County Cricket: Nottinghamshire End the Summer in Style

At the start of the domestic cricket season, I feared another summer of Surrey dominance and Somerset near-misses. Well, with regard to the latter, we did finish third in the Championship and were beaten semi-finalists in the One-Day Cup but proved triumphant in the T20 Blast. Not a bad 2025 at all. 

As for Surrey, they looked all set to retain the four-day crown only for Nottinghamshire to blow the whole thing wide open with that memorable twenty-run victory at The Oval. In the final round of fixtures, all they effectively needed to do was outperform Surrey in first innings bonus points and the pennant would be on the way from London to the East Midlands. 

It may have been late September but all nine matches produced results; not a single draw. Notts welcomed Warwickshire to Trent Bridge while Surrey popped down the M3 to meet Hampshire, desperately fighting for top tier survival. Mohammad Abbas and Brett Hutton did their bit with the ball but at the Rose Bowl, Sibley, Burns et all came unstuck in the face of wily Kyle Abbott, James Fuller and new recruit Washington Sundar. Zero batting points, game over.  Another Haseeb Hameed century set up his side’s seventh win of the campaign to take the crown in style. By the time, Raful Chahar ripped through the second Hampshire innings with 8-51, it was too late for Surrey. 

At one stage, Somerset had an outside chance of nicking the runners-up position. Against relegation-threatened Essex, Lewis Goldsworthy’s even ton helped them to 438 all out, only for a 277-run opening stand by Elgar and Walter to scupper any hopes of victory. A draw looked certain until Jamie Porter (4-18) and co skittled the visitors for 99, leaving Allison to conclude matters with a six off Jake Ball on the final morning. 

Worcestershire were already down and out, and Sussex merely rubbed their noses in it. Centuries from James Coles and John Simpson, plus eleven wickets for Ollie Robinson set up win number four, although seamer Tom Taylor, a rare bright light in Worcester’s dismal Championship season, almost sparked a sensational comeback. Never mind, at least they have the 50-over trophy in their New Road cabinet. 

Going into the final afternoon, the other relegation slot was still uncertain. Hampshire looked doomed, but it all rested on the outcome of Durham’s clash with Yorkshire at Headingley. Both sides had begun the week in deep trouble but the home team had a six-point advantage. With Hampshire beaten, a draw would suit both counties. Ben Raine clubbed 101 for Durham, then took 5-76, although Mayank Agarwal’s 175 anchored Yorkshire’s superior total of 475. On the South Coast, tears must have been shed and cats kicked, only for Dom Bess and George Hill to orchestrate a horrendous batting humiliation on day four. Durham lost, and were relegated by a single point. Across the season, their bonus point tally was extremely respectable but they had failed to cash in, losing six games to Hampshire’s three, and that cost them dearly. 

Leicestershire and Glamorgan were already assured of replacing them in Division One. I am so glad that these less-prosperous and relatively unfancied counties had beaten the big boys of Middlesex and Lancashire to promotion. Leicestershire maintained their impressive form, defeating Northants by 167 runs. Rehan Ahmed was absent but on-loan Steve Eskinazi weighed in with 155. Liam Trevaskis closed his campaign with 6-85. 

Glamorgan didn’t sign off with a win, but they didn’t need to. Instead, they handed Lancashire a consolation prize at Cardiff, Tom Bailey and George Balderson sharing thirteen wickets. Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy struck the highest score of the week, a hefty 263 not out, en route for an innings win over Gloucestershire but Derbyshire clinched third place with their own crushing victory over bottom side Kent. Experienced batsmen Luis Reece (211) and Wayne Madsen (198) put on 358 for the third wicket, out of 698-6 declared, and Reece’s 5-63 made him only the 51^st player ever in world first-class cricket to strike a double-hundred and claim a five-for. That’s some achievement! 

Watch out for my season review and 2025 all-format Team of the Year. 

Team of the Week:- Reece (Der), Walter (Ess), Agarwal (Yor), Du Plooy (Mid), Madsen (Der), Eskinazi (Lei), Simpson (Sus +), Hill (Yor), Robinson (|Sus), Hutton (Not), Raful Chahar (Sur)

County Cricket: Record-Breaking Somerset Bag the Blast

It can be difficult supporting Somerset. Not that we are bad. We’re not. We have been in the top tier of the County Championship longer than most, won the One-Day Cup at Lord’s in 2019 and are regular qualifiers for the Blast Finals Day. It’s just that, like England Men’s football team, the expectation is that we will probably bow out in the semis or final. Coming second is what we do best, and it can be sickening. 

