The Reverse Sweep

County Championship XI of the week #11

The Championship returned at long last, but the weather was just as bad as when the Friends Life T20 interrupted proceedings at the start of June, but we still managed (just) to cobble together an XI of the week...

Andrew Strauss (Middlesex) - Scored 50 out of his side's dismal 1st innings total of 98 and then demonstrated he is ready for the South Africans with an unbeaten 127 against Notts at Uxbridge.

Joe Root (Yorkshire) - Many believe the young Yorkshireman is the heir apparent to Strauss at the top of the order of England's Test side and a classy unbeaten career best 222 at Southampton certainly confirmed his candidature.

Kevin Pietersen (Surrey) - Amidst the soap opera of the has he or hasn't he retired from limited overs international cricket, KP's rare foray into county cricket produced a quite stunning 234 not out off just 190 balls against the county champions at Guildford. 

Steven Croft (Lancashire) - Hit a career best 154 not out at Guildford but was ultimately overshadowed by the rain and Pietersen's remarkable innings.

Jim Allenby (Glamorgan) - Steered his side to their first win of the season and lifted them off the bottom of Division 2 with a brisk half century at Northampton as the Welsh side successfully chased down 351.

Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) - Struck his fifth fifty plus score of the season to put his side in the ascendancy at Uxbridge before the rain fell again. 

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) - Hit his third hundred in eight Championship innings to help secure maximum batting points at Edgbaston and then added three wickets to lift Warwickshire to the top of Division 1. 

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) - Took his tally of Championship wickets for the season to 46 (at just 15.5) with a six wicket 1st innings haul at Uxbridge before the rain prevented Notts from going clear at the top of Division 1. 

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) - Not for the first time this season the rain fell on Edgbaston, but the New Zealander's five for 77 at least ensured maximum bowling points for his side.

Tim Murtagh (Middlesex) - Grabbed four wickets at Uxbridge to take his season's tally to 34 at 25.

Reece Topley (Essex) - The 18 year old future England Test bowler took three of the four wickets to fall as rain ruined the first part of the Cheltenham Festival.

Where next?

Read our previous County Championship XI's of the week

Kevin Pietersen's retirement from limited-overs cricket: the case for the defence

Hedley Verity - a proper hero with 'no breaking point'

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

We Need To Talk About Durham - we really do

We were reminded last weekend by an amused Lancashire supporting friend that we predicted Durham would be County Champions prior to the start of the season.

Given that his tottering champions had just registered the first victory of their faltering campaign at Chester-le-Street of all places to leave my tip languishing at the bottom of Division 1 he was particularly sarcastic and downright irritating in his sanctimonious baiting.

But we grudgingly did concede that he had a point. Our prediction was up there with Neville Chamberlain's on his return from Berlin in 1938 when he confidently declared 'peace in our time' after supposedly securing guarantees from Adolf Hitler that he had no intention of invading any other territories in Eastern Europe.

So, the trials and tribulations of Durham's puzzlingly disastrous start to the season seemed as good a topic as any for our latest piece for All Out Cricket's sparklingly good website.

Of course since then Durham have had the better of a tight clash with the previously indestructible Warwickshire and given good weather and a strong final day could finally register their first win of the season. Durham's position has been created by two typically battling innings by Paul Collingwood - a player whose struggles we highlighted in our piece and a five wicket haul from Chris Rushworth - a bowler we failed to mention.

Irrespectively, we still believe that We Need To Talk About Durham.

Where next? 

The Plan by Steve James | Book review

Cricket heroes: Paul Collingwood

County Championship XI of the week

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County Championship XI of the week #9

Paul Horton (Lancashire) - Whilst Joe Root's hundred at Northampton was a more classy knock, Horton carried his bat in a 225 minute rearguard for 49 not out, enabled others to play around him and secured his side a lead that finally led to the reigning champions breaking their duck for the season.

Michael Thornely (Leicestershire) - Overcame the disappointment of missing his maiden first-class ton by three runs in the 1st innings to secure it second time around to frustrate Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Nick Compton (Somerset) - The weather may have prevented him from reaching the Holy Grail of 1,000 first-class runs by the end of May, but achieving the milestone just one day late with his fourth ton of the season was still a mightily impressive feat for the grandson of the Brylcreem Boy.

Marcus North (Glamorgan) - Sublime hundred helped Glamorgan - the Australian's sixth county - top 550 at Cardiff even if it did provide an impressive template for Thornely and Eckersley to emulate shortly after.

Alex Gidman (Gloucestershire) - The captain stroked 129 as high-flying Derbyshire were surprisingly downed at Bristol.

Ben Stokes (Durham) - A first championship ton of the season set up a tremendous match at Chester-le-Street and demonstrated that the talented youngster's star is going in the other direction from that of his rapidly fading bottom of the table side.

Ned Eckersley (Leicestershire) - A career best 137 not out saw the keeper add 245 in 88 overs with Thornely and earn his side a draw at Cardiff.

Will Gidman (Gloucestershire) - Why settle for one Gidman brother in the XI when you can have two? Will took four for 29 to skittle Derbyshire for 95 and then after Alex's hundred followed up with four more in the 2nd innings at Bristol.

Luke Proctor (Lancashire) - A maiden first-class five for saw Durham shot out for just 102 in the basement battle at Chester-le-Street. Three more when the home side batted for the second time helped the champions finally record a first win of the campaign.

Kyle Hogg (Lancashire) - Grabbed four wickets as the support act to Proctor and as he did several times last season added vital runs with the bat - 33 in the 1st innings to earn a decent lead and a quickfire 13 not out to beat Onions and the clock in the nick of time as the match came to a tumultuous end.

Graham Onions (Durham) - A career best eleven for 95 was still not enough to foil Lancashire, but his season record of 34 wickets at 12.61 and a strike rate of 29.7 plus the fact he is a more like-for-like replacement for the rested Anderson means he could earn his first Test cap for two and a half years at Edgbaston later this week.

Where next?

