group B)

FLt20: Runners-up

High points: Reaching the Friends Life Twenty20 final was a fantastic achievement for Surrey, although everyone connected with the club will have been largely disappointed with the overall outcome of the season. In a season in which Surrey almost had more overseas players than victories, the Oval-boys won just one Championship match all summer and were subsequently relegated. Thus, their t20 performances, plus eighteen-year-old Dom Sibley’s outstanding 242 in their final game, shows there is hope for the future.

 

Sussex

County Championship: 3^rd (Div 1)

YB40: 3^rd (Group A)

FLt20: 6^th (South Group)

High points: Their County Championship season.

 

Warwickshire

County Championship: 4^th (Div 1)

YB40: 7^th (Group A)

FLt20: 4^th (Midlands, Wales & West Group)

High points: The emergence of their home-grown talent.

 

Worcestershire

County Championship: 5^th (Div 2)

YB40: 5^th (Group A)

FLt20: 5^th (Midlands, Wales & West Group)

High points: The efforts of two men: Moeen Ali and Alan Richardson. Ali scored more runs than any player in Division Two of the County Championship (1,375) and amassed over 2,000 runs in all forms of cricket. He also chipped in with 55 wickets and has subsequently been called up to the England Performance Squad for their winter tour of Australia. As for Richardson, the 38-year-old seamer took 68 Championship wickets at 19.83, including career-best figures of 8-37 against Gloucestershire.

 

Yorkshire

County Championship: 2^nd (Div 1)

YB40: 6^th (Group C)

FLt20: 6^th (North Group)

High points: Scoring a mountain of runs to finish a deserved second in the County Championship Division One. Remarkably eight different Yorkshire batsman made Championship hundreds in 2013 (plus, Kiwi-overseas Kane Williamson fell just short, making 97 against Sussex) with three of those batters (Joe Root, Alex Lees and Andrew Gale) made double-centuries. Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance have all since been selected in the touring party for the Ashes Down Under this winter, whilst Lees will also travel with the Performance squad.

English FLt20 XI: A team of players to watch in this year’s competition

 

1. Michael Carberry – Hampshire Royals – T20 average: 27.66 – SR: 112.92

The former Surrey and Kent man looked in supreme touch on Wednesday night against his former team, as his 60 off 45 balls drove  the Royals on to an easy win. His innings exemplified all his t20 qualities, as Carberry displayed a 360̊ degree range of shots. His breath of powerful strokes should stand him in good stead at the top of the order, as Hampshire look to retain the title that they won last season. Yet to make a century in t20 cricket, could this be Carberry’s year?

 

2. Dawid Malan – Middlesex Panthers – T20 average: 30.42 – SR: 117.58

Aggressive left-handed batsman Malan has had a huge amount of success in the 20-over format over the past few years, with his most noteworthy performance a magnificent 103 off just 51 balls against Lancashire in 2008. Although he has spent much of this season in the second XI, he returned with 58* against the Unicorns in the YB40 last week and will be a key component in the Panthers batting line-up at the top of the order alongside Paul Sterling and Joe Denly.

 

3. Luke Wright – Sussex Sharks – T20 batting average: 26.31 – SR: 147.02; T20 bowling average: 32.22 – Econ: 8.41/over

England all-rounder Wright has become something of a t20 mercenary over the past few seasons, with stints in the IPL, Big Bash and BPL; however, this fact simply expresses what a fine player t20 player he is. A destructive top-order batsman in the shortest form of the game, Wright’s success often comes from hitting over the top and taking full advantage of the powerplay fielding restrictions. Also a handy seamer, his ability to mix it up and bowl yorkers makes him a reliable death bowler. The Sussex man is in stunning form with the bat, having scored 115 off 61 balls against Kent in the YB40 last week, so expect him to shine for the Sharks this year.

 

4. Owais Shah – Essex Eagles – T20 average: 33.83 – SR: 127.44

Essex batsman Shah is an extremely experienced performer in the t20 format, who like Luke Wright, has played 20-over cricket all around the globe. Formerly a regular international for England in ODI cricket, Shah has the ability to make quick runs in the middle-order, using his wristy technique to powerfully manoeuvre the ball to all corners of the ground. His average and strike-rate show what an exquisite limited overs player he is, and Essex will need Shah to be on top form if they are to qualify out of the competition’s tricky south group.