Cricket has changed since the late Seventies and early Eighties, Somerset’s golden era. Year after year, we could enjoy performances by the likes of Richards, Garner, Botham, Rose, Marks, Moseley, Denning et al. These days, you never know who might appear on the team sheet, such is the schedule minefield of global international and franchise cricket. However, it only takes one blistering innings to win a T20, whoever they may be. 

In the first semi at Edgbaston, it was Tom Kohler-Cadmore whose 81 laid the foundation for Somerset’s defeat of Lancashire. Ben Green, Lewis Gregory and Migael Pretorius completed the job with the ball. In the other semi, reduced to eighteen overs, Northamptonshire never really got off the blocks. Earlier in the tournament, they had racked up three of the four highest totals but when it really mattered, they amassed only 158-7. When Hampshire replied, Saif Zaib caused all sorts of problems, but not to veteran Aussie Chris Lynn. Despite his long career, I know little about him but his amazing 108 not out included no fewer than eleven sixes and the game was won with plenty to spare. 

And so it was Hampshire vs Somerset under the lights. I have been to only two live one-day finals supporting my county and both featured the same opposition. At Cardiff in 2012, Somerset capitulated miserably to Dmitri Mascarenhas’ Royals at the semi-final stage but in 2019 I witnessed Tom Abell lifting the 50-over cup after a surprisingly smooth chase. What would 2025 deliver? 

Hampshire’s successful 2012 Blast side featured James Vince and, now 34 years of age, he was again in good nick. Lynn was caught on the boundary early on but Vince and Toby Albert blazed away with abandon, adding 97 in just under ten overs. Vince also fell in the deep, for 52 but young Albert, the competition’s top scorer, continued to 85, when Gregory clipped his off stump. The momentum was lost but a total of 194-6 challenged Somerset to achieve a record run chase in a final if they were to take the crown. It looked unlikely. 

Would Kohler-Cadmore repeat those heroics? No, but it was to be the day for his opening partner Will Smeed to excel. Still only 23, the Taunton-educated right-hander has never played top-level red-ball cricket but is one of the most destructive T20 batsmen in England. On 94, he crunched Scott Currie hard and flat on it way to the six which would have given him the first-ever Final century, but that man Vince was in the way. Sean Dickson and Gregory still had plenty to do. The former was fortunate to watch Currie drop a sitter, which could have altered the course of the match but it was the ever-dependable captain Gregory who eased the tension with two sixes off Currie’s final over, the winning flick sailing over square leg. 

I don’t know how many of this team will be there to defend the title next summer but as long as you have Lewis Gregory and a squad filled with economical spinners, strong seamers and match-winning openers slotting in as required, anything is possible.

County Cricket: Leicestershire Promoted at Last

The latest report covers both ends of the county cricket spectrum. The week began with the Vitality Blast quarter-finals, Serial Finals Day participants Somerset and Hampshire progressed again. Hampshire easily outscored Durham but it took a scintillating unbeaten 71 from 26 balls by soon-to-depart Sean Dickson to swing the tie against the Bears with one delivery to spare. 

Liam Livingstone delivered a fine all-round performance for Lancashire to defeat Kent by three wickets. With Tom Hartley, he kept the lid on the opposition batting before crunching 85 not out. Surrey fielded a stellar line-up of internationals but, surprisingly, were undone by a 40-year-old blast from the past. In a game reduced to fourteen overs, Northamptonshire lost both openers in the first over, only for Ravi Bopara to produce only his third T20 century in almost five hundred matches. Pope and Sam Curran did their best but Surrey fell seven runs short and so miss out on another trophy. 

In the County Championship, Surrey’s seemingly smooth route to the title hit an unexpected barrier. With nationwide rain preventing results almost everywhere, second-placed Nottinghamshire scrambled their way to a three-wicket win at Worcestershire. Lyndon James (5-35) and Josh Tongue (4-52) left their side a target of only 136. Haseeb Hameed bagged a pair and wickets fell regularly but James and Tongue combined again to complete the victory which narrows the gap behind Surrey to a single point. 