The Holy Grail, Nick Compton, Indiana Jones and the dastardly Graeme Hick

Read our previous County Championship weekly XIs

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northants and Yorkshire

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County Championship of the week #7

Paul Horton (Lancashire) - Seven and a half hour vigil saved Lancashire from defeat at Edgbaston. It was his first hundred in the Championship for two years and could prove a turning point in the champions faltering defence of their title.

Wayne Madsen (Derbyshire) - The skipper struck his second ton of the season as Division 2's surprise packet beat Glamorgan to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (Leicestershire) - Whilst the West Indies top order struggled at Lord's the man with 15 Test tons made hay at Grace Road with innings of 117 and 98 against Essex.

Simon Katich (Hampshire) - Australia's loss, Hampshire's gain and Yorkshire's pain as Michael Clarke's favourite ex-team mate stroked 196 and 61 not out at Headingley.

James Hildreth (Somerset) - High-class hundred gave Somerset the early initiative in a highly competitive and entertaining draw at The Oval. 

Michael Bates (Hampshire) - Purists have raved about his high-quality keeping, but could he improve with the bat? A maiden hundred at Headingley suggests he can - see also Our County XI to watch in 2012.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) - No wickets in the draw with Lancashire, but his fine year with the bat continued with a second championship ton of the season at Edgbaston. 

David Wainwright (Derbyshire) - Took a five wicket second innings haul at Derby to put his side into a winning position against Glamorgan.

Stuart Meaker (Surrey) - Brought his side storming back into the match at The Oval with a second innings haul of eight for 52 and grabbed 11 in the match.

David Masters (Essex) - Last season's leading wicket taker grabbed six first innings Leicestershire wickets in the draw at Grace Road. 

Monty Panesar (Sussex) - Took five wickets and probably deserved more in 37 probing overs at New Road.

Where next?

Our County Championship predictions - Thank God for Yorkshire

Hedley Verity - a proper hero with 'no breaking point'

Read our previous County Championship weekly XIs

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Our County Championship predictions - Thank God for Yorkshire

Can there be a league competition anywhere in the world, in any sport that is more dificult to predict than English cricket's County Championship? We doubt it.

Last season we confidently tipped that Warwickshire and Lancashire would be fighting a relegation battle rather than ending up dualling for the title on the final day.

This year we may even have surpassed that ignominious prediction given that our title tip Durham are floundering at the bottom of Division 1 with their batsmen suffering a collective lapse of form that make Ian Bell's struggles in the winter against Saeed Ajmal seem mild in comparison.

To compound our error, the team that we predicted would be battling it out with Durham for the title were, yes you've guessed it, Lancashire. We should have known that one title every 77 years is quite enough.

The weather hasn't helped and there is still plenty of time left, but in Division 1 at least we can probably already resign ourselves to the fact that we won't be cashing in our chips come September.

Whilst we are clearly appalling tipsters, it is still evident that trying to predict what is going to happen in the County Championship is even more difficult than picking the winning lottery numbers or trying to work out what will happen with the Euro crisis.

Thank God then for Yorkshire - and it's not often we find ourselves saying that. Despite the club doing as much a possible to shoot itself in the foot - chasing Ajmal Shahzad over the Pennines into the grateful arms of Lancashire and making Mitchell Starc go around the world one more time than Phileas Fogg - on the field at least they are justifying our tip that they would win Division 2. Chasing 400 to win at Bristol last weekend was mighty impressive indeed. 

But with Colin Graves armed and dangerous, we are sure that Yorkshire's promotion charge still has plenty of time to come off the rails yet.

Where next?

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northants and Yorkshire

County Championship of the week #6

Another 'bloody disgrace' at Yorkshire

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Another 'bloody disgrace' at Yorkshire

Life is rarely boring at Yorkshire and whilst chairman Colin Graves will doubtless try and pass the buck, he has presided over a right royal mess over the last week.

The bizarre release of the immensely talented Ajmal Shahzad is puzzling. Whilst according to Graves, he is a bit of a loose cannon and has a high opinion of himself, Yorkshire can ill afford to lose a player of Shahzad's ability. To lose him to bitter rivals Lancashire is to put it frankly embarrassing. 

It would be harder to find stronger personalities than the likes of Fred Trueman, Brian Close, Raymond Illingworth and Geoff Boycott - one has to wonder if Graves could have coped with this famous quartet of Yorkshire greats.

If the Shahzad situation wasn't bad enough, his short term replacement Mitchell Starc has had to fly back to Australia after being deported due to a visa error, which meant he was unable to get past UK customs. Graves quickly tried to put the blame on Cricket Australia, but surely Yorkshire should have ensured that Starc's paperwork was correct before he was allowed to board his flight.

In the wake of Yorkshire's relegation last season, Graves launched a very public attack on his players where amongst other criticisms, he said the squad were a 'bloody disgrace'. We're sure that many Yorkshire fans are probably using those exact words to describe Graves after the events of the last week. As Chairman, he has to take responsibility.

A bewildered Starc tweeted "Well that's a first! Being deported from England.. Surely nothing else can go wrong can it?!?!". Given that he is about to join Yorkshire - seemingly run by the cricket equivalent of Blackburn's owners Venky's, he probably hasn't seen anything yet.

Where next?

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

The mystery of Ajmal Shazad's sacking solved

County Championship XI of the week #5

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County Championship XI of the week #5

Matthew Boyce (Leicestershire) – Hit a defiant near six hour ton as his side followed on against Yorkshire but was ultimately unable to prevent an innings defeat at Headingley.

Alviro Petersen (Essex) – Made a triumphant return to Cardiff with 145 out of a first innings total of 259, although rain denied him victory over his former team mates.

Joe Denly (Middlesex) – His promising start at Middlesex continued with 134 to help set up a win over Worcestershire at Lord’s – see also Our County XI to watch in 2012

Ian Bell (Warwickshire) – 2012 had thus far been an annus horribilis, but his 120 on a difficult Edgbaston pitch where the next best score was 45 not only helped his side win again but proved the old adage true of form being temporary and class being permanent.

