The Cricketer provides advice on who to have in your fantasy team in week two of the County Championship 2023
With the second round of the 2023 County Championship due to get underway, The Cricketer has once again offered any Cricket Draft players their advice on who to select ahead of the 11am deadline.
Kent got their season off to the perfect start away to Northamptonshire, earning a seven-wicket victory. Zak Crawley and Jack Leaning were in the runs, with Matt Quinn and Joey Evison both picking up a four-wicket haul. It was Ben Compton who was the star, hitting 114 not out in their fourth-innings chase. Issues with the outfield limited Warwickshire's opener away to Somerset to three days, but there was still enough time to see Sam Hain and Alex Davies score centuries. Oliver Hannon-Dalby was the pick of the bowlers, picking up six wickets in the match.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Ben Compton; batter; £114k
Kent's top point scorer from their opening fixture, his unbeaten century shows last year's form is here to stay, making Compton an asset worth investing in.
Oliver Hannon-Dalby; bowler; £124k
One of the most consistent bowlers on the county circuit, OHD is only selected by seven per cent of players, and guarantees wickets, as shown in Taunton.
Alex Davies; batter; £92k
A seventh first-class century came in tricking conditions, and earned him 20 more points than fellow century-maker Hain, despite Davies costing £27k less.
Bargain Buys
Joey Evison; allrounder; £78k
Evison picked up five wickets in the win against Northants, and offers handy extra points with his batting prowess, offering a cheap alternative for your allrounder slot.
Jacob Bethell; allrounder; £68k
Bethell looked good for his quick 19, looking to take the positive option, with this approach certain to pay off several times throughout the season given his potential.
Dan Mousley; allrounder; £74k
Warwickshire entrusted Mousley with the No.6 spot in Taunton, demonstrating their belief in his ability, and showing he could be worth investing in at an affordable £74k.
Injury list
Warwickshire are being careful with Liam Norwell, meaning there is a risk in selecting him as he could once again miss out. It is expected Danny Briggs will be out for an extended period. This match could see Chris Woakes make his Warwickshire return, with Mark Robinson hopeful he will feature in this match.
Kent will be without Grant Stewart in this match, with the allrounder suffering with a tight side in their season opener. Nathan Gilchrist missed out against Northants due to an injury and is currently being assessed.
An opening-round battle between last season's top two in the County Championship ended in a draw last week, despite Surrey's domination over Lancashire for the first three days. Unbeaten centuries for Cameron Steel and Ben Foakes, as well as a five-for for Sean Abbott, set up an intriguing final day, but the defending champions could not make the necessary breakthroughs as the game dwindled into a draw. Hampshire did pick up a win, inside three days at home to Nottinghamshire, with Mohammed Abbas showing his quality with the ball, ending with match figures of nine for 116.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Ben Foakes; wicketkeeper; £140k
Foakes shut out all the background noise surrounding his position as England's wicketkeeper with 179 runs in the match, earning 295 points in the process.
Mohammed Abbas; bowler; £144k
Abbas justified his expensive price tag with his incredible bowling performance, almost making it impossible not to select him from now on.
Sean Abbott; bowler; £133k
Despite a form score of 8.2, and 263 points for the match, Abbott is selected by just five per cent, offering a good differential option for one of the bowling positions in your side.
Bargain Buys
Cameron Steel; batter; £75k
One of the stand-out performers in the first round of fixtures, Steel hit an incredible 141 not out in the first innings, and offers potential bowling points having been entrusted with 34 overs.
Fletcha Middleton; batter; £46k
A name not many would have been aware of before last Thursday, Middleton became a must-pick overnight, with two half-centuries despite costing just £46k.
Tom Lawes; allrounder; £57k
Despite not making an appearance in the first round, it will not be long before Lawes is given a chance, as he looks to build upon his 21 wickets from his first seven first-class appearances.
Injury list
Surrey's Will Jacks remains on the comeback trail, and will not feature in this game. Jamie Overton will also be unavailable and is expected to miss the Ashes with a stress fracture sustained in January.