After the first innings, at The Oval, there was barely a bail’s width between the leaders and Warwickshire, then Sibley and Pope steered the home team to 391-8 declared. On day four, Alex Davies’ team safely negotiated the final afternoon. Somerset clung on to third spot in their draw versus Yorkshire. Their first innings spanned almost three days, during which Tom Abell compiled a patient 130. A draw seemed inevitable but, when Yorkshire crumbled to 60-7, an extraordinary result was on the cards. However, Jordan Thompson blasted a rapid half-century to prevent an embarrassment. 

At Chelmsford, Essex had the better of their encounter with Durham, with Elgar and Critchley striking tons, but at Hove the bowlers were in control. Day three was washed out but there was no time for Hampshire to bowl Sussex out a second time. Hampshire’s week ended with another setback when they were docked eight points for preparing a substandard pitch back in May against the same opposition. To make matters worse, they lost that game! 

The ECB verdict pulls Hampshire down to within six points of Durham who occupy one of the relegation places with Worcestershire who are all but doomed. None of the bottom six are safe. Next week, the bottom two face up, as do the top pair. Should Surrey defeat Notts, the Championship pennant will continue to flutter over The Oval for yet another year. 

The big news from Division Two was Leicestershire gaining enough bonus points to ensure their first promotion to the top division since the two-tier structure was introduced. Having been wooden-spooners so often, their avoidance of defeat to Gloucestershire put them out of reach of the chasing pack. Glamorgan could yet displace them as top dogs but it would require something miraculous but with young Asa Tribe in such sensational form – 206 in his first outing against Northants following three List A centuries in four innings – who knows?! 

At Lord’s, rain ruined the contest between Middlesex and Derbyshire, in which Toby Roland-Jones took 6-77, while Lancashire and Kent were evenly matched at Canterbury. In only his second first-class appearance, Lancashire seamer Mitchell Stanley claimed an impressive eleven wickets. 

Next week’s Division Two highlight should be Glamorgan v Derbyshire, but the weather forecast doesn’t look great. The same goes for the T20 Finals Day at Edgbaston. No seven-over thrashes, please! 

Team of the Week:- Elgar (Ess), Tribe (Gla), McKinney (Dur), Bopara (Nor), Livingstone (Lan), Abell (Som), Roderick (Wor +), Saif Zaib (Nor), James (Not), Roland-Jones (Mid), Stanley (Lan)

County Cricket: Worcestershire and Hampshire Fly into the Final

Despite most of the group stages being dominated by Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, the One Day Cup Final at the end of September will be contested instead by Hampshire and Worcestershire. 

When it really mattered, Gloucester’s wheels well and truly came off in Group A. Having lost their 100% record against Essex, their eight-pointer on Tuesday versus Hampshire also ended in defeat, by five wickets. James Bracey blazed his way to another century, but a rapid opening stand of 112 between Orr and Gubbins set the scene for a successful run chase. At the same time, Worcestershire cruised to a six-wicket win, grateful for Kashif Alli’s 58-ball 80. That meant Gloucestershire dropped from first to third while Jake Libby’s side sailed direct to the semis. 

Group B leaders Yorkshire held their nerve to defeat Kent at Canterbury. James Wharton top-scored with 118 then, once Jayden Denly had been caught for 79 off Dom Bess, the home side struggled to make headway against spin. Bess ended on 4-43 but the coup-de-grace was applied by debutant seamer Matthew Firbank. Sussex’s Archie Lenham claimed 5-48 to end Warwickshire’s participation in the competition, but Somerset made no mistake against Northamptonshire, aided by Archie Vaughan’s maiden List A century. The other county in the hunt for progressing, Middlesex, had to work much harder to reach the top three. Chasing Lancashire’s 291 at Old Trafford, Harry Singh reduced them to 127-6 but the partnership of 126 between Morgan and Fernandes turned things around. The latter was caught in the final over with eight runs still required and the last pair at the crease. However, from the penultimate delivery, Noah Cornwell scored the winning runs and carried Middlesex into the quarter-finals. 

