RICHARD CLARKEAKA The Grumbler

It pains me to say it but this week’s Royal London Cup final simply felt small. Two of the smaller counties in the domestic game playing in front of a small crowd in a competition whose reputation has been diminishing in recent years.Don’t get me wrong, as a tournament, the 50-over event exceeded all expectations this year. It was feared that the Royal London Cup would become the first casualty of The Hundred but, in fact, all those callups created an enthralling ‘lads and Dads’ event full of wily old stagers and young buc...