Kevin Pietersen will be looking for some easy runs in South Africa ahead of the Ashes

Having completed a century for Surrey on Saturday in their CB40 match at Hove against Sussex, Pietersen was dismissed second ball against Glamorgan at the Oval on Tuesday. He fell, once again, to left-arm spin; Dean Cosker being too hot to handle for KP on this occasion.

He must have been kicking himself at this failure since there were obviously runs there for the taking. Jason Roy, skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown and Gary Wilson all passed 50 as Surrey finished up on 380. Hamilton-Brown finished on 96.

Surrey only has a County Championship game at Gloucestershire left this season starting next Monday. After this, Pietersen will have a short break before heading out to South Africa. He will be desperate for some second innings runs against Glamorgan and will be looking to score heavily at Bristol next week.

Once he is given the green light by Cricket South Africa, Pietersen will then compete for KwaZulu-Natal in two games against North West and Eastern Province. “I’m extremely keen to get as much cricket as possible under my belt before a challenging and exciting winter,” said Pietersen. “My sole focus is to continue playing a leading role for England and joining Natal is the perfect opportunity to prepare in excellent conditions immediately before the Ashes. These two matches would enable me to work on my game against the Kookaburra ball in southern-hemisphere conditions, which is the ideal preparation for Australia.”

The point Pietersen makes of gaining some exposure to the Kookaburra ball is an important one. The Dukes ball used in England has been swinging around at will for most of this summer, making life tough for batsmen. The Kookaburra, ball of choice Down Under, doesn’t swing as much and suits your back-of-a-length-type bowler. It may prove crucial that he gains some exposure to this pre-Brisbane.

His decision to get some more first-class cricket under his belt has been met with a positive reaction at the England and Wales Cricket Board. “We’re very pleased Kevin is seeking to get some more high quality cricket at a crucial period before the Ashes,” said England coach Andy Flower. “We are well aware of Kevin’s attention to detail and thoroughness when it comes to preparation and he would gain a great deal from working on his batting against tough opposition in South Africa.

“Kevin’s commitment, his desire to work on his batting and to play a significant part in a successful England team is unquestioned and this proposed arrangement with Natal, initiated by Kevin himself, further underlines that.”

Pietersen started out at Natal and even played against England for them during the 1999-2000 tour led by Nasser Hussain. Back then he was predominantly a bowler and took home figures of 4/155 as well as contributing 61 runs from number nine.

He will not be paid for this brief return to his roots. Pietersen’s obvious determination to find some form and return to the England fold at something approaching the top of his game is admirable. He clearly feels that four games with Surrey are insufficient and we wish him well for the remaining three-and-a-half games prior to the Ashes. A Kevin Pietersen back to his rambunctious best could be a deadly weapon in the Ashes battle.

By Miles Reucroft

The actions of these three could, potentially, cost cricket millions in lost sponsorship revenue.

Pepsi, the cola drink manufacturer that is the title sponsor of the Pakistan team, has a deal with the Pakistani Cricket Board lasting until 2013. Pakistan was identified by Pepsi as an emerging market and, therefore, worth pouring millions of dollars each year into. Such is cricket’s standing in the country that Pepsi is visible to pretty well everyone in Pakistan.

No one is suggesting that supporters of Pakistani cricket will stop drinking Pepsi as a result of the allegations made in last Sunday’s News of the World, but there is only so much bad publicity that a title sponsor will put up with.

Boom Boom, the manufacturer’s of Pakistan’s cricketing apparel has already moved to distance itself from the three players at the heart of the storm; Test captain Salman Butt and seam bowling duo Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

This stance is likely to be indicative of that adopted by cricket sponsors around the world. No one wants to be associated with a sullied reputation. Look at what happened to Tiger Woods last year. Whilst he retained many of his army of sponsors, many washed their hands of him. And he hadn’t cheated the game of golf.

Butt, Asif and Amir, if they do come back from this scandal, will find it incredibly tough to find personal endorsement deals. Even if found innocent, there is such a ring of suspicion around the trio – throw enough mud and some will stick.

As for the game at large it has been suggested in some circles that even the International Cricket Council could be hit by a lack of interest from sponsors as a direct result of this current scandal. The ICC enjoys partnerships with companies such as Yahoo! and Pepsi. I find it very difficult to imagine that they will simply walk away from cricket altogether.