That effort earned Middlesex a home tie against Hampshire and things looked positive when, in spite of Ali Orr’s 108, they restricted them to just 229-9. It didn’t last. The veteran Hants bowlers Kyle Abbott (2-38) and Liam Dawson (4-33) were instrumental in stemming the runs and taking wickets, eventually ending the innings 42 runs short. At Taunton, Gloucestershire were battered in their derby encounter with Somerset. Jake Ball bowled Bracey second ball and left their rivals all out for 159 with the wicket of Miles. The Rew brothers took charge of Somerset’s chase, which succeeded with eighteen overs to spare. 

Even lacking several one-day experts, Somerset’s white-ball reputation made them favourites against Worcestershire but it all went horribly wrong. Ben Green and Jack Leach bowled well and the target of 266 wasn’t notably daunting. Enter Khurram Shahzad with the ball. He had four of the top order caught, and the rest of the batsmen fell regularly, sliding to a pathetic 141.

Yorkshire’s group stage supremacy also counted for nothing against Hampshire at Scarborough. Liam Dawson struck the week’s highest individual score (142), surpassing Harry Came’s 139 for Derbyshire, helping his county post a decent 304-6. When rain forced a reduction of nine overs, The White Roses must have fancied their chances, especially as Imam -ul-Haq in such imperious form. Indeed, he made 105 off 97 balls, his fourth ton of the tournament, but nobody else passed thirty, and they finished eighteen runs behind. 

Next up for the men’s county outfits are the Blast quarter-finals and the return of the County Championship whose summer break has made me forget what the hell was happening. I look forward to having my memory jolted. 

Team of the Week:- Orr (Ham), Came (Der), Imam-ul-Haq (Yor), Tribe (Gla), Lammonby (Som), J Rew (Som +), Dawson (Ham), B Green (Som), Khurram Shahzad (Wor), Lenham (Sus), Leach (Som)

County Cricket: Bracey Drives Gloucestershire Safely into Semis

The penultimate week of the One-Day Cup left six counties still in the hunt for qualification for the knockout stage. Only Gloucestershire and Worcestershire can breathe more easily, having ensured more 50-over action this season. James Bracey’s blistering 186 did for Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, making it six in a row, although Essex spoiled the unbeaten run at Chelmsford, in which Tom Westley, Matt Critchley and Simon Harmer excelled as all-rounders. In this competition, the latter has added the role as late-order six-hitter to his traditional off-spin skills, having a few days earlier blasted a 22-ball 42 and taken 5-47 to demolish Glamorgan by 190 runs. In the same game, Westley and Charlie Allison shared a third-wicket stand of 231, easily beating the entire Glamorgan line-up, who were bowled out with almost 18 overs remaining. 

Essex lost their opening three Group A fixtures but have dragged themselves into fourth place and with an excellent net run rate. Hampshire are four points ahead, after routing Surrey and edging an epic encounter against Derbyshire. Hampshire opener Nick Gubbins has certainly been leading from the front, hoisting his aggregate tally of runs in the competition towards 600, jncluding an unbeaten 144 in the loss to Nottinghamshire. Victory at Bristol would take Hampshire into the two-stage semi-finals. Any slip-up could let Essex leapfrog them. 

After being at the wrong end of a fair few Cup thrashings, Surrey appeared to have turned the corner at Derby, and they have some up-and-coming talent to thank. With Foakes injured, 20-year-old Ollie Sykes stepped up as captain and, alongside the even younger Adam Thomas, made their maiden centuries (115 and 162, respectively) and broke Surrey’s List A third-wicket partnership record. Oliver Hunt and Ralphie Albert each launched their senior careers in the same match then, against Notts, Albert scored 96 and took 2-56. The county’s short-term pain may result in long-term gain. 

Yorkshire still lead Group A with 24 points but in their wake, three teams have twenty, and one must ultimately miss out. The White Roses defeated Susses and swatted Durham aside at Scarborough by 212 runs thanks largely to Finaly Bean’s 102 runners – sorry, runs – in 57 balls and tight bowling by Coad and White. I feel sympathy for Durham, for whom Alex Lees this week delivered another big hundred and Ben Raine captured nine wickets. 

Somerset maintained their challenge with wins against Sussex and Kent. Tom Lammonby contributed another ton and a decisive 5-20, including three Sussex top-order batsmen in a single over. Sussex also fell prey to another outstanding bowling performance on Sunday, when Yorkshire’s Matt Milnes took 7-38, the best of this year’s competition so far. Warwickshire clung on to third position, triumphing over Lancashire and Durham. In the latter match, Ed Barnard managed the chase beautifully, still there at the end on 141, although it took some mighty hitting by Michael Booth to get them over the line with two overs to spare. 

