UCCEs reach T20 tournament semis

Date released: 26 June 2009

Two MCC funded University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCEs) have reached the semi-finals of a Universities Twenty20 tournament.

Report by Jack Hyom at Loughborough

Cardiff UCCE, Derbyshire Second XI, Exeter University and best placed runners-up Leeds UCCE have reached the semi-finals of the MCC Universities T20 Tournament.

In a high quality opening day at Loughborough, underdogs Exeter confirmed their place in the semi-finals with a comfortable victory over Durham, following an impressive display to overturn group favourites Leeds.

In their opening match, batsman Tom Worthington hit an unbeaten knock of 40 as Exeter chased down Leed’s innings total of 147-7 with four balls to spare.

In Exeter's next match they scored sixty runs inside the first six overs - denting to Durham’s hopes of recording a victory - as the total of 135-6 was chased down with four overs to spare.

MCC Universities Challenge Cup finalists Cardiff stormed to success in Group Two, as they disposed of Bristol with Oxford another big name casualty.

Bishop: Notched the highest individual score - 78 not out Cardiff batsman Ryan Bishop shared an opening stand of 76 with captain Matthew Jones and hit an unbeaten 78, the highest individual score of the day as they eclipsed Oxford's 128, with nine balls to spare. Bradley Wadland cracked the winning six and did the damage with the ball too claiming 3-27.

A strong Derby side, that boasted a number of first team professionals, were convincing Group One winners as they amassed the two biggest totals of the day’s play.

Portuguese batsman Dominic Filipe Telo smashed 65 off 27 balls against Loughborough while opener Daniel Birch scored 47 in just 21 deliveries to leave the hosts with a tough task. Despite fast bowler Andy Hick picking up two wickets in as many balls, Derby posted 195-7.

In the hosts’ reply, Paul Borrington made a brutal 47 before being caught by Telo. Aron Harinath hit three sixes in one over on the way to 41 but wickets began to tumble in the latter stages as the target proved too much for the home side.

Ansari: scored an impressive half-century Derby also beat Cambridge by a comprehensive 39 runs, despite a fine half-century from Cambridge’s Akbar Ansari.

Leeds clinched the fourth semi-final berth with the highest net run-rate of the second placed teams and could be drawn against Cardiff in a preview of Monday’s fifty-over Challenge Cup Final at Lord’s.

New white Kookaburra and Dukes Cricket balls were also put to the test at the tournament in an aim to find the perfect model to suit the one-day format and be sustainable for a day’s play.

This is part of ongoing research into cricket balls by MCC and, should they be successful, could be implemented in the one-day game.

Both semi-finals and the Final take place at the National Cricket Performance Centre from 10am on Friday 26 June.