Nottinghamshire's Luke Fletcher (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Both sides will be looking to kickstart their campaigns with a first win of the season at Trent Bridge. There were some positives for Somerset to take from their home draw against Warwickshire, although it is fair to say they were second-best for large periods of the match. There were half-centuries for Lewis Gregory and Tom Lammonby, and promising signs on debut from Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Cameron Bancroft. Nottinghamshire were well and truly beaten in Southampton, with Ben Duckett's second innings half-century as well as Olly Stone making it through 30 overs injury-free the only real signs of promise.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Ben Duckett; batter; £135k
Taking up the opening role as he has done with England, Duckett's quality is clear, and inevitably he will reward those who put their trust in him.
Lewis Gregory; allrounder; £114k
Somerset's top points scorer from the first round, Gregory's half-century came at a time when his side needed someone to dig in, showing his ability to rise to the big occasion.
Luke Fletcher; bowler; £111k
Fletcher's incredible figures of one for three from nine overs in Hampshire's chase was Nottinghamshire's only resistance, as his four wickets in the game saw him come away as the only bowler with some credit from the loss.
Bargain Buys
James Rew; wicketkeeper; £70k
Despite an average showing against Warwickshire, his place in the starting XI confirmed that he will be entrusted with Somerset's gloves this season, which still makes him a steal at £70k.
Tom Moores; wicketkeeper; £91k
Another cheap option, albeit just out of the £90k bargain limit, to fill the wicketkeeper role in your squad, Moores showed a level of grit and determination lacking elsewhere as he ended the first innings on 49 not out.
George Bartlett; batter; £77k
Another player who started the first match of the season, Bartlett offers a solid cheap alternative to allow spending elsewhere, with six first-class centuries.
Injury list
It is likely that Somerset captain Tom Abell will make his first appearance of the season after missing the Warwickshire match through injury. He was fit enough to make an appearance for the second XI against Cornwall, scoring 40 not out.
Josh Bohannon of Lancashire (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Essex started their 2023 campaign in emphatic fashion, earning their first win at Lord's since 2009 as some exhilarating new-ball bowling from Sam Cook and Jamie Porter blew Middlesex's top order away. A century from Dan Lawrence in the first innings, as well as two half-centuries for Matt Critchley also contributed to a 97-run victory. Lancashire did well to dig in against Surrey, batting out the fourth day for a draw thanks to a century for Josh Bohannon. Matt Parkinson started the season with a five-for, but the Red Rose will be looking for an improvement after being second-best throughout.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Jamie Porter; bowler; £116k
Porter's nine-wicket haul in two mesmerising new-ball spells saw him top the point-scoring charts for Gameweek 1 with 339, and is worth investing in with an ownership of just six per cent.
Dan Lawrence; batter; £126k
Lawrence looked back to his best at Lord's throughout his first innings century, playing with a fluidity and confidence which suggests a fruitful season lays ahead.
Josh Bohannon; batter; £116k
Selected by just five per cent, Bohannon looked very comfortable against an international-quality Surrey bowling attack, and he will certainly bat in easier conditions promising big point returns.
Bargain Buys
George Bell; wicketkeeper; £56k
There seems to be a plethora of affordable wicketkeepers on offer this season, with Bell enjoying a good start to the season which included four catches and one stumping.
Steven Croft; batter; £84k
Croft continues to pile on the runs despite his age reaching close to 40 and played a key role in guiding Lancashire to a draw, with an unbeaten fourth-innings half-century.
Nick Browne; batter; £89k
Browne looked for the positive option as Essex batted first on a rainy day one in London, and may be worth a gamble if you believe this approach will pay dividends.
Injury list
Essex have no injury worries ahead of this match, with their overseas player Doug Bracewell in line for his first start after travelling over from New Zealand.
This match may prove too soon for Saqib Mahmood, who made his first appearance since February for the second XI against Leicestershire earlier this week. Jimmy Anderson is in line to feature as he looks to get his Ashes preparations underway.