Kane Williamson (Gloucestershire) – The overseas star saved his side from defeat with a patient and classy 128 after his side had followed on at Derby.

Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire) – Helped the Yorkshire faithful forget Ajmal Shahzad with 182 brisk runs to set up the win at Headingley and underline his credentials as a candidate for the number six spot in the Test side should the selectors choose to look beyond Ravi Bopara.

Anthony McGrath (Yorkshire) – Made an impressive start to his reinvention as an all-rounder batting down the order with an innings of 90 and four for 21 to help enforce the follow-on against Leicestershire.

Keith Barker (Warwickshire) – Took his maiden ten wicket haul as Durham were thumped at Edgbaston to set the early pace in the running for the Most Improved Player of the Season award.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) – Broad, Swann and Anderson were all on show at Old Trafford, but Adams upstaged them all with a first innings seven for 32 to wrest the initiative from the title holders and then three more to wrap things up and continue Nottinghamshire’s and his flying start to the season.

David Willey (Northamptonshire) – Brought his side’s depressing start to the season to an end with eight wickets as Hampshire were put to the sword at Northampton.

Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire) – His side may have made a disastrous start to the defence of their crown but the left arm spinner continues to impress and his seven wickets in the defeat to Notts suggests he at least will enjoy the move back to Old Trafford.

Where next?

Read our previous County Championship XIs

The mystery of Ajmal Shazad's sacking solved

An XI of cricketers who also played in the FA Cup Final

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The mystery of Ajmal Shazad's sacking solved

Perplexed? So were we. Just what made Yorkshire jettison the bowler that only last week coach Jason Gillespie described as "a fantastic bowler"? We've been investigating the possible reasons here at the Reverse Sweep.

Secret Texts

In a routine check on Shahzad's mobile phone, several congratulatory texts sent to Lancashire players in wake of their championship triumph last September were discovered and brought to the attention of Colin Graves. The chairman concluded it was a "bloody disgrace" and immediately reached for his axe.

Names

As a proud Englishman, Graves had previously presented Shahzad with an ultimatum to change his christian name on account of the wreckage caused to England's batting over the winter by one Saeed Ajmal. Shahzad refused - et voilà.

Upsetting Sir Geoffrey

It is little known that Shahzad is a bit of a prankster and an expert computer hacker. Having surreptitiously gained access to new Yorkshire president Geoffrey Boycott's iPad, Shahzad uploaded a virus, which meant that every time Boycott tried to open an application, a replay of that fearsome over to Boycott in 1981 from Michael Holding played. This proved too much for Boycott, who still bears the psychological scars and sticks of rhubarb to this day. 

Enraging Bres

Not content with incurring the wrath of Boycott, Shahzad frustrated by the knowledge that Tim Bresnan would be given the new ball at Scarborough against Leicestershire, was caught out enacting Tanya Aldred's witty line in this year's Wisden that Bresnan "still has the air of a man with an emergency cheese sandwich in his back pocket". Shahzad was caught red handed by his irate team mate with a baguette filled with camembert in one hand and Bresnan's cricket whites in the other.

Mind the hair

Shahzad could normally have counted on the support of his usual new ball partner Ryan Sidebottom, but an hour before being apprehended by Bresnan, he had been exposed as the culprit who sabotaged Sidebottom's beloved curling tongs during last week's numerous rain breaks at Chelmsford.

Morgan's solitary friend

Never ones to like a scab, Yorkshire's players were furious when they discovered that Shahzad was the only one of their number to have registered his support in the recently published survey by the Professional Cricketers' Association of the Morgan Report.

Dizzy

The final straw was when Shahzad's last supporter - Gillespie - finally tired of Shahzad humming the irritating early nineties tune by Vic Reeves and The Wonder Stuff whenever he was in his presence.

Don't believe any other rubbish you might hear.

Where next?

County Championship XI of the week #4

County Championship 2012 Preview: Division 2 - Yorkshire

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship XI of the week #4

We doubt whether this much rain fell in the first four days of the flood that followed Noah's inaugural launching of the Ark. At this rate, Noah may have to find some room for cricketers to go in two by two also.

As such, picking an XI this week, has proved somewhat challenging, but here goes: 

Varun Chopra (Warwickshire) - The man who started last season at warp speed with double hundreds in each of his first two matches has started a bit slower this time - but a good hundred at Hove means he must have been close to Lions selection.

Michael Carberry (Hampshire) - Made his way to a classy unbeaten 84 at the Rose Bowl before being left stranded by the deluge.

Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire) - Made up for the fact that his appearances in the Warwickshire line-up will be rarer than him hitting a six, with a 400 minute 178 at Hove - that was a full 178 runs more than managed by his England colleague Ian Bell.

Steven Croft (Lancashire) - They may have won the title last season, but hundreds were a bit of a rarity for Lancashire with only seven being recorded. Croft's 113 at Taunton was the Red Rose's first of 2012.

Brendan Nash (Kent) - Whilst his former West Indies team mates - the redoubtable Shivnarine Chanderpaul aside - struggled against Australia's bowlers, Kent's overseas import has made an immediate impact and made his way to an unbeaten 132 against Yorkshire before the rain.

Liam Dawson (Hampshire) - Originally a promising left-arm spinner, before moving up to open last season. Could figures of five for 29 against Leicestershire have rekindled his reputation as a twirler?   All-rounder status may well await.

Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire) - Forgotten England keeper - yes, he really does have 10 Test caps to his name - scored 75 against his former county as Warwickshire piled on the runs at Hove.

Mat Coles (Kent) - A hugely impressive start to the season with bat and ball continued with four for 70 against Yorkshire at Canterbury and has resulted in a call-up for the Lions and his third appearance in our XI of the season.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) - Yet another five wicket haul for Notts' main weapon with the ball as he targets 60 championship wickets for the third successive season.

Jack Brooks (Northamptonshire) - Only 27 overs were possible in the match, but Brooks still had enough time to impress with four for 22 to put Essex on the rack at Chelmsford.  

Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire) - Robin Hood used to rob from the rich to give to the poor - Nottinghamshire rob repeatedly from Grace Road and Gurney's four for 40 at New Road, suggests that he could prove yet another good steal.

Where next?

A mention in Wisden? Surely not...

County Championship XI of the week #3

County Championship XI of the week #2

County Championship XI of the week #1

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Retaining the County Championship isn't easy...

Just ask Lancashire.

You'd have thought that having finally won the big prize in County Cricket after a famine of biblical magnitude lasting 77 years, trying to make it two in a row would be a bit of a breeze.

But Champions are there to be shot down - little Wigan did the same to mighty Manchester United just a couple of days ago - and Lancashire will have to get used to the other eight teams in Division 1 trying that little bit harder against them this season.

The first on-field day of their defence did not provide a good omen. Facing Sussex (coincidently the Reverse Sweep's County and perhaps more relevantly the team they faced in their first match of last season), they were skittled for 124. That would be like Alex Ferguson's side conceding three goals at home in the first 25 minutes of their first game of the season.

They've still got three days to bounce back and having seen England lose a Test match only a few months ago after bowling Pakistan out on the first day for 99, but one thing's for sure Lancashire won't be beating Sussex this time by an innings at Aigburth. And we're mighty pleased about that.

Where next?

County Championship XI of the week #1

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Glen Chapple

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

Last year we selected ten players to watch at the outset of the season and with the exception of Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid, for once our predictions proved pretty accurate. This year, we've opted to name an XI to shine.

Joe Denly (Middlesex, Age 26, First-Class batting average 34.47): Seemed to be the next man in line when he broke into the England limited overs side in the summer of 2009, but then suffered a long barren run until a resurgence in form in the second half of last summer. A change of scenary at Lord's may well add impetous to the revival. 

Joe Root (Yorkshire, 21, 35.03): Impressed many shrewd observers in his rookie season and is a good bet to develop further in his sophomore year. Of all the young batsmen in County Cricket, it is Root who appears to have the assurance, technique and resoluteness required to be a potential successor to Andrew Strauss when he eventually makes way at the top of the order in the Test side.   

James Taylor (Nottinghamshire, 22, 50.38): Looks as classy as a first-class average of 50 would suggest. The move from Grace Road will give him and the England selectors an opportunity to see how he fares against Division 1 bowling attacks. The number six spot in the Test side is up for grabs and a good debut season at Trent Bridge could end with Taylor filling the role.

James Vince (Hampshire, 21, 31.91): Has a look of Michael Vaughan with his classical, upright and attacking style, but has thus far failed to demonstrate the consistent returns his obvious talent would justify. A season in the company of Simon Katich at the Rose Bowl could be just what the young buck needs. 

Tom Maynard (Surrey, 23, 30.98): Made the great leap forward in his first season at The Oval with 1,000 runs in Division 2 at 40 and with three hundreds. An aggressive, fast-scoring batsman who is a good outside bet for England's squad to defend the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September.

Ben Stokes (Durham, 20, bat - 43.64, ball - 37.35): One of our ones to watch in 2010 and 2011, Stokes justified our faith by making a storming start to last season before injury ruled him out for six weeks in mid-summer. Has averaged over 40 with the bat in the last two years and continues to improve with the ball. Just don't call him the new Andrew Flintoff - not yet, anyway.

Adil Rashid (Yorkshire, 24, bat 34.09, ball 34.46): Had a poor 2011 and his progress seems to have stalled, but it must be remembered that this leg spinner is still only 24 and already has 280 first-class wickets under his belt. Whispers of a poor work ethic and inability to develop persist, but we're backing him to come good eventually - a much improved 2012 would be a good start.    

Michael Bates (Hampshire, 21, 15.57): Many including James Foster have raved about his glovework, which is a good enough recommendation for us. However, the young keeper will need to improve significantly on his batting average otherwise like Foster and Chris Read before him a long international career will elude him. 

Stuart Meaker (Surrey, 23, ball 30.07, bat 16.17): Very fast and extremely impressive in Surrey's promotion winning side last season. So much so, that he earned a call up to England's one day squad for the ill fated series in India. With Surrey's potentially lethal attack likely to make a big splash in Division 1, this South African bowler is a good bet for further international honours. 

Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire, 21, ball 24.32): Emerged from the shadow of Gary Keedy to devastating effect by taking nine for 51 in the penultimate game of last season to keep Lancashire's Championship hopes alive. Could well become the first-choice spinner as his side seek to defend their title.   

Reece Topley (Essex, 18, ball 23.55): The 6' 7" bowler took to first-class cricket like a duck to water with 14 wickets in his first three championship matches last season and looks to be a thrilling prospect. With prodigies like Topley around, England's selectors really could be forgiven for believing that fast bowlers grow on English oak trees.

Where next?

Our 2011 County Cricket players to watch - Who graduated and who didn't?

Our 10 to watch in 2011: Adam Lyth, Jade Dernbach,  Rory Hamilton-Brown, Samit Patel, Alex Hales, Danny Briggs, Ben Stokes, James Harris, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent

2011 County Cricket Review: including Heroes of the Season, Best and Worst XIs, and a whole host of other nonsense

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship 2012 Preview: Division 1 - Lancashire

Champions after a positively biblical 77 year long famine - can Lancashire repeat the trick in 2012?

Strengths

In 2011 shrewd management and an impressive never-say-die spirit helped an unusually starless Lancashire side be far greater than the sum of its parts. Talismanic skipper Glen Chapple, Kyle Hogg, Sajid Mahmood and the odd cameo from James Anderson are a mighty fine seam quartet. This is backed up by old stager Gary Keedy and new hand Simon Kerrigan in the spin department. The acquisition of Ashwell Prince for the whole season (notwithstanding the possibility of a call-up to the South African squad touring England this summer) could prove crucial in the final reckoning.

