LVCC Round 10 Review: James Rew, Durham, and Michael Neser all impress

Division One:

Kent 171 & 332 lost to Warwickshire 549/7d by an innings and 46 runs
Lancashire 145 & 383 lost to Essex 282 & 292/8d
Middlesex 277 & 322-6 drew with Northamptonshire 219 & 380
Somerset 500 drew with Hampshire 330 & 215/7
Surrey 355 & 340 drew with Nottinghamshire 399 & 118/1

Division Two:

Durham 453 & 52/1 beat Gloucestershire 316 & 188 by nine wickets
Glamorgan 403/9d drew with Leicestershire 451/6d
Sussex 402 & 384/9d drew with Derbyshire 407 & 361-8
Worcestershire 242 & 142/2 drew with Yorkshire 407

Rew the day you didn't know about James

Three months ago, you'd be forgiven for not having heard of the Championship's current leading run-scorer, but James Rew has very, very quickly made a name for himself in Somerset's line-up. The Lambeth-born wicket-keeper made his first-class debut in 2021, as a 17-year-old, as part of a County Select XI against an Indians side - he scored just two, but not before he had claimed his maiden dismissal: that of Cheteshwar Pujara, stumped. He has been stumped just twice in 67 innings since.

His Championship debut innings was 70 against last year's runners-up Lancashire, before recording 101* in just his fifth Championship innings, against Essex. But this year, he has taken things to a new level. Lancashire have been particular favourite opponents in 2023, having notched 117 against an attack featuring James Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, and Tom Bailey in April. Anderson was joined by Daryl Mitchell on home turf in May; Rew responded with twin hundreds. 

Against the Kookaburra ball in use during rounds nine and 10, the 19-year-old has thrived. After a pair of first innings under 200, Nottinghamshire were taken apart by Somerset and by Rew in particular, with his 123 not out setting up a remarkable third-day victory. This week, against Hampshire, Rew went stratospheric: Somerset were 41/4 when he arrived and soon became 80/5, and yet Rew made light work of one of the country's best bowling attacks, scoring a remarkable 221 to drag his side to 500 and, again, a remarkable victory - this time by an innings.

Rew was part of the England side which were runners-up at the U19 World Cup in 2022, and has featured again at both age group level and Lions level since. "He's incredibly level-headed, every game seems like it's his first opportunity to play, he respects the game, he's got an incredibly bright future," Somerset head coach Jason Kerr told BBC Radio Bristol. "He's been the mainstay of our batting and as a 19-year-old that's keeping wicket - that's one thing that's not talked about is how well he's clubbed the ball this summer as well." 

Remember the name - you might be seeing it at international level before long, and for quite some time.

Durham's promotion push rolls on

Durham have spent two stints in Division Two since the split at the turn of the century. Once came between 2001 and 2005; the other is now, since relegation in 2016. Thanks to the impact of Covid-19, this is only their fifth season in the second tier this time around, and it already looks like being their last.

Only Surrey, at the Division One summit, have as many as Durham's five victories. Only Sussex, in the opening round, have triumphed against them, and even that was a nervy affair, just two wickets in hand during a chase of 231. 

For England, it has been Bazball; for Durham, it has been Campbellball. The appointment of Ryan Campbell as head coach during the winter has proven a masterstroke, as the Australian, who guided Netherlands to the 2024 T20 World Cup before trading Amstelveen for Chester-le-Street, has injected a thrilling brand of cricket to his new team.

A tense chase over Yorkshire is the only time they have batted at a rate lower than 3.5 per over this season. All but four of their totals have been over 4.00, a figure matched in Division Two only by the White Rose. They've toppled 450 a staggering five times, unmatched in the second tier, leading to four very comfortable victories. They end the round with a 47-point advantage over second-placed Leicestershire; 45-point advantage over third-placed Sussex. With five matches left, the promotion dream is slowly becoming reality.

The looming threat of Essex

Don't let the last two title-less years fool you: Essex remain a real threat at the top of Division One. 

To look at the last three first innings they've bowled is to see proof of one of the best bowling attacks in the land. Somerset, Warwickshire, Lancashire. All would've fancied themselves as title contenders at the start of the season - arguably, all still are. Yet Essex have rolled all three for under 200 in their last three matches.

Somerset and Warwickshire's dismay came after conceding scores of over 450, and came largely at the hands of Simon Harmer, Essex's extraordinary spinner who has taken 398 wickets in Championship and Bob Willis Trophy cricket for Essex. Against both teams, he took five-wicket-hauls; against Warwickshire, he did it twice. Sam Cook and Paul Walter led Lancashire's ignominy, Cook claiming four scalps and Walter three, notably inducing a collapse from 114/4 to 116/8 on the stroke of the second day's lunch.

Dan Lawrence's excellent 135, from 27/3 in the second dig, set up an epic final day: Lancashire put up a valiant fight with match going into the final session manly thanks to Luke Wells and Rob Jones scoring his first century of the season, but ultimately the Lancs batters were outdone by Matt Critchley and Doug Bracewell as Essex went on to win by 46 runs. Essex know what it takes to win this trophy: you'd be foolish to ignore them.

Whiteman key to Northamptonshire's survival quest

Runs have been an issue for the two sides currently sat in the Division One relegation spots: Middlesex's two batting bonus points is worsened only by Northamptonshire (one), who they hosted at Merchant Taylor's School this week. Both sides are finding the hard way that a lack of first innings runs makes it very difficult to win first-class matches.

From a Northamptonshire perspective, the draw - coupled with Kent's heavy defeat to Warwickshire - at least keeps them in touch with the teams above them. The match at Northwood also showed them some light at the end of the tunnel where batting is concerned, specifically in Sam Whiteman, the Australian left-hander who hit his second century of the season.

His first came in a draw-saving situation at Somerset, his 130 not out, compiled mostly on the final day, kept the west country side at bay. Here, his two-paced innings first ensured some stability and then offered counterpunch to set up a final day on which all results were possible. It took Whiteman 142 balls to reach his half-century, but only 78 more to three figures. 

Having club captain Luke Procter back is a bonus too - he struck 961 runs last campaign but has missed much of this one through injury. Aside from Whiteman's pair of hundreds, only Rob Keogh has tonned up. They've bowled teams out for under 300 five times this season; if they can kickstart the batting, then there's hope. 

Neser makes his case

If Australia are looking for a fast bowler who can score good, fast runs, look no further than Michael Neser. It would be wrong to say rain scuppered any chance of a result in the big promotion-race clash between Glamorgan and Leicestershire: it was Neser's blade which put paid to any possible result.

Neser strode to the create at 73/5 and soon found the score 93/7, but he was unperturbed. All Glamorgan needed was some lift, and he gave them that, crashing 25 fours and a pair of sixes in a career-best 176 not out from 202. He'd have surely kept going but for the wave of his captain, David Lloyd, the Welsh side seeking a result to try and close the gap at the top of the table.

Immense credit goes to Rishi Patel for denying them, his second century of the season against Glamorgan - this one 179, alongside 134 not out in April - and fourth overall directing the match to a stalemate. Neser had begun proceedings with the ball with a fierce bumper to Sol Budinger, clipping the glove through to the wicket-keeper, but to no further avail. Neser joined Australia's squad ahead of the World Test Championship final and was released this week; he might well get a recall before the end of the Ashes.