At home in the country for old men

Vic Marks, in the Observer, writes that Twenty20 cricket is no longer the preserve of the young, at least in England. The Twenty20 championship, which concluded yesterday, saw players thought to be past their prime, perform above expectations.

Tyron Henderson, 34 this week, cottoned on to what it takes to be a Twenty20 specialist before anyone else. No one has taken more Twenty20 wickets than Henderson, but it was as a batsman that he excelled yesterday, thrashing the Durham bowlers to defeat and then giving similar treatment to the men of Kent, with whom he played a couple of years ago with modest success. His philosophy is uncomplicated: 'If I can see it, I hit it.' Despite his years, he saw it pretty well. It doesn't matter much that Tyron cannot run very fast, either. For fairly obvious reasons he answers to 'The Blacksmith'.

In the Independent on Sunday, Nick Townsend observes the big bash at the Rosebowl and talks about the financial impact of the Twenty20 tournament on the coffers off the counties.

The disciples of Twenty20 believe there is also a hitherto untapped potential of women and children spectators. A none-too-scientific survey suggested that the crowd here were mostly men, attending an event that was male-orientated. Beer was being consumed copiously behind the stands, not too far distant from where women queued for too long for the toilets. An all-blonde posse of npower (one of the sponsors) girls, in clinging outfits, parading in front of the stands was, at best, a little passé.