While England’s Test squad signed off from their counties, including virtually any seam bowler able to run unaided, we experienced the first week of Twenty20 in 2022. With most sides completing three fixtures, Birmingham Bears, Middlesex and – after I confidently ruled them out of any success – Somerset so far boast a 100% record.
In the North division, the Birmingham Bears lead the way. Their 125-run demolition of Northants contrasted with a tight three-run margin against Derbyshire. In the former game, Irish opener Paul Stirling slammed 119 off 51 balls, including five consecutive sixes from James Sales. Surprisingly it was only his second T20 century in his long career.
Yorkshire’s Harry Brook, having earned an international call-up after a stellar start to the Championship, proved he can score runs with the white ball, too. His 48-ball 72 at Old Trafford looked to have steered the White Roses to a last-gasp victory over the Reds only for Richard Gleeson to trap him LBW with the very last ball for an unlikely tie. In a fruitful week, Gleeson also took 5-33 against Worcestershire, while globe-trotting all-rounder Liam Livingstone contributed in all three Lancashire matches.
The highest team score of the week was Northamptonshire’s 223-4 against Durham. Australian Chris Lynn marked his Steelbacks Blast debut with a 46-ball 83, sharing a rapid opening stand of 149 with Ben Curran. Durham’s Ben Raine suffered the ignominy of being forced out of the attack as punishment for bowling three deliveries over shoulder height. Harsh but fair….
In the South, Somerset established a super start, including two crushing defeats of Hampshire and Kent. The latter, champions in 2021, lost all three contests this week, despite the efforts of skipper Sam Billings. Somerset’s most successful performers were batter Riley Roussouw and pace bowler Josh Davey. Middlesex also have an unblemished record, with Max Holden and Toby Roland-Jones in consistently fine form.
Essex haven’t enjoyed the best of weeks, but special credit should go to Matt Critchley. Transferred from Derbyshire in the close season, the 25 year-old leg-spinner demonstrated again why he is such a dangerous all-rounder in this form of cricket. Michael Hogan is much, much older and not normally associated with the Blast, but the Glamorgan seamer turned in the best bowling analysis of the past seven days. A shame that his 5-18 wasn’t quite enough to deny Surrey victory. The two players now meet on Thursday.
Team
of the Week: Stirling (War/Bears), M Rizwan (Sus +), Holden (Mid), Rossouw
(Som), Brook (Yor), Livingstone (Lan), Critchley (Ess), Roland-Jones (Mid),
Gleeson (Lan), Hogan (Gla), Davey (Som)
