We are reaching the closing stages of this year’s Natwest T20 Blast and the quarter-finals will be decided over the next two weeks, and hopefully Glamorgan will be taking part when they do arrive. As we wait to see if Glamorgan can reach the knockout stages, cricket writer Peter Miller recalls some of the more memorable T20 quarters we have had over the years.
Surrey vs Warwickshire, 2005 – Duckworth Lewis tie and a bowl out
This was one of the more controversial moments in recent county cricket history. Surrey batted first and made 149-8 off their 20 overs with Mark Ramprakash top-scoring with 34 at a run-a-ball batting at seven. Rain intervened during the Warwickshire innings and when the teams made it back on to the field their innings was reduced to 15 overs a side with a target of 118 required for victory.
Warwickshire managed 117-8 and Surrey were convinced that a tie on D/L was enough for them to win and celebrated accordingly. Then the ECB’s cricket operations manager Alan Fordham announced that it was a tie and told the teams there would have to be a bowl out. Surrey were far from happy about it, and it took 35 minutes for the teams to get back out to bowl at an unattended set of stumps. Surrey won 4-3 and made it to their third successive Finals Day.
Worcestershire vs Hampshire, 2015 – Waiting for the setting sun to rise
Worcestershire took on Hampshire at New Road in a T20 quarter-final last year, and after a gloomy day that was full of rain the match took place on a ground without floodlights. The game started on time, at 5.30pm, but it was already dark and getting darker.
Hampshire batted first and James Vince made an excellent 107* as his team romped tp an impressive 196-4. It was always a tough chase for Worcestershire and when they lost two early wickets it got even harder for them. It kept getting darker and when Chris Wood attempted a catch and ended up with a broken nose the decision was made to go off for bad light. They hung around for a while, but the chances of the sun reversing its decision to set was a remote one. Hampshire won by 12 runs via Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
Nottinghamshire vs Somerset, 2011 – Pollard and Buttler masterclass
Nottinghamshire were in charge of this game right from the beginning, making an excellent 169-5 on the back of a 51-ball 78 from Alex Hales. They then bowled well enough to leave Somerset in real strife chasing that target. Somerset were still 63 runs short of the target with five overs to go when Craig Kiesewetter was dismissed for 49.
From there, Jos Buttler and Kieron Pollard scored 66 runs in 26 balls to win a game that had looked lost for the 35 overs that went before that. It was a remarkable chase by two phenomenal limited-overs batsmen.
Lancashire vs Glamorgan, 2014 – Triple wicket maiden
A painful memory for Glamorgan fans, but a remarkable game nonetheless. Played on a reserve day after a serious amount of rain in Manchester, Glamorgan were well set to make their first Finals Day since 2004.
Lancashire batted first and made a far from daunting 137-8 thanks to 67 from Australian Usman Khawaja. This total looked set to be overhauled with some ease as Glamorgan reached 92-2 in the 14th over with Jacques Rudolph and Murray Goodwin going well. Then Jordan Clark was introduced into the attack and claimed Goodwin’s wicket with his fifth ball.
In his next over he claimed a triple wicket maiden. In a T20. He dismissed Chris Cooke, Stewart Walters and David Lloyd as Glamorgan were reduced to 100-6 losing four wickets for just eight runs. It ended up being close, Andrew Salter needed to hit the last ball for six to win the game. He hit it for four and Lancashire won by one run. So close.
Hampshire vs Lancashire, 2013 – 202 plays 201 in one run thriller
Hampshire batted first and a 110 run opening stand between James Vince (60) and Michael Carberry, who went on to make an unbeaten 100, helped Hampshire set a massive 202-3 off their 20 overs. Runs on the board are always sought after in knockout cricket and 203 to win was always going to be hard work in a pressure situation.
Lancashire handled that pressure brilliantly, with runs all the way down the order. No batsman made 50 for them, but three men made it into the forties with Karl Brown top-scoring with 49. They just kept coming at Hampshire as a 68 run partnership between Steven Croft and Gareth Cross took them to within one run of victory. Going into the last over they needed 17 to win the game – and managed 15 as Hampshire made yet another Finals Day.
Glamorgan will continue their hunt for a quarter-final place when they take on Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl, from 7pm tonight.