First-Class Counties Second Eleven Annual 2011

Concerning bowling figures, mention must also be made here of the performance of John Glover for Sussex v Somerset at Stirlands. Somerset were advancing serenely to 208-2 in their first innings, at which point Nick Compton was dismissed for 111. Just 37 deliveries later, Mr Glover had taken five wickets, including a hat-trick, for two runs as Somerset subsided to 210-9. Michael Munday added to the confusion with the other wicket in this burst. Nottinghamshire’s 621-7d against the MCC YC at the Nottinghamshire Sports Ground (formerly the Boots Ground), was the highest team total of 2010. At the other end of the scale, Hampshire’s total of 71 against Northamptonshire at Stowe School secured the wooden spoon. Neil Pinner of Worcestershire was the highest run-scorer in the Championship and Steven Piolet’s 43 wickets for Warwickshire secured him the corresponding bowling honour. Worcestershire youngster Tom Fell certainly made his mark in the Championship with seven catches behind the stumps in his first game, v Durham (Gosforth), and 67 batting at No 9 in the second innings. It wasn’t long ago that Ben Cox, also of Worcester, was coming to national attention. Have Worcestershire suddenly unearthed a mother lode of young keepers as Ollie Steele waits in the Academy/Second XI wings? Surrey certainly gave plenty of Second XI opportunities to young glovemen in 2010 with no fewer than five being used in the Championship alone. The weather was kinder in 2010 with all Championship games at least making a start, although not all finished, especially in a rather damp August. As usual, players moved around from county to county, as they were released by one team. Several players had three homes and some even four in the 2010 season. It is also ironic that several players had particularly impressive times, with the bat especially, but found that it was not enough to save their careers and that it was time to move on. Another facet of the season that occurred to me as I trawled through championship and friendly scorecards was the number of high scores in the fourth innings as teams were asked to chase totals between 350 and 400 with some success. At the other end of the scale, we consider Derek Pringle’s definition of a close game as a side winning by 20 runs or fewer or by two wickets or fewer. The closest three-day games were at Dunstall, where Derbyshire defeated Warwickshire by two wickets, and at Taunton Vale where Somerset triumphed over their local rivals Gloucestershire by the same margin. Worcestershire overcame the MCC YC by 17 runs at Kidderminster, for whom Edmund Eckersley totalled 771 runs in 2010, easily a record for the team, while the match at Northampton, where the home side entertained Middlesex, saw just eight runs separate the teams as the visitors stole the show. But the closest result in the Second Eleven Championship in the season was the two-run victory by Durham over Lancashire (chasing just 233) at the Riverside. To finish this summary of the championship, the Second Eleven Player of the Season, and the winner of the Les Hatton Trophy, went to Durham’s Michael 5