These companies are in cricket for a reason – to market their products to a specific demographic that cricket can offer them. Followers of the game have sat through scandals before and are unlikely to switch off as a result of one bout of spot-fixing. The real fear lies in the thought that this is a cancer that has spread throughout the sub-continent and out into the wider cricketing world.

Whilst the current scenario is far from deal, the whole world has at least one eye on cricket right now. It’s front page news wherever you look. Whilst the sport would undoubtedly prefer to be enjoying such status for entirely different reasons, is there such a thing as bad publicity?

Scandal piques the interest. With no one accusing the sponsors even for a moment of any wrongdoing, is now not an ideal to be involved in the sport?

If the ICC can root out the wider problem and take swift and efficient action, cricket’s standing could even rise. There is huge potential for this scenario to become positive. Those in charge have the future of the game in their hands.

Until such a time that these current allegations are proven it is difficult to know how sponsors will react. If these allegations are proven and Pakistan’s opening batsman Yasir Hameed, is proven right in his comments about the entire Pakistan team throwing games for money, then there is a huge problem and the game’s standing will undoubtedly fall and sponsors will walk away.

Until then, however, all talk of sponsors walking away is just speculation and scaremongering. The game’s standing will rise and fall with its participants, but if this is an isolated incident the actions of such a minority shouldn’t blemish the rest of the game and its participants. Cricket will be praying that this is, however, an isolated incident.

By Miles Reucroft

Kevin Pietersen has been dropped from the England limited overs sides following his woeful perfromances in the Test matches against Pakistan. It was his worst showing as an international cricketer.

Kevin Pietersen found the going so tough that he has been dropped for the following two Twenty20 matches and five ODIs. He will instead be trying to find some form whilst on loan at Surrey from Hampshire for the remainder of the 2010 county season.

England will be hoping that a spell back in county cricket will assist Pietersen in finding form ahead of the Ashes. Put simply, he was possibly the worst of the England performers in this series. It was a tough title to claim at times.

ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS

Andrew Strauss – 155 runs @ 25.83 – 5/10
Strauss didn’t have the best of times and we are still waiting for another Test century from the English skipper. He is, however, clearly a safe pair of hands to guide the team and it wasn’t an easy series for an opening batsman.

Alastair Cook – 167 runs @ 23.85 – 4/10
Came under the most intense scrutiny of his international career. A fortuitous century at the Oval helped, but his technique and confidence looked shot at times.

Jonathan Trott – 404 runs @ 67.33 – 9/10
Given the conditions, Trott had a superb series. His century at Lord’s was his best innings in an England shirt and he appears to be a rock at the previously troublesome number three position.

Kevin Pietersen – 140 runs @ 23.33 – 3/10
Short of form, short of confidence and short of runs. His 80 at Edgbaston owed far more to Pakistan’s woeful fielding than it did to KP’s dominance over the bowling. His worst showing in international cricket.

Paul Collingwood – 119 runs @ 19.83 – 4/10
There were times when England could have used Brigadier Block, but Collingwood couldn’t summon his previous innings-savings performances for England. Then again, he didn’t really need to.

Eoin Morgan – 175 @ 29.16 – 6/10
A wonderful maiden Test century in the first Test at Trent Bridge, Morgan didn’t push on from there. Will surely be replaced by a fit Ian Bell and is no closer to suggesting whether or not he is suited to the Test format.

Matt Prior – 234 runs @ 58.50 – 8/10
It is clear that Matt Prior has a come long way in international cricket. His glove work was sound, his batting efficient. He was always on hand to lend some middle order runs and look adept at batting with the tail end.

Graeme Swann – 48 runs @ 8.00 & 22 wickets @ 12.22 – 9/10
What can you say? Swann is one of the top performers on the world stage right now. In a series dominated by seam bowling, Swann’s off-spin still proved to be utterly indispensible to England.

Staurt Broad – 250 runs @ 41.66 & 14 wickets @ 23.35 – 7/10
Looking like an ever dependable bowler, Broad had his finest hour with the bat, reaching a maiden Test century at Lord’s. His temperament let him down embarrassingly at Edgbaston and he must curb this aspect of his game to take the next step up as a bowler.

