wow! Dominic Cork is a bona fide legend! Incredible stuff from the skipper, placed his field perfectly, the full length was smashed to cover, the fielder gathered in an instant, and didn't even try to shy with the batsmen stranded halfway down...
Hampshire vs Somerset, 2nd Semi-Final at Birmingham, Aug 27 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
2nd Semi-Final, Birmingham, August 27, 2011, Friends Life t20
New
SOM
Full commentary
end of over 104 runs • 2 wickets
SOM: 94/6CRR: 9.40
Peter Trego2 (3b)
Dominic Cork 2-0-22-1
Shahid Afridi 2-0-16-1
So, it's taken most of a showery Saturday, but that is that for the semis. Coming straight up, Somerset v Leicestershire in the Friends Life t20 Final. Don't go further than a different browser window ... in fact, this one will do ...
Dominic Cork, whose exceptional final over set up all that excitement, says it was a good advert for Twenty20, and he's quite right. Last year's winners have been vanquished by last year's runners-up. As for Cork's future at Hampshire ... "Whatever happens to Dominic Cork, it's not about Dominic Cork here."
"The weather's been tough on us, but we've played some fantastic cricket," says Trescothick. Somerset will be favourites for the final, but Tresco predicts a lot of hard work. As he would.
Meanwhile, Joss Buttler is the Man of the Match. "I messed it up," he admits after the manner of his dismissal in the main event. "I play instinctively, see ball, hit ball..." He's not had time to digest his England call-up and little wonder ...
6.28pm Wow. This has been a sensational day in spite of all the rain, and we haven't even got to the final yet! The toss for that will take place in two minutes' time ... no rest for the wicked ... and the start will be at 7pm
Alfonso Thomas, what were you thinking? "Not a lot really. I didn't test Afridi with the short ball in the first innings, so it was a gamble I took and it paid off fortunately..." So there you go
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Here we go ...
Ball One Bouncer! And Afridi can't make contact! Great start, a dot ball
Ball Two Slower-ball bouncer! Afridi hopes it's called wide, but no! Another dot ...
Ball Three Yorker, but Afridi's onto this one. Arrow-straight drive for four
Ball Four WICKET Short again, pulled one-handed in the air to deep midwicket, Suppiah takes the catch, and that's another dot!
Ball Five Full length, outside off, an agricultural club to midwicket for one, and Thomas celebrates victory already
Ball Six A swing and a miss, and Somerset are through to the final
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It's Super Over Time! Here come Buttler and Kieswetter for Somerset, and sure enough, the canny old Afridi will be the bowler for Hampshire
Ball One Great length from Afridi, pushed to mid-on, but the bowler has to field the ball himself, so they run two with ease
Ball Two Too short, squirted through the covers, backward of point. Stayed leg-side and it's four
Ball Three One run there, as point cuts off the shot
Ball Four First ball four for Buttler! Slammed through cover
Ball Five Yorker, dug out to gully. Another single
Ball Six Clever from Kieswetter! Uses the pace, and scoops a four over his shoulder for four.
Somerset make 16. It's competitive ...
Alfonso Thomas has the honour of bowling the Super Over for Somerset. James Vince is padded up for Hampshire, Afridi and Adams will take the field...
If the scores are still level here, it comes down to a boundary countback. And with three of them in their 16, Hampshire would be well-placed in that scenario
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It's a Super Over, and how on earth did Somerset blow that position!
Who to turn to for this million-dollar shootout? I suspect Joss Buttler will still be padded up ... as for the bowler, I'd chuck it to Afridi, personally...
The nominees have to be given to the umpires in writing to guard against any trickery...
9.6
W
Cork to Suppiah, OUT
Arul Suppiah run out (Vince) 0 (1b 0x4 0x6 4m) SR: 0
Arul Suppiah hasn't faced a ball yet. This next delivery is worth a few bob ... the keeper comes up, massive conflab between the senior Hampshire players. Cork has called for a helmet, and wants a short leg! One of his trademark blustering bouncers ..? Hustled out by Corkie, that would be a fitting way to go ...
9.5
1
Cork to Trego, 1 run
low full toss, smashed down the ground, should have taken two, but they settle for the single. Scores are tied!
9.4
•
Cork to Trego, no run
smashed down the ground, but Cork is in the way, and that's a dot!
9.3
W
Cork to Buttler, OUT
wow! Buttler has chipped a dolly to long-off! He's furious with himself, was trying to place it through the leg side, inside of just swinging his bat through the line! Can Hampshire cling on?
Jos Buttler c Vince b Cork 32 (16b 1x4 3x6 14m) SR: 200
9.2
2
Cork to Buttler, 2 runs
smeared into the deep, quick running brings two as deep cover rushes round
9.1
1
Cork to Trego, 1 run
Trego does what he has to do, and gets Buttler back on strike
end of over 98 runs • 1 wicket
SOM: 90/4CRR: 10.00 • RRR: 5.00
Jos Buttler30 (14b 1x4 3x6)
Peter Trego0 (0b)
Shahid Afridi 2-0-16-1
Imran Tahir 2-0-20-2
8.6
•
Afridi to Buttler, no run
a pushed drive, and a thought of a single, but Buttler is kept off strike for the final over ... how important will that be?
8.5
W
Afridi to Hildreth, OUT
a glimmer! Hildreth belts a hard flat chance to Adams at deep midwicket, who almost loses his throat as the ball reaches him. Wickets are key in Hampshire's situation, and that's one of them
James Hildreth c Adams b Shahid Afridi 9 (8b 0x4 0x6 10m) SR: 112.5
8.4
1
Afridi to Buttler, 1 run
clumped to long-on. Another single
8.3
4
Afridi to Buttler, FOUR runs
battered! A touch too short, and walloped through square leg. This is ... facile!
8.2
1
Afridi to Hildreth, 1 run
jabbed behind square
8.1
2
Afridi to Hildreth, 2 runs
pulled through midwicket
end of over 816 runs
SOM: 82/3CRR: 10.25 • RRR: 6.50
Jos Buttler25 (11b 3x6)
James Hildreth6 (5b)
Imran Tahir 2-0-20-2
Danny Briggs 2-0-14-1
Barring miracles, this game is over ... here's Afridi to provide that miracle
7.6
6
Tahir to Buttler, SIX runs
instant retribution! Another full swing of the blade, long-on again has no chance!
7.5
•
Tahir to Buttler, no run
dropped! Buttler advanced fiercely, hit it well, and Tahir couldn't grab it. Costly ..?
7.4
•
Tahir to Buttler, no run
full and straight, driven into the gap at cover
7.3
2
Tahir to Buttler, 2 runs
clever batting, a nudge to leg
7.2
6
Tahir to Buttler, SIX runs
totally and utterly pumped into the stands at long-on! A massive swing of the bat and that's pushed the equation his team's way
7.1
2
Tahir to Buttler, 2 runs
Reverse sweep, beats the first of the men, but not the second
It's ten an over from here ...
end of over 712 runs
SOM: 66/3CRR: 9.42 • RRR: 9.66
Jos Buttler9 (5b 1x6)
James Hildreth6 (5b)
Danny Briggs 2-0-14-1
Imran Tahir 1-0-4-2
6.6
1
Briggs to Buttler, 1 run
touch and go to point. A good reviving over from Somerset's middle order
6.5
6
Briggs to Buttler, SIX runs
bosh! That's the clean striking that's earned his England call-up! Clean as a whistle into the stands