Weaknesses

Whilst the likes of Stephen Moore, Paul Horton, Karl Brown and Stephen Croft are dependable enough with the bat only the first two topped 1,000 Championship runs in 2011 (and then only by 13 and 40 runs respectively), so the Champions appear to lack heavy scorers. Perhaps more pertinent is that retaining the Championship is extremely difficult. 

Main man

It will be interesting to see how Prince shapes up and the extent of Kerrigan's development as a potential England bowler, but it is the redoubtable Glen Chapple that has to take centre stage - he was inspirational as leader of the 2011 side and has taken 231 championship wickets at 21.16 in the last five seasons. If he can stay fit (and that is a big 'if') then a repeat of last season's triumph can not be ruled out.   

Look out for

How a return to their Old Trafford home affects their chances. How many times will Lancashire be foiled by the notoriously poor Manchester weather or a benign pitch?

Prediction

2nd - Will go close to retaining their crown, but will fall just a little bit short in the final reckoning.

Where next?

Read our Division 1 previews: Durham, Lancashire, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Division 2 previews: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northants and Yorkshire

2011 County Cricket Review: including Heroes of the Season, Best and Worst XIs, and a whole host of other nonsense

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Glen Chapple

County Championship 2011 Preview - Lancashire 

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Cricket memories of 2011: Lancashire win the County Championship

The famine had lasted  apositively biblical 77 years. 

The last time that Lancashire had won the County Championship outright was 1934. That was the year some bloke with a Charlie Chaplin comedy moustache was made Führer of Germany and enacted the Night of the Long Knives, blonde bombshell Brigitte Bardot was born and England relinquished the Ashes they had won in the Bodyline series just 18 months before.

In short, it had been a bloody long time.

Confidence cannot have been high at Old Trafford at the outset of the season, but an unfancied bunch of local lads defied the odds and did what their illustrious predecessors who had worn the Red Rose for several generations couldn’t to take the title in a thrilling final-day climax at Taunton.

Victory was all the sweeter because renovations at Old Trafford had forced them to play their home matches at outgrounds – mostly Aigburth – and best of all their triumph coincided with the relegation of bitter rivals Yorkshire.

One of the features of Lancashire’s success was the fact that it was a team effort, but the coaching of Peter Moores, runs of Stephen Moore, the spin combination of Keedy and Kerrigan and the wickets of Kyle Hogg warrant special mention. Most of all though it was the captain Glen Chapple who best epitomised the team’s spirit with his 55 wickets at under 20 and useful runs coming despite him effectively having one leg thanks to continual injury problems.

Links to some of our stories about Lancashire’s remarkable triumph follow and if you want to relive the season, you could do a lot worse than purchasing  “Champions... About Bloomin' Time”, which celebrates their glorious season.

Where next?

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Glen Chapple

The Reverse Sweep's County Cricket 2011 Awards

County Championship Division 1 XI of the season

A Year To Forget: County Championship Flops XI of the season

Predicting the County Championship and a bucket load of rotten tomatoes

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Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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The Reverse Sweep's County Cricket 2011 Awards

 
The last post of our 2011 County Cricket Review sees the prizes (and wooden spoons) handed out:

Best Team

Surrey won promotion to Division 1 and lifted the CB40, whilst Worcestershire defied the odds and the loss of their first six games to stay up - ditching the yo-yo tag into the process, but Lancashire have to take this for finally breaking their 77 year duck. They may have not had the strongest side on paper, but they did where it counted - on the pitch.

See also: 10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

Worst Team

Leicestershire may have finished bottom of Division 2 by some distance, but they did give Paul Nixon a fitting send-off by lifting the FLt20, so this award has to go to Yorkshire, who in the words of their own chairman were 'a bloody disgrace'.

See also: Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

Best Player

With due deference to Glen Chapple and Marcus Trescothick, this award has to go to the unheralded Will Gidman for becoming the first English qualified player since David Capel in 1989 to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 50 wickets. So why didn't he receive a call-up to any of England's winter performance squads? No, we don't know either.  

Best Batsman

Marcus Trescothick, who scored nearly 300 Championship runs more than any other batsman despite missing his side's last three matches. Tres ought to almost receive a handicap such is his total dominance of county bowlers.

See also County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Marcus Trescothick

Best Bowler

93 Championship wickets is impossible to argue with even with the supposed advantage of having a Tiflex cricket ball in your hand, so David Masters pips Alan Richardson (Worcestershire's saviour), Chapple, Kyle Hogg and Tim Murtagh for this honour.

Best Spinner

Gary Keedy may not have received as many plaudits as old Long John Silver himself, Glen Chapple, but his contribution of 61 wickets at under 24 was just as crucial to Lancashire's title success, and enables him to pip Monty Panesar and team-mate Simon Kerrigan for this prize.

Best Cameo

Shivnarine Chanderpaul looked to have this one sown up until Warwickshire failed to secure victory at the Rose Bowl on the final day, so Pragyan Ojha steals this prize for a stunning four match cameo with Surrey. Four wins, 24 wickets at 13 and promotion back to Division 2. And the Indian selectors picked Amit Mishra above him?

Worst Player

South African bowlers didn't exactly cover themselves in glory with Friedel de Wet and Wayne Parnell struggling for Hampshire and Sussex respectively, but Lonwabo Tsotsobe took the biscuit here. Five wickets in three first-clas matches at 77 and a broadside via Twitter prompted Essex coach Paul Grayson to describe him as 'downright rude'. Thanks to @ianashworth for reminding us about this one.

Best Temporary Home

Unquestionably Aigburth. How many times have Lancashire been foiled by the Manchester weather and Old Trafford pitch? A temporary move along the M62 to the sunshine coast of Liverpool and voila, a first title for 77 years. Liverpool 1 Manchester 0.

Let them catch the next bouquet

Surely it's time perenniel bridesmaids Somerset got hitched? Runners-up finishes in the FLt20 and CB40 meant it five second places out of the last six domestic prizes to be awarded leads one to speculate that Somerset would probably finish second in a one horse race.