Toby Roland-Jones (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Middlesex will be looking to bounce back after their first Division One match since 2017 ended in defeat, with Northamptonshire also hoping to record their first win of the campaign. Despite Toby Roland-Jones taking seven for 61 in the first innings, two top-order collapses (including four ducks for Middlesex's top four in their first innings) saw the side slump to defeat. Northamptonshire also struggled, falling to a seven-wicket defeat against Kent, including ending the first innings 117 all out. However, they will be buoyed by a Rob Keogh century, and seven wickets for overseas bowler Chris Tremain.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Ryan Higgins; allrounder; £127k
Higgins was one of the bright sparks of an otherwise poor week for Middlesex, opening the bowling in the second innings, and leading the recovery from 20 for 5 to 147 for 6 with a score of 70.
Toby Roland-Jones; bowler; £139k
The defeat to Essex shows you can rely on Roland-Jones for returns regardless of the team's performance, with the bowler ending the week with 285 points to his name.
Chris Tremain; bowler; £118k
Northamptonshire's top points scorer from the Kent defeat, and their only player to exceed 200 points, Tremain offers a differential option as a bowler with a one per cent ownership.
Bargain Buys
Luke Hollman; allrounder; £81k
The scorer of Middlesex's only half-century in the fourth innings, Hollman offers points with both bat and ball and has been entrusted to be their front-line spinner following Keshav Maharaj's freak injury.
Gareth Berg; bowler; £87k
Despite his age, Berg made a positive start to his 21st season as a professional cricketer, adding a useful half-century along with two wickets, despite it only delaying the defeat.
Max Holden; batter; £86k
Holden scored Middlesex's first runs of the bat in 2023 despite entering at No.5 and is a good option if consistent points are what you are after, with the batter appearing in every Championship match last season.
Injury list
Neither Northamptonshire nor Middlesex have any fresh injury worries heading into this fixture.
Marcus Harris of Gloucestershire (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Yorkshire got their season off to the worst possible start as they were on the end of another Headingley miracle, with Leicestershire, winless throughout 2022, chasing 389. There were few positives as their first game following relegation to Division Two ended in defeat, namely a maiden first-class century for Finlay Bean, and Dawid Malan also reaching three figures. Gloucestershire started the season with a draw, responding well to a first innings deficit of 239 runs by setting up a final day where they had a chance of victory, thanks to a Marcus Harris century, and a Tom Price four-for.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Marcus Harris; batter; £127k
The second top points scorer from the first round of fixtures, Harris could turn out to be a shrewd piece of business as he looks to play himself into Australia's squad for the Ashes.
Tom Price; allrounder; £94k
Price enjoyed a stellar start to the 2023 season, including an unbeaten half-century to go along with six wickets, and offers an affordable option.
Dawid Malan; batter; £125k
The experienced batter started the season with a century and looks set to continue this fine form throughout the year, with little risk of England call-up good news for owners.
Bargain Buys
Finlay Bean; batter; £57k
Bean was one of the surprises of the first round of fixtures, scoring his first first-class hundred, and offers a cheap option to allow investment elsewhere.
Graeme van Buuren; allrounder; £77k
A score of 8.2 shows the impressive form of van Buuren, who hit an unbeaten century in Gloucestershire's second innings, offering both runs and wickets.
James Wharton; batter; £43k
One of the cheapest options on the game, Wharton hit a maiden first-class half-century, with his low cost making him the perfect option to strengthen your squad's depth.
Injury list
Matthew Fisher returns to the squad ahead of this fixture, alongside new overseas signing Saud Shakeel for Yorkshire. Matt Milnes is absent from the squad.
Gloucestershire have announced an unchanged squad ahead of the fixture.
