Nixon: Durham are paying ultimate penalty
We are two months into the County season and, so far, it is definitely the tales of the unexpected. Hampshire, who are only playing Division One cricket following a reprieve last year, top the table, while Durham are still on negative points in Division Two.
Hampshire are enjoying playing without any pressure and though there was a bit of stick with all the signings of Kolpaks, you can’t deny they recruited well. They’ve played more games than anyone else but you can’t take away that they’re playing well.
Most tipped them to, at least, to battle against relegation again but they are proving everyone wrong. Kyle Abbott has been one of their stars, and the Kolpak players have got a point to prove.
They want to show they have made the right decision in playing county cricket and will still want success. The only way to prove your doubters wrong is by performing on the field and Hampshire have definitely done that.
Their senior players are performing well with Michael Carberry back in the mix, too. James Vince also had something to prove after a poor summer with England and when you’ve got things to prove that’s a really good place to be.
While Hampshire are enjoying playing without the pressure, it seems it’s the opposite up at Durham. Everyone was expecting them to push on, wipe off those negative points after the minus 48 deduction and have a solid season but they are still without a win.
Injuries have been tough for them but you can try too hard sometimes. They’ve had two final-over defeats, where in most cases you’d shut up shop and take the draw. But they’re trying so hard to get those wins and points on the board and it’s backfiring.
Paul Collingwood could go up the order and lead from the front a bit more, but it was his decision to generously declare, and while it was great to see the excitement, the risk was not needed.
Nottinghamshire are top of Division Two, as many expected, but they’re, perhaps, not as far ahead as predicted
There’s a big difference in points between drawing and losing, and if those final-over defeats had been draws, it would have given them a much better platform to build on for the rest of the season. As it is, they’re now further behind than when the season began.
Nottinghamshire are top of Division Two, as many expected, but they’re perhaps not as far ahead as predicted. It’s hard when you haven’t got a settled team, and with the likes of Stuart Broad, Alex Hales and James Pattinson coming and going, it hasn’t been easy.
You would expect a big and wealthy club like Notts though to compete in all formats, in every game and there’s no excuse not to. The challenge is for the guys coming in to make sure they’re in good form and confidence.
Back in Division One, you’ve got the top two from last year in Middlesex and Somerset without a win. Lord’s has become a wicket where there seems to be nothing but draws recently, while Jack Leach hasn’t been as successful this time round as he was in 2016.
It’s not easy in your second season. He would have put a lot of pressure on himself after last season but batsmen will have worked him out a bit more. Look at Jamie Vardy in football. He had a great season when Leicester won the Premier League but defenders realised you need to hang back and he found it more difficult.
The second year is always the toughest year. Leach has had so much coverage, too, and everybody knows what to expect.
It’s a challenge for Somerset and Leach to work out a plan B in order to be successful.