TWENTY20 SEMI-FINAL ROUND-UP
Graham Napier was unable to repeat his record-breaking heroics for Essex Eagles as his team were downed by defending champions Kent Spitfires in the first semi-final at the Rose Bowl.
The 28-year-old had re-written the Twenty20 record books by walloping an unbeaten 152 – including 16 sixes – in only 58 deliveries against Sussex last month.
But Spitfires’ skipper Rob Key gunned Napier down for only three, catching the No3 off Simon Cook’s bowling, as Essex chased their total of 173.
Key had earlier won the toss, opting to bat and, with Joe Denly, put on an impressive 58 before he was bowled by Danish Kaneria for 20. Denly top-scored with 36 off 27 balls. Darren Stevens (29), Azhar Mahmood (24) and Martin van Jaarsveld (16) all chipped in to leave Essex needing 174 to win.
In response Ravi Bopara, who earned figures of 3-36, hit 29 while opening partner and captain Mark Pettini reached 54 before being run out. With Napier dismissed cheaply, the Eagles struggled to keep up with the required run-rate, and finished 14 runs short on 159 for nine.
In the second-semi final Middlesex Crusaders cruised to the final after a superb bowling performance limited Durham Dynamos to only 138 for six in their 20 overs. Despite runs from Test stars Shivnarine Chanderpaul (48 from 47 balls) and Paul Collingwood (35 off 31), spin twins Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik bowled brilliantly in the middle overs to tie Durham down. Udal, 39, and Indian left-armer Kartik conceded only 36 runs from their eight overs.
Durham’s Steve Harmison, recalled to the Test squad earlier on Saturday, cranked his pace to 92 mph but finished with disappointing figures of 0-47 off 3.4 overs. He was hit for two consecutive sixes by Tyron Henderson, who clobbered an unbeaten 59 from only 21 balls – including seven sixes – as the Crusaders, helped by captain Ed Joyce’s 41, reached the Dynamos’ score with 4.2 overs and eight wickets to spare.
Graham Napier was unable to repeat his record-breaking heroics for Essex Eagles as his team were downed by defending champions Kent Spitfires in the first semi-final at the Rose Bowl.
The 28-year-old had re-written the Twenty20 record books by walloping an unbeaten 152 – including 16 sixes – in only 58 deliveries against Sussex last month.
But Spitfires’ skipper Rob Key gunned Napier down for only three, catching the No3 off Simon Cook’s bowling, as Essex chased their total of 173.
Key had earlier won the toss, opting to bat and, with Joe Denly, put on an impressive 58 before he was bowled by Danish Kaneria for 20. Denly top-scored with 36 off 27 balls. Darren Stevens (29), Azhar Mahmood (24) and Martin van Jaarsveld (16) all chipped in to leave Essex needing 174 to win.
In response Ravi Bopara, who earned figures of 3-36, hit 29 while opening partner and captain Mark Pettini reached 54 before being run out. With Napier dismissed cheaply, the Eagles struggled to keep up with the required run-rate, and finished 14 runs short on 159 for nine.
In the second-semi final Middlesex Crusaders cruised to the final after a superb bowling performance limited Durham Dynamos to only 138 for six in their 20 overs. Despite runs from Test stars Shivnarine Chanderpaul (48 from 47 balls) and Paul Collingwood (35 off 31), spin twins Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik bowled brilliantly in the middle overs to tie Durham down. Udal, 39, and Indian left-armer Kartik conceded only 36 runs from their eight overs.
Durham’s Steve Harmison, recalled to the Test squad earlier on Saturday, cranked his pace to 92 mph but finished with disappointing figures of 0-47 off 3.4 overs. He was hit for two consecutive sixes by Tyron Henderson, who clobbered an unbeaten 59 from only 21 balls – including seven sixes – as the Crusaders, helped by captain Ed Joyce’s 41, reached the Dynamos’ score with 4.2 overs and eight wickets to spare.
Labels: cricket, Durham, Essex CCC, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Twenty20