James Anderson – 23 wickets @ 13.73 – 8/10
King of the Swingers, Anderson was a constant thorn in Pakistan’s side and played the conditions with aplomb. Questions will be asked in the run-up to the Ashes about how he will handle the Kookaburra ball, but you can only play what’s in front of you and Anderson ruined the Pakistani top order.

Steven Finn – 13 wickets @ 22.92 – 7/10
Finn is continuing his development and has undoubtedly been the find of this English summer. He never looked panicked on the rare occasions that the Pakistan batsmen found some form and he will be benefit from being in the same attack as Anderson.

We have decided not to review the Pakistan performances in light of the fact that, aside from being terrible at times, the spot-fixing allegations cast a doubt over the sincerity of their performances. If indeed Asif and Amir are to be found guilty of spot-fixing, it can only make you wonder how good they could have been had their minds been solely focussed upon taking English wickets. Amir’s six wicket haul at Lord’s was arguably the performance of the series, if not one of the best performances ever witnessed at the home of cricket.

By Miles Reucroft

It is a deeply saddening thought that, as a result of his involvement with illegal bookmakers, we may never see Mohammad Amir in international cricket ever again following his devestating bursts and Man of the Series performances on Pakistan's tour of England.

The overriding sensation is one of deep frustration – frustration that this can happen right under our noses at the home of cricket. And in such circumstances! Pakistan were well on top of England when the offences took place, the deliberate bowling of three no-balls; one from Mohammad Asif and two from Mohammad Amir.

The evidence is pretty damning. The two no-balls from Amir were huge. He had over stepped by nearly a foot. The deliveries were suspicious in their own right as he was in the middle of bowling one of the most destructive and masterful spells that Lord’s has witnessed. How can someone go from such fluency and accuracy to over stepping by such a margin, not once but twice? There were otherwise no indications from the 18 year old that he was struggling with his run up.

Mohammad Asif, however, bowled his no-ball with unerring accuracy, only just overstepping to deliver an innocuous looking no-ball. The obvious question from this, is, has he done it before? It was the perfect no-ball to order.

Asif is no stranger to controversy. Two failed drugs tests, an arrest at Dubai airport for having a ‘white powder’ in his wallet and a much publicised training ground bust up with the equally inconsistent Shoaib Akhtar. Such was the extent of their argument that Akhtar took a bat to Asif.

That Asif has once more courted controversy should come as no surprise.

The names of Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal are also linked to this sorry episode. Butt has received frequent praise for his dignified captaincy of Pakistan during what has been a tough tour for the visitors. How much of his poor form has just been down to the pressure of captaincy? It’s a question that will be asked, but would never have entered anyone’s mind prior to the fourth Test at Lord’s.

And Akmal – he of the Teflon gloves. There are many, many questions to be asked about his performances. Rubbish behind the stumps with the odd moment of brilliance; rubbish with the bat all tour. His performances during that tour of Australia will once more come under the microscope, particularly his four dropped catches in Sydney.

If found guilty of these alleged spot-fixing offences, all four will most likely face lifetime bans from the International Cricket Council, of not the Pakistan Cricket Board.

It is for Amir, however, that the cricketing world will mourn most. It’s a terrifying and saddening prospect that the final act in the talented left-armers career could have been that spell at Lord’s on Friday, when he blew away England’s middle order with the guile and panache of a seasoned pro 10 years his senior. This could be the end of the road for the youngster. And to think what he could achieve at the highest level.

This isn’t about the further damage to Pakistan’s already sullied reputation. They are only ever consistent in making fools of themselves. This is about the tarnished reputation of sport. As fans we pay our hard earned money to see both sides give nothing than 100%, 100% of the time. To witness anything else is a debacle. And to witness anything else because the participants are gaining financially is to not only defraud the fans, not only defraud cricket, but to defraud sport as a whole.

If the allegations are found to be true, we will be permanently deprived of the talents of Mohammad Amir. That is a deeply upsetting notion. We will never see Mohammad Asif’s nagging accuracy and ability to make a ball talk off the pitch. We will never see Salman Butt strut his stuff at the top of the order. We will never see the erratic glove work of Akmal again. Even if he’s found not guilty.

This hugely defrauds cricket.

With the amount of money wagered on cricket matches it is no surprise that players fall foul of temptation. A Pakistan central contract is only worth around £25,000 per annum. England players on similar deals earn anywhere between £150,000 and £400,000 per annum. MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar earn around £7,000,000 per annum.

