County Championship team of the week: Burns, Stevens, Fletcher… but who joins them in the XI?

The Cricketer looks at the star performers from the seventh round of the County Championship

Rory Burns (Surrey)

64 & 104* v Middlesex

The England opener heads into the Test series against New Zealand in fine fettle, on the back of 554 LV= Insurance County Championship runs in 10 innings, including a first century of the campaign against Middlesex.

No one has passed fifty more often than the left-hander, whose unbeaten hundred was the seventh such instance in just seven games. He has averaged 61.55 in these early weeks, with just four players – and one opener – scoring more runs in the period.

Mark Stoneman (Surrey)

63 & 74 v Middlesex

Mark Stoneman struggled through April, recording a high score of 44 through six innings and only passing 16 in one other knock.

But since then, the left-hander has looked in superb touch, recording a first hundred of the campaign against Leicestershire when his place was surely under threat and then sauntering to twin fifties at the Kia Oval against Middlesex. He looked a shoo-in for a second ton of the season until edging behind early on the final day.

Nick Gubbins (Middlesex)

124 v Surrey

It has not been easy for Nick Gubbins or any of his batting colleagues at Middlesex this year. The pitches at Lord’s, as he hinted when speaking to Sky after a fine fourth-day hundred at the Kia Oval, have hardly allowed batsmen to make hay.

On a truer surface in south London, however, the left-hander’s class shone through. Since topping the run-scoring charts in Middlesex’s title win five years ago, Gubbins has struggled to rediscover that form.

He made four centuries in 2016 – this was just his fifth since but it was a sign that, at his best, there are still few better on the circuit. Alongside Peter Handscomb, who deserves immense credit for his 70, they almost took their side to a much-needed victory.

^{Nick Gubbins was in fine form for Middlesex}

Tom Abell (Somerset)

132* v Gloucestershire

In a truncated game where exactly half of the batsmen fell for single-figure scores, Tom Abell’s unbeaten century was a tremendous effort, ensuring that Somerset left their rain-ruined draw against Gloucestershire with a greater share of the spoils.

Their hosts might remain unbeaten but Somerset’s display acted as a reminder of their status as one of the nation’s teams to beat. It will be intriguing to see how they fare as Craig Overton departs for England duty.

Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)

177* v Worcestershire

In separate partnerships with Lyndon James and Steven Mullaney, Ben Duckett piled on the runs at a rate that allowed Nottinghamshire’s bowlers the time to run through Worcestershire twice in quick succession.

His unbeaten 177 only used up 196 deliveries, meaning that Mullaney could declare after just 84.3 overs once his side had reached 400 and earned their final batting point. No bowler was spared by Duckett: of six bowlers used, only two – Dillon Pennington and Joe Leach – went at under four runs per over.

John Simpson (Middlesex)

68 & 4 catches v Surrey

As Middlesex’s top order was blown away by the excellence of Kemar Roach on the second day at the Kia Oval, it was the wicketkeeper who stood strong and counterattacked, holding firm after coming to the crease at 27 for 4 and dragging his team past 150 when he was the ninth man out.

In the grand scheme of an enthralling final day, it would be easy to lose sight of that contribution. But ensuring Middlesex were just 30 runs behind after their first innings was key in keeping them in with a shout of victory.

Darren Stevens (Kent)

190 v Glamorgan

All hail Darren Stevens, an extraordinary cricketer enjoying yet another remarkable summer. In a fine Kent side enduring a particularly poor beginning to their season – albeit rocked by several injuries to first team players – the 45-year-old has been the standout once again.

Even by his standards, his 190 against Glamorgan was simply outrageous, having been joined at the crease by Miguel Cummins with the score 128 for 8. They added 166 for the ninth wicket, of which the West Indies seamer contributed just a single. Stevens’ contribution to the stand of 96.38 per cent was the highest in first-class history for a partnership of more than 100 runs.

Ben Aitchison (Derbyshire)

6-28 v Durham

A day to remember for Ben Aitchison, even if Derbyshire were held to a rain-affected draw by Durham. The young seamer, who only earned his first professional contract last year after impressing in grade cricket as an overseas player, claimed his first five-wicket haul against Scott Borthwick’s side, ending with figures of 6 for 28 from 16 overs.

For Durham, Chris Rushworth also picked up six scalps, including his 1,000th for Durham in all cricket – only a week after becoming the county’s all-time leading first-class wicket-taker.

Peter Siddle (Essex)

6-38 v Warwickshire

Peter Siddle had enjoyed a fairly quiet start to his latest spell at Essex before turning up at Chelmsford to face Warwickshire for the second time in a month.

In between the club’s first defeat in first-class cricket for 22 games and this rain-soaked draw, there has been a high-scoring draw at Worcester – in which the Australian went wicketless – and a second loss of the campaign at the hands of rejuvenated Nottinghamshire.

So, Siddle’s burst to run through Warwickshire’s batting line-up last week was a welcome return to normality, even if the weather ultimately prevented any chance of a result. Figures of 6 for 38 were his best for the county, for whom he averages just 19.81.

^{Darren Stevens had a round to remember}

Luke Fletcher (Nottinghamshire)

7-37 & 3-20 v Worcestershire 

Another week, another personal record crushed by Luke Fletcher. Figures of 6 for 24 against Essex at the start of May were the best of his career until he bettered them last week with a maiden seven-wicket haul in professional cricket.

A first ten-wicket match for the big-hearted seamer, who achieved the feat in just 24 overs across two innings: a remarkable effort that clinched a third straight win, having watched his batsmen make hay earlier in proceedings.

Kyle Abbott (Hampshire)

6-47 v Leicestershire

After a slow start to the season in the wickets column, Kyle Abbott has picked up 18 scalps in his last two games: 11 at Lord’s against Middlesex, seven at the Ageas Bowl in a draw with Leicestershire. At one stage as he decimated the visitors’ top order last week, Leicestershire found themselves 17 for 5 and then 40 for 7.

Abbott and new-ball partner Mohammad Abbas bowled 30 of the 35.5 overs sent down in the first innings, before the weather wrecked their chances of repeating the trick in the second innings. He pips fellow overseas player Kemar Roach – so impressive for Surrey in their draw against Middlesex – to the final spot in this side.

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