First ball: Maxwell wakes up and smells like coffee
As anyone who took part in the first test at Edgbaston could see from the promotions on the field, the Bears played against Worcestershire in a T20 derby last week. On Friday evening, the local heroes did not disappoint and advanced to the knockout stage of the Northern group with a landslide victory of 53 points.
It seems strange to call Glenn Maxwell a veteran, but he will turn 35 years old after this year. The relative not known, who rose to fame as a man in an IPL auction when such deals were newsworthy, is now a big old man on the franchise circuit. Forty-four balls out of 20 and a couple of flat rounds show that he still has it.
But Dan Mousley, the Englishman who has made a name for himself this season, surpassed the 14-year-old with 51 from 25 balls and four for 41, a second consecutive four-iron for his breaks. This was another sign that the next generation of English white-ball players will be in full swing after the World Cup after this year.
Ball two: Notts unraveled?
The Bears may have upset Worcestershire, but the Rapids are still well on their way to reaching the quarter-finals thanks to their win over Nottinghamshire at New Road the night before.
Notts are very talented, but they have stumbled twice in the last two games and peril letting a place in the last eight games slip through their fingers. They will need the old-fashioned freshness under pressure demonstrated by Adam Hose and Ed Pollock, who reunited in the 12th with 80 for five and led Worcestershire to their goal with a 60-run partnership without six hits in the middle of them.
Next up for Notts is a home game against the Bears, who – and this is a good aspect of a hotchpot of a format-still have something to play for, with home advantage being a very handy prize for winning.
Ball three: Somerset to a match of a trip on the M5
Somerset stormed through to a quarter-final at home with two games in hand, with a win by the new Master damner at Taunton (heresy I know), Will Smeed.
After a hesitant start to the campaign, the 21-year–old, approaching the 2,000 runs of professional cricket without even having a single list- a or first-class match, wondered if he had been spotted taking the inevitable one-dimensional approach to a cricket regime of just 20 overs (and shorter) that bowlers could work on. Four half-centuries in his last six innings reacted to this accusation quite categorically.
Fourth Ball: parts come together for Kent
Two wins last week brought Kent six wins in a row (after five losses), with Sam Billings’ men being very dynamic in the last two matches of the group stage.
The first of these doubles came to Chelmsford, still one of the most difficult areas to visit. T20 is a batting game, especially with harder, flatter throws now after a long-awaited period of hot weather, but it was Kent’s bowling variant that limited the home side, seven men threw the ball and five took a wicket.
Among the big catchy hits, the importance of options on the field can be overlooked. The much-maligned “chunks and chunks” men can be vital in a T20 camp, playing a wicket here, changing the tempo there, covering a frontliner who has a day off, hiding the ball outside the stump, the ego-free line. Kent might need all of his versatile and almost versatile players before his tournament ends.
Ball five: Bowler of the Week
Leg spinners need a thick skin, a trustworthy shell to help them get through the overs they know will come, with the paradox of the most rude bowling mode also being the most difficult to carry for their cross.
Luke Hollman had hit will Jacks in form and was nailed for five sixes off the first five balls of his third plus and didn’t get a fourth. His consolation was Middlesex’s extraordinary pursuit of 253 for a win that was as unexpected as you can imagine at the Oval.
Hollman was back in the saddle the very next day, taking a deep breath or two and flexing his fingers. He delivered his full allowance and it was just the last ball to cross the fence for six, a commendable effort under the circumstances.
To be so close to humiliation, to be the autumn man in the still rare performance of a “six six” (especially in a local derby) and then to bounce off so effectively may be the job description of a professional athlete, but this is easier said than done. Hollman narrowly avoided being a footnote in history, but he’s my pitcher of the week.
Ball six: Batsman of the Week
For an opener, 180 runs for once from 107 balls is a great comeback, but it’s just a continuation of the excellent form shown in the explosion by Daniel Bell-Drummond this season, Kent’s key man in two halves.
It was a surprise to learn that he is still under 30 years old, neither a young strikeer nor a veteran, but a good cricketer who has never put everything together with enough consistency to break into the international area. His selection period may be over now, but Canterbury supporters can expect to enjoy professional work for at least another five years, the kind of player that is highly appreciated by fans of the County game.
