County cricket: Somerset and Durham the only winners in a round of draws

Somerset put Gloucestershire through a combine harvester of pain in the West Country derby, their innings and plenty victory the only positive result in Division One.

Tom Abell, continuing his good form with 142, took the captains’ favoured tactic this week – bat big and bat once – but his bowlers, led by Jack Leach’s selector-nudging eight wickets, got the job done before the fourth day dawned, unusually wet around the country this driest of springs.

After a disastrous hat-trick of defeats, Somerset have won two in a row (both by an innings) and sit sixth in table. Lancashire have also won two of their five fixtures, but occupy second place with almost half as many points again as the Cidermen. It’s impossible to concoct a perfect scoring system for the Championship, but, with plenty of handwringing over flat pitches, poor quality balls and late declarations, perhaps disincentivising the draw while ensuring that teams don’t just pack up early and head for the golf course would make things fairer. Suggestions requested below – but good luck working that alchemy.

When the Roses Match’s YouTube feed was not glitching like it’s 1999, one could discern some very classy cricket played by some very classy players.

None looked better than Harry Brook, whose numbers this season have caught the eye and who must be anxiously reloading his Ceefax page in search of the England squad announcement due soon (this 1990s bug is catching).

He displayed that quality of having more time than most at the crease – which is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it – something only highly gifted batters possess. Sometimes that’s attributed to picking up length early or being still at the crease or a well grooved trigger movement, but