Notts end the 2020 season in style

And so this short and very sweet domestic cricket season comes to an end. Apart from a few temporary exceptions, there have been no fans but plenty of excitement. England hosted Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies with varying degrees of success, the women’s game wasn’t forgotten and, while postponing the hated Hundred, the ECB somehow fashioned a couple of successful competitions, with both white and red balls. 

Allowing coverage on the BBC and beefing up live streaming at the county grounds achieved the double target in a Covid-ravaged summer of maintaining and possibly growing the fan base and attracting the commercial sponsors without which the whole shebang would have gone bust. 

The county season didn’t start until August but, despite a stormy start to October, managed to produce a meaningful climax to the Vitality T20 Blast on the reserve day. Without fans having to rearrange travel and hotel stays, this seemed a minor inconvenience and it was Nottinghamshire who on Sunday evening ultimately reaped the reward. 

However, the Outlaws needed a superior Powerplay run count to steal their quarter-final against the unfortunate Leicestershire after both finished on 139-7 A late cameo from Samit Patel and last–ball misfield pulled Notts back from the brink and into Finals Day where they first defeated Lancashire in an 11-over thrash then overcame Surrey despite an early wobble. Lose Patel, Hales and Clarke? No problem: there’s always Peter Trego, Darren Christian and Ben Duckett to steady the ship and knock off the runs. 

Surrey, too, could field plenty of experienced stars, from the evergreen Gareth Batty, Liam Plunkett and Hashim Amla to the two 21 year-olds Dan Moriarty and Will Jacks, plus England internationals Roy, Burns and Foakes. Surrey thrashed Kent and overcame Gloucestershire to earn another final place. As with most T20 fixtures, the outcome was impossible to predict but once all-rounder Christian joined Duckett with six overs remaining, they calmly drove and carved the spinners through the gaps and took the silverware. 

Social distancing went out of the window as they celebrated on the pitch but then Man of the Match Christian has to quarantine for a month anyway before he can join the Big Bash in his native Australia. 

But this was a Twenty20 summer for the home-grown contingent. Former England players Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent) and Jake Ball (Notts) topped the run and wicket tables, respectively. Gloucestershire batsmen Dent and Cockbain were consistent scorers, and bowling colleagues Higgins and Payne were also unlucky not to reach the final. Zak Crawley added a T20 century to his Test 267, Laurie Evans reinvented himself as a white-ball batsman at Surrey and spinner Dan Moriarty announced himself as a short-format performer of considerable promise. Lancashire’s T20 specialist leggie Matt Parkinson against demonstrated his value to the Lightning, alongside all-rounder Liam Livingstone, while Sussex’s 23 year-old quick, George Garton, is another one to watch. 

Let’s hope 2021 brings us a full summer of cricket and, even if the Coronavirus again keeps the stadia empty, that we get to enjoy the action online.

Team of the Week: Roy (Sur), Davies (Lan +), Duckett (Not), Jacks (Sur), Livingstone (Lan), Christian (Not), Patel (Not), Howell (Glo), Parkinson (Lan), Ball (Not), Topley (Sur)

Raine-ing Sixes and Aaron Finch Sings for Surrey

After four games of the Vitality Blast, Worcestershire remain the only county with a 100% record. Their star performer was perhaps also a surprise: Dillon Pennington. In Friday’s North division game against Northamptonshire, reduced by rare rain to a nine-over thrash, the Shropshire teenager grabbed 4-9 in his two overs.

Nottinghamshire sit in second place thanks to victories over Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Young ‘keeper Tom Moores contributed another couple of feverish fifties while Dan Christian provided more runs and wickets to the Outlaws’ cause. However, when it comes to sixes, Ben Raine reigned supreme. At Edgbaston, the Leicester all-rounder clumped ten of them in a 100-run defeat of the Bears on his way to 113 off 46 balls.

His innings was not the highest of the week. In the South group, T20 specialist Aaron Finch followed his 58 for Surrey against Essex with a 79-ball unbeaten 131 at Brighton. Even Rashid Khan got clobbered for ten an over. However, this is Sussex’s only loss in the competition so far. Earlier in the week, they travelled to Glamorgan and Hampshire and emerged from each with eight-wicket victories. Luke Wright and Laurie Evans shared two sizeable partnerships in both games.

However, Kent top the table on net run rate. Sam Billings thrashed 95 not out from the Hampshire attack, taking a particular liking to Gareth Berg, whose four overs went for sixty. It was a close contest, though, as Dawson and Berg couldn’t quite complete the chase, falling just three runs short. Kent, too, were on the receiving end of a tight finish, losing by five runs to Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Next Friday sees some tasty encounters such as the Roses match at Old Trafford, Kent hosting Surrey and Somerset’s visit to Cardiff. If possible I may even pop along to that one myself….

Team of the Week: 

Wright (Sus), Finch (Sur), Moores (Not +), Billings (Ken), Christian (Not), Raine (Lei), Clarke (Sur), Zampa (Ess), Ferguson (Der), Pennington (Wor), Pillans (Sur)