Middlesex are hot on their heels, boosting their weak net run rate with a cruise against Northamptonshire. Ben Geddes led the side effectively and, on Tuesday at Radlett, achieved his maiden century in the defeat of Kent. 

In the final round of fixtures, none of the top four play each other. Therefore, it is conceivable that, should Yorkshire succumb to Kent and Somerset, Warwickshire and Middlesex see off their respective opposition, all will be on equal points tallies and net run rate will decide who progresses. Yorkshire will have to endure an unlikely pounding to miss out and, with rain in the forecast, there could be some tricky decisions to be made regarding on-pitch strategy. I just hope Somerset don’t blow it against bottom-side Northants! 

Team of the Week:- Lees (Dur), Bracey (Glo; +), Gubbins (Ham), Westley (Ess), Lammonby (Som), Sykes (Sur), Geddes (Mid), Harmer (Ess), Fuller (Ham), Raine (Dur), Milnes (Yor)

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) 

County Cricket: Gloucester Gallop but Rhodes Makes One-Day Hay

The 2025 Royal London One-Day Cup launched this week without the Hundred’s hullabaloo but threw the spotlight on some of the less lauded counties and individuals more often seen plying their trade in the Seconds. 

With few players lost to the more lucrative competition, Gloucestershire would be expected to thrive in the 50-over cup and they duly won all three opening fixtures, racking up plenty of runs in the process. They swept aside Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Surrey, the latter fielding a host of unknowns and little-knowns. Ben Charlesworth, Oliver Price and James Taylor enjoyed their time at the crease, and James Bracey was one of several wicketkeepers to shine during the past week and a half. 

Welbeck CC’s ground at Sookholme played host to Nottinghamshire’s home fixtures, including a high-scoring tie with Worcestershire. Tom Moores thrashed 140 off 93 balls, following it up with a golden duck! Jake Libby and Kashif Ali each reached three figures in the nailbiting Notts defeat. Somerset’s Rew brothers enjoyed a couple of big partnerships but failed in a two-wicket surrender to Lancashire. 

Somerset’s victims included Durham, who nonetheless had easy wins over Sussex and Kent. In the first match, Ollie Robinson claimed the rare distinction of making a hundred and taking six catches. Yet even his performance was eclipsed by team-mate Will Rhodes who ended the week as both the tournament’s highest run-scorer and wicket-taker. In that same Sussex encounter, he fashioned 96 then took 5-30 with his seamers. 

The highest score of the week was Imam ul-Haq’s 159 in Yorkshire’s 202-run massacre of Northants. The county are the only one in Group B with two wins from two, which also owed much to young Ben Cliff’s seven wickets, including 5-46 at Northampton. Other five-fors were achieved by the likes of Alfie Ogborne (Somerset) and Leicestershire’s teenage quick, Alex Green, who took five not once but twice in his two games. 

I should also mention a couple of players who excelled in a losing cause. Essex suffered a run of three defeats despite Tom Westley’s sterling efforts with bat and ball. At Neath, Glamorgan’s only completed match was notable for two substantial individual innings. Hampshire’s skipper Nick Gubbins stroked an unbeaten 144, before his opposite number Kiran Carlson reacted to the steady fall of wickets at the other end (all caught) by lashing ten sixes in a 92-ball 135. The home side’s innings lasted only five balls later, still 72 adrift. 

The next batch of fixtures includes the Roses tie at York, Glamorgan’s trip over the Severn Bridge to Gloucestershire, whose position atop Group A will be matched by Hampshire should they overcome Worcestershire and Leicestershire. In Group B, the Yorkshire-Somerset clash could be critical, but Lancashire need to make up for lost time and their Sedburgh washout with a successful South Coast jaunt to Sussex and Kent. 

Team of the Week:- Imam ul-Huq (Yor), Bracey (Glo +), Libby (Wor), Rhodes (Dur), Carlson (Gla), Kashif Ali (Wor), Westley (Ess), Ogborne (Som), Zaman Akhtar (Glo), A Green (Lei), Cliff (Yor)