On a rain-hit day in the Bob Willis Trophy, there were resurrection hundreds for Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan, who together used to construct huge left-handed partnerships for England Lions before their careers hit stumbling blocks.
Malan was dropped from Test cricket by Ed Smith in 2018 after the chairman of selectors suggested he was better suited to cricket overseas, and then failed to find solace with the Middlesex side he was leading. He moved to Yorkshire at the end of last season for a new start.
Duckett suffered the wrath of then England coach, Trevor Bayliss, after pouring a pint over James Anderson on the disastrous Ashes tour of 2017-18, was fined and then suspended with warnings about future conduct. He returned to Northamptonshire, suffered a dismal summer before signing for Nottinghamshire, where he also struggled in a team that did not win a first-class match in 2019.
Happier times. Malan made 145 not out off 180 balls in difficult batting conditions against Derbyshire at Headingley, his first Yorkshire hundred. He drove crisply, straight and through the covers, in partnerships of 66 with Adam Lyth and an unbeaten 174 with Jonny Tattersall.
Duckett’s 116 dominated the Lancashire attack as he swept and cut with nary a care. He put on 178 with Ben Slater, who had his own story to tell. Slater’s unbeaten 111 was his second century against Lancashire in less than two weeks; he made 172 when on loan to Leicestershire. After a disastrous start to the tournament it was at last some solace to the Nottinghamshire top order.
Craig Overton spearheaded yet another sweet-talking Somerset performance with the ball. Overton was told to put on a yard of pace by England, advice that has allowed him to slice through sides. He lunched with figures of 9-6-5‑3, bowling fast, accurately and with a swinging ball, and knocking off Matt Lamb’s bails with the final delivery before sandwiches.
Warwickshire’s problems were exacerbated with two run-outs as they were dismissed for 121 – top-scorer Tim Bresnan on 32 not out. Somerset had time to reach 80 for 2 before the weather intervened, both wickets falling to Oliver Hannon-Dalby.
With the Grace Road scoreboard reading 17 for two and the skies a dirty grey, a feeling of some foreboding filled Durham supporters. However, a third-wicket partnership of 159 between Alex Lees (62no) and David Bedingham (96), full of classy drives on a fast outfield, settled the nerves.
Surrey had a torrid post-lunch session against Hampshire at Arundel before the rain closed in there too, thanks to four wickets in 22 balls from Ian Holland, who first became a professional cricketer after winning a one=year rookie contract with Victoria on the Australian reality TV programme Cricket Superstar.
After a circulatory route he made his debut for USA against UAE at the end of last year and found himself taking the new ball for the first time for a Hampshire side hammered by injuries. He is usually only whistled for as fifth seamer. Jason Roy was his fourth wicket, playing no shot in his first red-ball cricket since last summer’s Ashes. Laurie Evans and Jamie Smith steadied the ship with an unbroken partnership of 43, Surrey 79 for 5.
Nathan Buck was the beneficiary of Northamptonshire’s rotation policy, taking three wickets against dozy Worcestershire batting. Nineteen-year-old Jack Haynes made a pretty 38 before Buck sent his off stump on a merry dance as Worcester struggled to 93 for 5. Down in muggy Hove, Phil Salt made 57 before falling to Jamie Porter as Sussex made a steady start against Essex.
The match between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens was abandoned without a ball being bowled and less than 10 overs were possible at Canterbury, where Middlesex were 22 for 1 before stumps were pulled and the streams of water flowing over the ground were left to wading birds.
This roundup was amended on 17 August 2020 to correct a reference to Hampshire bowler Ian Holland; the original version mistakenly called him Ian Abbott.
My current favourite is TickTock ‘Bounce’ brand, green rooibos with lemongrass, ginger and cinnamon. Nothing like as overbearing as it sounds, really very tasty and also doesn’t overpower if left to brew for too long (as I invariably do). Waitrose sell it, I’m sure other places do. Found a link, https://ticktocktea.com/products/tick-tock-wellbeing-bounce
Mmmmm - sounds lovely, though lemongrass? I’ll try it.
