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Nottinghamshire take Emirates Airline Twenty20 title
Samit Patel steered Nottinghamshire to an eight-wicket victory over Sussex to claim the Emirates Airline Twenty20 title today.
Patel smashed a brilliant 76 not out off just 45 balls as the county champions chased Sussex’s total of 141 for victory.
Having won the toss, Sussex elected to bat first and captain Chris Nash (30), Joe Gatting (34), Andrew Hodd (29) and Ben Brown (25) all contributed with the bat but none managed a big score as the team finished with 141-5.
Alex Hales (44) and Neil Edwards opened for Nottinghamshire but the latter fell for 14, caught by Gatting off Mohammad Amjad Khan, bringing Patel to the crease. He promptly smashed six sixes and six fours as he guided his side home.
“We’ve played very nicely – it’s been a really worthwhile day for us. We’ve played two very good games of cricket and I was thrilled with the margin of victory – particularly in the second match,” said Notts captain Chris Read after the match.
Notts had booked their spot in the final with a 3 wicket win over a Sourav Ganguly-captained MCC side earlier in the afternoon. Steven Davies top-scored for the MCC with 48 as they posted a total of 154-7 in their 20 overs.
This time it was Notts captain Read who led the chase, scoring 48 not out off 33 balls while Hales finished with 47 off 35 before being bowled by Toby Rowland-Jones. There were some nerve-wracking moments towards the end of the innings however with Afghanistan international Hamid Hassan claiming a hat-trick to finish with figures of 5 for 17 off his 4 overs.
Sussex, meanwhile, had booked their final spot with a convincing win over Durham, defeating them by an impressive nine wickets in the opening match of the day. Having won the toss and elected to bat, Durham could muster only 90-9 in their 20 overs, with none of the top three making a mark.
Only Will Smith made any kind of impact, top-scoring with 35. Sussex’s Chris Liddle did most of the damage, dismissing the top three as well as yesterday’s top-scorer Gareth Breese and finishing with figures of 4 for 15 off 3 overs. Sussex then made light work of the chase. Opener Luke Wells finished on 42 not out while former New Zealand international Lou Vincent notched up 30 not out. Durham managed to claim just one wicket – Scott Borthwick dismissing Chris Nash for 14 (caught by Smith).
Durham eventually settled for a consolation fourth place finish by defeating Fly Emirates by 10 wickets in their play-off game.
“It’s been a great day and we’ve seen some fantastic cricket here at 7he Sevens cricket ground,” said Tournament Director Matthew Jackson. “Congratulations to Nottinghamshire who have emerged as worthy champions. This event has grown each year with many families coming out to enjoy the festive atmosphere today and we are looking forward to welcoming them and some top-class cricketers back again next year,” added Jackson.
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Durham Breese into semi-final at Emirates Airline Twenty20
Durham claimed a 12-run victory over defending champions Fly Emirates XI in the first match of the Emirates Airline Twenty20 at 7he Sevens cricket ground today.
Durham won the toss and elected to bat with Mark Stoneman and captain Dale Benkenstein opening the batting and setting up a platform of 37 before Benkenstein was bowled by Fly Emirates captain Amjad Javed for 10. Stoneman went on to score 41 before being stumped by Shoeb Muljiani off Arshad Ali.
A brilliant knock of 48 not out off 29 balls later down the order by Gareth Breese was what eventually saw Durham posting a competitive total of 150-8 in their 20 overs.
Ali was the pick of the Fly Emirates bowlers, claiming three wickets for 27 off his four overs and he then put in an impressive performance with the bat as well, notching up a total of 33 off 32 balls before being trapped LBW by Scott Borthwick. Only captain Javed scored more, with 39, before being caught by Borthwick off Liam Plunkett.
Fly Emirates put in a good effort but left with 29 to get off the last two overs, the total of 150 was just out of reach, as they finished on 138-7.
“It’s been a busy few days so we didn’t know how it was going to go but the guys did well,” said Durham captain Benkenstein afterwards.
“It wasn’t quite all together yet but that’s to be expected this time of the season. The bowling was a bit rusty but there was some good stuff that came out of that game,” he added.
