Surrey set the pace

The group stages of the Twenty20 Cup have flown by, and while the weather hasn't been as accommodating as last year, the crowds have still flocked to the jacuzzis, jazz-bands and general jamborees - and the matches have been just as entertaining. As the final round of the first stage approaches, Freddie Auld explains which sides are likely to make it through to the quarter-finals, while Liam Brickhill looks back on the many highlights so far:

As the top two in each group go through, as well the best two runners-up, Worcestershire are virtually guaranteed their spot in the quarter-finals having won three out of four matches in the Midlands/Wales/West group. However, they will be wary of Glamorgan, who still have two matches to play, the second of which is against Worcestershire in what is likely be a top-of-the-table clash. Warwickshire, last year's finalists, are currently second, and their last match against fourth-placed Gloucestershire could decide who takes one of those runner-up spots. Somerset and Northants, with only one win each, will have to wait another year.

The North group is still wide open, with five of the six sides still mathematically able to make it through. Leicestershire, who made it to the semis last year, head the pack with six points, and a win at Derby tomorrow will take them through. Lancashire face Notts at Old Trafford in their last game, which will probably determine who else automatically qualifies with Leicestershire. Yorkshire, currently bottom with only two points, need wins against Lancashire on Wednesday and Durham on Thursday if they are to have any chance. Durham, though, are dead and buried after their defeat to third-placed Derbyshire yesterday.

Surrey may be struggling in the Championship and the National League, but the Twenty20 Cup remains their speciality. They have made a faultless start in the defence of their trophy, and head the South group by two points without having lost a game. While they are already through, the race for second is between Essex, Kent and Hampshire. Essex, who benefited from their washout with Surrey with a point, currently lie second, and victory against Sussex - the only side in the tournament without a win at all - will rubber-stamp their position. However, if Sussex can at last find the winning formula, then the Kent v Hampshire clash at the Rose Bowl will be a shootout for the other qualifying place.

Unfortunately for Middlesex fans, and the ECB, tomorrow's first Twenty20 match at Lord's will almost certainly be irrelevant as far as the table is concerned. Middlesex, one place off the bottom, will need a miracle to qualify. The game has been looked forward to - and sold out - for months, but Middlesex will need Essex to lose, Kent and Hampshire to tie, and then beat Surrey convincingly to go through on run rate. In other words, it's as likely as a veteran MCC member joining in the Mexican Wave as Lance Klusener mows another six over the Mound Stand.

The draw for next week's quarter-finals takes place this Friday, with the finals day at Edgbaston on August 7.

2004 Twenty20 Cup highlights
Andrew Symonds hit the first hundred of this year's tournament, stunning Middlesex with a 43-ball 112 that included 18 fours and three sixes as Kent had no trouble chasing the Middlesex total of 155 at Maidstone, reaching the target in just 13.1 overs.

Surrey equalled the tournament's highest score when they amassed 221 for 8 against Sussex at Hove. James Kirtley bore the brunt of a blitz by Ally Brown (45) and Mark Ramprakash (46), going for 63 in his four overs. In the face of such a daunting target, Sussex, in keeping with their dismal domestic form, collapsed to 121 all out, with Adam Hollioake taking 4 for 14 in three overs.

Brad Hogg may not have been in great bowling form earlier in the season, but he was Warwickshire's matchwinner with the ball in their first game, against Somerset at Edgbaston. Hogg's remarkable spell of 3.5 overs for just nine runs - and four wickets - set up a seven-wicket win. Hogg then took 4 for 30 with his mesmerising mix of slow left-arm spin and Chinamen against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens to set up another victory, and has so far taken 12 wickets in the tournament at an average of only 6.66. Only Adam Hollioake has taken as many wickets.

Worcestershire are top of their group largely thanks to the efforts of two players - Graeme Hick and Andy Bichel. Hick proved he isn't a spent force with 72 off 53 balls against Gloucestershire, and 116 not out off only 65 balls against Northants. He is currently the leading runscorer in this year's Twenty20 Cup, with 195 at an average of 65 - 17 ahead of Darren Maddy of Leicestershire. Bichel, meanwhile, is currently at the top of the batting averages, with 154 runs - he has only been out once - and has also taken six wickets.

Darren Maddy has been in excellent form in this year's competition. He smashed 51 from 27 balls against Lancashire in Leicestershire's first match, had a rare failure against Durham, scoring a duck as Leics lost by 41 runs, but came back in some style with 111 off 60 balls against Yorkshire, the fourth Twenty20 hundred of the season. He is the second highest run-scorer so far, with 178 at an average of 44.5.

Mark Butcher may have been overlooked by England in their squad for the Champions Trophy, but he has proved to be a revelation in the 20-over format, scoring 53 off 38 balls against Hampshire, and 60 off 40 against Kent as Surrey won again. Adam Hollioake, his Surrey team-mate, took 5 for 34 in that match - the first five-wicket haul of the summer.

Scott Brant took 4 for 20 to set up Essex's second win, against Kent at Maidstone. Brant took the vital wickets of possibly the tournament's most formidable opening pair - Shahid Afridi and Andrew Symonds.

Dispelling thoughts that the entire competition would be dominated by batsmen, Durham's Neil Killeen and Gareth Breese combined to send Leicestershire crashing to defeat at Grace Road. Killeen took 4 for 7 in four overs, one of which was a rare maiden, and Breese chipped in with 4 for 14.

Nottinghamshire's game against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge produced two remarkable innings, as Matthew Wood and Mark Ealham both narrowly missed out on centuries. After Notts won the toss and sent Yorkshire in, Wood cracked an unbeaten 96 off 62 balls as Yorkshire scored 207. But he was then outshone by Ealham, who hit nine sixes on his way to 91 in only 35 balls to help Notts scrape home by three wickets with one delivery to spare.

In a low-scoring match at Hove, Dimitri Mascarenhas destroyed Sussex, taking 5 for 14 in 3.5 overs, including a hat-trick, as Sussex were bowled out for 67 in just under 15 overs. Hampshire didn't do much better in reply, stumbling to victory in 19 overs as Kirtley and Robin Martin-Jenkins bowled their tally of eight overs for a total of 15 runs, picking up three wickets between them.