The Reverse Sweep

County Championship XI of the week #12

Neil McKenzie (Hampshire) - Whilst his former South African team mates ground England into the dust at The Oval, the Hampshire opener took 139 runs off the Essex attack at Chelmsford. 

Sam Northeast (Kent) - Hit a stylish hundred - the fourth of his first-class career - as the game with Glamorgan petered out to a draw.

Nick Compton (Somerset) - Kept his side in the game against Warwickshire with an unbeaten 73 in the first innings and then provided sterling support to Kieswetter as Somerset pulled off a remarkable turnaround at Taunton. 

Jim Troughton (Warwickshire) - The captain's hundred looked to have set up a decisive advantage for the title challengers at Taunton before Somerset turned the tables in the second innings.

Craig Kieswetter (Somerset) - Bludgeoned Somerset to a narrow one wicket victory against the Division 1 leaders with 152 from just 170 balls at Taunton.

Moeen Ali (Worcestershire) - Won the battle of the part-time bowlers with 12 wickets to Steven Croft's nine as Lancashire were humbled at Old Trafford.  

David Wheater (Essex) - Nearly pulled off a remarkable heist at Chelmsford, but with his score on 98 and Essex just three runs short of their 360 run target, the keeper holed out to Sean Ervine on the long-on boundary

Ben Scott (Worcestershire) - A week for keepers - as well as Kieswetter and Wheater, Mark Wallace hit a hundred and Chris Read 98, but Scott's 1st innings hundred proved decisive in a low-scoring contest at Old Trafford.

Alfonso Thomas (Somerset) - Demonstrated that he isn't just a limited overs specialist with nine wickets as Somerset beat previously unbeaten Warwickshire at Taunton. 

Steve Magoffin (Sussex) - Was the difference between the sides at Arundel with match figures of nine for 50 (off 34.4 overs) and then hit the winning runs after Sussex had stumbled in their pursuit of 94 against basement side Durham.

James Tomlinson (Hampshire) - Grabbed five for 86 including the final wicket of Wheater as Hampshire narrowly defeated Essex at Chelmsford.

Where next?

Read our previous County Championship XI's of the week

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship of the week #10

Chris Rogers (Middlesex) - We've said it before and doubtless we'll say it again but it's criminal that the Victorian has played just one Test. His 173 against Somerset at Lord's emphasised his classy batsmanship once again.

Joe Denly (Middlesex) - Rogers' accomplice in a 245 run stand for the 2nd wicket continued his renaissance since arriving from Kent - his record in the championship in 2012 is 557 runs at 61.88.

Nick Compton (Somerset) - The batsman of the season continued to shine with 275 minutes of defiance for 69 to prevent Middlesex from securing the victory their dominance deserved. 

Luke Wells (Sussex) - Scored his second hundred of the season against Surrey to rescue his side from 87 for six and instead secure a winning position at Horsham.

Ravi Bopara (Essex) - Whilst Jonny Bairstow continued his struggles in the Test series against West Indies, Bopara put on a batting exhibition against Northants with 174 for his second ton of the week.

Liam Dawson (Hampshire) - Finally passed fifty for the first time in a disappointing season and promptly turned it into a fine unbeaten 134 not out against Kent.

James Foster (Essex) - Completed the 18th first-class hundred of his career in the rain-affected clash with Northants as he and Bopara added a mammoth 294 for the fifth wicket.

Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) - Continued his impressive belated start to the season with seven wickets and 29 runs at Durham where a washout on the final day ruined what looked set to be a tremendous finish between the sides at the top and bottom of the table.

James Anyon (Sussex) - Fine all-round match at Horsham with four 1st innings wickets, a career-best 64 not out and then two of the final three Surrey 2nd innings wickets to fall as Sussex won in the final half hour. 

Monty Panesar (Sussex) - Helped Anyon add 80 for the final wicket and then produced a high-class exhibition of spin bowling to send Surrey spiralling to defeat - his 2nd innings analysis was 32-21-33-3.

Tim Groenewald (Derbyshire) - Whilst Tony Palladino's hat-trick stole the headlines it was Groenewald's five for 29 that looked to have helped his table-topping side create a winning position against Leicestershire before the rain intervened.

Where next?

Read our previous County Championship XI's of the week

We Need To Talk About Durham - we really do

Guantanamo Cricket Club - seriously, we're not kidding...

