The 50-over One-Day Cup Final is criminally under-reported these days, but Leicestershire and Hampshire served up a thriller worthy of a big back-page headline. Lewis Hill won the toss and elected to bat, but at 18-4 and 89-6, it looked like Leicestershire’s 38-year wait for another List A trophy would continue. However, local academy products Harry Swindells (117 not out) and Sam Evans (60) rescued the innings, setting Hants a testing target of 268. In reply, Hampshire played it steady, while Mulder, Wright and Scriven bowled tightly. When in Josh Hull’s concluding over, Liam Dawson misjudged a ramp shot to fine leg, it was down to Keith Barker to strike a boundary off the last ball to win. He failed, and Hill’s unfancied side were champions at last.
A few days earlier, the county’s Championship line-up – without Swindells – narrowly failed to prevent Sussex from moving closer to Worcestershire in the second promotion place. All looked lost for them at Hove, too. Jaydev Unadkat and Aristides Karvelas ripped them apart in the first innings and they faced an Everest-esque target of 499 in almost two days to avoid defeat. That they came within 15 runs is a credit to the batsmen’s professionalism and skill. Not for the first time, Colin Ackermann led the way with 135 but Unadkat mopped up the tail and all that effort proved in vain.
Also in Division Two, Gloucestershire remain winless, thwarted by the weather and Derbyshire’s spirited performance, notably Anuj Dal’s first-innings 6-69. At Cardiff, Shan Masood plundered 192 for Yorkshire and Glamorgan were forced to follow on after Ben Coad and Matthew Revis claimed eight cheap wickets. Fortunately for the home crowd, Eddie Byrom and Sam Northeast each scored centuries to see out the match. One win from thirteen surely hastened Matthew Maynard’s decision to resign as coach.
The Division One fixtures focussed mainly on relegation issues. In the wake of lengthy rain delays, cordial declarations created a meaningful climax at Edgbaston. Olive Hannon-Dalby’s 7-46 put Warwickshire in charge against Northamptonshire, but on day four, Ben Sanderson gave his relegation-threatened side real hope, reducing the home county to 24-5. However, Michael Burgess’s unbeaten 78 saw Warwickshire home by two wickets.
At Canterbury, Zak Crawley got Kent off to a promising start with 158 but, with Joe Clarke in rare good form for Nottinghamshire, it was Kent who ended up relieved to avoid defeat, educed to 86-6 at stumps. The Manchester weather wasn’t kind to cricket last week and Lancashire, for whom Dane Vilas struck 124, were unable to press home their first-innings advantage against Middlesex.
This week, if Surrey beat Northants at The Oval and Hampshire restrict Essex at Chelmsford, the County Championship belongs once again to Surrey and the South Midlanders are relegated. Kent visit Somerset and Middlesex host Warwickshire hoping to maximise their points return in the battle to avoid joining them.
Team of the Week:- Crawley (Ken), Masood (Yor), Northeast (Gla),
Clarke (Not), Ackermann (Lei), Swindells (Lei), Burgess (War +), Anuj Dal
(Der), Unadkat (Sus), Hogan (Ken), Hannon-Dalby (War)
