Murali helps Lancashire into semis
Muralitharan flew back from Sri Lanka to help Lancashire in to the semis
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Wednesday, 18, Jul 2007 10:20
Muttiah Muralitharan helped Lancashire Lightening into the semi-finals of the Twenty20 cup in a six-run win over Warwickshire Bears.
Lancashire set an imposing total of 193-5 from their 20 overs, largely thanks to Gareth Cross (62) and Steven Croft (42) in a partnership of 97 runs.
The Lightening lost Mal Loye in the first over but 44 in 31 balls from Australian Stuart Law soon got them back on track.
Cross and Croft hit nine sixes between them and took the game away from the Bears in the latter part of the innings.
The Bears responded well with Neil Carter smashing 58 from 31 balls at the top of the order. Partner Darren Maddy could only manage three before being run out.
Carter fell in Muralitharan's first over and the Sri Lankan spinner also picked up the wickets of Tim Ambrose (7), Tim Groenewald (8) and Alex Loudon (2).
The Bears still had a chance with Jonathan Trott (49) at the crease but when he fell to Dominic Cork in the final over Warwickshire finished on 187-7.
Lancashire will be joined in the semi-finals by Kent after they comprehensively beat Nottinghamshire by nine wickets.
Heavy rain caused the game to be postponed until today and it was the visitors that made the best of conditions, restricting Notts to 138 all out.
Stephen Fleming (49) and Graeme Swann (30) gave the Outlaws a solid start but Chris Read (26) was the only other batsman to contribute.
Kent chose to pace their innings cautiously with opener Robert Key and Joe Denly sharing a partnership of 96.
That approach nearly got them in trouble as they needed nine to win off the final over. But Denly held his nerve to see Kent home with one ball remaining.
In the remaining semi-final Sussex beat Yorkshire by 38 runs. Murray Goodwin top scored for Sussex with 57 in their total of 193-5 while Rana Naved-ul-Hasan claimed three wickets to restrict Yorkshire to 155 all out.
Semi-final draw: Lancashire v Gloucestershire, Sussex v Kent