It’s not often you find Leicestershire and Northamptonshire near the top of a county table but both are looking good in the One-Day Cup qualifiers. Leicester lead Group A after having a fruitful week, beating Essex, Hampshire and Lancashire at Old Trafford, where Rishi Patel and Colin Ackermann each scored centuries and Sol Budinger came close in a total of 411-6.
Group B also witnessed a few totals of 400+, both scored against Somerset, whose attack in this tournament is heavily depleted. Only Andrew Umeed showed any consistency amidst the carnage, passing fifty in all three fixtures, and striking 119 against Sussex, for whom Cheteshwar Pujara once again showed his class. Somerset were taken for 415-8 by Northants, who have a new name to chant. Indian opener Prithin Shaw crashed 39 boundaries to all corners in a blistering 244. This is the second-highest List A innings ever seen on these shores, then he notched another terrific ton against Durham.
The highest innings of all came at Bristol, where Gloucestershire helped themselves to 454-3 against their old West Country rivals. James Bracey thumped an unbeaten 224 from 151 deliveries, by far a county record. In only his second senior game, poor James Langridge saw 95 runs stuck off his eight overs.
However, it is Warwickshire who top the table, maintaining a five-out-of-five start. Victories over Glamorgan and Derbyshire were not always straightforward but they crushed Worcestershire by nine wickets. Ed Barnard continued his all-round form, while Oliver Hannon-Dalby notched thirteen wickets in the week, including 5-31 at Worcester.
There were other big wins for Lancashire over Kent at Blackpool and Middlesex against Notts at Radlett, although Middlesex were on the receiving end of a last-over thriller against Essex at Chelmsford. Hampshire sit second in Group A, assisted by Nick Gubbins’ runs at the top, and some decisive bowling feats by Mason Crane and Brad Wheal.
The group stages are completed in the next seven days. Warwickshire require only one, maybe two wins from their three fixtures, which include a crucial encounter with Northants. Leicestershire will also be home and dry from Group A should they defeat Middlesex and Yorkshire, with Hampshire favourites to join them in the knockouts. The other two places are up for grabs, with several counties in the mix. Somerset are not one of them. They will be pleased just to avoid another 400-run hammering.
Team of the Week:- Shaw (Nor), Bracey (Glo +), Gubbins (Ham),
Umeed (Som), Barnard (War), Pujara (Sus), Ackermann (Lei), Higgins (Mid), Bess (Yor),
Wheal (Ham), Hannon-Dalby (War)
