Ball one: Ackermann back and on winning side

Leicestershire continue to set the pace in Group A of the One-Day Cup after a match that threatened to get away from them twice at the Ageas Bowl.

Fletcha Middleton and Tom Prest reached the halfway point in Hampshire’s innings just one down with 158 on the board and a target of 350 in mind. But the last 20 overs brought only 138 runs, wickets falling regularly, eight balls left on the field, which would have had Richie Benaud chuntering.

A chase of 297 favoured the visitors but, at 224 for six, Leicestershire had plenty of time in hand, but not many wickets. Crucially, they did have the experienced Colin Ackermann at the crease, who was joined by Tom Scriven, who was looking to make up for a disappointing day with the ball. Ackermann knew that if he batted through and the tail could keep him company, his side would win – and they did.

The backstory burnished the South African’s feat (he also bowled his full allocation for a couple of wickets). He had spent the previous day going back and forth to Cardiff, as he was poached to cover an injury crisis in The Hundred (its rules amended on the hoof) but was not required by Southern Brave after all. That he could deliver such a match-winning effort for his employers after that shambles shows there is at least some professionalism left in English cricket.

Ball two: time to chat about Parky again

Having maligned Kent here last week, it’s only right to highlight a couple of big wins over Middlesex and Surrey that keep them tucked into third place in Group A.

The return of Daniel Bell-Drummond stiffened the batting, his twin half-centuries underlining his class as surely one of the best batters in the competition this year. But it was another return that caught the eye, the leg-spinner curiously unwanted by Lancashire turning out for Kent and re-discovering his mojo.

Matt Parkinson bowled 14.4 overs in those two wins for his latest county and picked up six wickets. Less common for a wrist-spinner was his boundary count, just four fours conceded as he went for well under five an over across both matches. If county cricket fans could track down that news in a media environment that seems determined to ignore the One-Day Cup, it will have brought a smile to their faces.

Ball three: Barnard at heart of Warwickshire’s win

In Group B, Warwickshire blaze a trail at the top with the only 100% record in the country – four matches played, four matches won.

The latest will have given given particular satisfaction as they travelled the short distance from Birmingham to the county town of Worcester to bully their country cousins into a miserable defeat.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Ed Barnard were the main destroyers, sharing the first five batters between them, Matthew Waite’s 44 the only reason the home side posted three figures. Barnard then decided to have some fun opening, biffing 65 off 44 balls to put Jake Libby’s men out of their misery in an hour or so. If it’s any consolation, Warwickshire’s attack, which also features the pace of Craig Miles and the left-arm wrist-spin of Jake Lintott, will cause significant damage to many a batting order before this tournament is out.

Ball four: sure thing Shaw goes big

Northamptonshire are snapping at the leaders’ heels after a hat-trick of wins put them in second place, the latest over an outclassed Durham.

It feels a little unfair though that Lewis McManus, the Northants skipper, is able to deploy something of a cheat code by picking Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order. The 23-year-old Test, ODI and T20I capped Indian opener (playing for Northamptonshire, I remind you) plundered 244 off a shellshocked Somerset last week and backed it up with 125 from 76 balls off an equally devastated Durham attack.

Shaw had underwhelmed a little in the previous two matches, but his ceiling is in excess of any other batter in the competition, perhaps in the country, so you really don’t want him to find a bit of form if you’re bowling. Next up for the onslaught? Only poor old Worcestershire. Better get him early lads.

Prithvi Shaw batting for Northamptonshire against Durham. Photograph: MI News/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Ball five: batter of the week

You might remember James Bracey. Just two years ago, he was caught up in the backwash of those strange Covid days and found himself bubbled up at Lord’s playing for England against New Zealand. He didn’t look ready for Test cricket on either side of the stumps and was dropped, to misquote Keith Moon, like a lead zeppelin.

He was given a glimpse of the promised land but it wasn’t to be and, at 24, he returned to Bristol and resumed his successful domestic career, taking on more of a leadership role at Gloucestershire rather than chasing franchise cricket opportunities.

If that’s an old-fashioned approach, his career-best 224 not out, as captain-wicketkeeper-opener was very much the 21st century approach to white-ball cricket. His first 50 runs came off 60 balls (largely in support of a charging Chris Dent), then he raised his 100 off 96, 150 off 121 and 200 off 140. Somerset’s attack was shorn of its best bowlers, but you have to take the opportunities that come your way – as Bracey knows very well.

Ball Six: bowler of the week

Dom Bess is another young player who last tasted Test cricket two years ago before losing his way a little. The off-spinning all-rounder is back at Yorkshire after spells on loan earlier this season at Warwickshire and Somerset.

Unlike Bracey, Bess does have a clear route back into the England camp as spin options look as scarce as at any time in living memory, but to get his name into Rob Key’s thoughts, he will have to take more wickets. Rattling through an inexperienced Essex tail at Chelmsford is, in every sense, a long way from bowling to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at Hyderabad, but a fivefer is a fivefer and Bess has a springboard for a strong late-season push for selection.

This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog Follow Gary Naylor on Twitter