da esport bet： The final 50 over B&H competition (for now at least) starts today withsome interesting confrontations
Ed Green28-Apr-2002The final 50 over B&H competition (for now at least) starts today withsome interesting confrontations.Southern GroupThe only one day first division side in the group, Kent, sit out thisround.Essex v Sussex at ChelmsfordBoth sides have exciting Zimbabwean overseas players and young upcomingkeepers, the crucial contest though will be between Essex’s seasonedbatting and James Kirtley who, having spent some time working on hisaction over the winter, has started the season in excellent form in theChampionship taking wickets on fine batting tracks against Surrey andSomerset.Essex may also be hard pressed to contain Sussex’s batsmen, Adams hasalready scored two championship centuries this season and Goodwin,Yardy, Cottey and Martin-Jenkins have also been in the runs. Howevertheir wily veteran attack will hope to contain them.Middlesex v Surrey, Lord’sIn the two Championship divisions, the pace is being set by the two London sides, B&H Champions Surrey are notoriously erratic at the one day formof the game, but have begun the four day season in such dominant formthat few would bet against them in any match right now. The B&H cup willalso be special to them this year as Ben Hollioake excelled in thiscompetition.For Middlesex it is the last chance of old campaigner ‘Gus Fraser to putone over on the county’s old rivals, much will depend on their bowlingthough as few of the Middlesex side are capable of the ferocious scoringrate that Surrey’s batsmen are capable of when the force is with them.Derbyshire v Lancashire, DerbyAs in the confrontation at Lords both sides can boast two wins in theirfirst two games of the county season. Dominic Cork has begun the seasonin formidable bowling form with eighteen wickets in just two games,while Martin leads the Lancastrian attack with thirteen wickets in theirmatches.Lancashire’s batting may well prove too strong for Derbyshire, butDerbyshire have begun the season so strongly, and Cork on fire, after adreadful season in 2001 they cannot be entirely ruled out.Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire, NottinghamBoth of these sides went down to innings defeats in the second round ofchampionship games and will be eager to erase the memories. With Kluseneras overseas player and having had a fine run in this competition lastseason Notts will be hoping for early season success.Yorkshire’s bowling attack and Darren Lehmann’s capacity to turn gameswith his own brand of explosive batting will be the key weapons for theTykes, but the clean hitting of their own lower order can be a powerfulfactor in one day contests.Northamptonshire v Glamorgan, NorthamptonThe placid Northampton square is ideally suited to high scoring one daymatches, Northant’s upper order gorged themselves in the four daycontest against Worcestershire with three scores in excess of 130.Darren Cousins leads their attack with Scotland’s John Blain and CarlGreenidge, signed from Surrey over the winter.Glamorgan have, in Croft, Thomas and Simon Jones – whose bowling was the highlight of their defeat by Derbyshire in the championship – bowlers who can take wickets while containing batsmen. They also have – with the hardhitting Kasprowicz coming in low down the order – batting of their ownthat is quite capable of posting or chasing a total.Warwickshire v Somerset, BirminghamSomerset should start favourites. With Trescothick and Caddick contracted by the ECB, the knock out trophies represent their best hope of silverware this season. Last year’s C&G winners topped Group West in 2001 and, with batting that runs right down from the class of Cox and Trescothick to the power of Johnson and Blackwell, they travel expecting success.Warwickshire for their part have, in Nick Knight and Sean Pollock twoplayers who can single handedly win games in this form of cricket.Medium pacer Alan Richardson starred with eight wickets in their CC1defeat at the hands of Lancashire.