With no Pakistan players chosen for the Indian Premier League due to bad blood between the nations, fewer games being organised with Pakistan as a direct result of the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore and less revenue being generated by the PCB, the players are increasingly earning less. The temptation of the cash on offer from illegal betting syndicates is, to a lad from an impoverished upbringing such as Amir, often simply too good to refuse.

The deepest cause for concern is the thought that this really is only the tip of the iceberg. This could only be the beginning and we could well have seen the last of Mohammad Amir. That is already too higher a price to have paid.

By Miles Reucroft

Lord's will host the fourth Test between England and Pakistan - the last Test of this English summer

Funny how things can turn around so quickly, isn’t it? Having won the toss at the Oval, Strauss must have thought to himself that here was a golden opportunity to get in some decent batting practice against a good bowling unit.

The Oval usually provides a batsman friendly surface and Strauss clearly felt that, even under cloud-leaden skies, the third Test would prove no different.

And so the series, from nowhere, is wide open again. The reintroduction of Mohammad Yousuf to Pakistan’s middle order steadied their shaky ship and a four-wicket victory was sealed on the fourth day. We head into the fourth Test, the last of this English summer, with the distinct possibility that Pakistan could pull off one of the most remarkable about turns in fortune.

Except, with Pakistan, what is remarkable? The line between normality and crazy is blurred into one big cloud when talk turns to Pakistan cricket. We know they’ve got world class players. Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been a handful with the ball all summer. The introduction of Saeed Ajaml and his un-pickable (at least to the English batsmen) doosra brought a flurry of wickets at Edgbaston, if not enough to drag Pakistan back into that Test.

Mohammad Yousuf has smeared English bowling attacks in the recent past. Wahab Riaz bowled with panache at the Oval in place of the injured Umar Gul. This isn’t a poor Test team cut from the same cloth as perennial whipping boys Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Yet that is the problem with Pakistan. One minute they can be truly awful and perform well below themselves and the next they can rouse themselves to bring about a victory from nowhere.

Consistency. Pakistan just wouldn’t be Pakistan if they had that. So predicting a result in the fourth Test of this series is nigh on impossible without seeing which Pakistan have turned up. We might not be able to tell until the second day!

I fancy England to spring back with a win. Alastair Cook lifted the weight from his shoulders with a fortuitous (there are no pictures in the scorebook, mind) 110 at the Oval and the rest of the batting could now also use some use some runs, notably Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood.

Neither has the noose hung round his neck but it would be a timely reminder of their ability if they could carve out a decent score each at Lord’s. The English bowling remains in full swing and this should tip the balance of the game in England’s favour. Whilst Pakistan were vastly improved at the Oval, theirs is still a young, developing side. It would be a huge ask for them to level the series. Too huge, surely…

By Miles Reucroft

The return of Mohammad Yousuf cannot be overestimated in the reversal of Pakistan's fortunes at the Oval

Yousuf added class, runs and assurance to Pakistan’s middle-order at the Oval, even if his fielding was as wayward as that of some of his team mates. He looked in control off front and back foot and highlighted his talent with a magnificent late-cut of Steven Finn in Pakistan’s first innings, waiting for the ball to arrive to him before angling it away down to third man for four.

He also brought a bit of patience to proceedings. Prior to his arrival the Pakistan batsmen had look hurried at the crease, thrusting forward with hard and excited hands at the ball. Yousuf brought some control and played a huge part in Azhir Ali’s first innings half century.

In the second innings, with Pakistan chasing 148 for victory, Yousuf played his hand in restoring calm to the Pakistan side – this was a total that they have collapsed in the face of in the recent past. The scars of Sydney are still very much visible, even if the return of Yousuf is evidence of their healing.

On a turning pitch Yousuf played Graeme Swann masterfully, waiting and waiting for the ball to play a range of delicious late cut shots behind square on the off-side. His presence also calmed captain Butt, who fought his way to 48 second-innings runs following a miserable tour thus far.

Once James Anderson had removed Yousuf with a now typical full away-swinging delivery that removed his off-stump, the old Pakistani frailties threatened to once more return.

Yet there was something a little bit different about the Pakistan side that turned up at the Oval. The side that showed up at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, only to be rolled over in conclusive fashion wasn’t on display.

