Roundup: Bohannon catches the eye with the wind at his back
Lancashire’s Josh Bohannon made an unbeaten 142 against Gloucestershire to the accompaniment of blustery winds which screamed across Old Trafford, from the rubble of the now dismantled Red Rose suite to the empty space where the party stand sometime shakes. More pertinently, perhaps, James Taylor, England selector, was watching a pugnacious innings of crisp strokes and a gritty dead bat. Bohannon, who had a breakthrough summer in 2021, scoring two hundreds and averaging over fifty in Championship cricket, spent part of the winter with the Lions, and is thought to be more than a twinkle in England’s future plans.
Shan Masood’s superlative spring in a Derbyshire shirt continued against Leicestershire as he majestically strode to his second consecutive double century, pound for pound the best value signing since a wet behind the ears Jamie Vardy autographed the dotted line. Already more than half way to a thousand runs before the end of May, he is galloping towards becoming the first man to do it since Graeme Hick in 1988.
Tom Abell made a career best unbeaten 150 as Somerset kicked on against Surrey at The Oval. Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes brought balance after early wickets, but both fell by stumps, Pope snaffled by an astonishing one-handed boundary catch by Tom Banton.
A frolicsome century by James Vince, at less than a run a ball, kept the runs flowing for Kent against Hampshire at Canterbury; while Michael Burgess skimmed to his second tempestuous mega hundred in successive innings, as the 2021 county champions, Warwickshire, lorded it over the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy winners Essex.
Middlesex built a huge lead against Glamorgan thanks to an undefeated stoical hundred from John Simpson and some entertaining pots and pan bashing from Shaheen Shah Afridi. Shaheen then dismissed Marnus Labuschagne cheaply for the second time in the match, and the middle-order crumpled. Glamorgan’s prospects look bleak; as do Sussex’s against Worcestershire at New Road.
That’s it from me for today, time for a glass of something tasty. Have a lovely evening!
