It’s A Tie At The Top As Brook Joins Carlson
With the season in it’s final weeks, England’s white-ball captain, Harry Brook, has smashed a 42-ball hundred to join Glamorgan skipper, Kiran Carlson, as leaders in the race to win this year’s Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded for the fastest century of the season. Brook’s innings, for England against Sri Lanka in the 1st T20 International at The Utilita Bowl, Southampton, on September 15, ended unbeaten on 114, which included 10 fours and 6 sixes. His hundred was his second in T20Is, and the joint-second fastest, with Liam Livingstone, by an England player, Phil Salt’s 38-baller being the quickest.
After being inserted by Sri Lanka, and losing an earlyish wicket, Harry Brook joined Jos Buttler and they put on a dazzling 2nd-wicket stand of 128 in 10 overs before England finished their 20-over stint on 254-4, a total that Sri Lanka fell well short of by 119 runs.
Born in Keighley, Yorkshire, 27-year-old Harry Brook has become a prodigious talent and is currently ranked the World’s Best Test Batsman in the ICC rankings and one of the most destructive in limited-over cricket. Educated at Ilkley Grammar School and Sedbergh School and a product of the Burley-in-Wharfedale CC, Brook made his first-class debut for Yorkshire against Pakistan A in June 2016 whilst still at school.
In 2017, following a series of three centuries scored within a fortnight for Yorkshire’s 2nd XI, he made his County Championship debut against Middlesex at Lord’s in June. In August, Brook was made captain of the England Under-19s in a 5-match youth ODI series against India before leading the squad to the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he was the leading run-scorer for England and named the rising star of the squad by ICC. In January 2022 , Harry made his England T20I debut against West Indies and later that year made his Test debut against South Africa. He made a sensational start to his Test career by amassing 809 runs in his first six Test appearances having batted ten times with an average of 80.90 and with a strike rate of almost 100.
Brook was part of the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup and subsequently his stellar career is literally bursting with feats and impressive statistics, which so far includes 10 Test centuries, one of which was a triple hundred – 317 against Pakistan in Multan, 3 ODI centuries and 2 T20I hundreds.
Previous to Harry Brook’s September strike, Kiran Carlson had looked all set to clinch the Walter Lawrence Trophy with his 42-ball hundred, scored for his county against Somerset in the Vitality Blast match at Cardiff way back on May 29.
Having won the toss and opting to bowl first, Glamorgan were faced with overhauling Somerset’s total of 171-9 in their 20 overs. Opening the batting, Carlson led the chase with partner Will Smale, unleashing some Welsh fireworks as they put on 146 for the first wicket. Kiran brought up his hundred in 42 balls before falling for 109, during which he smote 6 sixes and 13 fours. The home victory was soon achieved by 7 wickets with 37 balls remaining. In 2016 Carlson made his first-class debut for Glamorgan against Northants and that year he became the youngest player to score a first-class century for Glamorgan, against Essex, aged 18 years and 119 days. The 28-year-old right-hand bat and off-break bowler was born in Cardiff, educated at Whitechurch College and studied engineering at Cardiff University, combining his degree with cricket. Having led the side in limited-overs cricket for four years, Kiran took over as county captain this year and in May scored his maiden double-hundred, 209 off 232 balls, against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl. Later in the season he represented London Spirit in The Hundred competition.
The Walter Lawrence Trophy, now in its 92nd year, is awarded for the fastest hundred of the season and is open to all domestic county competitions as well as One-Day Internationals, T20 Internationals, The Hundred and Test matches in England. Along with the Trophy, the winner will receive £2,500 plus a special medallion at the Walter Lawrence Trophy Presentation Dinner in the Long Room at Lord’s in November.
Tahalia’s Tally
Meanwhile in the Walter Lawrence Women’s Award, for the player who makes the highest individual score in a season from ECB domestic cup games and all England Women’s matches played on home soil, Tahalia Wilson has been in pole position since April 15 after she thumped 152 for Durham’s Women against Essex in the Women’s One-Day-Cup match at Chester-le-Street.
Thanks to Tahalia’s career-highest innings, scored off 163 balls, and including 15 fours, Durham set a target of 311-3 from their 50 overs, which Essex fell short of by 23 runs.
Born in Figtree, New South Wales, the 26-year-old Australian wicket-keeper plays for New South Wales Breakers in the Women’s National Cricket League and has represented Australia Under-19s, Australia Women, Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers, as well as Durham.
The winner of the Walter Lawrence Women’s Award will receive £2,500 plus a special medallion at the Walter Lawrence Trophy Presentation Dinner in the Long Room at Lord’s in November.