The new Pakistan held its nerve to claim victory by four wickets and drag itself back into this four-match series. Even Umar Akmal refused to play wild swipes and instead dug in and showed some resolve.

Whilst Butt has undoubtedly looks a good choice as replacement for Shaid Afridi as captain, he was leading a side packed with youthful exuberance and next to no knowledge of what was required to compile a Test innings, let alone play a swinging ball. In terms of exerting a calming influence over the Pakistan batting line-up, the return of Mohammad Yousuf cannot be overstated.

From nowhere, Pakistan are back in this series. Yousuf was exactly what this series needed and practice of pressure situations is exactly what England need. This series has been transformed from a nigh on certain whitewash in favour of the hosts to having a thrilling and fascinating climax in store at Lord’s, starting this Thursday.

By Miles Reucroft

Mohammed Yousuf and his impressive beard returned to international cricket at the Oval

The poor form of Alastair Cook at the top of England’s order would have given Pakistan some hope at the start. He duly obliged them, edging his third ball through the slip cordon for four, picking up another scratchy shot for two before snicking one from Mohammad Asif through to the unreliable gloves of Kamran Akmal. Thankfully for Asif and Pakistan, Akmal held on.

Strauss and Jonathan Trott briefly rallied but both soon fell in quick succession, exposing the out of form Kevin Pietersen and the dogged Paul Collingwood. Pietersen hung around to face 29 balls for his six, Collingwood came and went for five. Pakistan were all over England and, surprisingly and refreshingly, holding every chance that came their way.

Eoin Morgan dug in to accumulate 17 after lunch and Graeme Swann, his cat freed from the floorboards in the Swann household, went for eight. They were the only two wickets to tumble in the afternoon session.

Matt Prior is one England batsman playing at the top of his game. Together with Stuart Broad, a player who has so far failed to live up to his early offerings with the bat, he played his shots to free England from a bad situation at 94/7. 119 runs later the situation wasn’t quite so desperate.

Once Broad departed James Anderson followed, as did Steven Finn, leaving Prior as the not-out batsman on 84, England eventually reaching 233.

The bowling stars of the summer for Pakistan had been Mohammads Amir and Asif as well as Saeed Ajmal who claimed a five-for at Edgbaston. At the Oval on Day One it was the turn of debutant left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz to take the plaudits with an impressive five wickets for 63 runs.

Whilst the bowling talent on display in the Pakistan ranks hasn’t been questioned, the batting has. Captain Salman Butt demoted himself to number three in the order and left Imran Farhart and Yasir Hameed to face the new ball music.

They battled through under sunny skies until Farhart went for an ill-advised drive off Anderson in the final over, succeeding only in getting an inside edge onto his off stump. Back to Wahab to enter the fray as night watchman.

The story off the day was painted almost entirely by the atmospheric conditions. With leaden skies the Pakistani bowlers looked often unplayable, yet Prior and Broad were able to bat comfortably through the afternoon session as the clouds dispersed and the sun donned his hat. The English bowlers, too, looked far from their swinging best without the clouds. With the forecast for Day Two looking like throwing up sunshine for the majority, Pakistan could well have a golden opportunity to drag themselves off the canvas and back into this four Test series.

Whether or not their much maligned batting line-up – now including the recently banned Mohammed Yousuf – can stand the pressure and put Pakistan in command remains to be seen. It’s high time they supported their world class bowling unit with some runs. Day Two will be enthralling at the very least.

By Miles Reucroft

The veteran Dominic Cork led his youthful Hampshire Royals side to FP T20 glory at the Rose Bowl

They overcame the Essex Eagles, Somerset and a host of statistics that suggested it would not be their day: No county had ever won a T20 final on their own ground, and the winner of the first semi final has traditionally struggled in the evening’s final. Hampshire also had a poor record against both their opponents, having lost all four T20 matches against Essex and Somerset earlier in the competition.

Hampshire won the toss in the first semi final and may have been questioning the decision to field when Mark Pettini and Alastair Cook were scoring freely at the top of the order. Essex will be disappointed that they didn’t score more than their 156 having been set such a good platform by the opening pair. Ultimately it was a couple of gambles that didn’t pay off for Essex in the middle order that cost them a higher total, as wickets fell and the runs dried up.

