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Saif Zaib's blistering 86 sets up win as Steelbacks seal quarter-final spot
Sam Hain 93, Jacob Bethell 50 take match to final over, but Bears fall short by 11 runs
ECB Reporters Network
18-Jul-2024
Northamptonshire 197 for 6 (Zaib 86) beat Birmingham Bears 186 for 6 (Hain 93, Bethell 50, Willey 2-34) by 11 runs
Saif Zaib hit a blistering 86 off just 41 balls with eight fours and six sixes to set up a thrilling Northamptonshire Steelbacks victory over Birmingham Bears by 11 runs and secure their first Vitality Blast quarter-final spot in four years.
Zaib shared a partnership of 72 in almost seven overs with Ravi Bopara (19) to propel Northamptonshire to a formidable total of 197 for 6.
Full postCurran cracks maiden T20 ton to clinch top spot for Surrey
England allrounder reaches three figures with winning six in steep run chase
ECB Reporters Network
18-Jul-2024
Surrey 188 for 5 (Curran 102*) beat Hampshire 183 (Albert 66, Clarke 3-24) by five wickets
Sam Curran hit his first T20 hundred - and only his second in any format - to lead Surrey to a five-wicket win over Hampshire. The result not only guaranteed Surrey a home quarter-final, but ensured they will finish top of the South Group.
Curran, the England allrounder clubbed, six sixes and seven fours in his unbeaten, 58-ball 102 and reached his century with the winning hit, as Surrey chased down a target of 184 with five balls to spare at The Kia Oval.
Full postGreen leaves Somerset eyeing home quarter after leapfrogging Sussex
Thomas, Abell clinch knockout spot with one match to spare after allrounder takes four
ECB Reporters Network
18-Jul-2024
Somerset 162 for 4 (Abell 47*, Thomas 42) beat Sussex 158 for 9 (Ward 39, Green 4-17)
Ben Green claimed four wickets as holders Somerset leapfrogged Sussex Sharks into second place in the Vitality Blast South Group with a six-wicket victory at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
Sussex could post only 158 for 9 after losing the toss, Harrison Ward top-scoring with a rapid 39 and medium-pacer Green finishing with 4 for 17 from three overs.
Full postCameron Bancroft downs Middlesex to keep Gloucestershire in contention
Opener makes 87 from 54 balls in contest dominated by top-order contributions
ECB Reporters Network
18-Jul-2024
Gloucestershire 179 for 8 (Bancroft 87) beat Middlesex 169 for 7 (du Plooy 73*, Andersson 49) by 10 runs
Cameron Bancroft produced his best Vitality Blast performance with a knock of 87 from 54 balls as Gloucestershire held off Middlesex to keep their hopes of a quarter-final place alive.
The Australian, who racked up 10 fours and three sixes, shared an opening partnership of 65 from 42 with Miles Hammond to set a platform for the visitors to post 179 for eight at Chelmsford.
Full postPat Brown, Ross Whiteley keep Derbyshire in hunt for knockouts
Worcestershire old boys make key contributions on return to New Road
ECB Reporters Network
18-Jul-2024
Derbyshire 170 for 5 (Madsen 44, Whiteley 41*) beat Worcestershire 169 for 8 (Pollock 67, Brown 4-23) by five wickets
Derbyshire Falcons kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast with a last-ball five-wicket success over injury-hit Worcestershire Rapids at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
It was a triumphant return to New Road for former Worcestershire duo Pat Brown and Ross Whiteley who played key parts in their side's success.
Full postRocky Flintoff becomes youngest England Under-19s centurion
16-year-old helps England turn screw, watched by his father Andrew at Cheltenham
ECB Reporters Network
18-Jul-2024
Sri Lanka Under-19s 153 and 246 for 7 (M Perera 61) trail England Under-19s 477 (Shaikh 107, Flintoff 106, Denly 91, Fonseka 76) by 78 runs
Rocky Flintoff staged a record-breaking performance as England continued to call the shots on day three of the second Youth Men's Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham.
Watched by his father, former England all-rounder Andrew, the 16-year-old became the youngest player to score a hundred for England Under-19s, raising an impressive 106 to help the Young Lions post 477 and establish a first-innings lead of 324.
Full postOllie Pope century drives England to 416 on high-paced first day
Ben Duckett had set things off with a 59-ball 71 as West Indies rue missed chances
Valkerie Baynes
18-Jul-2024
England 416 (Pope 121, Duckett 71, Stokes 69, A Joseph 3-98) vs West Indies
Ollie Pope's century combined with fifties from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes led England to a strong position on the opening day of the second Test as West Indies were left to regret squandered opportunities at Trent Bridge.
Pope built on a blistering start by Duckett, who peppered the boundary on his way to 71 off just 59 balls. The duo shared a 105-run stand for the second wicket after Zak Crawley fell to the third ball of the match, lined up by Alzarri Joseph with a back-of-a-length delivery which drew a chunky edge and flew to Alick Athanaze at third slip.
Full postKnight rides to the rescue as England complete 5-0 sweep of New Zealand
Captain finds form after Jonas onslaught before bowlers close ranks to complete 20-run win at Lord's
Valkerie Baynes
17-Jul-2024
England 155 for 7 (Knight 46*, Jonas 4-22, Carson 2-35) beat New Zealand 135 for 8 (A Kerr 43, Bell 3-21, Dean 2-29, Kemp 2-31) by 20 runs
After the fourth T20I against New Zealand, Heather Knight had declared England wanted to finish their home summer undefeated, and it took a timely captain's knock to ensure it happened in the final game at Lord's.
Knight's unbeaten 46 off 31 balls steadied the hosts, who were 87 for 6 in the 13th over, her 57-run stand for the sixth wicket with Charlie Dean helping them to reach 155 for 7. That was despite Fran Jonas claiming career-best figures of 4 for 22 from her four overs, alongside fellow spinner Eden Carson's 2 for 35 which had left England reeling.
Full postLiam Livingstone, Phil Salt lead Lancashire romp to quarter-finals
England duo star on county return after Luke Wood mops up resistance with three wickets
ECB Reporters Network
17-Jul-2024
Lancashire 136 for 2 (Salt 70, Livingstone 54*) beat Nottinghamshire 131 for 7 (James 51, Wood 3-23) by eight wickets
Lancashire became the second North Group side to qualify for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals, brushing struggling Nottinghamshire aside by eight wickets chasing 132 at Emirates Old Trafford as England duo Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone starred on their return to county action.
Second-placed Lightning joined leaders Birmingham in progressing courtesy of their seventh win in 13 games, set up by a polished bowling display led by left-arm quick Luke Wood's season's best three for 23 in limiting his former county to 131 for seven.
Full postHamza Shaikh century caps powerful display from Young Lions batters
Rocky Flintoff unbeaten on 82 at close as Sri Lanka face daunting first-innings deficit
ECB Reporters Network
17-Jul-2024
England U19 401 for 5 (Shaikh 107, Denly 91, Flintoff 82*, Fonseka 76) lead Sri Lanka U19 153 (Weerasinghe 77, Sharma 5-44) by 248 runs
Hamza Shaikh played a true captain's innings to put England firmly in control at the end of day two in the second Youth Men's Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham.
Displaying an admirable work ethic, sound temperament and no little skill, the Warwickshire batsman fashioned a high-class innings of 107 from 210 balls and shared in a transformative partnership of 121 with Rocky Flintoff for the fifth wicket as England reached the close on 401 for 5, a handsome first-innings lead of 248.
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