1) No hate for Hain
As the T20 Blast reignited for the latter half of the group stage, it felt akin to resuming an innings post-rain delay. Batters aimed to seize control of the bowling early, while the fielding captain eyed a prime chance to claim a wicket or two.
Sam Hain’s unbeaten 98 was pivotal in the Birmingham Bears’ narrow victory over Yorkshire at Headingley. This represented a modern white-ball performance; Hain remained at the crease from the sixth over until the end, while five partners came and went. He struck eight sixes and five fours, steering the target to 215, which turned out to be five more than Yorkshire could manage. He followed this with another unbeaten 52 in the Bears’ win against Derbyshire, securing their quarter-final place.
Hain, who celebrates his 29th birthday this week, boasts significant experience domestically and internationally, holding extraordinary averages of 58 in List A and 39 in T20. With ample time before England’s next venture into white-ball cricket, and the first T20I against Australia slated for the day following the Test against Sri Lanka (fantastic timing, right?), he certainly must be on the selectors’ radar—unless, of course, they are distracted by a flashy young talent netting a couple of rapid 40s in The Hundred.
2) Wood burns Worcestershire
Lancashire requires one win from their remaining two matches to secure the second qualifying position in the North Group, thereby steering clear of nerve-wracking net run rate calculations. To be more precise, a “match abandoned” would suffice, given that three of their four matches scheduled since the red-ball break have resulted in no results, including a highly anticipated Roses clash on Friday night—provided, of course, that Manchester decides to cooperate.
In the only match that progressed, Lancashire needed 53 runs from the last four overs while down five wickets and relying on all-rounders. Tom Hartley hit consecutive sixes in the 18th over, swinging momentum towards Lancashire, but Matthew Waite’s back-to-back wickets in the 19th brought Worcestershire back into contention. With Tom Bruce on 48 and facing the strike, the onus fell on him to score the runs. However, without finding the boundary, Luke Wood faced his second ball needing six runs off two deliveries. He promptly hit a six, resulting in a dramatic walk-off home run, as might be said in baseball terms.
Wood checks numerous boxes for England—sharp pace, left-arm capability, boundary hitting down the order, and substantial franchise experience. It’s remarkable how quickly things change; he last represented England only 10 months ago. While he hasn’t set the world alight this season, there’s still time for him to catch the selectors’ attention.
3) Short game and long hits
For Northamptonshire, it was a do-or-die scenario in a quick-fire eight-over encounter against Durham at home. After restricting the visitors to 90 for five, they felt confident going second, knowing how to pace their innings.
However, that may not always hold true. In such a brief format, it’s typically the case that winning the boundary count will be sufficient to clinch victory (often, the game changes drastically if multiple wickets fall). Durham struck six fours and five sixes, while Northants hit eight fours and six sixes—indicating they would secure the win comfortably. Northants are in control of their own destiny, while Durham are left needing miracles.
4) Who’s next for Surrey’s starting XI?
Surrey traveled to Chelmsford with several first-choice players absent, yet with a victory sealing a place in the knockouts. With only two of their three specialist batters (Dom Sibley and Rory Burns, who was keeping) participating in their lesser format, a solid start was crucial against the proficient Essex attack.
Will Jacks (who must be questioning if he will ever expand on his two Test matches) provided that much-needed start, scoring 86 in an hour, ensuring that a few hefty hits from the big-hitters down the order set a respectable target of 190 on this fast-scoring venue. Adam Rossington performed similarly at the top for Essex, but when Cameron Steel secured the key wicket of Michael Pepper, only Luc Benkenstein managed to score in double figures as the home side chased in vain.
Surrey will advance to the knockout stages, but uncertainty remains about their final XI. Essex is likely to progress as well, and I could probably name at least nine members of their XI right now. It’s a peculiar game.
5) Sussex’s smiters keep them in the game
If you want to witness runs, follow Sussex. Since the Blast resumed, they have recorded scores of 190 for eight (chasing in 18 overs), 200 for seven, 203 for four, and 207 for two (setting). It goes without saying that these performances have earned them two victories and a place in the quarter-finals.
The batting success has revolved around the top four, functioning cohesively as a unit. Each batsman has backed the others when one gets dismissed relatively early, which is essential in T20 cricket. Against Glamorgan, Daniel Hughes scored 74 alongside Tom Clark’s 30; against Hampshire, Harrison Ward contributed 39, Clark 37, and Tom Alsop 35; against Kent, Alsop shone with 87 batting at No 6; and against Essex, Hughes scored 81 while Clark amassed 72.
As demonstrated by last week’s results, upper-order consistency doesn’t guarantee T20 victories, but it certainly enhances chances.
6) Somerset set for Finals Day?
With victories over Surrey and Hampshire, Somerset is practically assured of a quarter-final position, inching them closer to Finals Day. I suspect many fans have already arranged transportation for the trip up the M5 towards Edgbaston on 14 September.
Should this materialize—and one would be brave to wager otherwise—the county’s most passionate supporters might be both a blessing and a curse in Birmingham. Finals Day should stand alone as a significant occasion, a celebration of white-ball county cricket that reflects its independent stature (unlike, it must be said, some of its spectators during the event’s final hours).
It is essential for the crowd to support all players, remain for all three matches, and recognize their good fortune to have such a day reserved on the calendar. Every county has its fervent fans, whether it’s from YouTube or bias confirmation, yet the home crowd was either overwhelmingly loud or eerily quiet as their beloved Somerset secured victory against Surrey last week. Please bring the noise, but leave behind any silence on county cricket’s most celebrated day.
