The Cricketer Magazine – June 2018

STAR MAN

SAMIT PATEL

PPI RANK: 

STAR MAN

MARTIN GUPTILL

PPI RANK: 

STAR MAN

DAVID WILLEY

PPI RANK: 

BOUNDARY % 15.3% STRIKE-RATE 133.4 BOUNDARY % 20.4%

NORTH DIVISION

Notts, one of the best resourced counties,
fi nally got the monkey o their back by winning
the 2017 title, after previously making it to just
three T20 fi nals days. Even if Alex Hales and Riki
Wessels do not have quite the same impact as
last year, it will be a surprise if Notts do not make
the knockouts. The biggest challenge at Trent
Bridge, a featherbed in white-ball cricket, will
be for bowlers to work out where not to get hit.
They do have an array of options, and realise the
importance of a top-class leg-spinner in T20:
Ish Sodhi of New Zealand returns after taking
15 wickets at a strike-rate of 18 last season, but
among that a bit of tap. Chris Nash joins Steven
Mullaney and Dan Christian as pace-o -the-
ball ploys. Paul Coughlin captained Durham in
the format last year, but his injury in pre-season
robs Notts of an exciting all-round option.
Mullaney will do as Chris Read did for most of his
years as club captain, and cede T20 captaincy
duties to an overseas recruit in Christian,
who comes into the side having skippered
the Australian Aboriginal XI on their recent
150th-anniversary tour. JC

If Worcestershire are to fl ip their performances

of 2017 on their head, and there is an appetite to

do so after just three wins from their 14 group-

stage matches last season, they will need to

fi nd an element of consistency. Last season, the

Rapids hit extreme highs – chasing down 202

to beat Durham, for instance – and extreme

lows, including being bowled out for just 98 by

Derbyshire. Having drafted in Callum Ferguson

and Martin Guptill, to feature alongside the Joe

Clarke, Ross Whiteley and Ben Cox, that aspect

of their game looks in good shape. On the bowling

front, though, Worcester must make the best of

a bad situation, with Josh Tongue ruled out until

mid-August with a foot injury. Brett D’Oliveira

claimed 18 wickets with his leg-spin last season

but the only other Rapids players in the Blast’s top

100 bowling averages in 2017 were now-departed

Mitchell Santner and Alex Hepburn, who faces a

rape trial in 2019 and is suspended on full pay. He

denies the allegations. England dropping Moeen

Ali from the Test squad could benefi t the Rapids.

He is likely to be available from July 17, thereby

missing only fi ve matches. SM

Overseas boards have caused Yorkshire a real

headache in their preparations. Firstly, Cricket

Australia decided that Billy Stanlake would be

better served playing elsewhere as he recovers

from a broken fi nger. He was due to spend most of

the T20 season at Headingley - at least 12 matches

• but was withdrawn in mid-May. A week later,
  New Zealand said Kane Williamson could play
  nine not 11. Martyn Moxon does not appear to have
  plans to recruit an overseas to replace Stanlake,
  insisting he has enough homegrown options.
  David Willey, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett have
  experienced all sorts of T20 scenarios the world
  over, Adam Lyth’s 2017 form (561 runs at 44.58 at a
  strike-rate of 164.62, thanks in the main to a huge
  161 against Northamptonshire) could be prescient
  of things to come this time around, Tom Kohler-
  Cadmore has been giving the ball a big ol’ bi in the
  One-Day Cup and Tim Bresnan is as wily as ever.
  The strength in depth is there. Yorkshire have a
  tame history in the competition, having never won
  it and only reached one fi nal, in 2012. Can this crop
  put that right? On paper, you would suggest the
  answer is yes. SM

Notts Outlaws

Coach Peter Moores
Captain Dan Christian
Overseas Ish Sodhi (NZ)
Last season Winners

Worcestershire Rapids

Coach Kevin Sharp

Captain Joe Leach

Overseas Callum Ferguson (A), Martin Guptill (NZ)

Last season Group stage

Alex Hales 69

Riki Wessels 168

Chris Nash 182

Stephen Mullaney 244

Samit Patel 35

Tom Moores 510

Paul Coughlin 233

Ish Sodhi 62

Harry Gurney 224

Jake Ball 212

Luke Fletcher 781

Martin Guptill 54

Daryl Mitchell 286

Moeen Ali 157

Travis Head 56

Ross Whiteley 256

Joe Clarke 306

Brett D’Oliveira 207

Ben Cox 490

Joe Leach 395

Ed Barnard 507

Jack Shantry 563

Adam Lyth 141

David Willey 7

Tom Kohler-Cadmore 192

Kane Williamson 26

Joe Root 270

Jonny Bairstow 384

Jack Leaning 355

Adil Rashid 100

Liam Plunkett 91

Tim Bresnan 90

Azeem Rafi q 298

2017 run-rate 9.60 2017 economy 9.10 2017 run-rate 8.36 2017 economy 8.95 2017 run-rate 9.64 2017 economy 8.82

STRONGEST XI STRONGEST XI STRONGEST XI

Team rating

2,720

Team rating

3,277

Team rating

1,954

Yorkshire Vikings

Coach Andrew Gale

Captain Gary Ballance

Overseas Kane Williamson (NZ)

Last season Group stage

Prediction: Quarter-fi nal Prediction: Group stage Prediction: Winners

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