Middlesex still front-runner

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 24

Middlesex still front-runner

Nottingham, with two successive defeats, slipped away to sixth, and Middlesex maintained its lead in the Schweppes county cricket championship in England, in spite of losing last , week to Leicestershire. .Middlesex and Nottinghamshire met in a critical game, and Middlesex was an easy winner by an innings and 15 runs. The main challenger now to Middlesex is Sussex, which polished off Gloucestershire in two days, and is 19 points behind the London'club. ■ But Derbyshire, with . John Wright still in outstanding form, has launched ;a strong challenge recently. Wright following up his . career-best 190 with 185 not . out in Derbyshire's defeat .of Northamptonshire, and 60 against’Leicestershire. The other New Zealander in good form, Glenn Turner, had a fine double in- Worcestershire's recent match with Yorkshire, making 112 and 70. Points at the halfway stage, with games played in parentheses, are:— Middlesex 160 (11). Sussex 141 (11). Derbyshire 125 (12), Hampshire 112 (10), Essex 110 (10). Nottinghamshire 105 (10). Leicestershire 102 (10). Surrey 102 (11). Somerset 95 (11). Lancashire 90 (10). Kent 89 (11). Gloucestershire 77 (11). Worcestershire 72 (11). Yorkshire 72 (12). Warwickshire 52 (11). Northamptonshire 49 (10), Glamorgan 47 (10). ‘

Results of the latest two rounds are:— Worcestershire 267 (G. Turner 112, A. Warner 43; P. Carrick 6/ 90) and 362/9 (Turner 70, J. Inchmore 58. D. Patel 53. E. Hemsley 45) drew with Yorkshire 424 (G. Boycott 159, W. Atkey 44. Carrick 93). Leicestershire 399 (B. Davison 100, C. Balderstone 148. R W. Tolchard 90 n. 0.) and 75/4 beat Middlesex 160 (K. Tomlins 51, P. Downtow 40; W. Cook 6/32) and 313 (U. Slack 57, Tomlins 44,. Downtow 65. J. Emburey 57; A. Roberts 4/53). Sussex 308/9 dec. (C. Wells 100 n 0.. G. Mendis 67) beat Gloucestershire 70 (G. Le Roux 5/15) and 150 (B. Brown 44; I. Greig 4/11). Surrey 326 (D. Thomas 64. R. Knight 57, M. Lynch 40) and 197/ 6 dec. (G. Clinton 61, G. Roope 41 n. 0.) and with Kent 203 (A. Knott 53; D. Thomas 3/33, S. Clarke 3/ 44) and 186/6 (L. Otten 90 n. 0.). Northamptonshire 370/8 dec. (P. Willey 145, R. Boyd-Moss 88) and 179/6 dec. lost to Derbyshire 203 (N. Mallenden 5/30) and 350/3 (J. Wright 185 n. 0., P. Kirsten 68, W. Barnett 42 n o.) Essex 285 (D. East 61, N. Phillip 59; K. Cooper 5/53) and 86/0 (B. Hardie 50 n. 0.) - beat Nottinghamshire 122 (M.-Fell 40, B. French 40; J. Lever 5/63) and 247 (Fell 108, French 68; Lever 4/ 55. D. Alfieid 4/35). Warwickshire 303 (D. Amiss 84, A. Kallicharran' 74) and 238/3 (Amiss 76, T. Lloyd 74) drew with Lancashire 498/7 (G. Fowler 150. D. Lloyd 83. F. Hayes 50. L. Abrahams 51,‘ D. Hughes 43),

Hampshire 270 (B. Greenidge 157 n. 0.) and 70/0 beat Glamorgan 54/2 dec. and 170 (K. Emery 4/19. J. Southern 4/50). Leicestershire 234 (B. Davison 72. C. Balderstone 57: G. Miller ' 8/70) and 222 (Balderstone 75. Davison 60; Miller 4/68) lost to Derbyshire 250 (P. Kirsten 84, I. Anderson 84, Miller 50 n. 0.: J. Steele 5/60). and 210/5 (Kirsten 102, J. Wright 60). Middlesex 383 (J. Brearley 135.. M. Gatting 96; M. Bore •6/134) beat Nottinghamshire 190 (B. Hassan 48; J. Emburey 4/32) and 178 (Hassan 70). Northamptonshire 252 (R. Boyd-Moss 61. R. Williams 50) and 307/5 (P. Willey 140. W. Larkins 50) drew with Essex 449/ 6 (K. Fletcher 124, B. Hardie 94, K. McEwan 61, G. Gooch 48; K. Pont 50 n. 0.). Surrey 324 (A. Needham 134 n. 0., R. Jackman 60) and 176/7 dec. (Jackman 68, G. Roope 49 n. 0.; J. Simmons 5/57) lost to Lancashire 249 (J. Abrahams 124; . Needham 5/91) and 252/6 (C. Lloyd 76, Abrahams 58). Somerset 356/8 dec. (P. Roebuck 70, V. Marks 67, P. Denning 46) and 192 (V. Richards 69. D. Taylor 52: C. Waller 4/67) beat Sussex 295 (T. Greig 68, C. Wells 65, C. Phillipson 64; Marks 4/93) and 234 (I. Gould 94; Marks 4/82). Yorkshire 279 (S. Hartley 114, D. Bairstow 55) and 187 (W. Athey 73, P. Carrick 41; J. Shepherd 5/43) lost to Gloucestershire 266/7 dec, (P. Bainbridge ' 103. P.- Romains 74. D. Graveney 41 n. 0.) and 201/5,(A. Hignell 45). ■