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The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
County cricket: it's all to play for in the final week of the T20 Blast group stage
'Hello marketing team. We'll give you glorious weather and decent crowds that fill some grounds and provide a fine atmosphere at the others. We'll give you fanbases rooted in their local communities and club histories stretching back well over a century. We'll give you tickets that are easy to buy online or available at walk-up box offices. We'll provide 21st-century stadium facilities and, though there can be a bit of edge (as there should be), well-stewarded matches where everyone is safe. We'll roll in some international players: Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler, Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Jimmy Anderson, Dan Lawrence, Will Jacks, Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Tom Curran, Mitchell Santner, Chris Jordan, Jamie Overton, Reece Topley and Adam Zampa. And that's just at Lancashire and Surrey. There are plenty more names elsewhere. The Blast is undersold, undermined and, consequently, goes under the radar. How the hell did we get here? There has been some fine cricket played in the tournament and, with a couple of rounds left, 14 of 18 starters still have a chance of winning it. Some have rather more of a chance than others, of course. The contrast in fortunes between those dreaming of Finals Day and those sleepwalking towards the group stage conclusion was illustrated at Taunton, where a high-flying Somerset marmalised a demoralised Essex by 95 runs. Anyone can run into Tom Kohler-Cadmore on his day (90 off 39 balls) and take harsh punishment, but how have Essex managed to win just two of their 12 matches? One feels that the inherent randomness of the T20 format, with its inevitable swinging from the hip, should produce something better than that, almost regardless of form, talent and morale. That no batter averages 30 and no bowler goes at under 8.5 per over speaks to a performance issue, but Essex have also won only one Championship match this season. To reach mid-July with just three victories suggests more than just onfield problems. How often have you looked up and, to your surprise, found that Joe Root is on 28, acquired while you were searching for those cheese and jalapeño pickle sandwiches you were sure you hadn't left in the fridge? I had the same feeling when I looked up Aneurin Donald and learned that the one-time boy wonder and teenage record-breaker was now 28 years old and fetched up at Derbyshire. The talent never hides for long though, despite a career that has not scaled the heights it once promised. Northamptonshire must have been confident at the innings break at Wantage Road, having set a target of 238 with half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke, David Willey and Saif Zaib. Donald dented that with his 22-ball stay that produced eight fours and six sixes, his 71 coming at a strike rate of 323! It was somehow fitting that no teammates could hit at much above half that rate and his pyrotechnics came in a lost cause. Top against bottom in the North Group, with Lancashire flying high and enjoying home advantage against a Yorkshire team with nothing to play for. A home banker surely? Nobody told Bradford's Jonny Bairstow (116) or Keighley's Will Luxton (90), each of whose 17 sixes plucked a petal from the red rose as it wilted under the onslaught. Lancashire's hired hands were spirited in their reply, but the two Tykes, backed up by a couple of wickets from Leeds' Jordan Thompson, had done enough. It was a shock result that wasn't really a shock at all. Danny Lamb is almost a reverse Aneurin Donald – it's amazing to see that he's still in his 20s. Now at Sussex, he enjoys the classic 'bits and pieces' player's stats, averaging between 30 and 33 across all three formats with the ball and 29 and 35 with the bat (OK, 15 in T20, but it would be 30 if he spent more time at the crease). He showed his value in his team's short trip to Canterbury, where he made only seven off 12 batting but, on as fourth change, he dismissed key men Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly then cleaned up the tail for a fivefer. It's easy to look down on the quasi all-rounders (those who would not get in the XI for either of their skills) but they are easy to relate to and easy to love because they're always in the game. The Darren Stevens tribute acts will always have a place in the hearts of county cricket fans. Though it does not find favour with readers, this column does advocate exploring tweaks to the Blast's playing regulations to promote more tight finishes. Too many matches are won well before the tension that only a last-over finish can provide. Lots of options would be available, but I'd quite like a wildcard allowing the captain to call