So 4 of the last six in the One-Day Cup also qualified for the knockout stage of the T20. Good to see Leicestershire and Gloucestershire turn their dismal T20 form around in the longer format. How much the Hundred disrupted their playing side, I have no idea. Hampshire have amazed me with playng mere novices against sides with much more seasoned players in this competition and other forms of the first class game. It will be interesting if Hampshire play the more experienced guys in the knock-out phase. I suppose it depends on which teams are left standing in the Hundred.
Harry Brook is so, so good. What a 100! Remember selectors, the squad for the NZ series doesn't have to be the squad for the WC. Fans of Rockets, Brave and Spirit all owe him a pint.
Spirit and Rockets are out. If we don't win tomorrow, Fire qualify. If we do win tomorrow, we qualify. If we destroy Originals tomorrow (by like 80 runs or something stupid), us and Fire both qualify.
The idea that you'd leave Brook out in any format seems...crazy. The man regularly hits run-a-ball 50s in Test cricket, and you could make a strong argument that it's the format that suits him the least.
It looks like the winner of our quarter-final has to travel to Edgbaston, which looks tricky on paper but I guess you've got to win them all if you want to be champions. It's a difficult balancing act in trying to keep the same side together that's got them this far but bringing a few players back to strengthen it, particularly in the bowling. My best guess/prediction (and pretty much personal suggestion) of our XI for the quarters and hopefully semi-final is below: 1. Middleton 2. Gubbins (capt) 3. Prest 4. Brown (wk) 5. Dawson 6. Donald 7. Organ 8. Holland 9. Currie 10. Crane 11. Wheal If Gubbins isn't fit then Weatherley is first batting reserve and Fuller is very close to being in there as well for me, e.g. to replace Currie if he hasn't recovered from injury. You could make a case for dropping Organ out, but I think that would be a shame. Only 3 seamers in the above, though, and no fewer than 5 spin options! Jack and Kelly are probably going to be involved with England Lions U19s but I wouldn't mind them being reserves here, along with Eckland and Barker, anyway. I've assumed that Albert, Campbell and Turner are all still out injured. Come on Hampshire!
Wheal's 100 campaign has finished. Dawson, Crane, Wood, and Howell all play their last 100 match tomorrow (if selected). Whiteley's campaign will continue into the weekend. Vince, Fuller and Weatherley will either finish tonight, or continue into the weekend. The fact that Crane and Wheal (and Weatherley) have featured in the group stage suggests to me that we would be fine with selecting them for the KO stages. But as for the others, that's done to the club to decide whether to introduce them at this late stage or continue with the guys who have got us here. As is the case for every team in the KO stages. I'm on the fence as to what I would do.
That probably should have been 15 to 20 runs less. Too many full tosses, too many leg side balls. 130 might not sound like a big score. But I reckon it's above par on that wicket. If Jos Buttler can struggle for 42 runs, good luck to anyone else.
Jamie Overton has, surprisingly, bowled well this competition. So if his injury rules him out of bowling, that could be important.
That's Finn Allen's career in a nutshell. But I'd take that over Conway's way of making 14...of 19 balls.