Matt Kuhnemann in action for Durham (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Worcestershire make the trip up to the north-east looking to make it two wins from two following a dominant eight-wicket win at home to Derbyshire. It was a high-scoring affair, with an unbeaten fourth-innings century from Jake Libby enough to guide the side home. The win was set up by a solid bowling effort, with each of Joe Leach, Josh Tounge, and Matthew Waite playing their part. Durham will be hoping their first home fixture will bring a first win in 2023, following a close two-wicket defeat to Sussex, with a four-for from Matthew Kuhnemann the stand-out performance.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Jake Libby; batter; £103k
Libby earned 227 points in the first round and could be a useful differential given his form rating of 7.8, and ownership of just two per cent.
Ollie Robinson; wicketkeeper; £111k
A reliable option for your wicketkeeper slot, Robinson's departure was mourned by Kent fans, with Durham securing a consistent performer who guarantees points.
Matt Kuhnemann; bowler; £106k
One of Durham's top performances despite their defeat, Kuhnemann earned a solid 170 points and will look to use this as a catalyst to propel himself into Australia's Ashes squad.
Bargain Buys
Matthew Waite; bowler; 84k
Waite was one of only six players to breach the 300-point mark in the first round of games and offers a strong option to boast your bowling line-up.
Ben Gibbon; bowler; £59k
One hundred and thirty-four points is not a bad return for a player worth only £59k and offers a cheap way to round out your line-up if you are running short on cash.
Graham Clark; batter; £62k
The 30-year-old earned a more-than-reasonable 129 points in Durham's defeat against Sussex and boasts the obscure fact of being owned by less than one per cent of players.
Injury list
Brydon Carse drops out of the Durham squad as his workload is being managed by the ECB, with Liam Trevaskis also being omitted. This sees Brandon Glover and captain Scott Borthwick earn a spot, and be in line for their first appearance of the season.
For Worcestershire, top wicket-taker in last season's County Championship Dillon Pennington returns.
Good morning, Foxes fans. 😃
— Leicestershire CCC 🏏 (@leicsccc) April 10, 2023
Anyone else been watching this on repeat all night? 😍🔁
🦊#MomentsThatMatter pic.twitter.com/Ib5E1a4401
Almost every pundit predicted Leicestershire to finish bottom this season, which makes their win against Yorkshire even more impressive. A century from Peter Handscomb reduced the first innings deficit to 102 runs, with a declaration from the White Rose leaving the Foxes 389 runs to win. A maiden first-class century for Rishi Patel, as well an unbeaten half-century from Handscomb and 40 not out from Chris Wright earned the side a famous win. Derbyshire's bowling let them down in defeat to Worcestershire, with two Billy Godleman half-centuries and 95 not out for Leus de Plooy not enough to avoid defeat.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Peter Handscomb; batter; £124k
Handscomb ended the first round with 316 points and looks in good touch with a form rating of 8.2 despite being owned by just three per cent of players.
Chris Wright; bowler; £98k
Twenty years into his first-class career, Wright will not have enjoyed better games with the bat than against Yorkshire, ending not out in both innings with a total of 96 runs - not bad for a bowler.
Rehan Ahmed; allrounder; £105k
Ahmed certainly played his part in the Foxes' famous win, scoring an important 85 in response to Yorkshire's 517, and taking four wickets in the match.
Bargain Buys
Zak Chappell; allrounder; £69k
The cheapest player to reach the 300 points mark, Chappell put in a truly impressive all-round performance, earning a rating of 8.7.
Billy Godleman; batter; £73k
A half-century in both innings shows the consistency of Godleman, whose 259 points came at a good value, and his ownership still only sits at four per cent.
Rishi Patel; batter; £63k
Patel's first century came at the perfect time and shows he is worth the affordable price due to a secure place in the team, and evidence he will be able to deliver on his potential.
Injury list
For Leicestershire, Matt Salisbury will have to wait for his home debut after he sustained a calf injury just seven overs in against Yorkshire, with fit-again Callum Parkinson in-line to take his place in the XI.
There are no new injury concerns for Derbyshire.
Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on England's Test tour with George Dobell in Pakistan, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.