The points were shared between Surrey and Hampshire in the latest round of T20 Cup action at Totton & Eling CC in Southampton, with Surrey winning the first match by 4 runs, and Hampshire the second by a DLS adjusted 11 runs.

On a day that was warmer than recent weekends, but which still couldn’t truthfully be described as “warm”, Surrey got off to a racing start batting first in the opening game. Thanks to Alice Capsey (17 off 17) and Amy Gordon (33 off 32) they pillaged 44 runs from the first 5 overs; but the loss of Capsey – caught behind, hanging her bat out to a ball from Gemma Lane which lifted outside off stump – was the beginning of a very long end for Surrey. Having gone at a run rate of nearly 9 in the first 5, they managed considerably less than half that thereafter, finishing on 104 all out off the final ball, with Hampshire’s new secret weapon – mystery spinner Finty Trussler – taking 3 wickets in the last over to top the bowling figures with 3-15.

It was a total which was going to take a fine performance in the field from Surrey to defend; but that’s exactly what they produced – typified by Amy Gordon who took 3 catches in the outfield, including a stunning one-hander over her left shoulder to dismiss Abbie Whybrow in the penultimate over. Despite an innings of 46 not out from Charlie Dean, and a last-ball maximum from Sophie Mitchelmore, Hampshire finished 4 short for the loss of 7 wickets.

With Hampshire batting first in the second game, they chose to bump Mitchelmore up the order, and she didn’t disappoint, making 43* off 42 balls, as Hampshire posted 120-5.

Surrey’s reply was interrupted by rain, eventually leaving them with the task of reaching a DLS adjusted 102 from 16 overs. But with Trussler again in the wickets, taking 3-16, they fell well short, finishing on 90-9 to leave honours even on the day.

Hampshire rebounded from a brace of defeats to Middlesex on the opening day of the county season with two wins against Sussex at the Aldridge Academy in Brighton, thanks to 7 wickets from 17-year-old newcomer Finty Trussler, and 50 runs from the bat of opener Ella Chandler.

Afterwards, Hampshire skipper Charlie Dean told CRICKETher:

“It was a tough start last weekend, but it is good to bounce back with a couple of really good wins.”

“It was a touch pitch to play on, and I think that showed from the scores that were set, but we managed to adapt to it slightly better and ended up on top.”

“Ella was brilliant – it’s good that she can bat through, and she’s really using that role at the top of the order.”

“Finty debuted against Middlesex last weekend – she’s a really exciting leg-spinner, and I think that showed with her figures.”

Having won the toss and elected to bat in the opening game, Chandler and Maia Bouchier got Hampshire off to a racing start. Vipers pro Tara Norris appears to have put on a yard of pace over the winter, but Chandler and Bouchier turned it to their advantage to hit her opening over for 9; and by the end of the powerplay Hampshire had reached 43-2, going at over 7 an over.

Hampshire couldn’t quite keep up that scoring rate, losing wickets periodically through the middle overs; but with Chandler playing the anchor role, batting through to the 18th over for 41 off 50 balls, they finished up on a respectable 114-8.

In reply, Sussex lost Georgia Adams early, bowled by Gemma Lane; but this brought Sarah Taylor to the crease. Taylor reached a characteristically effortless 28 off 24 balls, and looked to be threatening to take the game away from Hampshire, until she was bowled by Charlie Dean with one that kept low.

This opened things up for Trussler to come on and rip through the lower order, taking 4-12 from her 4 overs, including a magnificent low running catch at deep mid on from Western Storm pro Fi Morris to dismiss Millie Taylor – one of no less than four Taylors involved in the match – Millie, twin sister Mary, Southern Viper Charlotte and former England wicket keeper Sarah.

Sussex were eventually bowled out for just 67 from 18 overs, Hampshire winning by a massive 47 runs.

After winning her second toss of the day, Charlie Dean invited Sussex to keep batting, and they made a slightly better fist of things the second time around, reaching 90-5 – Sarah Taylor making 29* off 28, and Georgia Adams 29 off 44, as Trussler picked up another 3 wickets for 13 runs.

In the chase, Ella Chandler was soon into her stride again, but her innings was cut short after she was hit on the helmet by a bouncer that didn’t bounce from Tara Norris, leading her to sensibly retire not out for 9, due to the possibility of concussion.

This left it to Charlie Dean and Fi Morris to scamper home, which they did with 5 overs to spare, for the loss of just 1 wicket – Dean finishing 26* and Morris 47* off 41, to give Hampshire their second win of the day.

Central Spark Milly Home was the star as Worcestershire beat Berkshire twice on the opening day of the county season at Falkland CC.

