James Rew is second in the County Championship race this season with 539 points. Photo: Harry Trump/Getty Images
Somerset' The meeting with Lancashire resulted in what Tom Abell called a «wet squib». – and also capricious.
From some scathing tweets and earnest post-match interviews, it's not easy to see exactly why things have gotten so boring with Somerset leading the way all the time. out of 433 before the handshake. But, at least according to Craig Overton, Somerset offered Lancashire a deal on the third day, but the hosts didn't think the equation was right.
Perhaps out of spite, Somerset kept hitting. In response, 37-year-old Lancashire captain Dane Vilas increased his number of first-class balls from 12 to 78. George Bell, the designated goalkeeper for that match, threw 10 overs. Josh Bohannon held the gate.
On the field and on the net, everything was rather unedifying, but some kind of treasure shone in the wreckage. Together with another young man, Casey Aldridge, James Rew earned a century. It was his second game, his third of the season and his fourth in a 13-game first-class career.
Too good to be Ryu 😍
19 year old Somerset sensation James Rew scored centuries in both innings against Lancashire and earned his team a draw.
The wicket-breaker has already made three tons this season and should be watched in the future (and now). #LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/lqW4z5EHib
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp), May 14, 2023
Yes, Vilas and Bell's bowling means it probably hasn't been the 19-year-old's heaviest serve yet, but his first serve attempt, definitely was. Coming to the crease with Somerset 55 for four and Anderson purring, Rew brought Somerset to a total of 361 first innings, making them the top. They were free to use the last day as they saw fit, even if it wasn't that exciting.
A recall by veteran Steve Davis to the opening meant that for the first time this season, Rew did not hold a wicket in this match. That he is now at the top of the first division charts with 539 points (only six points behind the great Cheteshwar Pujara at national rates) shows that he is definitely worthy of a place with or without gloves. But his future looks like being a goalkeeper, and from the looks of it, he was nearly flawless behind the stumps when he had his chance this year.
Ryu is highly rated. His first-class debut was not for Somerset, but for the County Select XI against India in 2021. He was part of the squad that reached the final of the U19 World Cup last year, and he toured with the Lions this winter. There is another respected red-haired Rew, Tom, who is also climbing the corporate ladder in Somerset.
Rev is not the only young English goalkeeper to start the season brilliantly. Since moving from Kent, 24-year-old Ollie Robinson from Durham is averaging 45, hitting 83 and holding up great. Bell from Lancashire is 20 and full of hope while Jordan Cox has gloves for Kent. Cox has had a quiet campaign but is a prospect for England in all three formats and has scored 130 goals to save the game at Canterbury this weekend.
Ollie Robinson of Durham scored 360 points in the championship at the age of 45. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Although he doesn't play regularly now due to the presence of Ben Fawkes, 22-year-old Jamie Smith is arguably the best batsman of all and looks to be a key player in the Surrey squad for the first time this season. Two weeks ago at Edgbaston, Gareth Batty called his 88th bat the best Smith bat he had ever seen; at Chelmsford last week, his unbeaten 39 of 126 balls helped maintain Surrey's unbeaten record; and at the Oval he scored an amazing 97 points to beat Middlesex.
Smith has been the star of the Lions this winter, breaking a fast-paced century against the Sri Lanka A's, and may be the next hatless batsman to get a chance. There are high-profile figures in the England team who think he could do well as a test batsman at number 4 or as a goalkeeper below in 6th or 7th place. The potential is huge.
England has a golden generation of goalkeepers who are now in their thirties. Johnny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Fawkes have shared the role since Matt Pryor retired a decade ago, and they still have some work to do. But Barstow thrived as a batsman, and Fawkes' his back begins to give him more grief than the average 30-year-old man can expect. At some point, in a couple of years, England will have to look for something else.
Oddly enough, there is little to be found between the ages of 25 and 30. There are players like Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, batsmen who keep growing. James Bracey is now 26 years old and hasn't looked like the same consistent player after a bit of an agonizing test against New Zealand two years ago.
So England could well jump right into the next generation. If they do, Smith, Rew, and the rest will no doubt assume that they are in good hands.
Discussion Topics
- At the start of the season, it was inconceivable that Yorkshire would live to see the Vitality Blast break without a win. Even without the huge points deduction for the upcoming racist scandal, their hopes for a promotion seem to have come true. They are in last place in the Second Division with two losses, two draws and a draw due to rain in Bristol.
How did this happen? Well, of course, it was not without bad luck. They were in a strong position when the rain hit Hove. Injuries to bowling signings Neil Wagner and Matt Milnes, availability problems for Shan Massoud (Pakistan), IPL contracts for Harry Brook and Joe Root.
But they still have to be too good to lie at the foot of the table. The team that lost to the Durham tabletops this week consisted of seven test players, including the entire top five, none of whom scored fifty. The malaise in the club is very deep. Are Darren Gough and Ottis Gibson the right people to steer the ship?
- It was the sixth week of the season. Each team played five games during this time. Is it just a coincidence that test-ready bowlers start to limp? In this round, not only Jimmy Anderson lost, but also Brydon Kars and, it seems, Josh Tong. The championship is draining fast bowlers.
- Billy Godleman, Derbyshire's captain until last season, quietly slipped out of the XI after recording a pair in a day — both weight pounds against Durham Ben Rein — late last month. There are rumors that there have been serious disagreements with the club's hierarchy and Godleman, who signed for Rainhill CC in Liverpool and the District League, is unlikely to reappear in Derbyshire colors.
- There was a gap in the First Division between Surrey, Warwickshire and the rest. Both have recorded big home wins against mid-table rivals and are already feeling like the strongest teams in the country. Both are simply more consistent than their rivals. The Bears are on hiatus this week, which sees Surrey — with Ollie Pope and Ben Fawkes for the last time in a long time, you might think — host the humble Kent. Another big win at the Oval will see them take charge as the Championship goes on hiatus.
- A word for Rishi Patel from Leicestershire. He looked like a potential midfielder at Essex but shone at Grace Road, where he spearheads a batting-focused renaissance.
Performance of the Week
Chris Rushworth just missed last week but not this time. He took four in every innings to finish with eight for 90 in the Essex rout in Warwickshire. So far, he has been a remarkable signing: at 36, he strengthened the division and rolled back years. He tops the Division One goal list with four wickets (30).
Reverend Chris Rushworth scored a triple maiden wicket for Warwickshire against Essex as part of his victory spells. Photo: Ryan Pearce/Getty Images Match of the Week
It's easy because Durham's one-wicket victory over Yorkshire was a real thriller. Despite not taking full advantage of the toss win, Yorkshire fought their way to a 27 first inning lead. through Durham, who have lost six of 46, on Saturday afternoon, Yorkshire appeared to be on track for their first win of the season. On the final day they came back needing 33 with two wickets in hand. Rain did the rest.
Quote of the Week
I ran a couple of them pretty hard and it hurts my legs.
Somewhat different, this one. This is a quote from Matt Dunn, a Surrey seamstress who, in March, mourns the loss of his two-year-old daughter Florence to Dravet Syndrome. Dunn and the intrepid group are doing the 5km exercise every day this month to raise funds and raise awareness of the disease, including trotting from Lord to the Oval to arrive for dinner on the first day of Surrey's meeting with Middlesex. , a game dedicated to the memory of Florence. You can donate by clicking here or by visiting www.gofundme.com/f/for-florence-dunn
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