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  • Northamptonshire CCC: Search for the Holy Grail

    Northamptonshire welcome new coach Ben Whalan to team for the 2019 season.

    Despite moderate success in the shorter forms of the game N’Hants are on the search for that elusive first ever Country Champions Northamptonshire have made the performance very clear. Reach Division 1 in 3 years and then have their first ever County Title in 5.

    With arguably the weakest side in English County Cricket Northamptonshire looked to strengthen their county squad with an eye to the future. 2 players were signed from the Youth Squad both with great long term prospects as well as potentially being able to have an impact straight away

    David Rowell- a Right Hand Opening Batsmen who has average 50.58 in his career and last year was outstanding average 60 was signed to a 3 year contract on $19k.

    Tom Head- a Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler was whose average of 21 in his career looks to have lots of potential. He was also signed long term to a 3 year contract on $17k.

    Richard Levi will captain the squad. The established middle order player at aged 31 with a 3 year contract was the ideal secure candidate to lead the side in its quest for promotion to division 1.

    Wicket Keeper Adam Rosington was announced as the vice-captain.

    Whalan has met with the players and indicated his philosophies
    -The teams strengths will be backed in therefore we will be producing wickets favourable to our young fast bowling attack
    -The County will be harder to get out of then to get it. Players will really need to smash the door down to be selected from the seconds
    -Training will see a combination of both long term technical coaching and match day performance training

    At the final press conference before Northamptonshire took on Durham MCCU Whalan said “I have a vision of what my best 11 looks like but there a couple of spots up for grabs. Those players will be given an opportunity to show why they should get first crack in the team.”

    “We expect to perform strongly here and begin that journey of creating a winning culture.”

  • #2
    University Match
    Northamptonshire v Durham MCCU


    Under beautiful skies the season starts with a pre-season friendly against Durham MCCU. Selectors chose to rest Ben Sanderson with a potential heavy work load against Middlesex coming up. This meant the four fast bowlers were fighting for three spots and would hopefully create competitive competition.

    Both newly contracted rookies Rowell and Head would also get their first opportunity to impress.

    As per the preferred coaching tactic the pitch had a tinge of green offering the four pronged pace attack a bit of assistance.

    Team: Newton, Rowell, Vasconcelos, Bavuma, Rossington (W/K) Levi (C), Proctor, Cotton, Hutton, Head, Muzarabani


    Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat.

    The sun was out and the season couldn’t have started any better. Newton and 19-year old Rowell opened and the innings and got N’hants to the perfect start. Both reached their fifties before lunch and finally amassed an opening stand of 212 runs when Rowell fell for 106 on debut.

    Vasconcelos came and went for an unconvincing 17 but a 115 run stand from Newton and Bavuma ensured Northamptonshire could attack the Durham line up and look to only bat the once.
    In what was an incredible batting display of patience and aggression Newton reached his double entry which was the catalyst for the declaration at 4/428.

    Durham MCCU look to make a mends with the bat and got off to a good start reaching 0/56 until a calamitous run out saw Hardwick. Thanks to some ordinary bowling Durham crept their way to 1/96 until debutant Tom Head came into the attack and went bang, bang taking two wickets in his first over.

    From there a steady stream of wickets saw N’hants take 7/112 to dismiss Durham for 208. Northamptonshire chose to enforce the follow on and create a winning culture early under Whalan.

    Once again Northamptonshire failed to take early wickets in the second innings with Durham reaching forty six for no loss. Hutton trapped K Head for 15 to which started the precession of wickets. 75 minutes later Northamptonshire had bowled out Durham for a total of 85 securing an innings and 135 win first up. Hutton took a brilliant 4/22 whilst Mazurabani and Cotton took 3 wickets each.

    The hit out was perfect for what is going to be a much tougher contest against one of division two favorites Middlesex.

    Northamptonshire - 428-4d (Newton 200*, Rowell 106, Bavuma 57; Burns 2-96
    Durham MCCU - 208 (Head 61; Head 5-43, Muzarabami 2-59)
    Durham MCCU - 85 (Hutton 4-22, Cotton 3-21, Muzarabami 3-35)

    Northamptonshire win by an innings & 135 runs
    MOTM – Rob Newton

    Commenting on the performance Whalan said

    "Was good to blow off the cob webs and get the first out underway. Newton was outstanding and showed how his aggression is a real weapon at the top of the order. Both the young lads were very impressive and have made my selection decisions pretty difficult. Real happy though that's the way I like it"
    Last edited by beedub; 06-30-2019, 07:21 AM.

    Comment


    • #3
      County Championship- D2 Game 1
      Northamptonshire v Middlesex

      Game one of the County Championship and Northamptonshire have the tough task of taking on the division 2 favorite’s Middlesex at home.

      At the selection table Whalan pulled a couple of surprises with both recently signed rookies to make their debut. All-rounder Proctor was selected to add some extra bowling depth against arguably the best batting line up in the competition.

      As planned Sanderson who was rested for the university game comes back into the side to form a four pronged pace attack as will no doubt be the theme for Northamptonshire this year. As such the curators have produced a pitch with a tad of green that should provide some assistance for the pacemen throughout the four days.

      Team: Newton, Rowell, Vasconcelos, Bavuma, Rossington (W/K) Levi (C), Proctor, Hutton, Head, Muzarabani, Sanderson

      Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat.

      1st Innings
      The toss was going to be extremely crucial in this one with sunny conditions predicted on day 1 only for serious cloud cover to blow in on days 2 and 3. Northamptonshire won the toss and without hesitation chose to bat.

      The first half and hour was always going to tell a story with the inform Newton paired with County Championship debutant Rowell. The first hour belonged to Northampton with the openers reaching 0/51.

