duckett and vince shine Ben Duckett and James Vince warmed up for the North v South Series with fluent centuries on a high-scoring day at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Northamptonshire’s Duckett cracked 137 from 92 balls to help the North beat Worcestershire by 71 runs while Hampshire’s Vince steered the South to a five wickets win over the United Arab Emirates with an unbeaten 125. Duckett, who won both the NatWest Player and Young Player of the Year prizes at last year’s NatWest Professional Cricketers’ Association Awards, was one of seven players who secured their places in the three-match North v South series on their performances in last season’s PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings for the Royal London One-Day Cup. Ben Duckett and James Vince in action He has since played for England in four Tests and three One Day Internationals and found form ahead of Friday’s opener against the South in Dubai by striking three sixes and 22 fours to help the North pile up 416 for six against a full-strength but rusty Worcestershire attack. North captain Keaton Jennings weighed in with five sixes in his 92, his highest score since his century on Test debut in Mumbai last year. Despite 89 from new PCA Chairman Daryl Mitchell and half centuries from Brett D’Oliveira (65), Ed Barnard and new captain Joe Leach, Worcestershire were kept in check by North spinners Graeme White – another to qualify through the PCA MVP Rankings – , Liam Livingstone and Josh Poysden. The South seemed set for more of a struggle on the adjoining oval against the UAE, who made 343 for nine from their 50 overs with centuries from Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar. But Dawid Malan laid a sound platform with 79 from 71 balls, sharing a second-wicket stand of exactly 100 with Vince, who faced 85 balls for his 125 before he retired out to give the middle-order some time at the crease. Neither game had List A status, but both Vince and Duckett look ready to stake their claims for an England white-ball recall in the North-South Series – which will be watched by England head coach Trevor Bayliss and all three selectors. The serious business begins on Friday in the grander surroundings of the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which will stage the first two matches of the series before it concludes in Abu Dhabi next Tuesday. Tom Curran, the only member of either 13-man squad not to take part in the warm-up matches because of a stiff back, is confident of being available for selection to the South’s coach Paul Farbrace.
