20/20 Cup: June 14th

Twenty20 Cup - 14th June 2003


Surrey v Essex @ Imber Court - South Division

A fantastic allround performance from the Pakistan International Azhar Mahmood enabled Surrey to remain unbeaten in the Twenty 20 cup.

Surrey batting first were going at over 10 an over until a mid order batting collapse reducing the home side to 5/107 and it was left to Graham Thorpe's 35-ball fifty and a 43 from 18 balls by Mahmood including 3 monster sixes to rescue the innings.

Needing 183 to win from their 20 overs, Essex soon found themselves in trouble at 12/2. However a quick-fire 30 from 18 balls from A Flower and 26 from 25 balls by the Essex captain R Irani kept the hopes alive of a win, however wickets began to fall at regular intervals and only a solid 31 from 27 balls by M Pettini was any other innings of real note.

Azhar Mahmood was the main destroyer with two crucial spells of bowling firstly at the top of the innings and then to finish the tail of at the death to end with figures of 4/20 from his 3.5 overs.

Surrey - 182/9 (20 Overs)

G Thorpe 50, Azhar Mahmood 43 and I Ward 30; R ten Doeschate 2/27, J Dakin 2/36, S Brant 2/39

Essex - 138 (18.5 overs)

M Pettini 31, A Flower 30, R Irani 26; Azhar Mahmood 4/20, A Hollioake 2/18, T Murtagh 2/26

Surrey Won By 44 Runs



Gloucestershire v Worcestershire @ Bristol - Midlands/West/Wales Division

In a low scoring affair by the early standards set, Gloucestershire came out on top with just five balls to spare.

Worcestershire found the going tough early on and soon found themselves three down with just 28 on the board, however enter the powerful South African allrounder; A Hall who hit a quick-fire 46 from just 38 balls and in doing so formed a vital 62 run partnership with Kadeer Ali who himself hit a solid 27 from 25 balls.

In reply Gloucestershire found themselves in an almost identical situation of being 3 down for just 24, before it was another rescue act from a South African. J Rhodes know for getting quick singles up his game and smashed a three 4's and a six en-route to a 35 ball 42, and he was given plenty of support all down the order until he was the last of the 6 wickets to fall, just 16 runs from victory. M Alleyne and R Russell finished the job with five balls to spare.

Worcestershire - 122 (19.5 Overs)

AJ Hall 46, Kadeer Ali 27 and D Leatherdale 16* ; M Ball 2/21, J Averis 2/25, I Harvey 2/29

Gloucestershire - 123 (19.1 overs)

J Rhodes 42, M Windows 27, M Alleyne 16* ; Harrity 2/20, C Liptrot 2/29, G Batty 1/28

Gloucestershire Won By 4 Wickets



Yorkshire v Derbyshire @ Headingley - North Division

Yorkshire were put into bat and were soon one down with the new overseas player S Fleming back in the hut for a golden duck. Yorkshire however recovered in style as all the batsman made significant contributions, no more so than M Lumb who obliterated the Derbyshire attack to all parts in a brutal 44 from just 22 balls. This came after Yuvraj Singh had laid a platform with M Wood 19 (13). Yuvraj Singh and M Lumb went on to share in a 48 run partnership, before the Derbyshire bowlers finally got their man (Lumb). Just when Derbyshire would have felt that the going would now be slightly easier C White 24 (16), R Blakey 30* (19) and T Bresnan 13* (9) all added quick runs and left Derbyshire with a daunting 187 to win.

Set 187 to win at just under 9.5 an over Derbyshire needed a quick start, which they got through a blistering 67 (45) from M Di Venuto, however while Di Venuto was scoring freely at the other end things were a lot tougher and wickets just kept falling with the number 2 - 7 managing just 29 runs between them.


Yorkshire - 186 (20 Overs)

Yuvraj Singh 44, M Lumb 42 and R Blakey 30* ; M Di Venuto 3/19 and D Cork 1/24

Derbyshire - 141 (18.1 overs)

M Di Venuto 67, T Lungley 18 ; R Sidebottom 2/21, A Gray 1/11 and T Bresnan 1/17

Yorkshire Won By 45 Runs

Posted by Richard