      Middlesex introduced Harris into the attack and it paid immediate dividends striking twice in his first over to dismiss Newton for 23 and Rowell for 27. A patient partnership formed between Vasconcelos and Bavuma as the score reached 2/117. Once again though a quick double strike with Vasconcelos gone for 27 and Rossington cleaned bowled for 10 left N’hants a precarious 4/133.

      Levi came out to partner Bavuma and played an amazing counter attacking display. The pair both reached their fifties and took the score to 248 when Levi was dismissed leaving N’Hants at 5/248.

      Proctor showed patience and when Bavuma brought up a brilliantly made century N’Hants were on track for a sizeable first innings total. Eventually Proctor was dismissed for 36 and tailed followed quickly with N’Hants being bowled out for a decent 352.

      Middlesex- 1st Innings
      Early wickets had been an issue in the lead up game against Durham MCCU. Whalan brought Sanderson into the side and Levi immediately gave him the ball. Under dark skies it was Blessing Muzarabani who was the star though taking 3 wickets inside the first 20 minutes to have Middlesex reeling at 3/20 including the prized wicket of Ross Taylor for 6.

      When Sanderson bowled Eskinazi for 11 and Hutton trapped Holden LBW for 1 Northamptonshire were in dream land having Middlesex, yes Middlesex 5/54. This brought arguably Middlesex best two batsmen Malan and Morgan to the crease.

      Both were at their destructive best bringing up their fifties in very short time. Morgan raised his bat for 50 but was dismissed very next ball thanks to Proctor getting one through to gate to see the stumps fly. Middlesex were 6/137.

      The tail didn’t provide much resistance with both Sanderson and Hutton picking up two late order wickets to have Middlesex dismissed for 184.
      Northamptonshire choose to enforce the follow on with a couple more sessions of dark clouds around.

      Middlesex- 2 Innings
      If the first innings didn’t start of well enough for Northamptonshire they couldn’t believe their luck when they had Robson bowled very first ball by Muzarabani.

      Stirling looked to anchor the innings for Middlesex but couldn’t find a partner who could hang around long enough. Proctor proved to be the diamond in the rough taking the scalps of both Taylor and Malan to have Middlesex 5-110 and still 58 runs from making Northamptonshire bat again.

      Eoin Morgan who batted very aggressively in the first innings continued this in the second innings and proved to be the only batsmen able to provide resistance. Once again Hutton and Sanderson ran through the tail to have Middlesex 9/210. When Head took his first country championship wicket trapping Morgan plumb in front for 58, dismissing Middlesex for 210 a total of 43 runs in front and certain victory for the hosts.

      Northamptonshire- 2 Innings

      In what was a formality Northamptonshire sealed a famous win and great start to the year chasing the runs 1 wicket down.

      Northamptonshire - 353 (Bavuma 106, Levi 67; Harris 3-78, Murtagh 3-88)
      Middlesex - 184 (Malan 74, Morgan 50; Sanderson 3-34, Hutton 3-45, Muzarabani 3-45)
      Middlesex - 210 (Stirling 62, Morgan 58; Sanderson 3-50, Muzarabani 3-67, Proctor 2-12)
      Northamptonshire –
      43-1 (Newton 20*; Harris 1-2)

      Northamptonshire win by 9 wickets
      MOTM – Temba Bavuma


      At the press conference Whalan said:
      “What a win; we were quietly confident and there is a lot of faith in this side but we knew this would be a challenge. It was most pleasing that each time we were challenged with bat or ball we regrouped well. Obviously the likes of Bavuma and Sanderson will get the accolades but Proctor with his 30 odd and 3 very timely wickets was brilliant as well”

      Comment


      • #4
        County Championship- D2 Game 2
        Glamorgan vs Northamptonshire

        After a brilliant game one performance Northamptonshire travelled over to Wales to take on Glamorgan.

        This is a game that Northamptonshire would have penciled in at the start of the season as a real genuine win opportunity. With the first up win that only increased the pressure in this encounter.
        Cobb hit runs in the second eleven whilst Cotton also performed strongly with the ball. After much consideration and following along Whalan’s coaching philosophies they chose to stick with an unchanged line up.

        Interestingly the pitch looked to favour spin bowling but with overcast conditions throughout the 4 days the pacemen should not be to concerned.

        Team: Newton, Rowell, Vasconcelos, Bavuma, Rossington (W/K) Levi (C), Proctor, Hutton, Head, Muzarabani, Sanderson

        Despite the pitch being relatively dry the severe overcast conditions meant the Levi took the risk and sent Glamorgan in under the uncontested toss rules. Northamptonshire chose to bowl uncontested.

        Glamorgan 1st Innings
        It’s always a nervous first half an hour when you send the opposition in to bat but the nerves were settled early when Muzarabani picked up another early wicket in second gamer Gow for 3. A second was to follow shortly and when Head dismissed Hemphrey for 28, the decision was justified with Glamorgan 3/46. It only got better for Northamptonshire with Hutton trapping Root for 9 on the stroke of lunch with the hosts 4/54.

        A solid partnership was built between Selman and Cooke but Hutton’s return was a master stoke picking up Selman and Cooke in quick succession and Glamorgan in tatters at 6-123.

        Lloyd provide mini resistance on his way to 56 but there no other batsmen was able to support Lloyd long enough with Glamorgan being dismissed for a paltry 198. The decision to bowl first was justified with Hutton the pick of the bowlers taking 4-36.

        Northamptonshire 1st Innings
        Northamptonshire had fifty minutes to bat at the end of the day under dark skies. It didn’t start well with second game Rowell being dismissed third ball for a duck. Newton was paired with Vasconcelos who were able to see out the day finishing 1-62.

        Day two didn’t start as planned with Vasconcelos ran out in farcical style to be dismissed for 25. Newton was plumb LBW to Hogan for 46 to leave N’Hants nervous at 3/74.

