OVER the past couple of weekends, I have had the pleasure of watching two local cricketing derbies.

Hook and Newnham Basics played in both of them, hosting Hartley Wintney the first week before travelling to Basingstoke and North Hants.

The results have been varied. Hartley caused a bit of an upset by beating Hook, who bounced back in excellent style, bowling Basingstoke out for just 50 last week to win by a massive 151 runs.

However, what has been impressive has been the spirit in which both games were played.

At times in the past, these games have had a negative feel to them. A few years ago, then Hook captain Ross Hunter was outspoken in his criticism of his opposite number at Hartley, while there were a couple of flashpoints in last year’s game between Basingstoke and Hook at May’s Bounty.

I’m delighted to say that there was no repeat of any of this in the two most recent games.

For these players, cricket is a hobby, a game they give up their weekends for throughout the summer months. They want to win every game, but it’s equally important that they have a good time.

That’s why I was so happy to see players from both sides enjoying a drink together after each game.

The atmosphere was especially good at May’s Bounty on Sunday. Despite having been handed a bit of a tonking, Basingstoke’s players were more than willing to spend half-an-hour or so in the company of their conquerors, while Hook were gracious in victory.

It may not give me much to write about, but it does allow us to focus on the cricket, which can only be a good thing.

Having three teams playing a high standard of cricket in the same league has to be great news for north Hampshire.

The fact that each side has won one and lost one of their derby fixtures so far may not be good in terms of one of them challenging for the title, but it sets us up brilliantly for the second round of games.

Let’s hope that they too are played in the right spirit.

Basingstoke Gazette: Adil Rashid impressed on a generally disappointing day for Yorkshire

LAST week, I was busy extolling the virtues of the New Zealand cricket team – and if Tuesday’s One Day International is anything to go by, England are learning plenty from them.

For the past few years, England have been playing an increasingly outdated way in the 50-over format.

The growth of T20 cricket has changed the mindset of many teams, with 300 often a par score in such games.

Players like Alastair Cook and Ian Bell are outstanding cricketers capable of building an innings in difficult circumstances, but smashing the ball to all parts of the ground simply isn’t their forte.

The England management have made a brave decision, discarding these players in favour of big-hitting batsmen who take risks.

This paid off in spades on Tuesday, with England smashing their way to a total of more than 400 for the first time in history on the way to a great win.

Let’s not get carried away. They could just as easily be bowled out for a low total in the next game. That’s the risk you take.

However, every game, be it a win or a defeat, will help as they look to build towards the next World Cup.

The focus was very much on the batsmen on Tuesday, and rightly so, but it was my first chance to have a look at leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

He’d already proved that he could bat and he then did brilliantly with the ball, catching several batsmen out with his googly. I honestly cannot remember the last time an England spinner bowled a googly and quality slow bowlers have been hard to come by down the years.

Surely Rashid should be given a chance in the Test team. He could just provide the x-factor England need to have a chance of beating Australia this summer.