Dwayne Bravo was flown in for the day, but was certainly not worth the high fee that he commanded, scoring only five before being run out. The other gamble was the return of Ryan ten Doeschate. The South African hadn’t played since being injured in the group match against Somerset at Bristol. Despite a lack of match practice, ten Doeschate looked to score quickly and attack the bowling of Danny Briggs but was caught by James Vince when trying to hit down the ground for just 1.

Briggs showed composure beyond his 19 years and took a key three wickets for 29 runs. In addition to ten Doeschate, he removed the potentially dangerous Ravi Bopara and put an end to Pettini’s impressive innings.

With the rain beginning to fall Hampshire would have fancied the target of 157 with a good wicket and a slick outfield. Jimmy Adams continued his good form scoring 34 at a good rate, but the star of the Hampshire innings was Abdul Razzaq who put on a good opening partnership with Adams and scored a useful 44 in just 31 balls.

Dwayne Bravo failed to make up for his shortcomings with the bat and was milked for 46 runs, although he did claim the wicket of Sean Ervine. An expensive 19th over from Bravo left the Royals needing just 5 from the final over. Michael Carberry was the man to score them with four balls remaining.

The rain had not finished for the day and was to have a far bigger say in the second semi final. Nottinghamshire won to toss and also decided to try and chase down a target. It was a similar story to the first semi final with the opening pair making a bright start. Marcus Trescothick was caught on the helmet by Dirk Nannes’s opening delivery, but was certainly not shaken as he played some spectacular shots on his way to 60 from just 28 balls. Unfortunately for the Outlaws, the most impressive Somerset innings was yet to come as Jos Butler made a mockery of the strong Nottinghshire bowing attack to reach an unbeaten 55 from only 23 deliveries.

Graeme Swann and Samit Patel were the pick of the bowlers, with economies of 5.00 and 6.00 respectively from their 4 overs. Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom had a harder time of things, both leaking more than 40 runs.

Nottinghamshire started their innings positively with Swann and Ali Brown smashing 23 runs off the first two overs. Unfortunately for them, it was to be short lived and with the ever-impressive Alfonso Thomas picking up the wickets of Brown and Alex Hales in the same over, the Nottinghamshire run rate slowed significantly.
The clouds darkened and the inevitable happened when the umpires took the players off at the end of the 13th over. It was during that over that Keiron Pollard took a magnificent boundary catch to remove Samit Patel. This catch proved to be the difference between the two sides as Somerset were deemed victors by three runs thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis method. Had Patel still been in at the end of that over, then the calculation would have favoured Nottinghamshire.

The final was also to be settled by one wicket, but this time it was Somerset who were to be denied by the narrowest of margins.

Somerset won the toss and captain Marcus Trescothick chose to bat. Hampshire captain Dominic Cork said that he would have chosen to bowl, suggesting that there was probably not much of an advantage either way – something that proved to be the case.

Trescothick and Butler failed to reproduce their semi final heroics, but Craig Kieswetter stepped up with a terrific knock worth 71. Cork pegged Somerset back with a very tight final over, taking two wickets for only a handful of runs. The over was marred by an unfortunate incident where Cork surprised Pollard with a bouncer that forced the West Indian all-rounder to retire hurt.

This would prove to be a big blow for Somerset as it left them a bowler down as they tried to defend their total of 173. The result of which was that Trescothick was forced to turn to part-time bowler Zander de Bruyn for the final over in which Hampshire needed eight runs.

Pollard was also perhaps missed when the substitute fielder in his place Nick Compton, dropped Sean Ervine in the late stages of the Hampshire innings.

The final over was a fantastic climax to the competition with scenes of real drama. Having needed only 11 at the start of the previous over, Hampshire now found themselves with a new batsman in still requiring more than a run a ball for an outright win.

Kieswetter twice had three stumps to aim at, but on both occasions failed to get what would have been a crucial run-out. Daniel Christian pulled a muscle running two from the penultimate ball, meaning that Jimmy Adams was sent out as a runner. The final ball had to be delayed as ground staff needed to paint lines on a disused wicket to accommodate him.

The Royals still needed two to win from that final ball. De Bruyn bowled straight and caught Christian on the pads. There was a big appeal and although hawk-eye suggested that the ball would have clipped leg stump, not out was the decision. In the meantime Hampshire scampered for a single.

Adams ran on behalf of Christian, but Christian also limped to the bowlers end. The rules state that Christian could have been run out at any stage as he is supposed to remain in his crease once he has a runner. Christian obviously wasn’t aware of the rule and nor were Somerset as the ball was not thrown into the striker’s end.

