Gayle Force At Taunton!

Somerset’s Chris Gayle has set the pace for this year’s Walter Lawrence Trophy with a 45-ball hundred, scored against Kent in the NatWest T20 Blast match at Taunton on May 31.

In an extraordinary game Kent’s captain Sam Northeast scored the fastest century of the season so far, in just 51 balls, as his side posted a score of 227-7. Gayle then smashed an unbeaten 151 off just 62 balls, hitting 10 fours and 15 sixes, losing 3 cricket balls in the process!

The 35-year-old former West Indies captain scored 20 or more runs in individual overs from Fabian Cowdrey, Matt Coles and 2013 Walter Lawrence Trophy winner Darren Stevens, as he carried his bat through the innings. However, Gayle’s stunning innings was not enough, as Somerset finished just 3 runs short of Kent on 224-7.

Now in its 81st year, the Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded for the fastest hundred of the season, is open to all domestic county competitions as well as One-Day Internationals, T20 Internationals and Test Matches in England.

Somerset v Kent scorecard
Chris Gayle’s career statistics

VIDEO:Somerset v Kent, NatWest T20 Blast, 31May15





Izzy And Miranda Lead The Field

With scores of 127 in the Royal London Women’s One-Day Cup, Isobel Joyce, the captain of Ireland Women, and Miranda Veringmeier, of Netherlands Women, are joint-leaders for this year’s Walter Lawrence Women’s Award.

All-rounder Joyce scored an unbeaten 127 from 110 balls, including 20 fours, in the Division 2 match against Worcestershire Women at Chester Road North, Kidderminster on May 3. Veringmeier hit 14 fours and 1 six in her innings against Derbyshire Women in the Division 3 match at St Johns Road, Stainsby on June 21.

Born in Wicklow, 31-year-old ‘Izzy’ Joyce has represented Ireland in 1 Test, 67 One-Day Internationals and 39 T20s. She comes from a family steeped in cricket: her twin sister, Cecelia, plays alongside her while her three brothers Ed, Dom and Gus have all played for Ireland. Ed, most notably, is the current captain of Sussex and Ireland, and has also played for England at One-Day and T20 level.

Miranda Veringmeier, the 22-year-old opener and wicket-keeper, was born in Schiedam and has represented the Netherlands in 15 One-Day Internationals and 8 T20 Internationals.


Lloyd’s Banker

Lloyd Sabin of Oxford MCCU is this year’s winner of the MCC Universities Award with a highly impressive innings of 216. The 21-year-old from Banbury, Oxfordshire, hit 23 fours and 7 sixes in his knock made from 258 balls, against Cambridge MCCU at Fenner’s on May 12.

Sabin, who started playing for Banbury CC at the age of 6, became a member of the Middlesex Academy before going to Oxford Brookes University from where he has just graduated with a degree in sports coaching and physical education. He has also played for Oxfordshire Minor Counties (2010-14) and Middlesex 2nd XI.

Sabin, who is the second Oxford winner since the award’s inception in 2006, will receive a special silver medallion and prize of £500 at the Walter Lawrence Trophy Presentation Dinner in The Long Room at Lord’s on November 3.


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.