Twenty20 Cup round-up

Worcestershire through as Kent down Surrey

Cricinfo staff

July 6, 2007

The final evening of group matches in the Twenty20 Cup ended in disappointment for Surrey and Leicestershire, who failed to qualify for the first time. Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Sussex and Kent all qualified automatically, with the other two spots pinched by Worcestershire and Yorkshire.

Mark Ramprakash's 33 was not enough as Surrey crashed out © Getty Images

South Division

Kent ensured the second qualification spot by easing past Surrey at The Oval, Darren Stevens making sure of the six-wicket win with 46, finishing off with a cover drive. In front of a sellout crowd, Surrey's batsmen holed out to slip from 100 for 3 to 145. Mark Ramprakash topscored with 33, before he stopped on a pull, after Mark Butcher's loss in the same Simon Cook over, cleaned up playing round a straight one. Kent kept things ramrod straight to batter down their defences and claim their first win against their southern rivals in this competition. Surrey's rallying call this term is London Calling, but they lost the battle - and the war.

The other London side Middlesex also lost, their defeat to Essex over at Lord's, ending their slim hopes. Essex were already out, but they went down fighting, their bowlers sharing the wickets and restricting them to 126 for 9. A fighting 40 from Tim Murtagh boosted them, but it was too late. Essex threatened to make a hamfist of their reply, but Ravi Bopara took them home.

Sussex, who were already through, kept with the form book in their deadrubber at Hove, Luke Wright's 98 helping them to set 205, which was beyond Hampshire, who could not qualify.

Midlands-West-Wales Division

Worcestershire snuck through to the quarter-finals after beating Warwickshire in their must-win encounter at Edgbaston. Daryl Mitchell (3 for 18) and Kabir Ali (2 for 24) kept things tight for the visitors, allowing them to defend their 143 which Phil Jaques's 38 had helped them to accumulate.

Tight bowling and good fielding - including this return for Carl Greenidge - earned Gloucestershire qualification © Getty Images

Gloucestershire bagged the second automatic spot by beating Glamorgan comfortably enough at Bristol. Tight bowling restricted Glamorgan to 114 for 6, and then the home side's batsmen did the job.

Somerset kicked Northamptonshire out of contention at Northampton with an eight-wicket win. Though Somerset's late form has come too late for them, Cameron White (50*) and John Francis's (35*) stand of 65 was enough to deny Northants.

North Division

Lancashire qualified by sharing a point with Leicestershire after rain washed out their game at Old Trafford. Leicestershire could only wait in frustration as Yorkshire stole to victory - and the final qualification spot, on run-rate - on the other side of the Pennines. Like Surrey, it's the first time Leicestershire have not progressed through the group stage.

Yorkshire's four-wicket win against Derbyshire at Headingley lifted them into the last eight. Two wickets apiece from Jason Gillespie, Darren Gough and Richard Pyrah kept Derbyshire to 119 and Anthony McGrath made sure of the win with 32 not out, ably assisted by Tim Bresnan's unbeaten 25.

Nottinghamshire are already through, so it was of little concern to them that their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Durham were already out.

© Cricinfo

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Players/Umpires

Jason Gillespie

Darren Gough

Daryl Mitchell

Rich Pyrah

Mark Ramprakash

Series/Tournaments

Twenty20 Cup

Teams

Derbyshire

Durham

England

Essex

Glamorgan

Gloucestershire

Hampshire

Kent

Lancashire

Leicestershire

Middlesex

Northamptonshire

Nottinghamshire

Somerset

Surrey

Sussex

Warwickshire

Worcestershire

Yorkshire