After a strong start to the Vitality Blast campaign and a dramatic last gasp victory over Sussex in the LV= Insurance County Championship, June’s shortlist for the NIC Player of the Year won’t come to a surprise to many…
Jonny Bairstow
The England star scored two fifties and a blistering century in four Vitality Blast innings at the start of the competition. His century was 112 off just 51 balls in a hammering of Worcestershire at New Road, putting on an astonishing display of power hitting. Bairstow even played the second half of that particular innings basically on one leg having suffered an ankle injury trying to complete a run. He has since joined up with England’s limited overs squads.
Dom Bess
He took three wickets during the final day of Yorkshire’s LV= Insurance County Championship victory over Sussex at Emerald Headingley at the start of the month, a win which could prove crucial in the final reckoning this summer. The off-spinner, an inexperienced hand in T20 cricket, has bowled nicely in the Vitality Blast for Yorkshire, claiming nine wickets in six matches through June, including career best hauls of 3-21 against Derbyshire and 3-17 against Northamptonshire – both at Emerald Headingley.
Harry Brook
Yorkshire’s rising star with the bat ended June with a staggering average of 93 in nine Vitality Blast innings, five of which were not outs. His haul of 372 runs included a brilliant 83 not out to help the Vikings recover from 15-4 to post 191-5 in victory over Worcestershire at Emerald Headingley. He and Jordan Thompson shared 141 for the sixth wicket, the second highest T20 partnership for that wicket anywhere in the world. Only New Zealander Devon Conway finished the month with a higher average in the Blast, but his 95 came in only four games as Somerset’s overseas player.
Jordan Thompson
The all-rounder is up there amongst the hardest hitting batsmen in the Vitality Blast this season, striking at 200 runs per 100 balls. Of those who are striking at more than 200, nobody has batted as many times as Thompson’s six innings. He has posted 166 runs in the Blast, including two fifties. One was in the win over Worcestershire in the aforementioned record partnership with Harry Brook (66 not out). His other was a career best 74 off 35 balls in a landslide win over Northamptonshire at Emerald Headingley when he batted at three. He has also taken 11 Blast wickets. He has been signed up by the Northern Superchargers for the Hundred on the back of this form.