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

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

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

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

So in the end God’s only way of preventing Nick Compton from drinking from the Holy Grail of 1,000 first-class runs by the end of May was to send the rain clouds to Worcester. Compton was playing himself in and had reached nine not out – just 50 runs short of the landmark – when the deluge arrived and play was abandoned for the day.

We’re pretty sure Graeme Hick had an influence somewhere. The last man to sup nectar from the legendary grail accomplished his feat at his beloved New Road in 1988. God and Hick obviously decided between them that for Compton to have the temerity to try and emulate the former Worcestershire batsman at the same ground was too much.

So Nick Compton is no Indiana Jones after all then.

Where next?

Nick Compton and the Holy Grail

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

Nick Compton: runs and jokes at Kevin Pietersen's expense

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Nick Compton and the Holy Grail

Last year we got momentarily excited when Marcus Trescothick nearly secured the Holy Grail of 1,000 first-class runs by the end of May.

Trescothick would have been the first batsman to achieve the feat since 1988 when Graeme Hick set expectations of the international career he would be eligible to start for England three summers later.

This time it is the turn of Trescothick's Somerset team mate who has enjoyed a relevatory start to the season and with the game at Worcester starting tomorrow probably has one chance to the 59 runs he needs to become the ninth batsman to emulate Indiana Jones and sup the elixir of life from the Grail.

WG Grace was the first to achieve the feat in 1895 and was followed by Tom Hayward (1900), Wally Hammond (1927), Charles Hallows (1928), Don Bradman (1930 and 1938), Bill Edrich (1938) and Glenn Turner (1973) before Hick (1988). Even Compton's illustrious grandfather didn't manage to achieve this milestone.

If the season continues to start earlier and earlier each year, the chances are that this exclusive club could increase its membership on a far more regular basis. But that shouldn't detract from Compton's sublime performances this year.

Hick was helped in no small measure by the 405 he scored at Taunton for Worcestershire, so it would be rather apt if Somerset's Compton emulated him at Worcester tomorrow or Thursday.

Where next?

Nick Compton: runs and jokes at Kevin Pietersen's expense

Kevin Pietersen is innocent (and right about Nick Knight)

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

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Nick Compton: runs and jokes at Kevin Pietersen's expense

Strong gene pool? Check. Born and raised in South Africa? Check. In the form of his life? Check.

Nick Compton would certainly seem to have all the right credentials to play Test cricket for England this summer – either in the vacant number six spot or to replace one of the hallowed top five should the winter travails of say Ian Bell for example extend into the summer Tests against West Indies and South Africa.

Compton is rapidly becoming a bit of a favourite at Reverse Sweep towers. Not only is he in line to become the first batsman to reach 1,000 first-class runs before the end of May since Graeme Hick in 1988 – he already has 715 at a fairly decent 143, but he seems to have a rather splendid sense of humour.

On his famous grandfather, Compton recalled this week “My fondest memory of him was when I was 12 with dad throwing me some underarms in the back yard and I was batting with a high elbow hoping to impress. Denis was sitting on the porch, with the ever-present glass of brandy, and he just said to me: ‘For God’s sake, hit the bloody thing’.

Whilst perhaps even more amusingly he spoke of coming across Kevin Pietersen as a teenager at the KwaZulu-Natal Academy and with timing that Denis Compton himself would have been proud, mischievously quipped “He was there when I was a junior member. I didn’t know him very well but I could hear his voice from quite far away.”

Some things never change, a Compton is scoring runs by the bucket-load and KP still likes the sound of his own voice.

Where next?

Who should bat at six for England?

The mystery of Ajmal Shazad's sacking solved

It's not jealously KP, it's pure and simple indifference

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Who should bat at six for England?

It may not have quite attained quite the same gravitas as other great questions of our time such as Boris or Ken, Redknapp or Hodgson, or indeed Who shot JR, but with the 1st Test against West Indies just one week away, the identity of England’s number six is the topic of fevered speculation – well it is in our neck of the woods anyway.

So, what better for our latest piece for All Out Cricket then to mull over the likely runners and riders, which include in our view the current Surrey captain (that’ll get the inverse snobs going). Have a read of Who Will Be England’s Number Six? and see whether it will be amongst others Mr Unlucky, Mr Splinter, Mr Orange or Mr Rank-Outsider.

