Cobb Leads From The Front

Josh Cobb is the new leader in the chase for this year’s Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded for the fastest hundred of the season, with a 62-ball century.

Cobb, the 22-year-old son of former Leicestershire batsman Russell Cobb, hit 16 fours and 1 six in reaching his hundred, going on to finish with 130 scored off 87 balls. Leicestershire Foxes produced their best ever run chase to defeat Somerset by 6 wickets in the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition match at Grace Road on May 26.

Josh Cobb and Greg Smith shared a sensational 235 for the first wicket as the Foxes, who were chasing a target of 324, won with 7 balls to spare. Greg Smith, finishing on 135 not out, scored his hundred in 68 balls, just 6 slower than his opening partner.

Now in its 79th year, the Walter Lawrence Trophy is open to all domestic county competitions as well as One-Day Internationals, Twenty20 Internationals and Test Matches in England.

Leicestershire v Somerset scorecard

Josh Cobb’s career statistics

Hobson’s Choice

Ivo Hobson of Durham MCCU has taken over the top spot for this year’s Walter Lawrence MCC Universities Award, after scoring 129 against Cambridge MCCU on June 11.

The 22-year-old, right-handed opener hit 11 fours and 1 six in his innings, scored off 216 balls, in the drawn 2-Day MCCU Championship match at Fenner’s.

Heather In Clover

Heather Knight, the 22-year-old captain of Berkshire Women, is in pole position for this season’s Walter Lawrence Women’s Award after scoring an unbeaten 153.

Opening bat Knight, who has represented England at Test and one-day level, provided the platform for a 39-run victory over Middlesex Women in the LV Women’s Championship match at Uxbridge CC on May 6.

Among the six hundreds scored over the May Bank Holiday weekend, England captain Charlotte Edwards deserves special mention after making two unbeaten centuries, 120 and 128, for Kent Women.

The quartet of Walter Lawrence Trophy awards, supported by Veuve Clicquot, encompass four distinct areas of the game: the Walter Lawrence Trophy, for the fastest century of the season; the MCC Universities award for the highest score by a batsman from the six MCC Universities against the first-class counties or in the MCCU Championship; The Walter Lawrence Women’s Award for the batsman who makes the highest individual score in a season from the ECB Women’s County Championship, the ECB Women’s County T20 Cup and all England Women’s matches played on home soil, and, finally, the Walter Lawrence Schools Award for the highest score by a school batsman against MCC.