upon his best bowler for a fifth over any time in the last six. They did get a thriller at Trent Bridge when Leicestershire made the short trip north and racked up a solid 188 for two. Joe Clarke, as he does, got the Nottinghamshire chase off to a good start and all looked well when Tom Moores hit the first two deliveries of the 18th over for six, leaving 10 to get off 16 balls. But it's best not to get out if you're the set batter, and Moores did, to leave the last three wickets to get over the line. Liam Patterson-White couldn't get enough of the strike and when he was out, No 11 Farhan Ahmed walked to the crease with two balls to face and two runs to get. The 17-year-old got it into the offside and set off on a harum-scarum attempt at two runs. With shouts coming from both sides of the boundary, the kid got home amid the chaos and the win was secured, nine down. Now that's a finish. This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
The Herald Scotland
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Lancashire climb above Durham with tense three-wicket Vitality Blast victory
Colin Ackermann top-scored with 42 as Durham limped to 155 from their 20 overs but they would have been happy to have England pair Phil Salt and Jos Buttler back in the shed early in the chase at 42 for two. The game remained in the balance as Lancs continued to plug away at the runs but Durham in turn took wickets at regular intervals courtesy of Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, James Neesham and Nathan Sowter but Green's match-winning 31 from 16 balls gave Lancashire victory. Surrey earned a resounding 67-run victory over Somerset in a battle of the top two in the South Group. They were forced to bat by Somerset but put on a pleasing display in the first innings. Will Jacks scored a half-century and fellow English pair Jason Roy and Dan Lawrence posted above 30 to help Surrey to 201 which Somerset did not make a mark on, being bowled out for 134. Northamptonshire climbed to second in the North Group with a comprehensive 64-run win over fellow quarter-final chasers Warwickshire. Matthew Breetzke clubbed 85 from 40 balls while David Willey and Ricardo Vasconcelos both struck half-centuries as the Steelbacks put a mammoth 240 on the board the halfway point. Warwickshire openers Alex Davies and Tom Latham tried to get on top of the run rate but both succumbed in doing so. Sam Hain hit a half-century but in the end they fell way short of their target. Northamptonshire earned a win over fellow quarter-final chasers Warwickshire (Mike Egerton/PA) Hampshire all but secured their place in the knockouts with a six-wicket victory over Sussex, who saw their own hopes take a huge blow. After Sussex posted 167 on the board, the Hawks were completely dominant with the bat thanks largely to James Vince who came two runs short of a century but was unbeaten on 98 from 49 balls which saw Hampshire home with 16 balls to spare. Kent boosted their hopes of a top-four finish with a seven-wicket win over Middlesex. Middlesex would have been questioning their decision to bat after Kane Williamson fell in the eighth over at 43 for three but Leus Du Plooy's 68 propelled them to 160. However, Kent were always in control in their run chase. Tawanda Muyeye's 59 alongside solid scores from Harry Finch (36) and Joe Denly (46) moved Kent to fourth in the South Group. Ethan Brookes scored a half-century to help steer Worcestershire to a six-wicket victory over Leicestershire. Leicestershire posted 173 at the end of their 20 overs, Tom Taylor ripped through Worcestershire's top order but the hosts fought back courtesy of Ben Cox's unbeaten 70 from 44 balls which helped them post a defendable target. However, Worcestershire were imperious in their run chase and posted over 50 in their first six overs. Tom Scriven aimed to pull Leicestershire back in the contest with the wickets of Brett D'Oliveira and Kashif Ali but Brookes' unbeaten 56 took Worcestershire to a sixth win of the campaign. Glamorgan's hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals took a blow after they suffered a 40-run loss to lowly Gloucestershire. Ben Charlesworth's 55 from 44 balls propelled Gloucestershire to 175 but Glamorgan never got going with their run chase and were reduced to 95 for five after 11 overs. Marchant de Lange's four wickets helped limit Glamorgan who were bowled out for 135 after just 18.1 overs. Derbyshire claimed an eight-wicket victory over fellow Blast strugglers Yorkshire at Headingley. The Falcons put the home side on the back foot from the off as Allah Ghazanfar and Ben Aitchison claimed two wickets apiece to reduce Yorkshire to 17 for four but Dom Bess' half-century helped his side up to 150. The run chase was a formality for Derbyshire. Aneurin Donald and Wayne Madsen went past 50 while Caleb Jewell remained unbeaten on 41 to help them to a win.
