START ME UP!
A little over three months since lift-off in the NatWest T20 blast, welcome to Edgbaston for what promises to be a frenetic but fun-filled day. T20 sometimes gets a bad rap when compared to the longer forms, but days like this demonstrate how it has revolutionised the game. Ok - It's Only Rock 'n Roll, but we like it and we hope you do too because we’ve got a real festival of cricket coming your way.
8/23/2014 9:15:00 AM
Today’s play list at a sold-out ground charts Birmingham Bears as the most popular and they’re first up at 11am, when they’ll take on last year’s beaten finalists Surrey. The hit parade continues with Hampshire and Lancashire Lightning contesting the second semi-final before the countdown to the final begins – you can watch that from 6.30pm on SS2.
8/23/2014 9:21:00 AM
How can the toss possibly live up to that? We'll find out very soon - it's on its way, with Mike Atherton doing the honours...
8/23/2014 9:30:52 AM
Over 19 - Surrey 164-6 (Peterson 13, Ansari 3)
Peterson powers Hannon-Dalby back down the ground for six but it's too little too late as Surrey need 31 off six balls. The Bears have just about got their overs in with bonus time allowed for stoppages and injuries.
8/23/2014 12:55:34 PM
BIRMINGHAM BEARS WIN BY 16 RUNS & QUALIFY FOR FINAL
Surrey 178-7 off 20 overs: Ansari strikes Woakes' first ball for a one-bounce four but there's simply too much for Surrey to do. Peterson shows just what he's got in the locker by walking across his stumps and flicking the ball down to fine leg for four and he then gets lucky with an almighty heave that brings four more via an inside edge. Woakes gains his revenge by pinning Peterson's off stump leaving Batty just the one ball to face. That, as they say, is that. Game over.
8/23/2014 1:01:34 PM
The Birmingham players are rather unceremoniously asked to move away from the pitch in their moment of celebration as the main covers come on, swiftly followed by sheeting to cover the square to protect it from the lightest of showers. Might make the mascot race skiddy, though!
8/23/2014 1:04:32 PM
MASCOT RACE update...
Predictably it's chaos out there but after an epic struggle, Somerset mascot Stumpy has been declared the winner. All eyes, though, were on the field further back where there was an imposter in the field - a rogue squirrel. Allott Security was lined up to remove him from the race but wasn't needed as Adam Hollioake weighed in with a crushing rugby tackle. The identity of the squirrel was quickly revealed as none other than Michael Vaughan...
8/23/2014 1:19:28 PM
Over 6 - Lancs 35-2 (Prince 9, Brown 25)
More top-notch fielding from Hants - Ervine the man this time, flinging himself full length to deny Brown a boundary. Brown isn't to be denied another time, though, and steps leg-side to flay Briggs through the covers. Eleven off Briggs' first over. That's the end of the powerplay... Smith back for his third over.
8/23/2014 2:41:12 PM
Over 7 - Lancs 40-2 (Prince 12, Brown 27)
Smith's flat-ish deliveries proving tough to get away - he now has 1-10 from his three overs. The struggle continues... Brown the exception.
8/23/2014 2:44:29 PM
Over 8 - Lancs 47-2 (Prince 18, Brown 28)
Prince fails to get any purchase on an attempted reverse sweep - Briggs darting the ball in at 60mph - so has a swing at the next and collects a one-bounce four.
8/23/2014 2:47:12 PM
Over 9 - Lancs 58-2 (Prince 21, Brown 36)
That's one way to ruin an over. Coles sends down a full toss last ball that Brown swats into the midwicket stand as easy as you like. Up until that ball Coles was bowling full and, by mixing his pace up well, restricting the batters to singles.
8/23/2014 2:50:39 PM
Over 10 - Lancs 72-2 (Prince 30, Brown 41)
Throw that one back! Prince powers Dawson into the stands for a maximum and we're at the halfway stage already...
8/23/2014 2:53:39 PM
Over 11 - Lancs 77-4 (Prince 33, Horton 1)
Fantastic spell from Smith, who finishes with 3-15 from his four overs to stake an early claim for man of the match honours. He now has 20 T20 wickets this campaign.
8/23/2014 2:59:44 PM
Over 12 - Lancs 81-4 (Prince 35, Horton3)
Things could have turned a touch worse for Lancs there but Dawson shells what was a difficult return chance low to his right offered by Prince.
8/23/2014 3:01:28 PM
Over 1 - Hants 6-0 (Carberry 5, Vince 1)
As four-balls go, they don't come better gift-wrapped than the short, wide ball Croft served up to Carberry who gratefully cracked it through point to get off the mark. Big cheer greets Anderson's introduction into the attack.
8/23/2014 4:02:02 PM
Over 2 - Hants 11-1 (Carberry 10, Adams 0)
Adams misses the final ball by a distance as Anderson finds his groove after being clipped for four by Carberry first ball.
8/23/2014 4:07:48 PM
Over 3 - Hants 12-2 (Adams 0, Shah 1)
Excellent over from Smith has convinced WASP that Hants only have a 13 per cent chance of winning, which is perhaps a tad pessimistic. Carberry was happy to chance his arm but the execution wasn't there and Smith couldn't have wished for an easier catch - and duly made no mistake.
8/23/2014 4:12:38 PM