Ben Gardner picks out a combined XI of the best performers from the second week of Bob Willis Trophy action, with players from ten teams featuring.
Jake Libby (Worcestershire)
184 & 44
One half of a triple-century stand almost entirely overshadowed by events at Canterbury. Jake Libby just edges out Brett D’Oliveira, at the other end during the mammoth partnership, for scoring a few more runs, and because D’Oliveira couldn’t help bowl out Glamorgan on the last day.
Joe Weatherley (Hampshire)
98 & 64*
Hampshire’s win over Middlesex, having lost two players to injury mid-match, was a hell of an effort, and no one played a bigger part than 23-year-old Joe Weatherley. His first-innings 98 helped give Hants a slender lead and was the highest score of the game, but his unbeaten 64 in the chase was the real highlight. On a turning pitch, and with Hampshire short those two invalids, only Keith Barker at No.9 (effectively No.11) passed 20 apart from Weatherley.
Jordan Cox (Kent)
238*
Easy game. Playing his fifth first-class match, in the unfamiliar role of opener, 19-year-old Jordan Cox smashed 238 not out in one of the great county partnerships. Remember the name.
He won’t make next week’s team, however, with a social distancing breach ruling him out of Kent’s next clash.
Jack Leaning (Kent)
220*
The other half of that quadruple-century stand with Cox. Not content with his career-best six-hour double ton, Jack Leaning also claimed a stunning catch in the first over of Sussex’s reply.
Ryan Higgins (Gloucestershire)
1 & 51, 4-54 & 7-42
A moment-seizing, lion-hearted, untiring effort from the Bristolian Ben Stokes. Ryan Higgins claimed four wickets in the first innings to keep Warwickshire within reach, hit a half-century in the second to help stretch the lead out far enough, and then bowled nearly a third of the overs in the fourth innings, striking seven times to win the game in the dying moments of the final hour. What a cricketer.
Jordan Thompson (Yorkshire)
98 & 33, 1-37 & 3-6
Jordan Thompson made 98 in the first innings to lift Yorkshire from 136-5 to a competitive total and a useful 33 in the second to overturn a hefty lead. His figures of 3-6, including first innings centurion Tom Moores, then turned a tight defence into a cakewalk. Promising signs from the 23-year-old, playing just his fourth first-class game.
Tom Moores (wk) (Nottinghamshire)
106 & 8
Harvey Hossein was close, for his half-century and cunning stumping of Hassan Azad, but, despite defeat, Tom Moores’ second first-class ton gets him the nod. After a lean start to his first-class career, the highly rated son of former England head coach Peter will hope this is the moment he kicks on.
Jamie Overton (Somerset)
11 & 68, 1-14 & 4-26
Both Overtons could have made it in once more, but we’ve tried our best to separate them. While it was Craig’s 4-12 that skittled Northamptonshire for 67 to set the game up, Jamie scored more runs, including a 43-ball 68, and took one more wicket.
Simon Harmer (Essex)
19 & 17, 6-67 & 8-64
Another week, another dominant performance for Simon Harmer. He claimed six in the first innings and looked for a moment like he’d claim all 10 in the second. He had to settle for eight in the innings, 14 in the game, another win secured, and a place in this team.
Oliver Hannon-Dalby (Warwickshire)
0 & 18, 6-33 & 6-77
Another excellent performance in defeat, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the double-barrelled bowler claimed a pair of six-fors to register career-best innings and match figures, while his 30-ball 18 almost rescued a draw at the death.
Ben Sanderson (Northamptonshire)
0 & 0, 5-28 & 4-61
Northants might have been handily beaten by Somerset, but Ben Sanderson proved himself once again one of the most reliable new-ball operators on the circuit. He claimed nine cheap wickets in the game, with that first-class bowling average continuing to recede below 20.
