English FLt20 XI: A team of players to watch in this year’s competition

 

1. Michael Carberry – Hampshire Royals – T20 average: 27.66 – SR: 112.92

The former Surrey and Kent man looked in supreme touch on Wednesday night against his former team, as his 60 off 45 balls drove  the Royals on to an easy win. His innings exemplified all his t20 qualities, as Carberry displayed a 360̊ degree range of shots. His breath of powerful strokes should stand him in good stead at the top of the order, as Hampshire look to retain the title that they won last season. Yet to make a century in t20 cricket, could this be Carberry’s year?

 

2. Dawid Malan – Middlesex Panthers – T20 average: 30.42 – SR: 117.58

Aggressive left-handed batsman Malan has had a huge amount of success in the 20-over format over the past few years, with his most noteworthy performance a magnificent 103 off just 51 balls against Lancashire in 2008. Although he has spent much of this season in the second XI, he returned with 58* against the Unicorns in the YB40 last week and will be a key component in the Panthers batting line-up at the top of the order alongside Paul Sterling and Joe Denly.

 

3. Luke Wright – Sussex Sharks – T20 batting average: 26.31 – SR: 147.02; T20 bowling average: 32.22 – Econ: 8.41/over

England all-rounder Wright has become something of a t20 mercenary over the past few seasons, with stints in the IPL, Big Bash and BPL; however, this fact simply expresses what a fine player t20 player he is. A destructive top-order batsman in the shortest form of the game, Wright’s success often comes from hitting over the top and taking full advantage of the powerplay fielding restrictions. Also a handy seamer, his ability to mix it up and bowl yorkers makes him a reliable death bowler. The Sussex man is in stunning form with the bat, having scored 115 off 61 balls against Kent in the YB40 last week, so expect him to shine for the Sharks this year.

 

4. Owais Shah – Essex Eagles – T20 average: 33.83 – SR: 127.44

Essex batsman Shah is an extremely experienced performer in the t20 format, who like Luke Wright, has played 20-over cricket all around the globe. Formerly a regular international for England in ODI cricket, Shah has the ability to make quick runs in the middle-order, using his wristy technique to powerfully manoeuvre the ball to all corners of the ground. His average and strike-rate show what an exquisite limited overs player he is, and Essex will need Shah to be on top form if they are to qualify out of the competition’s tricky south group.

 

5. Gary Ballance – Yorkshire Vikings – T20 average: 26.14 – SR: 121.78

Zimbabwe-born batsman Gary Balance is a player showing huge potential and England’s decision to call the 23-year-old into their t20 squad for the series against New Zealand shows just how highly this young man is rated. He toured Australia with the Lions this winter, having excelled in domestic limited-overs cricket last season. He also topped the List A averages for county Yorkshire in 2012 and scored two half-centuries in the Champions League. Big things are to come from this young man.

 

6. Darren Stevens – Kent Spitfires – T20 batting average: 30.20 – SR: 132.83; T20 bowling average: 23.91 – Econ: 7.49/over

Stevens scored the fastest century of the summer so far last week, with a breathtaking 44-ball ton as the Spitfires achieved a world-record run chase against the Sussex Sharks at Canterbury. Ever since his arrival from Leicestershire in 2004, Stevens has been a critical member of the Kent team in all three forms of the game. He has scored over 10,000 runs in first-class cricket and with 2852 t20 runs to date, he is also the most prolific 20-over run scorer on the county cricket scene. Also a more than useful seam bowler, Stevens’ all-round contribution will be vital for the Spitfires this campaign.

 

7. Craig Kieswetter – Somerset – T20 batting average: 27.63 – SR: 120.59; T20 catches: 50 –  stumpings: 17

South-African born wicket-keeper batsman Kieswetter will be hoping that 2013 could be his year. Having lost his place in the England ODI and T20 teams to team mate Jos Buttler, Kieswetter will be hoping to showcase his ability with both bat and gloves in this year’s FLt20, in order to re-stake his claim for his old England spot. His batting relies heavily on his ball striking capabilities and ability to hit over the infield during the powerplay overs, which he did to great effect when he was part of the England team that won the ICC World Twenty20 back in 2010. Somerset are favourites with the bookies to win this year’s FLt20 and the Trescothick-Trego-Kiewswetter combination at the top of their line-up will play a key role.

 

8. Graham Napier – Essex Eagles – T20 batting average: 15.20 – SR: 142.83; T20 bowling Average: 21.29 – Econ: 7.34/over

When it comes to limited-overs cricket, Napier is never too far away from the spotlight. Widely known for his explosive batting performances in t20 cricket, in particular his world-record 152* against Sussex in 2008 when he hit a mammoth 16 sixes, it is his bowling that has helped him make the headlines this year. He took 4 wickets in 4 balls in a YB40 match against Surrey, to finish with figures of 7-32 and Napier also recently took 7-90 in a LVCC Div 2 County Championship game against Leicestershire. He also currently tops the four-day batting averages for his county, having scored 556 runs at an average of 61.78 so far this season, including five fifties and a ton. Napier is a man in serious form.

