<\/p>\n
The appeal of the One-Day Cup \u2013 English cricket\u2019s Cinderella competition \u2013 was captured in a very rare positive text message I received from a Lancashire fan: \u201cJoe Moores and Rocky Flintoff are playing great innings aged 17 and 18.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their partnership of 72 in the last five overs against Leicestershire proved the difference as Lancashire won by 21 runs at Grace Road. Earlier, Keaton Jennings had scored his first century of a lacklustre season by his standards before handing over to another old stager, Tom Bailey, to lead the successful defence of 384.<\/p>\n
Everyone in attendance knew the star names were elsewhere, that even 18 isn\u2019t that young in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi\u2019s world, and that the media is largely uninterested in what was once the Gillette Cup. But it still matters to fans. We delight in seeing the grizzled old faces alongside the smooth-skinned youngsters. We enjoy watching experienced pros use their wiles to find a bit of form as the kids try a bit too hard to impress. And we welcome the opportunity to visit grounds that are less corporate and more relaxed than the behemoths so many HQs have become.<\/p>\n
Lancashire are playing Kent at Farington Cricket Ground near Preston this week. Tickets are available from \u00a315 for adults, \u00a312 for over-65s and \u00a35 for under-18s. If more people knew, they might come along.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Tom Westley made his Essex debut 19 years ago. On Sunday, he played for the 500th time and made a match-winning century as Derbyshire fell 10 runs short of their target at Chelmsford.<\/p>\n
Matt Critchley, playing against his former club, kept Westley company in a stand of 72, the all-rounder now as much of a local favourite as his captain in his fifth season at Essex.<\/p>\n
Westley and Critchley fall into another category of player you see in this competition: they are unlikely to be called upon by England and lack the explosive game that earns big paydays at the Hundred. Nevertheless, both are fine cricketers who can delight fans and neutrals wherever they play.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Four teams lead the way in the nascent Group A table on eight points, with Nottinghamshire boasting the only 100% winning record.<\/p>\n
That looked unlikely when two more players who have been out of the headlines made unexpected news with the bat. George Garton and Ethan Bamber have not played much first-team cricket for Warwickshire this season, through injury and loss of form respectively. Though both firmly in the \u201cbowlers who bat\u201d category, they rescued Warwickshire\u2019s innings, taking it from 121 for six to 282 all out, Garton hitting his maiden ton in any form of the game.<\/p>\n
But Notts are the form team in the country and, once the openers, Ben Slater and Freddie McCann, had raised three figures at about a run a ball, another half-century down the order would prove enough. Kyle Verreynne \u2013 last seen in Test cricket as part of the South Africa team that beat India 2-0 in November \u2013 provided that and Notts cruised home.<\/p>\n
Warwickshire failed to get out of the group stage in the Blast so need to make something happen very soon.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
With so many players unavailable, Somerset had to reach deep into their squad. Lewis Goldsworthy is an important cog in their T20 side and he\u2019s in and out of the championship XI when required. In the One-Day Cup, he is captain, all-rounder and, at 25, a senior pro \u2013 so what he does matters.<\/p>\n
With their two opening fixtures at Taunton, getting off to a good start was critical. Goldsworthy delivered his full allocation against Gloucestershire, taking two for 50 as his team ran out comfortable winners. He also played his part in the win against Warwickshire, hitting a century.<\/p>\n
At the top of English cricket, there is something of a vacuum where there should be credible captains. Leadership opportunities are few and far between but, so far, Goldsworthy is taking his.<\/p>\n