        This bought Rossington to the creased who showed his intentions early with a second ball six. This seemed to rattle Glamorgan and the three hours belong to N’Hants with the pair putting on a 150 run partnerships. Rossington was dismissed for 84 (105 balls) and Levi fell shortly after to have them 5/226.

        Proctor once again proved to be a rock supporting Bavuma along to his second successive hundred in two games. The pair put on 100 run partnership until Bavuma was hit by a steep bouncer, forced to retire hurt.

        Proctor was clean bowled for 46 and Head for the second time of the season provided some late order support with an annoying 22 not out. This saw Northamptonshire reach a massive total of 435 and a lead of 237 runs.

        Glamorgan 2nd Innings
        In recent games Muzarabani has struck early and the second innings was no different dismissing Gow for the second time in the match for 17 and Glamorgan 1/18.

        By this stage the sun had come out and with no spinner in the side Glamorgan took full advantage. Hemprey and Labuschagne put on 125 until Muzarabani once again struck bowling Hemphrey for 56.
        Glamorgan were proving to be no pushovers and had dug in when they reached 2/169. It was slow going but they were making N’Hants earn every wicket.

        The turning point came when Proctor entered the attack and just before the new ball took to the two vital wickets of Root and Selman, Glamorgan 4/194 and still behind N’Hants.
        Levi took the new ball at first opportunity and when Sanderson picked up Cooke for 16 the floodgates opened.

        Muzarabani was brilliant once again with the new ball running through the Glamorgan batting line up taking the final five wickets and dismissing Glamorgan for 251 and an irrelevant lead of 16 runs. Muzarabani finished with 6-46.

        Northamptonshire 2 Innings
        Obviously a formality Northamptonshire won their second game in a row by 10 wickets and head into the one dayers top of the championship division two table.

        Glamorgan - 198 (Lloyd 56; Hutton 4-36, Proctor 2-28, Sanderson 2-48)
        Northamptonshire - 435 (Bavuma 168 *rh, Rossington 84, Proctor 46; T v’Gugten 6-97)
        Glamorgan - 251 (Labuschagne 67, Hemphrey 56; Muzarabani 6-46, Proctor 2-48)
        Northamptonshire –
        16-0 (Newton 9*, Rowell 7*)

        Northamptonshire win by 10 wickets
        MOTM – Temba Bavuma


        At the press conference Whalan said:
        “It always takes courage to win the toss and bowl but the bowlers really felt comfortable with this and wanted to take the opportunity to get in the game early. We couldn’t ask for a better start than to be 2 and zip heading into the one dayers and full of confidence. Once again it is the likes of Proctor chipping in with crucial runs or wickets that epitomizes the style of team we are”

        Whalan on the injury to Bavuma:
        “Unfortunately early indications aren’t great and it appears he will miss at least 4 weeks with a fracture. Obviously his in scintillating form and will be hard to replace. Jason Holder will now come into the side and provides us with a different option at the selection table.”

        Comment


        • #5
          Northamptonshire start their Challenge Trophy campaign tomorrow away to Durham. Both sides struggled in the one day competition last year with Northamptonshire finishing the group stages in seventh whilst Durham finished bottom in ninth. This will be the first encounter between the two sides in any format this year.

          Despite the poor finish last year Northamptonshire believe they have a squad that could make the quarter finals and have many potential selection questions ahead of this match.

          The opening batting pair is a point of contention with six players vying for the two spots. It is expected Cobb will take one of the posts with rookie Rowell and Rossington fighting for the other.
          With Bavuma out injured Jason Holder will come into the side and is expected to bat at 7 and take the fifth bowling option.

          The bowling attack also has plenty of different looks. Graeme White will provide the spinning option if required leaving three spots available for the pacemen. Early indications are these three places will be rotated based on form and fitness with youngster Tom Head to figure prominently.

          It is also likely 27 year old Jack White will debut at some stage of the competition whilst Ben Cotton is also banging down the door with second eleven wickets.

          Commenting on the competition coach Whalan said “There is a lot of belief in this stage and we believe our best is genuinely good enough. We have a lot of different looks and the make-up of the side may vary from game to game depending on scenario. Whilst it’s no secret the county championship is our main priority we are definitely looking to perform strongly in all competitions.”

          Comment


          • #6
            Great reading. Muzarabani is a bit of a county legend in the game, across all three formats. With the likes of him and Rossington, and the new youth players, you have a solid nucleus to build a quality squad around.
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            Comment


            • #7
              Challenge Trophy- North Game 1
              Durham vs Northamptonshire


              Durham started their Challenge Trophy campaign with an away trip to Durham. Both sides unperformed in this competition last season and would be expecting much greater results this time around.

              Much discussion had taken place mid-week in regards to the make-up of the Northamptonshire line-up with question marks over the opening batting spots and bowling line up. In the end Whalan and Levi continued with their positive approach and went with the aggressive pairing of Cobb & vice-captain Rossington. Rowell held his spot based on a stellar second eleven one day performance last year.

              Holder came into the side as the international and Proctor held his spot due to strong bowling performances in the county championship and his ability with the bat.

              The pitch had all the makings of a batting paradise and with a tad of cloud due later in the afternoon N’Hants decided to pick an all pace attack with Cobb providing any overs of spin if necessary. Rookie Tom Head was set for a debut after solid county performances and strong one day performances in second eleven cricket.

              Team: Cobb, Rossington (W/K), Levi, Newton, Rowell, Vasconcelos, Proctor, Holder, Head, Muzarabani, Sanderson

              Despite the pitch looking a batters paradise and cloud due in the second innings Durham won the toss and elected to field first.

