Over the last 18 months, all forms of cricket have been readily available to watch on YouTube or Free to Air TV, and much more. I have personally paid attention to the County Championship and the Local English game this season, because of this. The matches have been gripping to watch once the weather holds up (as it snowed during the first games of this season). In this blog, we’ll look at the top 3 batsmen – Tom Abell, James Bracey, and Jack Libby – from the English county setup that ECB shall consider in their national lineup.
All three batsmen have not only scored runs this season but have been players I have heard from various others in the game. To quote Max Holloway ‘Numbers don’t lie. Women Lie, Men Lie but numbers don’t lie.’
Tom Abell (Somerset)
He is also an impact bowler who has taken a handful of wickets in the first-class cricket, but his major value lies as a middle-order batsman.
Tom Abell is not only a great red ball player, but white ball too, as he showcased over the past 3 weeks in the Hundred. Here is his record in the ongoing county championship.
| Mtchs | Inns | Not Out | Runs | Highest | Aveg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8 |
12 |
2 |
635 |
132 |
63.50 |
James Bracey (Gloucestershire)
Due to the COVID outbreak from this summer, he broke into the England Test team for the series against New Zealand in June 2021, but the run-scoring. However, shot selection from this wicket-keeper-batsman has been amazing to watch this past season. At the young age of 24, we can expect James making the Ashes squad as second keeper if Jos Buttler doesn’t travel – which is almost a certainty.
He is an exciting prospect for the test team. I can see him scoring a lot of runs and keep wickets as well as he bats. With his current average of 43.78 from this season in the County Championship, he is a one for ECB to keep an eye upon. Below are his numbers from this season’s county championship.
| Mtchs | Inns | Not Out | Runs | Highest | Aveg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8 |
15 |
1 |
613 |
118 |
43.78 |
Jack Libby (Worcestershire)
This list cannot complete without the mention of the most improved player in the County Championship this year – Jack Libby. Playing from Worcestershire, he has been a run-scoring machine at the top of the order this season. Though he had an indifferent start to the season, he made those adjustments, and scored closed to 800 runs at 61.38. His record this championship includes 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries.
Since he is 28, he needs to keep this run-scoring spree up for next two seasons at least, which can give him a real go at the international setup. Below is his record from this county championship.
| Mtchs | Inns | Not Out | Runs | Highest | Aveg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10 |
15 |
2 |
798 |
180 |
61.38 |
Notable Mentions
Other notable mentions from this season’s county championship season are Matthew Critchley (Derbyshire) and Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire) and Adam Lyth (Yorkshire). Haseeb Hameed has already marked his return to the international scene and scored a half-century. The other two shall definitely be on ECB’s radar.
Is there any other batsman that you think shall be on this list? Then do share your thoughts with either in the comments section or write us on or Twitter or Instagram. Or write directly to me at my twitter handle Krish Patel.