 

9. James Tredwell – Kent Spitfires – T20 bowling average: 27.72 – Econ: 7.22/over

Kent skipper Tredwell has had a fantastic year, finally breaking thorough into the international side in place of the injured Graeme Swann and also taking over the Spitfires captaincy from former-England batsman Rob Key. Tredwell’s strong showings in the international team have earned him rave reviews from captain Alastair Cook and he has also become a real favourite with the England fans’ too. The off-spinner relies on his consistency, control and subtle variations to out think the opposing batsman, and as a handy batsman and slip fielder, providing Swann is fit enough to play in the Ashes, Tredwell will play a massive role in the Spitfires t20 campaign this summer.

 

10. Jamie Overton – Somerset – List A bowling average: 22.83 – Econ: 5.95/over

Although he has yet to play a t20 match for his county Somerset, many will be expecting young Jamie Overton to make his mark on the competition this season. As one of the most exciting young seam bowlers in the county, Overton has been regularly reaching speeds of over 90mph this season…and he’s only 19!! With 24 championship wickets to date this season, Somerset will be hoping that their Devon-born quick can have a similar impact in the t20 format.

 

11. Boyd Rankin – Warwickshire Bears – T20 bowling average: 17.96 – Econ: 5.60/over

Former Ireland international Rankin made his t20 debut for England this week, having previously played in 52 ODI internationals for the country of his birth. The Derry-born paceman is now targeting more international honours over the next few years for England, and an impressive showing in this season’s FLt20 competition would help to further stake his claim for an Ashes spot. Thus far in his domestic t20 career he has taken 29 wickets in 26 matches, at a very impressive economy rate of just 5.60 runs an over, so expect the six-foot-seven seamer to be cause difficulties for batsman at both ends of the innings this year.

 

 

Stevens shines as Kent achieve world record run-chase

Match Report: KENT SPITFIRES vs. SUSSEX SHARKS – 19^th June 2013 

Kent Spitfires last night claimed a record-breaking victory over local rivals Sussex Sharks in the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition, after chasing down 336-5 with three wickets and an over to spare. Kent’s score of 337-7 was the highest ever successful run chase in 40-over cricket history.

Darren Stevens stole the show for Kent, blasting his way to 118 off 53 balls, to lead his team to victory on a glorious floodlit night in Canterbury. Stevens reached his century off just 44 balls, scoring twelve 4s and seven 6s, before he was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary with the score on 291. Sam Northeast then put Kent within touching distance with a century of his own, his maiden List A hundred (his previous best was 69), before a wide in the penultimate over handed Kent the win.

Sussex’s total of 336 had already set a landmark for the largest limited-overs total at the Spitfire Ground, formerly known as the St. Lawrence Ground, after Luke Wright blitzed his way to 115 off 61 balls, with an astonishing display of power-hitting. However, Wright’s innings was overshadowed by Stevens, who is now in pole position to win the coveted Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded to the scorer of the fastest century this summer.

Having won the toss, Kent captain Geraint Jones might have been regretting his decision to field first at the halfway stage of the Sussex innings, with the visitors already amassing over 200 runs for the loss of just one wicket. Luke Wright and opening partner Chris Nash got the Sharks off to a blistering start, with an opening stand of 194 from 18.3 overs, the highest ever partnership by a Sussex pair against Kent in all forms of one day cricket.

Although Sussex’s pace slowed, largely thanks to tight bowling from Stevens and off-spinner Adam Riley, a profitable partnership between the innovative Michael Yardy (46) and young left-hander Matt Machan (41*) meant the Sharks finished with a formidable total. Although all of Kent’s bowlers took some stick, it was the unfortunate Calum Haggett who made the record books, as his eight overs leaked a mammoth ninety-seven runs.

With the required rate at 8.4 per over from the start of Kent’s innings, it was critical their openers made a quick start if they were to have any chance of overhauling Sussex’s total. Fortunately, Northeast and former-skipper Rob Key provided that platform, making 109 for the first wicket, with Key hitting eight boundaries in a quick fire 52 from 43 balls before he was removed by left-arm seamer Chris Liddle. An injury to Brendan Nash meant Alex Blake came in at no.3 for Kent, and he scored 14 before Liddle claimed his second wicket.

That brought Stevens to the crease, who alongside Sam Northeast added 159 for the third wicket to somehow keep Kent up with the required rate. The pair made full use of the short boundary on the Old Dover Road side of the ground, although Stevens also clubbed sixes to the longer mid-wicket boundary, as he milked Will Beer for 17 off an over and then sent Rory Hamilton-Brown for 20 off the next.

With Kent seemingly in control they lost Stevens and Ben Harmison in quick succession, before Northeast and Jones put the Spitfires in command. The hosts required less than a run a ball to achieve victory. However, after Will Beer removed Northeast, two balls later the pressure mounted up as Calum Haggett was expertly caught at cover by Nash.

The crowd were briefly silenced, but Mitchell Claydon, on his YB40 debut for Kent, smashed his first ball for six, leaving Kent with eight runs needed from thirteen deliveries. Jones then glided a four down to third man and although Claydon was run-out with the scores level, Kent held their nerve to safely secure a remarkable victory.

For scorecard, see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/o35181