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Lancashire climb above Durham with tense three-wicket Vitality Blast victory
Lancashire climbed above Durham at the top of the Vitality Blast North Group following a tense three-wicket victory at Old Trafford. Durham started the day atop the group and elected to bat first but runs were hard to come by and they were just 46 for three when Alex Lees was caught and bowled by Chris Green. Colin Ackermann top-scored with 42 as Durham limped to 155 from their 20 overs but they would have been happy to have England pair Phil Salt and Jos Buttler back in the shed early in the chase at 42 for two. The game remained in the balance as Lancs continued to plug away at the runs but Durham in turn took wickets at regular intervals courtesy of Callum Parkinson, Matthew Potts, James Neesham and Nathan Sowter but Green's match-winning 31 from 16 balls gave Lancashire victory. Surrey earned a resounding 67-run victory over Somerset in a battle of the top two in the South Group. They were forced to bat by Somerset but put on a pleasing display in the first innings. Will Jacks scored a half-century and fellow English pair Jason Roy and Dan Lawrence posted above 30 to help Surrey to 201 which Somerset did not make a mark on, being bowled out for 134. Northamptonshire climbed to second in the North Group with a comprehensive 64-run win over fellow quarter-final chasers Warwickshire. Matthew Breetzke clubbed 85 from 40 balls while David Willey and Ricardo Vasconcelos both struck half-centuries as the Steelbacks put a mammoth 240 on the board the halfway point. Warwickshire openers Alex Davies and Tom Latham tried to get on top of the run rate but both succumbed in doing so. Sam Hain hit a half-century but in the end they fell way short of their target. Hampshire all but secured their place in the knockouts with a six-wicket victory over Sussex, who saw their own hopes take a huge blow. After Sussex posted 167 on the board, the Hawks were completely dominant with the bat thanks largely to James Vince who came two runs short of a century but was unbeaten on 98 from 49 balls which saw Hampshire home with 16 balls to spare. Kent boosted their hopes of a top-four finish with a seven-wicket win over Middlesex. Middlesex would have been questioning their decision to bat after Kane Williamson fell in the eighth over at 43 for three but Leus Du Plooy's 68 propelled them to 160. However, Kent were always in control in their run chase. Tawanda Muyeye's 59 alongside solid scores from Harry Finch (36) and Joe Denly (46) moved Kent to fourth in the South Group. Ethan Brookes scored a half-century to help steer Worcestershire to a six-wicket victory over Leicestershire. Leicestershire posted 173 at the end of their 20 overs, Tom Taylor ripped through Worcestershire's top order but the hosts fought back courtesy of Ben Cox's unbeaten 70 from 44 balls which helped them post a defendable target. However, Worcestershire were imperious in their run chase and posted over 50 in their first six overs. Tom Scriven aimed to pull Leicestershire back in the contest with the wickets of Brett D'Oliveira and Kashif Ali but Brookes' unbeaten 56 took Worcestershire to a sixth win of the campaign. Glamorgan's hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals took a blow after they suffered a 40-run loss to lowly Gloucestershire. Ben Charlesworth's 55 from 44 balls propelled Gloucestershire to 175 but Glamorgan never got going with their run chase and were reduced to 95 for five after 11 overs. Marchant de Lange's four wickets helped limit Glamorgan who were bowled out for 135 after just 18.1 overs. Derbyshire claimed an eight-wicket victory over fellow Blast strugglers Yorkshire at Headingley. The Falcons put the home side on the back foot from the off as Allah Ghazanfar and Ben Aitchison claimed two wickets apiece to reduce Yorkshire to 17 for four but Dom Bess' half-century helped his side up to 150. The run chase was a formality for Derbyshire. Aneurin Donald and Wayne Madsen went past 50 while Caleb Jewell remained unbeaten on 41 to help them to a win.
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
RCB Star's IPL-Used Bat Fails Gauge Test In T20 League. Further Examination Confirms...
