Twenty20 Cup

[adamberry]

Originally Posted by DaveGillespie

[Broad] had Irani plumb LBW (halfway up middle) but given not out in the first over

Serves him right for one down the leg side on Wednesday. What goes around comes around.

Essex have lost by 23 runs, three wickets down in successive overs near the end scuppered their hopes of making the final. Leicestershire just had too strong a batting line-up, and bowled reasonably. Only Jeremy Snape impressed by taking 4/22, the rest (bar Broad) were expensive.

[Vrock]

Originally Posted by adamberry

Leicestershire just had too strong a batting line-up, and bowled reasonably. Only Jeremy Snape impressed by taking 4/22, the rest (bar Broad) were expensive.

I'd say it was more poor bowling of spin from Essex that allowed any pressure to be relieved for Leicestershire when batting, four overs costing nearly 50 runs was really poor from them. Whereas Snape bowled beautifully for his four wickets, great control and the 'moon ball' allowed for the Essex batsmen to get frustrated and slog, thus resulting in three balls going to the hands of out-fielders and Pettini hitting his own stumps. The guys at the other end weren't great but they weren't bowling dross either Broad was impressive, once again, and really got Essex on the back-foot in run-rate terms to allow Snape to frustrate the batsmen into slogging.

There was one interesting choice, for Essex to play Alastair Cook instead of Andy Flower and, as Nasser Hussain pointed out, was a mistake. Flower would have played Snape well I reckon, he's just too good to leave out.

The Sussex Shark has won the mascot race!

Notts will be batting first against Surrey.

[Mongoose]

If you haven't been watching the Twenty20, try to get a view of the highlights, if only to see Will Smith of Notts take perhaps the best boundary catch I've ever seen. Azhar Mahmood smacked a full toss flat to deep square leg, where Smith, salmon-like, leapt at full stretch to take the catch, a clean two feet off the ground and ending up rolling over upside down on his head.

Chris Read has just lost a tooth missing what, for him, is a straightforward stumping. The tooth has been out in his pocket, and he's now having his mouth inspected, but he seems OK. Ironically, he wore a lid when keeping up to Ealham, but has discarded it with Swann bowling from the other end.

[FortyLicks]

Ha ha, he now looks like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo

[Vrock]

Read's tooth bashing looked extremely painful on the replays, although the missed stumping was very poor keeping certainly. Smith's catch was amazing, a classic boundary take.

Notts are bowling first and have Leicestershire on 28-1 after 4.4 overs. Ryan Sidebottom picking up the only wicket so far with a very wide delivery edged onto the stumps. He bowled beautifully in the first match, great accuracy whilst Shreck took the wickets at the other end.

Darren Maddy is the first player to 1000 Twenty20 runs and, seeing as he is still at the crease, could really give the Foxes a big first innings total.

[Whips_off_the_bails]

So Leicestershire it is. They have thoroughly worked out their method in this form of the game and executed it to perfection. Thanks to the Outlaws for making it a good contest until the final couple of overs. That was highly enjoyable.

[mudney]

Leicestershire celebrated winning when Notts needed 11 of 1 ball. Yes!!! Great, then Allenby serves up a just above waist high full toss that goes for six! It should have been a no-ball, which would have left Notts with 4 off the last ball. Which could have been very do-able. I'm a Leicester man and I'm cockahoop that we won, but I think Notts could really feel a bit hard done by. Thats not to say that it cost Notts the game, but it could have given them an opportunity to win it.

[Vrock]

Originally Posted by mudney

It should have been a no-ball, which would have left Notts with 4 off the last ball.

First things first, it would have been a no-ball from a one-time viewing but the umpires had been consistent with wides and high full toss deliveries all day. As Jeremy Snape pointed out, the beeb mentioning that Azhar Mahmood had delivered a higher full toss (to Mark Ealham I believe) and that was not called a no-ball either.

Also, Notts would have only needed 3 runs to win had the no-ball been recognised.

Congratulations to the Foxes, Stuart Broad bowled, once again, brilliantly in the final.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by mudney

but I think Notts could really feel a bit hard done by. Thats not to say that it cost Notts the game, but it could have given them an opportunity to win it.

A little disappointed. A really excellent days cricket and entertainment. Very happy to have disposed of Surrey in that manner. When Fleming and Hussey were batting against the Foxes I thought we were going to win. Hussey should have batted more sensibly once Fleming was out. A long, tiring but top day out. Anyone thinking of going next year should certainly get tickets.

[Vrock]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...es/4789801.stm

The umpires have admitted that they should have called the final ball a no-ball.

To be honest I don't blame the umpires, given the situation, not to be able to make a definite call for it being waste-height.

Leicestershire had been the best team throughout the tournament and certainly deserved to win.