 

5. Gary Ballance – Yorkshire Vikings – T20 average: 26.14 – SR: 121.78

Zimbabwe-born batsman Gary Balance is a player showing huge potential and England’s decision to call the 23-year-old into their t20 squad for the series against New Zealand shows just how highly this young man is rated. He toured Australia with the Lions this winter, having excelled in domestic limited-overs cricket last season. He also topped the List A averages for county Yorkshire in 2012 and scored two half-centuries in the Champions League. Big things are to come from this young man.

 

6. Darren Stevens – Kent Spitfires – T20 batting average: 30.20 – SR: 132.83; T20 bowling average: 23.91 – Econ: 7.49/over

Stevens scored the fastest century of the summer so far last week, with a breathtaking 44-ball ton as the Spitfires achieved a world-record run chase against the Sussex Sharks at Canterbury. Ever since his arrival from Leicestershire in 2004, Stevens has been a critical member of the Kent team in all three forms of the game. He has scored over 10,000 runs in first-class cricket and with 2852 t20 runs to date, he is also the most prolific 20-over run scorer on the county cricket scene. Also a more than useful seam bowler, Stevens’ all-round contribution will be vital for the Spitfires this campaign.

 

7. Craig Kieswetter – Somerset – T20 batting average: 27.63 – SR: 120.59; T20 catches: 50 –  stumpings: 17

South-African born wicket-keeper batsman Kieswetter will be hoping that 2013 could be his year. Having lost his place in the England ODI and T20 teams to team mate Jos Buttler, Kieswetter will be hoping to showcase his ability with both bat and gloves in this year’s FLt20, in order to re-stake his claim for his old England spot. His batting relies heavily on his ball striking capabilities and ability to hit over the infield during the powerplay overs, which he did to great effect when he was part of the England team that won the ICC World Twenty20 back in 2010. Somerset are favourites with the bookies to win this year’s FLt20 and the Trescothick-Trego-Kiewswetter combination at the top of their line-up will play a key role.

 

8. Graham Napier – Essex Eagles – T20 batting average: 15.20 – SR: 142.83; T20 bowling Average: 21.29 – Econ: 7.34/over

When it comes to limited-overs cricket, Napier is never too far away from the spotlight. Widely known for his explosive batting performances in t20 cricket, in particular his world-record 152* against Sussex in 2008 when he hit a mammoth 16 sixes, it is his bowling that has helped him make the headlines this year. He took 4 wickets in 4 balls in a YB40 match against Surrey, to finish with figures of 7-32 and Napier also recently took 7-90 in a LVCC Div 2 County Championship game against Leicestershire. He also currently tops the four-day batting averages for his county, having scored 556 runs at an average of 61.78 so far this season, including five fifties and a ton. Napier is a man in serious form.

 

9. James Tredwell – Kent Spitfires – T20 bowling average: 27.72 – Econ: 7.22/over

Kent skipper Tredwell has had a fantastic year, finally breaking thorough into the international side in place of the injured Graeme Swann and also taking over the Spitfires captaincy from former-England batsman Rob Key. Tredwell’s strong showings in the international team have earned him rave reviews from captain Alastair Cook and he has also become a real favourite with the England fans’ too. The off-spinner relies on his consistency, control and subtle variations to out think the opposing batsman, and as a handy batsman and slip fielder, providing Swann is fit enough to play in the Ashes, Tredwell will play a massive role in the Spitfires t20 campaign this summer.

 

10. Jamie Overton – Somerset – List A bowling average: 22.83 – Econ: 5.95/over

Although he has yet to play a t20 match for his county Somerset, many will be expecting young Jamie Overton to make his mark on the competition this season. As one of the most exciting young seam bowlers in the county, Overton has been regularly reaching speeds of over 90mph this season…and he’s only 19!! With 24 championship wickets to date this season, Somerset will be hoping that their Devon-born quick can have a similar impact in the t20 format.

 

11. Boyd Rankin – Warwickshire Bears – T20 bowling average: 17.96 – Econ: 5.60/over

Former Ireland international Rankin made his t20 debut for England this week, having previously played in 52 ODI internationals for the country of his birth. The Derry-born paceman is now targeting more international honours over the next few years for England, and an impressive showing in this season’s FLt20 competition would help to further stake his claim for an Ashes spot. Thus far in his domestic t20 career he has taken 29 wickets in 26 matches, at a very impressive economy rate of just 5.60 runs an over, so expect the six-foot-seven seamer to be cause difficulties for batsman at both ends of the innings this year.