Bancroft, Banton and Ballance bat to victory

While Britain bathed in the late Easter sunshine, the batsmen made hay in the heat. The first week of Royal London Cup fixtures threw up plenty of high scores. In particular, the Trent Bridge crowd on Good Friday enjoyed more than 800 runs and a narrow victory for the home side. Joe Clarke was again in fine fettle, putting aside his infamous list of sexual conquests to complete another century for Nottinghamshire. Dane Vilas’ club record 166 and Stephen Croft’s 110 bought Lancashire close but nineteen from the last two overs proved too onerous for the tailenders. Notts also beat Derbyshire and sit atop the North division alongside Durham, who had Cameron Bancroft’s two centuries and Jason Holder’s all-round performances to thank for their 100% record.

Lancashire fared better at Headingley on Monday but it was a nailbiting climax. With ‘keeper Jonathan Tattersall at the crease, Yorkshire looked set to overhaul the 311 target but run-outs from the last two deliveries left them one adrift. Yorkshire were involved in an even tighter contest on Friday, tieing with Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Tattersall and Tim Bresnan rescued the White Roses from a miserable start but Patterson and Pillans could only scramble a bye from the final ball to finish level.  A few days earlier, Matt Pillans had excelled with the ball and, with Gary Ballance striking 156, Yorkshire crushed Leicestershire by 213 runs.

In the South, four counties claimed two wins from two. Championship leaders Somerset maintained their momentum with a crushing 264-run defeat of Kent and a much closer encounter in Cardiff with Glamorgan. At Taunton, 20 year-old Tom Banton followed his 2^nd XI century with 107 from 79 balls then Craig Overton combined a sizzling 66 not out with 5-18 to complete the rout.

There was an even worse batting balls-up at Bristol, where the fancy dans of Surrey, boasting ten internationals past and present, were dismissed by Gloucestershire for 88 in 24 overs. My sides were splitting. They lost both their matches over the week and, although Tom Curran did his best with six cheap wickets, the batting let them down. At least they weren’t the worst county on display; Kent and Glamorgan contrived to lose all three.

Essex opener Varun Chopra notched a couple of tons but against a strong Middlesex batting line-up he was on the losing side at Chelmsford. Fourth-change leg-spinner Nathan Sowter claimed 6-62 in that one. Channel neighbours Hampshire and Sussex also enjoyed winning starts, with hundreds from Alsop, Northeast and Salt.

Next week, at least two 100% records must end, as Sussex meet both Somerset and Middlesex and the latter also travel to Hampshire. At the other end of the table, one of Kent and Glamorgan will, barring awful weather (not an unlikely scenario in South Wales), pick up a couple of badly-needed points.

Further north, Nottinghamshire face some tasty ties, hosting both Leicestershire and Yorkshire as well as nipping down to Brum for a date with Warwickshire. Cameron Bancroft is also spending a few days in the West Midlands, hoping to keep the runs flowing for Durham, especially as the rest of the top order are struggling for form.

Team of the Week: Chopra (Ess), Clarke (Not), Croft (Lan), Ballance (Yor), Bancroft (Dur), Vilas (Lan), Tattersall (Yor +), Holder (Dur), C Overton (Som), T Curran (Sur), Pillans (Yor)

Worcestershire achieve record-breaking one-day chase

It was a week of ‘No Results’ and big hundreds amidst heatwaves and thunderstorms. In the South division, Hampshire suffered a couple of defeats but still lead the rest by a point. It could have been three had Joe Weatherly added a couple more runs to his century at Southampton against Kent, who now sit in second place. It was a great week for their all-rounder Joe Denly. Against Glamorgan he combined an unbeaten 150 with a useful 4-56, and finished the week more than 200 runs richer.

However, when it comes to hefty scoring, nobody could hold a candle to Essex opener Varun Chopra. He aggregated 319 from three innings, more than half of them taken from the Somerset attack, including six sixes and nine fours. Paul Stirling also reached three figures for Middlesex, but Glamorgan remain pointless.

Up north, Worcestershire are in pole position after two memorable run chases at New Road. Last weekend, a steady Daryl Mitchell hundred steered them to victory over Lancashire from the penultimate ball but the best of all was saved for two days later. Leicestershire set off at a gallop, four players reaching 70 en route to a county List A record against first-class opposition, 376-4. When Moeen Ali fell in he second over, Worcestershire could have buckled, but they didn’t. Callum Ferguson, drafted in at  the last minute for the departing Aussie Travis Head, saw the opportunity to make an immediate impact. He put on 140 with Joe Clarke, then 88 in ten overs alongside Mitchell and 137 in alliance with Brett D’Oliveira.  The job was almost done when he was finally caught behind for 192, a county List A record. When D’Oliveira and Whitely struck ten more in four balls, they had achieved Worcester’s best ever score, and here were still sixteen balls remaining.

Yorkshire’s top order continued to rack up the runs, too. Tom Kohler-Cadmore made another two half-centuries but Adam Lyth’s 132 not out was the match-winner against Leicestershire. It was a tougher task against Derbyshire in a match restricted by rain to 24 overs a side. Ravi Rampaul had claimed five wickets and the White Roses needed 24 off ten balls. Thanks to a late blitz from young bowler Matt Fisher, they succeeded.

Leicestershire prop up the table despite having four matches in which to grab points. I feel sorry for Mark Cosgrove who made scores of 70, 84, 13 and 52 to no avail. Next week could see a few counties making decisive breaks while Lord’s and Old Trafford will hope for clear weather and bumper crowds expected for the London and Roses derbies.

Team of the Week:

Chopra (Ess), Stirling (Mid), Lyth (Yor), Ferguson (Wor), Cosgrove (Lei), Denly (Ken), Simpson (Mid +), Rampaul (Der), Carter (Not), Porter (Ess), Parkinson (Lan)