              Northamptonshire 1st Innings
              The pitch looked a belter and N’Hants jumped at the chance to have first crack with the bat. A steady and slow start was the order of the day and after ten overs Cobb & Rossington had taken the score to 0/35. The pair brought up the 50 run stand in the 14th over and looked extremely comfortable as they cruised to 0/70 at the 20 over mark. Cobb brought up his 50 off 73 balls which also saw the first 100 run opening partnership of the season. The very next ball though Cobb was trapped plumb in front LBW for a well-made 53.

              Soon after Rossington brought up his 50 off 77 balls and in almost identical fashion was out straight after to Durham’s most impressive bowler Wood. Captain Levi and Newton came to the crease and quickly looked to up the ante as they rocketed the score to 144 of 30 overs. With a big last twenty overs in mind Newton and Levi looked to increase the run rate but both fell trapped LBW with the score on 210 for 48 and 44 respectively.

              This saw a precession of wickets and Northamptonshire struggled to capitalize on their great start to the innings. Wickets fell regularly in the last ten overs with only Holder providing any late order hitting with a cameo 18 off 14 balls. Holders’ innings guided Northamptonshire to 6/248 off their 50.

              Durham were the much happier of the two sides with the general feeling being that Northamptonshire had fallen thirty run shorts of a competitive total.

              Durham 2nd Innings
              If Northamptonshire were going to stand any chance of victory they were going to need to make early inroads into the Durham batting line up. A combination of undisciplined bowling included two free hits in the one Sanderson over and some brilliant batting saw the Durham opening pair of Bancroft and Steel fly to 0/23 off 3 overs. When Sanderson trapped Steel LBW for 17 of 16 balls N’Hants felt they had found a way back into the game. Bancroft and Richardson maintained momentum though and had Durham flying at 1/50 of 7 overs.

              Levi introduced Holder into the attack and it paid immediate dividends, Sanderson taking a brilliant catch on the boundary in Holders first over to dismiss Richardson for 23 off 24 balls and leave the hosts 2/75. First overs seemed to be the lucky charm for Northamptonshire with Proctor collecting the vital wicket of Bancroft for 32, clean bowled to a brilliant delivery that swung late. Durham were 3/90 and Northamptonshire felt they were back in the game.

              This was reinforced when two balls after Bancroft’s dismissal Holder took his second wicket, Scott Steel bowled by a brilliant yorker 4/90. Holder turned the game on its head when he trapped Clarke plumb LBW for 7 to have Durham reeling at 5/100 and still 148 shy of the total.

              As had been the theme debutant Tom Head came into the attack and his first over clean bowled the dangerous Raine for 6 and the score 6/118. At that point there was no stopping N’Hants whose fielding had been sublime all day but turned to the ridiculous when Holder pulled off an amazing diving run out at gully to dismiss the dangerous Lees for 34 off 49 balls.

              From their it was all Northamptonshire who ran through the tail like Roy Keane on a city midfielder with Head and Muzarabani both picking up wickets eventually bowling out Durham for an inglorious 151, winning by 97 runs. Northamptonshire’s unbeaten start to the year remains.

              Northamptonshire – 248/6 (Rossington 58, Cobb 53, Newton 48; Weighell 3-49, Wood 1-30)
              Durham - 151 (Lees 34, Bancroft 32; Holder 3-25, Head 2-17)

              Northamptonshire win by 97 runs
              MOTM – Jason Holder


              At the press conference Whalan said:
              “Relived to get away with that one if I’m perfectly honest. We set up the batting innings perfectly, exactly as we had discussed in the team meetings but then really failed to capitalize. We still felt we had the bowling attack to win but probably thought we were a good 40 runs short. I won’t make any drastic changes but obviously we would be expecting to finish innings a lot better than that.
              With the ball in hand we were the complete opposite, struggled at the top but then worked into the innings as it went on. It’s a real luxury to have a bloke like Holder in the squad. He has that typical Caribbean flair and at times does things that beggars belief. You always take the win but we will go away and work a couple of things before game two against Derbyshire.”

              Whalan on Tom Heads start to life in English cricket.
              “Tom Head is an impressive young lad, as you saw in the county games he has this ability to hone in on a spot and bowl real accurate spells. We felt he was pretty unlucky in those games and would complement our more aggressive bowlers in the one day format real well. It was great to see him pick up a couple of wickets and play the exact role he was picked for. He is definitely one for the future.”

              Comment


              • #8
                Northamptonshire enter their second Challenge Trophy game as one of the early season surprise packets. Undefeated in their first two county games and first one day game the fans are starting to feel optimistic.

                Next up though is a trip to the also undefeated Derbyshire in what promises to be a cracker early season game.

                The interest down at County Ground this week though has surrounded around selection where Whalan potentially could be looking to make a couple of changes. Despite the first up win against Durham the Northants middle order really struggled and blew what should have been close to a 300 score. Both Rowell whose averages 50 in second eleven one day cricket and Vasconcelos have struggled to fire so far this season. If either are to be replaced Rob Keogh looks to be the likely man hitting 68 in the second eleven last week.

                The pitch will also play a big role in determine the makeup of the Northants side with Whalan picking all four seamers in their first outing. If the pitch looks to take spin this could prove to be a selection head ache with veteran left arm spinner Graeme White the logical selection. If this is the case who comes out the side? As harsh as it would be gun rookie Tom Head may have to make way for his more experienced pair of Muzarabani and Sanderson.

                This game should be a beauty with both teams making cases to come away the spoils.

                Commenting on this week selection Whalan was quoted as saying:
                “Right now we are performing really strongly, the team is up and about and we really want to keep momentum going. My focus right now is on picking the best eleven who will get us the win each. At times this will mean some tough decisions will need to made but that is the value of having squad depth and quality throughout the team.”

