http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hampshire-c789: Friends Life Twenty20 – 2nd Semi-Final – Hampshire’s Innings
Somerset prevailed over Hampshire in the second Semi-Final game of the Friends Life Twenty20 at the Edgbaston, Birmingham in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 on Saturday, August 27, 2011.
The match was initially tied and both teams had to fight for the result in the one-over eliminator. Surprisingly, the first Semi-Final of the tournament played between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lancashire-c806 was also decided on the one-over eliminator. The former
team ended up being victorious.
Just like the first Semi-Final game, this was also affected by rain. Hampshire batted first and the innings was stopped twice due to heavy showers. The team managed 138 runs for the loss of four wickets in 15.5 overs when their innings came to an end.
Former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 was in menacing form, as he top scored the innings and the match with 80 runs. He would have been disappointed in the end, being on the losing side after a spectacular performance.
Somerset’s target was revised to 95 from 10 overs once the game resumed. The team failed to reach the target, but managed to tie in the end. They scored 94 runs for the loss of six wickets with the highest score coming from middle-order player http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jos-Buttler-c1733,
who ended up with 32 runs.
Somerset’s skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Marcus-Trescothick-c1898 won the toss and put the opposition into bat. The overcast conditions suggested that there might be some pace and swing for the bowlers in the first half of the match.
Hampshire opened their innings with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jimmy-Adams-c1696 and Afridi. The former was unable to make an impression, getting dismissed for 10 runs off 12 balls.
However, a magnificent second wicket partnership between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Vince-c1657 and Afridi changed the complexion of the match completely. The Pakistani star was absolutely on fire and smashed the bowlers to all parts of the park.
Vince was unable to make most of the start to his innings and got out after collecting 22 runs from 18 deliveries with the help of three boundaries. He was followed by South Africa’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Neil-McKenzie-c2094, who managed just 4 runs in his short stay at the crease.
The fall of wickets did not bother Afridi, as he continued his assault on the opposition. The veteran all-rounder certainly proved to be a big-match player, as he ended up with a thunderous 80 runs off 42 balls. His blistering knock included six fours and
5 monstrous sixes.
Zimbabwe’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Liam-Dawson-c1840 were unbeaten on 14 and 4 respectively, when rain stopped the Hampshire innings on 138/4.
South Africa’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Alfonso-Thomas-c991 proved to be the best of the bowlers for Somerset, taking one wicket for 19 runs in 3.5 overs.
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