The Devon Loch honorary Award

At one time it looked like this would go to one of the four title chasing protagonists in Division 1, but by the end of the season there was only one candidate for this award. Northamptonshire looked absolute certainties for promotion to Division 1, but only managed to win one of their last seven matches. They fared no better in the CB40 where despite winning their first five matches, they failed to reach the semi-finals. Did Andrew Hall's South African background obviously had an unexpected choking effect on his charges?

Best Youngster

Mentions to Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes and Alex Hales, but this one has to go to Jonathan Bairstow. He stood tall in the manure that was Yorkshire's season and his blistering one day debut innings was the delicious cherry on the top.

Best Resurrection

Only one possible winner here - Michael Carberry, whose return from a debilitating illness was the most uplifting story of the summer.

See County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Michael Carberry

Biggest Moan

The demise of the Tiflex was disappointing, but the ridiculous fixture schedule has to take the wooden spoon here. For example, Leicestershire finished a championship match on the Thursday, won the FLt20 on the Saturday, played the Indian tourists on the Monday and then started another Championship game against Middlesex on the Tuesday. It is hardly surprising that Middlesex ended the first day on 370 for 1.

Biggest Anti-Climax

Sachin Tendulkar's hundredth international hundred anyone?

Where next?

A Year To Forget: County Championship Flops XI of the season

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: The Tiflex cricket ball

County Championship Division 1 XI of the season

County Championship Division 2 XI of the season

Read all of our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Glen Chapple

 

Our last but not least County Cricket hero of 2011 is the most (only?) popular Yorkshireman to ever step foot in Lancashire – the indestructible Glen Chapple, come on down.

Up until this season, Chapple had been one of the foremost unsung heroes of county cricket. Too good and certainly too canny for the majority of county batsmen, but not quite good enough (or just plain unlucky depending on your opinion) to make the final step up to international honours.

Like Marcus Trescothick, whose impressive consistency we highlighted a few days ago, Chapple has a remarkable record over the last five seasons:

2011: 55 wickets at 19.81

2010: 52 wickets at 19.75

2009: 35 wickets at 25.25

2008: 42 wickets at 20.50

2007: 47 wickets at 21.85

Overall that is 231 wickets at 21.16. So Chapple’s performances this season shouldn’t come as any real surprise to regular followers of county cricket. Except, and this is the crux, that he took most of his 55 wickets this season pretty much on one leg.

Chapple’s bravery and downright doggedness epitomised Lancashire’s title challenge where the whole grossly exceeded the sum of the individual parts.

As captain, Chapple must take a lot of credit for his team’s formidable spirit. Playing alongside such an exceptional leader of men seems to have proved inspirational to his team-mates.

In that final game at Taunton, Lancashire were behind the eight ball after day one, but Chapple’s refusal to stay in the dressing room despite a bad hamstring injury seemed to act as the spur for a stirring fightback and the ensuing infamy that the first Lancashire team to win the title for 77 years so richly deserved.

We’ve already likened Chapple to the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and just like John Cleese’s character you just know that even if Chapple had lost all his limbs, you still wouldn’t have been able to get the ball out of his hands.

If that’s not heroic, we don’t know what is.

Where next?

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: The Tiflex cricket ball

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Marcus Trescothick

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Rory Hamilton-Brown

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Michael Carberry

County Championship XI of the season

County Championship Division 1 XI of the season

County Championship Division 2 XI of the season

Read all of our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Predicting the County Championship and a bucket load of rotten tomatoes

Back at the outset of the 2011 County Cricket season, we made what has turned out to have been a disastrous set of predictions (see links at the bottom of this piece), which at the weekend (as the picture above depicts) resulted in public humilation and more rotten tomatoes coming our way than the Yorkshire squad has had from its irate members and chairman.

What we got right

Not much actually. We did correctly predict that Middlesex and Surrey would challenge for promotion to Division 1, but there again we tipped Kent to go up as Champions, so we can hardly sing from the rooftops about that one.

What we got wrong

Pretty much everything else actually. We predicted that Warwickshire and Lancashire would be embroiled in a relegation battle and that the former and Worcestershire would be the two to go down.

We also prophesised that perennial bridesmaids Somerset would emerge as Champions with Durham, Yorkshire and Hampshire (in that order) making up the rest of the top four – it’s not just Colin Graves who thinks that Yorkshire’s performances this season were disgraceful.

Supporters of Northamptonshire and Derbyshire amongst others will also doubtless be happy to remind us of our woeful predictions for their team’s fortunes too.

What does this say?

Apart from  the fact that we are clearly the most dreadful of tipsters, it also highlights how open the County Championship is – a fact that we believe makes it the best league competition in the world in any sport. Well that’s our excuse anyway.

Now where’s that cilice gone...

Where next?

County Championship Previews - Division 2: Derbyshire, Essex, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire,  Kent,  Leicestershire,  Middlesex,  Northamptonshire,  Surrey

County Championship Previews - Division 1:  Yorkshire,  Worcestershire,  Warwickshire, Sussex,  Somerset,  Nottinghamshire,  Lancashire,  Hampshire,  Durham

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Michael Carberry

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

Read all our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

 

 

County Championship Division 1 XI of the season

 
Marcus Trescothick (Somerset) - 1673 runs at 79.66: Scored 300 runs more than any other batsman despite missing his side's last three games and has once and for all usurped Mark Ramprakash as the premier batsman in domestic cricket. Agonisingly fell just 22 runs short of achieving the Holy Grail of a 1,000 runs before the end of May. Smashed six hundreds including one in each innings against Yorkshire in May.

Stephen Moore (Lancashire) - 1013 runs at 40.52: Others scored more runs (principally Alex Hales with 1023 runs at 51.15 from just 12 Championship matches), but Moore's knack of making vital contributions at critical times played a leading role in Lancashire's title success. His unbeaten 124 anchored his side in a stiff run chase at Trent Bridge, his 169 not out against Hampshire set up a crucial last gasp win in the penultimate round of matches and the former Worcestershire batsman finished off with 71 from 55 to spur the charge to victory on a tumultuous final day at Taunton.