                Comment


                • #9
                  Challenge Trophy- North Game 2
                  Derbyshire vs Northamptonshire


                  An away trip to Derbyshire was next on the schedule for Northamptonshire as they looked two undefeated sides went head to head.

                  Northamptonshire were impressive in their first up win against Durham but were disappointed with their last 20 overs with the bat in hand. With only Temba Bavuma out injured Northants had a full squad to pick from and made one change to the line-up.

                  Rob Keogh came into the side on the back of a solid 68 in the second eleven with Ricardo Vasconcelos being the man to make way. Vasconcelos has failed to score over 25 in first 5 innings this season so will head back to the seconds in an attempt to find form.

                  The other selection question was around the use of a spin option, this was taken away as a discussion point though when Whalan arrive in Derby to find a green top and overcast conditions. Whalan elected to go with the same pace attack which rolled through the Durham batting line up.

                  Team: Cobb, Rossington (W/K), Levi, Newton, Rowell, Keogh, Proctor, Holder, Head, Muzarabani, Sanderson

                  With the pitch looking to assist the pacemen all day Northamptonshire wont the toss and elected to bat, which is the preferred option for this side.

                  Northamptonshire 1st Innings
                  The pitch was a genuine green top and third ball of the innings Derbyshire’s Van Beek made use of this dismissing Rossington for a duck. From there the pair of inform batters Cobb and Levi ground in to see Northamptonshire at 1/40 off 10 overs. The pair looked anything but comfortable with plays and misses, edges on a regular basis but managed to have Northants in a strong position of 1/80 off 20 overs.

                  When Levi brought up his 50 off 68 balls and Newton 50 off 64 balls Northamptonshire were on track for a 250 plus score. Shortly after the all-time record second wicket partnership versus Derbyshire was broken with partnership reaching 123 runs. Northamptonshire reached the 29th over 1/156 until Levi was found plumb LBW of Reece for 75. Two balls later Cobb was also dismissed for a well-made 82 off 88 balls.

                  From their history repeated with none of the Northamptonshire batters able to get going. Rowell was dismissed for 2 and the promoted Keogh failing to trouble the scorers with a duck. Newton was the only batsmen to even remotely pose a threat as Northamptonshire stumbled to 9/230 of their 50 overs.

                  At the start of play all signs suggested this was 20 runs under par but at 1/156 they would have expected to reach the upper echelons of two hundred. Mark Watt was brilliant for Derbyshire taking 4/40 off his ten overs. Work was to be done with the ball.

                  Durham 2nd Innings
                  Durham would have fancied their chances to chase down the total and started the innings all guns blazing with Godleman hitting a six first ball of the innings off Sanderson. The bowler had the last laugh though as Sanderson got the initial break through taking a catch of his own bowling to dismiss Reece for 5 and have Derbyshire 1/20. Sanderson then struck again in the ninth over having Godleman plumb LBW for 22 and the score at 2/36. Northants were well and truly back in the contest.

                  Madsen was lucky to survive a huge LBW shout only to be caught and bowled by the inform Holder on the very next ball and leave Derbyshire in the precarious position of 3/42. When Holder had Hughes caught at first slip by Rowell for 3 Northamptonshire were well and truly in control at 4/55.

                  Derbyshire knew though chasing a small total only meant they needed 1-2 good partnerships to get victory and Daryn Smith & Leus du Plooy set up reaching the target. The pair had a put a quick fire 35 run partnership on to take the score to 5/90. Levi brought on impressive youngster Tom Head and with his very first bowl he trapped du Plooy LBW for 29 and the score at 5/90.

                  In almost identical fashion to their first match Northamptonshire made very light work of the Derbyshire tail with Tom Head being the destroyer taking 3/35 of 8 overs. In the end Derbyshire were dismissed for 161 and a 69 run victory to Northamptonshire.

                  Northamptonshire – 230/9 (Cobb 82, Levi 75; Watt 4-40, Rampaul 2-73)
                  Durham – 161 (Dal 41*, Smit 32; Holder 4/38, Head 3/35)

                  Northamptonshire win by 69 runs
                  MOTM – Jason Holder


                  At the press conference Whalan said:
                  “Crickets a funny game isn’t it, this was almost identical to the previous game but im just glad we got the win. Cobb has been brilliant so far and I was proud of the way he and the skipper (Levi) went about their business. Obviously we will take a look at how we can rectify our middle issues but I would much rather be doing that with two wins on the board. Batting first is definitely our game, with our bowling line up we believe we are in any game if we can put a respectable total on the board”

                  Whalan on reserve player Jason Holders form since coming in the side:
                  “Jas has been super impressive since coming into the side, his attitude is completely different to what sometimes you think you will get with the West Indian lads, which is probably why he captains their side. His been great with the ball in hand but even more impressive his knuckled down with the bat and his fielding has been superb evident with his run out against Durham. He is a great replacement for Bavuma and provides us great options in the one day side. We look forward to having him here a bit longer.”

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Next up for Northamptonshire is a top of the table clash against Warwickshire in the Challenge Trophy. Both teams are undefeated but would feel they are yet to reach their full potential in what should be a cracker contest.

                    Northamptonshire’s bowling attack has been brilliant all season and being the first one dayer on their home deck it will be no surprise to see a pitch that suits their pace attack.

                    With no fitness concerns you would expect to see an unchanged bowling line up but Ben Cotton has certainly put his name at the selection table. Cotton has taken 10/113 in his last three outings and could definitely consider himself unlucky to have not forced his way in the side. If there was a change it could be promising young quick Blessing Muzarabani who makes way, his modest fixtures of 1-41 & 1-37 in the first two one dayers puts his spot in danger.

