Kiwi County Tour #4
You almost scored as many runs as her g.
The first stanza of County cricket is all done and dusted, with County cricket on pause for Royal London One-Day Cup cricket. As I figure out this excessively hectic 50-over schedule and map out my Kiwi County Tour bus journey, we can all take a moment to light up a joint in honour of Matt Henry who has finished the first stanza as the best bowler in County cricket; the only bowler with 30+ wickets and an average below 10.
Equally as dominant as Henry, has been Suzie Bates, just in a smaller dose. Bates has been playing for Hampshire in the Women's One-Day Cup and scores of 54 and 148 have helped Hampshire to a 2-0 start, with Hampshire sitting in 2nd in Division One (there are three Divisions, with five groups in Division Three).
Bates also has 4w in total, 3w in her first game and 1w in the second, but it's her work with the bat that has her 1st in runs-scored; 202 runs @ 101avg, 90.17sr. The knock of 148 in the second game game off 146 balls, with a strike-rate of 101.36 and Bates is the only batswoman who has a century and half-century thus far. It appears as though Bates will be in action again this weekend, so I'll touch base with how she goes in the next KCT.
Kent vs Sussex
Matt Henry
Matt Henry is the best bowler in County cricket right now, but let me throw up Henry's knock of 55 off 53 balls for a splash of funk. There was another 10-wicket-haul for Henry in Kent's 58-run win over Sussex, yet his swash-buckling half-century in Kent's second dig caught the eye as Henry showcased the same hitting and general batting ability that was there in abundance last season.
This all-round performance effectively won the game for Kent, after Henry had scored 8 in Kent's 215 all out and then chimed in with 4w to help dismiss Sussex for 185. Henry's 55 was the top score in Kent's second innings, boosting Kent up over 200 (235 all out) and setting Sussex a target of 270.
Henry put a decent target on the board almost by himself and then rolled through Sussex's batting line up to take 6w, dismissing Sussex for 211 to seal the win. This gives Henry 37w @ 9.59avg/2.81rpo and Henry is not only the only bowler in either Division to take 30+ wickets and/or average under 10, Henry is the only bowler in County cricket who has three 5-wicket-hauls ... let alone two 10-wicket-hauls.
Kiwi cricket fans, perhaps those who aren't as interested in County cricket as you or I, would suggest that Henry's best work comes in the 50-over format. That may be true, although Henry currently sits on the throne as the best bowler in County cricket right now and that throne is currently situated at the back of the Kiwi County Tour bus. On top of that, we have the anticipation of what Henry may dish up in the ODC brewing and it'll be interesting to see whether Henry's antics translate to white ball cricket on the KCT.
Middlesex vs Gloucestershire
Kieran Noema-Barnett
Middlesex and Gloucs played out a draw, with Kieran Noema-Barnett not really doing a whole lot. Noema-Barnett bowled 7ov with no return in the first innings for Gloucs as Middlesex declared on 455/8 and could only manage 6, before being caught-behind in his only opportunity with the bat as Gloucs were bowled out for 210. They then followed-on and Noema-Barnett wasn't required to bat.
Warwickshire vs Northamptonshire
Jeetan Patel vs Doug Bracewell
I had set up the low key battle between Matt Henry and Doug Bracewell in earlier rounds of the KCT, which has been blown up by Henry's emphatic performances. Bracewell hasn't been in the same realm as Henry, then again no one has and Bracewell has managed to stack up solid performances despite losing the opening exchanges of this fringe-Blackcaps Battlers battle.
Bracewell's Northamptonshire lost to Warwickshire, with Bracewell the best performer for Northamptonshire. He again flexed with his willow after a fantastic batting summer in Aotearoa, with 81 in Northants first innings, batting #9 and along with #8 batsman Steven Crook who hit 92, they salvaged this innings, taking their team up to 256 all out.
Lord Jeetz could only manage 1w, the wicket of Crook, in that innings as his seamers did the bulk of the damange. Bracewell then knocked the top off of Warwickshire's batting line up, sending the first three batsmen back to the sheds and he ended up with 4w, with Warwickshire all out for 265 and Jeetz squeezed out 11 runs.
Unable to repeat his first innings masterclass, Bracewell was dismissed for 7 off 31 balls as he valiantly fought to force Warwickshire into a competitive chase. Northamptonshire were all out for 187 though with Jeetz again taking 1w and Warwicshire chased down their target of 179, losing just 4w.
Jeetz finishes the first stanza with 16w @ 24.31avg/2.91rpo and Bracewell ended up with 11w @ 27.63avg/3.26rpo. Other than Noema-Barnett who did bowl enough overs, all three Div Two KCT bowlers have taken over 10w and average under 30.
Nottinghamshire vs Lancashire
Ross Taylor
For whatever reason, Ross Taylor decided to get a pair in Notts' hefty loss to Lancashire and not only did he get a pair, he was lbw to Graham Onions both times. Notts were rolled for 133 and 138, with Lancashire only required to bat once (338) in a game that held plenty of funk for non-kiwis as England seamers Stuart Broad and Jake Ball were in action for Notts, against James Anderson and Onions for Lancashire.
From my KCT vantage point though, this game sucked.
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Peace and love 27.