As Tom Price leads the way in the Cricket Draft dream team, The Cricketer give you the inside track on picking your fantasy County Championship XI
Still plummeting down the leaderboard after three rounds of The Cricket Draft? Well, look no further, as The Cricketer takes you through the star drafts and bargain buys from the five County Championship matches taking place in the fourth round. To play The Cricket Draft, head to www.thecricketdraft.com.
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Ben Raine; allrounder; £128K
Allrounder Raine had a stellar round for Durham. Figures of 4 for 65, including trapping Marnus Labuschagne LBW for 17, see him move into GW4 with a form rating of 7.9.
David Bedingham; batter; £125k
Scores of 118 and 86 against Worcestershire in round two offers confidence that, had last round's fixture against Glamorgan not been washed out, the South African would've been a leading draft choice; he's registered 422 points to date.
Bargain Buys
Zak Chappell; allrounder; £74k
With 462 points to date, Chappell is both a bargain buy and a star draft. He led Derbyshire with four wickets versus Leicestershire and will look to continue to thrive somewhat under the radar.
Billy Godleman; batter, £74k
Despite a poor showing last time out against Leicestershire, Godleman boasts a form rating of 7.1 after a strong performance in round one against Worcestershire. He's an absolute bargain if he rediscovers his form.
Injury list
None
The best performing Cricket Draft players in gameweek 3
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Tom Price; allrounder, £101k
Star doesn't quite do it justice. With 21 per cent of players now owning Price, people are starting to realise his worth. It's not too late to get in on the action before his stock rises even further.
Jack Carson; bowler; £91k
Sitting at just four per cent usage, Carson may well be the untapped points goldmine your team needs. He has great form going into GW4 after taking 5 for 79 saw him accrue 191 points in the last round.
Bargain Buys
Oli Carter; wicketkeeper; £82k
For just £82k, you can snag Sussex's productive and skilful wicketkeeper. A first-innings 64, and a tidy performance with the gloves letting through just four byes across both innings, makes Carter a great addition to most teams for a low price tag.
Ajeet Singh-Dale; bowler, £52k
At just £52k, this may well be the steal of the year. Figures of 6 for 41 in the first innings against Worcestershire are numbers not to be sniffed at, and even if he's a one-GW-wonder, it won't break the bank to include him.
Injury list
David Payne (ankle)
Glamorgan have Marnus Labuschagne signed up until 2024 (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Marnus Labuschagne; batter; £172k
No matter the price, the number one red-ball batter in the world is worthy of a place in your team. He may well be listed as a batter, but after picking up a four-for in GW3, he'll offer extra points as a bowler too.
Rehan Ahmed; allrounder; £108k
Ahmed's pedigree is proven. His ability to gain you points across all disciplines of the game, alongside his reasonable pricing, makes him a safe choice for your team.
Bargain Buys
Kiran Carlson; batter; £92k
Carlson provides great value for money in your batting line-up. A knock of 119 off 166 against Durham last time out sees him move into GW4 with a form rating of 7.6.
Lewis Hill; batter; £89k
A GW has passed since Hill's masterful 162 off 269 against Derbyshire, leaving him under-selected. Just two per cent of teams include the Leicestershire captain, making him a great option for those looking to leapfrog their league competitors.
Injury list
Matthew Salisbury (calf, doubtful)
Zak Crawley found form for Kent against Essex (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Ryan Higgins; allrounder; £132K
Another stellar performance from the English allrounder, guiding Middlesex to an unlikely victory over Nottinghamshire in GW3, makes him more than draft-worthy. A safe bet, his form rating heading into the next round lies at 8.2.
Zak Crawley; batter; £112k
Make what you will of his England ambitions, he has the natural ability to take down any domestic bowling attack and guarantee you a shed-load of points at that. His 170 last time out may well be the spark he needed to kick his season back into action, so cash in now while you can.
Bargain Buys
Joey Evison; allrounder; £80k
A century may have alluded him two rounds ago, and rain halted his progress as he reached 38 not out against a strong Essex bowling attack, but one thing is clear: Evison is punching well above his value and offers points across all disciplines.
Luke Hollman; allrounder; £80k
Starting to find his groove as Middlesex's frontline spinner, and showing promising signs with the bat as Hollman continues to offer consistent points at an affordable price.
Injury list
Grant Stewart (tight side, doubtful)
The standings in The Cricketer's league after three weeks
The Cricketer's Star Drafts
Sam Hain; batter; £123k
Underestimate Sam Hain at your peril. His price tag is significant, but the consistency he's shown to date makes him a worthwhile investment in your team. Two centuries in as many game weeks, one of which was unbeaten, leaves him competing with the best in the Championship.
Ollie Pope; batter; £152k
Pricey. Yes, but he's worth every penny. Pope made a mockery of a close-fought affair in GW2 against Hampshire, cashing in with a match-winning 122 not out in the fourth innings. This may be the kiss of death, but it's hard to see him lose form against Warwickshire with his form rating a healthy 7.2.
Bargain Buys
Cameron Steel; batter; £77k
A masterful 141 not out in GW1 more than makes up for a lean spell last time out, and with a selection rate of seven per cent, Steel offers great value for money in your middle-order.
Thomas Lawes; allrounder; £62k
Lawes enjoys a form rating of 7.2 after taking six wickets in Surrey's victory over Hampshire in GW2. At such a low price, and with a point to prove after his first baller at the hands of Mohammed Abbas, Lawes makes a great addition to a team on a budget.
Injury list
Jamie Overton (stress fracture)
It's not too late to join The Cricketer's league, to pit your selections against our writers and readers - head to www.thecricketdraft.com and join our public league now
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.