In the week when Bazball lost some of its shine at Lord’s, thanks to some old-fashioned quality pace bowling by South Africa’s Rabada and Nortje, there were plenty of examples of effective 50-over batting in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
In
the final fixtures of Group B, Hampshire didn’t exactly tear up any trees but they
cruised straight into the semi-finals, three points ahead of the rest, thanks
to a 72-run success against Yorkshire at Scarborough. However, their 100% record
was spoilt by Glamorgan in Neath, where young opener Tom Bevan bounced back
from his duck against Lancashire to smash an excellent 134. A month after he
ripped up the Welsh County Championship record books, Sam Northeast was at it
again, tonking the Warwickshire attack for an unbeaten 177 in 148 deliveries, Glamorgan’s
highest individual score in List A cricket. His stand of 245 with Billy Root was
also the county’s best fourth wicket partnership in one-day cricket.
With
Wells, Jennings and 21 year-old George Balderson’s maiden century propelling
Lancashire into the knockouts, it was a very tight race for the third qualifying
spot. Kent eclipsed Glamorgan by beating Lancashire in the last match by two
wickets with only a ball to spare. Worcestershire finished bottom but did at
least notch their first two victories of the campaign.
In
Group A, Somerset also broke their miserable duck, a 14-run win at Edgbaston
proving scant consolation in a wretched run through the competition they won in
2019. Durham finished below them after losing all three contests this week.
Their batting never truly fired on all cylinders but a special mention goes to
18 year-old spinner Stanley McAlindon, and not just for his name which conjures
an image of a bewhiskered Scottish bank clerk in the Victorian era. Against
Leicestershire, he registered not only a first 50 of his fledgling career but
also a very useful 4-29, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a two-wicket defeat.
The
week saw plenty of centuries scattered around the country, while all-rounders
Wiaan Mulder and James Taylor continued their consistent summer form.
Nottinghamshire’s Brett Hutton claimed a remarkable 7-25 against local rivals
Leicester during a game which also featured 6-35 from veteran seamer Chris
Wright.
However,
if it’s runs you want, then simply follow the Sussex team bus. Cheteshwar
Pujara took his tournament tally to 614, bettered only by Steve Eskinazi, with
a 90-ball 132 containing only a couple of sixes. Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten 189
in a total of 400-4, the first ‘quadruple’ in the county’s List A history. They
plundered 249 from the last twenty overs which would have been fantastic in a
T20 fixture let alone a 50-over affair. Just a few days earlier, they’d fallen
a mere three runs short of the 400 against Somerset, in which Ali Orr cracked
eleven sixes in a double-hundred blitz, four of them off poor teenage
medium-pacer Alfie Ogborne. Whoever meets Sussex in next Tuesday’s semi-final at
Hove will need to steal their bats.
Team
of the Week: Alsop (Sus), Orr (Sus), Jennings (Lan), Northeast (Gla), Pujara
(Sus), Mulder (Lei), J Taylor (Glo), McManus (Nor +), Waite (Yor), Wright (Ham),
Hutton (Not)
