Flintoff and Cook hit form by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Kennington Oval, Kennington, County Ground, Derby, County Ground, Taunton
Scorecard:	Somerset v Northamptonshire, Derbyshire v Lancashire, Surrey v Essex
Player:	AN Cook, A Flintoff, VVS Laxman
Event:	Twenty20 Cup 2009

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DateLine: 26th June 2009

 

North Division

 

Riding on Flintoff’s violent 93, Lancashire defeated Derbyshire by a whopping 56 runs to confirm their passage to the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 Cup. Electing to bat first, VVS Laxman, the stylist from India got his team off to a flier as he found the boundary ropes regularly and even had the audacity to launch one over the boundary ropes. Laxman and Flintoff shared a pulsating 99 runs for the fourth wicket in which Flintoff was unstoppable. The bowlers of Derbyshire did not know what had hit them as they were subjected to one of the most brutal hitting in this year’s Twenty20 Cup edition. Derbyshire made a good fist of the chase, as Chris Rogers and Greg Smith each cracked fifties, but Flintoff returned with the ball to pick up 2 for 32 as Derbyshire's pursuit ran out of steam, falling 56 runs short.

 

South Division

 

On a wicket that offered even bounce, England international Test opener, Alastair Cook played till date his most aggressive innings in any form of the game. Cook was in a rampant mood as he smashed the opposition bowlers to smithereens and more importantly surprised them with his aggressive stroke-play. Mark Pettini was the other notable contributor in the Essex innings as they walloped Surrey by 84 runs. Graham Napier then made two early breakthroughs to leave Surrey tottering on 12 for 2, a position from which they were unable to. Napier was well supported by Danish Kaneria, James Middlebrook and Ryan ten Doeschate, each of whom also took two wickets.

 

Midlands, Wales, West Division

 

The match between Somerset and Northamptonshire had to be abandoned after heavy rain lashed through the ground. Northamptonshire had earlier won the toss and elected to bat first and they had raced to 49 for no loss in five overs.