With the scores finishing level Hampshire edged the win due to having only lost five wickets to Somerset’s six. Cork led his team onto the field once that final leg bye had been scored, but there was a slight hesitance before the result was confirmed and the victory could be celebrated.

It will be a bitter pill for Trescothick and Somerset to swallow, but a fantastic achievement for the veteran Cork and his young Hampshire side. The format of the Friends Provident T20 has had its detractors this year, but nobody could have asked for a better day’s cricket to bring it to a close.

By Luke Catterson

Which team will assume the mantle of T20 county chmpions from Sussex this weekend?

This year, Somerset (having dropped the moniker ‘Sabres’) will have the chance to go one better as they compete alongside Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Hampshire Royals and Essex Eagles.

Somerset come into the semi-finals having topped the southern group with eleven victories from their 16 matches. They saw off Northants quite comfortably in their quarter-final, chasing down a target of 113 with three full overs to spare.

Captain Marcus Trescothick has performed well with the bat, contributing 493 runs so far. What’s more, his form has picked up as the tournament has gone on with four 50s in his past seven innings. He has been ably assisted by the likes of James Hildreth who has a very useful average of 35.67 from his 17 appearances in the competition. Although they are the only side of the final four without a potential English Test player available, Somerset have the World Cup winning keeper Craig Kieswetter behind the stumps who has proven his quality in this format.

In terms of bowling, Alfonso Thomas has been in sensational form. With 31 wickets to his name he has the fifth best bowling average in the competition but has bowled at least 50 overs more than those higher than him in the rankings. Keiron Pollard has also shown great consistency and with best figures of 4-15 against Kent has shown he is capable of really hurting the batting side.

Their semi-final opponents, Nottinghamshire have looked equally strong so far in the competition and have also suffered the heartbreak of a lost final back in 2006. They qualified from the northern group in second, but with the highest run rate of all teams with an impressive +0.66. They progressed to the semi-finals by beating a fancied Sussex side that has shown great proficiency in this format in the past couple of years. The Outlaws emerged with a 13 run victory thanks largely to the economical blowing of Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney. The pair conceded only 38 runs from their combined eight overs.

What is most daunting for the other three teams is that Nottinghamshire have the option of adding the international quality of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann to their line up. It would be tough for the players that will have to make way, but you can’t blame selectors for making space. This combined with Ryan Sidebottom would leave the Outlaws with three of England’s leading World Cup winning bowlers.

The Outlaws aren’t short of world-class batsman either with captain David Hussey leading the way with just shy of 500 runs at an average of over 40 in this year’s tournament.

Hampshire scraped into the semi-finals for the first time in fourth place in the southern group. Their final match victory over Sussex left them ahead of Middlesex Panthers and Surrey Lions thanks to a superior run rate. They then defeated Warwickshire by 5 wickets in their quarter-final. That too was a close-run affair with the Royals reaching their target with just one ball to spare.

Hampshire have been dealt a major blow this week with news that opener Michael Lumb has broken his foot and will be out for the rest of the season. Lumb was another of England’s World Cup winners, but the fact that he was not selected for Hampshire’s quarter-final victory suggests that the Royals believe they are capable of victory without him. Hampshire have decided not to use Kevin Pietersen for t20 finals day, either, having excluded him from their squad to take on Kent in a CB40 following his announcement that he intends to quit the county at the conclusion of his contract this winter.

Hampshire will instead look to Jimmy Adams to provide their explosive hitting. The Winchester-born batsman has already scored 600 runs in the competition and already has an unbeaten century to his name from the victory over Surrey at the Rose Bowl.

Danny Briggs has been the stand-out bowler for the Royals with 27 wickets taken at an average of just 14.29. The young spinner has obviously had some joy on his home pitch and will surely be confident of more of the same come the weekend. The experience of captain Dominic Cork will also prove invaluable and with the likes of Chris Wood and Sean Ervine boasting best figures of 3-27 and 4-12 respectively – the Royals attack certainly has some bite to it.

Their semi-final opponents Essex, have made the semi-finals twice previously but lost at that stage in both 2006 and 2008. The Eagles finished second behind Somerset in the southern group and saw off Lancashire by eight wickets in their quarter-final. After good innings from Mark Pettini and Matt Walker, who scored 155 between them, it was James Foster who guided the Eagles to victory with five balls remaining.

