County Cricket: Gloucester and Yorkshire in One Day Cup Control

It was a tough week in the One Day Cup for bowlers. Nineteen centuries flowed, including Cameron Bancroft’s unbeaten 143 as Gloucestershire cruised to their fourth consecutive victory against Glamorgan. Their 100% record was maintained on Sunday, with a significant six-wicket defeat of nearest rivals Worcestershire. 

The latter had started strongly, beating Hampshire and Derbyshire, with Brett D’Oliveira in fine fettle. His aggregate for the week topped 200. Leicestershire’s Shan Masood repeated the feat, reaching at least fifty in all three fixtures. Also in Group A, Essex broke their duck, and in style. They achieved a county record 244-run drubbing of Surrey. Irish international Curtis Campher cracked a rapid 123 not out and Luc Benkenstein 83 out of 417-6. Teenage medium-pacer Charlie Bennett then destroyed Surrey’s top order, and there was no way back. Surrey did manage a success, although it rested heavily on a fortunate Duckworth-Lewis situation and a 17-ball 43 not out from an unlikely source, Ben Foakes. 

Yorkshire remain in control of Group B, launched by a seven-wicket thrashing of Lancashire at York, helped by another Imam ul-Haq century, and rounded off with a straightforward dismissal of Middlesex. In between came a loss against Somerset at the same venue, for which the Pakistan opener was absent. The Westcountrymen are currently in second place despite losing a high-scoring encounter with Warwickshire at Taunton. Their opponents that day are equal on points but with an inferior net run rate. Jake Lintott took 5-37 against Middlesex only for Luke Hollman’s 4-27 to lead the Londoners to snatch the win at Rugby.

Middlesex were also involved in a royal run-fest at Chester-le-Street. Lees and Bedingham struck tons for Durham en route for a total of 387-4, only for the visitors to reach the target with two overs to spare, breaking the List A record for a successful chase total. Sam Robson’s solid 169 not out was the cornerstone and also his personal career-best score. 

Other performances worth a mention include double-century aggregates for the week by Lancashire opener Michael Jones and James Sales of Northamptonshire. 22-year-old Sales struck his maiden List A hundred against Durham, followed by a near-miss on 98 at home to Sussex. That match ended in a triumph for the home team, thanks largely to another first century from the bat of Charlie Tear, who impressed with an authoritative 159. 

Next week, Gloucestershire defend their unbeaten Group A record against Notts and Essex while I fancy Hampshire and Notts to reach the top three. In Group B, Yorkshire will be in pole position by beating Durham and Sussex, while Somerset face a few tricky Channel coast trips to Hove and Canterbury. 

Team of the Week:- Jones (Lan), D’Oliveira (Wor), Robson (Mid), Haynes (Not), Masood (Lei), J Rew (Som +), Sales (Nor), Benkenstein (Ess), Lintott (War), Barnett (Ess), Allison (Wor) 

County Cricket: Gloucester Gallop but Rhodes Makes One-Day Hay

The 2025 Royal London One-Day Cup launched this week without the Hundred’s hullabaloo but threw the spotlight on some of the less lauded counties and individuals more often seen plying their trade in the Seconds. 

With few players lost to the more lucrative competition, Gloucestershire would be expected to thrive in the 50-over cup and they duly won all three opening fixtures, racking up plenty of runs in the process. They swept aside Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Surrey, the latter fielding a host of unknowns and little-knowns. Ben Charlesworth, Oliver Price and James Taylor enjoyed their time at the crease, and James Bracey was one of several wicketkeepers to shine during the past week and a half. 

Welbeck CC’s ground at Sookholme played host to Nottinghamshire’s home fixtures, including a high-scoring tie with Worcestershire. Tom Moores thrashed 140 off 93 balls, following it up with a golden duck! Jake Libby and Kashif Ali each reached three figures in the nailbiting Notts defeat. Somerset’s Rew brothers enjoyed a couple of big partnerships but failed in a two-wicket surrender to Lancashire. 