Michael Carberry (Hampshire) - 793 runs at 56.64: His successful comeback from a life-threatening debilitating illness was one of the feelgood stories of the summer. Three splendid hundreds in nine games included a career best 300 not out against Yorkshire and a hundred on the final day of the season to help deny Warwickshire the title. Carberry's return coincided with Hampshire's revival but came too late to save them from relegation.

Murray Goodwin (Sussex) - 1372 runs at 52.76: Zimbabwe's loss was yet again Sussex's gain as Goodwin anchored a steady return to Division 1 for the county he helped inspire to three titles in the noughties. Four hundreds were topped by his 274 against Division 1 whipping boys Yorkshire. Gets into our XI ahead of Vikram Solanki (1148 runs at 42.51) who performed a similar role as Worcestershire defied the odds to stay up with Sussex. 

Dale Benkenstein (Durham) - 1353 runs at 61.50: Durham's title charge may have spluttered, but Benkenstein was consistency personified with 13 scores of 50 (including four hundreds) or more from 26 innings to once again prove that he is definitely not a mercenary.

Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire) - 1015 runs at 46.13: Having finally removed the monkey from his back in reaching his maiden ton in his 59th first-class innings (and promptly turning it into a double), the sublime Bairstow didn't look back. An impressive season culminated in a stunning ODI debut at Cardiff and Bairstow should clearly be exonerated from the ire heaped on his team-mates by Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves after their ignominious relegation. Scores his runs quickly as a Championship strike rate of a touch under 70 ably demonstrates and looks to have the talent and nerve to forge an international career as a specialist batsman. 

Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) - 56 wickets at 21.78; 579 runs at 48.25: Injury may have restricted him to 11 matches, but that did not lessen the impact he made with both bat and ball, as well as the huge influence he had on Warwickshire's title challenge. His performance with the ball was particularly telling and a strike rate of 43.5 is indicative of the regularity with which he struck. Pips team-mate Rikki Clarke as well as Samit Patel, Ben Stokes and Ian Blackwell to the all-rounder's spot in our XI.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) - 67 wickets at 22.61; 551 runs at 23.95: Last year's champions may have faltered badly in their attempt to retain their crown, but that wasn't down to 2010's leading wicket-taker Adams who was once again outstanding and pips Alan Richardson (the leading wicket-taker in Division 1 with 73 wickets at 24.42), Boyd Rankin and Ryan Sidebottom as the third seamer in our XI. Adams also added vital ballast to the lower order with five fifties and a strike rate of 100.

Glen Chapple (Lancashire, Captain) - 55 wickets at 19.81; 365 runs at 19.21: Despite battling leg problems all season, the lion-hearted Chapple battled on to inspire his troops and write his name in Lancashire folklore. Delivered time and time again with the ball - no more so than in the final game at Taunton where he took three 2nd innings wickets despite a bad hamstring tear - and also added useful late order runs. Clearly, a man you would want in the trenches with you, Chapple epitomised the spirit and togetherness that took Lancashire to the promised land after 77 long years in the Championship wilderness. And Yorkshire fans, he was born in Skipton...

Kyle Hogg (Lancashire) - 50 wickets at 18.80; 365 runs at 21.47: Started the season late but immediately made up for lost time with an 11 wicket haul at the Rose Bowl and ended up with a half-century of wickets at a phenomenal strike rate of a wicket every 37 balls - the best by far of anyone with more than 10 wickets. Also contributed several useful cameos with the bat.

Gary Keedy (Lancashire) - 61 wickets at 23.63: With Chapple and Hogg plundering wickets at one end, the experienced Keedy waded in at the other with 61 priceless wickets. His success rubbed off on his spin twin and likely successor Simon Kerrigan. Keedy is the slow bowling option in our XI ahead of Monty Panesar who may have taken more wickets (69), but did so at a higher average and ten balls more per wicket.

Where next?

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

Ten to watch in 2011: Half-Term report - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

County Championship XI of the week: Division 1 Half-Term XI

County Championship XI of the week: Division 2 Half-Term XI

Read our 2011 County Championship XIs of the week

Read all our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

 
Do they know it's Christmas?

No one likes to see their fellow human beings stricken with starvation – you only need to see what happened after Michael Buerk’s famous BBC News report from Ethiopia in 1984 was aired to see evidence of that. Lancashire’s County Championship famine had lasted 77 long and painful years. That is positively biblical, so unless you come from Yorkshire (or perhaps Warwickshire), one cannot fail to be glad for Glen Chapple and his band of merry men.

The rehabilitation of Peter Moores

As Sussex supporters, we will be eternally grateful for Moores's role in leading Sussex to their first County Championship in 2003 after 113 years of trying. His methods may not have worked with England, but Moores is undoubtedly a fine coach. Now that he has led Lancashire to the promised land too, his CV looks even more remarkable.

Liverpool 1 Manchester 0

We’ve always wondered why Lancashire plays most of its cricket matches in Manchester – perhaps the most dreary and rainy place in the country and home to pitches that are even less likely to produce results than your average sub-continental wicket. What else other than the weather could Morrissey have been lamenting about in Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now? A move along the M62 to Aigburth to the Mersey Paradise of Aigburth has worked absolute wonders and demonstrated the value of outgrounds to other counties.

Glen Chapple – the new Black Knight

Just like the infamous Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Glen Chapple simply refused to die. He may have only had one leg, but Chapple shrugged it off doubtless declaring “Tis but a scratch” and continued to bowl taking three Somerset wickets in the second innings. This do or die approach epitomised Lancashire’s season, so it was entirely fitting that the limbless Chapple became the first Lancashire captain in 77 years to lead his side to the County Championship. OBEs have been handed out for less.

The War of the Roses

It won’t have gone unnoticed in Lancashire that as their team were crowned Champions, acrimony and infighting were firmly on the agenda at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, with the Chairman being particularly non-complimentary about his players after ignominious relegation to Division 2. The last time Lancashire won the title in 1934, it coincided with Hitler’s brutal purge of the SA in the Night of the Long Knives. Expect something similar at Headingley this winter – neutrals and Lancastrians everywhere will watch with interest and in the case of the latter, no doubt a little glee.

