A round-up from the Twenty20 quarter-finals as Surrey and Leicestershire continue their history of reaching the finals
Cricinfo staff24-Jul-2006
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Rikki Clarke tore in the Gloucestershire bowling © Getty Images
Surrey maintained their record of reaching every Twenty20 finals day with an overwhelming performance at Bristol, usually a fortress for Gloucestershire in one-day cricket. However, the home side made the unusual decision of bowling first and were never really in the contest. At 80 for 3, Surrey were not racing away but that soon changed as Mark Ramprakash and Rikki Clarke joined forces in a thrilling stand of 139 for the fourth wicket. There were boundaries galore as the pair tucked into the Gloucestershire attack with the spinners taking some fearful hammer. Ramprakash smashed 10 fours and three sixes while Clarke – dropped twice – struck five over the rope in his 42-ball 79. Ramprakash eventually fell for a 50-ball 85 but Surrey had a huge total and the pressure showed. Both Gloucestershire’s key strikers – Craig Spearman and Ian Harvey – went early and with them so did any hopes for the run chase. Anil Kumble used his experience while Nayan Doshi continued his wicket-taking form in this tournament. No one will want a semi-final against Surrey.
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Peter Willey sends runner Bilal Shafayat on his way after Rikki Wessels was run out © Getty Images
David Hussey powered Nottinghamshire into the finals day for the first time with a powerful 71. Samit Patel also played a crucial part with 65 in a third-wicket stand of 121 as they ran Northamptonshire ragged in the field. Both batsmen treated Trent Bridge’s highest domestic crowd for more than 30 years to some fine stroke play as they launched nine sixes between them. Stephen Fleming had given the innings early momentum with 39 off 28 balls before falling to Sourav Ganguly – who conceded more than 11-an-over. The Northants top order couldn’t produce a similar boundary-crashing display as the Nottinghamshire seamers made vital early inroads. Ganguly’s poor form continued as he was caught off Ryan Sidebottom – whose spell cost just 16 – for 5. There was then an incident involving Rikki Wessels who was run out after a mix-up and had to be carried off the field on a stretcher. The chase quickly became a lost cause for Northants despite a violent innings from Lance Klusener and Nottinghamshire will now have home advantage on finals day.
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Darren Maddy carried Leicestershire home with a flurry of boundaries © Getty Images
Leicestershire also continued with a full set of finals day appearances as they eased past a Kent side that struggled to compete at Grace Road. HD Ackerman and Darren Maddy showed their Twenty20 expertise with a superbly measured opening stand of 105 which took all the pressure off the run chase. The highlight of their stand was the remarkable success of the reverse sweep – with Maddy to the fore as his fifty came off 42 balls – and Leicestershire made light work of their target with a flurry of boundaries. Stuart Broad handed Leicestershire the early initiative with an outstanding spell of pace bowling which will have caught the eye of England’s selectors. He nipped out Robert Key in the first over and then benefited from two stunning catches – by Claude Henderson and David Masters – as Kent slumped to 31 for 4. The Leicestershire fielding was outstanding; Henderson caught his effort diving full-length, running back at mid-on with a bobble, Masters flung himself as the ball came over his head at backward point and also produced a direct hit to remove Tryon Henderson. Martin van Jaarsveld played well for his 70, and at least gave his team something to bowl at, but it was nowhere near enough.Essex 149 for 5 (Foster 47*) beat Yorkshire 143 for 6 (Brophy 43, Lehmann 40) by five wickets
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Deon Kruis celebrates the wicket of Ronnie Irani … but Essex had the last laugh © Getty Images
Essex eased into the semi-finals with a five-wicket win after Yorkshire had failed to capitalise on winning the toss in front of a sell-out crowd at Chelmsford. Gerard Brophy and Darren Lehmann revived their innings after they got off to a sluggish start, but they failed to press on in the final overs. Despite that, Yorkshire appeared on course for victory as Essex slid to 73 for 5 before Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster turned the game with an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 76 with Foster clearing the ropes on four occasions as they crossed the winning line with four balls to spare. One of the highlights of the evening was Darren Gough against his former club. He had plenty of support from the crowd, especially after removing Michael Lumb in the first over. When he came out to bat, at No. 3, a number of the Yorkshire players enjoyed some banter with him. However, it was Gough and Essex who had the last laugh.