                    The Northamptonshire batting line up is where the real interest is. The top 4 in Cobb, Rossington, Levi & Newton have performed strongly but the 5 & 6 spots have exposed a lack of late innings hitting. Keogh was brought into the side but failed to justify the selecting, failing to score a run. Rowell hasn’t scored past ten in his last four innings but has a very good second eleven track record which may just give him another chance. Vasconcelos who was dropped the game before was the only player to impress in the second eleven with a beautiful 92, he will definitely figure in selector’s minds.

                    Whatever side Northamptonshire place on the field they will expect another strong performance and the opportunity to go a game clear on top would be invaluable at this early stage. This will be one of the best games of the group stages.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Challenge Trophy- North Game 3
                      Northamptonshire vs Warwickshire

                      A first home one dayer was on the cards when Northamptonshire took on the second placed and undefeated in Warwickshire which on paper looked to be a cracked.

                      After a couple of dismal performances from the middle order Rossington was recalled after hitting 92 in the second eleven. The player to make way was Keogh who failed to trouble the scorers on his return to the first eleven. Rowell very lucky to hold his place.

                      The pitch was always going to favour the pace bowlers but overcast conditions only increased the need for pace so the same pace attack was kept for the third straight week. Reports suggested though Muzarabani was on the cusp and would need a good performance to hold his sport in the side.

                      Team: Cobb, Rossington (W/K), Levi, Newton, Rossington, Rowell, Proctor, Holder, Head, Muzarabani, Sanderson

                      This was one of those tosses you would prefer to lose. At the coin toss there was overcast conditions which were looking to improve very slightly. Northamptonshire have won on the two occasions they have batted first and in a slightly controversial decision Northamptonshire wont the toss and elected to bat, despite whether conditions being slight unfavourable.

                      Northamptonshire 1st Innings
                      Taking the risk to bat first in overcast conditions was only compounded when Rossington was dismissed for his second duck in a row on the third ball of the day. As has been the theme this only meant Cobb and Levi went to work with the pair producing a solid start of 1/39 off ten overs.

                      The two inform batters continued to coast along and reached the 100 run partnership in the 24th over when Cobb reached his 50 off 74 balls. Previously Northants had failed through the middle order in the two previous games and history repeated when Levi was dismissed for 45 off and then Newton was bowled both off Woakes leaving the score at 3/142.

                      The newly promoted Vasconcelos joined Cobb and the pair set about setting a large total reaching 3/172 off 40 overs. Cobb who has been in brilliant form in the one day comp scored his first 100 off the year in 118 balls. Not long after though Cobb was bowled looking to increase the run rate for a brilliant 117 and leaving the score at 4/204 after 44 overs.

                      Unlike the other two games this season Vasconcelos and Rowell batted brilliantly at the end of the innings to take the total to a respectable 4/261 of their 50 overs. Vasconcelos hit his fifty for the season to finish 52 not out off 59 balls and Rowell hit his highest one day score of 26 not out of only 17 balls rewarding the faith shown the coach and skipper.

                      Warwickshire 2nd Innings
                      No team had managed over 200 against the Northamptonshire attack but the Warwickshire line up is extremely strong and set about the total in fine style. As in the first two matches the Northamptonshire attack failed to contain early and Warwickshire 0/32 off only 5 overs. The pair brought the 50 run opening stand up in the 7th over. The inform Holder was introduced into the attack and went to work immediately. First picking up Pollock for 29 off 24 balls then Hain for 23 off 29 balls and finally dismissing Hose for 9 off ten balls to leave the visitors 3/67 and in all sorts.

                      Ambrose joined Sibley at the crease and from the first ball looked to take to the attack with great success. The pair continued to score at a steady rate and had Warwickshire in a winnable position at 3/122 of 25 overs. Levi introduced young gun Tom Head into the attack and he immediately struck getting rid of the dangerous Ambrose for 31. This only brought Burgess to the crease though and he continued to ensure Warwickshire scored at a quick rate.

                      With Sibley guiding the innings at one end and Burgess attacking the pair took the score to 4/191 and only 70 runs away from victory. Holder was reintroduced into the attack and struck with his very first ball to dismiss Burgess for 34 off 32 balls and give Northants hope of keeping their undefeated record in tack.

                      This was only the catalyst though for Sibley to step up to the plate and he continued to flay the entire bowling attack to all parts of the ground. He and Thomson put on a 33 run partnership in which Thompson only contributed 5 before being bowled by Sanderson leaving the score at 6/222, game still on.

                      When Head dismissed Woakes for a duck and the score sitting at 7/222 Northants were in a very winnable position. This was until Milnes played one of the best cameos of the year to score 27 off 18 balls along with Sibley 88 off 101 to guide Warwickshire to a 2 wicket win with 14 balls to spare. This was Northants first loss of the season and has them sitting second on the table.

                      Northamptonshire – 4/261 (Cobb 117, Vasconcelos 52, Levi 45; Woakes 2-66)
                      Warwickshire – 8/262 (47.2) (Sibley 88, Burgess 34; Holder 4-37, Head 3-50)

                      Warwickshire win by 2 wickets
                      MOTM – Dominic Sibley


                      At the press conference Whalan said:
                      “Definitely disappointed to lose that one but at too many points of the game we didn’t bowl well. Sibley batted really well for him and we just didn’t have any answers. Look we have had a great start to the year and it’s only the one loss so we are far from panic stations. The character of the side will be tested with how they respond in their next game and I have faith in this side.”

                      Whalan on Rossington’s two ducks in a row & Muzarabani poor form:
                      “Obviously his not happy with this and we hope from more than him but its cricket. As we saw with Rowell’s performance today a little faith can go a long way. Muzarabani is in the same boat, he know he hasn’t been performing and yes there is a couple of reserves playing well but we will just have to see what happens at the selection table. The beauty to this side is we do have depth.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        After suffering their first loss for the season Northamptonshire are back on the road to take on the winless Lancashire. It will be interesting to see how the Northamptonshire side responds.