Essex will have Alistair Cook available although there may be some careful consideration over his place in the team. T20 is not a format that suits a player low on confidence and Cook has certainly struggled of late. However, Cook does have a more than respectable average of 38.88 from his 10 T20 outings for the Eagles. Perhaps a strong showing on Saturday could help kick-start the rest of his summer.

The loss of Ryan ten Doeschate looked as though it would be a huge blow to Essex, but the form of all-rounders Ravi Bopara and Scott Styris has helped plug the hole. Bopara and Styris have been two of the standout all-rounders in the competition and their form with both bat and ball will surely have a huge say in Essex’s performance this weekend.

This week has provided mixed news for the Eagles. Seam bowler Maurice Chambers is suffering from a side strain and will miss Saturday’s action, but Pakistan have given leg-spinner Danish Kaneria clearance to return to the Essex side for the rest of the domestic campaign. Although he didn’t impress against England, Kaneria has had success in the Friends Provident tournament with 16 wickets at an average of 16.31.

All four teams boast line-ups stacked with quality and it will surely come down to whose stars fire come Saturday. One thing is for sure, Saturday will bring an afternoon of high-quality, exciting cricket. Our prediction? Nottinghamshire to beat Essex in the final.

By Luke Catterson

Alastair Cook could do with raising his bat to celebrate a 13th Test century to boost his morale and answer his growing number of critics.

It is all well and good pointing out the obvious – Alastair Cook is out of form and short on confidence – but what do we propose as a solution? If the selectors decided to bring down the axe, who could they replace Cook with?

I’m no fan of dropping players on the back of a poor run of form. Cook has played in 58 Tests for England and amassed 4238 runs at an average of 42.80 with 12 centuries along the way. He has clearly demonstrated his class but is just enduring a torrid time of things right now.

That said it would probably not be the worst idea if England were to use the final two Test matches of this English summer to take a look at another option at the top of the order in case Cook’s poor run continues on into the winter and the Ashes defence.

One option would be for Cook to swap places in the order with Jonathan Trott. This option would allow Cook to retain his place in his side whilst at the same time allowing the selectors a look at how Trott copes with an opening berth in Tests. If he succeeds then he would be an easy option to replace Cook this winter if needs must.

Trott has enjoyed an excellent start to his Test career with a century on debut in the Ashes clinching victory at The Oval last summer and has since gone on to score 923 runs at an average of 51.27 with another century to boot. This summer, due to Cook’s struggles, he has consistently been coming in early to try and resuscitate England’s starts alongside Strauss.

Trott looks to have the temperament to be a good opening bat for England and he certainly has the patience to see a job through. He is the only obvious candidate within the current England squad who could replace Cook.

Outside of the squad, who else is there? Hampshire’s Michael Carberry was handed his Test debut in Bangladesh this winter but didn’t exactly set the world alight. This recent inclusion shows that he is on the England radar and he averages a thoroughly respectable 52.85 in First Class cricket.

Adam Lyth of Yorkshire is the other obvious candidate in County cricket right now. The diminutive left-hander is in great form, sitting atop the run scoring table in Division One with 1221 runs at 58.61 in 2010. His overall First Class average sits at 55.27.

That Lyth possesses genuine potential is not in doubt and he is a player who likes to get after the new ball to score his runs. Would the timing be right for him to be thrust into the Test side against a bowling attack that has been a constant thorn in England’s side so far this summer? It would certainly be a baptism of fire.

In all likelihood Lyth will have to wait another year or so at least before international honours come knocking. Carberry, too, may have his recent assertion that he won’t extend his Test career beyond a single cap proved correct – at least for this year. Trott will probably remain at number three for the rest of the Pakistan series and beyond.

For the selectors to drop Cook now would be a monumental decision. He has clearly been earmarked for captaincy later on in life and he has shown time and time again that he is a world class operator, even if he doesn’t always exude the classy, dominating demeanour of a Virender Sehwag or his opening partner Strauss.

Cook is just struggling right now. Form is temporary, class is permanent, right? It may be comforting to know that there are other options available to England and it may prove to be this knowledge that focuses Cook mind round to scoring a few belligerent runs before the team travels Down Under.

By Miles Reucroft