The T20 Blast is back and it’s everything, everywhere, all at once

1. Blast off!

Remember “event cricket”, for which you were obliged to make “an appointment to view”? When Twenty20 first appeared, in 2003, such phrases did the rounds once the bug had truly bitten and the genie was out of the bottle.

The latest iteration of the men’s Blast began on Friday and, by Monday evening, 17 matches had been played in three groups (south, north, and central and west).

Somebody must think this is a good idea.

2. Saffers suffocate bears

Long ago, I decided to watch T20 for the spectacle and enjoy the one thing it unequivocally gets right: Finals Day. This year, the women will play at the Oval on Friday 17 July and the men at EdgBlaston (oh yes) on Saturday 18 July. Despite that cringingly try-hard renaming, it’s always a great day out in Birmingham. But will the locals be at their own party?

The Warwickshire Bears (not Birmingham Bears any more – do keep up) have started with two defeats. They must have felt optimistic having bowled out Gloucestershire at Bristol for a meagre 121, old pros Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Chris Woakes knocking the top off the innings before teenager Tazeem Ali and Usman Tariq went through the slow bowlers’ box of tricks to leave the Bears well placed at the break.

But there was no answer to the home side’s big South African pacers, Duan Jansen (Marco’s twin brother) and the still formidable Marchant de Lange, who reduced the Bears to pussycats, with no way back from 48-6.

Just 30.5 overs were required for the match. Gloucestershire were home before the porridge got cold.

3. Rews bounce Hampshire to sorry defeat

The champions, Somerset, have started their defence with a 100% record, first walloping Hampshire at home and then seeing off the hapless Bears at, er, EdgBlaston.

James Vince was welcomed back into Hampshire colours and delivered a fluent 50, but the return of their favourite son could not turn round his county’s miserable season, with 158 seldom enough at Taunton.

Cue Will Smeed, back in his happy place, teeing off in white-ball cricket after a tricky start in the Championship. By the time he was out (four sixes and six fours), the home side had 96 at better than 10 an over and the Rew brothers finished the job with plenty to spare.

Somerset may lack spin options, but, such is their firepower and experience, they’ll be favourites for any chase under 200, maybe even 220 at home.

4. Ali and Ali deliver knockout blows

A new season in the Blast always brings a surprise or two as franchise cricketers turn up in unexpected places. So was that the Moeen Ali hitting five sixes as Yorkshire chased down a tricky 194 posted by Derbyshire? It surely was.

When Dom Bess was out in the 16th over, the Headingley crowd must have thought their new star recruit’s efforts were in vain, with 56 needed off 27 balls and one wicket in hand. But Andrew Tye and Hasan Ali are seasoned internationals and, with nothing to lose, out came the long handle and off went the ball like it was 1981 against Australia. The two bowlers returned to the pavilion to ask the batters what the problem was, the points secured with four balls in hand.

Yorkshire have two wins from two alongside Durham – and they also have the wind in their sails.

Moeen Ali’s sixes helped Yorkshire beat Derbyshire.

5. Sam Curran and other 3D cricketers

Surrey needed to make something happen in the Blast. Their red-ball cricket is too often hesitant, which is not an option in this format. Having seen off Lancashire comfortably in their opener, they crossed the Thames for the derby at Lord’s – a match that always meets the “event cricket” criteria. It almost always ends with a Surrey win too, not unexpectedly, given the imbalance in financial resources between the city rivals.

When Surrey were 56-4 chasing 144, the home side must have been smelling blood and a morale-boosting upset, but Sam Curran is a batting all-rounder these days and he found a partner in the much travelled south Londoner, Laurie Evans, and they cruised over the line in the 19th over.

It would be harsh to call players such as the Curran brothers (Tom had been the key man against Lancashire) bits-and-pieces merchants, but having such players, who need not be as classy as them, in an XI, gives a captain multiple routes to a victory. Expect to see more players delivering little spells of two overs of 14 runs and handy 30s from No 9.

6. Crawley edges forward

Kent sit next to Surrey at the top of the South Group with two wins from two. The second came in a fine chase against Sussex, a target of 199 reached with 10 balls to spare.

They were steered home by an undefeated 75 from Zak Crawley, his first half-century of a summer that has seen him lose his England place.

His position in the Test XI had become untenable and his connections and privileged background can make it difficult to sympathise with him. That said, it must have been a very difficult five months for a player who is still only 28, so I can join some, but perhaps not all fans, in hoping this marks the start of the road back to form for a mercurial talent.