Somerset making a good start to their innings at Edgbaston, currently 48 without loss after bowling Warwicks out for a pitiful 121. Rain in in the air apparently, as the weather shifts north. Still sunny in Manchester. Just sayin.
Do send me a message or two from your Saturday afternoon. Perhaps you think Craig Overton is the next cab on the rank for England? Or want to recommend an afternoon brew for those who have gone off Earl Grey?
I’m very fond of the lunch and tea coverage on BBC local radio. They poddle off but leave the mike on so you can pick up background snippets of conversation, birdsong, and I swear I just heard the five minute bell.
There was a wicket for Tommy Taylor at Grace Road just before bad light stopped play. Poor David Bedingham for 96. Last season someone, Hoppsy I think, waxed lyrical about Taylor and his potential.
Taylor breaks the partnership of Bedingham and Lees.
Warwicks all out 121. Top scorer Tim Bresnan 32 not out. Abell’s figures better than COverton’s on this topsy-turvy afternoon. I predict Somerset will be 80-6 only for their tail to put on another 100. It will be enough.
Ian Holland, destroyer of Surrey’s top order, first won a place for Victoria by winning Australian TV programme Cricket Superstar. In December he made his debut for USA against UAE . Now he’s swishing his cape for Hampshire against Arundel. Beat that BTLers!
Ian Holland celebrates dismissing Jason Roy lbw at Arundel. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Fifty for Ben Duckett for the unjinxable Notts batting line-up. Just 69 balls. And Ben Slater unbeaten on 84. Over to Grace Road where Durham are 159 for 2, young Lees 60 not out, David Bedingham 81 not out. Malan (47 not out) trying to hold things together for Yorkshire.
Hadn’t realised how young this Hampshire side that have Surrey 46-5 are. Just one capped domestic player and one international player (Ian Holland - USA) amongst them.
“Did Surrey have to step through the back of a wardrobe to move from 33/2 to 31/4? A typo perhaps?”
I like to keep you lot on your toes. Surrey are on the look out actually for a very large wardrobe to hide this afternoon’s batting disaster. Lucky that Morne Morkel stepped off the plane earlier this week, I say.
A shout out to Adam Collins who is doing the OBO on his birthday. In the rain. Happy Birthday young thing! Follow the Test, as it doesn’t happen, here:
It’s all gone a bit Pete Tong down at Arundel. Surrey now 31-4, Stoneman the mighty Holland’s latest victim, lbw for 21. Holland 3-10. Jason Roy in now. He hasn’t played red-ball cricket since the Ashes - nothing to see here.
Was pleasantly surprised to rediscover the sandwiches I’d made earlier. Then a quick-time stroll round the block where an aggressively spiky conker shell fell just to the right of my left heel. A reminder that we don’t have many of these langurous summer days left. What I miss most in winter: heat, length of day, summer birds, cricket, coffee in the garden, swimming in the sea.
Anyway, the first half hour after lunch has brought misadventure at Arundel where Worcestershire (88-5) seem to be in a race to the bottom with Warwicks (77-5) . Three wickets for Nathan Buck. A sorry start for Surrey at Arundel - 31 for 2. Patel and Borthwick undone by Ian Holland. Five fours for the previously out of touch. Stoneman.
And the batting renaissance continues in the most unlikely quarters: Notts 134-1, Durham 136-2, Yorks 102-2
Off briefly to the kitchen to inspect the fridge. Just wanted to give Beyond the Boundary, the Netflix documentary of the Women’s World T20, a quick plug. I haven’t seen it yet but women’s sport needs all the friends it can get at the moment.
The ICC Women's @T20WorldCup 2020 was a landmark event in the history of cricket and all women's sport 🎉
The ICC partnered with @netflix to capture the action, excitement and emotion of the event in a documentary, premiering tomorrow!
