Here in the UK, with the Vitality T20 Blast at its halfway point, we finally had a brief grace of sunshine for the brief return of 'red ball' cricket.
In the County Championship Division One bottom of the table clash between Kent and Lancashire, Luke Wells continued his fine form with a sparkling 150 knock, helping Lancashire to a convincing win and consigning fellow struggles Kent to propping up the table.
Meanwhile, at the top of the table, Durham skipper Scott Borthwick chipped in with a gritty 71 to grind out a draw with fellow title contenders Essex.
In Division Two, Luis Reece scored a battling 125, but his efforts were in vain as Derbyshire eventually lost to promotion contenders Middlesex.
Pictured: Left, Scott Borthwick, Durham CC, Right, Luis Reece, Derbyshire CC
Back to the Blast
We return to the Vitality Blast this Friday, where several B3 ambassadors will hope to follow on with their T20 form.
Having won 5 from 8, Lancashire currently sits second in the North Group with standout performances from Luke Wells and Jack Blatherwick.
Luke Wells has been consistent with the bat, scoring 49 not out, 34 and a 66 off 32 balls against Birmingham in the first round of blast games. He has also been effective with the ball, taking 7 wickets, including multiple two-wicket hauls.
Jack Blatherwick has also been making significant contributions for Lancs, taking 3 for just 14 runs, helping Lancashire bowl out Durham for a mere 75, and in the Rose clash against Yorkshire, he claimed the key wickets of Joe Root and Donovan Ferreira, showcasing his consistent ability to take crucial scalps at critical points in the game. He's also displayed impressive fielding ability and contributed with the bat with some powerful big hitting.
Pictured: Left, Luke Wells, Lancashire, Right, Jack Blatherwick, Lancashire.
Not to be outdone, Graham Clark has belted Durham into quarter-final contention with several vital knocks throughout the tournament. In a high-scoring tight affair in the return game against Lancashire, Clark scored a decisive 87 from 55 to help his side to victory by two runs, ably assisted by the bowling of fellow B3 ambassadors Paul Coughlin and Callum Parkinson.
Pictured: Graham Clarke, Durham
The game also involved the catch of the tournament so far as a tumbling Coughlin somehow managed to grab a remarkable caught and bowled.