Division One is too close to call as the County Championship campaign reaches halfway. So far those in the north seem to be dictating affairs and there could be an agonising conclusion for those inside the M25. Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham have opened up a tiny gap at the top, but only one of these sides, Lancashire, who are at Lord’s on Sunday, are playing in this round of matches.
This week there were draws aplenty among the leading sides but Surrey conjured a vital win against Nottinghamshire with Zafar Ansari, almost an England spinner, taking six wickets in the final innings at The Oval.
There have been too many draws this season. This can be explained by the new toss system and dodgy weather, but there is one other factor. In this era county sides are loth to gamble – at least not until September when they are getting desperate. The alluring declaration, which gives both sides a chance of winning, has long since gone out of fashion. Which is a pity since those declarations once enlivened the final day of many Championship matches and allowed Brian Close, Ray Illingworth, Mike Brearley and Keith Fletcher to show their juggling skills as a captain. Now Plan A is to steamroller the opposition; the more enterprising plan B is shunned. It is so tight in Division One that captains are risk averse.
Middlesex will not be including Nick Compton in their side. Rejected by England, he is withdrawing from the fray for an indefinite period. By and large, even professionals have to be in love with the game to excel and it is unlikely that Compton is in that frame of mind. Which is another pity since this is what he is really good at. How the game torments. His much-touted possible replacement, Scott Borthwick, inconveniently failed twice for Durham last week and has one Championship match in which to impress before the team for the first Test against Pakistan is selected.
Nottinghamshire, who have been defeated four times, take on Warwickshire at Edgbaston and they are currently looking down rather than up as they consider the table. Somerset and Hampshire, who play at Southampton, are probably doing the same, though one victory can transform the outlook.
In Division Two the three obvious pursuers of Essex, who faltered this week, are in action. Kent (six points adrift in second place) are at Canterbury while Leicestershire and Gloucestershire (both 14 points behind the leaders) meet at Grace Road.
