B & H Semis: First cup finalists aiming to be the last (9 Jun 1998)

9 June 1998

Benson and Hedges Semis: First cup finalists aiming to be the last

By Charles Randall

THE Benson and Hedges Cup could end its final season with an elegant symmetry if Yorkshire and Leicestershire win their home semi-finals today.

The two counties who played in the first cup final in 1972 would then contest the last one, and the coincidence at Lord's would be enhanced by the fact that Chris Balderstone has been rostered as umpire. He was man of the match in Leicestershire's victory 26 years ago.

This symmetry would be satisfying, but it will not happen if Adam Hollioake and his Surrey side have their way at Leicester as expected, where 1,500 tickets, a third of Grace Road's capacity, have been pre-sold.

Last year Surrey thrashed Leicestershire by 130 runs in the semi-final at the Oval, their fourth win in four cup meetings. Chris Lewis, a Surrey player last year, has been given the Leicestershire captaincy for the remainder of the season as James Whitaker's permanent stand-in, and the all-rounder's arrival has at least narrowed the gap in class with Surrey.

Hollioake's shortage of reliable back-up seam bowling for Martin Bicknell is his vulnerable area, and, if the pitch favours seam bowling, it will be no coincidence.

Yorkshire's sequence of three losing one-day semi-finals in the past two seasons raises doubts whether they can win on a fourth occasion today, this time against Essex at Headingley. Certainly they had an inauspicious weekend.

An embarrassing AXA League home defeat by Leicestershire on Sunday, costing David Byas's team their place at the top, followed the loss of Darren Gough, who broke his right index finger at Edgbaston.

Nevertheless, Yorkshire could well steal a home victory today from what is likely to be a rain-affected match to reach their first final in any competition since 1987.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)