Countries England
Wales First tournament 2003 Most runs Jonathan Trott (1,564) | Format Twenty20 Last tournament 2009 Number of teams 18 | |
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Tournament format Group stages, then knockout Administrator England and Wales Cricket Board | ||
The Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh first-class counties from 2003 to 2009.
Contents
In 2010, it was replaced as the domestic Twenty20 competition by the Friends Provident t20.
History
When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the England and Wales Cricket Board needed another one-day competition to fill its place. The cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship. It was intended to deliver fast-paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game.
The first Twenty20 Cup was held in 2003 and was marketed with the slogan “I don’t like cricket, I love it” (itself a line from the popular cricket-themed pop song Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc). It was won by the Surrey Lions.
Competition format
The Twenty20 format, twenty overs for each team, means a game can be completed in under three hours, making it more palatable for children and families than longer matches. Many games also feature additional activities for the spectators to provide more entertainment, such as paddling pools, bouncy castles, themed areas, bowling speed-guns, and prizes for catching a 6 ball. On Finals Day, there is also a performance by a major pop act – Atomic Kitten, Liberty X, Girls Aloud and Sugababes have performed on past Finals Days, and Mutya Buena performed on the 2007 Finals Day at Edgbaston.
Many games are played in twilight, again to enhance family spectator appeal and to allow attendance after work and school. They also feature numerous musical 'stings' for exciting events, such as the dismissal of a batsman, or the hitting of a boundary.
Rules
Most of the standard rules of cricket are retained, but the emphasis is on fast scoring and fast moving cricket. There are limits on fielding positions, and the boundaries are shorter, to encourage aggressive batting. Batsmen get a Free Hit if the bowler bowls a "No Ball" by overstepping the popping crease. There is also a strict 1 minute 30 second time limit on the amount of time a new batsman has to reach the crease. In the event of the scores being equal at the end of the overs of knockout matches, there is a "bowl-off", similar to a penalty shoot out, except the bowlers have to bowl at unguarded stumps. The winners are the team with the most hits.
As of the 2008 season, each county team will play 10 games, playing each team in the group once home and once away. Teams receive two points for a win, none for a defeat and one for a tie or a no result if the game can't be completed. This stage takes around three weeks to complete, with teams playing several ties each week. The top two from each division along with the two best third-place finishers qualify with for the quarter-finals, with the group winners and best second place team having home ties. The winners of the quarter-finals go through to "Finals Day", a bumper day of Twenty20 when the semi-finals and final of the competition take place on the same day at the same venue.
Teams
The first stage involves the eighteen counties being split into three "divisions", based on their location in Great Britain.
Each division contains six counties and are divided up as follows:
Results
The event has been held annually towards the end of the cricket season in England since 2003.
Surrey won the inaugural event against Warwickshire Bears, in front of a sell out crowd at Trent Bridge, in July 2003.
Leicestershire Foxes are the only team to have won the competition more than once.