Surrey hosted Northamptonshire at Guildford Cricket Club, a scene that encapsulates the charm of the One-Day Cup, English cricket's Cinderella competition. The tournament lacks the bombast of the Hundred or Test matches, but fans still relish the opportunity to see old pros battle with young thrusters in relaxed, less corporate venues.
Lancashire's Young Guns Shine
The appeal of the competition was captured in a rare positive text message received by the 99.94 Cricket Blog from a Lancashire fan: “Joe Moores and Rocky Flintoff are playing great innings aged 17 and 18.” Their partnership of 72 in the last five overs against Leicestershire proved decisive as Lancashire won by 21 runs at Grace Road. Earlier, Keaton Jennings scored his first century of a lacklustre season before handing over to Tom Bailey, who led the successful defence of 384.
Everyone in attendance knew the star names were elsewhere, and that the media is largely uninterested in what was once the Gillette Cup. But the competition still matters to fans. They delight in seeing grizzled old faces alongside smooth-skinned youngsters, and enjoy watching experienced pros use their wiles to find form while kids try a bit too hard to impress. The opportunity to visit grounds that are less corporate and more relaxed than the behemoths of many headquarters is also a draw. Lancashire are playing Kent at Farington Cricket Ground near Preston this week, with tickets available from £15 for adults, £12 for over-65s, and £5 for under-18s.
Tom Westley's 500th Appearance
Tom Westley made his Essex debut 19 years ago. On Sunday, he played for the 500th time and made a match-winning century as Derbyshire fell 10 runs short of their target at Chelmsford. Matt Critchley, playing against his former club, kept Westley company in a stand of 72. Critchley is now as much of a local favourite as his captain in his fifth season at Essex.
Westley and Critchley fall into another category of player seen in this competition: they are unlikely to be called upon by England and lack the explosive game that earns big paydays at the Hundred. Nevertheless, both are fine cricketers who can delight fans and neutrals wherever they play.
Nottinghamshire Lead Group A
Four teams lead the way in Group A on eight points, with Nottinghamshire boasting the only 100% winning record. That looked unlikely when George Garton and Ethan Bamber, two players out of the headlines, rescued Warwickshire's innings from 121 for six to 282 all out. Garton hit his maiden century in any form of the game. But Notts are the form team, and once openers Ben Slater and Freddie McCann raised three figures at about a run a ball, another half-century from Kyle Verreynne — last seen in Test cricket as part of the South Africa team that beat India 2-0 in November — proved enough for a comfortable win.
Warwickshire failed to get out of the group stage in the Blast and need to make something happen soon.
Lewis Goldsworthy Leads Somerset
With many players unavailable, Somerset reached deep into their squad. Lewis Goldsworthy, an important cog in their T20 side, is captain, all-rounder, and at 25 a senior pro in the One-Day Cup. With two opening fixtures at Taunton, Goldsworthy delivered his full allocation against Gloucestershire, taking two for 50 as his team won comfortably. He also hit a century in the win against Warwickshire. At the top of English cricket, there is a vacuum where credible captains should be, but Goldsworthy is taking his opportunity.
Josh de Caires Shines for Middlesex
Middlesex have flown out of the blocks in Group B with three wins out of three. Josh de Caires, now 24, had a standout day at the Rose Bowl, making 75 as an opener and backing it up with six for 35, both career-best figures. De Caires has always had this kind of performance in him, classy at the crease and giving the ball as big a rip as any finger spinner.
Durham and Worcestershire Unbeaten
Durham and Worcestershire also have spotless records from two matches. Worcestershire's wins were close, including a low-scoring thriller where Fateh Singh, a slow left-armer, took six wickets to bowl Derbyshire out for 138. Derbyshire then reduced Worcestershire to 113 for seven, needing 26 more, but Gareth Roderick anchored the chase from No. 3 and found a partner in Beyers Swanepoel, who bashed boundaries to seal the win.