On a breezy day in West Berkshire, Home, whose ability to swing a stick has already earned her age group international honours with England on the lacrosse field, hit an aggregate 132 runs across two T20s, to lead the Rapids to a pear* of victories.

Speaking to CRICKETher afterwards, Home reflected:

“We got two wins, which is what we wanted. The first game we batted second, the second game we batted first, so it’s nice to know we can set and chase.”

“Because of COVID this winter we haven’t been able to train together, so we’ve had one-to-ones with the coaches. We’ve been working on hitting the ball straight with a lot of power – being forceful, using your feet, and backing yourself. I got lots of hitting in, so it was really nice to come to the middle and feel ready for the season.”

“I’m on loan from Warwickshire, so it was nice to open the batting – that gave me a bit of freedom to be able to bat for the 20 overs, and it was a good wicket, so it was nice to get a few runs.”

In the first match, Berkshire set off with some real intent, as Emily Cunningham – on her first day out of quarantine following her flight back from New Zealand – hit a quick 12 off 8 balls, using the pace of Emily Arlott to find the boundary twice in the first over. Mia Rogers (30 off 37) and Ash Muttitt (17 off 21) built on that start; but Berkshire were undone by a spell of 4-15 in just 3 overs from loopy offspinner Flora Bertwhistle, eventually limping to 102-7.

In reply, Milly Home (44) and Georgie Macey (nee Adcock) (33)** set off at a rate of knots, putting on 87 for the first wicket to take Worcestershire within touching distance; and although a mini-collapse followed, with Amanda ‘Steamer’ Potgieter taking 3-6 in two overs, the final result was never really in doubt by that stage.

Batting first in the second game, Worcestershire lost Macey for a first baller, LBW to Freya Johnson; but from then on it was all about Home, who carried her bat for a smashing 88* off 63 balls, supported at the other end by captain Chloe Hill (34). A slightly frantic run-a-ball 16 from Clare Boycott at the death helped set Berkshire an imposing 156 to chase.

Given the first result, it felt like a long shot; but perhaps freed by that knowledge, Ashley Muttitt and Amanda Potgieter, who came together in the 3rd over, kept up with the rate for the bulk of the innings, only falling behind when Worcestershire eventually brought on England Academy fast bowler Arlott towards the end. Muttitt and Potgieter both passed 50 – Muttitt making 51* (her highest ever score in a competitive county match) and Potgieter 61*, as Berkshire finished on 149-2 – just 7 runs short.

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* Sic!
** At the time of writing, the scorecard on Play Cricket has Home and Macey the wrong way around in the first game.

Having watched a game of The Hundred for the first time this weekend, we have a confession to make: it really was a lot more like cricket than we expected.

To be fair, our friends at the ECB had repeatedly told us this (waves at Beth Barrett-Wild) but we’d been sceptical, partly because all the initial marketing had beaten into our heads that it WASN’T like cricket – it was completely new and different – that’s what all the Facebook ads and Instagram posts were telling us… and we believed them!

The fact that The Hundred is actually “just cricket” is both a blessing and a problem for the ECB.

It is a blessing, because I now think that “normal” fans will come around to it as a game pretty fast; but it is a problem because the rest of the world – the “mums and kids” who “don’t like cricket” – will also realise quite quickly that it is just cricket… and… well… they don’t really like cricket!

To help get over this, the ECB have a huge entertainment push on the cards – they are planning to make the game a spectacle around the field, even if it isn’t quite so entertaining on it.

Which brings us to Katy Perry, and the real reason why the Aussies paid what I believe the kids call “serious coin” to have her at The MCG last year for the T20 World Cup Final. Put simply, Katy Perry was an insurance policy – and one that, like many insurance policies, they didn’t actually need in the end.

Perry’s presence was insurance against Australia NOT making the final. The main concert was scheduled for AFTER the game, so that local fans, 99% of whom were of course Australian, would come (and crucially STAY) in the event of (say) an India v South Africa final.

But the point is, in order to do this, they needed KATY FREAKIN’ PERRY – one of the biggest stars in the world! Getting Ella Henderson* would just not have cut it; and the tournament organisers knew it.

(* No, I’ve no idea who Ella Henderson is either – I just googled who is currently top of the pops!)

Now back to The Hundred, which of course won’t have Katy Perry… or even Ella Henderson. And here’s the bad news: I’m just not convinced that even pulling out all the stops short of that – the juggles, the acrobats, the guys with bats on stilts – is going to make much difference to only thing that really matters – the cricket on the field.

But here’s the good news: the cricket on the field will be good. It will be the best players in the world, and they’ll be playing CRICKET. And the ads can scream all they want that The Hundred “Not Just Cricket”; but they will be wrong – it is “just” cricket; and as far as I’m concerned, that’s just fine.