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A last ball win is never bad, even if it condemns your hero to defeat. To be honest, we’re a bit disappointed that Rob didn’t have some anger to vent. He vented well enough last year and Kent won then.
Owais Shah doesn’t seem to be getting sufficient recognition for his innings. We can only assume that Owais Shah isn’t popular with anybody. Most reports are on about Tyron Henderson, because he laid the bowling to waste in Middlesex’s semi-final and because he bowled the last over in the final.
Henderson did go for 58 runs off four overs in that final though. Everyone knows that, right? And Owais Shah hit a 35-ball 75. Everyone knows that too, right? Okay. Just so we’re clear.
The strangest part of the day was probably Durham’s batting in their semi-final. Did they know that it was Twenty20? Did they know how many overs there were to go? Someone in the Durham camp had clearly decreed that a par score was about 31 and the batsmen ambled around from that point on.
It was just the sort of brain dead pig-headedness we like. It would have been even better if they’d been chasing. We’re declaring Durham the moral winners. The moral they’ve won is: ‘never bat like idiots’.
I was there, KC. I am immensely proud my beloved team got to within one blow of chasing down such a high score under lights. It was heartbreaking to lose such a close match but Kent proved last year wasn’t a fluke and fought like real Champions. Roll on Lord’s!
I don’t like Shah but his innings was awesome and it won Middlesex the trophy. Congratulations to him and them.
*goes off to cry just a bit more*
Is it a bit sad to admit to spending Saturday night in listening to the 20/20 on the radio?
And it was good to hear Tuffers impartiality go completely out of the window when Malan went wild with his overthrows!
Didn’t Botham once run out B**cott because he was too bloody slow in scoring? Someone should’ve run out Shiv for Benkenstein or the Plunk to come in and wallop the ball around and slaughter Middlesex. Then Sarah, Canterbury would STILL be snivelling but the right team would’ve won.
So I’m not a good loser.
Oh how we amused ourselves while waiting for young Will to run out Shiv in a dashing 2 run dash – but there were no bloody 2 run dashes! And lets face it Shiv is a hard man to get out! [Actually we amused our selves with lame jokes about Shiv, Indian betting and match fixing – but perhaps we shouldn’t admit to that?]
Durham are a team that need rain, freezing conditions and gloom. A northern team on a warm southern pitch, not sure it was ever going to happen. Take it from me wearing black in Saturdays heat was not a good idea. Also the sun make their brains melt! That and they can’t play spin for toffee, and, and, and…….
Durham paid the price for trying to be too clever with their overseas signings. Bring in a player for the County Championship, can you then plonk them into a Twenty20 team they’ve not played in before and expect the best? But can you not play your ‘star’ international? There are some answers to these now, and I hope Durham will keep more faith with its promising local talent.
But that takes away the fact that Middlesex have been a supreme Twenty20 team for two years [the weather did for them last year]. Kartik and Udal [on his home turf] were always going to be difficult. I was impressed Kent got so close. And I feel guilty – but Middlesex did look good in that pink strip with the cup, as i thought they might!
I’m a better loser cos at the start of the year I predicted Middlesex would win this years cup [on a Middlesex discussion site where no Middlesex fans fancied them]!
Durham have always been crap at Twenty20!
A note for you King Cricket – on the subject of your featured non-cricket containing cricket reports.
Mel who occasionally graces the comments here, produced on facebook a magnificent set of 4 albums (59 pics in each) of the 20/20 day. Only 3 pics actually contained cricketty play. Heroic.
That is an acceptable percentage.
Way to remain within the bounds of acceptable photographic behaviour, Mel.
The right team couldn’t have won as they weren’t even there.
That inept giraffe couldn’t even win the “it’s a knockout” style mascot race. It’s a bloody disgrace.
By the way, is that Henderson fella (the one that plays for the southerners that won) actually a robot? He looks and talks like a robot. Maybe that’s what Kolpak means.
Lanky merely brought further shame to the county.
Shame on you, Lanky. Shame on you.
I too was there (Ceci has kindly mentioned my photo-montage of the event) and can confirm that the real star was neither Rob Key nor Owais Shah but the dancing boy in the Hawks shirt. I do hope that the ECB fly him out to Antigua.
Come on, everyone knows the most important contest of the day was won by a bat-weelding dog from Surrey! 😀
(only hope of Surrey victory this year?…)
I, personally, was gunning for Kent in the final since my uncle supports ‘the Crusaders’ and will never let me forget their victory. His e-mail tirade has already begun and will continue until his team are roundly humiliated. Fortunately, he also supports Crystal Palace in the footy, so it should be too long before I can retaliate!
Yes, well played on Middlesex Till We Die, 668 – here’s the evidence:
http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/boards/read/s66.htm?67,9149136,page=1
At least one other MTWDnik (Gareth) predicted the Twenty20 win pre tournament, but not in that thread.
I have linked this feature on MTWD.
Here’s the MTWD final report:
http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/main/s66/st131323.htm
And the semi-final report:
http://www.cricketnetwork.co.uk/main/s66/st131323.htm
I’ve just about stopped shaking now.