Somerset’s victims included Durham, who nonetheless had easy wins over Sussex and Kent. In the first match, Ollie Robinson claimed the rare distinction of making a hundred and taking six catches. Yet even his performance was eclipsed by team-mate Will Rhodes who ended the week as both the tournament’s highest run-scorer and wicket-taker. In that same Sussex encounter, he fashioned 96 then took 5-30 with his seamers. 

The highest score of the week was Imam ul-Haq’s 159 in Yorkshire’s 202-run massacre of Northants. The county are the only one in Group B with two wins from two, which also owed much to young Ben Cliff’s seven wickets, including 5-46 at Northampton. Other five-fors were achieved by the likes of Alfie Ogborne (Somerset) and Leicestershire’s teenage quick, Alex Green, who took five not once but twice in his two games. 

I should also mention a couple of players who excelled in a losing cause. Essex suffered a run of three defeats despite Tom Westley’s sterling efforts with bat and ball. At Neath, Glamorgan’s only completed match was notable for two substantial individual innings. Hampshire’s skipper Nick Gubbins stroked an unbeaten 144, before his opposite number Kiran Carlson reacted to the steady fall of wickets at the other end (all caught) by lashing ten sixes in a 92-ball 135. The home side’s innings lasted only five balls later, still 72 adrift. 

The next batch of fixtures includes the Roses tie at York, Glamorgan’s trip over the Severn Bridge to Gloucestershire, whose position atop Group A will be matched by Hampshire should they overcome Worcestershire and Leicestershire. In Group B, the Yorkshire-Somerset clash could be critical, but Lancashire need to make up for lost time and their Sedburgh washout with a successful South Coast jaunt to Sussex and Kent. 

Team of the Week:- Imam ul-Huq (Yor), Bracey (Glo +), Libby (Wor), Rhodes (Dur), Carlson (Gla), Kashif Ali (Wor), Westley (Ess), Ogborne (Som), Zaman Akhtar (Glo), A Green (Lei), Cliff (Yor)

England v India: One of THE Classic Test series

These days, the people who effectively control cricket are being ushered away from the traditional formats and into the media-friendly white-ball world where TV cameras can capture all the drama rom start to finish in a matter of hours. Kids at grounds can be entertained without boredom sets in, and the all-important bars and fast-food franchises can make a hefty profit. 

But sometimes, more often than you’re led to think, the long-form stuff can be as thrilling as any T20 contest, spread over not only the five days of a single match but twenty-five days spanning a whole series. This summer’s clash between England and India epitomised the exhilaration of sport; two closely-matched sides, plenty of highs and lows, at times feisty but with mutual respect, and no little skill on show from both teams. I may no longer have the motivation or opportunity to watch everything on screen but this has been as good a home series to follow as any I can recall for decades. With two- or three-Test rubbers becoming the norm, squeezed into an ever-expanding schedule of global franchise leagues, ODIs and T20 international, how gratifying was it to witness a rare five-fixture competition that eclipsed any round of meaningless biff-bash events. 

What set it apart from, say, the epic Ashes encounters of yore, was the boorish behaviour of spectators. The atmosphere benefited from crowds supporting both teams, not just the partisan St George’s flag-waving, beer-swilling xenophobic crowds I tend to associate with England’s Barmy Army. Having attended a neutral ODI involving a side led by Dhoni, Kohli et al, I can appreciate the passion of the good-natured, cricket-loving Indian fans who, in the past month, lifted the atmosphere even whilst losing. Had it been India needing only 35 runs on the final morning, I doubt many England supporters would have bothered turning up. The thousands of fans in blue or green, white and orange were certainly rewarded with one of the most sensational and surprising finales to any Test match between the two nations. From Jamie Overton’s pulled boundary, via Woakes’ one-armed entrance to Siraj’s devastating yorker to Atkinson, it was extraordinary stuff. 

A 2-2 series result was a fair one. Each nation enjoyed a comfortable victory, each edged a nailbiter, with a drawn run-fest in between, so not even Ben Stokes or, if he was being honest (as if!) Nigel Farage, could resent the equal role played by India. Remember, this was a touring party shorn of the retired Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and with the world’s premier bowler Jasprit Bumrah to be employed only sparingly.

