Cricket of County: Worcestershire and Hampshire reach the final of the one -day cup | Cricket

1. Business or pleasure?

At this time of the year, a tension between the sports business and the integrity of competitions arises. The hundred finishes and the players are suddenly available just when the one -day cup is reaching their conclusion. The counties, as companies, are free to hire whoever they want. The players, who make a living, are free to resume the races of their county, after having been somewhere else during the last four weeks.

But sport is not simply a business, even at the upper level, and Crick could improve its rules. The counties could, voluntarily or through the competition game conditions, parachute bars players once they are released from other obligations. Such a rule could be challenged as a trade restriction, but is rooted in sports integrity, the idea of ​​long data that clubs must use a set of resources largely fixed within a specific tournament. In football, new signings are tied for this reason.

A company will always seek to obtain a competitive advantage; A club must always prioritize the sports principles and interests of its members. What side are you? Taking into account that the key squad changes between the end of the group stage and the beginning of the knockouts, how were the eliminators and the semifinals?

2. Orr shows its temper

Hampshire traveled to a Ruina in Middlesex instead of playing her eliminator in one of her own, but they still ran out of comfortable winners and reserved their place in the semifinals.

The Radlett game added a chapter to one of the most moving stories of summer, since Ali Orr continued their rehabilitation as an exciting young player with a winning performance of the game. He had only made an appearance in the explosion and two in the championship before a race in the one -day cup that has helped him find his feet again after the injury setbacks.

AT 95 for Five After Henry Brookes Had Shot Out The Top Order, Orr Found A Partner In The Experienced All-Rounder James Fuller, and Hampshire Dragged Theselves Up To Set Low, If Defendable, Target of 230. Eleven Liam Dawson, Enjoying His First Long Bowl Test, had disposition of middlesex’s two best batters, Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins, and Captain Ben Geddes, There was no Way Back for the local side.

If your team has a batter that gets 108 in a match in which the next best score is 48, it is unlikely to lose, and the Orr no team. Hampshire’s victory established a semifinal against Yorkshire.

3. Very few to challenge the Rews

In the other eliminator between Somerset and Gloudeshire in Taunton, there was a welcome Rheacy for the old friends since Duckworth, Lewis and Stern were padded and ready for action, having been unemployed during most of this sunny summer.

Glousteshire, perhaps with one eye in the forecast, decided to put races on the board, a derailed plan after James Bracey and Cameron Bancroft went to 14 overs and, with Jake Ball and Tom Lammonby leading the sewing effort and Jack Leach Parsimonus with his turn, the batting never caused.

A 156 target was never enough and it was not yet enough after DLS, after a rainy break, had modified it 149 of 45 overs. All you need is a couple of scores and it was not a surprise that the Rew brothers would deliver them. They are so fundamental in NO 4 and No. 5 that you must remind you that James has 21 and Thomas 17. Obviously, they are the future of Somerset; The question is whether they are also the future of England.

4. The form of mature pears

Trump’s letters are useful in all game formats, but perhaps especially in the 50 overs cryket. A weapon batter can get a really large one and a bowling player can use the new ball, return when a wickt is needed to break an association and then take the death of the equation hitting a couple late.

Khurram Shahzad, the Pakistani test bowling player, had not raised any tree for Worcestershire in 2025, but was constantly improving, so it was not a true surprise that it was fine when necessary, in the semifinal against Somerset.

A solid domestic batting order instead of spectacular delivered a solid score instead of spectacular 275 for nine of its complete assignment, Jack Leach again keeps it very tight. Somerset knew that a good start is key to medium persecution like that, relaxing the batters to come and allow the Wickets to fall without activating a crisis. The problem is that Jake Libby knew too.

He turned to his spearhead and Shahzad took four wickts in his initial spell leaving too much for the captain of Somerset, James Rew, and the game left the visitors in less than 30 overs.

Worcestershire will play its first final of a day since 2019 and I suspect that its fans will arrive at Trent Bridge en Masa on September 20.

5. Dawson and Currie too hot for Tykes

You like it or not (and I don’t) the victory of Hampshire’s semifinal over Yorkshire into Scarborough turned a star performance by Liam Dawson, lastly seen playing for London Spirit in The Hundred.

At 78 for four in 20, visitors were in a hole, but Dawson found a partner in Ben Mayes, 17 (89 for the fifth Wickt) and then the all -terrain of Scotland, Scott Currie, who achieved his first half century of the white ball in a position of 136 for the sixth Wickt. Dawson was out of the last ball for a list of 142 in his career.

The 32nd of persecution demonstrated the turning point. Yorkshire began with IMAM-ul-haq after 100 with power to add Finlay Bean to the company. They finished it with George Hill and Harry Duke in the fold with a reconstruction work in their hands that should demonstrate too much. The batting heroes, Dawson and Currie, picked up a couple of wickts each in a decent game for all -terrain.

6. Make a simple complicated game

Cricket is a complex game. Its structure should simplify it, not complicate it even more. That the proposals for 2026 need an article like this to explain them is a sufficient reason to throw them all and start over.