“My team played very well – we played as a team,” said Fly Emirates captain Javed. “We were just 12 runs away from victory over a professional side so that’s very good.”
With this victory Durham booked their semi-final spot and will take on Sussex in the first match at 7he Sevens tomorrow at 10.30am.
Fly Emirates will go on to play in the fourth place playoff at 2.30pm tomorrow, while the Sourav Ganguly-captained MCC side play their first match against county champions Nottinghamshire at 12.30pm.
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County champions hunt for more glory at Emirates Airline Twenty20
Having claimed the county championship in 2010, Nottinghamshire have set their sights on another dominant performance this season, starting with the Emirates Airline Twenty20 on Friday, April 1.
The Outlaws are one of five teams competing in the tournament at 7he Sevens this weekend, which will also feature the likes of Indian legend Sourav Ganguly and English international Monty Panesar.
“We take Twenty20 cricket very seriously and one of our objectives for this season is to reach finals day in our domestic competition,” said Notts captain Chris Read.
“The quality of the opposition in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 is very high and it goes without saying that we’re keen to win the competition.
“The likes of Alex Hales and Samit Patel have a fantastic record in Twenty20 matches and I thoroughly enjoy the format,” added Read, who has represented England in 15 Tests and 36 ODIs.
“It’s wonderful to be able to welcome Nottinghamshire to Dubai. As reigning county champions, I have no doubt they will put in a great performance at the Emirates Airline Twenty20, giving the crowds at 7he Sevens plenty to shout about,” said Tournament Director Matthew Jackson.
Nottinghamshire will play their first game of the Emirates Airline Twenty20 against the MCC. The winner of that match will go straight through into the final which will be played at 5.30pm on Friday at 7he Sevens.
The Nottinghamshire squad is: Jake Ball, Alistair Brown, Andrew Carter, Neil Edwards, Scott Elstone, Luke Fletcher, Paul Franks, Alex Hales, Steven Mullaney, Akhil Patel, Samit Patel, Brett Hutton, Chris Read, Charlie Shreck, Mark Wagh, Sam Wood.
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Defending champions have tough task ahead at Emirates Airline Twenty20
The team of Emirates airline employees who stunned the opposition to take victory at last year’s inaugural Emirates Airline Twenty20 face a tough task defending their title.
With the likes of county champions Nottinghamshire, the international star-studded Durham and Sussex sides and the Sourav Ganguly-captained MCC in the mix, Fly Emirates XI certainly have their work cut out for them this weekend at 7he Sevens cricket ground.
But the team is up for the challenge and relishing the chance to take on the ‘big boys’. “We are extremely excited with a couple of new county teams that are coming here this year. We’re the defending champions so we need to live up to those expectations,” said Fly Emirates XI wicketkeeper/manager Shoeb Muljiani.
“But more importantly the boys are very keen because this is a wonderful opportunity to rub shoulders with the professionals so we should do well,” added Muljiani.
The Fly Emirates XI haven’t had the best of seasons so far, losing out to the Lord’s Taverners at the same ground recently. “But the boys are feeling good to go,” said Muljiani. “When you’ve held the title for the first year, you should be performing to that standard so there is a bit of pressure - and we aren’t professional so that adds a bit more coming up against the big names.
“But we’re about three quarters of the way through our season so we have been practicing regularly. On both the grounds at 7he Sevens the outfield is superb. The wicket is coming up excellently. There’s a good bounce on the wicket and good carry. It looks to be a good track and we should have some very exciting cricket,” he added.
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Feast of action ahead at Emirates Airline Twenty20
Dubai cricket fans are being promised a feast of runs and thrilling entertainment when the Emirates Airline Twenty20 gets underway at 7he Sevens cricket ground on April 1.
This year’s tournament is likely to serve up plenty of spectacular action with the likes of Indian legend Sourav Ganguly, England spinner Monty Panesar and Kiwi batsman Lou Vincent all in the mix.
County champions Nottinghamshire will be taking on Durham, Sussex and defending champions Fly Emirates XI as well as a specially assembled MCC side captained by Ganguly.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Durham, Sussex, Nottinghamshire and the MCC to Dubai for what promises to be an entertaining spectacle of sport,” said Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ DSVP Commercial Operations Worldwide.
“We are also looking forward to watching our very own Fly Emirates XI side get the tournament under way in the opening match here at 7he Sevens, Emirates’ dedicated sports and events facility. The cricket pitches have been in operation for a year now and are in top condition, so the stage is set for a great day of sport.
“Fly Emirates XI are the defending champions after beating Sussex in the final last year and our players – talented employees from the Emirates Group who juggle their love for cricket with busy work schedules – are excited about once again being able to test themselves against top professionals,” added Vaughan.
Ganguly, who last played for the MCC against Pakistan, said: "It is an honour and a pleasure to represent MCC, and I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to play for the club in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 competition,” he said.
“I thoroughly enjoyed captaining the MCC side that took on the Pakistanis at Lord's last summer, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play in another talented MCC team.”
Also looking forward to the challenge is Sussex’s Monty Panesar, who was part of England’s Ashes winning squad last season.
“All the squad at Sussex are very much looking forward to the pre-season trip to Dubai and in particular the Emirates Airline Twenty20 tournament, as it will be great to get into some competitive action before the new season in England,” said Panesar.
“We did well to get to the final of the tournament last year and we’ll be looking to go one better this time around,” he added.
The Durham team, which features the likes of Steve Harmison, Ian Blackwell and Phil Mustard, are equally fired up for the tournament and will be tough to beat.
“The lads always go in to every competition wanting to win and this competition is no different. Winning is a habit and one we want to get in to straight away. We’re going to be up against tough opposition but we’ll be putting in every effort to bring the trophy back to the north east.” said Harmison.
Meanwhile, county champions Nottinghamshire will be looking to continue their fine form from last season when they step out onto the pitch at 7he Sevens.
“We take Twenty20 cricket very seriously and one of our objectives for this season is to reach finals day in our domestic competition. The quality of the opposition in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 is very high and it goes without saying that we’re keen to win the competition,” said Notts captain Chris Read.
Matches begin at 7he Sevens at 10.30am on April 1. Another highlight for fans heading to the tournament will be the presence of former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who has been selected to captain the Kings XI Punjab in this year’s IPL.
Gilchrist is lending his support to the Emirates Airline Twenty20 and will be at 7he Sevens to take in some of the action at the April 1 event as well as meeting fans and signing autographs. He will be joined by Kings XI Punjab teammates Dinesh Karthik, who has represented India in 52 ODIs and 23 Tests, and Shaun Marsh of Australia.
Also running alongside the Emirates Airline Twenty20 will be an Under-11s Kwik Cricket tournament. Friends and families of the school children participating in this fun tournament are expected to come and cheer them on, adding to the festive atmosphere.
“There is plenty to look forward to at this year’s Emirates Airline Twenty20 with a great line-up of players who are certain to provide some excellent entertainment,” said Tournament Director Matthew Jackson. “With the kids tournament running alongside the main event as well, this certainly promises to be a true carnival of cricket,” he added.
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Gilchrist and Karthik to attend Emirates Airline Twenty20 in Dubai
Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who will captain the Kings XI Punjab for the first time in this year’s IPL, is getting behind the Emirates Airline Twenty20 and will be at 7he Sevens to take in some of the action at the April 1 event.
The swashbuckling batsman and wicketkeeper will be joined by Kings XI Punjab teammates Dinesh Karthik, who has represented India in 52 ODIs and 23 Tests, and Shaun Marsh of Australia.
Good news is that fans will get a chance to meet their heroes with several autograph signing sessions scheduled throughout the day. Gilchrist is scheduled to sign autographs at 10.45am on April 1 in the village area at 7he Sevens, after conducting a nets session with 10 lucky competition winners.
“I’m really looking forward to coming out to Dubai for the Emirates Airline Twenty20 and to seeing the cricket facilities at 7he Sevens,” said Gilchrist, who scored an incredible 9619 ODI and 5570 Test runs for Australia.
“It will be fantastic spending some time with budding cricket players in the nets and meeting the crowd while also taking in some great action on the pitch,” added the captain of Kings XI Punjab, the IPL side of which Emirates is the title sponsor.
There will certainly be plenty of action to enjoy with county champions Nottinghamshire taking on Durham, Sussex, Fly Emirates XI and a specially assembled MCC side captained by former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly.
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Panesar and Vincent to star in Sussex side at Emirates Airline Twenty20
Monty Panesar and the Sussex team will be hoping to go one step further and take top honours when they return to Dubai for the Emirates Airline Twenty20 on April 1.
The Sussex Sharks made it to the final of last year’s tournament at 7he Sevens cricket ground but fell just short, losing out to the Fly Emirates XI.
This year they’ll be taking on county champions Nottinghamshire and Durham, the Fly Emirates XI and an MCC side that includes former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly.
“All the squad at Sussex are very much looking forward to the pre-season trip to Dubai and in particular the Emirates Airline Twenty20 tournament, as it will be great to get into some competitive action before the new season in England,” said Panesar ahead of the trip.
“We did well to get to the final of the tournament last year and we’ll be looking to go one better this time around. On a personal note I am looking to play as many T20 matches for Sussex this season as possible and hopefully lead us to a successful campaign,” added the England left arm spinner, who will be playing his second season for Sussex this year.
Joining Panesar in the Sussex squad in Dubai will be Lou Vincent, who played over 100 one day internationals and 23 Tests for New Zealand.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome the Sussex Sharks back to Dubai for the Emirates Airline Twenty20,” said Tournament Director Matthew Jackson. “They put in a great performance to reach last year’s final and we’re looking forward to seeing them in action again on April 1 at 7he Sevens. With the likes of Lou Vincent and Monty Panesar in the side, they will certainly be exciting to watch.”
The Sussex squad is: James Anyon, William Beer, Ben Brown, Joe Gatting, Naveed Arif Gondal, Lewis Hatchett, Andrew Hodd, Mohammad Amjad Khan, Christopher Liddle, Matthew Machan, Christopher Nash, Monty Panesar, Luke Radford, Lou Vincent, Luke Wells, Kirk Wernars.
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Dubai youngsters to rub shoulders with the stars at Emirates Airline Twenty20
Dubai’s budding cricketers will be handed the opportunity of a lifetime on April 1 when they get to take part in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 at 7he Sevens cricket ground.
As part of the legacy of the tournament, the organisers have invited four local schools to take part in a special Kwik Cricket competition which will be played on the same grounds where the likes of Indian legend Sourav Ganguly, Monty Panesar and Steve Harmison will be in action the same day.
Kwik cricket is a game designed to introduce youngsters to the sport, with 10 players per side, 10 overs per innings and everyone in the team getting to bowl one over each.
“We feel it’s important to help develop cricket in the UAE and that is why we have included the Kwik Cricket tournament into the programme of the Emirates Airline Twenty20,” said Tournament Director, Matthew Jackson. “Hopefully the youngsters will be inspired by playing in front of stars such as Ganguly and Harmison.
“There will be plenty of action on offer with these Kwik Cricket games being fast and furious, and this will certainly add an extra fun element to the day and entertain the crowd between the professional games,” added Jackson.
The schools taking part in the tournament include: YTCA Delhi Private School, Dubai; YTCA Al Sadiq Islamic English School, Dubai and Dubai College.
The Kwik Cricket semi-finals will take place on Pitch 1 at 7he Sevens at 10.30am on April 1 – with two matches being played simultaneously on the outfield – while the final will be contested at 3pm on the same pitch, with the trophy presentation taking place during the innings break of the pro final, later in the afternoon.
The Emirates Airline Twenty20 is now in its second year, but this is the first year that the Kwik Cricket tournament is being held at 7he Sevens. The senior tournament involves county champions Nottinghamshire, Durham, Sussex and defending champions Fly Emirates XI, as well as a specially assembled MCC side featuring Ganguly.
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Harmison Heads Powerful Durham Line-up at Emirates Airline Twenty20
The Durham Dynamos will arrive in Dubai with a good mix of youth and experience ahead of the Emirates Twenty20 on April 1.
The travelling squad includes a host of former internationals and a number of promising youngsters hoping to make their mark during this pre-season trip.
Heading the line-up will be former England internationals Stephen Harmison, Ian Blackwell and Phil Mustard. Also in the squad is Dale Benkenstein, Michael Di Venuto, Gareth Breese and Kyle Coetzer, all of whom have also played on the international stage.
“The lads always go in to every competition wanting to win and this competition is no different. Winning is a habit and one we want to get in to straight away. We’re going to be up against tough opposition but we’ll be putting in every effort to bring the trophy back to the north east.” said Harmison of the Emirates Airline Twenty20 which will take place at 7he Sevens cricket ground on Al Ain Road on April 1.
The Durham side will be up against county champions Nottinghamshire as well as Sussex, defending champions Fly Emirates XI and a star-studded MCC team which will feature former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.
The squad will also play a series of warm up matches ahead of the competition as part of their preparation for the start of the English domestic season.
“The trip allows us to have a significant amount of outdoor practice which is vital because of the early start to the domestic season. It also gives us a chance to finalise our preparations and planning for the forthcoming season especially as we look to maximise the potential of the dual captaincy,” said Geoff Cook, Durham CCC Head Coach.
“Durham have an extremely talented side and it is a great pleasure to have them taking part in the Emirates Airline Twenty20,” said Tournament Director Matthew Jackson.
“They are likely to provide a tough challenge to the other teams in the competition and a fantastic spectacle for Dubai’s cricket fans. With tickets on sale for just Dh25 and children under 12 being granted free entry, April 1 promises to be a great day out for the whole family,” added Jackson.
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Ganguly heads to Dubai
Former India Test and One Day International captain Sourav Ganguly is relishing the prospect of competing at the Emirates Airline Twenty20 in Dubai next month.
Ganguly has been included in a star-studded MCC side that will be participating in the event taking place at 7he Sevens cricket ground on April 1.
"It is an honour and a pleasure to represent MCC, and I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to play for the club in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 competition,” he said.
“I thoroughly enjoyed captaining the MCC side that took on the Pakistanis at Lord's last summer, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play in another talented MCC team.
“I am very much looking forward to continuing my relationship with MCC, and participating in this exciting new venture for the club," added Ganguly, who has been hailed as India’s most successful Test captain.
The left hander enjoyed an incredible one day career with India as well, representing his country in 311 ODIs and notching up an impressive total of 11,363 runs. With this sort of talent in the side, the MCC will certainly be tough to beat. They will be taking on county champions Nottinghamshire, Durham, Sussex and defending champions Fly Emirates XI in the Dubai tournament which will also feature top stars such as Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Chris Read.
“It is a great honour to have Sourav Ganguly competing at the Emirates Airline Twenty20 and we are looking forward to welcoming this legend of the game to Dubai,” said Tournament Director, Matthew Jackson.
“The Dubai crowds are certainly in for a treat with this kind of talent on display at 7he Sevens cricket ground. With the likes of Sourav in their line-up, the MCC side look to be strong contenders for the title. They certainly won’t have it all their way, however, with some top-class players and former internationals in the other teams as well,” he added.
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The Barmy Army are coming to the Emirates Twenty20!
The Barmy Army have become an official partner of the tournament, and they will be there on the 1st of April.
Paul Burnham, co founder of the Barmy Army said.....
“We at the Barmy Army are very pleased to be involved in this event. We see this as the perfect opportunity to reach out to the thousands of ex-pats in the UAE who actively support England and bring to life the Barmy Army experience. Our hope is to create a strong Barmy Army group based in the UAE who can both lead the way in any future games here for example England v Pakistan next year and join the rest of the Barmy Army on tour across the globe.
If England do play here early next year, it is bound to be a fantastic series, the ground in Dubai is excellent and I am sure this will be a popular tour with Barmy Army members.”
Paul and his team will be at 7he Sevens on the day, so come along, enjoy the day and have fun with the Barmy Army!
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