T20 Blast

Starts soon so i thought I'd get a thread up...

Winners...

One to watch...

Top batsman...

Top wicket-taker...

Best overseas signing...

Winners...

One to watch... Ed Pollock

Top batsman... James Vince

Top wicket-taker... Mohammed Amir (i think he's there for the whole tournament?)

Best overseas signing.. Nabi at Kent

First set of fixtures:

Thursday:

Middlesex vs Essex
Glamorgan vs Somerset
Notts vs Worcestershire

Friday:

Gloucestershire vs Glamorgan
Worcestershire vs Birmingham
Durham vs Northants
Leicestershire vs Lancashire
Yorkshire vs Notts
Essex vs Surrey
Hampshire vs Sussex (elcassicoast)

Excellent performance from defending champs Worcs tonight, albeit on the perfect pitch for them. Future England captain Ed Barnard played a special knock to get them to 160, which was well above par and then they bowled and fielded exceptionally.

Somerset cruised home vs Glammy - Banton looks like an absolute player. Two scoops for six in the first over! He’ll be pressing for higher honours soon. Babar Azam is an superb signing too.

And, just to highlight a major problem with why the Blast has never really worked, ABdV made 88* on debut for Middlesex. And it wasn’t on TV anywhere.

Worcestershire looked great, agreed Jdizzle. Well led by Moeen Ali,thy seem y have all bases covered. Rate Pat Brown really highly and Barnard had a great game, that catch was special.

Phoney competition, we are all waiting for the 100 and REAL CRICKET 

Yeah excellent start for Worcs yesterday. I do fear a bit when Mo goes , he brings so much to the side not just in terms of ability with both bat and ball but his captaincy is excellent, really good under pressure.

Nice to see a good start for Pat Brown, interesting to see if he can replicate last season's success. And of course, Sir Ed doing bits as usual.

Surrey vs Middlesex the live game tonight. Should be a good one.

Sangakkara, great player terrible commentator.
Isa Guha terrible as well, 'Surrey have lots of batting to come..' - Nope. Rikki Clarke in at 5, Curran 6 and playing 7 bowlers..

Preparing for todays game:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27255455/josh-poysden-suffers-fractured-skull-nets-incident

Another indication of the risks bowlers (especially in the nets), close fielders and umpires now face.

Ackermann with 7-18 tonight against Birmingham!
Part time off spinner... Crazy figures

You'll do well to see a poorer bowling performance than what Somerset have put in defending 226 here...absolutely shocking

Atrocious. Concentrate on the Championship lads!

Great result for Essex last night. Bopara in decent form!
Got to feel a little sorry for Lancashire, win 8 games and top the north group but don't get home advantage as England are playing at Old Trafford. You're telling me there's no other suitable cricket grounds in the Manchester area?!

Notts take the second quarter final smashing Middlesex by 10 wickets. Hales and Nash smashing it to all parts and Middlesex woeful in the field, dropping a number of catches plus many misfields.

Ed Barnard, future England captain.

JDizzle wrote:Ed Barnard, future England captain.

Captaining Moeen Ali! Great performance from the Rapids.

Bloody love this Worcester side, what a squad

Notts vs Worcs
Derby vs Essex

Winner of the first game wins the final IMO. Although, Essex bowlers could be tricky on a used pitch in the final if they get there.

Mo's England form is the best thing that has happened to Worcester for a long time. Great win the other night.

Worcestershire complete the ultimate heist in the first semi-final. Nottingham needed 11 to win off 12 balls with eight wickets remaining and two set batsmen at the crease...somehow they lost.

that would be how this season ends

In my eyes this pitch has been absolute dogshite for a finals day

After stealing victory from nowhere in the semi-final, Worcestershire really threw the final away. Bopara played a good hand, though he only faced one ball in the last over.

Seems odd, incidentally, that there's no super over for this event and instead the tie-breaker is the old 'wickets remaining' rule.