County Cricket Round-Up - 26th July 2013Monty Panesar took three Australia wickets on the first day at Hove. Action Images / Andrew Boyers LivepicThere were wins for Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, Leicestershire, Hampshire and Warwickshire in the evening’s Friends Life t20 matches.
Nottinghamshire regained top spot in the North Group of the Friends Life t20 by dispatching Yorkshire at Trent Bridge. Yorkshire lost two early wickets to Samit Patel after electing to bat and only made 132 for seven thanks to a fine 25-ball 42 from Richard Pyrah. Alex Hales then helped the Outlaws recover from an early double loss of their own, hitting 62 off 38 balls to see them home by six wickets in the 17th over.
Derbyshire were bowled out for a pitiful 72 by Leicestershire to all but end their hopes of making the knock-out stage. Only Shivnarine Chanderpaul reached double figures as Anthony Ireland took four for 11 and Josh Cobb three for 19 with his innocuous off-breaks. The Foxes had earlier totalled 151 for six after opting to bat. Greg Smith and Ned Eckersley both made 42, while Niall O’Brien chipped in with a run-a-ball 26.
Somerset moved up to second in the Midlands/Wales/West Group by thrashing local rivals Gloucestershire at Bristol. Alfonso Thomas took four for 35 to lead a bowling effort that bowled the home side out for just 125. Hamish Marshall (33 off 27) and Chris Dent (29 off 28) added 50 for the second-wicket, but Max Waller supported Thomas and returned figures of two for 22 from his four overs. Somerset openers Craig Kieswetter and Chris Jones then both hit half-centuries as the visitors won by nine wickets with 23 balls to spare.
Northamptonshire confirmed their place in the last eight by beating Glamorgan by six wickets in Cardiff. Overseas signing Cameron White hit an unbeaten 71 off 48 balls as the Steelbacks eased part Glamorgan’s total of 125 for nine in the penultimate over. Mark Wallace (22 off 23) and Chris Cooke (50 off 38) had earlier added 54 for the home side’s second-wicket, but Mohammad Azharullah (4-16) and David Willey (3-17) again impressed and shared seven wickets as they failed to kick on.
Warwickshire are one of three teams in the Midlands/Wales/West Group on 10 points after comfortably beating Midlands rivals Worcestershire at Edgbaston. Varun Chopra dealt with the early loss of his opening partner William Porterfield to hit 75 off 57 balls and added 107 with Darren Maddy (44 off 35) for the second-wicket. The Bears eventually won by eight wickets in the 18th over. Chris Woakes had taken three for 28 to help restrict the visitors to a middling 146 for eight. They rather fell away after an opening stand of 60 in 6.4 overs between Thilan Samaraweera (33 off 26) and Moeen Ali (37 off 23).
Surrey moved up to second in the South Group with a five-wicket win over Kent at The Oval. Fabian Cowdrey made 50 at the top of the Spitfires order, while there were useful contributions from Sam Billings (28 off 25) and Darren Stevens (29 not out off 19) as they made 139 for four. Gareth Batty was the pick of the Surrey attack with two for 14. Steven Davies (27 off 18) and Jason Roy (30 off 21) then got the home side off to a brisk start with an opening stand of 47 in five overs. However, a flurry of wickets followed as Adam Riley and Darren Stevens took two apiece and it was left to Zafar Ansari and Azhar Mahmood to take them to their target. The pair added an unbroken 79 for the sixth-wicket, with Mahmood the aggressor and ending not out on 47 off only 31 balls.
Defending champions Hampshire booked their place in the quarter-finals by having the better of Essex at Southampton. Michael Carberry was again in fine touch, hitting 54 off 41 balls to get their run chase off to a good start. There was then a crucial knock of 36 from 23 balls from Sean Ervine as the Royals got home in the final over by five wickets. Essex had earlier made a commanding 182 for five after being asked to bat as Owais Shah hit 62 off only 43 balls. Ryan ten Doeschate then clubbed two sixes towards the end of the innings to end unbeaten on 28 off only 15 deliveries.
Sussex’s bowlers were made to toil on the opening day of their tour match against the Australians at Hove. Openers Ed Cowan and Phil Hughes both passed 50 and added 150 in 35 overs. Lewis Hatchett (2-38) eventually removed both of them, while Monty Panesar (3-65) struck twice to peg them back to 218 for four. However, Steve Smith added 131 with James Faulkner (48) and ended on 98 not out as the tourists closed on 354 for five. Sussex will also not be encouraged by the fact that Hatchett was forced to leave the field part way through the 90th over due to injury. Full report
Tomorrow’s Fixtures:
Mid/Wales/West Group Match, Ft20, Worcestershire v Somerset at New Road (1440 BST start)
day two, Tour Match, Sussex v Australians at Hove (1100)
Weather Forecast: After a sunny start, a band of occasionally heavy rain will move in from the south, reaching Hove by midday and Worcester in late afternoon. It will be slightly cooler than of late with temperatures peaking at between 19 and 22 degrees Celsius.
County Cricket News In Brief:
Stuart Meaker could be forced into having surgery on his troublesome left knee after battling with it four much of the season. Surrey’s stand-in coach Alec Stewart said, “Two courses of treatment have been given to Stuart and the second one is ongoing. We should know more in 10 day’s time. We want to get him right but any decision will be taken with his best interests [at heart] rather than just trying to patch him up.”
Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie has flown to Australia for his father Neil’s funeral and will not return to England until the 4th August.
Yorkshire CCC have teamed up with official partner The Wensleydale Creamery to find the ‘Junior Voice of Cricket’. Anyone under the age of 15 is invited to commentate to a short video clip on the club’s website and send it to juniorvoice@hatchpr.co.uk before 16th August.
© Cricket World 2013
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