Cricket-News.Org

Following the success of the inaugural tournament in 2006, the Twenty20 Floodlit Cup is back for the new English county season.

Derbyshire Phantoms and Essex Eagles will be joined by the PCA Masters in a round-robin competition to be played over August and September. Each team will face their opponents twice with both Derbyshire and Essex hosting three matches each at their headquarters.

Essex Eagles will be aiming to defend the Cup they won in 2006 when they defeated the Phantoms in a two-legged final. Despite the match ultimately being abandoned, the Eagles drew an attendance of 4000 to the first leg of the final at The Ford County Ground before another healthy crowd turned up for the second leg at the County Ground in Derby when the visitors went away with the Cup by virtue of a 92-run win.

Last season’s Floodlit Cup was played on a knockout basis, with Glamorgan Dragons and Sussex Sharks also participating, but the format has now been revised to a league basis. While the principles of the tournament have been agreed the final details with regards to the rules and regulations will be clarified at a later date (more information to be provided on the respective websites – see below).

Essex Chief Executive David East said:

“The inclusion of the PCA Masters into the Twenty20 Floodlit Cup this year will bring a new and exciting dimension to the tournament. With the combination of overseas stars and the cream of recently retired county players representing the Masters I have no doubt that the matches will all be highly competitive and will be great entertainment for everyone who comes to The Ford County Ground.”

Derbyshire Chief Executive Tom Sears said:

“Last season’s inaugural competition proved exceptionally popular with both spectators and the players and the inclusion of the PCA Masters this season adds something extra. We had superb crowds last year and fully expect to build on that in 2007.”

PCA Board Director of Events Steve Marsh said:

“The PCA Masters are delighted to accept the invitation to play in the Twenty20 Floodlit Cup alongside Essex Eagles and Derbyshire Phantoms. The competition promises to be a strong one with three quality sides fighting it out for top honours. The invitation to this six-match tournament will also help enhance the PCA Masters brand as well as to build the reputation of the PCA Masters as being a very serious cricket side. We are all looking forward to it.”

Twenty20 Floodlit Cup – Fixture Schedule

Tuesday 14th August – Derbyshire Phantoms v Essex Eagles (Derby)

Thursday 16th August – Derbyshire Phantoms v PCA Masters (Derby)

Tuesday 28th August – Essex Eagles v Derbyshire Phantoms (Chelmsford)

Tuesday 11th September – Essex Eagles v PCA Masters (Chelmsford)

Thursday 13th September – Essex Eagles v PCA Masters (Chelmsford)

Friday 14th September – Derbyshire Phantoms v PCA Masters (Derby)

Comments(0)

Essex’s Ravinder Bopara, Danish Kaneria, Andre Nel and Ryan ten Doeschate are gearing up for the ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, which starts next week.

The four have all arrived in the Caribbean with their respective nations to prepare for the showpiece tournament with a series of warm-up matches.

Bopara (England), Nel (South Africa) and ten Doeschate (Netherlands) must wait a while longer but Kaneria could feature in the competition opener for Pakistan against West Indies on March 13 in Jamaica.

ten Doeschate was the first of the Essex contingent to make his mark in the warm-up matches when he took 5-57 wickets for the Netherlands in their match against India in Jamaica on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old struck with his first delivery to dismiss Sourav Ganguly as he came away with a wicket maiden at the end of his opening over. He followed that up by swinging one through the defences of Virender Sehwag in his next over before returning to claim three more wickets in his second spell. Despite scoring 31 in his team’s reply, the all-rounder could not prevent the Netherlands crashing to a 182-run defeat.

Netherlands bowling coach Ian Pont had earlier backed ten Doeschate to shine during the World Cup:

“Ryan is a world-class performer when he’s playing well. He won games with his batting and fielding for Essex last year, and now his bowling is back on track he’s a real contender as one of the stars of the tournament. We are targeting South Africa first - not least since we have three players with SA connections. There’s a determination to get amongst them and make things difficult. Pressure is on them as new world number ones and also after failing to get out of their group at the last World Cup, on home soil. I’ll be giving Andre Nel some friendly stick too.

“It will be a great experience for everyone associated with Netherlands cricket. But Ryan has the chance to show what he can do at the highest level of all. He’s one of those characters that thrives on challenges. And I wouldn’t put it past him to show his best against the best.”

Meanwhile, Essex Batting Coach Graham Gooch backed England’s decision to select Ravinder Bopara in his column for the ‘Essex Cricket’ magazine:

“I think Bopara’s selection is justified because he’s a good back-up for Paul Collingwood and you need players in your top order who can bat and bowl. I think he would do a good job even if I might be a little bit biased. If Collingwood got injured then they would have had no one to replace him (if Bopara hadn’t been selected) of a player who can bat in the top six and bowl a bit – the sort of job that Ravi does for us at Essex.

“I did put it to him a few years ago that if got selected to play one-day cricket for England then in an ironical sort of way it would be his bowling that gets him in the team, although that’s not his main suit. The fact he is an all-rounder makes him attractive to England because if he was a straight batsman he would be competing with a lot of other players.”

Follow the World Cup at www.essexcricket.org.uk

The Essex CCC website will be featuring our ‘fantastic four’ extensively over the next month and a half as they do battle in the Caribbean.

Bopara and ten Doeschate will be offering their own thoughts on the World Cup in the ‘Essex Cricket Blog’, which launches later this week.

You can get their initial thoughts ahead of the tournament in exclusive interviews with the Essex CCC website (log on to the home page to read them).

There will also be all the latest news of the exploits of Kaneria and Nel as Essex await their arrivals at The Ford County Ground soon after their World Cup campaigns end.

Comments(0)