                        At the selection table there is one major concern being the current form of Rossington. Two ducks in a row have put his spot in the side in question. He may count his lucky stars though that no player has stepped up in the second eleven. Rowell showed last game the selectors were right for having faith with a quick fire 26 off only 17 balls.

                        The bowling attack has been leading the way for Northamptonshire but Muzarabani has been out of sorts only taking the 2 wickets in the 3 games at an average of 62. If anyone is to take his place it very well could be Ben Cotton, his form in the second eleven has been brilliant with 12 wickets in his last four games.

                        The other spanner in the works is the pitch, so far this season Northamptonshire have not had to play a recognised spinner but that could all change if pitch conditions require. If that was to be the case it could pave the way for Graeme White. The veteran spinner is yet to play a game this season but has historically proven a solid selection.

                        This game will tell a lot about the resolve of Northamptonshire who have made a brilliant start to the season. Lancashire despite the winless start have talent in bucket loads. If Northamptonshire aren’t on their game they simply cannot expect to win.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Challenge Trophy- North Game 4
                          Lancashire vs Northamptonshire.

                          Northamptonshire were back on the road, this time to the winless Lancashire. In a surprise selection out of form young gun Muzarabani was dropped with Ben Cotton coming into the side. It was expected Cotton would take the new ball in an attempt to pick up early wickets.

                          With the pitch expected to favour the bowlers there was no need to play the spinner so it was once again an all pace attack for Northants.

                          There was much talk about the current form of vice-captain Rossington after making two ducks in a row. On this occasion he held his spot in what was an unchanged batting line-up.

                          The pressure was on Northamptonshire to bounce back from their last game loss against a talented side up against the ropes.

                          Team: Cobb, Rossington (W/K), Levi, Newton, Rossington, Rowell, Proctor, Holder, Head, Cotton, Sanderson

                          With the conditions overcast and the pitch blanketed in grass it was expected this was going to be a low scoring affair. Lancashire won the toss and elected to bat. For the first time this year Northamptonshire were going to have to chase.

                          Lancashire 1st Innings
                          Northamptonshire brought Ben Cotton into the side in attempt to take early wickets. Once again thought the story was the same with Lancashire scoring 23 off the first 5 overs for no loss. Unlike previous games Northants were able to rain this in and bowled extremely tight without a wicket to see Lancashire at 0/31 after the first ten overs.

                          The pressure paid off when Sanderson picked up Jones to a brilliant catch at first slip. Croft came to the crease to join Davies and the pair set about building a platform. They looked on track until Holder was brought into the attack and as he has done all year bowled Croft for 15 and the score at 2/67. This only brought Maxwell to the crease and the dangerous batsmen looked in good form hitting two fours in his first six balls. The momentum didn’t last though and role player Proctor trapped Maxwell LBW for 8 and the score 3/90.

                          With Davies and Vilas at the crease Lancashire had lots of potential to hit a big score until Proctor struck once again getting rid of Davies for a well made 73 off 87 balls and the score 4/127. Game in the balance.
                          Tom Head has been a revelation this year and once again he played his role. With Balderson at the crease it was two youngsters going against one another and it was Head who came out on top, dismissing Balderson LBW. Two balls later he also removed Vilas who hit a quick fire 39 off 36 to have Lancashire in trouble at 6/159.

                          Levi reintroduced his main fast bowlers Holder and Sanders and two ripped through the Lancashire tail to have them all out for a paltry 177 of 43.3 overs. A very strong performance by Northamptonshire.

                          Northamptonshire 2nd Innings
                          Northamptonshire were chasing would should have been a relatively easy target. For the first time this season though Cobb failed being trapped LBW by Mahmood for 3 off the first over of the innings.
                          Northants had generally started innings with a low scoring rate but this was not the case on this occasion, after 5 overs 1/31. They continued to bat aggressively but Rossington was soon gone for 23 off 24 ball and the score at 2/44.

                          Levi and Newton set about coasting Northants to a victory and looked well on track at 2/90 until Onions introduction into the attack saw him dismiss Newton for 21 and the score at 3/90 identical to Lancashire earlier in the day. Vasconcelos failed to back up his good innings last game and was gone for 6 to Jimmy Anderson and the score on 4/103. This very quickly became a troublesome 5/103 when the skipper Levi was gone to spinner McBrine for a well-made 45 off 60 balls. The game was well and truly in the balance.

                          Rowell and Proctor started to build a strong partnership bat it didn’t last long when Proctor was gone for 11 and the score 6/141. Rowell had looked good for his 29 off 40 but then fell to Bailey and Northamptonshire will still thirty shy with only three wickets in the shed. Surely they couldn’t lose again.

                          Holder and Head have been brilliant all year….with the ball but now they had to do the job with the bat. Despite all attempts by Lancashire to get the much need last wicket the pair were able to slowly guide Northants to the victory hitting the winning runs in the 48th over with a six from Head. Northamptonshire were back on the winners list.

                          Lancashire – 177 (Davies 73, Vilas 39; Holder 3-23, Sanderson 3-25)
                          Northamptonshire 7/179 (48.5) (Levi 45, Rowell 29; Onions 2-28, Bailey 2-53)

                          Northamptonshire won by 3 wickets
                          MOTM – Jason Holder


                          At the press conference Whalan said:
                          “Phew, we made hard work of that didn’t we. We knew the pitch was going to be suited to the pacemen but we were really happy to bowl Lancashire out for 177, maybe a bit too happy. The batting has definitely been a tad of a weakness but I know we have the talent there we just need it to click……watch out when it does.”