England white-ball opener Phil Salt's bat, which he used in the last two years including in the Indian Premier League, was initially deemed "to have failed an on-field gauge test" but later cleared after further examination, his club said. The 28-year-old Salt currently plays for Lancashire. He played a major role in Royal Challenger Bengaluru's maiden IPL title win earlier in the year, scoring 403 runs from 13 matches, the second highest for his team after Virat Kohli (657 from 15 matches). Lancashire Cricket in a statement said that the bat used by Salt during Friday's Vitality Blast T20 match against Northants Steelbacks has been cleared by the Cricket Regulator's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). "Salt was alleged to have breached ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3, after his bat failed an on-field bat-gauge test during the Vitality Blast fixture. It is a bat that he has used for the last two years for England, Lancashire and in the IPL with no issue," the club said in the statement. During the first over of Lancashire Lightning's run chase, an umpire conducted an on-field bat gauge test, as part of an assurance process undertaken to check the sizes of a bat being used. To pass the test, the bat must fit through a gauge of the specified size. "Salt's bat did not pass through the gauge on the field and was therefore deemed to have failed the test, and in further tests carried out after the match, it was deemed inconclusive despite the bat fitting through the gauge on several occasions. "The Club and player felt this should have been the end of the matter, but the officials felt it necessary for the bat to be taken away for further testing," the club said. "Following this evidential testing process undertaken by the Cricket Regulator, the bat was found to be compliant with the Regulations - and the Club and player have been informed that no further action will be taken." The club said the "whole process could have been avoided with improved processes on and off the field, whether that be through better equipment and/or additional training". "Following the incident there have been inappropriate comments made by match commentators, inaccurate articles written in the media and some unsavoury social media posts towards the player, that could have been avoided." Cricket Regulator, the body established by the ECB and responsible for monitoring and enforcing the game's regulations, said Salt's bat was subject to an on-field test and it did not pass the initial test during the July 4 match between Northamptonshire and Lancashire. "Following standard practice the bat was then subject to a post-match test, the results of which were inconclusive," it said. "On 7th July, the Cricket Regulator investigated the matter and found the bat to be compliant with the regulations. Accordingly no further action will be taken against the player or Lancashire in this matter." Salt has so far played 33 ODIs after making debut in 2021, scoring 988 runs at an average of 31.87 with one hundred. He has featured in 43 T20Is from which he has scored 1193 runs with three centuries at an average of 34.08 and strike rate of 164.32.
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Business Standard
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Phil Salt's bat deemed legal after initially failing 'gauge test' in IPL
England white-ball opener Phil Salt's bat, which he used in the last two years including in the Indian Premier League, was initially deemed "to have failed an on-field gauge test" but later cleared after further examination, his club said. The 28-year-old Salt currently plays for Lancashire. He played a major role in Royal Challenger Bengaluru's maiden IPL title win earlier in the year, scoring 403 runs from 13 matches, the second highest for his team after Virat Kohli (657 from 15 matches). Lancashire Cricket in a statement said that the bat used by Salt during Friday's Vitality Blast T20 match against Northants Steelbacks has been cleared by the Cricket Regulator's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). "Salt was alleged to have breached ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3, after his bat failed an on-field bat-gauge test during the Vitality Blast fixture. It is a bat that he has used for the last two years for England, Lancashire and in the IPL with no issue," the club said in the statement. During the first over of Lancashire Lightning's run chase, an umpire conducted an on-field bat gauge test, as part of an assurance process undertaken to check the sizes of a bat being used. To pass the test, the bat must fit through a gauge of the specified size. "Salt's bat did not pass through the gauge on the field and was therefore deemed to have failed the test, and in further tests carried out after the match, it was deemed inconclusive despite the bat fitting through the gauge on several occasions. "The Club and player felt this should have been the end of the matter, but the officials felt it necessary for the bat to be taken away for further testing," the club said. "Following this evidential testing process undertaken by the Cricket Regulator, the bat was found to be compliant with the Regulations - and the Club and player have been informed that no further action will be taken." The club said the "whole process could have been avoided with improved processes on and off the field, whether that be through better equipment and/or additional training". "Following the incident there have been inappropriate comments made by match commentators, inaccurate articles written in the media and some unsavoury social media posts towards the player, that could have been avoided." Cricket Regulator, the body established by the ECB and responsible for monitoring and enforcing the game's regulations, said Salt's bat was subject to an on-field test and it did not pass the initial test during the July 4 match between Northamptonshire and Lancashire. "Following standard practice the bat was then subject to a post-match test, the results of which were inconclusive," it said. "On 7th July, the Cricket Regulator investigated the matter and found the bat to be compliant with the regulations. Accordingly no further action will be taken against the player or Lancashire in this matter." Salt has so far played 33 ODIs after making debut in 2021, scoring 988 runs at an average of 31.87 with one hundred. He has featured in 43 T20Is from which he has scored 1193 runs with three centuries at an average of 34.08 and strike rate of 164.32.
