CHAMPIONSHIP CHINWAG: Salt shakes Northants, the King of Swing and a record is laid to rest

NICK FRIEND looks back on an eventful round of County Championship action with reflections on some of the key talking points from around the grounds

Northants peppered by Salt
“Eoin Morgan told those of us who are not involved in the 50-overs squad to go back to our counties, run our own race and fight hard to get back into that (England) dressing room and that’s what I’m focusing on.”

The words of Phil Salt after a shock call-up to England’s T20 squad for the one-off fixture against Pakistan. The Sussex opener didn’t play in the end, but the occasion gave him a taste of what might lie ahead.

If Morgan was laying down a challenge, then the Welsh-born batsman was responding in kind, with a display of unadulterated machismo. The flush met with the proverbial full house. Northants the unsuspecting victims. And what a job of it the 22-year-old made of things; a swashbuckling ton at more than a run-a-ball. Just the 104 balls needed for his 122, with a trio of maximums chucked in for good measure. Nathan Buck’s 10 overs cost him 77 quick runs.

It was everything that Sussex needed, albeit they could not get over the winning line – kudos to Northamptonshire’s Adam Rossington for that. The wicketkeeper and stand-in skipper’s ballsy knock meant that the home side held on for a gutsy draw after a curious game of cricket.

The Wantage Road outfit ended proceedings with two concussion substitutes as part of their side; Alex Wakely had to be replaced after suffering an accident at home overnight, before Wood was struck on the helmet and was swapped out for Brett Hutton.

It’s a funny ol’ game.

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This James Anderson can bowl, can’t he?
Like a fine wine. Test cricket’s most successful bowler is looking in fine fettle. He ran through Worcestershire middle order with all the efficiency of the most experienced general practitioner. No time waste, no expense spared. Bish. Bash. Bosh. One patient out, get the next one in. And repeat.

George Rhodes was followed Riki Wessels. Riki Wessels was followed by Callum Ferguson. Callum Ferguson was followed by Ed Barnard. And then after a brief flurry of boundaries – though not off Anderson, whose 17 overs cost him 25 runs, Joe Leach became the England legend’s fifth victim. It was surgical in its ruthless proficiency.

With Graham Onions operating from the other end – his hair, like Anderson’s, carrying a grey tinge these days, it was difficult to see where the runs were going to come from. As far as Division Two bowling attacks go, this is a fairly fearsome combination. Chuck in Richard Gleeson’s rockets and the ever-consistent Tom Bailey and what you are left with is the sort of ‘bowling in partnerships’ magic that Duncan Fletcher used to so adore.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England might want to have a look at this lad. Could be useful this summer...pic.twitter.com/iBLQ5TfxmT

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) May 24, 2019

All good things…
As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

And after six first-class games of near perfection, Dom Sibley saw his crazy run come to a sad end. Hundreds in half a dozen successive matches; it was always a run that was destined – at some stage – to end.

^{Sibley had struck centuries in six first-class matches in a row.}

Alas, on the fields of Ciderabad, Somerset brought it all to a close. In the history of the sport, only Bill Ponsford, Don Bradman and Ernest Tyldesley have achieved a longer chain. On six, Sibley sits alongside Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Bradman once again – he must have been a useful player, Dennis Compton and others. The 23-year-old is sharing some decent company.

However, as Jack Leach (the spoilsport!) dismissed him for 24, the fun was over. Ponsford was safe.

Back on the horse, though. Sibley goes again from scratch, starting at former club Surrey on 3rd June.