Bell-Drummond in running for North v South series
Tuesday 9th May 2017
Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond is in the top four in the PCA Royal London One-Day Cup rankings which determine automatic qualification for the 2018 North v South series.
Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Ravi Bopara (Essex) and Ben Foakes (Surrey) currently occupy the other automatic spots for the South.
But there is a lot more cricket to be played over the next eight days, with a total of 31 more fixtures for players to claim MVP Rankings points – and more importantly, qualify for the knockout stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Unlike in previous seasons, when the top four from the North and South Groups qualified for quarter finals, this year it’s only the top three who will stay alive in the competition.
The teams who win the groups will be rewarded by a direct passage to a home semi final on June 16 and 17.
Earlier that week, on Tuesday June 13, there will be two play-offs for the other two semi final places – as second in the North Group are at home to third in the South Group, and vice versa.
Details of the 2018 North-South Series will be confirmed later this summer.
As in 2017, each squad will consist of 13 players – four earning automatic selection through their positions in the PCA MVP Rankings for the qualifying phase of the Royal London One-Day Cup, and the other nine chosen by the England selectors.
The next home match is a day-night Battle of the Bridge showdown against Essex Eagles at The Spitfire Ground on Wednesday 17 May (1.30pm).