Curiously, India won both games in which Bumrah was rested, and it was the 31-year-old Mohammed Siraj who rose to the occasion brilliantly, finishing with 23 wickets. Shubman Gill was the inexperienced captain but he covered himself with glory all round, particularly with the bat. His extraordinary, record-breaking innings of 269 and 161 at Edgbaston were the highlights of a magnificent series, while Jaiswal, Jadeja and Pant were usually entertaining at the crease. 

England had their heroes, too. Joe Root was as solid and unfussy as ever, scoring three centuries on his way to second on the all-time list of Test match run scorers. Fitness permitting, Tendulkar’s seemingly unassailable record will on a few years surely fall to the Yorkshireman. Harry Brook is a captain in waiting, although Ben Stokes’ capacity to pull out performances on the biggest stage is undimmed. His 141/5-72 combo at Old Trafford was terrific. Atkinson Tongue and the fit-again Jofra Archer also had their moments, and Jamie Smith’s unbeaten 184 at Old Trafford demonstrated what he is capable of when he applies himself. 

The pundits predicted that the Lord’s line-up, perhaps with Wood and Atkinson for Woakes and Tongue, should start the Ashes campaign this winter. Personally, I would favour Rehan Ahmed as the frontline spinner, and for his superior batting. However, England selectors appear reluctant to pick players based on inconsequential niceties like form and experience! 

But, for now, let’s not waste time banging on about the forthcoming tour to Australia. Instead, we should celebrate the Indian summer of 2025 and hope that there will be plenty more five-Test challenges, home and away, in the future. 

Team of the Series: Jaiswal (Ind), Duckett (Eng), Gill (Ind), Root (Eng), Brook (Eng), Pant (Ind +), Stokes (Eng), Jadeja (Ind), Tongue (Eng), Bumrah (Ind), Siraj (Ind)

County Cricket: Somerset are Abell but Surrey seem the more willing

Just over ten years ago my blog celebrated the 501-run partnership involving Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince in Lancashire’s Championship fixture at Colwyn Bay. There was nothing quite as massive this week, but one of Ian Botham’s records was eclipsed when James Rew and Tom Abell put on a new Somerset fourth-wicket record of 313 at Trent Bridge. All the more remarkable was the fact it followed a devastating opening spell by Muhammad Abbas, and the second-best stand was just 41. It counted for little, because Haseeb Hameed’s 208 anchored a superior Nottinghamshire reply which pretty much guaranteed the draw. 

The stalemate also played into Surrey’s hands. The leaders extended the gap over their nearest rivals to nine points courtesy of a five-wicket defeat of Durham at Chester-le-Street, where runs proved harder to come by. There were no centuries although Emilio Gay was dismissed one short. Ben Raine and Sai Kishore went home with five-fors, but the champs took the sixteen points for the win. 

Yorkshire stole the seaside show at Scarborough, thumping Sussex by an innings and leaping out of the relegation spots. Tons from Lyth and, for the second game in succession, Matt Revis, elevated the home side’s total to an unassailable 545-9 declared. Sussex were always struggling to save the game and, despite dogged late resistance by Hudson-Prentice and Carson, the experienced seamer Matt Milnes sealed the triumph with figures of 5-31. 

Warwickshire are only a point behind Somerset despite a run-heavy draw against Essex at Chelmsford. The hosts dominated the first few days, as Tom Westley, Charlie Allison and Michael Pepper all reached three figures. The Midlanders made a decent fist of their response, led by Ed Barnard and Ethan Bamber’s maiden hundred in his 72^nd first-class match. 

Not for the first time this season, Worcestershire were frustrated on the final afternoon when in sight of a much-needed success. Hampshire set them a challenging target of 358 on the final afternoon and, to skipper D’Oliveira’s credit, they accepted the gauntlet with no little enterprise. Jake Libby carried his bat for a round 100 in the first innings and reached 106 in the second before being bowled by Fuller. The run rate continued at more than six an over, but wickets fell regularly and, at 303-8, time was called with neither side quite doing enough. 