I don’t want to depress anyone but a massive yellow splodge will be hovering over your heads for much of the weekend.
⚠️Yellow Weather Warnings updated⚠️
Further #thunderstorms are possible across parts of England and Wales during the next 3 days, although not all places within the warning areas will see them
Of course, rain could yet prove crucial in this competition. The ECB have tried to mitigate against this by increasing the number of points for a draw from five to eight.
A reminder of how the points work:
Win – 16 points
Draw or tie – 8 points
Loss – 0 points
Bonus points
As with the County Championship, bonus points in the Bob Willis Trophy will be awarded in the first 110 overs of each team’s first innings and are retained regardless the result of the match.
YJB is caught behind for 22 (Yorks 40-2). Still, better than walking back to your hotel in the rain like the England players at the grey, mizzly Ageas Bowl. The weather is having a laugh at the moment. I see Michael Vaughan has suggested pink balls for all Test cricket - though that wasn’t a huge success in the Championship experiments last year as I remember.
At Canterbury, Kent have won the toss and will bowl first. Nick Gubbins has been withdrawn from Middlesex’s squad, as he may have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. He will self-isolate & monitor for any symptoms over the next few days.
Oh dear, Ian Bell. He calls Will Rhodes for the quickest of quick singles but the mid-off fielder was quicker still, running Will Rhodes out with a direct hit. Warwicks 15-3.
Another hand grenade from Craig Overton who is practically unplayable this morning, bowling Hain for 1. He’s pitching on the spot, whippet-fast and with a swinging ball. Warwicks 15-2.
A quote I’d missed from him at the beginning of August: “The England selectors have told me to try and add a yard of pace to my bowling without letting it affect my accuracy and that is what I have been working on.”
Oh, Durham, Durham, Durham. Dickson and Steel both out in single figures - 17-2 v Leicestershire. Worcestershire too straight out of their training kit and into the doldrums - two wickets for Northants’ Nathan Buck - Mitchell and Libby both gone.
OUT!! Craig Overton gets Somerset up and running this morning! Yates is caught behind and Warwickshire are 12/1
I’m nervous for Warwicks batting first against Somerset, who still have both Overtons despite the rumours that Jamie might jump ship to Surrey mid-Season. The radio commentary is currently competing with the tentative strains of Dear Theodosia from the piano next door. And just as I was about to press send - a wicket falls, 12/1, COverton the inevitable .
Morning rain eh, down south? Delayed starts at Sophia Gardens, Canterbury, Hove and Arundel. Also at the Rose Bowl for England v Pakistan.
Time in the first twenty minutes of the day for the Yorkists to lose a wicket (Kohler-Cadmore for a duck), and Worcestershire (Libby for a duck). Notts remain, for now, intact.
An email that dropped from Tone White, between rounds:
Thank you for giving some substance to a day’s casual babysitting in the S of F. Nothing strenuous, charming grand-daughter, but a slightly out of practice grandfather with a low boredom threshold and not much enthusiasm for games. The chance to sneak a look at the county whimseys gives the pecker a lift! But all these lads I’ve never heard of !
I know! It is usually the beauty of a Championship summer that some have become household CCLive! names by September - but they’ve only got six weeks this year. Don’t think anyone will forget Jordan Cox in a hurry though. To clarify, he is currently self-isolating after the fan-photo error, which is why he can’t play for Kent.
The Bob Willis Trophy Final will start on September 23 at Lord’s, the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy will be held on September 26 at the home ground of the finalist with the most points and the T20 Blast final will happen on October 3 at Edgbaston. The new Warwickshire chief executive Stuart Cain has said he is hoping for between five and eight thousand spectators.
Moved from Old Trafford because of the Greater Manchester lockdown. Notts have had a dreadful start to the Bob Willis Trophy - still winless in first-class cricket since June 2018. Assistant coach Kevin Shine has reported some “tricky conversations” after defeat by Yorkshire last Tuesday, despite a first-innings lead. It will be Haseeb Hameed’s first game against Lancashire since he left last season and Luke Wood’s first against Notts since his transfer to Old Trafford. Lancashire bounced back last week, winning easily against Durham, after losing against Leicestershire in the first round.