Homegrown glory

With the exception of Stephen Moore and a few cameos from Farveez Maharoof, the bulk of Lancashire’s side were homegrown stars born within the borders of the county – Chapple may hail from Skipton, but surely he is an honorary Lancastrian by now? In the days of Kolpaks, non-box office overseas stars and transfers between counties, this was both a timely and refreshing reminder that counties should perhaps look closer to home in developing their own talent and thus create the indomitable spirit that carried Lancashire to glory.

Saved from the stocks

We’ll write a post in the next few days reflecting on what were a disastrous set of predictions by the Reverse Sweep at the outset of the season. But suffice to say, we were relieved that Warwickshire – one of our tips for relegation – didn’t prevail in the final reckoning. That surely would have meant a spell in the stocks and lots of rotten vegetables coming our way. There again we did predict that Lancashire would finish seventh...

Hope for Somerset

Perennial bridesmaids Somerset need look no further than Lancashire for inspiration in their quest to win a trophy next season. Somerset may have finished second in the last three T20 finals and two 40 over finals, as well as in last year’s Championship. But that is nothing on Lancashire, who since last winning the Championship had finished runners-up eight times. So fear not Marcus Trescothick, your time to hold up one of the game’s big prizes may yet come.

The perfect casserole

The suspense and last minute nature of Lancashire’s triumph meant that our County Championship casserole turned out perfectly. Delia Smith eat your heart out.

It’ll have annoyed Geoffrey Boycott

No further explanation necessary.

Where next?

County Championship XI of the week #19

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

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Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

 

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County Championship XI of the week #19

Whilst it was tempting just to list the Lancashire XI from Taunton, we decided to stick to the formula for our last County Championship XI of the season:

Stephen Moore (Lancashire) – Two contrasting fifties as Lancashire ended their barren 77 year quest: a sedate 1st innings 50 from 80 balls helped steady nerves after Somerset had scored 380 and his rapid 55 ball 71 gave early impetus to their 2nd innings run chase.

Liam Dawson (Hampshire) – Held up Warwickshire by carrying his bat in a marathon six hour ten minute epic – perhaps giving Carberry and McKenzie belief they could do the same when Hampshire followed on.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Warwickshire) – A third hundred in four Championship matches looked to have given his side the decisive edge in the title race, but it wasn’t to be this time for the man who was on the field when Durham triumphed in 2008 and 2009.

James Hildreth (Somerset) – Perhaps remembering that it was Lancashire’s loss to Nottinghamshire that deprived Somerset of the title last season, Hildreth finally showed his class after a disappointing season with 185 at Taunton.

Neil McKenzie (Hampshire) – Took his cue from Dawson and with a willing accomplice in Carberry broke Warwickshire hearts with an unbeaten 115 compiled over 344 granite-like minutes. Statues of the South African are probably being erected all over the Red Rose county as we write.

Tom Maynard (Surrey) – A third Championship ton of the season set Surrey up for maximum batting points and the win that ensured promotion to Division 1.

John Simpson (Middlesex) – Makes our XI for the second successive week for taking Middlesex over the line with a composed 27 not out when panic stations were starting to be reached against Leicestershire. Also struck a 1st innings fifty.

Gareth Berg (Middlesex) – Without Berg’s three 1st innings wickets, career best 130 and match-winning partnership with Simpson, Middlesex could have been in purgatory instead of promotion heaven.

David Willey (Northamptonshire) – His side may have been cruelly denied promotion, but Willey’s match figures of ten for 75 gave some small consolation to Northamptonshire’s heartbroken supporters.

Glen Chapple (Lancashire) – Even on one leg there was no way that anyone was getting Chapple off the Taunton pitch. The post-match celebratory champagne will have acted as the ideal anaesthetic to Lancashire’s favourite ever Yorkshireman. OBEs have been handed out for less.

Pragyan Ojha (Surrey) – Bamboozled Derbyshire with match figures of 47.2-16-90-10 to take Surrey up and make his final tally 24 wickets at 13 from his four matches. As Surrey won them all, does that make Ojha the signing of the season?

Where next?

Liam Dawson narrowly fails in quest to become honorary Lancastrian just like Glen Chapple

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

Read all our County Cricket coverage

County Championship XI of the week #18

See if you agree with our other County Championship XIs of the week

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

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Liam Dawson narrowly fails in quest to become honorary Lancastrian just like Glen Chapple

For six hours and 10 minutes he held out. He took Hampshire to within 21 runs of avoiding the follow-on and perhaps preventing Warwickshire from securing the win they needed. He carried his bat for 151 not out.

Yesterday Liam Dawson narrowly failed in becoming an honorary Lancastrian.

Another day of twists and turns means the destination of the title has still not been decided as we enter the last day of the season today - this is the way it always should be.

With due deference to Jim Troughton, no-one deserves to lift the trophy more than Glen Chapple, whose heroism has reached new levels down at Taunton. Despite a bad hamstring injury, Chapple has continued to bowl and even took the first Somerset second innings wicket.

Indeed, despite battling injury all season, Chapple has taken 53 wickets at just under 20.

The Skipton born Chapple is already an honorary Lancastrian; Dawson so nearly joined him at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

There are so many reasons why as a neutral we want Lancashire to claim the title: the 77 year famine, Warwickshire's underhand performance enhancing runs and the fact that Lancashire's success has come from playing most home matches at Aigburth. But Chapple's valour is the biggest reason of all.

Whoever preveils today, the County Championship is undoubtedly the best league competition in any sport in the world.

And so say all of us.

Where next?

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

Lancashire threaten to transform our County Championship casserole into a hotpot

Warwickshire, Lancashire or Durham? The County Championship reaches another thrilling conclusion

Our Top 20 Cricket Blogs

Read all our County Cricket coverage

County Championship XI of the week #18

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