Where next?

Is Ravi Bopara the unluckiest cricketer in the world?

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Rory Hamilton-Brown

Geoff Boycott's dose of Yorkshire humour on England's 72 all out

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship XI of the week #3

Arul Suppiah (Somerset) – Stepped up in the absence of his skipper and usual opening partner to prove that a top order batsman can flourish at the bowling mecca of Trent Bridge.

Phil Jacques (Yorkshire) – Looked a class apart (along with our number four) as he eased to an effortless hundred at Headingley. How the Australian selectors saw fit to give him just 11 Test caps - despite an average over 47 - defies belief.

Nick Compton (Somerset) – Grandad Denis’ 1947 haul of 3816 first-class runs for the season is still some way off, but Compton is in the form of his life and took his tally to 685 (and we’re still in April) with his second double ton of the season against Notts. Alas, rain prevented Somerset recording a deserved win.

Ravi Bopara (Essex) – After a winter mostly serving drinks and twiddling his thumbs, the unluckiest batsman in the country gave the selectors something to think about with a brilliant unbeaten 117 out of an Essex total of 199 at Headingley.

Sean Ervine (Hampshire) – He may not have reached three figures like Ben Wright did in the same match, but the Zimbabwean’s 75 off 92 balls helped Hampshire chase down a tricky target in the nick of time at Cardiff.

Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) – Baled out his red-faced batsmen with a superb unbeaten 104 (out of a total of 162) against Somerset and now averages in the high forties since the start of 2009. Indeed, he has saved Nottinghamshire’s skin so many times, that Marvel Comics are reportedly developing a super hero in the diminutive Read’s image.

Darren Maddy (Warwickshire) – The veteran had a game to remember at Aigburth with four Lancashire wickets in the first innings followed by a courageous hundred made mostly in partnership with Rikki Clarke that saw Warwickshire turn likely defeat into victory against the team that pipped them for the title last season.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) – Strode to the crease with his side in desperate trouble at 81/7 against the Champions but was unafraid to play his shots in a stand of 224 with Maddy, duly collected 140 runs and promptly turned the match on its head.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) – There weren’t many pickings for spinners on a dismal weekend of weather, but a week after blasting his side to victory with the bat against Somerset, Patel took five Lancashire second innings wickets to help his side to a second win out of two.

Graham Onions (Durham) – Got the first ten-wicket match haul of his career, took the England captain’s scalp in both innings and was the best bowler on show from either side at Lord’s. That's not nudging the selectors that is giving them an almighty shove.

Alan Richardson (Worcestershire) – Some have questioned his inclusion as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year – as if almost single-handedly keeping his county in Division 1 last season wasn’t enough. Ten wickets at The Oval should quieten the doubters for now.

Where next?

Naughty boy nets - 2012 style

County Championship XI of the week #2

County Championship XI of the week #1

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

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County Championship XI of the week #2

Chris Dent (Gloucestershire): Steadfast six hour ten minute knock of 114 from the 21 year old Bristolian gave his side the initiative over fancied Hampshire at a bowler friendly Rose Bowl.

Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire): The forgotten hero of England's triumphant World T20 side from 2010, made an instant impression for his new county with a crucial 131 at the Riverside as Notts beat Durham.

Nick Compton (Somerset): After 236 against Cardiff MCCU and 99 against his former county Middlesex, the grandson of Denis continued his run-laden start to the season with a second innings 133, which so nearly helped his side turn the tables on Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Dawid Malan (Middlesex): It could just quite as easily have been Kent's Mike Powell, but Malan's painstaking 297 minute epic 88 was worth at least a hundred runs more due to an unusually treacherous Lord's surface. He was eventually last man out after shepherding the tail to add 127 for last three wickets to help Middlesex post 256. It proved crucial in the final reckoning.

Michael Yardy (Sussex): In the week his honest and heartfelt account of his depressive illness was published in this year's Wisden, Yardy compiled a captain's knock of 110 to lead his side to a big victory over the reigning champions at Aigburth - where Sussex were hammered in the corresponding fixture last season.

Michael Bates (Hampshire): The purists have been salivating about his keeping, but where were the runs his detractors asked? A second innings 87, which so nearly helped his side avoid defeat against Gloucestershire allied to an eye-catching display behind the stumps should go some way towards answering that one for one of our County XI to watch.