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Durham
Both teams come into the game defeated in their last match, with Durham currently propping up the Norther table. Sam Evans is named in the Leicestershire squad after Ben Slater returns to Notts; Durham’s Ned Eckersley says “We know we can do it, we just need to have that self belief and confidence to go out and do it and put a performance together.”
Headingley: Yorkshire v Derbyshire
It is an overcast morning at Headingley, where the top two teams in the North group fight it out. Surprise table-toppers Derbyshire are without Luis Reece, while Yorkshire are still missing Ben Coad (oblique), Matthew Fisher (abdomen) and Gary Ballance (illness), but add David Willey to their squad
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire cross the Severn Bridge for the first match of the season at Sophia Gardens. Glamorgan rest Michael Hogan for Lukas Carey; Gloucester are boosted by new signing Tom Lace and Ryan Higgins fresh from his career best 11-96 v Warwickshire.
The County Ground: Northamptonshire v Worcestershire
Northants have awarded a county cap toex-Oldham hairdresser and Championship winner with Lancashire, Luke Procter. Worcestershire, currently second behind Somerset in the Central Group, add Joshes Tongue and Dell to their squad.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Somerset
Top of the table Somerset are still without George Bartlett but Lewis Gregory returns. Warwicks have had a disappointing start with coach Jim Troughton saying “We have got a point to prove. We know we can play good cricket, we have shown that in four of the eight days in the season so far, but 50 per cent isn’t good enough.”
Arundel Castle: Hampshire v Surrey
An idyllic place to watch a cracking Southern Group fixture. Injury and internationally- hit Surrey are boosted by the availability of Morne Morkel and Jason Roy. Hampshire are missing Keith Barker, Ryan Stevenson, Ajeet Dale and Liam Dawson with injuries, and James Vince who awaits the birth of his second child.
Canterbury: Kent v Middlesex
Second and third in the South group, this is a big one. Kent, who beat Sussex in the last round, are boosted by the return of Joe Denly and the golden arm of Darren Stevens; Middlesex, who lost to Hampshire in a tight game, include Steven Finn, Ethan Bamber and Robbie White in their squad to replace Tim Murtagh, Tom Helm and Tom Lace.
Hove: Sussex v Essex
It is damp at Hove, but they are hoping to start on time. County Champions Essex are big favourites after proving, yet again, their bouncebackability in the first two rounds. Dan Lawrence returns to that squad after leaving the England bubble following a family bereavement. Sussex name an unchanged squad, after their loss to Kent last week.
Good morning from what was going to be Old Trafford, but turns out to be my house as I hadn’t noticed the game had been switched to Trent Bridge because of the GM Lockdown. Incidentally, but, it turns out, irrelevantly, it is a lovely morning in Manchester, the washing is out and the bees are having fun on the lavender.
This is the third of the Bob Willis Trophy’s five rounds, with some patterns starting to emerge – Essex are unbeatable, Somerset retain their ability to swing from appalling to steam-rolling, fortified by the batting of their tail and their pace attack, Derbyshire are a surprise package and Notts remain stuck in a whirlpool of despair.
Some intriguing contests – especially Lancashire v Notts, the return of the Hass, a Northern faceoff at Headingley between Yorkshire and Derbyshire, and in the Southern Group Sussex take on Essex.
In other news: Tom Lace has joined Gloucestershire – following the conveyor belt of young Middlesex players who have swapped London for Bristol, including Ryan Higgins and George Scott. Lace is a highly-promising batsman, who was on loan to Derbyshire last year. And Jordan Cox, who scored an unbeaten double century against Sussex earlier this week, has been dropped by Kent after posing with fans for a photograph and thus breaking social distancing protocols.
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion