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T20 quarters completed

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 27/07/2009

The quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup finish off with the Lancashire Lightning hosting the Somerset Sabres at Old Trafford on Tuesday and the Hampshire Hawks travelling to the Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Wednesday.

Lancs go into the knockout stages as the online betting favourites for the competition, having topped the North Division with eight wins and a no-result from ten games, with their only reverse an eight-run loss to Leicestershire.

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They have shown themselves to be a tight unit, with no truly outstanding individual performers, but every man has contributed to their success.

Steven Croft has led the way with the bat, making more than 250 runs in the competition to date, while overseas recruit VVS Laxman has reached fifty in two of the three matches he has played in.

On the bowling front, Glen Chapple and Sajid Mahmood have both taken 11 wickets, while spinner Gary Keedy has proved to be difficult to get away and fellow left-armer Stephen Parry has snared ten wickets.

Somerset head north having sneaked into the quarter-finals by virtue of finishing third in the Midlands/Wales/West Division.

The Sabres won six of their ten group games, but were on the losing side three times, against Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

Batting has been the main strength of Justin Langer's side with Craig Kieswetter, Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego all having made well over 200 runs, but Zander de Bruyn has been the star with 336 runs - including three half-centuries.

De Bruyn's fellow South African, Alfonso Thomas, has been the bowling spearhead, taking 15 wickets in the competition, the joint second highest tally in the tournament this summer.

In Wednesday's encounter, Northants will be hoping to end Hants' hopes of a one-day double, following their triumph in the Friends Provident Trophy final.

The Steelbacks can take confidence from the fact that they finished top of the Midlands/Wales/West Division, losing only twice in ten games.

South African all-rounder Johan van der Wath has impressed with both bat and ball for Nicky Boje's side, but former Australia all-rounder Ian Harvey has been the undoubted star.

Harvey has made more than 250 runs in the competition, as well as taking 12 wickets and proving himself to still be one of the best death bowlers in the game.

For Hants, Michael Lumb has shone with the bat, as he did in their run to FP Trophy glory, and his outstanding form has seen him earn a place in England's preliminary squad for the ICC Champions Trophy later this year.

Lumb has well over 400 runs to his name in the T20 Cup, while Michael Carberry is almost up to the 300 mark.

On the bowling front, Sean Ervine has taken 11 wickets this season, but veteran Dominic Cork is also into double figures and he will want to remain on centre stage after starring at Lord's at the weekend.

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