1) Wells provides Lancashire with bowling depth
Lancashire have won just one game in the Championship all season but four wins from five in the T20 Blast have seen them top the Northern Group. Two solid wins last week, one in pursuit (vs Nottinghamshire) and one in defense (vs Birmingham). Luke Wells played a key role in both events.
Wells, who joins Lancashire as opening batsman in 2021 after 10 years at Sussex, may still be his day job after hitting 66 from 32 balls in Birmingham. Proved this. But these days, his bowling ability is at least as valuable and his adopted county has come to rely on that skill to suppress the batsmen in the middle order. His one 25 and two 25s, both at full allotment, last week took him to seven wickets in the tournament with just over one wicket to his name.
Can other batsmen who only bowl a little with the red ball use their secondary talents to get the ball on the pitch and then use experience and sanity to complete a spell quickly without the need for travel? Having a sixth or even seventh bowler is crucial for a fielding captain who needs to think quickly under pressure, and Wells has proven himself an asset this season – much like Yorkshire’s Adam Rice, though He is the red ball.
2) Lyth narrows the target to win easily
Speaking of the White Roses, they finished second in the group and beat Derby County in textbook fashion in pursuit of a strict target of 180.
Lyth and Dawid Malan lead the way, with the openers both having played 35 matches in recent times but with well over 500 T20 matches between them. Only two of the first 17 overs were without boundaries and the required ratio never reached double digits. When Lyth was dismissed for 84 runs with 43 needed, Joe Root walked in.
Control in white-ball cricket is usually discussed in relation to the fielding side, but it is equally desirable for the batsmen. Keep one eye on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, keep the scoreboard running and don’t let the bowlers settle as you aim to reach the target with about 10 balls in hand just in case of the occasional mishap. Not every county will have four Test batsmen like Yorkshire, but accumulating resources is one thing; using them is another.
3) Saif ensures safety
Northamptonshire ranks third in net run rate, the same record as Tech.
David Willey’s second spell in charge of the club saw the home side set Worcestershire for 170 at Wantage Road but never allowed the partnership to blossom when needed. Keep taking wickets.
Another left-arm all-rounder caught the attention, Saif Zaib shared 79 runs in six overs with Sikandar Raza to beat Northants ) improved to 169 points in four rounds and then took three of the top six with just 20 points off his spin.
It represents a welcome burst of form in an inconsistent season for Zaib, an exciting but high-stakes cricketer who is always looking to make things happen. If he clicks in the remaining blasts, he and his captain will form a powerful combination with bat and ball.
4) Big Basher brings huge noise to Sussex
Sussex have picked up a couple of wins away from home and sit top of the South Group on goal difference ahead of last week’s first victims Surrey. Both wins followed a similar pattern: bat first, score over 200 runs, then bat later.
Daniel Hughes proved to be the key figure, notching a double-double with a 65-point performance and setting what turned out to be an insurmountable goal. He has spent his career in domestic cricket and is now in his mid-30s, but his success demonstrates the value of a global scouting network and could be a pleasant location to work in during the summer.
But it doesn’t matter. In an increasingly scary world, for fans of a certain age, it will be comforting to see DP Hughes’ name on the scorecard with a couple of sixes.
5) Hit songs keep coming
Somerset trailed Sussex and Surrey by four points after slumping to 241 for 5 against an experienced Hampshire attack, well ahead of James Vince’s chasers .
It was no surprise that the home side could score at Taunton, a fast-scoring ground with strong local support in the form of Tom Banton, Will Smeed and Tom Talented players like Tom Kohler-Cadmore can drive on the power play. What was surprising was the crucial partnership between Tom Abell and Sean Dickson (144 in 11.2 overs). They were both good hitters, but neither had a reputation for pitching to pickets on a regular basis.
This reminds me of a comment my father made years ago, when Peter Allis described a golfer as “a good bunker player.” “Who isn’t?” he said. Considering how fit and well-trained players are today, most of them find it easy to push the boundaries once their eyes are in.
6) The crane’s heavy work ultimately comes to naught
Two of the other five teams have secured two wins from four games, with Essex losing at home to Glamorgan in a chaotic game on another tight pitch where the crowd could inspire the players saved a victory.
After Mason Crane’s four wickets continued his brilliant blast season, the visitors came home and were watered down, Essex needing 44 with just two wickets in hand. Time was on their side and their run was enough to get there.
Also on their side is Luc Benkenstein, a teenager who is more of a batsman than a true all-rounder. He has been immersed in the game during his father Dale’s three decades as a coach and player. At the other end, lurking at No. 10 is Netherlands international Shane Snater, a shrewd late-order batsman who was born for this equation.
They ended up playing mostly singles matches, waiting for a big match. As it happened, it was both halves of the overs – they hit five boundaries in seven balls across the 16th and 17th overs. From then on, it was smooth sailing.
Essex lost six wickets for 16 runs in three overs of intermediate chaos, but all they needed was a cool head or two.