In Division Two, the combination of inclement weather and dominant batsmen prevented a result in three of the four fixtures. The exception occurred at Old Trafford, where Glamorgan cemented their second place by beating Lancashire by 154 runs. Chris Green (6-83) had limited the Welsh county to 261 on day one, but Mason Crane’s six-wicket blitz left Lancashire 124 adrift. Centuries by Kiran Carlson and Sam Northeast consolidated the lead and, despite Luke Wells’ 102, the Red Roses fell way short of the 473 target. 

Leicestershire are still comfortably clear of the rest following a tame draw at Canterbury. Rehan Ahmed scored another century and Tom Scriven’s unlikely 99 advanced the total to 471. However, day three was almost totally washed out, so Kent’s Ben Compton batted virtually to the end, amassing 221. Ahmed was the most successful of the ten bowlers used by ‘keeper-captain Handscomb, who kept his gloves on throughout! 

Northamptonshire had Derbyshire on the back foot for the final few days, courtesy of a 208-run seventh-wicket stand shared by Justin Broad and Rob Keogh. On the fourth day, only rain and Luis Reece’s defiance saved Derby’s bacon. The Cheltenham crowd had little to relish either, especially thse who turned up on Thursday with hope and well-used umbrellas. At least there were excellent innings from the bats of Middlesex’s Kane Williamson (153) and Gloucestershire’s 21-year-old Joe Phillips (136). 

Now comes the interminable hiatus for The Hundred and the neutered Metro One-Day Cup. As ever, I’ll be focussing on the latter, which opens the door for the less-lauded white-ballers to show what they’re made of in fifty-over competition. Glamorgan handed Somerset their traditional runners-up medals last season and must be in with a decent shout this summer, too. 

Team of the Week:- Hameed (Not), Libby (Wor), B Compton (Ken), Westley (Ess), Abell (Som), Carlson (Gla), Rew (Som +), Revis (Yor), Crane (Gla), Milnes (Yor), T Taylor (Wor)

County Cricket: All-Rounders Dominate the Red Ball

As the County Championship popped back on the scene, little changed in the league tables but some individual all-round performances really caught the eye. At Edgbaston, bottom-placed Worcestershire dominated the first three days of their derby clash with Warwickshire, thanks to Solihull-born Ethan Brookes’ runs and Khurram Shahzad’s 6-42 but the home side turned things around with aplomb. Beau Webster already had four wickets to his name then, joining Zen Malik, he and his partner struck centuries in the effort to reach the target of 393. Malik skied a catch to long-on for 142 before Kai Smith and Webster took Warwicks over the line for a pulsating five-wicket victory and a rise to fourth in the table. 

Somerset went third thanks to a madcap five-session match on a Taunton green-top against Durham. Twenty-two wickets toppled on day one, although 400 runs were also scored, boosting the groundsman’s claim that the carnage was caused by great bowling, not a terrible pitch. Craig Overton bowled brilliantly for 6-23 and Tom Lammonby’s 82 was by far the highest score. In the second innings, it was the spinners Leach and Vaughan who wreaked the havoc bit Somerset still had a nervy tome hunting only 86 to win. In the end, Tom Banton pulled out some strong boundaries to make sure of the sixteen points. 

Surrey and Nottinghamshire remain clear, but with just a single point separating them following away draws with Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, respectively. At Scarborough, both counties racked up 500+ totals as Dom Sibley’s 52 took him past 1000 runs for the season, and young Matthew Revis contributed an unbeaten 110. Notts compiled a massive 578-8 declared, including a stupendous 203 not out by Lyndon James, batting at seven. For Hampshire, Varma and Organ responded with rather more patient hundreds, leaving no time for a positive result. 

Essex did enjoy a rare success, clawing themselves out of the relegation mire down at Hove. James Coles maintained his excellent form with the bat for Sussex but Matt Critchley stole the show for Essex, combining a ton with a useful 4-41 to wrap up an innings victory, denting the South Coasters’ hopes of challenging for the title. 

