SHAH INSPIRES CRUSADERS TO TWENTY20 GLORY
Middlesex Crusaders were crowned Twenty20 kings after narrowly defeating reigning champions Kent Spitfires in a scintillating and record-breaking game late on Saturday night at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl that went right down to the last ball.
A near-capacity 20,000 spectators witnessed Owais Shah’s quick fire 75, helping his team to 187, which proved just too much for Kent who, after ending with two dot balls, agonisingly finished three runs short. Cool bowling performances in the middle period from spinners Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik, gleaning three top order wickets in as many overs, halted the Spitfires’ charge, but Justin Kemp’s powerful hitting almost won them the game.
After collecting the £42,000 prize money in the sixth final, there could be more riches to come for Middlesex, with millions on offer in Allen Stanford’s Super Series in Antigua and the Champions League. Judging by this entertainment they deserve ever penny.
“It was far from plain sailing, especially in that last over,” said man-of-the-match Shah. “Justin Kemp played really well and they had a really good start with the openers. We had our formula, and we must credit the spinners and Tyrone Henderson, who bowled the last over.
“It would be great to go on and win the Stanford Twenty20, and with all the money that is being pumped into cricket, it’s very exciting.”
Crusaders’ captain Ed Joyce won the toss and elected to bat, encouraged by his team’s impressive semi-final run-chase that toppled favourites Durham Dynamos. But in the third over Yasir Arafat struck, cart-wheeling opener Billy Godleman’s leg stump.
That brought in South African dangerman Henderson, who had smashed an unbeaten 59 from only 21 deliveries in the semi-final. He continued where he left off, crashing 43 off 33.
Joyce made 23 before Spitfires’ wicketkeeper Geraint Jones took a neat catch off Simon Cook’s bowling. And Henderson, dropped on nine, followed him to the pavilion after driving to captain Rob Key, making the score 83-3 off 9.2 overs.
Then England one-day player Shah became chief aggressor, booming 75, including five maximums, in only 35 balls. When he was bowled by Ryan McLaren with three overs remaining, the Crusaders had raced to 169-4. Middlesex ended on 187-6 – the highest total in a final, bettering Leicester’s 177 in 2006.
Spitfire’s openers, Key – who hit 52 runs in 30 balls – and Joe Denly (31) zoomed to 89 after 8.4 before the skipper was caught behind by Ben Scott off spinner Kartik and panic set in. The following over Udal, who ended with 1-21 from his four overs, had Denly snapped up in the deep by Godleman, and then Arafat (1) was run out off a no-ball.
Kemp steadied the Spitfire’s innings with 49, after being dropped by Joyce on 24. With five overs remaining both teams had scored 136-3, setting up a nail-biting finish. Darren Stevens crashed 33 off 23 before Dirk Nannes had him caught by Joyce, with just nine Balls remaining. Off the last over, bowled by Henderson, Kent needed 16 to win, and after two Kemp boundaries and Dawid Malan’s panicked overthrows, they needed six from three balls. But two dot balls later, and the pink-shirted Crusaders were jumping in celebration.
After lifting the Twenty20 trophy Joyce said: “It was a fantastic game, we had a good time, played some decent cricket and earned the rewards. When they needed 16 off the last over, I thought that with Tyrone bowling Kent wouldn’t get them. But Kempy had other plans.It’s a brilliant feeling to have won, and now we can look forward to Antigua.”
Middlesex Crusaders were crowned Twenty20 kings after narrowly defeating reigning champions Kent Spitfires in a scintillating and record-breaking game late on Saturday night at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl that went right down to the last ball.
A near-capacity 20,000 spectators witnessed Owais Shah’s quick fire 75, helping his team to 187, which proved just too much for Kent who, after ending with two dot balls, agonisingly finished three runs short. Cool bowling performances in the middle period from spinners Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik, gleaning three top order wickets in as many overs, halted the Spitfires’ charge, but Justin Kemp’s powerful hitting almost won them the game.
After collecting the £42,000 prize money in the sixth final, there could be more riches to come for Middlesex, with millions on offer in Allen Stanford’s Super Series in Antigua and the Champions League. Judging by this entertainment they deserve ever penny.
“It was far from plain sailing, especially in that last over,” said man-of-the-match Shah. “Justin Kemp played really well and they had a really good start with the openers. We had our formula, and we must credit the spinners and Tyrone Henderson, who bowled the last over.
“It would be great to go on and win the Stanford Twenty20, and with all the money that is being pumped into cricket, it’s very exciting.”
Crusaders’ captain Ed Joyce won the toss and elected to bat, encouraged by his team’s impressive semi-final run-chase that toppled favourites Durham Dynamos. But in the third over Yasir Arafat struck, cart-wheeling opener Billy Godleman’s leg stump.
That brought in South African dangerman Henderson, who had smashed an unbeaten 59 from only 21 deliveries in the semi-final. He continued where he left off, crashing 43 off 33.
Joyce made 23 before Spitfires’ wicketkeeper Geraint Jones took a neat catch off Simon Cook’s bowling. And Henderson, dropped on nine, followed him to the pavilion after driving to captain Rob Key, making the score 83-3 off 9.2 overs.
Then England one-day player Shah became chief aggressor, booming 75, including five maximums, in only 35 balls. When he was bowled by Ryan McLaren with three overs remaining, the Crusaders had raced to 169-4. Middlesex ended on 187-6 – the highest total in a final, bettering Leicester’s 177 in 2006.
Spitfire’s openers, Key – who hit 52 runs in 30 balls – and Joe Denly (31) zoomed to 89 after 8.4 before the skipper was caught behind by Ben Scott off spinner Kartik and panic set in. The following over Udal, who ended with 1-21 from his four overs, had Denly snapped up in the deep by Godleman, and then Arafat (1) was run out off a no-ball.
Kemp steadied the Spitfire’s innings with 49, after being dropped by Joyce on 24. With five overs remaining both teams had scored 136-3, setting up a nail-biting finish. Darren Stevens crashed 33 off 23 before Dirk Nannes had him caught by Joyce, with just nine Balls remaining. Off the last over, bowled by Henderson, Kent needed 16 to win, and after two Kemp boundaries and Dawid Malan’s panicked overthrows, they needed six from three balls. But two dot balls later, and the pink-shirted Crusaders were jumping in celebration.
After lifting the Twenty20 trophy Joyce said: “It was a fantastic game, we had a good time, played some decent cricket and earned the rewards. When they needed 16 off the last over, I thought that with Tyrone bowling Kent wouldn’t get them. But Kempy had other plans.It’s a brilliant feeling to have won, and now we can look forward to Antigua.”
Labels: Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Owais Shah, Twenty20