Mat Coles (Kent): Last week he made our XI with his maiden first-class ton, this time it was his bowling that shone with nine wickets as Northamptonshire were put to the sword by an impressive Kent.

Jonathan Clare (Derbyshire): A dream match for the budding all-rounder saw him hit 21 and 43 with the bat and take five for 17 and six for 40 with the ball to help Derbyshire win their first two matches of the season for the first time since 2002.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire): Employed as overseas star for his bowling, his county will be grateful that he can bat too after the New Zealander strolled to the crease at number 10 with 52 required to beat Somerset and duly smashed 43 in 36 balls to settle the epitomy of a see-saw clash at Edgbaston. 

Steve Magoffin (Sussex): The Australian was too good for Lancashire as he ripped through their fragile batting line-up with seven for 34 in the second innings and nine wickets in the match. His match figures were an astounding 35.5-18-55-9. 

David Balcombe (Hampshire): After impressing on loan at Kent last year the 27 year old started the season with a bang with the best figures ever at the Rose Bowl of eight for 71 as part of an 11 wicket match haul.

Where next?

County Championship XI of the week #1

County Championship preview: Our XI to watch in 2012

It's not jealously KP, it's pure and simple indifference

Retaining the County Championship isn't easy...

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship XI of the week #6

 

Another week, another round of County Championship matches and here is our XI of the week.

Marcus Trescothick (Somerset) - A swiftly struck 144 to put his side in command against Durham. Will have been disappointed to have been foiled by the home team's rearguard on the final day.

Chris Nash (Sussex) - 93 and 57 against a strong Nottinghamshire attack featuring Broad and Swann. Got his runs quickly too to help turn a tricky victory target into a comfortable stroll. Needs to start converting good starts into three figures. So far this season he has seven half-centuries and no tons. 

Nick Compton (Somerset) - Did a convincing impression of his illustrious Grandfather to stroke a career best 254* in a marathon nine-hour innings at Chester-le-Street.

Mohammad Yousuf (Warwickshire) - Was a class apart on a treacherous Edgbaston pitch with 109 and 68 in a match where there were only three other scores over 50.

Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire) - One of our 10 to watch this season celebrated his call-up to the Lions squad with a fifty in each innings as well as outbowling team-mate Graeme Swann in the reigning champions surprise defeat at Hove. 

Will Gidman (Gloucestershire) - Unbeaten and unbowed during his side's innings defeat to Northamptonshire, recording a maiden first-class ton (116*) and following that with an undefeated 81 in the second innings. 

Niall O'Brien (Northamptonshire) - Proved there is more than one decent cricketer in the family with 166 from number eight as Northamptonshire went top of Division 2. Pips Mark Wallace to wear the gloves in this week's XI.

Dominic Cork (Hampshire) - The old warhorse was close to heroic with match figures of 56.4-13-126-8 at Headingley, before showing the application his top order had lacked by staying at the crease for 75 minutes in the final session to help secure the draw. Not bad for a 40 year old.

James Anyon (Sussex) - Took eight wickets to send the previously unbeaten champions Nottinghamshire tumbling to defeat at Hove.

Monty Panesar (Sussex) - He may not have got the wickets the sheer quality of his bowling deserved, but his match return of 46-19-81-5 helped others like Anyon flourish at the other end. Almost back to his best. 

David Masters (Essex) - Eight wickets for the experienced and reliably consistent opening bowler as Essex drew with Derbyshire.

Shouts also to Michael de Venuto (86 and 112 for Durham against Somerset), Ravi Bopara (a second successive Championship ton - this time against Derbyshire),  Ben Stokes (a brilliant 120 to help Durham escape with a final day draw), Chris Metters (six for 65 on debut for Warwickshire), James Harris (five wickets and another fifty as Glamorgan trounced Kent) and Azeem Rafiq, whose bowling is far more impressive than his Tweets (six for 91 in 42 tight overs against Essex). 

Where next?

Cricket XIs: Cricketing Criminals 

10 reasons why Ian Botham may have worn sunglasses at the premiere of 'From the Ashes'

County Championship XI of the week #5

County Championship XI of the week #4

County Championship XI of the week #3

County Championship XI of the week #2

County Championship XI of the week #1

Ten 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

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