Porter says Bob Willis Trophy final will be clash of England’s best sides
Essex seamer Jamie Porter expects to be tussling for titles with Somerset for years to come but is desperate to stay onto pin the rivalry by winning this week’s Bob Willis Trophy final.
While the format of county cricket’s red-ball competition was changed as a result of the pandemic, with the two division structure revised into three geographical groups, the identity of the teams who will take the field today in a five-day Lord’s showpiece are entirely familiar.
In 2019, Essex edged Somerset to claim their second County Championship in three years, while the sides finished third and second in 2018 – painting a picture of two dominant clubs. Porter does not expect that to change any time soon but knows his side have established an edge and wants to keep it that way.
“I’m happy that it’s Somerset we are playing at Lord’s because, apart from us, they are the b est side out there,” he said. “We do believe we are the best side in the country and that comes off the back of our achievements. We want to defend the title, even though it’s not the same one this year.
“Our job is to rob them of some more silverware because they are our main contenders for these titles and, if I wanted to give them as much credit as possible, I’d say they will be for the next few years.”
Branding from Prostate Cancer UK will be in place around Lord’s and on the stumps, raising awareness of the disease which ex-england captain Bob Willis battled for several years before his death in December. The winners’ trophy is based on a portrait of the great paceman by his widow Lauren.