COUNTIES CRICKET Herefordshire showcase talent
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 12 June 2024 21:10
- Last Updated on Thursday, 13 June 2024 07:17
- Published on Wednesday, 12 June 2024 21:11
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
Gloucestershire won both matches in the T20 double-header – the first of this season’s Showcase fixtures between the 20 National Counties and 18 first-class counties – but Khan and Walker ensured that a young Herefordshire side emerged with plenty of credit.
Khan, a former Warwickshire Academy player, made a swashbuckling 49-ball 72 in the first match, which Gloucestershire won by 48 runs, with Walker, once on Worcestershire’s books, following up with 77 from 62 balls in the second which Gloucestershire won by 52 runs.
Those innings ensured that Herefordshire were competitive in both matches even though they were missing three of their most experienced batters – former Worcestershire pair Matt Pardoe and Taylor Cornall plus Nick Hammond – who were all unavailable for the midweek fixture.
In contrast, Gloucestershire travelled to Clenchers Mill Lane with their most of their first team squad and used 17 players over the two matches which meant they had mostly fresh bowlers for the second match.
Herefordshire ensured that their first-class visitors were given a thorough workout which Gloucestershire hope will help them recover from a slow start to their Vitality Blast campaign.
Herefordshire, who reached the Super 12s stage of the National Counties T20 competition, will now turn their attention back to 50 overs cricket and a trip to Whitchurch to face Shropshire in a National Counties Trophy group two match on Sunday, buoyed with confidence after their efforts against Gloucestershire.
“To get two scores against Gloucestershire who put out pretty much a first team in both games was very pleasing,” said Herefordshire coach Richard Skyrme.
“Daniyal Khan’s innings was exceptional. He batted very maturely for someone who is still only 18. I thought was a really, really good innings and Ollie Walker, as we know, has done it a lot for us in the last three years. He’s still only 19 and he again showed what a fine player he is.
“Daniyal came to our indoor nets in the winter at Malvern and he just looked a quality player.
“I think the T20, to be fair, isn’t quite his first-choice format but the way he struck the ball today and the way he conducted his innings and built his innings was very impressive.”
The performances of Khan and Walker will have been noted with interest by Gloucestershire head coach Mark Alleyne and his coaching team who are known for recruiting from National Counties cricket with 13 members of their squad having come through that system.
In the first match of the day Gloucestershire made 221 for five with former England batter James Bracey (55) and Ollie Price (61) – a product of Oxfordshire’s youth system – putting on 123 for the second wicket.
Tasmanian Beau Webster (46 not out) and Ed Middleton – who Gloucestershire signed from Devon – the shared an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 55 at the end of an innings that contained 15 sixes.
Khan and Jughar Johal led Herefordshire’s spirited response with a second wicket stand of 84 with Johal striking 36 from 22 balls and Khan eight fours and three sixes in his impressive innings.
After Khan departed, Imaad Mahmood sustained the resistance before rookie seamer Archie Bailey – watched by his father and top racehorse trainer Kim – ended the match with three wickets in the last over.
For the second match Gloucestershire included Australia Test batter Cameron Bancroft who played a supporting role to Tommy Boorman in an opening stand of 92.
Bancroft was bowled by Mahmood but Boorman struck the ball cleanly and took four successive sixes off Josh Holling on his way to 72 from 48 balls before he was bowled by 16-year-old seamer Toby.
A flurry of boundaries from Jack Taylor and Middleton lifted Gloucestershire to 200 for four but Herefordshire again made them work hard for their victory.
Johal (26) and Walker opened with a partnership of 44 before Khan joined Walker in an attacking third wicket stand of 52 with Khan completing an excellent day’s work by finishing unbeaten on 30 from 20 balls.
“You have to give congratulations to Eastnor. The ground was picture-perfect and when I got here about a quarter-to-eight the club volunteers were working away. They are proud of their club and so they should be,” Skyrme said.
“When the Gloucestershire players got here they were saying: ‘wow, this is beautiful.’
“Everything from the ground, to the Cricket Board staff who have been here all day, the volunteers and the players, have all contributed to a very successful day.”
The remaining 19 Showcase matches will be 50 overs contests and played between July 21 and 23.
Showcase Matches (T20)
Eastnor: Gloucestershire 221-5 (Ollie Price 61, James Bracey 55, Beau Webster 46 not out), Herefordshire 173-7 (Daniyal Khan 72, Archie Bailey 3-26). Gloucestershire won by 48 runs.
Gloucestershire 200-4 (Tommy Boorman 72), Herefordshire 148-3 (Ollie Walker 77). Gloucestershire won by 52 runs.
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