In Division Two, it was Rehan Ahmed’s turn to shine for runaway leaders Leicestershire, who made it six wins so far. Their first innings scorecard was a curious one. Four players were dismissed for ducks, including both openers, and the total of 398 featured three centuries. Hill, Handscomb and Ahmed reached three figures before the latter turned the screw further, capturing thirteen wickets in all. Opponents Derbyshire never got to grips with his spin, and yet it was the medium pace of Luis Reece which upset Leicester. Even in defeat, his match figure of 11-120 were worthy of more a mere footnote. 

Derby’s loss allowed Glamorgan to leapfrog them into second. They triumphed over Kent at Cardiff by five wickets. Poor weather extended play into a fourth day, as Kiran Carlson’s 89 not out steered his side beyond the target on day four. Middlesex also advanced thanks to an innings defeat of Northamptonshire. Holden, Williamson and du Plooy each cracked hundreds in an unassailable 625-8, then six bowlers helped themselves to wickets, seven of them falling to Ryan Higgins. 

There were plenty of runs too, at Cheltenham, but Lancashire returned home with a comfortable nine-wicket success. Gloucestershire opener Ben Charlesworth plundered 160 and 71, albeit in a losing cause, while Lancashire owed plenty to all-rounders Chris Green and Tom Hartley.They shared a ninth-wicket stand of 212, crashing fourteen sixes between them. Hartley’s 130 was his maiden ton, and he capped a memorable match with eleven wickets, often forming a left-right spin partnership with Green. They are also back in the mix for promotion, and next week’s tie with Glamorgan could be vital. 

In the top flight, second meet third when Somerset head north to Nottingham, but Surrey must hope to maintain the upper hand by defeating Durham. The Scarborough Festival continues, and Yorkshire desperately need some bracing sea air to refresh their chances of avoiding the drop against Sussex. 

Team of the Week:- Holden (Mid), Charlesworth (Glo), Rehan Ahmed (Lei), Webster (War), Brookes (Wor), Smith (War +), Critchley (Ess), James (Not), Reece (Der), C Overton (Som), Hartley (Lan)

County Cricket: Jacks Blasts Surrey Closer to Finals Day

Surrey finished the Vitality Blast group stages in style, winning all three of this week’s fixtures, including the top-of-the-table clash with Somerset. The Curran brothers had their moments but it was Will Jacks who starred, making scores of 57, 52 and a round 100 off 59 balls against Sussex. 

There were three other centurions: Alex Lees (101 not out) for Durham v Northamptonshire, Tom Latham’s 104 for the Bears against Derbyshire and a phenomenal unbeaten 139 for Essex’s Jordan Cox. Including eleven sixes, he almost single-handedly beat Hampshire to register only their third victory of a miserable T20 campaign. The South Coasters had already done enough to reach the quarter-finals thanks to a comfortable six-wicket triumph over a lacklustre Sussex, in which James Vince was left high and dry on 98. 

Glamorgan had begun the week in the South group qualifying places but losing to a De Lange-inspired Gloucestershire opened the door for Kent. They duly barged through thanks to successes against Middlesex and Essex. 

The North division was really tight but, with all the main contenders beating each other, the week’s results left the top four positions unchanged. Despite falling victims to Nottinghamshire, Lancashire topped the table thanks to wins against Durham and Roses rivals Yorkshire. Ex-England Test players Jos Buttler and James Anderson both contributed, but Chris Green delivered vital runs and six wickets. 

While the Bears racked up 233-1 against Derbyshire, they were on the wrong end of a mammoth 240-6 compiled at Edgbaston by Northants. Matthew Breetzke top-scored with a 40-ball 85, while skipper David Willey combined a six-heavy 54 with a useful 2-27, having both Davies and Mousley caught behind. 

Other notable performances included Worcester all-rounder Ethan Brookes’ 57 in 20 balls and 3-30 to despatch Notts, Farhan Ahmed’s hat-trick and 5-25 to destroy Lancashire’s tail, nine wickets for Derbyshire’s Ben Aitchison, including 5-25 against Yorkshire. In that same innings, his teenage Afghan colleague, AM Ghazanfar successfully restricted the attacking talents of Bairstow and Wharton to ducks across a combined twelve deliveries, bowling his four-over allocation for a mere five runs. 

Wea six now face a six-week break before the knockouts. Champions Gloucestershire may be out but I wouldn’t bet against a Surrey-Somerset semi, and Somerset losing another final to Hampshire. It’s just the way of the world… 

Team of the Week:- Jacks (Sur), Breetzke (Nor), Latham (BB), Willey (Nor), Cox (Ess), Moores (Not +), Brookes (Wor), C Green (Lan), Ghazanfar (Der), Aitchison (Der), Farhan Ahmed (Not)

County Cricket: Somerset Sweep into Blast Quarter-Finals

As Twenty20 returned to the county scene, Somerset maintained their domination of the South division. They beat Kent, Hampshire and Essex to establish a fourteen-point lead and ensure a home quarter-final in September. However, they didn’t end the week with a 100% record. Glamorgan edged a tight encounter at Taunton by just two runs. Ingram and Douthwaite knocked half-centuries but the visitors owed then most to former Somerset and Millfield School product, Ned Leonard. The 22-year-old seamer took 5-25 and the Somerset tail found sixteen runs off the final over too much. 

Despite fielding an international XI, Surrey came up short against bottom side Essex in a rain-affected affair at The Oval. Chasing 142 in twelve overs, Pepper and Walter galloped away for four overs before Adam Zampa broke the partnership and checked the run rate. However, Matt Critchley clinched the game with a last-ball boundary. Surrey remain second having seen off Gloucestershire and close rivals Glamorgan. 

Essex, Middlesex and Gloucester may have little or no chance of reaching the knockout stage but they each have players in my Team of the Week. Mohammad Amir’s four fixtures this week yielded eleven wickets for a mere (forgive the phrase!) 107 runs. Stephen Eskinazi’s highlight was a 48-ball 94 for Middlesex against Hampshire, albeit in a losing cause, while D’Arcy Short was Mr. Consistent for Gloucestershire. He struck three half-centuries, the best being 83 against Middlesex. 

Two players cracked incredible centuries. After Glamorgan set Surrey a formidable target of 223, Surrey were cut down to 16-3. In came Dan Lawrence and, supported by Tom Curran, he blasted an unbeaten 120 in 54 balls in the successful chase. Yorkshire were also in the runs, reaching at least 200 in all three matches. 236 came in Friday’s Roses clash at Old Trafford. Young William Luxton heaved seven sixes in his 90 not out, but that was eclipsed by his experienced team-mate Jonny Bairstow. Despite at one stage almost knocking himself out with an attempted over-the-shoulder upper-cut, he raced to 116, 92 of them in boundaries. Even with Salt and Buttler in their line-up, Lancashire were never in the hunt. 

They are, nonetheless, one of four counties leading the North group on 28 points. Durham and Northants are with them, but the Bears (aka Warwickshire) look notably strong. Mousley and Hain are the reliable rhythm section while Hasan Ali provides the electric solos with the ball. He accumulated twelve wickets this week, including a mean 4-22 in the comfortable victory over Leicestershire. Single-match bowling performance of tre past eight days must go to Sussex’s Danny Lamb, who ripped through the Kent batting for an impressive 5-15. 

In the concluding week of group fixtures, there are so many crucial contests. The Somerset-Surrey match-up is there for quarter-final bragging rights but Lancashire will have extra incentive to reverse their loss to Yorkshire. They also ace ‘eight-pointers’ against Durham and Notts, who are also very much in the mix. Durham’s last game against Northants could decide qualification for both teams. 

Team of the Week:- Bairstow (Yor +), Eskinazi (Mid), Short (Glo), Madsen (Der), Luxton (Yor), Lawrence (Sur), Ingram (Gla), Dwarshuis (Wor), Hasan Ali (Bea), Leonard (Gla), Amir (Ess)