August 4, 2024

Ed Barnard’s Big Day Out Gives Warwickshire Win in Bristol

Ed Barnard Shines with Bat and Ball in Warwickshire’s Win

Ed Barnard delivered a standout performance as Warwickshire beat Gloucestershire by six wickets at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium, extending their winning streak in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup to five matches.

Barnard first excelled with the ball, taking 3 for 16 in eight overs to help dismiss Gloucestershire for 267 in 49.4 overs. He then dominated with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 152 off 134 balls. His innings, featuring 14 fours and 2 sixes, guided Warwickshire to their target with 2.1 overs to spare. Barnard’s partnerships of 79 with Hamza Shaikh and 135 with Chris Benjamin were crucial in the chase.

Earlier, Gloucestershire’s captain, Jack Taylor, played a remarkable innings, scoring 139 not out from 115 balls with 8 sixes and 10 fours. His partnerships of 101 with Ben Charlesworth and 54 with Graeme van Buuren helped rescue Gloucestershire from a precarious 43 for 4.

Despite Taylor’s efforts, Gloucestershire struggled against Warwickshire’s bowlers. Besides Barnard, teenage leg-spinner Tazeem Ali impressed with career-best figures of 3 for 55. Warwickshire now looked set for the quarter-finals, needing a win against Glamorgan to secure their place. Having lost three of their five matches, Gloucestershire must win their next game against Sussex to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Gloucestershire won the toss and chose to bat but faced early trouble as Barnard’s seam movement quickly dismissed Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Price, and James Bracey. Michael Booth also contributed by removing Miles Hammond. Charlesworth and Taylor’s partnership offered some recovery, but Charlesworth’s dismissal to Tazeem at 144 for 5 hindered their progress. Warwickshire’s spin trio—Tazeem, Jake Lintott, and Rob Yates—effectively contained Gloucestershire, conceding just 116 runs in their 22 overs.

Tazeem’s Impact and Barnard’s Masterclass Lead Warwickshire to Victory

Tazeem Ali had a notable impact for Warwickshire, taking the key wicket of Graeme van Buuren, who was caught on the boundary for 18 during a crucial 54-run partnership with Gloucestershire’s captain, Jack Taylor. Despite Tazeem’s success, Gloucestershire could not dismiss Taylor, who scored his first century of the season with 101 balls and added a flurry of runs at the end, including three successive sixes off Craig Miles in the penultimate over. Taylor’s late hitting helped Gloucestershire to a respectable total, scoring 52 runs in just 3.4 overs.

Aware of Warwickshire’s previous high chase of 328 against Essex, Gloucestershire aimed for early breakthroughs. Matt Taylor dismissed Rob Yates for 16, and Josh Shaw caught Will Rhodes without scoring, reducing Warwickshire to 46 for 2.

However, Ed Barnard and Hamza Shaikh steadied the innings. Barnard, who had already scored a career-best 173 earlier in the season, reached his fifty from 52 balls and kept the scoring rate steady. Shaikh, the England Under-19 captain, contributed 37 in a 79-run partnership with Barnard, showcasing his talent with key shots before being dismissed in the 25th over.

As the chase continued, Price bowled out Michael Burgess with a reverse sweep, leaving Warwickshire at 136 for 4, needing 132 runs from 22.2 overs. Despite the pressure, Burgess and Chris Benjamin ensured steady progress. Burgess reached a century off 99 balls, and Benjamin contributed 45 not out from 59 balls. With his impressive focus, Barnard remained unbeaten to secure the win, carrying his bat for the second time in five innings and sealing Gloucestershire’s defeat.

Sam Curran Owns London Derby with fifty, five-for, and hat-trick.

Sam Curran Shines as Oval Invincibles Secure Victory with Bat and Ball

Sam Curran led the Oval Invincibles to a commanding win over the London Spirit with standout performances with the bat and ball. He scored a rapid 51 off 22 balls, helping the Invincibles to a challenging total of 147 for 5 on a difficult pitch at Lord’s. Curran’s innings included three consecutive sixes off Nathan Ellis, providing crucial runs when the team struggled at 46 for 2.

The Invincibles’ captain, Sam Billings, decided to bat first, but the Spirit’s bowlers exploited the pitch well. Olly Stone dismissed Will Jacks, and Liam Dawson removed Jordan Cox, who had recently been called to the England Test squad. Dawid Malan and Billings added valuable runs before Malan was caught at square leg for 38. Billings, unable to find his rhythm, retired to let Donovan Ferreira bat. Still, it was Curran’s explosive hitting that provided the boost needed.

In the second innings, Curran continued his heroics with the ball, taking an incredible 5 for 16, including a hat-trick. His exceptional spell dismantled the Spirit’s batting lineup, restricting them to 117 and securing a 30-run victory for the Invincibles.

Sam Curran’s Hat-Trick Secures Invincibles’ Victory

In their run chase, the London Spirit made a solid start, reaching 35 for 0 during the powerplay with Keaton Jennings and Michael Pepper at the crease. However, the Oval Invincibles’ impressive spin attack quickly turned the game around. Will Jacks dismissed Jennings lbw, Adam Zampa had Pepper caught on his first delivery, and Nathan Sowter bowled out Ollie Pope.

Dan Lawrence and Shimron Hetmyer gave the Spirit hope, bringing the required runs down to 56 from the final 30 balls. But Zampa, who finished with 3 for 22, dismissed both Hetmyer (20 from 21) and Lawrence (27 from 18), stalling the Spirit’s momentum.

Andre Russell tried to lead a late charge, but Sam Curran sealed the win for the Invincibles. Curran took a hat-trick—only the third in The Hundred men’s competition—finishing with remarkable figures of 5 for 16 and delivering one of the tournament’s standout performances.

Meerkat Match Hero Sam Curran said: “I’ve had a few battles with Russ (Russell) over the years. The hat-trick ball wasn’t on my mind, it was either going to be me or him, he was going to hit me for six or I was going to get a wicket. Thankfully he edged it but most importantly we got the win.

“It’s never over when players like Dan (Lawrence), Hetmyer and Russell are there, so when we got him (Russell) out it was a big relief.”