One-Day Cup: Mulder and Ollie prove the talent is out there

While the big names ply their trade in the Hundred, the One-Day Cup allows many other county stalwarts and youngsters to make their mark. It also gives cricket a chance to reach outposts like York and Newport, Isle of Wight, which rarely or never host Championship or white-ball county cricket.

The first week has been particularly fruitful for Hampshire, following their Blast title with three consecutive wins in the fifty-over tournament. 19 year-old Tom Prest has been a revelation, smacking Kent for 181 out of a team total of 396-5, a Hampshire record. The winning margin was 163 runs, but this afternoon’s game on the Isle of Wight against Northamptonshire was one they really should have lost. Prest top-scored again but White and Keogh cut them down to 199 all out. Northants were cruising in mid-innings just 24 from victory when their batting imploded dramatically. Young Jack Campbell, born just across the Solent in Portsmouth, grabbed three quick wickets and 177-5 became 188 all out. Northants did hold their nerve somewhat better against Essex, pipping them by two wickets with just two balls remaining.

Kent ‘keeper Ollie Robinson struck the week’s only double-century, tonking the Worcestershire attack for an unbeaten 206, including 27 fours and six sixes. Chasing 352 for victory, Robinson’s efforts delivered the goods five overs early. Other batting highlights were Colin Ingram’s 155 for Glamorgan and Will Fraine’s rapid 143 for Yorkshire.

In Group A, Nottinghamshire won both their opening fixtures, including a ten-wicket trouncing of 2019 champions Somerset, who also lost to local rivals Gloucestershire. Middlesex opener Stevie Eskinazi was on excellent form, and Leicestershire’s South African Wiaan Mulder carried his red-ball record into the 50-over stuff. Gloucestershire’s Jack Taylor was probably the all-rounder of the week.

Next week, Hampshire look to continue their run against Derbyshire and Lancashire. Nottinghamshire are borrowing Grantham in Leicestershire for their ‘home’ clashes with Durham and Middlesex, while the latter host the London derby against Surrey at Radlett. With the widespread drought set to continue, let’s hope there are a few green patches on the outfields.

Team of the Week: Eskinazi (Mid), Fraine (Yor), Robinson (Ken +), Prest (Ham), Mulder (Lei), Ingram (Gla), J Taylor (Glo), Kimber (Sur), Hutton (Not), Williams (Lan), Campbell (Ham)

A Mixed Week for Ollie Robinsons

In the final round of Championship fixtures before the return of the T20 Blast, it was a good week for wicketkeeper-batsmen up and down the country, and also for cricketers called Ollie Robinson. Admittedly, the bowling version blotted his copybook as new England star by being outed as a former teenage racist, earning a deserved one-match suspension, but his Kent batsman namesake combined a run-a-ball century with seven catches in the Group 3 draw with Northamptonshire. 

Top scorer of the week was Yorkshire’s Dawid Malan, who was bowled by young Irish off-spinner Jack Carson one short of a double-hundred. That huge score meant that Sussex needed 245 in their second innings to make the White Roses bat again. They didn’t get close, as David Willey and Dom Bess helped reduce the stubborn South Coasters to 215 all out with fourth day stumps looming. Leaders Lancashire suffered their first reverse of the summer, going down unexpectedly to Glamorgan in Cardiff inside three days. Bowlers were in charge for the first two before Marnus Labuschagne produced the game’s first half-century, steering the Welsh to a six-wicket victory. Michael Neser was the pick of their attack.

The Group 2 leaders also came a cropper at struggling Leicestershire. Gloucestershire were thrashed by an innings before tea on the third afternoon. Left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson produced two five-wicket hauls, weakening Gloucester’s efforts to qualify for the top group in the second phase of the competition. That they remain top owes a great deal to the wet weather on the final day, when Somerset were looking to bowl out third-placed Hampshire. Skipper Tom Abell struck 98 then delayed his declaration until George Bartlett finally crawled to three figures but his comradely procrastination didn’t affect the result as much as the rain. 

Warwickshire advanced to the Group 1 summit by means of a 191-run success at Derby. Sam Hain and wicket-keeper Michael Burgess impressed, but it was the seam trio of Hannon-Dalby, Miles and Norwell who did most of the damage. Derbyshire’s pair of 22 year-old seamers Michael Cohen and Sam Conners were unlucky to be on the losing side, but their batting support failed them. Elsewhere the unseasonal Home Counties rain restricted the leading counties to a mere two days’ play, ensuring neither Essex nor Nottinghamshire could stay ahead of Warwickshire. Finally Durham outclassed Worcestershire by ten wickets by the Severn. A Jake Libby century in the second innings merely delayed the inevitable after David Bedingham’s miserable run ended with 121. Matty Potts ended the match with aggregate figures of 8-98. 

The women’s 50-over competition, the Rachel Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, is proceeding nicely, too. Amongst several outstanding performances, a special mention goes to England international and Central Sparks batter Amy Jones, who produced consecutive knocks of three figures, including a remarkable 163 not out against Western Storm. It should be no surprise this week that of course she is a wicketkeeper, one of three included in my Team of the Week…. 

Team of the Week: Libby (Wor), Robinson (Ken +), Malan (Yor), Harris (Lei), Amy Jones (Cen), Brown (Sus), Gregory (Som), Potts (Dur), Conners (Der), C Parkinson (Lei), Miles (War)