                          Whalan on Muzarabani demotion:
                          “Yeah it was a real tough decision. His a great young talent but at present his form hasn’t been great in the one day format. Coming off a loss last game we felt we just needed to bring in our most inform bowlers and Cotton had definitely knocked the door down. I hope Blessing can pick up a few wickets in the seconds and simply just make me select him.”

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Northamptonshire will be glad to have scraped through against Lancashire and move into second spot on the Challenge Trophy table.

                            Next up they will be home against the fifth placed Worcestershire in a vital game for group placings.

                            It is expected that once again the pitch will favour the pacemen with the interesting selection dilemma of Blessing Muzarabani. Blessing took for 3-30 in the second whilst his replacement in the seniors Cotton struggled. Will Whalan bring him back into the side immediately?

                            The batting line up under performed once again but it was pleasing to see Rowell play a mature innings helping to guide Northants to the victory. Unfortunately for Whalan no batsmen in the second eleven is really knocking the door down with modest performances at best.

                            Both sides have been very strong with ball hand and we would expect this game to be no different.

                            Can Northamptonshire get their fourth win for the competition and increase their chances of finals cricket?
                            Attached Files
                            Last edited by beedub; 07-06-2019, 09:25 AM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Challenge Trophy- North Game 5
                              Northamptonshire v Worcestershire



                              Northamptonshire were looking for their first home Challenge Trophy win of the season when they took on the fifth placed Worcestershire.

                              Whalan pulled a surprise move with Newton being promoted back to the top of the order whilst Rossington dropped to number four in the line-up. Whalan was quoted as saying they were looking to solve the late order batting issues that had plagued their innings of late.

                              Not so much a surprise move but Muzarabani made his way back into the side after an impressive second eleven outing with Cotton being the man to lose his spot.

                              As per normal the Northamptonshire curators left a tinge of green on the pitch and with generally sunny conditions in order the pitch should offer a bit for both batters and bowlers.

                              Team: Cobb, Newton, Levi (C), Rossington (W/K), Vasconcelos, Rowell, Proctor, Holder, Head, Muzarabani, Sanderson

                              Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat in what was somewhat a risky move. There was a tad of cloud about with the sun breaking through and looking to be out in force for the second innings. Northants have made no secret though batting first is their preference.

                              Northamptonshire 1st Innings
                              A new opening was at the crease for Northants and they got the innings off to a solid start 0/22 off 5 and then 0/43 of the first ten. The Worcester bowlers were undisciplined early with a few no balls, wides and byes to contribute to the scoring.

                              When Northants brought their 50 up in the 13th over it was obvious they would be looking to increase their run rate. It was all on track when the opening pair brought up 30 runs in between the 15-20 overs to have the score at 0/85.

                              Newton was the first man to go though out for 49 off 68 balls, an impressive first innings back at the top of the order, 1/96. Cobb was to follow three overs later also out in the forties for another solid 43 off 82 balls 2/112.

                              Levi came to the crease and started to up the anti-including hitting 8 off the first two balls of a Barnard over. Levi went for a third boundary in a row only to be caught in the deep for 28 off 35 balls.

                              From there the old habits kicked in and no Northamptonshire batter was able to contribute considerably to the scoreboard as a consistent flow of wickets saw them fall to 7/193 off 45 overs.

                              Thanks to Head and Muzarabani the last 5 overs produced some good scoring to see the team get to 8/224.

                              Whalan was said to be furious with the batting performance considering it to be well under par.

                              Worcestershire- 1st Innings
                              The job was ahead of Northamptonshire with Worcestershire being the clear favourites under the blazing sun. This was enhanced further as they blasted their way to 0/34 off the first 5 overs. Muzarabani giving a second opportunity with the new ball failed to deliver.

                              It was Sanderson who struck first though in the 6th over when he dismissed Wessels LBW for a quickfire 20 off 19 balls and the score at 1/39.

                              The dangerous Fell came in but as has been the case all year Holder was brought into the attack and delivered in his first over getting rid of the danger man for 8 and the score at 2/54.

                              Rookie Haynes came in for Worcestershire but didn’t last long thanks to an exceptional piece of fielding from Head. From the boundary Head directly hit the stumps to run the youngster out by miles. This left Worcester in all sorts at 3/69.

                              Holder continued his brilliant form and once again went through a middle order to dismiss both Westbury for 31 and Whitely for 8 to have Northamptonshire defending the small total gallantly 5/85.

                              A constant flow of wickets and very little resistance from the Worcestershire batters saw Northants run through the lower order. Sanderson was the best of the bowlers taking the last 3 wickets to bowl Worcester all out for a mediocre 144 and a 80 run win to Northamptonshire. The win has seen Northants sitting in second spot in what is a tightly congested upper ladder.


                              Northamptonshire – 8/224 (Newton 49, Cobb 43; Parnell 3-40, Barnard 2-45)
                              Worcestershire - 144 (Westbury 31, Cox 24; Sanderson 4-37, Holder 3-27)


                              Northamptonshire win by 80 runs
                              MOTM – Ben Sanderson


                              At the press conference Whalan said:
                              “You heard right, yeah I was angry at the end of our innings, we keep setting ourselves up in a great position only to let it go. We simply can’t win the cup if we continue to do that. Newton did a great job though going back up to the top of the order.

                              Once again, our bowlers were amazing Holder has been in incredible form and Sanderson has worked into the one dayers nicely. I can’t ask for any more of the guys.”

                              Whalan on the rest of the Challenge Trophy:
                              “We are sitting in second at the moment which is great but as you can see there is a few teams around us. We have a few tough games left so unless we can play our best cricket in the upcoming matches, we won’t make the finals. Time will tell”
                              Attached Files
                              Last edited by beedub; 07-06-2019, 02:06 PM.

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