With the Bob Willis Trophy set to begin on August 1, Michael Rudling takes us through the South Group sides competing in this one-off first-class competition.

Essex

2019 form: Essex won their second Championship title in three years in 2019, pipping Somerset in a clash between the two sides at Taunton on the last day of the season.

Key player: Jamie Porter

A glaring absence from England’s 55-man training group, Porter has already hinted that he may be somewhere near his best, taking four wickets in a warm-up game against Kent.

One to watch: Sam Cook

Porter’s partner-in-crime perhaps goes unappreciated at times, but his CV is mighty impressive for a 22-year-old, boasting two County Championship wins and 87 first-class wickets at 24.

Kent

2019 form: Considering they were a newly promoted side, Kent performed admirably in 2019, finishing fourth in the Championship and producing some resounding wins.

Key player: Darren Stevens

The evergreen all-rounder is 44 now but last season was one of his finest yet, and his nagging medium pace could be lethal against batsmen lacking game time.

One to watch: Matt Milnes

He has a tendency to slide under the radar, but Milnes had a great season for Kent last year, taking 55 wickets at 25 in his first season in Division One.

Hampshire

2019 form: Hampshire finished comfortably third last year in Division One, but never really challenged for the title.

Key player: Sam Northeast

After being snubbed by England yet again, Northeast will be keen to continue the red-ball run plundering that has made him a key player in the Hampshire middle order.

One to watch: Felix Organ

Organ broke into the Hampshire side last year as a solid top-order bat but stole the show with the ball against Surrey, taking 5-25 at the Ageas Bowl. His all-round exploits may be handy in the early absence of Liam Dawson.

Middlesex

2019 form: Middlesex’s freefall that began after they won Division One in 2016 continued last year, as they finished eighth in Division two.

Key player: Nick Gubbins

One of the few players who can honestly claim to come into this tournament in any kind of form, Gubbins made a hundred in a pre-season friendly against Surrey.

One to watch: Miguel Cummins

Cummins failed to make a significant impact in his three games at Middlesex last year, but the Bajan Kolpak is blessed with genuine pace and could add some bite to a samey seam attack.

Surrey

2019 form: Surrey’s defence of their 2018 County Championship title was underwhelming to say the least. They finished sixth and would have been close to relegation had it not been for the reshuffling of divisions.

Key player: Rikki Clarke

Another veteran all-rounder, Clarke took 47 wickets in his third Championship season back at The Oval, winning him a raft of accolades at the club’s awards night.

One to watch: Will Jacks

Jacks made headlines last year with a 25-ball ton in a pre-season match against Lancashire in Dubai, and whilst he didn’t quite light up totally in the summer, he did make a maiden Championship hundred.

Sussex

2019 form: It was a muted performance for the men at Hove last year with a sixth-place finish in Division Two.

Key player: Ben Brown

A reliable presence with the bat and behind the stumps, Brown impressed last year, averaging 43 with the bat in the Championship, the highlight being a brilliant hundred to rescue his side from 68-6 to 377-6 against Northamptonshire alongside Chris Jordan.

One to watch: Ollie Robinson

Having been released from the England Test bubble, Robinson will be keen to add to his incredible first-class record (he took 63 Division Two wickets at 16 last year) and keep himself in the reckoning for future opportunities.

 

Bob Willis Trophy Fixtures – South Group

Group    Slot    Start                Home         Away               Venue
South     1         01-08-2020   Essex          Kent                The Cloud fm County Ground
South     1         01-08-2020   Surrey        Middlesex      Kia Oval
South     1         01-08-2020   Sussex        Hants              The 1st Central County Ground
South     2        08-08-2020   Essex          Surrey             The Cloudfm County Ground
South     2        08-08-2020   Kent            Sussex             Canterbury
South     2        08-08-2020   Middlesex  Hants              Radlett
South     3         15-08-2020    Hants         Surrey             Arundel
South     3         15-08-2020    Kent           Middlesex      Canterbury
South     3         15-08-2020    Sussex        Essex              The 1st Central County Ground
South     4         22-08-2020   Hants          Essex              Arundel
South     4         22-08-2020   Middlesex   Sussex           Radlett
South     4         22-08-2020   Surrey          Kent               Kia Oval
South     5        06-09-2020    Essex            Middlesex     The Cloudfm County Ground
South     5        06-09-2020    Kent              Hants            Canterbury
South     5        06-09-2020    Surrey          Sussex           Kia Oval