County Cricket: Gloucester and Yorkshire in One Day Cup Control

It was a tough week in the One Day Cup for bowlers. Nineteen centuries flowed, including Cameron Bancroft’s unbeaten 143 as Gloucestershire cruised to their fourth consecutive victory against Glamorgan. Their 100% record was maintained on Sunday, with a significant six-wicket defeat of nearest rivals Worcestershire. 

The latter had started strongly, beating Hampshire and Derbyshire, with Brett D’Oliveira in fine fettle. His aggregate for the week topped 200. Leicestershire’s Shan Masood repeated the feat, reaching at least fifty in all three fixtures. Also in Group A, Essex broke their duck, and in style. They achieved a county record 244-run drubbing of Surrey. Irish international Curtis Campher cracked a rapid 123 not out and Luc Benkenstein 83 out of 417-6. Teenage medium-pacer Charlie Bennett then destroyed Surrey’s top order, and there was no way back. Surrey did manage a success, although it rested heavily on a fortunate Duckworth-Lewis situation and a 17-ball 43 not out from an unlikely source, Ben Foakes. 

Yorkshire remain in control of Group B, launched by a seven-wicket thrashing of Lancashire at York, helped by another Imam ul-Haq century, and rounded off with a straightforward dismissal of Middlesex. In between came a loss against Somerset at the same venue, for which the Pakistan opener was absent. The Westcountrymen are currently in second place despite losing a high-scoring encounter with Warwickshire at Taunton. Their opponents that day are equal on points but with an inferior net run rate. Jake Lintott took 5-37 against Middlesex only for Luke Hollman’s 4-27 to lead the Londoners to snatch the win at Rugby.

Middlesex were also involved in a royal run-fest at Chester-le-Street. Lees and Bedingham struck tons for Durham en route for a total of 387-4, only for the visitors to reach the target with two overs to spare, breaking the List A record for a successful chase total. Sam Robson’s solid 169 not out was the cornerstone and also his personal career-best score. 

Other performances worth a mention include double-century aggregates for the week by Lancashire opener Michael Jones and James Sales of Northamptonshire. 22-year-old Sales struck his maiden List A hundred against Durham, followed by a near-miss on 98 at home to Sussex. That match ended in a triumph for the home team, thanks largely to another first century from the bat of Charlie Tear, who impressed with an authoritative 159. 

Next week, Gloucestershire defend their unbeaten Group A record against Notts and Essex while I fancy Hampshire and Notts to reach the top three. In Group B, Yorkshire will be in pole position by beating Durham and Sussex, while Somerset face a few tricky Channel coast trips to Hove and Canterbury. 

Team of the Week:- Jones (Lan), D’Oliveira (Wor), Robson (Mid), Haynes (Not), Masood (Lei), J Rew (Som +), Sales (Nor), Benkenstein (Ess), Lintott (War), Barnett (Ess), Allison (Wor) 

T20 Blast off for Surrey, Sharks and Bears

The confusing melange of T20 Blast fixtures has been going for a week and a bit now and still I can’t really get a handle on it. Covid, CPL, injury and potentially greater Hundred rewards have robbed the competition of numerous international stars. Indeed I am familiar with only a small proportion of those who have signed contracts and a few of those, like the reliable big-hitter Paul Stirling of Middlesex, have already been and gone. 

In any case, the best performers of the early group exchanges have been of the home-grown variety or foreigners who were already involved in the Championship. In the North Group, reigning champs Nottinghamshire haven’t exactly set the tournament alight, despite Alex Hales’ 54-ball 96 not out against Durham and Joe Clarke’s stunning 136 to beat Northamptonshire, the highest score of the week which featured 11 sixes. 

Instead, Birmingham Bears and Lancashire Lightning are leading the way. The Warwickshire outfit have excelled with three half-centuries from Sam Hain and frugal spin bowling by Jake Lintott and Danny Briggs. Liam Livingstone’s all-round consistency and a few Jos Buttler cameos have driven the Red Roses, whose only defeat came against Worcestershire. Another England ‘keeper, Jonny Bairstow, has starred for Yorkshire, the only team so far to beat the Bears. Sadly the Leicestershire Foxes have been hunted to defeat in all their four matches. 

As of Tuesday night, the South division’s top three was identical to how it finished last season. Sussex and Surrey each enjoyed three comprehensive victories. The Sharks’ George Garton has eight chap wickets to his name but special mention should go to his slow bowling team-mate Archie Lenham. The son of a former Sussex favourite of mine, Neil, he captured three Hampshire wickets and is only sixteen! Their 100% records are on the line when they meet on Thursday. Something has to give. 

Kent Spitfires are hot on their tails, thanks in large part to Jack Leaning’s runs and Fred Klaasen’s wickets. They aren’t resting 45 year-old Darren Stevens either, and he hasn’t disappointed with the ball. Other notable performances in the first Blast week include a 5-32 against Kent by Middlesex import South African Chris Green – whose mum incidentally is Billericay-born tennis player Lisa Gould! – and three big scores from Marnus Labuschagne in Glamorgan’s colours. At this early stage he’s the Blast’s top scorer. 

Team of the Week: Clarke (Not), Livingstone (Lan), Bairstow (Yor +), Labuschagne (Gla), Hain (War), Howell (Glo), S Curran (Sur), Garton (Sus), Klaasen (Ken), Briggs (War), Lintott (War)